Transmigrated as the Campus Heartthrob’s Cannon Fodder Ex-Boyfriend Chapter 47

Shoutout to Kari for the commission!

The wind was so quiet. The setting sun outlined Zhou Shirui’s profile in a faint golden glow, his eyelashes so long.

Time seemed to have stopped. Second by second, Zhou Shirui slowly pressed his lips together. He closed his eyes. “Forget it. You should go… mm.”

The rest of his words were blocked between his lips and teeth. Le Cheng suddenly leaned closer, his lips as soft as a cloud, carrying a warm breath. His long eyelashes trembled lightly, suddenly brushing past.

They touched and immediately parted.

Zhou Shirui seemed to freeze there. His expression did not change, and his voice was almost cold. “…What does that mean?”

“Zhou Shirui,” Le Cheng looked into his eyes without blinking, speaking very quickly, “I lied to you. When I was with you, all those things I did were only to play the part of a difficult, dramatic person, so that you would dislike me, get tired of me, and then take the initiative to break up with me. Because I knew that after you broke up with me, you would definitely compensate me. I was very short of money at the time…”

“Zhou Shirui, I’ve already done these things.” Le Cheng paused, not daring to look into his eyes again. “I…I’ll stay far away from you from now on and never appear in front of you again. If even so…if even so, you’re still willing to be friends with me, I’m willing to do anything to make it up to you.”

His heart pounded so hard that his chest hurt, as though it had been completely cut open and laid bare before him. The confession had come suddenly. Le Cheng’s teeth were trembling, and the excessive nervousness gave him a buzzing in his ears, as though it were pounding against his brain again and again.

They were clearly not particularly intense words, yet they were like hot oil poured into water, striking against the defenses around his heart. Zhou Shirui found it difficult to describe how he felt at this moment.

“What about now?” Zhou Shirui spoke expressionlessly. “What is it now?”

Le Cheng blankly raised his eyes. Unlike what he had expected, there was neither shock nor disgust on Zhou Shirui’s face. His dark eyes were calmer than ever, staring straight at him as though they could see through his soul.

“I…I’m not lying to you this time.” Le Cheng stammered slightly. “Now, I really like you. It was only after breaking up with you that I…”

“Then compensate me, Le Cheng.” Zhou Shirui suddenly interrupted him.

“Okay.” Without much hesitation, Le Cheng solemnly nodded. “What do you want?”

“I want you.” Zhou Shirui stared at him, enunciating every word, leaving no room for doubt. “I want you to compensate me with yourself.”

Le Cheng froze completely. “…What?”

Zhou Shirui repeated himself once again. “I want you to compensate me with yourself.”

Le Cheng blankly met his gaze. Those dark eyes were deep, like a profound vortex. It was as though something had struck him hard over the head, his ears buzzing, and yet it was also as though he had finally grasped that string in his mind. At that moment, Le Cheng seemed to part the fog and understand everything completely.

He softly asked, “You…already knew?”

“Mm.” Zhou Shirui did not hide it. “Your computer.”

“Then you…you knew. You still…” Le Cheng’s voice seemed to be squeezed out of his throat. “You still came to find me?”

Under the dim yellow light, Zhou Shirui looked deeply at him. After a long while, he said, “Mm.”

It seemed so calm, yet also seemed to carry a thousand pounds of weight.

At that moment, Le Cheng suddenly had a strong illusion. Outside, there seemed to be noisy voices, and there also seemed to be the sound of the wind howling. Without blinking, he stared straight at Zhou Shirui.

So that was it. So that was it.

He suddenly understood. At this moment, the one who had laid bare his heart and stood naked before him was not him, but Zhou Shirui.

The enormous impact made his thoughts unusually simple. His eyelashes trembled as he asked, “Then…can I kiss you?”

A very sudden request.

Zhou Shirui lowered his dark eyes, looking at him as though unmoved.

Le Cheng leaned closer and gently, gently kissed his lips.

Their lips touched.

Le Cheng pulled back slightly, looked into Zhou Shirui’s dark eyes, then raised his head and pressed his lips to his again.

His lips were so soft, like a little fish pecking kisses.

Zhou Shirui’s chest unconsciously rose and fell, his breathing becoming rapid. A powerful emotion filled his chest, so full that it felt as though it were about to make him burst. When Le Cheng pulled away for the second time, it was as though he could no longer endure it. His large hand suddenly clasped the back of Le Cheng’s neck, pulling him close. Lowering his head, he decisively bit Le Cheng’s lips.

His tongue pried open Le Cheng’s teeth and directly slipped inside. Zhou Shirui kissed him urgently and fiercely, completely taking the lead. Le Cheng let him bite his lips, his palate going numb from being licked. The saliva he had no time to swallow flowed from the corner of his lips and slowly slid down. The skin at the back of his neck was rubbed until it itched. He could barely breathe, yet Zhou Shirui still found it insufficient, almost fiercely sucking on the tip of his tongue, as though he wanted to devour him whole.

Le Cheng unconsciously let out a soft sound. It was unbearably soft, carrying a hook with it. To Zhou Shirui’s ears, it was like being ignited, his movements becoming intense and passionate.

Le Cheng’s entire body had gone so soft that he could barely remain seated. If Zhou Shirui had not supported the back of his neck, he would have almost slid down. The air in his chest grew thinner and thinner, bringing with it an intense sense of dizziness. Only then did Zhou Shirui pull back slightly, but he refused to move far away. His nose pressed against Le Cheng’s as he rubbed against him intimately. His long eyelashes lowered, his heavy breath falling onto Le Cheng’s flushed cheeks.

Le Cheng’s eyes were hazy, as though filled with spring water. He blinked in confusion, as though he did not understand why they had stopped.

Zhou Shirui’s voice seemed to carry a smile, low and hoarse. “…After all this time, you still don’t know how to breathe.”

Le Cheng’s face turned even redder. The mist in his eyes seemed as though it were about to fall. He blinked unconsciously. “Then teach me…” It was almost a murmur. “Zhou Shirui…teach me.”

His moist eyes were veiled in mist, the corners of his eyes tinged with red. His palm-sized face was flushed, and even the tip of his nose was pitifully red. His lips trembled, full and moist like berries. Zhou Shirui could not bear it after only one glance. His sharp brows furrowed. With one hand, he quickly took off his glasses and casually tossed them aside, then once again bit down on those lips he had longed for in his dreams. His voice was fierce and muffled as he said, “Alright…I’ll teach you.”

Le Cheng was held down as Zhou Shirui kissed him fiercely. His lips were sucked until they were numb and sore. He had not learned how to breathe, but he had learned how to act spoiled. When he was finally released, his lips seemed swollen, with a slightly burning sensation and even a faint taste of blood. From his cheeks to his exposed fair neck and his delicate, beautiful collarbones, his entire body was tinged pink. As though he still could not recover, he breathed rapidly.

It was Zhou Shirui who leaned over, almost pressing against him, and helped him fasten his seat belt.

“A-are we leaving?” Even his gaze was slightly unfocused as he blinked in confusion twice.

“Mm.” Zhou Shirui nodded and calmly said, “We’re going to buy medicine.”

Le Cheng was a little slow to react. “Buy what?”

“Medicine.” Zhou Shirui leaned over and pinched his chin, frowning slightly, as though distressed. “It’s damaged.”

Le Cheng let him hold his chin. At such a close distance, he unexpectedly felt a little shy and blinked twice. “It’s okay…”

Zhou Shirui stared at him for two seconds and made as though he was about to kiss him again. Le Cheng suddenly covered his mouth. “N-no, I can’t anymore!” His eyes were wide, as though he were very afraid.

The corners of Zhou Shirui’s lips curved up slightly. The joy of regaining what he had lost filled his entire heart. If his previous state had been like an illness, then Le Cheng’s initiative in laying bare his feelings was his medicine. As though he had thought of something, or perhaps deliberately, he lowered his head slightly and moved closer to Le Cheng, asking in a low voice, “Weren’t you going to compensate me?”

Le Cheng froze for a moment, then reacted. Slowly lowering his hand, he raised his face, wearing an expression that was both afraid and brave, his long eyelashes fluttering. “That’s right… Then, then go ahead and kiss me!”

The way he looked was like someone bravely going to his death. He was foolish to the point of being ridiculous, yet also so adorable. Zhou Shirui’s heart was completely at his mercy. His chest rose and fell sharply twice before he lowered his head and let the tip of his nose brush against Le Cheng’s soft cheek, pressing a small indentation into it. “So obedient…” he murmured. “…I can’t bear to.”

The place he touched felt as though it had been shocked by electricity, tingling and going numb. Le Cheng reached out and wrapped his arms around his neck, asking eagerly, “Then…does this mean we’ve made up?”

Zhou Shirui lowered his head to look at him. “No.”

“Huh?” Le Cheng froze slightly. “It doesn’t count?”

“It’s not making up. It’s not getting back together.” Zhou Shirui’s voice was very soft. “It’s starting over.”

Le Cheng repeated, “Starting over?”

“Mm.” Zhou Shirui nodded. “Will you be serious with me this time?”

“I will!” Le Cheng hurriedly promised. “Zhou Shirui, I won’t lie to you again. If I ever lie to you again, then I definitely…Mmph…”

Zhou Shirui sealed his words with a kiss, very gently, like gauze. Their lips touched only briefly before he pulled away and said softly, “Don’t say things like that.”

“…Okay.” Clearly, it had only been a gentle kiss, but Le Cheng felt his heart beating even faster. “I won’t say it, but, but I’ll do it.”

Two hearts that had suffered so much finally pressed tightly against each other without any barriers between them. Zhou Shirui had once thought that perhaps they should make each other hurt more, but he also understood that when he had fallen to the very bottom, with nowhere to turn for help, the moment Le Cheng had taken the initiative to reach out his hand to him, all his boundaries and principles had begun to vanish into thin air.

At this moment, his heart beat only for that one smiling face.

Perhaps this was what loving someone was like. Addictive, hard to let go of, yet entirely willing.

After starting the car, Le Cheng finally noticed that Zhou Shirui was not wearing his glasses and asked curiously, “Where are your glasses?”

Zhou Shirui said, “I casually threw them aside when I was kissing you.”

The heat in Le Cheng’s face had only just faded when it rose again. He quickly used his 5.0 vision to search the car. Zhou Shirui had been wearing a pair of silver-framed glasses today, and they were not difficult to find in the black interior of the car. Le Cheng’s sharp eyes quickly spotted them and grabbed them. “Found them! Here.”

Zhou Shirui did not move. One hand rested on the steering wheel as he turned his head to the side. “Mm. Help me put them on.”

“Oh, okay.” Le Cheng obediently unfolded the glasses and carefully put them on him. Unable to resist, he touched Zhou Shirui’s nose bridge. “So high.”

“Mm?”

“Your nose bridge.” Le Cheng was in a very relaxed mood at the moment. This was his first good mood in so many days, and he could not help making a joke. “I want to slide down it like a slide.”

Zhou Shirui said, “A slide?”

“Yeah.” Le Cheng nodded with a smile.

Zhou Shirui’s expression did not change, and his voice was indifferent. “You can.”

“What?” Le Cheng looked at him in confusion.

“You can.” Zhou Shirui looked at him, his voice cool. “Go down a slide.”

Le Cheng was a little bewildered and did not quite understand. Following his words, he asked, “How would I slide?”

Zhou Shirui calmly said, “…We’ll talk about it later.”

His long fingers rested on the steering wheel as the car drove away. With the conversation forcibly cut short, Le Cheng could only sit in his seat and look at the scenery outside.

This place was not particularly close to the school. As Le Cheng watched the scenery along the way, he suddenly thought of something. “Why did you suddenly change cars?”

Le Cheng said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this car before.” After a pause, he slowly added, “When you were behind us just now, I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Zhou Shirui did not answer. Instead, he asked, “Do you like that car?”

“Not really.” Le Cheng shook his head. “This one is cooler.”

Zhou Shirui said, “Alright, then we’ll drive this one.”

Le Cheng looked at him. “You still haven’t answered me. Why did you change cars?”

“You rode in the previous one before.” Zhou Shirui spoke slowly. “Seeing it would make me think of you.”

It felt as though someone had suddenly clenched his heart tightly, making it ache and soften at the same time. Le Cheng lowered his eyelashes and softly called his name. “Zhou Shirui…”

“But now,” Zhou Shirui suddenly said, “you’ve ridden in both of my cars.”

Zhou Shirui turned his head, looking into his eyes. “This time, I have no way out.”

Thump.

His heart seemed to slowly beat once.

Le Cheng really wanted to hug him. Words were too inadequate; only physical contact could better express the surging emotions in his heart. But Zhou Shirui was driving, and he could not drive dangerously, so Le Cheng could only sit there anxiously. Zhou Shirui seemed to see through him and tapped his own cheek with his long fingertips.

Le Cheng instantly understood and leaned over to give him a very light kiss.

“You don’t need a way.” After kissing him, his big eyes were bright as he said seriously, “Zhou Shirui, I’ll prove it to you.”

Zhou Shirui gave a soft laugh. “Okay.”

The car stopped at a pharmacy.

Le Cheng got out and followed behind Zhou Shirui. Just as they were about to enter, he suddenly hesitated. “I… How about I wait here for you?”

Zhou Shirui asked, “What’s wrong?”

Le Cheng blinked awkwardly. “My lips are hurt…”

Zhou Shirui seemed not to understand. “So?”

“They’ll definitely be able to tell how they got hurt!” Le Cheng moved closer and whispered, “Can you buy it for me? Please?”

Only then did Zhou Shirui nod. “Okay.”

After buying the medicine, they got back into the car. Only then did Le Cheng see clearly that Zhou Shirui was carrying an entire bag, and he was a little surprised.

“Why did you buy so much?” Le Cheng lowered his head to look.

“This one is anti-inflammatory…” Le Cheng took them out one by one to examine them. “This one reduces swelling… What’s this one for?”

Zhou Shirui glanced at it. “Pain relief.”

“Oh…” Le Cheng nodded. “Why did you buy such a complete selection?”

Zhou Shirui casually said, “There wasn’t any medicine at home, so I stocked up.”

“I see.” Le Cheng unscrewed one tube and smelled it. It had the scent of Chinese herbal medicine. He reached out, about to apply it.

“I’ll do it.” Zhou Shirui held his wrist. “I washed my hands at the pharmacy.”

“Okay.” Le Cheng nodded. 

Zhou Shirui held his face, neither too tightly nor too loosely, and gently dabbed the ointment onto his full lips with a cotton swab.

He was already being very gentle, but it still hurt a little. Le Cheng did not show it, but Zhou Shirui still asked, “Does it hurt?”

“It’s alright,” Le Cheng said.

“Then why are you trembling?” Zhou Shirui said quietly. After a pause, he slowly added, “Chengcheng, I don’t want you to hide anything from me anymore.”

“It does hurt a little…” Le Cheng raised his hand and tugged on his sleeve. “But only a tiny bit, so I didn’t want to say anything…”

Zhou Shirui said, “Mm. I’ll be gentle.”

He lowered his eyes, his movements becoming even gentler. After applying the ointment, Zhou Shirui screwed the cap back on and put it back into the box. But Le Cheng suddenly leaned closer. “Zhou Shirui, we’re not going back to school, right?”

Zhou Shirui glanced at him. “Hm?”

Le Cheng’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s go to your place! I checked the navigation. This road isn’t far from your home either.”

Zhou Shirui’s Adam’s apple unconsciously bobbed. “Why?”

“I want to sleep while hugging you.” Le Cheng said very directly. “I want to sleep hugging you today. This counts as our first day together, right?”

Then he asked, “Don’t you want to hug me?”

“I do.” Zhou Shirui did not hesitate.

“Then hurry up and go!” Le Cheng urged him. His face was completely innocent, as though he really only wanted to sleep while hugging him. “Can I wear your clothes?”

“You can.” The image that appeared in his mind uncontrollably made his fingers curl slightly. Zhou Shirui nodded and repeated, “You can.”

“That’s great.” Perhaps his emotions had been too intense earlier, leaving him feeling empty after they subsided. At this moment, Le Cheng wanted to keep holding on to Zhou Shirui. If they could sleep while hugging each other, that would be best.

It took less than half an hour to drive home. Le Cheng followed Zhou Shirui upstairs. When the door opened and he saw the familiar furnishings, he felt momentarily dazed.

“I…” Before he could move, Zhou Shirui suddenly embraced him from behind. His large palm wrapped around Le Cheng’s waist, his chin resting on his shoulder as he tilted his head slightly and buried his face deeply in the hollow of Le Cheng’s neck.

Le Cheng froze. Zhou Shirui was so tall that he completely enclosed him in his arms. Their bodies pressed intimately together, and the rubbing made his neck itch.

“We haven’t even changed our shoes yet…” he said softly.

“You don’t want to hug?” Zhou Shirui asked quietly.

“I do.” Le Cheng admitted it, reaching out to cover the hand around his waist. “I want to hug.”

He understood that at this moment, it was not only he who lacked a sense of security. Zhou Shirui lacked it even more.

Zhou Shirui quietly held him for a while. His warm breath fell against Le Cheng’s neck, making that small patch of skin warm enough to feel almost hot.

“What do you want to eat?” Zhou Shirui finally let him go. “I’ll make it.”

“Let’s make it together.” Le Cheng thought for a moment. “Something simple. It’s not good to eat anything too greasy at night.”

“Okay.” Zhou Shirui agreed.

After discussing it, they decided to make noodles. Zhou Shirui prepared the ingredients. Although his cooking skills were average, his knife skills were not bad, and he chopped quickly and neatly. Le Cheng cooked the noodles beside him.

The two divided the work and soon finished, even cracking two eggs into the noodles.

After eating and drinking their fill, they sat on the sofa and watched television for a while.

Although it was not Le Cheng’s first time at this apartment, things were different now. Like a cat, Le Cheng half leaned against Zhou Shirui. Whenever he raised his head, he could see Zhou Shirui’s profile and jaw. From time to time, he would look up at him. Zhou Shirui did not ask why, merely holding Le Cheng’s slender fingers and playing with them in his palm.

A thought suddenly came to Le Cheng, and he asked, “How did you know I was in that car? And how were you able to catch up to us?”

Zhou Shirui did not hesitate. “I asked Tan Xiaobai.”

Le Cheng finally understood what Tan Xiaobai had meant by “when you do a good deed, make sure people know about it.”

Time passed second by second. The moon hung high in the sky. Zhou Shirui told him to go take a shower, and Le Cheng obediently responded. He saw Zhou Shirui hand him a shirt. “Wear it as pajamas.”

Le Cheng took it. The fabric was very soft and smooth, suitable for sleeping in. He was quite happy, but after hesitating for a moment, he tilted his head and asked, “Is there no pair of pants?”

Zhou Shirui looked at him, his expression without the slightest crack. “They’d all be too long on you.”

“What about shorts?” Le Cheng refused to give up.

Zhou Shirui calmly said, “They’ve been sitting in the closet for an entire year. Do you want to wear them?”

Hearing this, Le Cheng frowned in conflict. Clothes that had been left in the closet for too long would be dirty too. He shook his head. “Then forget it. I can just wear one piece.”

“Mm.” Zhou Shirui’s tone lifted at the end. “Go take a shower.”

Le Cheng hugged the clothes and went. He was not particularly quick at showering, and by the time he came out, Zhou Shirui was already sitting on the sofa waiting.

Click.

It was the soft sound of the door closing. Hearing it, Zhou Shirui raised his eyes. Le Cheng was wearing only his black shirt. The hem reached the tops of his thighs, just enough to cover his butt, revealing two long, fair legs. His cheeks were flushed, and the skin on his neck was snow-white and delicate, making one want to carefully play with and caress it.

Exactly as he had imagined.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. Zhou Shirui stared at him expressionlessly, his dark eyes deep and heavy, dangerous like a wild animal.

Le Cheng had not thought much of it when he put it on, but under Zhou Shirui’s gaze, he belatedly felt a little embarrassed. He secretly tugged at the hem, trying to pull it a little longer. Walking over, he slowly said, “It’s a little short.”

Zhou Shirui did not say a word. His large hand directly clasped Le Cheng’s waist, pulling him forward so that he leaned toward him. His fingers casually pinched the hem. “It is a little.”

Le Cheng stood there, almost entirely enclosed in his arms. As Zhou Shirui spoke, his warm breath brushed against his waist, making it tingle, and even his fingertips felt a little numb. “I’m going to blow-dry my hair now…”

“Okay. I’ll dry it for you.” Zhou Shirui answered like that, but his hand remained firmly clasped around him, not moving in the slightest.

Le Cheng poked his shoulder. “Then let go first… mm?!”

He was suddenly lifted into the air. Caught completely off guard, Zhou Shirui directly supported his butt and picked him up. By reflex, Le Cheng instinctively wrapped his arms around Zhou Shirui’s neck, his two long legs around his waist. Startled, he said, “You…”

This position was like holding a child. Le Cheng’s face instantly turned red. He squirmed a little and softly said, “Why did you suddenly pick me up?”

Zhou Shirui did not speak. His face was cold, his lips pressed together, and without saying a word, he bounced him slightly, startling a cry out of Le Cheng and making him cling to him even tighter.

“Didn’t you want to hug me?” Zhou Shirui stared at him, his voice low. “How about I keep holding you like this?”

That gaze seemed to have a temperature, as though it had lightly burned the very tip of Le Cheng’s heart. As if bewitched, Le Cheng felt his entire body grow dizzy, and he dazedly said okay.

“Such a good boy.” Zhou Shirui chuckled softly, slightly raised his head, and kissed his chin.

After his hair was dry, Le Cheng was carried onto the bed by Zhou Shirui in the same manner.

Zhou Shirui half-forcibly held him in his arms, in a position of firm control. Le Cheng did not mind either. His wish had finally come true, he could hold Zhou Shirui while sleeping. His whole body was buried against his solid chest. Raising his head, in the dim surroundings, he borrowed the moonlight to make out his sharply defined profile.

This day had been too exhausting, too tiring, but also too dreamlike. Le Cheng stared at him for a while before suddenly saying, “Zhou Shirui, thank you.”

“Mm?” Zhou Shirui lowered his head slightly. “What are you thanking me for?”

“I lied to you, but you still forgave me,” Le Cheng said sincerely.

Zhou Shirui stared at him for a long while without speaking. Suddenly, he lowered his head and kissed his fingertips. 

“Then I should thank you even more.”

“Mm?” Le Cheng was a little confused. “What are you thanking me for?”

Zhou Shirui looked into his eyes. “Thank you… for being by my side.”

If there was anything in this world that he wanted most, it was undoubtedly Le Cheng’s love.

Zhou Shirui’s voice was low. “Le Cheng. Thank you for coming to love me.”