《I Can Still Salvage It》


 CH 1

    Shen Mian had never imagined in his life that he would hold hands with his good friend Pei Zhiyi during Chinese class, right under the watchful eyes of their classmates and the enthusiastic teacher. They held each other¡¯s hands tightly with their fingers intertwined.


    Anyone who saw them would think they were a couple.


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t know whether to thank Pei Zhiyi for being considerate enough to change seats and successfully becoming desk mates. They sat at the last row by the window, away from everyone¡¯s attention. They could do whatever they wanted without easily being noticed.


    However, Shen Mian¡¯s heart was pounding nervously. He kept his head lowered, only revealing his slightly reddened ears. Like a vigilant rabbit, he occasionally glanced at the teacher to make sure he was still standing at the front and not coming towards them.


    In contrast to Shen Mian¡¯s anxious demeanor, Pei Zhiyi remained calm.


    Shen Mian¡¯s palms were sweaty from nervousness, while Pei Zhiyi naturally had cool hands, providing a pleasant sensation in the scorching summer.


    Pei Zhiyi held him with one hand while working on his math homework with the other, hiding the paper under the Chinese textbook. He remained composed and somewhat arrogant, as if challenging the teacher¡¯s gaze.


    Shen Mian couldn¡¯t help but admire him. He shook the hand they were holding to get Pei Zhiyi¡¯s attention.


    Speaking in a low and sticky voice, he asked, ¡°Brother, how can you be so calm?¡±


    His composure was remarkable.


    They were secretly holding hands under the desk, and even though they were covered by their school uniforms, there was still the risk of being discovered. The students next to them were distracted, and the teacher occasionally walked around at the front. If they were caught, their seventeen years of innocence would be ruined.


    Pei Zhiyi¡¯s expression remained unchanged. His fair face glistened in the sunlight. ¡°What¡¯s there to be nervous about? Haven¡¯t you held my hand before to ask for snacks when you were a kid?¡±


    Shen Mian had a toothache once as a child, so his mother didn¡¯t allow him to eat snacks. He would sneakily go to Pei Zhiyi, and together, they would raid the snack cabinet.


    Caught off guard by that statement from Pei Zhiyi, Shen Mian muttered with a pout, ¡°Is it the same thing?¡±


    But he quickly stopped speaking because he saw Pei Zhiyi solving the last few math problems. Shen Mian knew well that challenging math problems had a charm of their own for someone like Pei Zhiyi, a top student. So, he obediently closed his mouth and focused on drawing stick figures with his mechanical pencil in the Chinese book.


    He glanced at his watch. There were still five minutes left until half past ten.


    In five minutes, he and Pei Zhiyi would be released from that ordeal. They would let go of each other¡¯s hands, temporarily completing another task.


    Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi were holding hands in the classroom, not for fun or some boring truth-or-dare game.


    If it were that simple, Shen Mian wouldn¡¯t have to put on  a troubled and anxious expression.


    That whole situation was so strange that Shen Mian seriously doubted whether it was just his imagination running wild, influenced by the countless manga he had read.


    But Pei Zhiyi shared the same situation, so it couldn¡¯t be explained as a mere hallucination.


    Just a week ago, Shen Mian was hurriedly doing summer homework at Pei Zhiyi¡¯s house when he heard an inexplicably cold electronic voice in his mind.


    ¡°Detecting host Shen Mian. Match rate with host Pei Zhiyi: 100%. Installation in progress.¡±


    ¡°Installation complete.¡±


    ¡°Host Shen Mian and host Pei Zhiyi, hello. I am Love Brain System, Model 007. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. Our slogan is ¡®Love Saves the World,¡¯ and our goal is to unite all lovers in the world.¡±


    The cold electronic voice didn¡¯t sound cold at all; it was more like a crazy person speaking off the cuff.


    Shen Mian held his head in horror, his voice trembling as he tightly grabbed Pei Zhiyi¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Brother, it feels like my brain is malfunctioning! I can hear someone talking inside my head!¡±


    However, Pei Zhiyi was much calmer than him and said calmly, ¡°I can hear it too. It calls itself 007.¡±


    Shen Mian inexplicably felt relieved once he knew that Pei Zhiyi heard it too. Even though having a voice in his head was terrifying, knowing that Pei Zhiyi was experiencing it with him made him less panicky.


    The self-proclaimed 007 system then briefly introduced itself to them.


    It claimed to be a system specifically designed for love services. Detecting a 100% match rate between Pei Zhiyi and Shen Mian, it perceived them a perfect match destined to become an inseparable couple. Thus, it came from above to bind them together, initiating their love story and urging them to become a couple as soon as possible.


    The system made a special note: Completing love missions would reward them generously. They were a legitimate system and wouldn¡¯t withhold rewards.


    Shen Mian: ¡°¡­¡±


    As someone who had read countless novels and manga, he wasn¡¯t entirely unable to accept the situation before him.


    But why did everyone else get matched with the ¡°Dominating Dragon¡± system, gaining power and dominance, while he ended up with this odd Love Brain System?


    It just didn¡¯t sound serious at all!


    Sincerely and politely, he asked the self-proclaimed 007 system, ¡°Is your detection device malfunctioning? Pei Zhiyi and I are both males. Although we do share a strong bond, it¡¯s a brotherly affection, you know.¡±


    He patted Pei Zhiyi¡¯s shoulder firmly to show the purity of their relationship. They had known each other since childhood, and their families had a close relationship. Pei Zhiyi had spent a significant portion of his childhood at Shen Mian¡¯s house.


    They were like blood brothers.


    Pei Zhiyi remained expressionless, seemingly speechless about the whole system situation.


    However, the system paused for a moment before stubbornly insisting, ¡°True love knows no gender¡­Such a great example of love knows no gender. Should I send you a rainbow flag?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I advise you to change your target. Pei Zhiyi and I won¡¯t date,¡± Shen Mian said seriously, finding it a bit strange to negotiate with something in his own mind. ¡°I have nothing against same-sex relationships, but Pei Zhiyi and I are true brothers. If our feelings could change, then there will be no pure friendship left in the world. So, I suggest you don¡¯t waste your effort.¡±


    It¡¯s unknown which point of Shen Mian¡¯s words touched the system, but that cold and expressionless Agent 007 made a mocking sound with an electronic tone.


    After a moment, System 007 coldly asked, ¡°Does the host confirm giving up on completing the love mission? If you choose to do so, you will face a life-threatening situation after six months.¡±


    Shen Mian was stunned, ¡°Why is this system threatening people?¡±


    And Pei Zhiyi¡¯s face also darkened.


    But before they could inquire further, 007 cleverly explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a threat. The system detected a tumor in host Shen Mian¡¯s brain. Currently, it¡¯s still in the early stages. If not dealt with in a timely manner, it will seriously endanger his life after six months. However, if the host completes the love mission and earns one thousand points, they can exchange for Ten Complete Pills in the system store and regain their health.¡±


    While saying that, the system displayed a store page in their minds, and in the most eye-catching position of the store, there was indeed a sparkling and golden pill. Although there were many other exotic items beside it, none were as attention-grabbing as that pill.


    That conversation directly stunned Shen Mian.


    He looked at Pei Zhiyi in a daze, finding it hard to believe the system¡¯s absurd claims.


    Pei Zhiyi also didn¡¯t believe it.


    However, in the afternoon, Pei Zhiyi still accompanied him to the best private hospital in the area for an examination. Through connections, they managed to obtain the test results as quickly as possible.


    The diagnosis report on that piece of paper was clear.


    Shen Mian did indeed have a glioma at the age of seventeen.


    It was still in the early stage, so the symptoms were not obvious yet. Lately, Shen Mian had been experiencing frequent headaches and nausea, all due to this.


    Shen Mian was dumbfounded. He always felt energetic and lively. Just a few days ago, he was playing basketball with his classmates and jumping around, winning the game.


    How did he suddenly become ill?


    Meanwhile, Pei Zhiyi tightly held the diagnostic report, his expression extremely gloomy.


    He gripped Shen Mian¡¯s hand tightly, causing the bones in his palm to creak. But Shen Mian didn¡¯t cry out in pain; instead, he pursed his lips, looking at Pei Zhiyi with concern.


    Although he was the one who fell ill, Pei Zhiyi seemed more affected than him. He even wanted to touch Pei Zhiyi¡¯s face, telling him not to be so sad.


    The glass of the hospital was shining brightly in the sunlight, lighting the corridor.


    As it was an expensive private hospital, there weren¡¯t many people around, only the two young students, Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi.


    Faced with such a devastating result, Shen Mian felt that he should be wailing and crying.


    But he couldn¡¯t.


    He was still in shock, his eyes dry, and his whole being in a daze.


    He even clung to a glimmer of hope. Could the hospital have made a mistake?


    After a long silence, Pei Zhiyi suddenly embraced Shen Mian gently.


    He asked the system in his mind, ¡°Are you called 007? How can you guarantee that you can cure Shen Mian?¡±


    System 007, calm, seemed to have anticipated this.


    ¡°As long as the host, Shen Mian, decides to accept the connection between you two, I can revert his body back to a healthy state in six months. During this period, he won¡¯t suffer from the illness. However, the host needs to gather points by completing tasks issued by the system. Upon earning 1,000 points or achieving a heart-to-heart connection with mutual life-or-death commitment, he can exchange for life-saving pills.¡±


    The system efficiently projected the ways to earn points into Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi¡¯s minds.


    Task Points Exchange Guidelines:


    Although Shen Mian was not good at math, he could see that these task points were extremely stingy. It would be extremely difficult to accumulate 1,000 points in six months.


    Moreover, as two heterosexual males, Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi probably wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve a heart-to-heart connection.


    Acquiring that life-saving pill seemed incredibly difficult.


    At that moment, he felt truly sad. He started imagining what he would look like with no hair. He even started to feel fortunate that he wasn¡¯t an only child. He had a younger sister who was well-behaved and adorable, providing some solace for his parents¡­


    But before he could finish his thoughts, he heard Pei Zhiyi say, ¡°We accept the mission.¡±


    Shen Mian raised his head abruptly, his eyes widened.


    Pei Zhiyi lowered his head and gently touched Shen Mian¡¯s head. Shen Mian had a nice head shape, round and with soft hair that had a light chestnut color under the sunlight.


    Pei Zhiyi had just quickly calculated that even with random and special tasks, the maximum accumulation of basic points within a week would not exceed 5 points. It would be very difficult to earn 1,000 points within six months.


    But just like the system that appeared out of the blue said, this was his and Shen Mian¡¯s only chance.


    ¡°We have to give it a try,¡± he said to Shen Mian. ¡°Even if I can only fight for six months for you, it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    Shen Mian was deeply moved and tears welled up in his eyes.


    As the one who was ill, he naturally didn¡¯t have the courage to refuse. But Pei Zhiyi was different. Pei Zhiyi wasn¡¯t sick, yet he was sacrificing himself to save Shen Mian¡¯s life.


    He was incredibly touched and hugged Pei Zhiyi¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Brother, you truly are my dearest  brother. The best thing my mother ever did was become good sisters with Aunt Lian.¡±


    He rubbed against Pei Zhiyi¡¯s waist, his tears smearing on Pei Zhiyi¡¯s shirt. ¡°Brother, from now on, I¡¯ll listen to you. If you tell me to go east, I won¡¯t go west. I¡¯ll never go against you.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi lowered his eyes and gently embraced Shen Mian, patting his slender back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡±


    Three days later, Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi formally accepted the binding of System 007.


    Shen Mian changed hospitals and underwent another physical examination.


    This time, he was perfectly healthy and had no problems whatsoever.


    He had to admit that that love brain system, although sounding unreliable, was quite capable.


    And a week later, 007 issued their first random task.


    Although they were bound by 007, it rarely spoke, unlike the setting of a system that was frequently causing trouble. That system hardly had any presence.


    So when Shen Mian suddenly heard the task sound, he was startled.


    ¡°Random Task: Both hosts, please hold hands for twenty minutes during class. Reward: 2 points.¡±


    That task was probably because they were beginners, and it could be considered simple. But Shen Mian hesitated to extend his hand.


    He anxiously looked at Pei Zhiyi, unsure if Pei Zhiyi truly didn¡¯t mind helping him in this love task.


    But soon, Pei Zhiyi¡¯s cool palm covered his hand. Taking advantage of the cover provided by the desk and their school uniforms, they held hands in the classroom.


    For a moment, even the crickets outside the window quieted down.

 CH 2

    Although those last five minutes felt extraordinarily long, they finally passed.


    Shen Mian heard a beep in his mind again, and the system promptly announced, ¡°Hand-holding task completed, host awarded 2 points.¡±


    He breathed a sigh of relief as his fair and slender hand slipped away from Pei Zhiyi¡¯s palm, leaving a faint dot on the math paper where Pei Zhiyi¡¯s pen paused.


    ¡°I¡¯m so hot,¡± Shen Mian complained in a low voice to Pei Zhiyi. ¡°My palms are all sweaty.¡±


    But before he could say anything more, he heard the Chinese teacher call his name.


    ¡°Shen Mian, stand up and answer the first reading comprehension question.¡±


    Shen Mian stood up, looking confused, and lowered his head to look at his paper.


    His paper was clean and almost reflective in its whiteness.


    Fortunately, a paper filled with standard answers was quickly passed to him from the side. The font was bold and easily recognizable.


    ¡°¡­This paragraph reflects the author¡¯s psychology¡­¡± Shen Mian recited mechanically according to the answers, successfully passing the scrutiny of the teacher¡¯s gaze.


    After sitting down, Shen Mian whispered to Pei Zhiyi with genuine emotion, ¡°What would I do without you?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi was immune to such words from him, not even raising an eyebrow, and smoothly finished the last math problem.


    For the rest of the day, the system remained quiet, not assigning any further tasks.


    Shen Mian felt relieved but also somewhat regretful. While it was good not to be forced into physical contact, earning an extra point in that task was still desirable as it affected his life. However, he pondered for a moment and gave up. After all, he had no control over the tasks, and there were still six months left.


    By the time school was over, the teacher seemed to have shown some mercy, understanding that they were brought in for extra classes before the official start of school. They didn¡¯t assign too much homework, allowing them to have a smooth transition.


    Shen Mian was packing his bag when Han Chao, the sports representative sitting next to him, asked, ¡°Shen Mian, want to play basketball?¡±


    ¡°Not today,¡± Shen Mian swung his backpack onto his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going to my brother¡¯s place, so I won¡¯t be able to play with you guys.¡±


    His ¡°brother¡± referred to Pei Zhiyi. Everyone in the class knew that Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi had grown up together like childhood friends, even closer than real brothers. It was common for them to visit each other¡¯s homes.


    But Han Chao still teased him, ¡°You¡¯re always talking about your brother, are you still not detached?¡±


    Shen Mian made an obscene gesture at him, ignoring him, and followed Pei Zhiyi.


    Both of them were good-looking. Pei Zhiyi was tall, cool, and handsome, while Shen Mian had handsome features. Walking side by side, they were a sight to behold. After school, there were often girls from other classes intentionally lingering near their classroom, just to catch a glimpse of the two of them.


    Shen Mian was not sensitive to other people¡¯s gaze and often didn¡¯t mind it, but Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t really like it. He grabbed Shen Mian¡¯s hand and walked a bit faster.


    After leaving the school gate, Pei Zhiyi¡¯s driver was already waiting at the entrance. Shen Mian climbed into the car familiarly and smiled at the driver, saying, ¡°Hello, Uncle Chen.¡±


    The driver also smiled at Shen Mian and chatted with him all the way, asking if he was tired from studying and what happened that day.


    Shen Mian¡¯s relationship with Pei Zhiyi¡¯s family was even closer than their classmates could imagine.


    Shen Mian¡¯s mom and Pei Zhiyi¡¯s mom were close friends, and their dads were college classmates and friends. They even bought their first houses together, two small courtyards facing each other on Nanhu Lane. One could see the other just by opening the door.


    Although Pei Zhiyi¡¯s parents divorced later, it didn¡¯t affect the relationship between the two families.


    On the contrary, because Pei Zhiyi¡¯s dad was always too busy with his career and his mom went abroad, Pei Zhiyi was often at Shen¡¯s house. He spent half of his childhood at Shen¡¯s house.


    When Shen Mian was young, he thought Pei Zhiyi already belonged to his family. When Pei Zhiyi¡¯s dad came to pick him up, Shen Mian would cry loudly, refusing to let go of him. In the end, it was Pei Zhiyi who comforted him.


    However, after entering junior high school, Pei Zhiyi moved back to his own house, and Shen Mian often came to Pei¡¯s house to keep him company.


    Shen Mian chatted with the driver all the way, and they quickly arrived at Pei¡¯s villa.


    Pei Zhiyi¡¯s dad was still not home as usual, and only the nanny had prepared dinner for the two of them. The nanny had also watched Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi grow up, and when she knew that Shen Mian was coming, she specially made red bean paste, which Shen Mian liked.


    After dinner, the two of them went back to their rooms to do homework together.


    For Pei Zhiyi, the amount of homework was nothing at all, and he quickly started preparing an essay for an English competition.


    On the other hand, Shen Mian, as a genuine underachiever, was as slow as a turtle and couldn¡¯t focus on his homework. While doing his homework, he bothered Pei Zhiyi with questions, ¡°Bro, for the ¡®Sharing a Bed¡¯ task, do we just need to sleep on the same bed? Or is there something else we have to do?¡±


    Shen Mian came home with Pei Zhiyi that day  because the new basic tasks assigned by the system included ¡°Sharing a Bed,¡± which could be done every week, and he didn¡¯t want to miss out on those points.


    He asked with a clear mind, like an innocent child, purely afraid that the system would be too perverse and make it hard for them.


    But Pei Zhiyi looked at him strangely.


    What can you do on a bed?


    If someone other than Shen Mian asked that question, it would be considered sexual harassment.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Pei Zhiyi asked calmly.


    Shen Mian still continued pondering, ¡°Do we need to hold hands and hug each other?¡±


    He rested his face on the end of the pen, and his fair and soft cheek created a small dimple.


    Pei Zhiyi¡¯s gaze swept over that little dimple, and he patted Shen Mian¡¯s head. ¡°Stop overthinking and focus on your homework. Question three is -2, and you got it wrong.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until evening that System 007 came back online and announced the additional condition for ¡°Sharing a Bed ¡± ¡ª the distance between the two people should not exceed 20cm.


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t protest against it.


    That task was easy for him. He and Pei Zhiyi  had slept together countless times before. When he was young and scared of thunderstorms, he would crawl into Pei Zhiyi¡¯s embrace and ask him to hold him while sleeping.


    That score was simply a giveaway.


    Shen Mian finished his homework at nine o¡¯clock, and when Pei Zhiyi was helping him check it, he went into the bathroom to take a shower.


    Halfway through the shower, he remembered that he forgot to bring his pajamas. But since there were only the two of them in the house, there was no need to feel embarrassed. He walked out with a big towel wrapped around him, still with water droplets on his body.


    Pei Zhiyi was frowning as he looked at Shen Mian¡¯s paper full of errors. When he lifted his head, he happened to see Shen Mian putting on his clothes. He wore an oversized black t-shirt as his sleepwear, with two long and straight legs underneath, almost reflective in their whiteness.


    But Shen Mian was completely unaware. He walked over and sat next to Pei Zhiyi, and the scent of his shower gel, a subtle fig fragrance, wafted into Pei Zhiyi¡¯s nose.


    Feeling good about himself, he asked Pei Zhiyi, ¡°I think I did pretty well in math today. Did I make many mistakes?¡±


    In an instant, Pei Zhiyi burst his bubble. ¡°You made mistakes in almost half of it.¡±


    Shen Mian¡¯s face immediately fell.


    He wondered why he was so slow in school. Both his parents were highly educated, and even his younger sister always ranked at the top of her class. How did the genetic factors twist around when it came to him? He didn¡¯t inherit a single bit of intelligence.


    And Pei Zhiyi was undoubtedly a top student, the kind that made the headmaster smile whenever he saw him.


    Living among high achievers while being a study underachiever was truly difficult.


    Fortunately, his moments of sadness didn¡¯t last long. After casually correcting a few mistakes, he dashed off to the mini fridge to get ice cream. It was the one he bought last time and left at Pei Zhiyi¡¯s place, all in his favorite flavors.


    Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t like sweets, but Shen Mian always wanted to share everything with him. He took a bite of the creamy ice cream and subconsciously offered it to Pei Zhiyi¡¯s lips. ¡°Want some?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi stared at the crescent-shaped indentation on the ice cream, rare to see, and took a bite as well.


    ¡°The milk flavor is too strong,¡± Pei Zhiyi commented.


    But Shen Mian actually liked things with a strong milk flavor and happily finished it.


    By the time the two of them climbed into bed, it was already ten o¡¯clock.


    The blanket was newly washed, lightweight, and soft. Shen Mian got into bed and snuggled up to Pei Zhiyi.


    He still couldn¡¯t fall asleep, but Pei Zhiyi had already closed his eyes, and Shen Mian didn¡¯t want to disturb his sleep by chatting.


    He played with his phone for a while, then turned his head to look at Pei Zhiyi.


    To be precise, he was looking at Pei Zhiyi¡¯s lips.


    Those lips were beautifully shaped, so perfect they could even be used in advertisements.


    But Shen Mian stared at them, his brows furrowed with bitterness.


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten the most crucial part of the basic task announced by System 007: kissing, worth 2 points.


    During the day, Shen Mian could escape from reality amidst the lively atmosphere of the classroom. But once night fell, the voice of the system assigning the task would emerge like a nightmare, making him wish he could bury himself in the bed and suffocate.


    Although Pei Zhiyi was willing to stand up for him and comfort him, telling him not to feel pressured, to treat it as acting.


    But Shen Mian found it difficult not to feel guilty.


    His first kiss, which should have been dedicated to a beautiful and gentle girl, was now going to be sacrificed for him.


    Isn¡¯t it tragic?


    It¡¯s too tragic!


    Shen Mian even felt sorry for Pei Zhiyi.


    There were plenty of girls in school who secretly admired Pei Zhiyi, and love letters were as abundant as snowflakes in his drawer.


    But now, all those secret admirers seemed to be in vain.


    Shen Mian buried his face in the blanket and let out a low whimper.


    He felt like he was betraying Pei Zhiyi.


    Perhaps his gaze was too intense, as Pei Zhiyi couldn¡¯t fall asleep. He opened his eyes and looked at Shen Mian, asking, ¡°What are you doing awake?¡±


    Shen Mian¡¯s face emerged from the blanket, his eyes blinking as he looked at Pei Zhiyi, pure like Bambi.


    He asked Pei Zhiyi with a guilty conscience, ¡°Brother, do you have a girl you like¡­ or have a crush on?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi asked, ¡°Why are you asking this?¡±


    Shen Mian hesitated to bring up the kiss and vaguely said, ¡°You¡¯re doing all these things with me now, these messy tasks. If you have a girl you like, then I¡­¡±


    He spoke with a dejected tone, unable to express his thoughts clearly.


    But Pei Zhiyi understood instantly.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi denied it decisively.


    He pulled Shen Mian from his half of the bed into his embrace, pressing him against his chest, and his hand covered the back of Shen Mian¡¯s head.


    ¡°Sleep, stop thinking too much about it¡±


    Shen Mian rubbed against Pei Zhiyi¡¯s chest and obediently responded, ¡°Oh.¡±


    The fact that Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t have a girl he liked made Shen Mian feel slightly relieved.


    However, after Pei Zhiyi fell asleep, it took a long time for Shen Mian to drift off.


    The moonlight outside was distant and elongated, casting a small pure white concern on the window.

 CH 3

    In order to meet the requirement of the system that they shouldn¡¯t be separated by more than 20 cm, Shen Mian woke up in Pei Zhiyi¡¯s arms the next day.


    Since graduating from elementary school, Shen Mian rarely slept while hugging Pei Zhiyi hence that morning he kept shifting in Pei Zhiyi¡¯s embrace, eventually waking him up.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Pei Zhiyi¡¯s voice was a bit hoarse, with a low tone that indicated he had just woken up.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit hot,¡± Shen Mian honestly said, ¡°you¡¯re hugging me too tightly, and the air conditioning isn¡¯t working.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi paused for a moment and quickly loosened his grip. Shen Mian finally managed to get his whole head out of the blanket and breathe fresh air.


    At that moment, the electronic voice of System 007 timely sounded in their minds: ¡°Congratulations to the two hosts for completing the task of sharing a bed, and you have been awarded 2 points.¡±


    Shen Mian was happy instantly. He had never cared about scores in his life, not even when he scored last in exams. But now, a mere two points made him overjoyed.


    He didn¡¯t hurry to get up, instead leaning against Pei Zhiyi and chatting with him. ¡°It would be great if every task were this simple.¡±


    But before Pei Zhiyi could reply, he muttered to himself, ¡°But it shouldn¡¯t be that easy for me. Special tasks offer more points and are definitely harder to complete.¡±


    He was quite clear-headed.


    Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t have the habit of lying in bed. After chatting with Shen Mian for a few moments, he got up from the bed to change his clothes. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a faint glow in the room. It wasn¡¯t entirely dark, and Shen Mian could clearly see Pei Zhiyi¡¯s abs and smooth arm muscles.


    Although it wasn¡¯t his first time seeing Pei Zhiyi¡¯s body, he couldn¡¯t help but touch his own soft belly and feel a bit discouraged.


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t return to his own home until after having lunch at Pei Zhiyi¡¯s house.


    It was the weekend, and his parents and younger sister, Shen Yu, were at home. He had informed his family the previous day that he would be staying at Pei Zhiyi¡¯s place, so no one asked him why he didn¡¯t come home all night. They had become used to him and Pei Zhiyi being inseparable.


    Before entering the house, his mother, Su Ying, was cutting fruit salad. When she saw him come in, she stuffed a piece of dragon fruit into his mouth and said, ¡°Did you go hide at Xiaoyi¡¯s place to play games again yesterday?¡±


    Shen Mian felt wronged.


    ¡°Not at all. Pei Zhiyi saw me finish three exam papers and checked them before letting me go,¡± he ate the piece of dragon fruit and grumbled discontentedly, ¡°He¡¯s stricter with me than you guys.¡±


    She showed no sympathy for her son, ¡°That¡¯s good. That reminds me, I should give Xiaoyi a bigger red envelope for Chinese New Year.¡±


    After saying that sentence, she ignored her son who had just returned home and leaned over to watch the latest episode of a TV series with her daughter. Recently, both of them had become obsessed with a young and handsome actor. They would get excited and slap their thighs whenever they saw him on screen.


    Shen Mian shook his head, thinking that the actor was not as good-looking as Pei Zhiyi.


    He approached his father, Shen Changhe, who was a university professor preparing materials for Monday¡¯s class. Seeing him coming over, his father poured a cup of coffee from the coffee pot and said, ¡°Try it, I ground the new coffee beans myself. How does it taste?¡±


    Shen Mian took a sip and said, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    His father finished preparing the PowerPoint slides for his class and put down the computer. He started chatting with his son and mentioned that there would be a new movie releasing the day after tomorrow, and he planned to take Shen Mian and Shen Yu to watch it. He even suggested inviting Pei Zhiyi along, showing no self-awareness as a parent of a high school sophomore.


    Sipping his coffee and listening to his father¡¯s chatter, Shen Mian¡¯s mind wandered unintentionally.


    That was just an ordinary afternoon in their extremely ordinary family.


    In the past, Shen Mian didn¡¯t think there was anything worth cherishing. But now, sitting at that small round table by the floor-to-ceiling window, Shen Mian hoped that that kind of time could last a little longer, just a bit longer.


    He didn¡¯t tell his parents about his illness. At first, he couldn¡¯t say it, but later, he chose not to.


    That Love Brain System 007 had probably done something to him. He could only discuss the matter with Pei Zhiyi. Whenever he tried to tell someone other than Pei Zhiyi, his voice would instantly vanish, and he couldn¡¯t say a word.


    So his parents still didn¡¯t know that their son had a time bomb in his brain, which could explode at any moment.


    Sitting there, leisurely drinking coffee, he appeared no different from usual, but in fact, every minute was stolen.


    Actually, he was also afraid. That day, after the examination at the hospital, he finally regained his senses from extreme shock. As soon as he came out, he hugged Pei Zhiyi and burst into tears.


    He sobbed and asked Pei Zhiyi, ¡°Why am I so unlucky? I haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi hugged him tightly but couldn¡¯t give him an answer.


    Because fate is so unpredictable and won¡¯t show mercy just because you¡¯re a good person.


    That day, Shen Mian really wanted to tell his parents about it. Although he was the older brother at home, he had been pampered and doted on just like his younger sister, Shen Yu.


    When he felt wronged outside, he would reflexively want to complain to his parents.


    But he couldn¡¯t say it.


    He had been deprived of the right to speak.


    That was a secret belonging only to him and Pei Zhiyi.


    Shen Mian looked at his mother smiling on the couch, his sister happily munching on potato chips, and his father cheerfully saying he would buy him the latest sneakers.


    Suddenly, he felt it was better that his family didn¡¯t know about it.


    If they all knew about his physical condition, the atmosphere in the house wouldn¡¯t be so relaxed.


    Anyway, there was still six months of probation, and until that day arrived, he would rather maintain the current situation.


    Shen Mian finished his last sip of coffee and said to his dad, ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs to do my homework, I still have an essay to write.¡±


    His dad immediately gave him permission. It was rare to see his son so enthusiastic about studying, and he had to support him.


    Shen Mian passed by the sofa and took out the biscuit box from his backpack and threw it to his sister. ¡°The cake shop you like has a new product, I brought you a box.¡±


    Shen Yu was happily watching TV and without turning her head, she casually responded to her elder brother, ¡°Thanks, love you.¡±


    It didn¡¯t sound sincere at all.


    Shen Mian casually ruffled her hair and couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°Is this the male celebrity you like? He¡¯s just average, not as good-looking as Pei Zhiyi.¡±


    Shen Yu became furious and exclaimed, ¡°There¡¯s not much difference, at most it¡¯s a tie between them.¡±


    Shen Mian swiftly walked away.


    But as he was going up the stairs, he stopped at the corner for a moment.


    He didn¡¯t do anything, just leaned against the wall, and listened to the voices coming from the living room for a while. His dad also joined his wife and daughter in their TV drama discussion and was shouted at to shut up.


    Shen Mian couldn¡¯t help but smile, thinking that his dad brought it upon himself.


    He looked at his watch, it was currently 3 o¡¯clock in the afternoon, and there were still 33 hours until the end of the week.


    Shen Mian sighed and thought that in order for his family to continue living peacefully and happily, he would have to sacrifice Pei Zhiyi.


    He would go find Pei Zhiyi the next day and give him a kiss!


    That would be worth 2 points!


    So during the evening study session the next day, while Pei Zhiyi was working on a problem, a small paper ball was suddenly passed to him.


    He didn¡¯t need to look to know who wrote it, so he looked at Shen Mian in confusion, wondering why he couldn¡¯t just say it directly.


    He opened it and saw a little person holding a sign drawn on the paper, with the words written on the sign saying: ¡°Brother, let me give you a kiss later!!!¡±


    Three exclamation marks were enough to show the determination.


    Pei Zhiyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    He looked at Shen Mian with a speechless expression, thinking that the little person drawing was perfectly done. Perhaps he should have convinced Aunt Su to enroll Shen Mian in an art class when he was younger, so that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about grades every day.


    But before he could say anything, another note was passed to him, this time with only words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal tomorrow!¡±


    Pei Zhiyi was completely speechless.


    He pinched the bridge of his nose and said softly, ¡°No need to treat me to a meal for a kiss.¡±


    Shen Mian¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, and he quickly handed over a rainbow-farting note.


    ¡°Brother, you truly deserve the title of a top student, you have the aura of a general!¡±


    Pei Zhiyi couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to him anymore. He tore all three notes into pieces and threw them into the trash bag to destroy the evidence.


    After finishing evening self-study, Shen Mian deliberately lagged behind, dragging Pei Zhiyi until the classroom was locked, and the corridor was deserted. Only then did he take Pei Zhiyi and, like thieves, rushed to the fifth floor of the teaching building.


    To be precise, it was only he who felt guilty. Pei Zhiyi, as the one about to be forced by a tyrant, remained calm from beginning to end.


    The rooftop was located above the fifth floor. Although it was locked , that short section of stairs leading to the rooftop rarely had teachers passing by. It was a place where students often hid to eat instant noodles.


    Now, after evening self-study, it was even more empty, with no one in sight.


    Encouraging himself, Shen Mian pushed Pei Zhiyi against the wall with a loud thud, placing his hand on Pei Zhiyi¡¯s shoulder. He had seen that in a trashy TV drama the previous night, where the male lead kissed the female lead in that manner.


    The hallway was pitch black, with only a small patch of moonlight shining through the small window of the door leading to the rooftop. It happened to illuminate Pei Zhiyi¡¯s handsome face, with a high nose, thin lips, long feathery eyelashes, and perfectly shaped eyes. His face was worthy of appearing in any girl¡¯s fantasy.


    Shen Mian thought that if he were a girl, he would kiss Pei Zhiyi ten or even twenty times for such beauty.


    But the problem was¡ªhe was undeniably a guy.


    Moreover, he had grown up in the same house as Pei Zhiyi, holding hands and going to school together since childhood. They were good brothers.


    Shen Mian spent a full three minutes building up his courage but still couldn¡¯t bring himself to kiss.


    He slumped against Pei Zhiyi, burying his face in Pei Zhiyi¡¯s chest, muttering to himself, ¡®How can I do this¡­¡¯


    Pei Zhiyi had been standing obediently without moving. Since Shen Mian pushed him against the wall, he had been extremely cooperative, essentially playing the role of a perfect tool. Apart from breathing, he made no other movements.


    However, Shen Mian continued to hesitate, dragging the thirty-second task into half an hour. Eventually, even he became impatient.


    PeI Zhiyi patted Shen Mian¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Get up from me.¡¯


    Thinking that Pei Zhiyi found him troublesome, Shen Mian quickly stood upright. ¡®Brother, I¡¯ll prepare myself more and it¡¯ll be soon.¡¯


    But before he could finish speaking, a cool hand held his chin.


    Pei Zhiyi¡¯s face enlarged in his line of sight.


    Under the moonlight, Shen Mian could even see Pei Zhiyi¡¯s eyelashes gently flickering, like ripples spreading on a lake.


    Then, another pair of soft lips covered his own.


    They carried a faint citrus scent, the chewing gum Shen Mian had forcibly given Pei Zhiyi earlier.


    Pei Zhiyi kissed him willingly.


    This fact exploded in Shen Mian¡¯s mind like thunder.


    At first, it was just a reserved and gentlemanly kiss, with no other unnecessary movements except for their lips touching.


    It could be considered a polite consolation.


    However, the system¡¯s requirements explicitly stated that their lips must touch. In other words, an overly innocent kiss wouldn¡¯t pass.


    So, after hesitating for two seconds, Pei Zhiyi firmly pried open Shen Mian¡¯s teeth, unable to resist any longer.


    His tongue delved in, intertwining and kissing.


    There was a faint citrus taste in Shen Mian¡¯s mouth as well.


    Moonlight outside fell on the ground, creating a small misty white. The corridor was too quiet, with almost everyone in the school gone. No one knew what was happening in that corner.


    Shen Mian let out a muffled groan, his fingers weakly scratching at the wall as if trying to find support to prop up his limp body.


    But in the end, he couldn¡¯t grasp anything. His hand was grabbed by Pei Zhiyi and held tightly.

 CH 4

    When the kiss ended, Shen Mian had turned into a statue,completely petrified.


    He leaned against the wall, breathing heavily and unconsciously. He looked at Pei Zhiyi and accidentally spoke his mind.


    ¡°Bro, you¡¯re so skilled¡­ How are you so¡­¡±


    So good at kissing.


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t say the rest of the sentence. He bit his tongue and instantly stopped himself.


    Pei Zhiyi glanced at him with a strange expression. He didn¡¯t expect Shen Mian¡¯s first reaction to be that.


    He picked up their bags from the ground, pulled Shen Mian, and said, ¡°We¡¯re done, let¡¯s go.¡±


    He had a completely business-like attitude, as if they hadn¡¯t just kissed, but rather solved a math problem together.


    Shen Mian followed Pei Zhiyi downstairs in a daze.


    Experiencing his first kiss suddenly made his mind turn into mush.


    He stared at the back of Pei Zhiyi¡¯s head, suspecting that Pei Zhiyi was angry. Well, it was understandable. Which straight guy wouldn¡¯t be angry after being forced to kiss someone of the same sex?


    Thinking about it, Shen Mian became as obedient as a little quail, quietly holding hands with Pei Zhiyi all the way until they walked out of the school gate, without daring to say a word.


    Pei¡¯s driver was still waiting at the entrance because their homes were close by. Even if Shen Mian didn¡¯t stay at Pei¡¯s house, the driver would drop him off at his own home.


    But that day, Shen Mian slipped away from Pei Zhiyi¡¯s palm like an eel.


    Shen Mian held his bag and stuttered, ¡°I-I can go back by myself. Bro, you should¡­ go to sleep early, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    After saying that, without looking at Pei Zhiyi¡¯s reaction, he fled in a panic and ran away as fast as in a thousand-meter race.


    After a while, Pei Zhiyi opened the car door and got in.


    And when Pei Zhiyi entered his house, his phone, which was in his pocket, vibrated. He took it out and saw a message from Shen Mian.


    ¡°Bro, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I know you feel disgusted¡±


    ¡°Can you please not ignore me? Can we still go to school together tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Ah ah ah ah ah, blame this stupid mission. Bro, trust me, I really consider you a good buddy. Please don¡¯t hate me!¡±


    One message after another, the tone was messy and chaotic, clearly revealing Shen Mian¡¯s confused state of mind.


    Pei Zhiyi stared at those several messages, looking at them repeatedly, his eyes dark and deep, with an indescribable meaning.


    He imagined the state of mind Shen Mian had when typing those messages. After a long time, he slowly leaned against the wall in the garden, as if unable to support himself any longer. The firmness that had been tightly held in his body finally relaxed.


    That unbreakable facade finally shattered like broken porcelain.


    He placed his hand on his heart, which was beating too fiercely, thumping and chaotic, as if eager to burst out of his throat.


    He clenched the small piece of fabric on his chest so tightly that his knuckles turned pale.


    He resembled a patient with a fever, his cheeks and lips tinged with a hint of red. And Shen Mian was his medicine; a single kiss ignited warmth throughout his entire body.


    But Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t blame him for that. In the whole world, anyone who could remain calm after kissing their secret crush was either frigid or exceptionally composed.


    Clearly, he was neither.


    He had been maintaining a calm facade all along, able to hold hands with Shen Mian as if nothing happened after the kiss, showing no signs of anything unusual even while sitting in the car.


    But only he knew how loud his heartbeat was when he lowered his head to kiss Shen Mian.


    Pei Zhiyi closed his eyes, yet the image of the kiss replayed repeatedly in his mind. In the dimly lit corridor, with moonlight barely illuminating their surroundings, Shen Mian¡¯s lips were warm and dry, but his tongue was soft and delicate. Holding his breath and unable to even exhale, Shen Mian was pitifully clumsy.


    Pei Zhiyi thought, Shen Mian really was a cute fool.


    He couldn¡¯t even kiss properly.


    Naturally Shen Mian couldn¡¯t see the dirty thoughts Pei Zhiyi harbored as childhood sweethearts, still apologizing in panic.


    How could he be angry?


    That kiss was a task, a burden for Shen Mian.


    But for Pei Zhiyi, it was the ultimate reward.


    He had been, and still was, secretly in love with Shen Mian.


    Ever since he understood the meaning of the word ¡°like,¡± he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Shen Mian.


    This unrequited love burned like a scorching fire, capable of easily scalding a person, yet he concealed it beneath a calm and composed exterior.


    So not only Shen Mian, but no one else could tell.


    They all thought he wasn¡¯t interested in dating, that he had a cold personality.


    But that wasn¡¯t the case.


    He simply dedicated all his love to someone who would never respond.


    ¡°Beep, beep, beep. Host Pei Zhiyi¡¯s infatuation level has increased. Current infatuation level: 96.¡±


    When Pei Zhiyi heard the familiar electronic sound in his mind, he didn¡¯t panic. On the contrary, he remained calm because he had known about the system¡¯s hidden detection feature called the infatuation level since the day the system bonded him with Shen Mian.


    The higher the infatuation level, the deeper his affection for Shen Mian.


    On the day the system bonded with him, his infatuation level was 95.


    Signifying his love for Shen Mian, which he couldn¡¯t obtain, turning his unrequited love into an ailment.


    But Shen Mian knew nothing; he wasn¡¯t even aware of the existence of the infatuation level detection.


    Because Shen Mian didn¡¯t love him.


    Only when the infatuation level reached 85 or above would the system inform the host.


    Until now, Shen Mian still naively believed that he was straight.


    Pei Zhiyi looked again at the few text messages Shen Mian had sent. Perhaps Shen Mian didn¡¯t want to disturb him too much, so he immediately stopped sending more messages.


    But Pei Zhiyi could imagine that Shen Mian was anxiously waiting by his phone, feeling restless and aggrieved, hoping to hear his reply.


    If he didn¡¯t respond, Shen Mian would continue to wait.


    Shen Mian¡¯s profile picture was a round and plump corgi butt, its tail shaped like a fluffy heart. Pei Zhiyi looked at the picture and chuckled softly.


    He leaned against the wall, trying to figure out how high Shen Mian¡¯s infatuation level would be for him.


    Perhaps it would barely reach twenty points.


    But anything more would be wishful thinking.


    Fortunately, he had grown accustomed to this and didn¡¯t feel heartbroken.


    On the other hand, the usually silent System 007 couldn¡¯t stand being idle and presented another prompt.


    ¡°Beep, beep. Host Pei Zhiyi¡¯s possessiveness is escalating. Danger warning. Please restrain your inner desires, host.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi raised an eyebrow, as this was something he hadn¡¯t heard from System 007 before.


    But he wasn¡¯t surprised either; he knew full well how intense his possessiveness toward Shen Mian was and how terrifying it could be. He was well aware of it.


    The gentle and steady childhood friend mask he wore was just a deception to confuse Shen Mian. His true desires for Shen Mian were wicked and forbidden, concealed beneath a mask.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything.¡± He coldly informed 007.


    Pei Zhiyi leaned against the wall for a while longer, allowing his accelerated heartbeat to gradually calm down.


    He wasn¡¯t in a rush to go inside; the jasmine flowers in the courtyard were blooming quietly, emitting a soft fragrance carried by the evening breeze.


    He rarely took the initiative to chat with System 007.


    Usually, only Shen Mian would do that kind of thing.


    But 007 mostly ignored him, maintaining a cold and distant demeanor.


    Pei Zhiyi wanted to ask a question but he didn¡¯t know if 007 would answer him.


    He asked 007, ¡°Did you choose me and Shen Mian solely because our compatibility is high?¡±


    He knew that Shen Mian wouldn¡¯t hear the conversation between him and System 007, so he asked casually and brazenly, ¡°Is it related to my secret crush on Shen Mian?¡±


    System 007 remained silent for a moment and surprisingly responded.


    ¡°100% compatibility is just one of the selection criteria. Another reason is that your possessiveness, desire, madness, and other abnormal emotions towards Shen Mian are what I need.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi narrowed his eyes slightly.


    Although 007 still had that indifferent electronic tone, he could actually sense a hint of mockery, as if he was sarcastically calling him abnormal.


    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°If the mission fails, can I bear the consequences?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If Shen Mian gets sick, he¡¯s very afraid of pain. If he has surgery, he will cry miserably. Can I replace him?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi had wanted to ask that for a long time.


    But he always felt that 007 wouldn¡¯t agree, so he deliberately didn¡¯t bring it up, hoping to leave himself with some hope.


    As expected, System 007 quickly shattered his hopes.


    ¡°No, there is no such easy exchange in the world.¡± This time, 007 didn¡¯t sound sarcastic. ¡°One sided love doesn¡¯t have a shared expense.¡±


    The phrase ¡°One sided love doesn¡¯t have a shared expense¡± affected Pei Zhiyi¡¯s mood quite a bit.


    He hated the feeling of being manipulated by someone who knew his weakness.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    He waited until his heartbeat completely calmed down before standing up straight from the wall and slowly walking towards the main building of the villa.


    When entering the house, Pei Zhiyi took out his phone again and replied to Shen Mian¡¯s message.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. I¡¯m not mad at you. I¡¯ll come find you tomorrow.¡±


    Shen Mian replied instantly.


    ¡°Ah ah ah ah ah, bro, you finally replied to me!¡±


    Shen Mian sent four or five kneeling emoticons in a row.


    Pei Zhiyi couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    He leaned down and kissed Shen Mian¡¯s profile picture.


    ¡°So silly,¡± he whispered softly.


    But also so cute.


    The next day, Pei Zhiyi went to wait outside Shen Mian¡¯s house early in the morning.


    As he expected, when Shen Mian walked out of the door, he had messy hair and faint dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he hadn¡¯t slept well.


    When he saw Pei Zhiyi waiting at the door, Shen Mian seemed startled and took a few steps back.


    ¡°Why are you so early?¡± Shen Mian asked.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you asking me if I¡¯m going to school with you or not?¡± Pei Zhiyi replied with Shen Mian¡¯s words from yesterday¡¯s message.


    Shen Mian closed his mouth. Indeed, he had asked that yesterday.


    The two didn¡¯t say much more. Pei Zhiyi arrived early that day and hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast yet, so they walked to the breakfast shop at the end of the alley.


    The small shop at the alley¡¯s entrance had upheld its taste for ten years without a signboard. The customers were constant despite its lack of visibility. It had been there since Pei Zhiyi and Shen Mian were in elementary school. As they entered, the white-haired owner greeted them with a smile, ¡°Little Pei and Sleepy Shen, come in, there are seats inside.¡±


    Shen Mian grumbled in protest, ¡°Don¡¯t call me Sleepy.¡±


    He didn¡¯t like that nickname. It sounded too childish.


    But it was useless. From the breakfast shop owner to his parents, everyone liked to call him Sleepy for no reason.


    The owner called Shen Mian again, ¡°Sleepy, do you want to eat the freshly fried dough sticks? We also have red bean cakes.¡±


    Reluctantly, Shen Mian replied, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll have those.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He also liked the name Sleepy. It sounded sweet and soft, as if someone was pampering him. But every time he called Shen Mian that, he would be annoyed. So he stopped using it.


    Shen Mian expertly ordered two breakfasts and started eating without raising his head. He usually liked to talk to Pei Zhiyi about a bunch of things while eating, from last night¡¯s supper to the latest sneakers on the market.


    But that day, he remained silent like a chicken, not uttering a word.


    Because he felt guilty.


    He always suspected that Pei Zhiyi regretted kissing him last night, because Pei Zhiyi¡¯s eyes looked strange after he kissed him, as if he was trying hard to suppress something.


    He imagined what Pei Zhiyi might be thinking and felt that Pei Zhiyi might have felt disgusted and uncomfortable after kissing him, but he was restraining himself because Shen Mian was present. He spent the night tossing and turning, unable to sleep well.


    So he didn¡¯t dare to easily raise his head to meet Pei Zhiyi¡¯s gaze.


    But even though he remained silent, Pei Zhiyi wasn¡¯t planning to let him off the hook.


    Pei Zhiyi ate politely but quickly.


    After swallowing the last sip of soy milk, he asked Shen Mian, ¡°Why are you keeping your head down? Are you embarrassed after kissing me yesterday?¡±


    Shen Mian almost choked on his tofu pudding.


    Finally, he looked up at Pei Zhiyi and murmured in a small voice, ¡°You were the one who kissed me first¡­¡±


    But halfway through his sentence, he lost his confidence.


    The reason why Pei Zhiyi took the initiative to kiss him was because Shen Mian was taking too long, and Pei Zhiyi was getting impatient.


    After hesitating for a while, he finally asked what was on his mind.


    ¡°Brother, tell me honestly, did you feel particularly uncomfortable after kissing me yesterday?¡±


    When he asked this question, his expression was gloomy, resembling a little dog about to be kicked out of the house by its owner, obedient yet pitiful.


    Pei Zhiyi couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit ticklish in his heart.


    He thought, how could Shen Mian hit every soft spot of his so accurately?


    As long as Shen Mian wore such an expression, he wished he could give the whole world to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not uncomfortable, nor do I feel disgusted. It¡¯s a bit easier than I imagined,¡± Pei Zhiyi calmly said, ¡°I thought it would be difficult.¡±


    Shen Mian widened his eyes, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a task, treat it like acting,¡± Pei Zhiyi calmly eased Shen Mian¡¯s psychological burden, ¡°Many people in the entertainment industry film kissing scenes, we¡¯re no different from them. Just consider it kind of like that, and it won¡¯t be a big deal.¡±


    Shen Mian contemplated.


    His reward was even more precious than that of the entertainment industry actors. They only received money, but he was saving his own life.


    His train of thought was unconsciously led astray by Pei Zhiyi, completely ignoring the fact that most kissing scenes in the entertainment industry happened between a man and a woman.


    But seeing how calm Pei Zhiyi was, he really didn¡¯t seem to have any concerns left, and Shen Mian couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    ¡°You scared me,¡± he revealed a relaxed expression, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well last night, afraid that you would ignore me today.¡±


    He felt a bit wronged because, after all, Pei Zhiyi had never cold-shouldered him before. If Pei Zhiyi really ignored him, he wouldn¡¯t even know how to coax him.


    He touched Pei Zhiyi¡¯s hand with lingering fear, ¡°Thank goodness, brother, you¡¯re so considerate.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t say anything.


    Anything he said after would seem too shameless, having taken advantage of the situation.


    He casually handed the last xiaolongbao to Shen Mian and asked as if nothing had happened, ¡°and you, did you feel disgusted yesterday? Can you get used to being kissed by a man?¡±


    Shen Mian was stunned for a moment.


    He subconsciously pursed his lips. He had been too preoccupied with worrying about Pei Zhiyi and hadn¡¯t even thought about that.


    But it seemed like he really didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable.


    He felt panic, but not disgust.


    Since childhood, he would even share a cookie with Pei Zhiyi. Although being kissed by Pei Zhiyi felt somewhat morally taboo, it didn¡¯t really make him repulsed.


    ¡°No,¡± he earnestly showed his loyalty to Pei Zhiyi, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m fine. You can kiss me anytime you please.¡±


    This time, Pei Zhiyi couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    He ruffled Shen Mian¡¯s head, pulled him up, and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time to go to school.¡±


    After leaving the breakfast shop, Shen Mian became lively and energetic again. Pei Zhiyi had successfully cleared any concerns from yesterday.


    The driver from the Pei family was waiting for them as usual at the end of the alley. Shen Mian leaned into Pei Zhiyi¡¯s arms as soon as he got into the car, rubbing his head against Pei Zhiyi¡¯s shoulder, finding a comfortable position.


    He yawned and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take a nap. Wake me up when we arrive at school. I only slept for a little over five hours last night, so I¡¯m really tired.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi responded with a sound of agreement.


    The scenery outside the window swiftly passed by, the trees at the intersection formed a green shade, and Shen Mian quickly fell asleep.


    The car was quiet, and one could even hear Shen Mian¡¯s faint breathing.


    As Pei Zhiyi looked at his innocent profile, he finally felt relieved.


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t dislike his kisses, and that was enough to make him happy.

 CH 5

    When Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi arrived at the classroom, it was still chaotic with students chatting and eating breakfast.


    However, just as Shen Mian finished submitting his assignment, their homeroom teacher walked in.


    The homeroom teacher¡¯s name was Ding Yi, a middle-aged man in his forties. Although he wasn¡¯t that easy to approach like some young teachers, his temper was decent, and he took good care of his students. He had been their class teacher since the first year of high school, and everyone in the class was familiar with him.


    That day was the first official day of school, and everyone thought that Mr. Ding would say something encouraging to help them settle into their second year of high school.


    However, Mr. Ding calmly took a sip of water and said, ¡°I have an announcement for all of you. The grade level just informed us that there will be another evaluative test tomorrow to assess your progress since the remedial classes. Although I know you haven¡¯t been paying attention in class for the past half month, I still hope your results won¡¯t be too embarrassing.¡±


    The class immediately erupted into cries of despair.


    They had already had one test when they were brought in for remedial classes, and now, just half a month later, another one was coming!


    Shen Mian also covered his face, unwilling to face that grim reality.


    In the previous test, there were only fifty students in the class, and he ranked 42nd. When he went home to have his parents sign the test paper, although his parents were used to his disappointing scores, they couldn¡¯t help but pat his head in frustration.


    His mother earnestly self-reflected, ¡°Did I work too hard when I was pregnant with you, causing you to not absorb nutrients well and not pass on our intelligence.¡±


    His father chuckled beside her, focused on peeling a tangerine, ¡°Forget it, I think he just lacks self discipline. If we enroll him in ten cram schools in the future, he¡¯ll know how to study.¡±


    But despite what his father said, he still fed Shen Mian a tangerine slice.


    When Shen Mian thought back to when Pei Zhiyi was correcting the test papers for him last time, he felt his vision darken, weakly grabbing onto Pei Zhiyi¡¯s sleeve and said concisely, ¡°Brother, help me.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi sighed.


    He himself was one of the top three students in the grade, so tutoring Shen Mian was a piece of cake for him. However, when it came to his crush, he always found his willpower to be weaker. Every time Shen Mian acted spoiled or pouted, he couldn¡¯t help but merge their test papers into one.


    Now that the exams were approaching, he needed to sharpen his sword in preparation.


    During the self-study session, Pei Zhiyi quickly flipped through his books and listed out the key points from the past half month of remedial classes for Shen Mian. Then, during the twenty-minute break between classes, he read them out to Shen Mian one by one.


    At first, it was just Shen Mian listening, but soon a group of students gathered around them. Each person eagerly stared at Pei Zhiyi, hoping to copy the notes.


    Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t mind. Although he had a cold demeanor, he never hid his studies from others. Every time before an exam, he would circulate his notes throughout the class.


    However, only Shen Mian got personalized after-school tutoring.


    The boy sitting next to Shen Mian was named Xu Jing. He and Pei Zhiyi had entered the same junior high school and had always had a good relationship.


    While copying notes, Xu Jing chatted with Shen Mian, ¡°Do you know? Our school has changed the rules this year. Aside from the third years, the second year students also have to live in dormitories.¡±


    Shen Mian was unaware and asked curiously, ¡°When did they announce it? Why haven¡¯t I heard about it ?¡±


    ¡°It should have been announced after school. And I heard from the office teacher that most of our second-year students will be in four-person rooms. The double rooms are almost occupied by the third-year students, leaving only a few.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi listened to their conversation, and his heart stirred slightly.


    He actually knew about that news. He didn¡¯t like living with others, and although there were few double rooms left, he could still apply for one. He was considering taking Shen Mian to stay in a double room together, but he hadn¡¯t found the opportunity to tell Shen Mian yet.


    However, he soon heard Shen Mian say to Xu Jing, ¡°Let¡¯s stay in a four-person room then. Me, my brother, you, and Han Chao can share a room.¡±


    Shen Mian was quite looking forward to communal living. He had never lived in a dormitory before, but staying in a room with good friends should be fun.


    But Xu Jing found it problematic, ¡°The office teacher probably won¡¯t agree. If we all stay together, we¡¯ll be too busy playing and won¡¯t study seriously ¡°


    Shen Mian instantly felt disheartened.


    ¡°Then I at least want to stay in the same room as my brother,¡± Shen Mian whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not comfortable staying with anyone else.¡±


    Mu Lingling, who was sitting in front of him, chuckled and said without looking up, ¡°Your words sound really gay. People who don¡¯t know would think you two are inseparable lovers.¡±


    She was just casually teasing them. That group of friends had a good relationship since the first year of high school, and Shen Mian was the most lively one among them, always the target of their jokes.


    In the past, Shen Mian wouldn¡¯t have cared and would have joined in the joke. But now, he felt a pang of vulnerability and blushed.


    Although he and Pei Zhiyi weren¡¯t lovers, they had done things that only couples would do.


    He wanted to clap back but couldn¡¯t find the words, so he could only bury his head and diligently copy his notes, trying to hide his guilty conscience.


    As expected, the next day after the exam, Ding Yi, the homeroom teacher announced that the second-year students would have to live in the dormitories.


    Pei Zhiyi had provided extra tutoring to Shen Mian the previous day, helping him with several math problems. So Shen Mian felt relaxed after the exam, thinking that even if he didn¡¯t perform well, he could still make it into the top forty.


    After hearing the announcement from their teacher, the students in the class had mixed reactions. The dormitory allocation was the responsibility of the class teacher, but there was still room for negotiation. If someone wanted to share a dormitory with a specific person, they could talk to the teacher, and if the teacher agreed, it would be allowed.


    Most of the students in the class were still struggling with whom to share a dormitory with, but Shen Mian was already calm about it. It was because Pei Zhiyi had told him the night before that he would apply for a double room.


    Initially, Shen Mian was not very willing. Being a child at heart, he always felt that it was more lively and fun to be with more people. Playing cards or games would be easier with a group.


    However, Pei Zhiyi¡¯s words made him give in.


    Pei Zhiyi glanced at him gently and said, ¡°If there¡¯s someone else in the dormitory, how can I help you with the missions?¡±


    Shen Mian was suddenly startled.


    Pei Zhiyi continued, ¡°Holding hands is one thing, but if someone enters the dormitory while we¡¯re kissing¡­¡±


    Shen Mian imagined that scene and took a sharp breath, immediately covering Pei Zhiyi¡¯s mouth, refusing to listen any further.


    ¡°Stop, I¡¯m getting goosebumps,¡± Shen Mian said with a mournful face. ¡°That image is too terrifying.¡±


    So, the decision was made to stay in a double room.


    Pei Zhiyi had already filled out the application form in advance and explained the reasons to the class teacher, emphasizing that he could help Shen Mian with his studies.


    Teacher Ding Yi thought, ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know that you two are good friends who don¡¯t want to be separated? Studying? Shen Mian has been with you all these years, and I haven¡¯t seen any improvement in his exam results.¡±


    But although Shen Mian was lively and active, he was still well-behaved and obedient. He wasn¡¯t the kind of troublemaker that gave the teacher a headache. Pei Zhiyi, on the other hand, was an excellent student, and his achievements brought a lot of pride to Teacher Ding.


    So, Ding Yi waved his hand and said, ¡°Alright, you two can have the double room on the third floor.¡±


    And so, on Wednesday night of that week, the students in the second year of high school moved into the school dormitory.


    To stay in the dormitory, parents had to sign a consent form. Shen Mian¡¯s parents had nothing to say; they had no attachment to him. Besides, he could still come home on weekends, and his parents would have more time for themselves when their son was gone.


    Shen Mian was quite dissatisfied with his parents¡¯ attitude, but he quickly let go of it when he received extra pocket money from his mother.


    As for Pei Zhiyi, he signed the consent form himself, imitating his father¡¯s signature, which he had become skilled at.


    Pei An, Pei Zhiyi¡¯s father rarely came home, and his mother, Yu Lian, had started a new family abroad. No matter how well Pei Zhiyi performed, his parents never really cared that much. Even the parent-teacher meetings were attended by Shen Mian¡¯s mother on his behalf.


    So, Pei Zhiyi never bothered to mention the matter of living in the dormitory to his father. By the time Pei An found out, Pei Zhiyi had already been living at the school for half a month.


    Pei Zhiyi and Shen Mian had already moved their things on Tuesday after school.


    They attended a private school, and the dormitory conditions were always good. Whether it was a four-person or two-person room, the rooms were quite spacious. Each room had its own bathroom and a balcony, which even had a washing machine. The only difference was that the two-person room had two single beds placed side by side.


    Shen Mian took a look around his own dormitory and then went out for a walk. Although he couldn¡¯t live in the same dormitory as his friends, Xu Jing and Han Chao, they lived next door in Room 303. Shen Mian didn¡¯t know the other two members, but he found out they were from the adjacent Class 3 because both classes had two extra students and were merged into one dormitory.


    Shen Mian looked at the two of them and felt that they looked familiar but couldn¡¯t recall their names.


    Meanwhile, Xu Jing had quickly become acquainted with his new roommates. He pointed to the fair and weak-looking boy and said, ¡°This is Lin Jia, the class monitor of Class 3,¡± then he pointed to the tall and handsome boy next to him and said, ¡°This is Gu Weizhou, a member of the school basketball team, and he¡¯s really good.¡±


    Then he introduced Shen Mian to them, saying, ¡°This is my buddy Shen Mian. He has a good temper and is loyal. You¡¯ll know once you get to know him.¡±


    Lin Jia smiled at Shen Mian and extended a hand, saying, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Shen Mian instinctively shook his hand, his gaze scanning between Lin Jia and Gu Weizhou.


    He finally understood why those two people seemed so familiar!


    On the second day of being bound together by the Love Brain System 007, Shen Mian was informed with regret that initially, 007 intended to bind the two, a pair of male students, with a compatibility rate of 95%.


    But midway through, it detected a higher compatibility between Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi and turned its attention to them.


    ¡°But now I kind of regret it,¡± 007 said sincerely, ¡°I feel like you two are more troublesome, especially you. You talk too much and give me a headache.¡±


    Shen Mian felt wronged and could only keep his mouth shut.


    Meanwhile, Pei Zhiyi put on his earphones and forced 007 to listen to punk rock all night.


    Now Shen Mian finally remembered the two names 007 mentioned that day, Lin Jia and Gu Weizhou.


    Because the names were somewhat special, he remembered them instantly.


    Shen Mian couldn¡¯t help but look at Lin Jia and Gu Weizhou over and over again, thinking to himself that they seemed to match each other from the outside.


    Lin Jia had fair skin, dressed in a clean and gentle shirt, while Gu Weizhou had a slightly darker complexion, with a touch of wildness in his aura. When the two stood together, as Shen Yu put it, they had a couple-like vibe to them.


    Perhaps it was because of his intense gaze, Lin Jia touched his own face and asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something on my face?¡±


    Only then did Shen Mian divert his gaze and shook his head, smiling apologetically at Lin Jia.


    But he couldn¡¯t resist his curious nature and discreetly asked Lin Jia, ¡°Are you and Gu Weizhou also good friends, which is why you were assigned to the same dormitory? It¡¯s like that with my brother, uh, Pei Zhiyi, we specially requested it from the teacher.¡±


    Lin Jia chuckled, finding Shen Mian¡¯s way of speaking interesting.


    He replied, ¡°Gu Weizhou just transferred here recently, so we haven¡¯t known each other for long. But we get along well in class.¡±


    Shen Mian understood that they weren¡¯t very close.


    He glanced at Gu Weizhou discreetly and noticed that he was standing there with a cold and aloof expression, observing their conversation but showing no intention of joining in.


    Shen Mian scratched his head, unsure of what else to say.


    Fortunately, Xu Jing was always there to break the awkward silence.


    Xu Jing put his arm around Shen Mian and Lin Jia, saying, ¡°Brothers, let¡¯s celebrate moving into the dormitory tonight and go have a late-night snack together. Let¡¯s invite Pei Zhiyi as well, and Gu Weizhou, you should come too.¡±


    Gu Weizhou shook his head and replied, ¡°I have something to discuss with someone. You guys go ahead.¡±


    Xu Jing scratched his head and didn¡¯t insist, saying, ¡°Then you stay in the dorm and keep an eye on things. Let me know if there¡¯s a room check.¡±


    Gu Weizhou made a hand gesture to indicate that it was no problem.


    It was almost ten o¡¯clock , and if they wanted to go out for a late-night snack, they couldn¡¯t go through the main entrance, as they would be stopped by the security guards asking for their campus cards.


    Xu Jing and his group were skilled at scaling walls, and although Shen Mian wasn¡¯t very athletic, he had gained some experience.


    He initially thought that Lin Jia, being a typical good student, wouldn¡¯t know how to climb walls. He even wanted to lend him a hand, but to his surprise, Lin Jia effortlessly leaped over the wall and looked back to smile at Shen Mian.


    They went to a barbecue restaurant not far from the school¡¯s back door, which also served crayfish in addition to skewers.


    Shen Mian loved eating crayfish but didn¡¯t know how to peel them. So when the crayfish arrived, Pei Zhiyi naturally peeled a plate for him and even helped him with the seasoning.


    Xu Jing and Han Chao were used to this and ate their grilled lamb calmly, but Lin Jia was amazed by the scene before him, as he had never seen it before. Pei Zhiyi sat in front of him during their sophomore year, maintaining a calm and indifferent demeanor throughout. He didn¡¯t even smile when he won awards. Although he had no problems with his interactions, there was a sense of detachment from the world.


    But now, Pei Zhiyi¡¯s indifference had melted away like spring ice.


    Lin Jia couldn¡¯t help but ask Shen Mian curiously, ¡°Why do you call him (older brother)? Are you two relatives, like cousins?¡±


    Before Shen Mian could answer, Xu Jing and Han Chao burst into laughter.


    Xu Jing helped explain to Lin Jia, ¡°It¡¯s similar to being real brothers. They used to be neighbors and grew up together since childhood. Pei Zhiyi treats Shen Mian as such, even more than a real older brother would. If Shen Mian were a girl, he would definitely be Pei Zhiyi¡¯s doted wife.¡±


    Shen Mian felt unhappy and threw some dried fruits from the table at Xu Jing, saying, ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s the wife.¡±


    Xu Jing and Han Chao laughed heartily and threw the dried fruits back at him.


    ¡°We¡¯re all big and rough, not even qualified to be a wife. You¡¯re the tender one.¡±


    Lin Jia let out an ¡°Oh¡± but still found it a bit strange.


    Even if they were childhood neighbors, it was rare to see such thoughtful and considerate behavior, especially since Pei Zhiyi had a face that had nothing to do with gentleness.


    However, Shen Mian did indeed have that kind of endearing quality of a younger neighbor, so it seemed natural for him to be spoiled a little.


    He didn¡¯t ask any further.

 CH 6

    After finishing the late-night snack, everyone returned to their respective dormitories.


    It was almost lights-out time. The friends quietly opened their dorm room doors and waved goodbye in the dim hallway.


    ¡°Pei Zhiyi, lend me your English and Chemistry notes tomorrow morning,¡± Xu Jing reminded Pei Zhiyi before entering his room.


    As soon as the door closed, Shen Mian couldn¡¯t wait to gossip with Pei Zhiyi.


    ¡°It¡¯s been driving me crazy,¡± Shen Mian sat on the bed, opening a bottle of cola. ¡°Did you know that Lin Jia and Gu Weizhou, our neighbors, are the people System 007 originally wanted to pair up?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi had no idea.


    He had only briefly encountered Gu Weizhou, and the hallway was dimly lit, making it difficult to see his appearance clearly. He only remembered that he was tall with well-built arms. As for Lin Jia, although he appeared delicate, there was nothing that indicated he was gay.


    Shen Mian took a sip of cola. ¡°Isn¡¯t this system ridiculous? One moment it says we¡¯re a couple, the next it claims Gu Weizhou and Lin Jia are a match too, but they don¡¯t even know each other. They¡¯re even less reliable than us.¡±


    System 007 let out a cold snort in Shen Mian¡¯s mind.


    Shen Mian spoke arrogantly, ¡°Am I wrong? Which one of the four of us looks gay?¡±


    007 sneered, ¡°Well it¡¯s not about looks.¡±


    After that, it ignored Shen Mian, pretending to shut down and remaining quiet as if it didn¡¯t exist.


    Shen Mian attempted to engage 007 in conversation again, but 007 ignored him, leaving him to perform a monologue alone, which felt uninspiring.


    He shook his head and criticized, ¡°Running away when you can¡¯t argue.¡±


    That night, before going to sleep, Shen Mian pulled Pei Zhiyi and kissed him once again as part of the mission.


    They say familiarity breeds fondness, and Shen Mian had grown too lazy to resist. After all, there was no escaping it, and dragging it out until Sunday was pointless.


    However, unlike the previous time they first kissed, this time it was in the brightly lit dormitory. They could clearly see each other¡¯s subtle expressions, which made Shen Mian feel a little embarrassed.


    Pei Zhiyi was wearing black cotton pajamas, his hair recently washed, giving off a pleasant fragrance of shampoo, just like Shen Mian.


    Shen Mian pleaded, ¡°Could you close your eyes? I¡¯m nervous.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi obediently closed his eyes. His long and thick eyelashes hung down like a sleeping prince waiting to be awakened by a kiss.


    But Shen Mian had no knightly aura. He took a deep breath, hugged Pei Zhiyi¡¯s neck, and kissed him.


    The kiss lacked finesse, like a newborn puppy licking someone randomly. Shen Mian¡¯s teeth even bumped into Pei Zhiyi¡¯s lips.


    However, Pei Zhiyi¡¯s eyebrows didn¡¯t twitch at all. He allowed Shen Mian to do as he pleased.


    The kiss was to last for at least thirty seconds, and Shen Mian hypnotized himself, pretending he was only kissing an artificial object. But the fresh taste of toothpaste in Pei Zhiyi¡¯s mouth and the warm breath made it difficult for him to convince himself.


    After thirty seconds, the system announced that they had obtained 2 points, and Shen Mian released Pei Zhiyi¡¯s lips.


    He felt as if he had been burned and hurriedly ran back to his own bed and burrowed into the blanket, only half of his flushed face visible.


    Pei Zhiyi subconsciously licked his lips. Shen Mian had drunk water before kissing him, and his lips were moist.


    But the soft emotions in Pei Zhiyi¡¯s heart didn¡¯t last for more than a few seconds before he heard Shen Mian earnestly ask him, ¡°After we complete this six-month mission, will we become experts in love? At the very least, our kissing skills will have improved, right?¡±


    The smile in Pei Zhiyi¡¯s eyes froze.


    He calmly looked at Shen Mian and said, ¡°After the mission is over, do you want to date?¡±


    Shen Mian thought for a moment, ¡°I guess so. It¡¯s nice to have a girlfriend. Look at Xue Chen in our class. He¡¯s always happy after getting a girlfriend, constantly showing affection whenever he gets the chance.¡±


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t really understand love, although many people liked him, he had never felt attracted to anyone. But seeing other couples being sweet together made him naturally believe that he would experience it too.


    Although Pei Zhiyi was doing the mission with him, their essence was different from being in a romantic relationship.


    He wanted to ask Pei Zhiyi what type of girl he liked, but before he could, the lights in the room suddenly dimmed.


    Pei Zhiyi turned off the lights.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep.¡±


    Shen Mian muttered, ¡°Oh,¡± swallowing the words on the tip of his tongue.


    He played with his phone on the bed, glanced at Pei Zhiyi, and suddenly smiled, ¡°Brother, it feels like we¡¯re back to our childhood now.¡±


    He used to sleep with Pei Zhiyi a lot when they were children, in his blue bedroom with a window that had a grid pattern. Through the grid, they could see the towering trees in the yard.


    Pei Zhiyi also reminisced.


    Being at Shen Mian¡¯s house was always more fun than being at his own. He loved the swing in Shen Mian¡¯s yard, enjoyed the soup made by Shen Mian¡¯s father, and liked watching TV dramas with the whole family after dinner.


    But most of all, he loved Shen Mian.


    So, he eagerly looked forward to going to Shen Mian¡¯s house every day back then.


    His expression softened, and he said to Shen Mian, ¡°let¡¯s sleep.¡±


    After playing with his phone for a while, Shen Mian felt tired.


    But just before he fell asleep, System 007 suddenly appeared.


    ¡°Random mission: Please host Shen Mian prepare a heartfelt lunchbox for Pei Zhiyi. This mission is worth 3 points. Do you choose to accept it?¡±


    Shen Mian jolted awake and said, ¡°I accept!¡±


    However, Pei Zhiyi furrowed his brow, ¡°Can you cook?¡±


    Shen Mian was the person who had once caused an explosion while boiling eggs, so making a heartfelt lunch box was not any easier for him than taking an exam.


    But Shen Mian wasn¡¯t worried, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a way.¡±


    After saying that, he yawned and mumbled, ¡°But it¡¯s always a basic task. When will we get a special mission with more points?¡±


    007 pretended to turn off and didn¡¯t answer.


    Shen Mian hugged his pillow and fell asleep in no time.


    However, Pei Zhiyi was still awake.


    Shen Mian¡¯s words lingered like a thorn in his heart, constantly reminding him that he was excluded from Shen Mian¡¯s romantic preferences.


    Even if they hugged, kissed, and did more intimate things, it didn¡¯t mean they had a future together.


    He was just Shen Mian¡¯s good brother, with the bond of childhood friends and an understanding beyond words.


    But Shen Mian couldn¡¯t give him more.


    That fact made Pei Zhiyi somewhat restless.


    He turned off his phone, and the room returned to darkness.


    He turned his head, and Shen Mian¡¯s figure could only be seen as a silhouette.


    In fact, he had long forgotten when he started liking Shen Mian, but he knew it must have been earlier than when he realized his own feelings.


    During supper that day, everyone said he was good to Shen Mian, patient and gentle.


    Xu Jing even pretended to cry a bit, asking why he didn¡¯t have an older brother like Shen Mian.


    But only he knew that his apparent gentleness and self-restraint were all fake.


    The person who had always been genuinely gentle and soft was Shen Mian.


    He wasn¡¯t always as calm and composed as he is now.


    There was a period of time when he had a very bad temper.


    After his parents¡¯ divorce, he often lived in that house alone with the nanny. He became withdrawn and irritable, frequently throwing things around. Even the nanny who took care of him couldn¡¯t handle him.


    So every time Shen Mian came to see him, eight out of ten times he would make him so angry that he would burst into tears. Once, he even pushed him to the ground, scraping his palm in the process.


    Many times, he felt that Shen Mian would abandon him too.


    He watched Shen Mian¡¯s figure as he walked away from behind the window, thinking that Shen Mian would never come to see him again. No one would like him. If even his own parents could easily leave him, how long could Shen Mian endure?


    But the next day, Shen Mian still came. He climbed onto his window sill, tapping his window with a gentle voice, saying, ¡°Pei Zhiyi, come out and play.¡±


    He still remembers the orange-flavored candy that Shen Mian placed on the window sill.


    Behind the half-open window, Shen Mian¡¯s eyes were bright and warm, but also a bit timid, as if he was afraid he would suddenly get angry again.


    But even though he was afraid, Shen Mian still made an effort to overcome his fear and reached out his hand to him.


    No matter how badly he treated Shen Mian, no matter how moody he was, Shen Mian never abandoned him. Like an innocent and warm little dog, once he recognized his owner, he would never run away. He would give his whole body and soul to him, revealing his soft and warm belly, showing kindness without any defenses.


    So how could he not like Shen Mian?


    It was impossible not to.


    Pei Zhiyi put a hand on his forehead and chuckled lightly in the darkness.


    Later on, he quickly learned to control his bad temper, learned to pretend to be a gentle person, and learned to become an exemplary student in the eyes of teachers and elders.


    But it wasn¡¯t because he truly wanted to be kind to others.


    It was because he thought that if he became better than everyone else, Shen Mian¡¯s gaze would linger on him for an extra second.

 CH 7

    Shen Mian had long figured out how to prepare the lunchbox full of love.


    Although he wasn¡¯t particularly good with studies, he had a lot of experience in exploiting loopholes in rules.


    Early the next day, he took a detour to the convenience store and bought a lunchbox, specifically choosing a pink one with small floral patterns that had a lively spring feel. After washing it clean, he grabbed Pei Zhiyi and rushed to the cafeteria like a wild horse.


    They arrived early, and there weren¡¯t many people in the cafeteria yet. Shen Mian went straight to the No. 6 counter, where the most delicious food was served. He leaned his slightly flushed and adorable face against the counter and said to the auntie, ¡°Auntie, I want a portion of spare ribs, stir-fried shrimp, and a vegetarian dish with three ingredients, along with two servings of rice.¡±


    The auntie was enchanted by Shen Mian¡¯s cuteness and intentionally scooped an extra spoonful of braised spare ribs.


    Shen Mian thanked her and then pulled Pei Zhiyi to find a quiet spot by the window. He immediately got busy, first dividing all the dishes in half and neatly arranging them in the lunchbox. Then he added the white rice and finally took out a small tube of tomato sauce from his pocket, squeezing it onto the rice to create a crooked and twisted heart shape.


    The entire process was smooth and seamless, done in one go.


    Shen Mian was quite satisfied with his creation and pushed it in front of Pei Zhiyi, proudly saying, ¡°Try it, it¡¯s all your favorite dishes.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi stared at the ugly heart shape on the rice and felt that it was the most carelessly prepared love-filled lunchbox he had ever seen.


    Apparently, system 007 felt the same way.


    Pei Zhiyi could even sense the frustration in its electronic voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s basically cheating! Have you watched too many idol dramas? Which love-filled lunch box looks like this?¡± Pei Zhiyi said.


    Shen Mian stuffed a piece of spare ribs into his mouth and argued with 007 in his mind, ¡°This is how my homemade love-filled lunch box looks. Besides, I personally drew that heart shape. What right do you have to say it¡¯s not a love-filled lunchbox?¡±


    He also wanted Pei Zhiyi to stand on the same side as him. ¡°Bro, tell me honestly, do you think my lunchbox is good?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi picked up a shrimp with his chopsticks. He couldn¡¯t taste whether it was made with love or not, but he could taste that the cafeteria had put too much salt on it.


    However, he couldn¡¯t stand to see Shen Mian¡¯s pouty face and decided to change sides without hesitation. ¡°I think it¡¯s good.¡±


    Shen Mian became even more proud. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m not bragging, but in my life, only my brother Pei can eat something made by me.¡±


    system 007 was shocked by the shamelessness of those two and deeply reflected on its own perception of the host.


    It couldn¡¯t help but recall the dating points it had reluctantly gave out for free because of Shen Mian.


    Shen Mian always insisted that sitting with Pei Zhiyi in the library was a date, attending classes together was a date, and going home together was an even more special date. So, there was no need to go out specifically, and the weekly dating points should be transferred to their accounts accordingly.


    007 was so confused and irritated by his arguments that its coding was becoming chaotic. However, there was no reason to refute, so reluctantly, a score of 2 was given to that date.


    Now, Shen Mian seemed to have developed a habit of taking advantage, even taking advantage during random tasks.


    At that moment, 007 finally experienced the wickedness of humans. No wonder the predecessors always warned it to be cautious of Earthlings before going on missions.


    Regrettably, it was too late for regrets.


    Seeing that 007 remained silent, Shen Mian provoked it again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stingy. You¡¯re a legitimate and fair system. You can¡¯t withhold the host¡¯s salary. It¡¯s just 3 points. Just give it to us.¡±


    007 felt hopeless but had no choice.


    Reluctantly, it announced that the mission was approved and gave 3 points, then sank into the depths of its consciousness, shutting itself away.


    Shen Mian was delighted, feeling that even the ribs in the bowl tasted better. After eating for a while, he started acting spoiled with Pei Zhiyi, saying, ¡°Brother, I want to eat your salt and pepper spare ribs. The ones made at school are not as delicious as yours.¡±


    He always made a mess of the kitchen whenever he cooked, but Pei Zhiyi was a master of household chores and made food that was even better than many restaurants. During the summer vacation when Shen Mian stayed at Pei Zhiyi¡¯s house, he gained five pounds in just ten days.


    Pei Zhiyi agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll make it for you this weekend.¡±


    Satisfied, Shen Mian returned to the classroom. Before class started, he calculated the points he had accumulated with Pei Zhiyi. It had only been a little over a week, but he already had more than ten points. Those points were considered good, but he felt like a stingy treasure hunter, holding onto his meager coins and thinking they were pitifully few. So, he decided to bother 007 again.


    He vigorously signaled the system in his mind and eagerly asked, ¡°It¡¯s been so many days. Why don¡¯t you give me a special mission? Is there any condition we must fulfill before receiving a special mission?¡±


    007 ignored him at first. The task allocation was not determined by it; it only retrieved them from the database based on the needs. But it checked the task panel and found that there was indeed a special mission that week.


    007 looked at the prominently highlighted line and the score that followed, and its previously withdrawn mood was comforted to some extent.


    With a sinister tone, it replied, ¡°Replying to the host Shen Mian, there will be a special mission this weekend. Please claim it promptly.¡±


    However, Shen Mian felt that the system¡¯s service spirit was quite good and responsive.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for it.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until the weekend that Shen Mian realized the wicked intentions of that system. It was simply vindictive.


    They only had one and a half days off in their sophomore year, so when the system announced the task, Shen Mian was still at school. He and Pei Zhiyi were waiting in line at a bubble tea shop near the back gate of the school. The shop was crowded with many girls, and a girl wearing a white skirt and boots stood out and frequently looked in their direction.


    Shen Mian was self-aware. Although he was good-looking too, Pei Zhiyi had always been the one that girls liked more since childhood. So he tiptoed and leaned towards Pei Zhiyi¡¯s ear, saying, ¡°Wanna bet? That girl is definitely looking at you.¡±


    While saying that, he nudged Pei Zhiyi with his elbow, smiling and appearing genuinely happy for him.


    Pei Zhiyi glanced at him, pressed him down without much joy, and said, ¡°It¡¯s your turn, go get the bubble tea.¡±


    Shen Mian picked up the bubble tea and walked out with Pei Zhiyi. The girl in the skirt looked in their direction again.


    For some reason, a sudden intuition arose in Pei Zhiyi¡¯s mind. The girl wasn¡¯t looking at him but at Shen Mian.


    He discreetly blocked Shen Mian.


    After they had dinner, they returned to their dormitory. It was already Friday, and they didn¡¯t have evening self-study. They would only have half a day of classes the next day before the break.


    After Shen Mian finished taking a shower, he lay on the bed to do his homework. Pei Zhiyi forced him to correct the mistakes from that week¡¯s assignments. Shen Mian grumbled and reluctantly complied, pouting while reading out the questions.


    Pei Zhiyi had already finished most of the weekend¡¯s homework, so he wasn¡¯t studying at the moment. Instead, he was browsing shopping websites on his phone. He remembered that Shen Mian had a particular figurine he liked, which was about to be released, so he planned to buy it as a surprise for Shen Mian.


    It was at that moment that the voice of System 007 echoed in their minds. ¡°Special mission, please note that the host must decide within one minute whether to accept or decline.¡±


    Shen Mian became alert, immediately blurting out. ¡°Accept, accept, accept!¡±


    Pei Zhiyi also stopped looking at his phone and focused on listening to the task.


    A trace of pleasure couldn¡¯t be restrained in 007¡¯s flat voice. ¡°Mission: Host Pei Zhiyi must choose a set of dresses for host Shen Mian, personally dress him in it, and kiss Shen Mian¡¯s ankle. This mission is worth 40 points, so please choose carefully.¡±


    Shen Mian¡¯s smile froze on his face.


    Trembling, he turned to look at Pei Zhiyi and asked blankly, ¡°Brother¡­ what did it just say?¡±


    Dress?


    Pei Zhiyi was also caught off guard, a rare astonishment showing on his usually calm face.


    But the system didn¡¯t give them any time to think. Beep beep beep, a prompt sounded. ¡°Thirty seconds remaining. Host, please select whether to accept or not.¡±


    Shen Mian was on the verge of collapse. ¡°What kind of stupid mission is this? What manly man would like to wear women¡¯s clothing?!¡±


    He felt like jumping off a building.


    However, 007 remained unmoved and continued to prompt, ¡°Fifteen seconds remaining.¡±


    To make matters worse, it projected and magnified the 40 points in Shen Mian¡¯s mind, blatantly taunting him.


    Shen Mian was on the verge of tears as he looked to Pei Zhiyi for help. ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Five seconds remaining.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi pinched the bridge of his nose and made a decision in the final three seconds. ¡°Accept.¡±


    007 fulfilled its wish and announced, ¡°Confirmation of host accepting the mission. Now revealing the task conditions: Shen Mian must wear a dress that does not exceed 45cm. The task must be completed within three days.¡±


    After saying that, it disappeared and didn¡¯t appear again for the whole night.


    Leaving Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi staring at each other.

 CH 8

    The room was unusually quiet. Shen Mian was probably too shocked to make a sound. Sitting on the bed, holding the blanket, he looked like a violated little cabbage, looking at Pei Zhiyi with grievance and astonishment.


    Pei Zhiyi also felt somewhat guilty. After all, he was the one who accepted that task.


    But he could swear to the heavens that he didn¡¯t have any malicious intent in seeing Shen Mian cross-dressing. It was purely because the system awarded high points for it, and after weighing the options, he couldn¡¯t let it go.


    But now, seeing Shen Mian¡¯s trembling lips and the way he looked at him as if he were a pervert, it felt like he was being morally condemned.


    Pei Zhiyi awkwardly cleared his throat and tried to console Shen Mian, ¡°It¡¯s just once, and only I will see it. No one else will know.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Mian threw a pillow at him. It was soft and didn¡¯t hurt.


    Shen Mian shouted at him in frustration, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you wear it?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi paused for a second and truthfully replied, ¡°The system didn¡¯t ask me to.¡±


    Shen Mian threw another pillow at him, let out a wail, and buried himself under the covers.


    Pei Zhiyi had simply not reacted earlier, but now the shame surged within him like a tidal wave. Compared to that shameless task, even the shadow of death didn¡¯t seem as terrifying.


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t recover from that blow even until the next morning.


    During the morning self-study session, the test papers for the beginning-of-term exams were distributed. Shen Mian had made progress this time, ranking 38th. If it were before, he would have boasted and bragged to Xu Jing and the others. But that day, he glanced at it uninterested and casually threw it in the corner of his desk.


    Even the teacher Ding Yi praised him for being more serious recently and asked him to keep it up, but he couldn¡¯t muster any enthusiasm. He just frowned, looking unhappy.


    The teacher was surprised and asked Pei Zhiyi, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this guy? He¡¯s not happy even though his grades have improved¡±


    Pei Zhiyi smirked and lied to teacher Ding without blinking, ¡°His stomach was hurting yesterday, so he couldn¡¯t sleep well.¡±


    Shen Mian looked at Pei Zhiyi expressionlessly.


    Teacher  Ding said, nodding slightly, ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s why. I told you not to eat at the street vendors near the school back gate. The hygiene conditions are suspicious¡­¡±


    Teacher Ding seized the opportunity and used it to lecture the students again about the hygiene issues with the snacks sold near the school back gate.


    Shen Mian looked at him, with the words going in one ear and out the other, completely ignoring it. He casually started eating his packed lunch, which was rice balls sold near the school back gate. They were kept warm in a thermal lunch box and still retained their warmth.


    Pei Zhiyi had bought the rice balls early in the morning, knowing that Shen Mian was still upset with him. He deliberately teased Shen Mian, saying, ¡°Is it delicious?¡±


    Shen Mian ignored him, took another big bite, turned away, and didn¡¯t look at him.


    Pei Zhiyi wasn¡¯t annoyed either. He reached under the desk to grab Shen Mian¡¯s hand. Shen Mian tried to pull away but couldn¡¯t escape, so he had to turn around and look at Pei Zhiyi discontentedly.


    Pei Zhiyi smiled lightly and wiped off the mayonnaise from the corner of Shen Mian¡¯s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s smeared here. Why do you eat like a child and get it all over your face?¡±


    That scene happened to be seen by Mu Lingling, who turned around to chat with Shen Mian. She exclaimed in her mind and even had the urge to take out her phone and capture the moment. However, when she saw the look in Pei Zhiyi¡¯s eyes, she didn¡¯t dare to.


    Shen Mian finished eating the rice ball in a few bites, thinking that Mu Lingling wanted to talk to him. However, Mu Lingling placed a magazine in front of Shen Mian and asked, ¡°Could you help me take a look? Which of these dresses looks better?¡±


    Shen Mian almost choked on the last bite of the rice ball.


    He widened his eyes to look at the pictures in the magazine, which were all cute outfits for girls, with lovely colors and styles, all of them short and revealed beautiful legs and rounded knees.


    In the past, Shen Mian wouldn¡¯t mind accompanying Mu Lingling shopping for outfits, as they had a good relationship. It was because he wasn¡¯t like other teenage boys who were annoying, always making jokes about girls.


    But that day, as he looked at those pretty and vibrant dresses, and then at Mu Lingling¡¯s naturally calm face, he couldn¡¯t help but feel aggrieved and asked, ¡°Why are you asking me about this?¡±


    He felt like the whole world was targeting him that day!


    Mu Lingling was puzzled and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m just asking which color you think looks good. This is me valuing your taste, okay?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi couldn¡¯t help but let out a short laugh beside them.


    Shen Mian glanced at Pei Zhiyi resentfully, then looked at Mu Lingling seriously. ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t . just found out I¡¯m color-blind.¡±


    Mu Lingling: ¡°¡­¡±


    She silently took the magazine back and ignored Shen Mian, deciding to continue discussing it with her girlfriends.


    Shen Mian finished the remaining four classes unmotivated and finally reconciled with Pei Zhiyi after school.


    His mother asked him to bring Pei Zhiyi home for dinner on the weekend, so Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t arrange for the driver to pick them up that day. They took the subway back home. In the crowded subway, Pei Zhiyi naturally enveloped Shen Mian in his arms, creating a small and peaceful space for him.


    Shen Mian leaned against the railing. The subway was crowded, and the smell was not unpleasant but not pleasant either. However, there was a faint scent of sea salt coming from Pei Zhiyi, which made him feel refreshed and comfortable. He couldn¡¯t help but lean towards Pei Zhiyi again.


    He was no longer sulking.


    After all, that was a 40-point super-expensive mission, worth more than two months of basic missions.


    Besides, only Pei Zhiyi could see him in the dress anyway. How many times had he embarrassed himself in front of Pei Zhiyi from childhood to now?


    When he was three years old, he fell into a mud pit, and it was Pei Zhiyi who pulled him out.


    But he couldn¡¯t help but tug at the button on Pei Zhiyi¡¯s chest and ask, ¡°Do you remember? The highest score for special missions is 100 points, but the dress-wearing mission only gives 40 points. What kind of bizarre mission is worth 100 points?¡±


    Shen Mian couldn¡¯t think of it. He looked at Pei Zhiyi with clear eyes. The last time he held hands with a girl dated back to kindergarten, so in his understanding, holding hands, hugging, and kissing were already intimate things. He hadn¡¯t thought beyond that level.


    Pei Zhiyi coughed. He hadn¡¯t thought about that question before, but now that Shen Mian brought it up, certain images involuntarily flashed through his mind.


    And Shen Mian was still looking at him in a dazed manner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Let¡¯s see how 007 announces it,¡± he calmly said.


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t ask any further.


    Two minutes later, the subway arrived at their stop. Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi walked out of the underground passage together. It was drizzling outside, and Pei Zhiyi had brought an umbrella. The two squeezed under one umbrella and entered the house.


    Lunch was already prepared at home. Shen Mian¡¯s father made tomato beef stew, and as soon as Shen Mian entered, he smelled the aroma. While changing his shoes, he shouted to his father, ¡°Dad, did you make salt and pepper shrimp for me?¡±


    He had specifically requested it the previous day.


    His father came out of the kitchen holding a pot. ¡°Would I dare not make it? If I forget, you¡¯ll definitely turn the house upside down.¡±


    Shen Mian was satisfied.


    Pei Zhiyi also smiled at Shen Mian¡¯s parents. ¡°Uncle, Auntie, I¡¯m here again.¡±


    His smile was much more sincere than usual at school.


    Shen Changhe and Su Ying had taken care of Shen Mian since he was young and didn¡¯t treat him as an outsider. They greeted him and asked if he and Shen Mian were still used to staying in the dormitory at school.


    Pei Zhiyi answered all of their questions and even helped Shen Changhe cut vegetables. He was familiar with everything, as if he were in his own home.


    Su Ying packed some cold dishes he had bought from a certain restaurant outside  and casually fed Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi, asking Pei Zhiyi, ¡°Is it delicious? If you like it, we¡¯ll go to this place next time.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi nodded, ¡°yes it tastes good.¡±


    Shen Mian asked his mother, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask me? Isn¡¯t my opinion important?¡±


    Su Ying scolded him, ¡°You have too many things you love to eat. Even without this, there would be something else. I don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±


    During their conversation, Shen Yu also heard the commotion and rushed down from upstairs. As soon as she saw Pei Zhiyi in the living room, she screamed and hugged him, loudly declaring, ¡°Pei Zhiyi, I missed you so much!¡±


    Pei Zhiyi was used to Shen Yu¡¯s enthusiasm but still had a knife in his hand and couldn¡¯t respond, so he could only nod.


    Shen Mian was extremely speechless. He poked Shen Yu and said, ¡°Miss, may I ask if you saw someone standing next to your little Pei Zhiyi? Does this person look a bit like your brother whom you haven¡¯t seen for a week?¡±


    Shen Yu couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to him because Shen Mian had sent her a message a couple of days ago, lying to her that Pei Zhiyi wouldn¡¯t come.


    She circled around Pei Zhiyi like an infatuated girl, her eyes sparkling, and asked, ¡°Pei Zhiyi, we will have a cultural festival at our school. Will you come?¡±


    Shen Mian, in his unsuccessful attempt to get his sister¡¯s attention, could only grumble, ¡°Just give yourself to Pei Zhiyi as a sister already.¡±


    Shen Yu wasn¡¯t afraid at all and said without lifting her head, ¡°That would be great!¡±


    She completely ignored her own brother.


    After finishing lunch, Su Ying and Shen Changhe still had work to do, so they left first, reminding Shen Mian and Shen Yu not to just play around and to set aside some time for studying.


    Shen Mian and Shen Yu half-heartedly agreed, and then they both lazily sprawled on the sofa, assuming the same posture. They truly lived up to being siblings.


    Meanwhile, Pei Zhiyi was in the kitchen making fruit juice for the two of them.


    In the natural light of the kitchen, he rolled up his sleeves to his wrists, revealing strong and powerful arm muscles, neatly styled black short hair, and a handsome and indifferent face. Even though he had a fruit knife in his hand, he looked like a male model from a magazine cover.


    Shen Yu couldn¡¯t resist and took a photo with her phone, immediately sharing it with her friends, and as expected, it received a chorus of screams.


    As a teenager in the third year of junior high school, she could clearly tell between her brother and Pei Zhiyi, who would make a better perfect boyfriend. Although her brother was also handsome, when it came to boyfriend material, Pei Zhiyi outshined him by a mile.


    She couldn¡¯t help but worry. Even though she argued with Shen Mian every day, she didn¡¯t want to see her brother end up lonely and unmarried.


    She sighed deeply and said to her brother, ¡°What are you going to do in the future? Will you be able to find a sister-in-law for me?¡±


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t understand and thought that Shen Yu was making fun of him, so he said with dissatisfaction, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, Am I not handsome enough?¡±


    Shen Yu looked at him sympathetically, ¡°But you can only fool people with your face, you don¡¯t know how to do housework or even cook, and you don¡¯t have the attentiveness and thoughtfulness that Pei Zhiyi has. Even if a girl likes you, if you bring her out to meet Pei Zhiyi, she might change her mind.¡±


    Shen Mian looked at Pei Zhiyi, then at himself, and couldn¡¯t come up with a rebuttal for a moment.


    Just then, Pei Zhiyi finished making the juice and brought it to them.


    Shen Mian took the opportunity to hug Pei Zhiyi¡¯s waist and said to Shen Yu, ¡°It¡¯s simple. I¡¯ll let Pei Zhiyi be your brother-in-law, killing two birds with one stone. Mom and Dad won¡¯t have to worry about my studies anymore.¡±


    Shen Yu coldly laughed, ¡°I think you¡¯re daydreaming.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi almost didn¡¯t steady the tray in his hands.


    But he quickly regained his composure and asked Shen Yu, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Shen Yu took the juice and repeated the words from earlier.


    Shen Mian rested his chin on Pei Zhiyi¡¯s shoulder and pressed, ¡°Tell me, will you be Shen Yu¡¯s brother-in-law or not?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi lowered his gaze, took a sip of the juice from Shen Mian¡¯s cup, a mixture of pear and orange, sweet with a hint of sourness.


    Then he answered in a low voice, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shen Mian triumphed and looked smugly at Shen Yu.


    Shen Yu was furious and pounced on her brother, starting a pillow fight on the sofa. They playfully fought, without using much strength, like kittens playfully scratching each other. It seemed like their mental age was not even three years old.


    Meanwhile, Pei Zhiyi quietly watched them from the side, a smile lingering on his lips.

 CH 10

    ¡°Did I scare you?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t immediately get up and remained in a half-kneeling position, raising his head to ask Shen Mian.


    Shen Mian shook his head in panic.


    He didn¡¯t know what he was doing, but he swiftly grabbed a tissue from the side and wiped Pei Zhiyi¡¯s mouth, anxiously saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go brush your teeth¡­¡±


    However, Pei Zhiyi gently turned his head, evading Shen Mian¡¯s hand.


    ¡°stop,¡± Pei Zhiyi said.


    Shen Mian¡¯s hand hesitantly lowered again. For some reason, he didn¡¯t dare to look into Pei Zhiyi¡¯s eyes. It was as if he knew that behind them hid Pandora¡¯s box, and if he maintained eye contact for too long, he would be pulled into an unknown whirlpool.


    The sound of a bell coming from the kitchen downstairs finally rescued Shen Mian.


    Before Shen Changhe left, he had placed a pumpkin pie in the oven, set the timer, and prepared it as a snack for Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi.


    Feeling relieved to be saved by the ¡®bell¡¯, Shen Mian swiftly jumped off the bed, ¡°I¡¯ll get some food, I¡¯m starving.¡±


    Even though he had just had breakfast.


    He dashed out of the room, and Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t stop him.


    When Shen Mian¡¯s footsteps faded in the distance, Pei Zhiyi collapsed onto the bed. His fingers ran through his hair, messing up the hairstyle Shen Mian had helped him trim last time.


    He knew that in that moment, he had definitely revealed a greedy expression, the kind that could only be satisfied by swallowing Shen Mian whole. That was why Shen Mian, someone who was straightforward and simple-minded, became flustered.


    He had to thank the sudden sound of 007¡¯s voice that interrupted his thoughts.


    Otherwise, he didn¡¯t know if he would have kissed even more places, from the ankles up, lifting that thin pleated dress to explore deeper and more hidden areas¡­


    Pei Zhiyi urgently slammed on the brakes and didn¡¯t delve further into those thoughts.


    He felt that under his long-standing crush, he had become somewhat abnormal.


    Shen Mian only realized he was still wearing a dress when he reached downstairs.


    Fortunately, there was no one at home, or else he wouldn¡¯t be able to explain himself.


    But he was a bit curious about how he looked. Although wearing a dress was a bit embarrassing, it was also a unique experience he had never had in his life.


    Although he was shy about saying it out loud now, maybe when he was old and gray, he might tell it like a joke to his grandchildren.


    After thinking for a moment, he turned on his tiptoes and headed to the bathroom.


    He looked at himself in the mirror and felt that he didn¡¯t look as strange as he had imagined. Although he didn¡¯t resemble an innocent beauty, he wasn¡¯t a monster either.


    Shen Mian touched his chin and recalled the look in Pei Zhiyi¡¯s eyes when he kissed his ankle. He couldn¡¯t quite describe that look, but instinctively, it made him a little flustered.


    In front of him, Pei Zhiyi had always been gentle and calm, the kind of person who would stand in front of him even if the sky were to fall.


    But he didn¡¯t delve further into those thoughts either. He washed his face in the bathroom and went to get the pumpkin pie. During the waiting process for the pie to cool down a bit, his momentary confusion had dissipated like smoke.


    Shen Changhe was skilled at baking, and the pumpkin pie was sweet and soft without being overly sweet. Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi shared the entire plate.


    Shen Mian had already changed out of the dress and put on jeans again.


    While working on his homework, Shen Mian said to Pei Zhiyi, ¡°You know, my dad should use his cooking skills to open a restaurant instead of being a professor. It would be more popular.¡±


    He laughed as he teased his dad, revealing a flaw. ¡°My dad was secretly criticized on the anonymous forum by students last year because the exam was too difficult. One-third of the class failed.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi had finished his own homework and was attentively checking Shen Mian¡¯s. He absentmindedly responded with a couple of words.


    He had already noticed that there seemed to be a device in Shen Mian¡¯s mind that would fixate on the idea that ¡°he and Pei Zhiyi were merely best friends,¡± no matter what obvious actions he took. It firmly suppressed any trace of ambiguity.


    Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t know whether he should be happy or not.


    He took another sip of coffee, without adding sugar. It was bitter.


    Even though Shen Mian clearly only liked milk coffee, he still took a sip to join in, making a face that almost resembled a bun.


    That amused Pei Zhiyi.


    Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi stayed at home until 7 o¡¯clock, had dinner, and then went to school for evening self-study.


    When they arrived at the school, they coincidentally met Lin Jia at the entrance. Lin Jia was quite friendly towards them and came over to chat with Shen Mian.


    But Shen Mian had a subtle expression in his eyes as he looked at Lin Jia. In his heart, he thought, ¡°Bro, do you know that if it weren¡¯t for me, you would be the one wearing a dress!¡±


    Lin Jia was unaware and was still discussing the upcoming autumn sports festival with Shen Mian. He asked, ¡°Are you good at sports? I heard Xu Jing say ¡°You¡¯re decent at playing ball.¡±


    Shen Mian wanted to brag a little about himself.


    But considering that their Class 2 and Class 3 often had combined physical education classes, he would be exposed if he boasted. So Shen Mian honestly shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that good at playing ball. I still need my brother to direct me on the field. I¡¯m not good at long-distance or short-distance running either,¡± Shen Mian said. ¡°But Pei Zhiyi is excellent. He came in first place in the 3,000 meters last year.¡±


    Lin Jia remembered.


    He glanced at Pei Zhiyi and marveled at how different people could be. It was one thing to top in academics, but why was he also good at sports? leaving no room for others to be excellent too.


    He comforted Shen Mian, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m only good at short-distance running. Long-distance running is a death sentence for me.¡±


    As they spoke, they arrived at the teaching building for the second year.


    Lin Jia went to Class 3 and waved to Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s play basketball together next time.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Shen Mian replied.


    Perhaps knowing that their special mission was a bit excessive, the subsequent tasks assigned by Agent 007 were harmless, either asking them to hold hands while taking a stroll or to feed each other chocolate.


    Since wearing the dress, Shen Mian felt like his soul had undergone a qualitative leap. The following missions were child¡¯s play to him. After all, he and Pei Zhiyi were practically inseparable. So he completed them without any pressure, effortlessly earning a few more points.


    Shen Mian even secretly suspected that the system had been changed.


    But as soon as he had that thought in his mind, System 007¡¯s voice echoed coldly in his mind, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s still me, I just don¡¯t feel like communicating with you.¡±


    Shen Mian wasn¡¯t embarrassed and responded sacarstically, ¡°I knew it. Besides you, what other system would be so kind and considerate?¡±


    If system 007 could roll its eyes, it would probably roll them to the back of its head.


    Time flew by, and it was already the National Day holiday.


    The previous year, when they were in their first year of high school, they had a full seven days off. It was said that some students had even protested to the Education Bureau, complaining that the school had too many makeup classes. As a result, the holiday was extended, benefiting the students.


    But this year, there seemed to be no brave souls stepping up, so Mr. Ding happily announced, ¡°For the National Day holiday, the school is still generous and has decided to give you three days off. But if you ask me, isn¡¯t two days off enough? You¡¯re already in the second year of high school, and you¡¯re still thinking about playing day by day instead of focusing on studies..¡±


    Before he finished speaking, his voice was drowned out by the loud voices below.


    ¡°This is inhumane! We were promised a seven-day holiday!¡±


    ¡°What kind of National Day is only three days!¡±


    ¡°Teacher, if the vacation is this short, please don¡¯t assign any homework.¡±


    ¡­


    For a moment, the classroom was in chaos.


    Shen Mian also joined in, banging on the table and rattling his pencil case, determined to create an atmosphere of rebellion.


    Mr. Ding was speechless with that group of unruly students. He snorted, ¡°A seven-day holiday? If that happens, you¡¯ll all turn lazy. You¡¯re not in elementary school anymore. You won¡¯t get any less homework, forget it.¡±


    The wailing voices from below grew louder, as if some tragic event had occurred.


    Fortunately, although Mr. Ding didn¡¯t spare them, the other teachers were more lenient. On average, that National Day didn¡¯t seem so gloomy. Especially Liu Na, the English teacher, who was the youngest and had a good relationship with them. She knew that that group of delinquents wouldn¡¯t do their homework properly, so she only assigned half a test paper.


    ¡°But you better do this half test paper properly,¡± she said, clicking her high heels as she walked away.


    The students in the class stuck their heads out and shouted, ¡°Teacher is so nice! Can¡¯t be compared to Mr. Ding!¡±


    Liu Na almost stumbled; those kids really knew how to flatter.


    There was still over half an hour until school ended, and no teacher came to class, so they had self-study.


    But no one had the intention to study. Three days of holiday, whether it was long or short, Shen Mian hadn¡¯t figured out what he wanted to do yet.


    He asked Xu Jing and Han Chao next to him, ¡°How are you guys planning to spend the National Day?¡±


    Xu Jing didn¡¯t even lift his head. ¡°Playing games at the internet cafe.¡±


    Shen Mian found it dull.


    But then Mu Lingling, who was sitting in front of him, turned around and asked Shen Mian, ¡°Do you want to go watch a movie? Xu Qian and I are planning to go out for dinner and watch a movie. Do you and Pei Zhiyi want to join us?¡±


    She was directing the question at Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi. Xu Qian, Mu Lingling¡¯s friend, had a bit of a crush on Pei Zhiyi, but it hadn¡¯t reached the point of confessing her feelings yet.


    But it was Xu Jing who responded eagerly from the side, ¡°Of course! What movie are we watching?¡±


    He liked Mu Lingling.


    Although Pei Zhiyi seemed indifferent, he was aware of the complicated emotions between those teenagers. Seeing Xu Jing happily circling around Mu Lingling, he couldn¡¯t help but join in to enjoy the spectacle.


    Compared to Xu Jing, he suddenly felt lucky to have fallen for Shen Mian.


    At that moment, the voice of 007 rang in their minds.


    ¡°Special mission: Host Shen Mian and host Pei Zhiyi are requested to go to the movies together. Shen Mian is to give a rose to Pei Zhiyi and personally feed him popcorn. This task is worth 20 points. Please decide whether to accept within one minute.¡±


    Shen Mian lightly knocked his forehead on the table. In a voice only Pei Zhiyi could hear, he said, ¡°This system is becoming more and more annoying. Can I feed it fireworks instead of popcorn?¡±


    007 became colder and announced, ¡°Thirty seconds remaining.¡±


    ¡°Accept, accept, accept,¡± Shen Mian chose to accept without hesitation.


    So that night, when the six of them went to the movies together, Shen Mian didn¡¯t even blink and chose the couple seats at the back for himself and Pei Zhiyi.


    Mu Lingling originally wanted to push Xu Qian closer to Pei Zhiyi, but she was speechless when she saw Shen Mian¡¯s tactics.


    She asked Shen Mian in disbelief, ¡°Can¡¯t you and Brother Pei separate for even a second?¡±


    Shen Mian confidently held Pei Zhiyi¡¯s hand and arrogantly said, ¡°My Pei brother and I can¡¯t be apart for even a moment.¡±


    Xu Qian couldn¡¯t sit with her crush, but she wasn¡¯t upset. Instead, she looked at Shen Mian and burst into laughter.


    She sat with Mu Lingling in the front rows, while Xu Jing and Han Chao sat beside them.


    When the movie was about to start, Pei Zhiyi asked Shen Mian, ¡°Where¡¯s my rose?¡±


    Shen Mian whistled lightly and said, ¡°If you beg for it, I¡¯ll give it to you~¡±


    Pei Zhiyi slapped Shen Mian¡¯s face with an ice-cold cola, deliberately chilling him.


    ¡°Please,¡± Pei Zhiyi said.


    Pei Zhiyi¡¯s voice was low and sounded hoarse and sexy in the dim theater. It was almost like it echoed in Shen Mian¡¯s ear.


    Shen Mian coughed and felt uncomfortable for some reason.


    He quickly took out a red square piece of paper from his pocket. His slender fingers skillfully folded and soon formed a decent-looking rose, which he handed to Pei Zhiyi.


    ¡°for you,¡± Shen Mian smiled at Pei Zhiyi. ¡°This is the first time in my life I¡¯m giving someone a rose. Cherish it.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi took the rose from his hand. The rose was about the same size as a normal flower, but against the red of the rose, Pei Zhiyi¡¯s hand appeared even whiter.


    He asked Shen Mian, ¡°Did you learn this from Shen Yu?¡±


    ¡°When did you see Shen Yu fold a rose?¡± Shen Mian whispered, ¡°I saw it on TV. I wanted to learn it for my future wife, but unexpectedly, I offered it to you first.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi chuckled lightly, accepting the rose and putting it in the pocket near his heart.


    It was also the first time he had received a rose.


    After the movie started, Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t speak again.


    The movie was a crime thriller, filled with excitement and suspense. Shen Mian became engrossed in the movie, completely forgetting about feeding popcorn to Pei Zhiyi. He focused on eating it himself, his eyes fixed on the screen.


    Pei Zhiyi waited patiently but Shen Mian didn¡¯t remember. As the movie was about to end, he could only remind him in a low voice, ¡°Mian, did you forget about the task?¡±


    Shen Mian exclaimed, ¡°Ah?¡± It took him a while to remember that he wasn¡¯t supposed to eat by himself.


    He was eager to watch the plot and hastily grabbed a popcorn and tried to stuff it into Pei Zhiyi¡¯s mouth. However, because he did it too hastily, the popcorn fell off before Pei Zhiyi could open his mouth.


    007 warned, ¡°Detected improper behavior from Host Shen Mian, considering deducting points.¡±


    Shen Mian sighed. He suspected that the system was deliberately trying to deduct points from him.


    Shen Mian had no choice but to respectfully pick up another popcorn and gently offer it to the side of Pei Zhiyi¡¯s mouth. ¡°Please.¡±


    Fortunately, they were in the last row, and there weren¡¯t many people around, so they didn¡¯t attract attention .


    Pei Zhiyi glanced at Shen Mian, lowered his head, and ate the popcorn. His tongue lightly brushed against Shen Mian¡¯s fingertips, causing Shen Mian¡¯s body to tremble.


    Shen Mian awkwardly withdrew his hand, thinking that the way he was feeding Pei Zhiyi was starting to resemble how one would feed his girlfriend.


    Before he could finish his thoughts, Pei Zhiyi reached out and touched the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°You have something here.¡±


    Shen Mian saw Pei Zhiyi getting closer to him.


    In recent days, due to the missions, Pei Zhiyi¡¯s intimate actions had become conditioned reflexes for Shen Mian. Whenever he saw Pei Zhiyi approaching, he would instinctively close his eyes.


    He had become accustomed to a kiss landing on his lips.


    Soft and lingering, carrying Pei Zhiyi¡¯s breath.


    But this time, it didn¡¯t happen.


    Pei Zhiyi only wiped away the popcorn crumbs from the corner of his mouth and quickly moved away.


    Shen Mian opened his eyes and realized that that special task didn¡¯t involve a kiss.


    He blushed and stammered, not knowing how to explain.


    Fortunately, Pei Zhiyi seemed not to notice that he had closed his eyes and had already continued watching the movie.


    So Shen Mian also leaned back in his seat, finished the remaining popcorn, and although the movie had reached the most exciting part of the chase between the protagonist and the antagonist, he was already somewhat distracted.


    After leaving the theater, everyone made plans to have dinner.


    Xu Jing noticed the rose pinned to Pei Zhiyi¡¯s chest and asked curiously, ¡°Pei Zhiyi, where did you get this origami flower?¡±


    Before Pei Zhiyi could speak, Shen Mian quickly answered, ¡°The sister who sold the tickets thought he looked handsome and gave it to him.¡±


    Xu Jing believed it and said enviously, ¡°It must be fun to be this handsome.¡± Then he went to cling to Mu Lingling and said, ¡°I also quite like origami.¡±


    Unfortunately, Mu Lingling didn¡¯t even hear it. She was busy discussing the relationship between the male lead and the villain in the movie with Xu Qian, arguing about the roles of the attacker and the receiver.


    ¡°The receiver must be the villain!¡± she firmly stated.


    While Xu Qian sneered, ¡°The crazy villain ¡Á elite police officer is the perfect match!¡±


    The two of them couldn¡¯t reach a consensus and seemed ready to fight in the street, but as soon as they saw a milk tea shop on the roadside, they instantly made up, holding hands to buy the latest caramel boba.


    After dinner, everyone scattered and went home, agreeing to meet at school in three days.


    Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t live far from there, so they walked back home.


    It was almost ten o¡¯clock , and the street had already passed its busiest time. They walked along a shaded path with dense parasol trees that blocked the moonlight. Shen Mian held hands with Pei Zhiyi, not saying a word, but feeling a quiet and comfortable sensation in his heart.


    Nanhu Alley was even closer to the shopping mall, and they arrived quickly.


    Shen Mian stood at the entrance of the alley, about to say goodbye to Pei Zhiyi, but his hand was suddenly grabbed by Pei Zhiyi.


    Pei Zhiyi looked at him and said, ¡°Mian Mian, there¡¯s still one more task left for this week.¡±


    Without waiting for Shen Mian to react, Pei Zhiyi pulled him into his embrace and gave him the kiss that should have happened in the movie theater.


    They hid in the shadow of the alley. Pei Zhiyi¡¯s tall figure completely shielded Shen Mian, and above their heads were cotton trees in full bloom. The pale pink flowers covered the branches, and a few petals fell, landing perfectly on Shen Mian¡¯s shoulder.

 CH 11

    Shen Mian was kissed so affectionately that his mind became blurry.


    He was just a little straight guy who had never even held a girl¡¯s hand or gone on a date with anyone. The most ambiguous thing he had ever done in his life was pulling the braid of the girl sitting in front of him in elementary school.


    Although he had already been kissed by Pei Zhiyi more than once, under the colorful hibiscus flowers, the warm and restless evening breeze of summer made his heart a bit chaotic.


    He pushed Pei Zhiyi away, covered his chest, and honestly said, ¡°Pei Zhiyi stop, you¡¯re kissing me so much that I keep doubting my sexual orientation.¡±


    He said it straightforwardly.


    Even though his heart was pounding and he felt his good buddy was overly handsome that night, as long as the person was Pei Zhiyi, he felt straight as an arrow.


    Pei Zhiyi tugged at the corner of his mouth. Shen Mian was almost transparent in front of him, and with just one glance, he could tell what Shen Mian was thinking.


    ¡°why are you fighting it?¡± he said coldly.


    Shen Mian leaned against the wall, in a stance of standing yet not standing, and his heart had already calmed down.


    ¡°I like girls. Girls are cute. If I liked guys, I wouldn¡¯t think twice about being in a relationship with you but that¡¯s not the case,¡± Shen Mian casually said.


    But as he observed Pei Zhiyi¡¯s face under the moonlight, the more he looked, the more he felt something was amiss.


    He pondered, ¡°Tell me the truth. Have you secretly been in love with someone behind my back? How come you seem so skillful at all these things¡­?¡±


    The first time he kissed Pei Zhiyi, he felt that he was too skilled and calm. Now, after a month of kissing and touching, he was even more certain that Pei Zhiyi had had countless practice before.


    He grabbed Pei Zhiyi¡¯s tie and the romantic atmosphere dissipated instantly. He looked at Pei Zhiyi with an interrogating gaze, like a police officer interrogating a suspect. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you denying it? Could it be true? Damn it, don¡¯t you consider me your brother? You said you¡¯d show me the first person you have a relationship with!¡±


    Pei Zhiyi was almost amused by Shen Mian¡¯s anger.


    He felt that in his life, he excelled in many aspects, except for his judgment of people. How did he end up with such an annoying guy who constantly irritated him?


    He took his tie from Shen Mian¡¯s grip and looked at him mockingly. ¡°You figure it out for yourself. Except for sleeping, when am I not with you ? When do I have time to date someone?¡±


    Shen Mian thought about it and realized that was true.


    In fact, Pei Zhiyi often spent nights with him.


    However, he still maintained some doubt. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re having an online relationship?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and pinched Shen Mian¡¯s chubby face. ¡°Am I you?¡±


    Shen Mian¡¯s mouth was twisted from being pinched, and he mumbled unclearly, ¡°Ouch¡­ What¡¯s wrong with you? Answer my question.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi pinched even harder.


    The two of them played around under the tree for a while. Shen Mian picked up his dropped backpack and waved at Pei Zhiyi, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going back now, you should go back early too. I¡¯ll be going to see my grandmother with my parents tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. There won¡¯t be anyone at home. If you really miss me, give me a call.¡±


    Shen Mian wasn¡¯t being narcissistic.


    He knew very well that if there was anyone in this world who could make Pei Zhiyi open up, it would be his family of four, including Pei Zhiyi¡¯s birth mother, who was also overseas but unfortunately not around.


    He felt a little reluctant when he thought about it. Pei Zhiyi would be all alone in that empty villa, with only the vibrant lights in the yard. It pained him to think about it.


    He held Pei Zhiyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you come with me to my grandmother¡¯s house? My grandmother knows you. We used to play at her place when we were kids.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi smiled, noticing that Shen Mian was no longer upset, and he seemed particularly obedient and sensible.


    ¡°You¡¯ve finally got a chance to visit your grandmother for a few days. What¡¯s the point of bringing me along?¡± Pei Zhiyi caressed Shen Mian¡¯s wrist. ¡°Go have fun, see you at school.¡±


    Shen Mian also held onto Pei Zhiyi¡¯s fingers, feeling like he wanted to say something more, but when he looked into Pei Zhiyi¡¯s eyes, he knew Pei Zhiyi wouldn¡¯t agree.


    Pei Zhiyi could enter and leave his house at any time, but his grandmother was not Pei Zhiyi¡¯s grandmother after all.


    Thinking about this, he felt a little frustrated. For him, Pei Zhiyi was already a member of his family. Regardless of the circumstances, he never wanted to exclude Pei Zhiyi.


    But in reality, Pei Zhiyi had his own family, and they were just friends, neighbors, two people without any blood relation.


    ¡°Forget it, I can¡¯t persuade you anyway,¡± Shen Mian grumbled dispiritedly, ¡°I¡¯m going back. Bye.¡±


    He walked away, and Nanhu Lane was very short. When he arrived at his own doorstep and looked back, he saw Pei Zhiyi still standing under the hibiscus tree.


    He waved again, and only then did Pei Zhiyi leave.


    But Shen Mian didn¡¯t go inside right away.


    He glanced at the yard next to his house, Pei Zhiyi¡¯s house. Pei Uncle hadn¡¯t sold the house, so now there was no one living inside, only occasional gardeners and housekeepers would come to clean. As a result, the yard always seemed desolate and empty.


    But it wasn¡¯t like that in the past.


    When Pei Uncle and Aunt Yu were still together, the yard used to be lively. There was a swing under the towering camphor tree. His mother would often hold him and he would swing on the swing with Pei Zhiyi, or rather, he would play while Pei Zhiyi watched him. When they got tired of playing, they would run back to their respective mothers, asking for dinner.


    But now, all of that was gone.


    Only a house that would never light up again and a camphor tree that had lost its swing remained.


    Shen Mian sighed and entered the house. His parents and Shen Yu were there, sitting on the couch and chatting. Shen Yu had bought a new hat and bag and was asking their parents if they looked good.


    Shen Mian sat down on the couch, and his dad handed him a burger, saying, ¡°Do you want to eat? I made it myself.¡±


    Shen Mian took it and said, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re like wizard. I happen to want a midnight snack.¡±


    His dad was very proud and said, ¡°Your dad is not just a man busy with work, I¡¯m also great at housework. Otherwise, how could I have married your mom?¡±


    His mom, who had been looking at the computer, couldn¡¯t help but smile when she heard that.


    Shen Mian ate the burger while watching his dad and mom being all sweet and affectionate, feeling like his teeth were about to fall out from the sweetness.


    He had grown up watching his parents being so affectionate, so when it came to love, building a family, and raising children, he instinctively had expectations because in his impression, those were all very good and happy things.


    But he was still in high school, and he didn¡¯t have a clear plan for the future, so those things were just vague shadows, shallowly etched in his heart.


    Early the next morning, Shen Mian went with his parents to his grandmother¡¯s house. They were planning to spend the entire National Day there.


    His grandmother¡¯s house was in a neighboring city, only an hour and a half¡¯s drive from their home. When Shen Mian and Shen Yu got out of the car, they were warmly embraced and had their faces pinched by their grandmother, who was waiting at the door.


    But what he didn¡¯t expect was that there was another guest at his grandmother¡¯s house. It was a boy a few years older than him, sitting under the grapevine in the yard, writing. He was tall, with deep and handsome features, slightly tanned skin, and a somewhat cold appearance, but surprisingly cheerful when he smiled.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Xu Yuanfan.¡± The boy smiled and extended his hand.


    Shen Mian also reached out his hand, but he couldn¡¯t help but notice that the other person¡¯s hand was a whole size larger than his, making him appear frail.


    ¡°I¡¯m Shen Mian,¡± he replied.


    Through his grandmother¡¯s introduction, Shen Mian learned that this boy was his grandmother¡¯s calligraphy student, and they had a close relationship. Since it was a holiday , he had come to his grandmother¡¯s place to study calligraphy and have some fun.


    ¡°Yuan Fan is a student at S University,¡± his grandmother introduced them, ¡°he is a few years older than you and a good student. You should get along well.¡±


    Shen Mian just smiled at Xu Yuanfan. He wasn¡¯t particularly curious about him, but he had a natural sense of politeness. On the other hand, Shen Yu, the infatuated girl, let out a discreet ¡°wow¡± beside him.


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome,¡± Shen Yu whispered in his ear.


    He deliberately asked Shen Yu, ¡°Then don¡¯t you like Pei Zhiyi anymore?¡±


    Shen Yu waved her hand dismissively, saying, ¡°Children make choices, adults naturally have to.¡±


    Shen Mian almost burst out laughing, he ruffled Shen Yu¡¯s hair and said, ¡°How can you be an adult? You¡¯re only fifteen this year, okay?¡±


    Shen Yu ignored him and quickly went shopping with their grandmother.


    Grandmother loved buying clothes for little girls, and every time Shen Yu came, she would buy several outfits for her.


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t like shopping, he preferred to stay at home.


    His parents also went to visit their mother¡¯s friends and left by car.


    Now, the house was left with Shen Mian and the newly acquainted Xu Yuanfan.


    The two of them stared at each other for a while.


    Finally, Shen Mian spoke first politely, ¡°You write well.¡±


    Xu Yuanfan chuckled because Shen Mian clearly had that look of trying to find something to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I learned from your grandmother, but I haven¡¯t learned even a tenth of what she knows.¡±


    Shen Mian thought to himself that it was not surprising, his grandmother was a calligrapher and very impressive.


    But he maintained a friendly tone, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I think it¡¯s great. My handwriting looks like a dog scratching the ground, my grandmother never taught me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Xu Yuanfan was a bit curious. Shouldn¡¯t a grandson be more fortunate to have a closer connection?


    Shen Mian scratched his face, feeling a little embarrassed, ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want to learn when I was young. My grandmother gave me a brush, but I would break it. After breaking ten or so brushes, she spanked me, so I gave up.¡±


    He still remembered how angry his grandmother was at that time.


    Xu Yuanfan laughed, a laughter that was unrestrained.


    Shen Mian felt a bit embarrassed and didn¡¯t feel like talking anymore, but Xu Yuanfan said, ¡°I¡¯m the same as you. My dad was really good at chess, he taught me since I was young, but I didn¡¯t want to learn, so I threw all the pieces into the river.¡±


    Shen Mian was quite surprised because Xu Yuanfan seemed very smart, just like Pei Zhiyi. They both had the aura of top students.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± he mumbled.


    Xu Yuanfan smiled, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? I caused my dad less trouble when I was young. It wasn¡¯t until I went to school that he started to worry. I would fight and call parents to school every other day.¡±


    Shen Mian was even more shocked.


    But when he looked at Xu Yuanfan¡¯s strong and muscular arms, he didn¡¯t find it too surprising.


    After all, he looked very strong.


    He pinched his own arm and said enviously, ¡°You look really strong, for me I can¡¯t fight.


    Unknowingly, the two of them started chatting.


    Xu Yuanfan was an interesting person. He was indeed an academic genius; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to attend S University. He could answer any question asked by Shen Mian and even guide him in doing homework.


    However, he was obviously not the type of obedient and diligent student. He fought and skipped classes. After graduating from high school, he went to Tibet alone for a month, and when he returned, his skin was sunburned. During his university years, he traveled all over the place, rarely staying at home.


    The more Shen Mian listened, the more excited he became.


    Apart from academics, he was well-behaved in every other aspect. Hearing about Xu Yuanfan¡¯s exciting experiences made him envious.


    When he heard that Xu Yuanfan knew martial arts, he exclaimed in admiration.


    By the time Xu Yuanfan returned home in the evening, he had become quite familiar with Shen Mian and even invited him to play again the next day.


    Xu Yuanfan looked at him and smiled, ¡°Why are you so friendly, just like a little puppy, easily getting close to people.¡±


    Shen Mian felt unhappy he didn¡¯t like being called a puppy by other people.


    Actually, Pei Zhiyi had also said that he was like a little puppy, but he didn¡¯t mind.


    Xu Yuanfan saw his pouty face and found it even more amusing. He thought Shen Mian was really interesting.


    ¡°Alright,See you tomorrow,¡± Xu Yuanfan waved goodbye and walked away.


    Before going to sleep that night, Shen Mian couldn¡¯t wait and called Pei Zhiyi.


    He had just finished talking with his grandmother for a long time and finally returned to his own room.


    The phone rang for only a few seconds before it was picked up, as if Pei Zhiyi had been waiting all along.


    Pei Zhiyi asked, ¡°Why are you calling so late?¡±


    Shen Mian lay on the bed and said, ¡°I guess you¡¯re still awake. There¡¯s never a day when it¡¯s not past midnight for you.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi burst into laughter.


    Shen Mian chatted with Pei Zhiyi about everything that had happened that day, from his grandmother commenting on his weight loss to the small cat at his grandmother¡¯s house growing into a big cat, but still recognizing him.


    ¡°I used to hold that cat when I was a child, but now it¡¯s so fat, it¡¯s an old cat,¡± Shen Mian said, ¡°I fed it small fish snacks in the afternoon, and it kept circling around my feet.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi listened patiently, and an unconscious smile appeared on his face.


    But when he heard Shen Mian talk about meeting a college student named Xu Yuanfan and praising him several times, he stopped smiling.


    He wondered how Shen Mian could meet a new person and connect so easily.


    However, Shen Mian didn¡¯t know what he was thinking and continued, ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, I would like to introduce you two. Both of you are academic geniuses, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get along. Plus, he knows martial arts just like you!¡±


    Pei Zhiyi pulled at the corner of his mouth and said, ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    He didn¡¯t feel that he was anything like this Xu Yuanfan.


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t mind and teased Pei Zhiyi, ¡°You¡¯re so cocky, not at all as approachable as Xu Yuanfan.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t like hearing that and changed the topic.


    ¡°Where are you planning to go with your uncle and aunt tomorrow? Or are you going to accompany your grandmother?¡±


    Without thinking, Shen Mian said, ¡°I¡¯m going mountain climbing with Xu Yuanfan tomorrow.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Suddenly, he regretted not accompanying Shen Mian to his grandmother¡¯s house.


    It had only been half a day, and now Shen Mian already had a big brother. In a couple of days, would he be replaced by someone else?


    But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to tell Shen Mian not to go, so he fell silent for a moment and said, ¡°Then come back early.¡±


    Shen Mian chuckled on the other end of the phone, ¡°Are you missing me?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi sighed softly in his heart.


    He had been missing Shen Mian ever since they parted.


    But he could only say lightly, ¡°Yeah. I miss you.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll try to come back the day after tomorrow morning,¡± Shen Mian said happily, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you some local specialties.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi agreed, feeling reluctant to hang up the phone.


    But he glanced at the time and realized it was already bedtime for Shen Mian, so he softly said, ¡°Go to sleep, don¡¯t you have to get up early tomorrow?¡±


    Shen Mian replied with an ¡°Oh! yes goodnight¡± and reluctantly ended the call.

 CH 12

    Shen Mian went with Xu Yuanfan to climb the mountain on the second day. In fact, he had been to that mountain before as a child, but at that time, it wasn¡¯t a tourist site yet. Unlike now, there were long stone paths on the mountain, and at the mountaintop, various shops and tourists posing for photos could be seen everywhere.


    There was a small temple built on the mountain at some point. It wasn¡¯t big, but because the scenery inside the temple was good, there were many people checking in and taking photos.


    Fortunately, it hadn¡¯t become a popular tourist spot yet, so although there were more tourists than before, it wasn¡¯t to the point of being overwhelming.


    Shen Mian leaned on the railing and drank frozen juice, saying to Xu Yuanfan, ¡°Next time we have a holiday, I¡¯ll come here with Pei Zhiyi and introduce the two of you.¡±


    He still had a childish nature, wanting to share everything he found interesting with Pei Zhiyi. Fortunately, Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t find him annoying.


    Xu Yuanfan had heard Shen Mian mention Pei Zhiyi since yesterday.


    Although he had never even seen Pei Zhiyi, he already knew that Pei Zhiyi was 185 cm tall, always ranked top three in his grade, could play the piano and violin, and was excellent at basketball and long-distance running. He was also very handsome.


    In short, he was perfect.


    Now that Shen Mian mentioned him again, Xu Yuanfan couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°Is he really your childhood friend? If someone didn¡¯t know better, they would think he¡¯s your girlfriend.¡±


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t think much of it and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have a girlfriend yet.¡± But then he curiously looked at Xu Yuanfan and asked, ¡°What about you? You are so good-looking, you must have someone, right?¡±


    Xu Yuanfan smiled slightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a girlfriend either,¡± he said.


    Shen Mian showed a surprised expression and stared at Xu Yuanfan¡¯s face, trying to see if he was lying, but Xu Yuanfan¡¯s eyes were sincere and natural.


    Shen Mian believed him and asked, ¡°Are your standards too high?¡±


    Xu Yuanfan didn¡¯t answer, but instead patted Shen Mian¡¯s head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask too many questions, kid.¡±


    Shen Mian stopped asking, although he didn¡¯t think of himself as a kid anymore.


    He was already seventeen, and in a few months, he would be an adult. Although he was a bit short, he still had room to grow.


    He explored the mountain with Xu Yuanfan, and after going around once, it was already evening. The sunset that day was beautiful, casting a gorgeous pink and purple color over the mountains when viewed from the mountaintop.


    Before coming down the mountain, Shen Mian saw a souvenir shop in front of the temple selling lucky charm embroidered bags. Although he didn¡¯t believe in such things, he still bought one.


    Xu Yuanfan took a look and found that it was a studying fortune, so he teased Shen Mian, ¡°Are you going to start studying hard?¡±


    After helping Shen Mian with his homework yesterday, he had discovered that Shen Mian was a bit of a slow learner.


    On the way back¡­¡­


    Shen Mian sat in Xu Yuanfan¡¯s car, feeling a bit tired, and rested his head against the car window. Outside the window was the beautiful sunset, which softened his facial features.


    ¡°I bought it for Pei Zhiyi. He ranked second in the grade last time. I hope he can rank first next time.¡±


    Shen Mian smiled unintentionally as he held the small charm in his hand. It was such a rough little thing, but he felt that as long as he brought it back, Pei Zhiyi would be happy to accept it.


    Xu Yuanfan parked the car at a traffic light intersection and looked at Shen Mian¡¯s fair profile.


    Upon hearing Shen Mian¡¯s words, his expression became a bit complicated.


    When the car started again, he lightly said, ¡°Seems like you really like him a lot.¡±


    But his words were too light, and Shen Mian didn¡¯t hear them clearly.


    After Xu Yuanfan dropped Shen Mian off at home, he warmly invited him to stay for dinner, but Xu Yuanfan had made plans with friends, so he couldn¡¯t stay.


    He asked Shen Mian while sitting in the car, ¡°Should I pick you up tomorrow to hang out again?¡±


    Shen Mian shook his head, showing the distress of a high school student, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t finished my homework.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t even started the homework assigned by teacher Ding.


    Xu Yuanfan smiled. He recalled when he was in high school and to some point understood Shen Mian¡¯s troubles.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave. We¡¯ll hang out when you go back home.¡±


    He knew Shen Mian was about to go home, even though his university was in the same city as Shen Mian¡¯s family. But that city was so big that it was difficult to run into each other without deliberately staying in touch.


    He liked Shen Mian, thinking that he was an interesting kid. But a chance encounter for two or three days wasn¡¯t enough to become friends who would meet up regularly.


    Shen Mian would return to high school and spend time with his childhood friend who was always on his mind, while Xu Yuanfan had his own circle of friends and acquaintances.


    He had just glimpsed Shen Mian¡¯s phone lock screen, which was a photo of him with Pei Zhiyi. He was about to point it out to Shen Mian that it was unusual for adolescent boys to be so attached to their childhood friends.


    But when he saw Shen Mian¡¯s bewildered face, he ended up not saying anything and just chuckled.


    He bid farewell to Shen Mian and drove away as soon as Shen Mian entered the house.


    Entering the house, Shen Mian¡¯s family had dinner in the yard. The nighttime breeze was already pleasantly cool, and Shen Mian sat under the grapevine, eating the pine nut cakes made by his grandmother. If he didn¡¯t have homework, that day would have been perfect.


    However, after finishing dinner, he sighed and returned to his room. He closed the door, turned on the lights, and started working on the exam papers.


    He struggled through the writing, not understanding why he had to draw auxiliary lines, why balancing chemical equations was so difficult, and why that small square in physics kept sliding around.


    In the end, feeling frustrated, he made a video call to Pei Zhiyi.


    Just like the previous day, Pei Zhiyi quickly answered the call. He seemed to have just taken a shower, with water droplets still clinging to his hair. His skin was even paler than usual, but his cheeks had a slight rosy tint from the steam.


    Looking at Pei Zhiyi¡¯s face, Shen Mian inexplicably thought of the phrase ¡°a feast for the eyes¡± and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Pei Zhiyi looked at him with a puzzled expression. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    Shen Mian wouldn¡¯t say it. If he did, Pei Zhiyi would definitely say he was being cheeky.


    He lay on the table, cheeks resting on his arms, and skillfully acted spoiled towards Pei Zhiyi, ¡°Brother, I don¡¯t know how to do my homework, show me.¡±


    He knew Pei Zhiyi should have finished his own homework already.


    However, this time, Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t readily agree.


    Sitting on the edge of the bed, Pei Zhiyi dried his hair with a towel and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you meet a new friend who helped you with your homework yesterday?¡±


    Shen Mian clearly remembered Xu Yuanfan¡¯s name, but he didn¡¯t want to mention it. He instinctively felt awkward by anyone who seemed to have an interest in him.


    But he didn¡¯t catch on, honestly saying, ¡°He went to play with his friends, and I don¡¯t have time to go find him tomorrow. Besides, Xu Yuanfan was my grandmother¡¯s student, not my friend.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re only thinking of me now?¡± Pei Zhiyi wanted to ask with a hint of jealousy, but he thought it was unreasonable.


    He stared at Shen Mian in the video call for a few glances. Shen Mian was no longer lying on the table but curled up on the single sofa, wearing a white T-shirt, absentmindedly playing with the spring on a pen. He looked at Pei Zhiyi with big round eyes and pouty lips.


    Pei Zhiyi sighed, ¡°Alright, tell me which ones you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Shen Mian felt like he had been granted amnesty and quickly read out loud the questions he couldn¡¯t solve. However, there were too many of them, and he felt a little embarrassed when showing them to Pei Zhiyi.


    Pei Zhiyi picked out the questions Shen Mian couldn¡¯t solve from his own paper and roughly selected the ones of moderate difficulty to explain to him.


    Shen Mian thought to himself that with Pei Zhiyi¡¯s patience in tutoring, he would probably be a successful teacher in the future.


    Or maybe when Pei Zhiyi had kids in the future, he would definitely be a good dad.


    He thought that way and said it out loud.


    Pei Zhiyi, however, coldly chuckled from the other side of the phone, ¡°Forget it. What if my son ends up being like you? I¡¯d go crazy.¡±


    Shen Mian stared blankly, ¡°Why would your son be like me?¡±


    Only then did Pei Zhiyi realize he misspoke.


    His pen lightly drew a line on the exam paper.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just talking nonsense. Don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    With Pei Zhiyi¡¯s guidance, Shen Mian finally stumbled through all the homework. Only an essay was left, and he planned to write it the next night.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going to bed,¡± he yawned and mumbled to Pei Zhiyi, ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow, remember to wait for me at my place.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi¡¯s eyes softened, ¡°Okay.¡±


    But after saying that, the two of them still sat on their phones for a while longer, even though there was nothing much to do, they didn¡¯t hang up the call.


    Outside the window, the sounds of insects chirping could be heard by Pei Zhiyi from Shen Mian¡¯s phone, as if the two were still sitting under the same night sky.


    Pei Zhiyi tried to recall how Shen Mian¡¯s grandmother¡¯s house looked. When he was very young, he went there with the Shen family. It was an old courtyard with grapevines and green stone slabs on the ground. He and Shen Mian would look at the stars and catch fireflies together in the courtyard.


    The two of them sat like that for a while, one reading, the other doing homework, occasionally chatting.


    Until the call ended, Shen Mian noticed that he had carelessly written the name ¡°Pei¡± on the paper, hastily and casually, hidden among the lines he had scribbled.

 CH 13

    Shen Mian arrived home in the evening.


    Originally, they were supposed to leave early in the morning, but their grandmother couldn¡¯t bear to see them go and insisted on keeping them for a while. Shen Mian had already packed their bags, but couldn¡¯t resist sitting next to their grandmother with Shen Yu chatting. As they talked, they ended up having lunch.


    Before heading back home, Shen Mian sent a text message to Pei Zhiyi. So when the car entered Nanhu Alley, Pei Zhiyi was already standing at the front door of Shen Mian¡¯s house.


    Shen Mian saw him from the car window and couldn¡¯t help but smile. As soon as his father stopped the car, he couldn¡¯t wait to open the door and ran over, jumping into Pei Zhiyi¡¯s arms.


    Shen Mian wasn¡¯t heavy, but a 175 cm tall boy certainly wasn¡¯t light, yet Pei Zhiyi caught him steadily.


    ¡°Did you wait long?¡± Shen Mian asked.


    ¡°Not long,¡± Pei Zhiyi lied, ¡°just arrived a few minutes ago.¡±


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t quite believe it, but he didn¡¯t expose the lie. He just hugged Pei Zhiyi and said, ¡°I brought some snacks made by grandma. She asked about you and wondered why you didn¡¯t come. Next time, let¡¯s go see her together.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi smiled and agreed, waiting to help Shen Mian¡¯s parents with their luggage.


    Shen Yu leisurely got out of the car with a strawberry candy apple in her mouth, watching her brother and Pei Zhiyi sticking together and teasing each other, she commented, ¡°My brother is so extra. If you didn¡¯t know better, you¡¯d think he had been separated from Pei Zhiyi for three years.¡±


    Su Ying chuckled and said, ¡°Your brother has known Xiao Pei two years longer than he¡¯s known you, so naturally, they are closer.¡±


    Shen Yu realized this as well and ran off to eat the snacks.


    Pei Zhiyi stayed at Shen Mian¡¯s house that evening. After dinner, Shen Mian finished writing his last essay. His Chinese language grades were quite good, considered one of his higher scores among all the subjects, except for the fact that his handwriting resembled a dog scratching the paper, which probably prevented him from getting a few extra points.


    So, Pei Zhiyi stared at his messy handwriting again.


    Shen Mian wasn¡¯t happy about it and protested with grumbling, but Pei Zhiyi stopped him by stuffing pudding into his mouth.


    After gulping the pudding, Shen Mian still had to say to Pei Zhiyi, ¡°You¡¯re really annoying, you are silently criticizing my handwriting.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi sat beside him, watching him muttering while writing without missing a single word. He couldn¡¯t help but find Shen Mian adorable.


    Moreover, throughout the entire evening, he didn¡¯t hear the name ¡°Xu Yuanfan¡± from Shen Mian¡¯s mouth, which made him quite satisfied.


    It wasn¡¯t until bedtime that Shen Mian remembered to take out the lucky charm he bought. He chose his favorite color, blue, with golden gingko leaves embroidered on it. Inside the bag were folded talismans, not particularly exquisite, but still elegant.


    ¡°I bought it for you, it brings good luck in your studies,¡± Shen Mian tied it to Pei Zhiyi¡¯s bag. ¡°Last time, you ranked second in the grade, the next time you¡¯ll be first.¡±


    After tying it, Shen Mian thought his choice was pretty good. Pei Zhiyi¡¯s bag was black, and that lucky charm didn¡¯t look out of place with it.


    Pei Zhiyi played with the small amulet and asked Shen Mian, ¡°Didn¡¯t you buy one for yourself?¡±


    Shen Mian was self aware and said, ¡°for me, even Bodhisattva can¡¯t save me.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi turned to Shen Mian with a stunned expression.


    He sometimes felt a headache when dealing with Shen Mian. Sometimes he wanted to force Shen Mian to study harder, solving ten problems for each one he didn¡¯t understand so as to help him improve.


    But he couldn¡¯t bear to do it.


    Why would he make Shen Mian intentionally suffer?


    Shen Mian was already doing well, even if he didn¡¯t excel academically, it wouldn¡¯t hinder him from living a happy life.


    And besides, he would always be by Shen Mian¡¯s side, working hard together for both of them. He would take care of Shen Mian for the rest of his life.


    Pei Zhiyi touched Shen Mian¡¯s forehead and thought that he really had no way to deal with him, so he could only urge Shen Mian to go to bed early.


    If his grades weren¡¯t good it wasn¡¯t a problem but he should at the very least take care of his health.


    But Shen Mian had taken a nap in the car that afternoon and couldn¡¯t fall asleep no matter how he tossed and turned.


    In the end, it was Pei Zhiyi who pressed him against his chest to calm him down.


    The next morning, Shen Mian had a hard time getting up, and even when he sat in the classroom, his eyelids were fighting, leaning on Pei Zhiyi¡¯s shoulder.


    Others weren¡¯t very awake either. Either they stayed up late watching dramas or playing games.


    On the first day back to school after the National Day holiday, the whole class had an air of laziness.


    As soon as teacher Ding entered the classroom, he frowned and had a look of distress on his face. He said, ¡°I said we shouldn¡¯t have given you three days off. It¡¯s the second year of high school, wouldn¡¯t two days off have been enough?¡±


    Everyone looked at him with sleepy eyes, clearly still in the holiday mode.


    Teacher Ding couldn¡¯t do anything about it either. He didn¡¯t want the whole class to stand, so he opened all the windows and tried to raise his voice as much as possible while teaching.


    Shen Mian took half a class to fully wake up. He sat next to Pei Zhiyi near the window, and the morning breeze blew a few strands of his bangs away, revealing his beautiful eyes, which had a moist, brown color in the sunlight.


    He diligently copied notes from the blackboard, occasionally doodling stick figures in his notebook when he got distracted. On the other hand, Pei Zhiyi hardly wrote anything, only making a few marks in crucial places.


    After morning classes were done, during the long break, everyone caught up on sleep or chatted. Suddenly, teacher Ding walked in from the back door and headed straight to the corner where Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi were sitting.


    Shen Mian was eating cookies and when he saw teacher Ding, he choked on a mouthful of cookies. He didn¡¯t know whether to swallow or spit out. He was trying to figure out what he had done wrong.


    Fortunately, Teacher Ding¡¯s target wasn¡¯t him.


    Teacher Ding only glanced at him, lightly reproached, ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat breakfast again? Must you wait until you¡¯re at school to do it?¡±


    Shen Mian was choked by the cookie for a moment and was currently drinking water to relieve it, so he could only show his innocence with his eyes.


    Teacher Ding didn¡¯t bother with him too much and smiled as he handed a form to Pei Zhiyi, saying, ¡°Do you know why I approached you?¡±


    Pei Zhiyi took the form and smiled saying, ¡°Yes, thank you, teacher.¡±


    It was the registration form for the final selection of the math competition he had participated in before. He passed the first round and now qualified to participate in the provincial-level competition.


    But he couldn¡¯t say he was particularly surprised. He already knew his approximate score beforehand. It was just that teacher Ding looked so happy so he had to give him some face.


    On the other hand, Shen Mian was extremely excited. Unable to make any overt gestures in front of teacher Ding, he quietly tapped Pei Zhiyi¡¯s knee and mouthed, ¡°You¡¯re amazing, bro.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi smiled again, this time amused by Shen Mian.


    Unaware of what was going on between the two of them, teacher Ding watched Pei Zhiyi with satisfaction, patting his shoulder and saying, ¡°Work hard. Our school has five students joining the provincial competition this time. We¡¯ll join forces with a few other schools for joint training after that.¡±


    After finishing his words, he walked away contentedly with his hands behind his back.


    As soon as teacher Ding left, Shen Mian pounced on Pei Zhiyi and asked excitedly, ¡°Bro, you¡¯re amazing. Did you get a really high score?¡±


    He looked at Pei Zhiyi eagerly, even more excited than when he improved his own exam results.


    Pei Zhiyi hugged him. He casually threw the registration form he had received earlier on a corner of his desk without paying much attention to it. However, Shen Mian was all he could see in his heart, and it made him feel happy.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shen Mian became even happier and patted Pei Zhiyi, saying, ¡°I think the lucky charm I bought yesterday is really effective. You will definitely make it to the nationals.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi rubbed his head and replied, ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡±


    Soon, before the end of school, almost everyone in the class knew about Pei Zhiyi¡¯s entry into the provincial competition.


    Xu Jing and Han Chao knocked on the desk, asking Pei Zhiyi to treat them, and others took the opportunity to join in the fun, nearly flipping the desks over.


    Shen Mian scoffed at them, saying, ¡°No way, you big eaters will make him go broke.¡±


    but they all joined in on teasing Shen Mian.


    ¡°Some people just want to have a candlelit dinner with Brother Pei and keep him all to themselves,¡± Xu Jing banged on the desk and rallied everyone, ¡°everyone, can we agree that Brother Pei belongs to all of us?¡±


    ¡°Yes!!¡±


    Now the girls also started shouting. Of course, Pei Zhiyi belongs to all of us. Class 2 of Grade 2 collectively owned him.


    Shen Mian was displeased and clung to Pei Zhiyi, saying, ¡°Get lost, get lost. My brother is all mine. I will not share him.¡±


    But despite the commotion, Shen Mian didn¡¯t really stop Pei Zhiyi from treating everyone.


    That group of friends was close, and it was common for them to treat each other on birthdays and special events.


    In the end, they went to a hot pot restaurant outside the school. Since it was cold outside, eating something warm and comforting felt particularly nice.


    However, when a group of teenagers gathers together, especially outside school, all sense of discipline disappears. Initially, only Xu Jing ordered a beer, but then everyone else wanted to drink, so they ordered a whole crate.


    Pei Zhiyi didn¡¯t mind it; he could handle liquor just fine. However, Shen Mian couldn¡¯t hold his alcohol at all. He held onto his glass and refused to let go.


    ¡°Just one glass,¡± he looked at Pei Zhiyi pitifully, his eyes big and round like a little squirrel.


    Pei Zhiyi pursed his lips and didn¡¯t want to agree.


    No one else said anything, eagerly waiting to see what would happen, especially a few girls who even took out their phones to record.


    In the end, Pei Zhiyi gave in and took a step back, saying, ¡°fine, but just half a glass.¡±


    The room immediately erupted in cheers.


    ¡°Pei Zhiyi can¡¯t control Shen Mian¡±


    ¡°Shen Mian, have a couple more drinks. What¡¯s the point of just half a glass?¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone was provoking him.


    Pei Zhiyi rubbed his temples in frustration, realizing that he had never been able to control Shen Mian in his entire life always giving in to him.


    Meanwhile, Shen Mian became lively again in an instant. Pei Zhiyi had told him to drink just half a glass, but he couldn¡¯t keep an eye on him all the time.


    In the end, Shen Mian drank a whole glass.


    It was a mixed beer, so the alcohol content was slightly higher. By the time they left the hot pot restaurant, Shen Mian was already a little unsteady on his feet. He obediently let Pei Zhiyi hold him and walked wherever Pei Zhiyi led him.


    The others teased him, but he ignored them and focused solely on Pei Zhiyi, his cheeks were flushed, and he could only smile foolishly at Pei Zhiyi.


    Pei Zhiyi held him with one hand and paid the bill at the bar with the other. He turned to Shen Mian and asked, ¡°Can you walk?¡±


    Shen Mian, slow to react, nodded slowly.


    He was a bit drunk, but not to the point of losing consciousness.


    ¡°You guys go ahead. I¡¯ll walk behind with him,¡± Pei Zhiyi said to the others.


    ¡°Pei bro, can you handle him alone? Should we help you carry him back?¡± Han Chao asked, flexing his well-built biceps.


    Pei Zhiyi shook his head. ¡°I can handle him just fine.¡±


    The others didn¡¯t insist, and they left in groups of two or three. Xu Qian and Mu Lingling even bought some honey water and handed it to Shen Mian, telling him to drink it and sober up.


    Pei Zhiyi entered the school through the back gate, using facial recognition.


    Shen Mian was somewhat drunk and definitely couldn¡¯t climb over the wall. Pei Zhiyi wrapped him in his own long coat, carrying him horizontally, and calmly told the security guard that Shen Mian had a stomachache, and he had taken him to the hospital, which was why they were back late.


    Shen Mian¡¯s head was buried in the thin black coat, only exposing the back of his head, black against the night. Pei Zhiyi had told him not to speak, and he complied. However, he kept nuzzling against Pei Zhiyi¡¯s neck, exhaling hot breath from being drunk.


    Pei Zhiyi¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but he tightened his grip on Shen Mian¡¯s hand.


    The security guard looked at them suspiciously but eventually let them in.


    ¡°Remember to bring a sick leave slip next time,¡± he muttered.


    Pei Zhiyi nodded, carrying Shen Mian and walking away.

 CH 14

    Pei Zhiyi carried Shen Mian into the dormitory and fortunately, it was already late. There were only white lights in the dormitory corridor and not many people could see them.


    When they were young, Pei Zhiyi used to carry Shen Mian often. However, at that time, he wasn¡¯t as tall as he is now. He used to lift Shen Mian up like lifting weights, as if carrying a large-sized doll. But when they entered junior high school, Shen Mian stopped asking him to carry him because he felt it was too embarrassing.


    Pei Zhiyi gently placed Shen Mian on the bed, suspecting that Shen Mian was already asleep. But when he was about to let go of Shen Mian, Shen Mian¡¯s arm wrapped around his neck weakly.


    Though Shen Mian didn¡¯t exert any force, Pei Zhiyi instinctively lowered his head, propping one hand beside the pillow, which sank softly.


    Shen Mian gazed at him with intoxicated eyes.


    The room was dimly lit, and the curtains were not drawn. Milky moonlight poured in from the windowsill, illuminating two small green plants on the bedside.


    They were bought by Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi together on the day they moved in.


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t know why he held onto Pei Zhiyi. He was just slightly intoxicated, but perhaps it was too warm in the room. The alcohol he drank steamed along with the heat, making him completely drowsy. His mind was now controlled by alcohol, and his actions were without any logic.


    He looked at Pei Zhiyi lying on him for a while, then suddenly tilted his head and smiled, speaking in a hazy manner, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re really handsome.¡±


    While saying that, he reached out to touch Pei Zhiyi¡¯s face.


    First the eyebrows, then the bridge of the nose, and finally the lips.


    As light as a feather¡¯s touch.


    His fingers finally stopped on Pei Zhiyi¡¯s lips, lightly pressing on the soft center. It was as if a child had received a new and fascinating toy, and there was even a smile in the corners of his eyes.


    Pei Zhiyi knew that Shen Mian was truly drunk . After taking care of Shen Mian for so many years, he could tell how drunk Shen Mian was.


    He knew that when Shen Mian woke up the next day, everything about that day would be forgotten.


    So he looked at Shen Mian and softly asked, ¡°If I¡¯m so good-looking, why don¡¯t you like me?¡±


    Shen Mian furrowed his brows in confusion, not understanding what Pei Zhiyi was saying.


    ¡°I like you,¡± he responded, slurring his words. ¡°I like you the most.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi¡¯s eyes were as deep as the sea. The moonlight shimmered on the calm surface of the sea, but deep below, there was a dormant volcano.


    I like you.


    It sounded truly captivating.


    But he also knew very well that that wasn¡¯t the kind of liking he wanted.


    He lightly tapped the corner of Shen Mian¡¯s eye with his finger and asked in a low voice, ¡°How much longer do I have to wait?¡±


    For you to give me the kind of liking I desire.


    This time, Shen Mian didn¡¯t respond.


    Because he had fallen asleep.


    Pei Zhiyi watched him for a while, got up, fetched water, helped Shen Mian wash up, changed him into pajamas, and then tucked him into bed.


    Before going to sleep, he saw the lucky charm placed on the desk, a small blue pendant hanging from the zipper of his backpack.


    Pei Zhiyi held it in his hand.


    He was never someone who believed in deities and wishes.


    But as he looked at that small object, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there really were deities in the world that could bless relationships.


    Whether it was studies or sports he always excelled with little effort.


    Only emotions were beyond his control.


    To the point where he even wanted to place his hopes on elusive wishes.


    Pei Zhiyi stood in front of the desk for a while, then put down the lucky charm.


    Before going to sleep, he heard 007 suddenly sound in his mind: ¡°Random mission: Take care of the intoxicated host Shen Mian. Mission completed, 3 points awarded.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi raised an eyebrow in surprise and said to 007, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    That was practically a freebie.


    The next day, Shen Mian learned that he had gained 3 points when asleep.


    He hadn¡¯t slept well that night and didn¡¯t know if it was because of the alcohol, but he had been dreaming all night.


    However, he was still woken up twenty minutes earlier by Pei Zhiyi.


    ¡°Get up and take a shower. You fell asleep while you were drunk,¡± Pei Zhiyi said as he carried him into the bathroom, adding, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to drink anymore.¡±


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t resist and washed up and brushed his teeth with a dejected look.


    He woke up with a slight headache and immediately regretted drinking the previous night.


    Even until after breakfast and the morning self-study session, Shen Mian still felt listless.


    And when the morning self-study ended, he felt even more down. He heard a piece of news that displeased him.


    Pei Zhiyi¡¯s training camp for that competition would last for a week, and it wasn¡¯t at their school. Several schools had come together and borrowed a training facility to gather those top students for training and friendly competitions.


    They would depart in three days.


    Shen Mian leaned on the desk, his notes scribbled messily.


    Only at times like this would he hate himself for being a school underachiever. He didn¡¯t know how to study hard, so he could only watch others go to the training camp with Pei Zhiyi.


    He felt bored even when he was separated from Pei Zhiyi for two days during the National Day holiday. But now, it would be a whole week, and the thought of it made his stomach ache.


    Shen Mian drew a circle with the tip of his pen on his notebook, feeling that even the teacher¡¯s lecture, the sound of note-taking in the classroom, and the buzzing of insects outside the window irritated him.


    Pei Zhiyi noticed Shen Mian¡¯s low spirits.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to go?¡± he asked Shen Mian softly.


    Shen Mian didn¡¯t know how to answer. No, he really wanted Pei Zhiyi to go. It was a competition that would benefit Pei Zhiyi, and he not only wanted Pei Zhiyi to go but also wanted him to come in first.


    What he hated was that he couldn¡¯t go with him.


    What he hated was that he wouldn¡¯t see Pei Zhiyi for a whole week.


    Shen Mian pursed his lips, scribbled some words on the notebook, and pushed it toward Pei Zhiyi.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, and I want to see you standing on the award stage!¡±


    The exclamation mark was particularly prominent.


    Pei Zhiyi smiled lightly, he didn¡¯t say anything, but gently held Shen Mian¡¯s hand under the desk.


    Shen Mian slightly struggled for a moment, then gave up contentedly.


    While the teacher at the front was talking about the chemical reaction of water and sodium, time seemed to slow down in their corner. The warmth from Pei Zhiyi¡¯s palm spread to the back of Shen Mian¡¯s hand, and his previously restless heart suddenly became calm.


    The tree leaves outside the window cast faint shadows on the notebook. He wrote down the reaction equation and flipped to the next page, only to find that the notebook was used up until the last page.


    On the back cover, right in the center, there was a scribbled heart.


    Three days later, in the evening, the bus to the training camp arrived at the school, and Pei Zhiyi¡¯s luggage was packed next to his bed.


    Shen Mian sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the suitcase with a scrutinizing gaze, wondering if he could hide inside without being noticed.


    Of course, that could only be a thought.


    He still had to go to school, and the training base didn¡¯t allow outsiders to visit.


    During those three days, he received a special task again, which was to knit a scarf for Pei Zhiyi, worth 20 points.


    He complained to Agent 007 while buying the thread. He hid in his room after school, diligently studying the knitting techniques from videos, even more seriously than he did for his studies.


    He chose a turmeric-colored scarf and thought to himself that it would go well with Pei Zhiyi¡¯s face though he felt that his childhood friend was truly a handsome guy, and any color would look good on him.


    He was a little reluctant to part with Pei Zhiyi, but didn¡¯t know what to say, so he tactfully changed the subject, ¡°If my mom and Shen Yu find out I¡¯m knitting a scarf for you, they would definitely tease me endlessly. I can¡¯t even do elementary school crafts properly.¡±


    Actually, how could his mom and sister know?


    It was just a task from the system that he wasn¡¯t allowed to talk about.


    Pei Zhiyi lowered his head and looked at the messy ball of threads. He felt that Shen Mian was not exaggerating, and only he could see that it was a scarf.


    He glanced at the time, there were still fifteen minutes until the bus would leave, and Shen Mian had to go to the evening self-study.


    They would be separated for a week, during which he wouldn¡¯t be able to help Shen Mian with basic tasks.


    So, he took a step forward, lowered his head, and kissed Shen Mian.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this week¡¯s tasks first.¡±


    Pei Zhiyi bit Shen Mian¡¯s lips and murmured unclearly.


    Shen Mian heard it, but it seemed like he didn¡¯t quite catch it.


    He raised his head, blinked his eyelashes, and gently brushed against Pei Zhiyi¡¯s cheek.


    Then, almost instinctively, he opened his lips without waiting for Pei Zhiyi¡¯s tongue to part them, welcoming this invasion.


    His hand grabbed the button on Pei Zhiyi¡¯s chest, a white mother-of-pearl button. That shirt was a gift he gave to Pei Zhiyi the previous year, and now Pei Zhiyi was wearing it to attend the competition.


    ¡­


    When the kiss ended, Shen Mian¡¯s breath was a little unsteady.


    He didn¡¯t even realize that his face was red and he was blushing, and he smiled at Pei Zhiyi, saying, ¡°Brother, do your best in the training and competition, you can do it.¡±