How could a Puppy-like Boy Ever Have Any Bad Intentions? - Chapter 10

The basketball court was a stage of youthful energy, a classic university scene saturated with pheromones. Regardless of looks, boys who love sports naturally radiate a sunny, approachable aura that people find attractive.

If the boy happened to be handsome, that attraction intensified.

“Gosh, Fu Xingran is so hot!”

“Visuals are everything. I could look at that face and forget I’m hungry. Otherwise, a foodie like me would never stop to watch a game.”

“Are you going to ask for his contact info?”

“I wouldn’t dare. Fu Xingran isn’t easy to approach. He’s the ‘look but don’t touch’ type.”

“I heard he doesn’t get along great with his roommates, yet they’re always playing together. Isn’t that weird?”

“Haha, weird? Yeah, that whole dorm has a strange ‘ship’ vibe. Cold-faced Fu Xingran, hot-tempered Zhuo Yi, the genius Zhao Ziyi, and the slacker Mo Zhe. It’s a legendary lineup.”

Su Lixu came down from the teaching building, heading back to his counseling office. As he passed the court, his eyes caught a familiar figure. It was Fu Xingran. His pace instinctively slowed.

On the court, Fu Xingran was dazzling. A simple white T-shirt and black shorts were enough to broadcast his blend of boyish charm and emerging masculinity. Even with his hair damp with sweat, his looks remained untouched; in fact, the exertion only made him more magnetic. His milky-white skin stood out sharply among the group of boys.

In this state of play, it was impossible to tell he was a patient with Borderline Personality Disorder. Su Lixu noted that the boy had clearly made progress, especially in social settings. At the very least, he no longer rejected group environments the way he used to.

It seemed that even without contact, Fu Xingran could live his life normally. He wasn’t nearly as fragile as he acted when he was in Su Lixu’s presence.

It had been a week. The boy hadn’t appeared before him as constantly as he used to.

Su Lixu told himself this was expected. After all, their primary connection was a past doctor-patient relationship. Now, they were just a temporary lecturer and a student. Fu Xingran was a boy with immense pride; Su Lixu had criticized him that night and hadn’t reached out afterward. It was likely the boy was harboring a grudge.

So sensitive, Su Lixu thought. He withdrew his gaze and continued toward his office.

On the court, Fu Xingran caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. He was in the middle of a fake-out move, preparing to drive past his opponent for a layup, but the distraction caused him to lose focus. He accidentally slammed the ball directly into Zhuo Yi’s rear.

“Dammit! Fu Xingran, are you acting?!” Zhuo Yi yelped, clutching his backside. He looked at the now-stationary Fu Xingran with sudden rage, picked up the ball, and hurled it back at him. “We were playing fine! What the hell is wrong with you?”

Fu Xingran stared blankly at the figure walking away in the distance. He was hit squarely in the abdomen by the returned basketball. Though it stung, he didn’t care. He hadn’t contacted Su Lixu for a week.

It had been intentional.

After leaving Su Lixu’s house that night, he hadn’t reached out. Even though he had accepted the criticism, he still felt aggrieved. Although Su Lixu had left him breakfast the next morning—which felt sweet—it wasn’t enough. He had decided to try the “silent treatment.”

Because there were no classes with Su Lixu for a few days, he couldn’t see him. He felt it was beneath his dignity to sneak into other classes just to catch a glimpse. For days, he had vacillated between feeling he was wrong and feeling he was right. He felt he wasn’t being dramatic, yet he also felt deeply wronged.

After countless internal monologues over the week, he was stunned to realize that Su Lixu hadn’t made a single move to contact him. The strategy of “stop pestering them so they’ll miss you” was a total failure.

Instead, the silence had backfired, leaving Fu Xingran in agony. The agony of thinking about him day and night, the agony of tossing and turning, the agony of missing the feeling of sleeping in his arms, and the sweet, addictive memory of the taste of the man’s skin.

He thought he could hold out a bit longer, but the moment he saw Su Lixu’s shadow, he realized he couldn’t take another second. He needed to find Su Lixu right now.

“Zhuo Yi, do you hate me?” Fu Xingran bent down to pick up the ball and looked at his roommate.

Zhuo Yi sneered. “Are you really asking that?”

“Hit me.” Fu Xingran walked over and handed him the ball, his expression dead serious. “Hit me hard. Anywhere you want.”

Zhuo Yi stared at him. “…You really are a psychopath.” He snatched the ball back and turned away. “I’m done playing. I’m going to eat.”

Fu Xingran pressed the spot on his abdomen where he’d been hit. He lifted his shirt to look down, ignoring the gasps from nearby girls. The skin was just a little red. It wasn’t bruised or purple; the “injury” wasn’t nearly severe enough. It would fade in minutes.

“Fu Xingran, what are you doing?” Mo Zhe walked over, wiping sweat with his collar. “You’ve been acting weird all week, but dazing off in the middle of a game is a new low.”

“Does this look like a serious injury to you?” Fu Xingran pointed to the red mark on his stomach.

Mo Zhe stared at the mark. He couldn’t keep up with Fu Xingran’s train of thought. He gave an awkward, polite smile. “It looks… way too light.”

“Right?” Fu Xingran thought. It was definitely too light. How could he make his “Brother” feel sorry for him with just this? “Can you hit me a few times then?”

Mo Zhe turned on his heel. “I’m hungry. I’m going to eat.” He ran after Zhuo Yi. “Wait for me!”

Fu Xingran grabbed his bag. He was still trying to think of a legitimate excuse to go to the office when a voice spoke beside him.

“The man on your phone wallpaper… it’s Teacher Su, isn’t it?”

Fu Xingran froze and looked at Zhao Ziyi. “Monitor, are you into gossip now too?”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Zhao Ziyi remembered how excited Fu Xingran had been to see Su Lixu that day. “So, is Teacher Su the ‘boyfriend’ you’ve been dating for four years?”

Perhaps because the word “boyfriend” was so satisfying, or perhaps because of his pride, Fu Xingran replied with feigned nonchalance. “Yeah.”

“Then why have you looked like you’re going through a breakup all week? Did he dump you?”

Fu Xingran’s face instantly darkened. He glared at Zhao Ziyi. “How could he dump me? He loves me too much.” He turned and walked away. He couldn’t wait. He had to see Su Lixu immediately.

Zhao Ziyi sighed. “Who could handle such a tsundere…”

In the counseling room, soothing classical music played softly, accompanied by the rich aroma of coffee.

Su Lixu poured himself a cup, feeling relaxed now that his morning classes were over. He stood by the window, sipping his coffee and watching the crowd of students rushing toward the cafeteria. He truly loved the campus atmosphere—it was simple yet full of the unpredictable energy of youth. Interacting with young people helped his research; it was a different world from the high-pressure front lines of a hospital.

Not that hospital work was bad. It was just that everyone has different paths.

Knock, knock, knock.

The door was tapped. Su Lixu turned, feeling a flicker of surprise. Who would be looking for him now? He set down his coffee and sat in his chair.

“Come in.”

The door pushed open, and before he even saw the person, he heard a familiar voice.

“Teacher Su…”

The door was only halfway open, but a wounded, aggrieved voice drifted in first, followed by a hand gripping the doorframe.

An amused glint appeared in Su Lixu’s eyes, though he didn’t realize how much his posture had relaxed. He took a sip of coffee. “Why aren’t you coming in?”

“Are you free right now?” Fu Xingran poked his head in cautiously.

Su Lixu saw that Fu Xingran was drenched in sweat, clearly having come straight from the court. He set his coffee down and smiled. “Yes. I was about to take my lunch break.”

Fu Xingran hadn’t expected such a casual answer. He froze for a moment, his prepared script slipping from his mind. “Then… can I… can I take a lunch break with you, Teacher Su?”

Su Lixu couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you sure?”

Seeing the smile, the void in Fu Xingran’s heart was instantly filled. He hurried inside and shut the door behind him. “Actually, I have some problems I want to consult ‘Doctor Su’ about.”

Click. He locked the door.

Su Lixu heard the lock turn. This “aggressive” approach to counseling left him momentarily speechless. “Then come and sit.”

If the boy was seeking consultation voluntarily, that was a good thing.

Fu Xingran sat down across from Su Lixu, his eyes fixed on the man. “I’m in a lot of pain right now.”

“Pain? Did something happen?” Su Lixu pushed a box of tissues toward him, seeing the sweat dripping from his forehead. “Wipe your sweat first.”

Fu Xingran didn’t take a tissue. Instead, he habitually grabbed his collar and used it to wipe his face, inadvertently revealing a glimpse of his firm, pale abdomen. Su Lixu quietly looked away.

Kids grow up so well these days, he thought.

“I feel uneasy in my heart.” After wiping his face, Fu Xingran rested his chin on his hands, looking at Su Lixu with a dejected expression.

“Can you tell me more about this ‘uneasiness’?” Su Lixu was momentarily stunned. Seeing Fu Xingran sitting there so obediently with his chin in his hands, looking up with such pleading eyes, the corners of Su Lixu’s mouth couldn’t help but soften.

He looked exactly like a puppy.

“I’m almost afraid to say it.”

Sensing his caution, Su Lixu said gently, “Think about it calmly first. I can wait.”

After a long silence, Fu Xingran placed his hands on the edge of the desk, his thumbs rubbing the wood. He took several seconds to find the words. “Brother… I think I might be sick.”

Su Lixu froze.

“He won’t leave my mind. His face, his gentleness, his warmth—I miss them every second. But I don’t know what he thinks. It feels like he’s right there, within reach, yet even if I get close, I feel like I can only have his body… but not his heart.”

Su Lixu had expected Fu Xingran to have some self-realization about his disorder, but he hadn’t expected the boy to come to him for relationship advice.

“I want to lock him away. I know it’s wrong to think like that, but I can’t stop myself from thinking about one thing.”

Su Lixu frowned at the dangerous statement. He met Fu Xingran’s gaze and felt as if he were about to be swallowed by the sheer intensity in those eyes.

“…What thing?”

“I want to sleep with him.”

Support How could a Puppy-like Boy Ever Have Any Bad Intentions?