You Like The Smart Ones? You Should Have Said So Sooner! - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Admission

“No, I didn’t, how is that possible?” Qin Mian flatly denied it.

Song Ying realized he had let the secret slip and stood to the side, not daring to make a sound.

“Really?”

“Of course, one hundred percent real, guaranteed.”

Chen Miao squinted his eyes, staring at Qin Mian who had just swallowed nervously, and mercilessly exposed him: “Don’t you know? Whenever you lie, you start talking a lot.”

“I am not. I’m not lying. Am I talking… a lot?”

As Qin Mian spoke, he fell silent himself.

Alright, he was a little.

Song Ying didn’t say anything, but the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curl up. Okay, noted.

What are you laughing at?” Qin Mian glared at him sideways, cold air practically radiating from his body.

The targeted Mr. Song immediately stopped laughing.

Chen Miao gave a cold snort. “Don’t try to change the subject. This is the last time.”

“Next time I come back, if I find out from Song Ying that you’ve been trashing your stomach like that again, you’ll see if my mom comes over to deal with you or not.”

Cai Hongxia usually took great care of Qin Mian since he lived alone, often having Chen Miao deliver food to his house. Her level of care was comparable to that of her own biological son.

But when Qin Mian neglected his health, Cai Hongxia would truly get angry. When the “boss lady” got mad, she could chase Chen Miao and Qin Mian down two whole blocks.

Chen Miao paused, then turned to Song Ying. “Little brother, I’ll have to trouble you to keep an eye on him for me.”

Qin Mian let out a very displeased “tch.”

What’s the situation? Why is Song Ying the one watching over him now?

“You ‘tch’ one more time? Believe it or not, as soon as I get back, I’ll tell—” Chen Miao completely held the other man’s weakness and threatened him.

Sure enough, Qin Mian folded faster than a rabbit, interrupting him: “Wait, wait, wait! I get it, okay?”

Chen Miao rolled his eyes at him. Usually, Chen Miao couldn’t win against Qin Mian in terms of aura and would be suppressed by him, but in this specific area, Chen Miao had zero fear because Cai Hongxia stood completely on his side.

“Don’t worry, leave it to me. I will definitely take good care of ‘Great Handsome Qin’s’ stomach.”

Song Ying responded with a smile, but his gaze was fixed on Qin Mian. His eyes were overflowing with tenderness.

Qin Mian felt as if he had been burned by Song Ying’s gaze. After just a brief, shallow moment of eye contact, he looked away as if fleeing. His dark lashes fluttered rapidly and unconsciously; a faint flash of panic crossed his face before being forcefully suppressed as he tried to maintain his “cool guy” persona.

The persona must not collapse.

Song Ying took all of this in, the corners of his mouth curving upward into a graceful arc.

Chen Miao had drunk a bit much and his head was buzzing, so he didn’t notice these surging undercurrents. Or perhaps he did notice, but was tactful enough not to say anything. He looked down at the time.

It was almost 10:00 PM.

“Mian-zi, it’s about time. I’ll head out first today.”

Qin Mian was slightly stunned. “So early?”

Usually, with Chen Miao’s personality, he wouldn’t leave until midnight. Back before they were of age, Chen Miao had the guts to egg Qin Mian on to try some alcohol, only to end up getting wasted himself. He would sing and dance on Qin Mian’s floor, throwing a tantrum and grabbing Qin Mian while shouting things like, “If the moon doesn’t sleep, I won’t sleep!”

Eventually, Qin Mian, who had endured enough, would knock him out with one punch and report the whole thing to Cai Hongxia. The next day, the entire old street would echo with Chen Miao’s screams. Qin Mian would watch the drama from the sidelines, perfectly happy.

Even so, Chen Miao never changed and still loved loitering at Qin Mian’s place.

“Did going to university give you a personality transplant? Since when are you so polite?” Qin Mian asked suspiciously.

Chen Miao glared. “What nonsense! I’ve always been very polite, okay? Mian-zi, you have a huge misunderstanding of me!”

As he spoke, he reached out his left hand, grabbed Song Ying’s arm, and headed for the door. “Song Ying, come with me. It’s on the way.”

Song Ying didn’t react in time and was pulled into a stumble.

??? On the way? Does walking two steps together count as being ‘on the way’?

“How is he ‘on the way’ with you?” Qin Mian didn’t know what kind of intermittent madness was affecting Chen Miao.

Chen Miao didn’t respond and didn’t let go. Before they could touch the doorknob, a “knock-knock-knock” sounded. He opened the door and saw Li Zhixun standing there. He froze. “Li Zhixun?”

“Chen Miao?”

Li Zhixun hadn’t expected Chen Miao to be the one answering Qin Mian’s door. He wasn’t very close to Chen Miao, but since they lived nearby, they knew each other. The reason Qin Mian hadn’t known Li Zhixun before was mainly because he hated going outside.

Chen Miao asked: “You’re here for Qin Mian?”

Li Zhixun carried his backpack. “Yes. I’m here for tutoring.”

A flash of surprise crossed Chen Miao’s eyes, but seeing Qin Mian nod, he didn’t dwell on it. Muttering “That works out then,” he continued to persistently drag Song Ying out. “Then you two get to work. Song Ying and I will head out first.”

Qin Mian’s hand was halfway extended when—bang—his line of sight was heartlessly cut off by the door.

Li Zhixun was completely bewildered, having no idea what was happening. “Why was the Great Boss Song dragged away by Chen Miao?”

Qin Mian couldn’t be bothered anymore and waved his hand dismissively. “They’re ‘on the way’.”

Li Zhixun thought about it for a split second, and then his brain stalled. On the way? Do two steps really count as being ‘on the way’?

The two people standing at the door fell into silence. The moment the door closed, Chen Miao let go of the other’s arm. He remained silent, allowing the night breeze blowing into the hallway to wake up his throbbing brain.

Song Ying was somewhat dissatisfied that Chen Miao had dragged him out, but knowing that Chen Miao likely had something to say to him, he followed. The hallway lights were sound-activated; because it had been quiet for a while, they had already plunged into darkness.

“Do you have something you want to say?”

Song Ying figured that since the person in front of him was Qin Mian’s childhood friend, he had to show some respect, so he took the initiative to break the silence.

Chen Miao turned his head and shot him a glance, his eyes full of heaviness and deep thought. It took a long time for Song Ying’s question to receive an answer.

“Come out with me for a bit.”

His tone was serious and cautious, quite different from the joking or polite manner from before. After speaking, he headed down the stairs and out of the building.

Song Ying didn’t quite understand the look in the man’s eyes. After pondering for a moment, he followed. When he got outside, Chen Miao was already sitting on the flower bed under a tree. Seeing Song Ying follow him out, he patted the spot next to him, signaling him to sit.

“You… like Qin Mian, don’t you?”

Chen Miao didn’t waste any breath and went straight to the point.

Song Ying wasn’t particularly surprised by the question. He hadn’t intended to hide his feelings back in Qin Mian’s house anyway, so he nodded and admitted it cleanly:

“Yes.”