My Romance With The Cold-Blooded Heartthrob - Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Ugh— The moment Wen Shu woke up, he felt a splitting headache. He couldn’t help but knock his knuckles against his temple, which eased the discomfort slightly. He blearily opened his eyes; his surroundings were both strange and familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before. Then it clicked—this was the guest room in Pei Xian’s apartment, the same room where he had stayed last time.

Wen Shu looked down at his clothes. The choking smell of alcohol was gone, replaced by comfortable pajamas that fit surprisingly well. A knock sounded at the door. Wen Shu?

Come in.

Pei Xian walked in carrying a bowl of porridge and a glass of honey water. Eat something. I think you threw up most of what was in your stomach last night. He added a bit shyly, So I helped you change your clothes.

Threw up? Wen Shu set down the lemon water he had just picked up and asked seriously, What exactly happened yesterday? He reached out and straightened Pei Xian’s body, as the latter was tilting away, too shy to look him in the eye.

Yesterday, Pei Xian looked bashful, the two of us…

What?! Seeing his expression, Wen Shu let out a gasp before Pei Xian could even finish.

Let me finish! Nothing happened between us yesterday. You just came back and threw up all over yourself, so I helped you change. That’s all.” Pei Xian leaned in toward Wen Shu with a bit of a cheeky grin. Though, if you wanted something to happen, I wouldn’t say no.

I refuse, Wen Shu replied expressionlessly. But seeing Pei Xian back to his usual self, he asked tentatively, So are we still friends? Wen Shu felt a bit like a scumbag—rejecting someone but still unwilling to lose the friendship.

Of course not, Pei Xian replied solemnly. Wen Shu, I am going to pursue you seriously. I promise you, I won’t do anything inappropriate before we win the competition. But after the match… can you consider me seriously? He finished by holding Wen Shu’s hand, looking at him with an awkward yet earnest posture.

They said this is how you chase someone. You don’t like the smell of smoke, so I’ll work hard to quit. I won’t go out drinking all day either. I’ll stay healthy and live a long time for you, okay?

Looking at the hope in Pei Xian’s eyes—paired with his blonde hair and those drooping puppy eyes—he looked like a pathetic little Golden Retriever. Okay. I promise you. I will consider it seriously.

Promise me what? Pei Xian pushed his luck, a smile already tugging at the corners of his mouth. He seemed determined to hear the specific words from Wen Shu’s lips before he would be satisfied.

I promise that once this is over, I will let you pursue me. Wen Shu spoke with some discomfort, his fingertips curling shyly.

Then in the future, I can cling to you as much as I want, and you can’t hate me. And when I ask you to eat with me every day, you can’t reject me, Pei Xian continued to press.

That’s not chasing someone! Wen Shu hurriedly covered Pei Xian’s mouth. That’s basically being together. Seeing the blatant affection in Pei Xian’s eyes made Wen Shu’s palm feel hot. I want to rest now.

Okay, get some good rest then, Pei Xian said, unable to contain his excitement. I’ll go pour another glass of honey water.

Stepping outside the door, Pei Xian touched his lips and whispered to himself, Little brat, forgetting the kiss as soon as it happened.

Wen Shu lay back down on the bed, his heart finally relaxing. He stretched deeply, and a few blurred images flashed through his mind, but he couldn’t quite grasp them. He froze for a second, but since Pei Xian said nothing special happened, he figured it wasn’t anything important. Unable to figure it out, he gave up thinking about it.

In the training room, Lin Fei looked at Wen Shu and Pei Xian arriving together and said demandingly, Oho, looks like you two have made up.

Exactly, Xia Yang added sarcastically. Pity the two of us; we were scared to death yesterday thinking someone had gone missing.

My fault, my fault. It’s all because I got drunk yesterday and couldn’t keep up with you guys. Wen Shu stopped Pei Xian from explaining and playfully rubbed his eyes. I almost got taken by some guy, boohoo.

What?! The two asked in unison.

After explaining everything, they finally got down to business. Alright, the schedule for the preliminary rounds is out. Pei Xian will rest this time; Su Yang and Song Shiyu will take the floor. It’s time for you two to have a try. Lin Fei held up a hand to stop Pei Xian from speaking. But Pei Xian, you still have to participate in all the discussions, just like they did for you. You’ve had your fun yesterday; from now on, we go all out for the preliminaries.

Since the freshmen had a mandatory lecture today, Pei Xian had to bid an reluctant farewell to Wen Shu.

Once Pei Xian left, Wen Shu breathed a sigh of relief. Sorry, Sister Fei. There was a reason I messaged you this morning suggesting Pei Xian shouldn’t take this round. Wen Shu struggled with whether to say it out loud, his fingers twisting together nervously.

It’s fine. Lin Fei stood on her tiptoes, reaching out to pat Wen Shu’s head gently. I’m not that much of a gossip. If you don’t want to say it, don’t. I was planning on letting Su Yang and Song Shiyu handle this round anyway.

Lin Fei wasn’t lying. Since the schedule was set, if everything went smoothly and they reached the semifinals, Wen Shu had already mentioned he might be absent for personal reasons. Therefore, she wanted Su Yang and Song Shiyu to get some experience now; she couldn’t just throw them into a semifinal for their first match. This preliminary round was the perfect chance for them to adapt.

But Wen Shu, this isn’t like you, Xia Yang remarked from the side. Though we don’t know what happened between you two, I hope you’ll think things through.

I will.” Wen Shu’s voice wavered slightly. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.

Wen Shu prepared himself for anything, but to his surprise, Pei Xian really did act like his usual self after that morning. He would occasionally invite Wen Shu to the apartment for dinner, and even if Wen Shu refused, he didn’t get angry. He never missed a training session, giving Wen Shu the feeling of punching a bale of cotton—no resistance, but no impact either.

However, in the last few sessions, Pei Xian had either been arriving late or leaving early, and he hadn’t invited Wen Shu to the apartment in a while. Wen Shu stared blankly at the empty seat until Xia Yang nudged him. Huh? What did you say?

Sigh. I said, what do you think of this point?

It’s good. Wen Shu was distracted, his eyes not even focused on the whiteboard, staring into the empty space.

Wen Shu! Xia Yang couldn’t take it anymore. “You were the one worried about people affecting the match, and look at you now.

Sorry. Before Wen Shu could finish, the door to the training room swung open. Pei Xian ran in, panting. Sorry, sorry.

As he entered, a heavy scent of cigarette smoke hit Wen Shu’s nose, accompanied by the smell of alcohol—so strong it was as if he had spent the night in a wine cellar. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked like he hadn’t slept at all. Sorry I’m late.

Whoa, Little Pei, why do you smell so strong? Smoke less! Xia Yang covered his nose and said bluntly, How could you ditch us to go out and live it up on your own!

It’s not that. Pei Xian turned his head and saw Wen Shu pursing his lips. Knowing he was unhappy, he hurriedly explained, The smell is from Chang Xu and the others.

Fine. Wen Shu looked at the whiteboard, appearing uninterested. Let’s continue. Xia Yang, where were we? Wen Shu told himself he wasn’t interested—Pei Xian could do whatever he wanted. All that talk about quitting smoking for him was clearly just a lie. He had gone right back to it. It really was just a game to him.

Pei Xian opened his mouth but didn’t explain further. He just sat next to Wen Shu like a scolded child, occasionally casting him a pitiful glance.

Don’t look at me like that, Wen Shu whispered, staring at the whiteboard. Stay away from me. The smoke smell is awful. Seeing Pei Xian still hadn’t moved, Wen Shu turned and gave him a cold, expressionless look.

Pei Xian pouted and nudged his chair a bit further away. He lowered his head to sniff his own clothes, and realizing there really was a smell, he huddled in a corner far from Wen Shu to offer his suggestions.

Though Wen Shu was acting dismissive, seeing the team all together allowed his wandering mind to focus on the discussion. Pei Xian watched Wen Shu’s serious profile and quietly, slowly nudged his chair back closer to him.

That’s it then. Xia Yang capped his pen and stretched deeply. This is the first draft. Song, go back and edit it, then post it in the group for everyone to polish. Song Shiyu nodded, looking nervous, while Su Yang looked so dazed he didn’t even notice when he dropped his pen.

Seeing this, Wen Shu suggested, How about we grab dinner tonight? It’s about that time. Song Shiyu and Su Yang were first-timers, so nerves were natural. Even though Lin Fei said the lineup change wasn’t because of him, Wen Shu felt a sense of responsibility. He looked up and raised his phone. My treat.

Whoa, Captain Wen is treating! Xia Yang and Lin Fei exchanged a look of shock, afraid Wen Shu might take it back. “We’re definitely going! This is rare—never mind the free food, a group dinner is a must!

Okay! Song Shiyu and Su Yang agreed. They knew they were nervous, and talking things out together would give them more confidence for the match.

I… Pei Xian looked at his phone hesitantly before finally making up his mind. I have something to do tonight, so I won’t go. You guys have fun.

Huh— Everyone was surprised. Xia Yang looked directly at Wen Shu.

Wen Shu didn’t say anything, but his heart felt strangely tight. He opened his mouth but said nothing. Tch. So this is the ‘pursuit’ Pei Xian talked about. Yet, as if possessed, Wen Shu called out to him again. Pei Xian, are you really not going?

Pei Xian didn’t agree immediately. He looked like he was having a massive internal struggle before gritting his teeth and saying, No. With that, he hurried out.

Wen Shu stared at Pei Xian’s back in silence. After a moment, Xia Yang’s trembling voice came from beside him. Wen Shu? Are we still going?

Yes, why wouldn’t we? Wen Shu replied reflexively, adding softly, It’s better if he’s not clinging to me.

The more he felt this way, the more Wen Shu felt he needed to enjoy himself. So, after dinner, he suggested they go to a KTV. Xia Yang looked at his hyped state and couldn’t help asking, You’re a bit too excited is it because Pei Xian isn’t here?

If he’s not here, he’s not here. Saves me the embarrassment of being confessed to. Wen Shu immediately shut his mouth and looked at a curious Xia Yang. He was annoyed with himself for letting it slip. He just waved a hand. Nothing. You guys have been nagging me to go out more anyway, and I want to start trying new things.

He saw his song come up on the screen. It’s my turn. Wen Shu tried his best to immerse himself in the atmosphere. He wanted to prove to himself that his restlessness throughout the day wasn’t because of Pei Xian’s absence. Even without Pei Xian, he could live just as freely as before.

In the apartment, Pei Xian held his phone, watching the KTV video Xia Yang had filmed. The way Wen Shu held the microphone and sang love songs made it impossible for Pei Xian to even blink. He carefully touched Wen Shu’s face on the screen with his large hand. Why do you only go out when I’m not there? I want to sing with you too.

Stop singing! Old Pei, come and deal with this cat you brought back! AH! Chang Xu’s voice shattered Pei Xian’s mood. His face darkened as he opened the door, only to see a black cat standing arrogantly on Chang Xu’s face. The Elizabeth collar it was wearing was covered in bite marks. Zhang Xi stood by helplessly, not knowing what to do.