The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 78

Cen Xiao seemed stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting such a statement from Li Rong. After a few seconds of surprise, he leaned in to brush a light kiss on Li Rong’s lips, a smile he couldn’t hide playing at the corners of his mouth. He gave an answer that was bound to displease Li Rong: “Eat food first.”

Li Rong: “…”

If it weren’t for his good manners and high self-control, he would’ve cursed out loud already.

In his previous life, he could never have imagined a day when he and Cen Xiao would end up in such a situation.

Here he was, requesting to address his physical needs, only to be turned down by Cen Xiao.

Seeing Li Rong’s shifting expression, Cen Xiao leaned in and kissed him on the lips again. In a low voice, he explained, “With the state we’re in right now, I’m afraid if we start anything, we’ll both end up hypoglycemic.”

Li Rong glared at him in mock anger but couldn’t refute the logic. After all, neither of them had eaten for most of the day, and Cen Xiao had just finished an intensely draining exam.

Even so, being rejected for the first time left Li Rong feeling a bit annoyed. So he shoved Cen Xiao aside, muttering to himself as he went to retrieve the food from the microwave.

The best thing about this restaurant was its amazing sauces.

Even reheated, the food was still delicious.

When Li Rong placed the dishes on the table, he noticed that Cen Xiao was in the bedroom, rummaging through the wardrobe.

The room wasn’t large, so the kitchen had a clear view of the bedroom. However, Cen Xiao’s body was completely hidden behind the open wardrobe door—only his two slippers were visible outside.

Li Rong glanced up and silently thought to himself, “He’s really making himself at home.”

From the direction of the bedroom came Cen Xiao’s voice: “Your clothes are all too small. Mind if I bring over a couple of my own?”

Li Rong raised an eyebrow. “I’m only renting this place for two more months.”

He figured it would be troublesome to pack up when the time came, and besides, Cen Xiao would still have to head home often.

Cen Xiao asked again, “After school starts, are you planning to move to a bigger place?”

Although Li Rong knew Cen Xiao couldn’t see him, he instinctively shook his head. “Living in a dorm during college is definitely more convenient. Saves a lot of commuting time. Didn’t you think so back then…?”

Cen Xiao paused, closing Li Rong’s wardrobe. “I thought so too.”

Aside from making dating a bit trickier, there wasn’t really anything bad about living in a dorm. A University’s dorms were even famously spacious.

Li Rong called out, “Weren’t we supposed to eat first? Come over and eat.”

Unable to find suitable clothes, Cen Xiao gave up and walked out of the bedroom bare-chested.

Under the glow of the light, the defined contours of his muscles became faintly visible. Li Rong, who had just managed to suppress his earlier impulses, felt them stirring again.

Taking a deep breath, he sat down at the dining table, spread a pristine white napkin over his lap, straightened his back, and slowly forked a piece of roasted potato into his mouth.

Cen Xiao, unlike Li Rong, wasn’t so meticulous. He glanced down at the sizzling steak drizzled with black pepper sauce, crudely cut it into pieces, and only then pulled out a chair to sit and eat.

He was truly hungry. His stomach had been growling for hours, and even reheated steak felt like a feast.

Li Rong, having eaten two pieces of roasted potatoes but leaving his steak untouched, glanced at Cen Xiao’s plate. His tongue flicked over his lips before he extended his fork and took a piece of steak from Cen Xiao’s plate.

Cen Xiao paused mid-chew, looking up at Li Rong.

Li Rong acted as if nothing had happened, leisurely bringing the steak to his lips. But instead of taking a bite, he deliberately nibbled at it bit by bit.

The steak left a glistening layer of oil on his slightly red lips, making their shape appear even more alluring under the light.

Cen Xiao chuckled meaningfully, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed.

Between adults, a lot didn’t need to be explicitly stated—subtle hints were enough to convey everything.

Cen Xiao offered, “Want me to cut it for you?”

Li Rong shook his head. “Your steak chunks are too big—too rough.”

Cen Xiao replied, “I just want to eat faster.”

He wasn’t incapable of eating with the elegance of Li Rong, but that was reserved for specific occasions when he needed to put on a show.

After swallowing that bite of steak, Li Rong found himself nearly full.

He glanced sidelong at Cen Xiao, who was still focused on his plate, and gently picked a piece of salmon from the salad.

Resting his chin on one hand, Li Rong propped his left elbow on the table and turned his wrist to hold out the salmon to Cen Xiao. “Want some?”

Cen Xiao lowered his eyes. Just as he leaned in to take a bite, Li Rong immediately pulled his hand back, lightly swinging the fork. “If you want it, get it yourself.”

Cen Xiao: “…”

He knew Li Rong was retaliating for the rejection earlier.

Instead of arguing, Cen Xiao put down his knife and fork, grabbed Li Rong’s wrist, and forcefully pulled it toward himself. Controlling Li Rong’s hand, he took a bite of the salmon and said, “I only want yours.”

Li Rong had fully intended to give it to him, so he didn’t struggle much.

But as he felt Cen Xiao’s palm warmth against his wrist, he suddenly grew introspective.

In his past life, Cen Xiao had also often gripped his wrist like this, his thumb pressing against Li Rong’s pulse, gently rubbing. Li Rong’s wrist bone would fit perfectly against the base of Cen Xiao’s middle finger.

The actions were identical. The person was the same. So why hadn’t he noticed Cen Xiao’s love back then?

“By the way,” Li Rong suddenly realized, “we haven’t told the others. They’re probably assuming you’re still taking your exam and don’t want to disturb you.”

Shaking off Cen Xiao’s grip, Li Rong grabbed his phone and sent a message to their five-person group chat.

[Li Rong: Cen Xiao’s done with the exam. As expected, he’s probably first.]

[Jian Fu: Holy crap, my bro is amazing! Why so late, though? It’s already past ten—District Nine is insane.]

[Li Rong: Finished at nine. Your bro just forgot about you.]

[Jian Fu: …Stop stirring up drama between us!]

[Lin Zhen: Wow, that’s amazing! I just finished shooting an ad and got this great news!]

[Li Rong: What ad?]

[Lin Zhen: A bike ad. Not a big brand, but the pay’s decent.]

[Jian Fu: Tch, five thousand bucks, and you’re over the moon. I’ll give you five thousand—come skiing with me instead.]

[Lin Zhen: I don’t want to talk to you…]

[Ji Xiaochuan: Congrats!!! By the way, I took Aunt Hui for her follow-up today. Her left hand is completely fine now. Even though her online store is doing well, she still wants to set up a stall at A University.]

[Li Rong: “Let her. She probably feels like she needs to move past it.]

[Ji Xiaochuan: I just realized Aunt Hui knows so much! She even learned online store design on her own. I thought she wouldn’t be good at managing it, but I guess she just never had the time or energy before.]

[Li Rong: Once we’re at A University, you can ask her about any research or books you’re looking for. She didn’t spend the past decade in the library for nothing.]

As Cen Xiao watched Li Rong’s unconscious smile while typing, he felt a sense of fulfillment just seeing him happy.

“At least for now, everything seems to be moving in the best direction.”

Li Rong softly sighed, “Yeah, I hope everything at A University goes just as smoothly.”

After finishing up in the group chat, Li Rong set down his phone and took a few more bites of salad.

With a small appetite, he quickly felt full. Pushing his untouched steak toward Cen Xiao, he said, “You finish this—I’m going to shower.”

The current weather in A City makes it almost impossible to stay outside for long without sweating. Taking a daily shower has become essential.

Li Rong didn’t overthink it. He went back to the bedroom, quickly changed into a set of pajamas, and grabbed a towel before heading to the bathroom.

A moment later, the frosted glass door clicked shut, and the soft yellow light inside flicked on.

While eating the leftover steak Li Rong had pushed toward him, Cen Xiao glanced at the frosted glass door. After a brief rustling, the sound of running water echoed from inside.

The warm steam gradually crept up the glass, making it more translucent.

As Cen Xiao finished his meal, he suddenly felt a dry throat as his gaze lingered on the indistinct silhouette behind the glass. His expression deepened.

After swiftly clearing the plate, he walked over to the bathroom door, where warm steam was now seeping out from the edges. He knocked lightly on the glass.

The water inside stopped abruptly. Then, Li Rong’s voice, slightly muffled by the door, called out with a questioning tone, “What’s up?”

Cen Xiao took a slow, deep breath and replied, with an unmistakable hint of mischief, “Can I have ‘dessert’ now?”

There was a brief silence. Only the subtle scent of papaya-scented body wash wafted through the air from the slight opening of the door. Li Rong was likely in the middle of lathering up the soap.

Cen Xiao didn’t rush. He patiently waited for a response. After a few moments, there was the sound of footsteps. Then, with a soft click, the door unlocked.

The bathroom wasn’t particularly spacious—just four square meters. A small mirror hung above the sink, but now it was covered in a foggy layer of condensation, only faintly reflecting a blurry outline.

The warm yellow light from the ceiling bathed the room, illuminating the space and highlighting the dense steam drifting around. Each breath disturbed the mist, scattering it like startled rabbits dashing in every direction.

The walls, tiled with white porcelain, were already slick with moisture. Beads of water formed and gradually pooled, until gravity pulled them down into the small puddles that had collected on the floor.

A palm pressed against the tiled wall, instantly brushing against the damp, cool water clinging to the surface. The smooth, polished ceramic was so slippery that even the slightest carelessness could cause the hand to slide downward along with the water droplets.

To keep steady, the fingers had to grip tightly, clinging to the wall and battling against the disruptive mist of water.

After just a few minutes, the fingernails turned pale from the strain, while the fingertips grew increasingly flushed, a deep rosy hue. The distinct contours of the finger bones appeared rounded and delicate, and the veins on the back of the hand, a faint bluish-green, stood out more vividly.

The humid air softened the skin on the back of the hand, making it almost poreless. The shower’s fine streams flowed freely, leaving scattered, ambiguous handprints on the wall. They resembled the playful, soft cat paw prints that dotted the pristine snowfields during a snowstorm.

Amid the sound of running water, Cen Xiao murmured in a low, husky voice, “Time to dig in…”

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