Chapter 52: I Am a Bad Person
Chi Wang wasn’t lacking in emotional intelligence; under normal circumstances, he would respond gracefully. But at times like this, he became a bit bashful.
It wasn’t entirely his fault. When Luo Lianyun and Shu Tingyu occasionally made some intimate or over-the-top remarks—like saying Chi Wang was excellent at managing the household and that they’d marry him if he were a girl—Chi Wang would respond good-naturedly, telling them to wait for the next life.
Joking back and forth, Chi Wang didn’t find it strange. Even in high school, when he saw two boys hugging or sitting on each other’s laps, he didn’t think there was anything unusual.
Because when straight guys joke around and tease each other, there’s always an open and straightforward feeling, like sunshine.
But with someone who isn’t straight… Uh, he wasn’t implying that Xie Siheng was gay. In any case, Chi Wang could feel that the atmosphere when talking to Xie was different.
Previously, Xie would look at him, but his dark eyes seemed devoid of emotion, as if covered with a light frost—leaving no trace, as if nothing could linger. While he could converse more freely, his gaze was always restrained and indifferent.
Now, the way Xie looked at him, combined with his tone of voice, gave Chi Wang the same awkward feeling he had when Xie naturally held his hand during their visit to the company last time.
Chi Wang didn’t have experience in this area, but his rational mind instinctively taught him how to respond—subconsciously building a defensive wall to prevent Xie from getting any closer.
Therefore, Chi Wang exhibited a kind of low emotional intelligence.
Xie naturally changed the subject. “Exams are coming up; you should go study.”
Chi Wang breathed a sigh of relief and immediately went to review.
That night, Chi Wang walked out of the bathroom and saw Xie wearing a blue-gray pajama shirt, his short hair slightly messy, sitting calmly on the bed looking at his laptop.
Chi Wang slowly walked over and said to Xie, “What are you doing?”
Xie lifted his thin eyelids to glance at him and replied softly, “Looking at this quarter’s financial statements.”
Chi Wang leaned in to look at the densely packed numbers, studying them seriously. Xie asked, “Interested?”
Chi Wang answered, “It’s okay, but this dynamic table isn’t done well. It’s not clear enough and easily overlooks the turnover rate.”
Xie: “…It is a bit.”
Chi Wang said, “If I did it, it would be better.”
The corners of Xie’s mouth lifted slightly. Chi Wang noticed from the corner of his eye and paused, turning his head to look. Sure enough, Xie was smiling. He couldn’t help but feel puzzled. “Why are you smiling? Don’t you believe me?”
Xie’s slight smile faded, and he softened his voice. “No.”
In this moment, he inexplicably felt satisfied and naturally smiled.
Chi Wang’s beautiful eyes glanced at him skeptically, then he tactfully stepped back, smoothly slipping under the covers, turning his back to prepare for sleep.
Xie didn’t want to sleep so early. He closed the laptop and spoke to Chi Wang, “Do you have any dreams?”
Chi Wang turned his body to face him and said, “I actually do. I want to become a shining adult.”
Xie looked down at him, meeting his gaze. “You already are.”
Chi Wang laughed, “Sweet words from a capitalist are both delightful and painful.”
Xie: “…”
Was that both a jab and a compliment?
Xie asked, “In your eyes, am I a capitalist?”
Chi Wang blinked innocently. “No, look at you, why are you taking it personally?”
Xie pressed his lips together, his teeth itching. “Then what am I in your eyes?”
Chi Wang tugged at the quilt, wrapping half his face, and whispered, “A good person.”
Xie said, “I’m a bad person.”
As he spoke, he reached out and pulled down Chi Wang’s quilt, messing up his hair, and expressionlessly pinched his cheek.
Chi Wang, now sporting a messy hairstyle, was a bit dumbfounded but quickly reacted, “What are you doing?”
Xie remained expressionless, “Nothing.”
Just doing something he’d always wanted to do.
Hmm… the feeling was quite nice.
Chi Wang wanted to swallow his anger; after all, Xie’s aura was intimidating, making it hard for anyone to retaliate.
But seeing Xie pinch his cheek again before withdrawing his hand, Chi Wang got angry. He reached out to pinch Xie’s face, but Xie tilted his head slightly, dodging him. In a fit of annoyance, Chi Wang grabbed Xie’s chest.
Xie: “…”
Chi Wang squeezed once and felt it was quite firm. Unable to resist, he squeezed again.
Xie grabbed his hand, his voice deepening, “Stop squeezing.”
When Xie wore a cold expression, he was quite intimidating. For a moment, Chi Wang was indeed startled, thinking Xie was angry. But then he thought, since Xie touched him first, he had every reason to retaliate. So he said righteously, “You pinched me first.”
Xie released his hand, pulled the quilt back up to cover Chi Wang, “Go to sleep.”
Chi Wang found himself unable to sleep. He pulled the quilt down again, revealing his whole face, his eyes shining faintly as he looked at Xie, “Did you originally want to pursue a career in research?”
Xie paused and looked down at him, “Why do you ask?”
Chi Wang vaguely said, “Otherwise, why would you study physics? Someone like you should be studying business, right?”
Xie asked back, “Someone like me? What kind of person am I?”
Chi Wang said, “A capitalist.”
Xie: “…So you’re not pretending anymore?”
Chi Wang laughed, chattering away, “I was just joking with you earlier. Look at you, taking it seriously.”
Xie: “…”
He found that sometimes Chi Wang could be quite playful.
Xie reached out again, but Chi Wang quickly grabbed his fingers, “Don’t touch me. Men shouldn’t casually touch each other, you know.”
But Xie instead turned his hand and held Chi Wang’s.
Chi Wang’s hand was immediately enveloped in Xie’s warm palm.
Holding hands is quite a marvelous thing. The touch of the palm is delicate, combining softness and firmness. One can easily feel certain emotions through holding hands.
Holding hands with parents conveys love and protection.
Holding hands with someone of the opposite sex brings a different kind of intimacy.
This doesn’t need to be taught; the body and emotional senses naturally receive and respond to these signals.
That’s why Chi Wang felt awkward. He was good at managing relationships with friends, so he had many friends.
But none of his friends would hold hands with him—even among straight male friends, holding hands was too intimate. The same goes for girls; he rarely saw girls holding hands—at most, they might link arms.
Chi Wang tried to pull his hand away, and Xie quickly released it. His palm and the back of his hand still retained Xie’s warmth, a faint itch lingering on his skin. In the quiet night, this feeling was particularly clear and hard to ignore.
Xie withdrew his hand without a trace, his facial expression unchanged, and answered Chi Wang’s question, “I have the freedom to choose.”
After speaking, he paused, extended his arm to turn off the light, and said calmly, “Sleep well. Good night.”
Seeing his indifferent demeanor, Chi Wang inexplicably felt a bit annoyed.
But he didn’t know what he was annoyed about. Maybe it was mood swings from the pregnancy?
In any case, Chi Wang didn’t settle down to sleep. After Xie turned off the nightlight, he bent his leg and lightly kicked Xie’s waist, then twisted into a strange sleeping position, placing both legs on Xie.
Chi Wang felt a bit smug, wanting to see how Xie would react.
Xie reached out, grabbed his leg, and began massaging it through his pajama pants.
Chi Wang: “…”
Wait, shouldn’t he have pushed my legs off?
Why is he turning into a masseur and giving me a leg massage?
However, Chi Wang found that the massage felt quite comfortable, so he didn’t correct this unexpected turn of events. He adjusted his sleeping posture and closed his eyes without a word.
Xie kept his hand on Chi Wang’s thigh, massaging slowly and steadily. Even after Chi Wang fell asleep, he continued to knead his leg gently.
And so, the night passed peacefully.
*
Final exams began, and Chi Wang spent more time at school. He didn’t return to Xie’s home for lunch, so the housekeeper delivered meals to his dormitory.
At noon, Chi Wang rested in the dorm room that Xie had arranged for him. The room was spacious, with a short-fiber carpet, making it very comfortable for naps.
However, when meals were delivered to the dorm, the portions were naturally larger, as they included servings for Luo Lianyun and Shu Tingyu.
Sometimes, Luo couldn’t help but marvel at Xie’s thoughtfulness. For a guy to be so considerate was truly commendable.
He later realized why Xie had given him and Shu cameras—to thank them. Giving money would be too tacky, so he gave them cameras. They wouldn’t use them in front of Chi Wang, and it wasn’t convenient to use them in the dorm. If they weren’t interested in photography, they could sell them for a sum of money.
It was a classy and sincere gift.
Luo didn’t keep the camera; he and Shu sold them, got over 60,000 yuan, deposited it into an account, and planned to give it to Chi Wang at an appropriate time.
But finding the right time was difficult. Although Chi Wang was poor, he was quite proud and wouldn’t accept their money.
They discussed it and decided not to give it to Chi Wang directly but to give it to his baby. That way, Chi Wang would have no reason to refuse.
Chi Wang was unaware of all this. He and Luo had lunch together, cleaned up the dishes in the bathroom, and, seeing the messy dorm, couldn’t help but grab a mop and start cleaning.
Shu was startled and quickly got up to take the mop, “Let me do it; it’s my turn today.”
Chi Wang relinquished control but not without scolding, “When I’m not here, you guys just let loose, huh?”
Feeling guilty, Shu lowered his head and mopped the floor. Luo quietly climbed into bed but was pulled back down by Chi Wang grabbing his waistband, “Get down and tidy up your desk. It’s a mess; throw away those tissues.”
Luo: “…”
He laughed and agreed, quickly organizing his desk.
Seeing them both busy, Chi Wang stood by with his hands behind his back like a leader. After they finished cleaning, he remembered something and asked, “By the way, how’s it going with finding girlfriends? It’s been a few months since that group date. Any progress?”
When Chi Wang mentioned this, Luo grinned even wider, “Yes, I have a girlfriend now. I’ll introduce her to you when we’re more familiar.”
Shu sighed, “I didn’t succeed; we became more like siblings.”
Luo said, “Shu hasn’t opened his heart yet. He reads novels all day. I even caught him reading yaoi manga.”
Chi Wang curiously asked, “Yaoi manga? What’s that?”
Shu blushed and coughed, “It’s comics about boys in romantic relationships. I was just curious. I also read yuri manga.”
Chi Wang heard a new term, “Yuri? What’s that?”
Luo explained, “Girls in love with girls; it’s called yuri.”
Chi Wang scratched his head, “Oh, that’s quite poetic, naming it after a flower.”
He paused and complained, “But why is girls with girls called ‘yuri,’ and boys with boys called ‘yaoi’? That’s so crude and unrefined.”
Shu: “…”
Shu patiently explained to him in detail, and Chi Wang finally understood.
This was a bit beyond his comprehension. Chi Wang extended his hand to Shu, “Send me some; I want to see what it’s about.”
Shu said with a hint of resignation, “You already have a baby on the way; you should understand this better than us.”
Chi Wang: “…”
Why do you sound like a scorned woman?
But in truth, he didn’t understand. The baby in his belly came about so confusingly, and he had no memory of the process.
