Flirt First, Run Later [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 10

The sky was just beginning to lighten as dawn broke in the east.

Xie Shenxing woke up on time. The room, with its curtains drawn, was still dim, and only a faint layer of sunlight filtered through. He turned his head to look at the young man in the bed. It was only the beginning of summer, and the weather wasn’t too hot yet. There was even a chill in the air at night. Yet, he had already turned on the air conditioning early, sleeping under a blanket, claiming it made him feel comfortable and warm.

Of course, Xie Shenxing didn’t raise any objections. He had long since figured out his temperament. The more you told him not to do something, the more he’d insist on doing the opposite. A bad habit he’d somehow developed. What could he do? Every night, he waited until the young man was sound asleep before turning off the air conditioner, then turned it back on again before he woke up the next morning, gradually lowering the temperature to pretend it had been on all night.

Then, when the young man woke up, he’d hear him say in a tone of worldly wisdom, “See? It’s better to keep the air conditioning on. When the room is cool, the bed feels warmer. I slept really well.”

At times like these, Xie Shenxing would usually smile and agree, saying, “You’re right, Keke. I slept well too.” Then he’d watch him get out of bed cheerfully.

Xie Shenxing sat up and reached out to touch Liang Chu’s exposed foot. It felt warm to the touch, though his toes were a bit cold. Even so, he still insisted on using the air conditioner. Xie Shenxing shook his head with a wry smile, holding the toes in his hand to warm them for a while. He lifted his gaze to look at Liang Chu lying on his back, mouth slightly open.

At fifteen or sixteen, burdened with heavy academic pressures, few peers could live carefree lives, not even in their dreams. Yet Liang Chu slept soundly and peacefully, without a worry about being late. Xie Shenxing’s internal clock was precise. He had a habit of morning runs and always woke up on time.

As for Liang Chu, he didn’t need an alarm clock at all. Xie Shenxing was his alarm.

Xie Shenxing gently tickled the sole of his foot a couple of times. Liang Chu reacted quickly, pulling his foot back forcefully, but Xie Shenxing held on effortlessly and tickled him a few more times. Finally, he managed to rouse him. Liang Chu’s eyes cracked open into slits, and he lifted his foot to kick out. Only then did Xie Shenxing let go, but the other had already fallen back asleep.

Xie Shenxing covered him with the blanket. Since childhood, Liang Chu had loved sleeping, never seeming to get enough of it, as if he were the reincarnation of the god of sleep. If he didn’t wake him up a little ahead of time now, it would be hard to get him up later. This was a lesson learned from years of experience.

He rolled up the bedding from the floor and set it aside. Ever since coming to the Jing family, the two of them had always slept in the same room though one was on the bed and the other on the floor. It wasn’t that Liang Chu had never generously invited him to share the bed, but Xie Shenxing, who usually granted his every wish, had refused without hesitation.

Liang Chu had said, “Suit yourself. If you don’t want to, forget it. I’ll enjoy the big bed by myself.”

He had no idea what he was saying, no idea how much of a temptation he was to him, and yet he had the nerve to invite him into his bed. He trusted him so much, completely unafraid he might turn into a wolf.

Xie Shenxing leaned over, bracing his hands on either side of Liang Chu’s body, and looked down at him for a moment before planting a kiss on his cheek.

You’re still too young, my little treasure. Grow up quickly. When you’re older, I’ll hold you to sleep every day.

Xie Shenxing turned on the air conditioner and pushed the door open to go downstairs. The first floor was quiet, not even the housekeeper preparing breakfast was up yet. He went to the kitchen first to heat up some milk, casually shaping a few plump little steamed buns and preparing some cold dishes—sour and spicy, perfect for summer. He mixed the sauce and set it aside to let the flavors meld, planning to fry bacon and eggs after his run.

It only took a few minutes.

During this period, Xie Shenxing’s cooking skills had reached perfection. One night a few months ago, during the winter break, Liang Chu stayed up late and was so hungry that he wandered around restlessly. The housekeeper had already gone to bed, so Xie Shenxing casually chopped some carrots and minced meat, added eggs, and used leftover rice to make fried rice. Liang Chu devoured it all, nearly licking the plate clean.

From then on, Liang Chu almost always demanded special meals. Every day, he could be seen sitting upright at the dining table early, guarding his empty bowl and eagerly waiting for Xie Shenxing to bring the food. Xie Shenxing thoroughly enjoyed that moment—the feeling of being needed by Liang Chu.

In the morning, a light mist hung in the air. Xie Shenxing simmered porridge over low heat and went for a run. When he returned an hour later, he turned off the heat, lifted the lid to let it cool, and by the time everything was tidied up, the porridge was just the right temperature to eat.

Surprisingly, when he returned to the bedroom today, the person in bed had already been awake for a while. Xie Shenxing was slightly surprised and walked to the bedside, saying, “You can sleep for another ten minutes.”

Liang Chu shook his head slowly after a few dozen seconds, indicating he didn’t want to sleep anymore.

Xie Shenxing chuckled softly—Liang Chu wasn’t fully awake yet. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

After years of living together, Liang Chu would tell Xie Shenxing almost anything as long as he asked. Xie Shenxing was a peculiar person—highly tolerant, as if he had seen everything. No matter what Liang Chu said, he never judged or laughed at him.

Liang Chu said, “I had a dream.”

Xie Shenxing feigned great interest. “What kind of dream?”

Encouraged, Liang Chu scratched his head and seemed a bit more alert, though still confused. “I forgot, but I remember I turned into a tiger.” After saying this, he stole a glance at Xie Shenxing, who remained unfazed. Liang Chu continued, “An extinct tiger. I don’t know what species, but I knew I was extinct.”

After a pause, he added superstitiously, “Is that a good sign or a bad one?”

Or maybe it was because he had watched too much Animal Planet with Banya Xiong yesterday—though what they watched was about lions.

A gentle smile spread across Xie Shenxing’s face as he asked softly, “A tiger that goes ‘meow’?”

Liang Chu pursed his lips and retorted, “What do you think?”

“Of course not,” Xie Shenxing said, fetching the school uniform. He leaned over, grabbed Liang Chu’s ankle, and pulled him from the center of the bed to the edge. “Our Keke is a real man—how could he be a cat? The tiger is the king of the forest, a symbol of good fortune. It means your studies will reach new heights. And since it was an extinct little tiger, it shows that Keke is a treasure.”

Liang Chu fell silent and muttered to Banya Xiong, “Xie Shenxing really knows how to spin a tale. He’ll go to any lengths to flatter me.”

Banya Xiong replied, “Actually, I think his spin makes some sense…”

Ignoring him, Liang Chu picked up his clothes and got dressed. Holding his big egg, he headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Banya Xiong toppled the toothbrush cup and handed him the toothbrush.

Liang Chu took it and peeked outside to make sure Xie Shenxing wasn’t paying attention. As he brushed his teeth in front of the mirror, he whispered, “Who is this handsome guy in the mirror? How can he be so good-looking?”

Banya Xiong stepped on the egg, rolling it across the sink, and chirped happily, “Yeah, yeah! Whose egg is this in the mirror? How can it be so adorable?”

Liang Chu bit down on his toothbrush and glanced outside again. Xie Shenxing was folding the quilt and making the bed, looking incredibly diligent. Six years was more than enough time for a boy to grow into a man. Just as he and Bucktooth Bear had predicted, Xie Shenxing was naturally tall—now standing at 183 cm and still steadily approaching the 190 cm mark. Tall and frequently exercising, Liang Chu had seen Xie Shenxing’s well-defined eight-pack abs more than once, and each time he’d pinch his own soft belly and sigh inwardly at the unfairness of the world.

However, part of their prediction had been off. Bucktooth Bear had confidently declared that Liang Chu would grow to 180 cm, but now it seemed unlikely. He was still 2 cm short of even 170 cm. Standing next to Xie Shenxing, he felt almost a head shorter.

At least he still had a few more years to grow.

Liang Chu sighed and said, “I feel like I’m Xie Shenxing’s lucky star, his god of wealth. Haven’t you noticed how his luck turned around after he met me? All the good things happen to him. He used to struggle to even eat enough, but after following me, he’s never had to worry about food or drink. Then he went to school and became the nightmare of every top student. I think he might have absorbed all my good luck—that’s why I’m not growing taller. And there’s no reason I shouldn’t be first in exams—I’ve studied all this before!”

Bucktooth Bear was silent for a moment before replying, “I have to hand it to you—that’s quite the excuse.”

Liang Chu continued brushing his teeth. Though he didn’t say it aloud, he quietly acknowledged how remarkable Xie Shenxing was. This man, who should have been born under a lucky star, had been surrounded by brilliance from the start. Unfortunately, his good fortune didn’t last long. He lost his parents and the immense wealth and influential background that should have been his when he was just a few months old. But that didn’t matter. Over the years, through sheer determination and hard work, he had steadily earned a new set of achievements.

Xie Shenxing’s performance in the humanities was merely outstanding, but in the sciences, he was nothing short of a prodigy. When he first started school, he went straight to junior high. In seventh grade, he solidified the foundation of his self-taught knowledge. By eighth grade, he began to stand out, and before even reaching ninth grade, he had climbed to the top of his grade. In high school, he consistently held the number one spot, and during his senior year, he repeatedly topped the mock exams as the science champion.

The school he attended was a century-old prestigious institution where every student was exceptionally talented—no one was ordinary. Standing out among such a crowd was no easy feat, and maintaining the top position year after year was nearly impossible. Before Xie Shenxing, the top rank had rotated among several students. With such uniformly excellent peers, it was common for performance to fluctuate under pressure. But during Xie Shenxing’s three years there, he dominated every time, as if those years were meant to be his era.

Liang Chu rarely allowed himself to imagine what it would be like if Xie Shenxing were to return to his family one day, combining both sets of achievements into one dazzling persona. After all, if Xie Shenxing rose to prominence, it would be Liang Chu’s turn to face the consequences… And Liang Chu couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. How wonderful it would be if he were Xie Shenxing.

After finishing brushing his teeth and washing his face, he stepped out with a sigh, only to bump straight into a solid wall. Someone who had been standing outside his door for who knows how long. Liang Chu yelped in pain, covering his nose as he stumbled back, only to be pulled forward by a hand on his waist. He braced his hands against Xie Shenxing’s chest, feeling how firm it was, and couldn’t help but resent how much taller the other had grown—especially since Xie Shenxing used to be much shorter than him!

“What are you doing?” Liang Chu demanded.

Xie Shenxing moved his hand aside and gently touched his slightly reddened nose. “Does it hurt?”

Liang Chu took a moment to assess the pain before retorting irritably, “What do you think? Why don’t you try running into a wall yourself?”

Xie Shenxing said in a low voice, “Serves you right for being in pain. Walking with your eyes closed—how could you not see someone as tall as me?”

“I was thinking, and you didn’t make a sound… Wait, it’s your fault for not making a sound. I think you did it on purpose.”

Xie Shenxing remained silent, watching him shift the blame.

Standing very close, Liang Chu glanced at the ceiling, inexplicably uneasy. “Do you need something?”

Xie Shenxing tightened his grip around his waist, his smile deepening. His fingers pressed against the small of Liang Chu’s back through his clothes, slowly sliding downward. Liang Chu’s expression grew increasingly puzzled as he instinctively reached back and grabbed Xie Shenxing’s forearm to stop him.

How could he possibly restrain him? Xie Shenxing guided his hand further down, feeling along his tailbone through the fabric, and chuckled, “Just checking if my handsome little tiger has grown a tail.”

Liang Chu: “…”

Liang Chu lamented sadly, “My bear… he overheard what I said in the bathroom. So embarrassing…”

Banya Xiong: “…”