In the days that followed, Ye Ran and Shen Shi still kept their Thursday tradition of going out together.
Their usual place remained that hotel far from campus.
A five-star hotel: attentive service, well-equipped amenities.
Each time he stayed in a different room, some facing the lake, some facing the garden. The scenery at night was even more enchanting. The lights, mixed with the drizzle, blurred the floor-to-ceiling windows. He bit the hem of his clothes, suppressing his breathing, until they got down to business. Only then would Shen Shi remove the clothes, his breath hot and scalding, and whisper “baby” in his ear, then force him to respond.
Ever since the senior finance professor announced a new project, however, Shen Shi no longer had time to take Ye Ran out, giving Ye Ran a bit of a breather.
After all, Finance was one of Beijing University’s most competitive majors. It gathered top scorers from across the country.
The professor was highly respected and extremely knowledgeable. If this new project were completed successfully, it would become a major advantage for postgraduate recommendations. Everyone in the class was desperate to join, but the professor only chose two first-year students; the rest were all sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
As for the foundational knowledge some first-years hadn’t learned yet, the professor simply snorted and said, “Obviously you’ll self-study it. If you really don’t understand, then come ask me.”
Some students needed knowledge spoon-fed to them, but at Beijing University, these prodigies had their own learning systems and ways of thinking. Teachers served more as guides than lecturers.
The two selected first-years were Shen Shi and Yu Ting. The project didn’t interfere with regular classes. Starting Friday, they had to stay in the computer lab, rotate for field research, and integrate information.
Yu Ting had lost three pounds in these days. Even in his dreams, he saw dense piles of data.
Friday, 9 PM.
The large screen outside the lab building was broadcasting the evening news.
Yu Ting followed behind Shen Shi, exhausted, as they walked out of the building.
A warm breeze blew toward them. Spring was here; new buds sprouted on willow trees.
The lakes on campus rippled with clear waves. A few tender green leaves floated on top, drifting with the water.
The two had been busy all day. They’d only had a cup of eight-treasure porridge ordered by an upperclassman for dinner. Now, starving, they planned to get something at the cafeteria, then buy some snacks at the supermarket to keep on hand for later.
Yu Ting was so tired he nearly fell face-first into his noodles. The bowl was bigger than his entire face, steam rising. His head kept bobbing up and down; though he was exhausted, he still ate fast, practically shoveling it in.
Once he finished the bowl, his mind finally cleared a bit.
Across from him, Shen Shi lowered his head and drank his soup, unhurried. He had been extremely busy as well; the professor had given him even heavier tasks. But no matter how difficult things got, one could never see retreat or discouragement on Shen Shi’s naturally cold and detached face.
Moreover—
Yu Ting felt uneasy.
He kept feeling that Shen Shi lately was like a ticking time bomb. Even with his own senses dulled from exhaustion, he could still feel the cold, oppressive aura radiating from Shen Shi, proof of how strained his state must be.
After finishing the meal, Yu Ting cautiously asked, “Still going to the supermarket?”
Shen Shi pulled a napkin and wiped his fingers. His long, pale fingers curled slightly as he crumpled the napkin in his palm. His expression was somewhat absent, as if lost in thought. After a moment, he nodded. “Mm. Let’s go.”
There were large chain supermarkets on campus, as well as several smaller ones. Their daily revenue was unbelievably high.
At past nine, the supermarket was still crowded, with long lines at the checkout.
Shen Shi glanced around. Yu Ting noticed his eyes narrow slightly. Though barely visible, the look carried a strange meaning.
Yu Ting had no idea why, but he followed him around the aisles as they picked out snacks.
After almost thirty minutes, Yu Ting was speechless. He had never in his life seen a man be so picky: checking ingredients, expiration dates… all for snacks.
“I mean—” he finally couldn’t hold it in, “bro, normal people just pick a flavor and call it a day, right?”
Shen Shi didn’t even bother to look at him. “Ye Ran doesn’t like sweet things.”
Yu Ting: “…”
He swallowed his complaints, sat down on an empty spot, and pulled out his phone. It wasn’t until almost 10 PM that Shen Shi finally finished picking snacks, then slowly went to line up.
The place was nearly empty now, rows of registers closed, only three still operating.
Yu Ting headed toward the nearest line but saw Shen Shi walking straight to the register in the far corner.
“Hey, that one doesn’t have anyone—” His voice stopped.
Shen Shi stopped by the shelf next to the counter, leaned down slightly, and naturally picked up three boxes of c*ndoms.
His movements were practiced, nothing like the meticulous care he showed picking out snacks. It was obvious he bought them often.
“…” Yu Ting felt utterly done with the world.
If he still didn’t understand why Shen Shi had been stalling earlier, he might as well stop using the surname Yu and change it to “Clueless.”
“You actually know how to be discreet?” he said numbly.
At least Shen Shi hadn’t gone straight to buy them in front of everyone.
“Mm.” Shen Shi responded casually, no longer carrying the cold impatience he had when leaving the lab. “It was crowded earlier. Would’ve been caught on camera.”
When Yu Ting heard him say that, he also remembered that previous mix-up. “That misunderstanding last time didn’t affect you, right? Did Ye Ran see it?”
Shen Shi: “He saw it.”
Yu Ting let out a sound: “Then did you explain it to him? Honestly, people at our school just love to stir things up for fun. You already said you bought chewing gum, but they still kept repeating whatever they heard. Even I was embarrassed watching it.”
Five boxes of that, cheese-crisp flavor…
Five boxes, after buying it, Shen Shi secretly took two boxes, went back and shared them with his roommates, and then saw the forum go crazy over this incident. The whole dorm was left feeling like chewing wax.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Shen Shi’s lips, subtle and fleeting. “Mm, I explained.”
He casually picked out two more boxes. The front of the box faced upward, revealing the slogan:
Can’t stop at all.
…
10:30 p.m.
Shen Shi returned to the dorm.
Only half the lights were on, the lighting dim. Once the door closed, all the sounds of the hallway were shut out.
Ye Ran sleepily heard movement, lifted the mosquito net, and poked out his flushed face. He still looked a little dazed, but he already called out: “Shen Shi?”
“Mm.” Shen Shi put the bag of snacks on Ye Ran’s desk, stood below his bed, and looked up at him. “Were you asleep?”
“No, I was waiting for you.”
Ye Ran hugged the soft quilt and rubbed against it. Kneeling inside the bed curtains, a pile of thin blankets beneath him, his messy black hair clung to his neck. A narrow line of pale skin at his waist showed slightly.
Shen Shi’s fingertips moved unconsciously, rubbing lightly. A moment later, his expression returned to calm.
Ye Ran didn’t notice anything and continued curiously asking: “Why did you come back so late today?”
“The lab was busy, so it delayed me a bit,” Shen Shi said.
Ye Ran nodded to show he understood. “Little Fatty and Brother Shu went out to play. The hot-spring hotel called this afternoon and said they won some half-price tickets.”
The two of them didn’t dare waste a second; once they confirmed it wasn’t a scam, they ran faster than rabbits.
Shen Shi looked at him with a smile and hooked his pinky finger: “Mm. Why didn’t you go?”
Ye Ran also smiled, lowering both hands to pinch Shen Shi’s ear. Shen Shi leaned closer, allowing him to do these clingy little gestures. “I wanted to keep you company.”
“How are you going to keep me company?” Shen Shi still hooked his hand, asking.
Ye Ran grew shy from the question. His soft fingertips trembled, and his voice became very small and slow: “I’ll sleep with you tonight… is that okay?”
The room fell silent for two whole seconds.
“Okay.” Then Shen Shi’s low, warm voice sounded.
He turned his head and kissed the reddened, tense knuckle of Ye Ran’s finger. His lowered lids hid the deep, shadowy look in his eyes. His tone remained gentle, neither heavy nor light: “Baby, we had the same idea.”
Ye Ran didn’t understand, but he could feel Shen Shi was very pleased.
“Then go take a shower,” Ye Ran said, happy as well. He pulled his hand back and straightened his bedding. “Bring your blanket over later.”
He had so much he wanted to say to Shen Shi, tonight he could hug him and talk about all sorts of fun little things.
Shen Shi didn’t move. Watching Ye Ran smooth out the sheet, he suddenly said: “Sleep in my bed.”
Ye Ran nodded. “Okay.”
Sleeping anywhere was still sleeping.
And he had never slept in Shen Shi’s bed before.
These two weeks, Little Fatty had been binge-watching an American show, long, ten seasons, staying up until three or four every night, even laughing in the middle of the night.
Even Shen Shi couldn’t find any chance to be alone with Ye Ran, which made his mood extremely stifled these two weeks.
Shen Shi went to shower.
Ye Ran hugged his small blanket and pillow, climbed down, and climbed into Shen Shi’s bed ahead of him.
Shen Shi’s bed was tidy and clean. The blanket was neatly folded at the foot of the bed. No clutter anywhere, and the space surprisingly felt roomy.
Ye Ran watched short videos for a while. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the large bag of snacks on his desk. One look was enough to see the small box sticking up from inside the bag.
Thinking of the previous misunderstanding, he awkwardly pulled back his gaze, suddenly unable to keep watching videos. He closed his eyes, trying to summon sleepiness.
…
Shen Shi took a long shower.
When he came out, it was already a little past 11.
The bed curtain was lifted. Ye Ran didn’t feel any light on his face, meaning Shen Shi had already turned off the lights.
He sleepily opened his eyes and smelled the chamomile scent on Shen Shi.
He reached out in the dark twice then heard a low chuckle, and Shen Shi caught his hand, pulling him into his arms.
Shen Shi wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his warm, hard chest was under Ye Ran’s face. Ye Ran was still a little dazed, and by the moonlight, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of Shen Shi’s loose pajama pants.
His trousers were loosely undone, and that lurking, mysterious area bulged slightly in the shadows.
Ye Ran’s ears burned, and he quietly looked away, tilting his head back. Shen Shi precisely found his lips and kissed him greedily and heavily, “Baby, don’t dodge…spit it out.”
Ye Ran obediently hummed in agreement, his breathing light and rapid, as he stuck out his rosy, plump tongue, glistening with moisture, and fed it into Shen Shi’s mouth. Before long, he was trembling from Shen Shi’s kiss. He hadn’t been kissed and loved so fiercely for two weeks, and his ability to accept it had deteriorated a lot. He was covered in sweat, his fingers were tense, and he was panting heavily. They kissed on and off for almost ten minutes before Shen Shi finally felt a little satisfied.
After a while, Ye Ran, flushed at the corners of his eyes, lay in his arms. His soft black hair clung to the back of his neck. After a long time, he finally said, slightly uncomfortable: “I want to go take a shower.”
His whole body was covered in sweat, and even his clothes were soaked through.
Shen Shi didn’t let him go. His arms wrapped firmly around Ye Ran, muscles shifting under the skin as he asked casually, “Where is it wet?”
Ye Ran: “Just my clothes—”
He realized what Shen Shi meant, and the tips of his ears flushed even redder. “You’re so annoying. I’m going to shower.”
He sat up and was about to climb off the bed when Shen Shi exerted a bit of strength, pulling him back into his arms. A thick, shadowy darkness pressed in behind him; inside the narrow bed curtains, Shen Shi’s chest radiated heat. His voice was lazy, almost careless, as he held Ye Ran by the back of his waist and lay down again: “No rush.”
“Go later.”
Ye Ran didn’t really understand, but he could tell Shen Shi just didn’t want him to leave.
He made a small sound in response and lay back down, resting his chin on Shen Shi’s shoulder while chatting with him.
No one else was in the dorm, but he still kept his voice soft. When something amusing came up, he couldn’t help laughing. Shen Shi, smiling, would keep asking questions. The two of them were in their own little world, talking about trivial things, yet their laughter didn’t stop.
By the end, Ye Ran was getting sleepy. Shen Shi patted his lower back and coaxed him gently with a low voice: “Sleep for a bit.”
Ye Ran’s eyes wouldn’t open. His muddled thoughts tangled into a mess, and right before he fell asleep, he suddenly reacted—
What did he mean by “sleep first for a bit”?
…
In the middle of the night.
Ye Ran suddenly felt a heavy, swelling sensation.
He seemed to have dreamt a strange, surreal dream, boiling, dark seawater. He sank into it, unable to escape, his whole body like it had been soaked in rain before dropping into deep sea. He kept falling as distorted sounds echoed around him, ending with a familiar low, hoarse breathing.
Ye Ran slowly opened his eyes.
The next second—creak—
The metal bed trembled heavily, letting out a muffled sound.
His pupils were unfocused and blank, and the wet redness from the corners of his eyes spread to his cheeks, neck, and earlobes. Fine beads of sweat rose to his face. His mouth was open, and he was breathing heavily. His lips were swollen and soft from being kissed, and his philtrum was soft and muscular, constantly overflowing with glistening juice from being sucked.
Then, hot breaths pressed down.
His jaw was pried open, and his hidden, powerless tongue was hooked up. The tip of his tongue, which was filled with sweet saliva, was sucked. The man chuckled deeply, lowered his head and leaned close to him. His dark, deep gaze was like that of a dangerous male beast on the hunt, powerful, ruthless, and brooking no refusal.
“Baby, are you awake?”
All of the body’s senses have been fully restored.
Two large, burning hot hands gripped his waist with great force, pressing him directly against the wall covered with thin blankets. The icy temperature seeped through the thin blanket, and Ye Ran’s slender back involuntarily curled up.
His long, supple body resembled a soft prey falling into a trap, only to be forcefully forced open. His eyelashes were wet with tears, and he couldn’t say a word. The kiss on his lips deepened, and glistening tears overflowed from his lips. He breathed heavily, trembling and sobbing.
Then came another extremely heavy, fierce shout.
“Creak—”
Shen Shi narrowed his eyes impatiently, raised his hand to smooth his sweat-dampened hair. His handsome and sharp features were now covered with a layer of ferocity. His lean and muscular waist stretched out. He simply sat up and hugged Ye Ran, who was shedding tears.
“Baby, don’t cry,” he said in a gentle and tender voice, as if he also felt that his actions had put Ye Ran in a difficult position, and coaxed him softly, “It will be over soon.”
“Now,” his voice suddenly became hoarse, his Adam’s apple bobbed deeply and slowly, he swallowed a sigh, opened his slightly closed eyelids, his eyes were as dark as ink, extremely viscous, and he leaned closer to Ye Ran, his voice as gentle as the last tenderness: “Kiss me.”
