Don’t Sink Chapter 5

Chapter 5 “Goodnight, Brother”

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For the first time, Xu Yibai was held by an Omega like this, or it could be said that it was the first time he was held like this by anyone.

The fragrance of apricot blossoms was refreshing and pleasant, which was the scent of Shen Yao’s pheromones. Shen Yao was very clean and had never had a body odor. After dancing, there was only a faint fragrance of apricot blossoms on his body.

Whenever the wind blew, Xu Yibai could smell it, but it had never been so strong before.

Xu Yibai’s earlobes were red, and he dared not push Shen Yao away for fear that he would fall if he did. He could only tug at the arm that Shen Yao had wrapped around his waist and stuttered, “Shen Yao… could you let go of me for a moment?”

He turned his head and saw Shen Yao tilting his head and looking at him innocently. After a few seconds of eye contact, Shen Yao silently withdrew his hand.

The warmth on his back disappeared, and for a moment, Xu Yibai felt uncomfortable. He lowered his head and saw Shen Yao looking at him with expectation, waiting for his answer.

Whether he refused or agreed, Xu Yibai felt that he should give an answer. He hesitated for a moment and said, “I…”

But as he opened his mouth, he realized that he didn’t know the answer. He had never been so indecisive before and felt lost and a little confused.

Anxious and worried, he was afraid of giving the wrong answer.

Rarely in his life, Xu Yibai chose to avoid the situation. He turned his head and said stiffly, “You’re not wearing slippers, go to the sofa and wait for me. I’ll bring you some ginger tea.”

Perhaps sensing his panic, Shen Yao obediently walked out, leaving Xu Yibai alone in the kitchen.

The ginger tea was a bit hot, so Xu Yibai took his time, not wanting to rush things, and also wanting the tea to cool down faster. He took out two ceramic cups from the cabinet and poured the ginger tea back and forth between the two cups.

He was absent-mindedly doing this task, and sorting out his thoughts on the side. When he had thought about it for a while, the ginger tea had cooled down to a drinkable temperature.

Xu Yibai picked up the cup and walked out. As soon as he went out, he saw Shen Yao sitting on the sofa with his knees hugged. When he heard the sound of the door opening, Shen Yao’s ears moved and he quickly turned his face.

A towel covered his head, but for a moment it looked like a bridal veil.

Xu Yibai’s footsteps paused uncontrollably, but he still walked over to him and handed him the cup.

The ginger tea was still hot, and steam rose from it, obscuring Shen Yao’s features.

He took a sip, then stared directly at Xu Yibai and suddenly asked, “Can’t we date?”

“…,” Xu Yibai’s answer was hesitant, “not exactly.”

He sat next to Shen Yao, maintaining a comfortable distance, and spoke in a gentle and soothing voice, “You seemed to be in a bad mood today, and I went to pick you up and bring you home. Maybe your liking for me was just a momentary feeling of dependency, rather than genuine affection.”

Xu Yibai had a mole on the tip of his nose, and when he spoke, he looked straight into Shen Yao’s eyes with a focused and sincere expression.

“I’ve never been in a relationship before, so I need to think about it carefully. You should think about it carefully too.”

He asked in a consulting tone, “Okay?”

Shen Yao nodded lightly in agreement. His gaze had not left Xu Yibai’s figure all night. He licked his lips nervously and said, “You can think about it carefully, I don’t need to.”

What Shen Yao meant was, “I like you, and I’m sure about it.”

Even though they were not officially together, they had become ambiguous since that rainy day. Especially in the dance studio where there were only the two of them, after practicing so many times, Xu Yibai’s fingers had already developed muscle memory. He would play the piano while sneakily watching Shen Yao dancing in the center.

Shen Yao liked the way Xu Yibai played the piano, and he would lean against it and listen to him play other pieces.

He would sit next to Xu Yibai and touch the piano keys according to the method taught by Xu Yibai. If he played successfully, he would smile at Xu Yibai with a surprised and childish expression, eagerly waiting for his praise.

When Shen Yao did a split, it was not difficult for him, but he turned his face and asked Xu Yibai to help him press his back.

Xu Yibai squatted down in front of Shen Yao as if he was a mirror according to Shen Yao’s request, but he unconsciously looked up and saw an overly intimate scene in the reflection, so he quickly looked away.

But when he lowered his head, he saw the overly soft and delicate waist of an omega, as well as the beautiful butterfly bones on his back.

Sometimes Xu Yibai really felt that Shen Yao was like a beautiful little butterfly.

On the day when the school celebration officially began, the stage was decorated beautifully. In order to symbolize the gradually developing history of the school, Shen Yao’s dance theme was a fawn growing up.

His performance outfit was emerald green, just like when he and Xu Yibai first met. Shen Yao had special makeup on his face, with small freckles on his cheeks, and he also wore fawn antlers.

Xu Yibai met him backstage for the first time and saw Shen Yao in makeup. He couldn’t help but touch the fawn antlers on Shen Yao’s head.

The prop was so realistic when pinched.

When Shen Yao smiled now, he really looked like a fawn that had just entered the human world. He asked, “Is it good-looking?”

Xu Yibai couldn’t lie and said truthfully, “It’s good-looking.”

When Xu Yibai was eighteen, he once walked into the world’s largest music hall, which was decorated in gold and jade and had a full house of spectators. Xu Yibai was the first Chinese pianist to perform a solo here, and he had hands that were like works of art.

Under the attention of everyone, Xu Yibai’s heart was as calm as water.

Today, on stage, due to excessive secretion of adrenaline, his heart beat accelerated and he felt so nervous for the first time.

He was willing to play the supporting role, and as the curtain opened, the spotlight only shone on Shen Yao.

Xu Yibai’s gaze, like that of the audience below, was focused on the Omega under the spotlight.

He was beautiful, graceful, and agile, really like a little deer.

The performance was very successful, and when the curtain fell, the applause thundered below the stage. He and Shen Yao stood shoulder to shoulder on the stage, and all he saw in the corner of his eye was the floating strands of hair on his head that had just fallen from the sky, shining brightly, just like Shen Yao’s.

The Alpha and Omega’s dressing rooms were not together, and when the curtain closed, the lights on the stage went out.

As they were about to part ways, Xu Yibai whispered in Shen Yao’s ear, “Have you not eaten yet? I’ll wait for you at the door and take you to dinner later.”

The place they went for dinner was a high-rise hotel that Xu Yibai had booked in advance. The private room was not small, and the environment was very good. They could look down on this bustling city from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

There was a vase on the glass table with two bunches of ice blue gradient roses inside. The candlelight flickered in the air, and the soothing scent of incense could be smelled.

Shen Yao sat opposite Xu Yibai, his makeup already removed. The stage makeup was relatively heavy, and he looked even more beautiful without it.

He had been busy all day and was really hungry. He ate in a refined manner, but very quickly.

Xu Yibai wasn’t actually hungry, but he ate slowly just to make sure Shen Yao didn’t feel burdened.

It was strange, Xu Yibai clearly didn’t like wearing formal clothes, but even though they had both gone to the dressing room, he didn’t take off his suit and still wore it stiffly.

The waiter lightly knocked on the door of the private room and walked in carrying a glass of red wine. The sound of violins from the hall followed her in.

She habitually tried to pour wine for the guests but was stopped by Xu Yibai’s warm voice. The waiter quietly placed the wine glass on the table and then retreated.

Xu Yibai stood up and asked, “Can you drink?”

Shen Yao wiped his mouth with a napkin and raised one finger, smiling, “Just a little bit.”

“Okay.”

Xu Yibai leaned down, his mole on his nose getting close to Shen Yao. His gaze was fixed on it.

The red wine was like smooth silk, and the pianist’s hands were steady, without a trace of shaking. Shen Yao didn’t seem to have a good tolerance for alcohol, and Xu Yibai looked focused, afraid of pouring too much.

As he took back the glass, he looked up and happened to meet Shen Yao’s pitch-black eyes. Shen Yao didn’t smile, but his eyes seemed to be able to speak, captivating.

Xu Yibai’s fingers became hot, and he unconsciously touched his watch.

They stared at each other, one sitting and one standing, the candlelight casting ambiguous shadows. Shen Yao suddenly smiled, knowingly asking, “Why did you bring me here?”

Due to nervousness, Xu Yibai’s Adam’s apple slid up and down. His ears weren’t red, but his heart was beating fast.

“Because I’m pursuing you.” Xu Yibai’s voice was as pleasant as the music he played, bright and soft. “I like you, so I brought you here.”

The flowers on the table were originally supposed to be prepared as apricot blossoms, which was Shen Yao’s pheromone scent, but Xu Yibai later thought it was impolite and frivolous.

He had never pursued anyone or been in love before, and could only think of these common means.

“I don’t have many merits, I only know how to play the piano. I’m afraid you’ll find me boring,” Xu Yibai tightly pursed his lips and said in a low voice, “But I’ve thought about it for a long time and feel that I can still be a qualified boyfriend.”

Shen Yao held a rose in the vase, sniffing it lightly as he asked, “What makes a qualified boyfriend?”

Xu Yibai instinctively replied, “I’ll give everything to Shen Yao and treat him well.”

“Not enough.” Shen Yao handed the rose to Xu Yibai, intentionally dragging out the moment to see Xu Yibai’s nervous and disappointed expression. He held back a laugh and said, “You also have to like Shen Yao the most.”

“Xu Yibai.” He held his cheeks and smiled, “Now I’ll give you a chance to send me flowers.”

Alcohol is an addictive substance, and Xu Yibai believed in his self-control, he never drank alcohol for the sake of playing the piano.

Only in unavoidable situations would he take a sip.

But today, perhaps he was too happy, Xu Yibai drank half a cup. He was worried that Shen Yao would get drunk, but he ended up being a little tipsy himself.

Xu Yibai found a designated driver, and he and Shen Yao sat in the back seat, acting like a new couple, holding hands the entire time.

He was very quiet when he was drunk, and his consciousness was still somewhat clear. He didn’t make a scene, but kept turning his head and keeping his gaze fixed on Shen Yao’s face.

In the darkness of the car, even when they were very close, when there was no light, it was like watching a silhouette.

Suddenly, Xu Yibai asked, “Can I kiss you, Yao Yao?”

After drinking, they naturally changed their address to an affectionate nickname, which Xu Yibai had always wanted to say. Shen Yao was a little stunned, then very cooperatively tilted his face up.

He thought Xu Yibai was asking for a kiss, but in the end, he was just held and felt a soft touch on his right cheek.

Scarily pure.

He couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Xu Yibai didn’t make any physical moves, but he stretched his arm behind Shen Yao’s waist and held him at a distance.

Shen Yao naturally leaned back, falling into Xu Yibai’s arms, and then played with his hand, “Why did you have to chase me again? You could have just said we’re together.”

“No,” Xu Yibai said, “That’s too casual, not good enough for you.” He muttered again, “Yao Yao, I wrote so many piano pieces for you, I want to play them all for you.”

Shen Yao laughed again. He thought it was funny when Xu Yibai was drunk.

The after-effects of the alcohol were getting stronger, and Xu Yibai’s influence on Shen Yao was that he held him tighter and tighter. He leaned his head on Shen Yao’s body and murmured unconsciously, “Yao Yao, I really like you.”

He thought it was normal to fall in love with Shen Yao. Shen Yao was beautiful, passionate, and when he confessed his feelings, there was no trace of shyness. He even radiated light when he danced.

He liked Shen Yao, maybe even before Shen Yao liked him.

Fortunately, the effects of the alcohol wore off quickly. When the car stopped downstairs at Shen Yao’s residential complex, Xu Yibai was already awake.

He didn’t know how long he had been holding onto the Omega, but he could see that Shen Yao’s clothes around his waist were already wrinkled.

Xu Yibai pursed his lips, pretending to be calm, “Good night, Yao Yao.”

Shen Yao deliberately slowed down and straightened his clothes, smiling, “Good night, brother.”

He used to call Xu Yibai “senior,” but now he called him “brother,” becoming more and more intimate.

Xu Yibai noticed that Shen Yao rarely called him by his name.

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