Chapter 15
The night was cold, and a heavy pressure hung around the gymnasium. Students passing by all detoured around the area, though their eyes were still drawn uncontrollably toward the center of attention.
Xie Ning, his expression cool and detached, was sitting in a wheelchair, slightly lifting his chin as he looked at Pei Zhi. His upturned face looked pure and hazy under the moonlight, as though softened by a filter.
In front of him, Pei Zhi and Shen Ye stood in open confrontation.
Pei Zhi firmly shielded Xie Ning behind him. His already sharp features now radiated undisguised aggression. He was tall to begin with, and simply standing there without doing anything already gave off a strong sense of pressure. After training, his muscles were still in a state of tension, making him look like a beast ready to throw itself into battle at any moment.
Shen Ye had indeed been startled, but that did not mean he would actually back down.
The tense atmosphere was like a tautly stretched string. It felt as though a long time had passed, though in truth it lasted only the blink of an eye.
Then suddenly, Xie Ning sneezed.
Pei Zhi’s expression changed instantly. A second ago he had looked vicious enough to tear someone apart, but now his brows were full of concern. He hurriedly draped the jacket hanging over his arm onto Xie Ning, then bent down halfway and pressed the back of his hand to Xie Ning’s cheek.
Cold.
Pei Zhi said regretfully, “Are you freezing? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made you wait this long. Let’s go back.”
Xie Ning was not actually cold. On the contrary, he found this slightly cool temperature very comfortable.
But the faint chill of his skin gave the other person the illusion that he was freezing. No matter how he tried to explain, the jacket had already been draped over him.
Pei Zhi’s jacket was far too big on Xie Ning. With the zipper pulled all the way up, it covered part of his pointed little chin.
Even that was not enough. Pei Zhi then took a face mask out of his pocket, hooked a finger under Xie Ning’s hair, and looped the elastic behind his ear. Only after finishing all this did Pei Zhi move behind the wheelchair and start pushing him.
His attentive attitude was so dramatic that it left people dumbfounded. One second ago he had looked like a vicious wolf ready to tear his enemy into pieces, and the next he had turned into a docile guard dog protecting its home.
It was a slightly strange comparison, but an accurate one.
Unwilling to give up, Shen Ye chased after them. Before he could speak, Xie Ning spoke first. “Although I’ve said this many times already, I can say it once more—and for the last time. First, I am not gay, and your pursuit is causing me distress. Second, you are very rude.”
“Don’t make this uglier than it already is.”
Xie Ning hated trouble, especially this kind of clinging persistence after being rejected.
Rejected once again, Shen Ye looked dejected. Then he looked at Pei Zhi, jealousy multiplying wildly like bacteria. He said, “Then what about Pei Zhi? If you’re not gay, then what about him?”
“Don’t tell me you two are just friends.”
Shen Ye did not believe that a mere friendship could make Pei Zhi go this far.
Xie Ning said, “We really are just friends.”
…
The wheels rolled over the ground with a faint sound.
Xie Ning had gotten rid of a persistent pursuer, so Pei Zhi should have been happy. But somehow, he did not seem quite as happy as he should have been.
They were walking along a pedestrian path where the lighting was dim. Not far away, someone whispered, “Did you see the forum post? Pei Zhi fighting Shen Ye over Xie Ning—it was incredible!”
“Huh? But isn’t Pei Zhi homophobic? He’s obviously straight, right?” someone else said. “Anyway, Xie Ning is definitely straight.”
“Then does that mean my bestie still has a chance?!”
“…”
No chance.
Xie Ning was not gay, but he was not straight either.
Pei Zhi answered inwardly. Xie Ning had said so himself.
Even so, Pei Zhi still pretended to ask casually, “What kind of girls do you like?”
Xie Ning said helplessly, “I told you, I don’t like girls.”
Then he added, “And I don’t like boys either.”
Xie Ning remembered that Pei Zhi disliked gay people very much. Could that be why Pei Zhi kept asking to make sure?
After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Do you really dislike gay people that much?”
“Yeah,” Pei Zhi said. “I used to get harassed all the time, so I’ve got a psychological shadow from it.”
Then he asked, “What about you?”
“Me? I don’t really care,” Xie Ning said. “But just like you, as long as they don’t harass me, it’s fine.”
Xie Ning was indifferent to many things, as long as they did not involve him personally. He emphasized again, “I’m not interested in dating.”
Pei Zhi gave an “mm,” then said, “Me too.”
Pei Zhi had seen several teammates who used to train enthusiastically every day, all sunny and upbeat. But after they started dating, they neglected their studies, became insecure and overly emotional, fought one moment and went on dates the next, and dragged their friends into endless relationship analysis.
Their friends had said eight hundred times that they were incompatible and told them to break up. They themselves had also said eight hundred times that this time they were definitely done, that they truly could not take it anymore.
Then one refresh of Moments later, the same person who had sworn they were breaking up would post a couple photo from a date, with the caption: Who still hasn’t had a sweet campus romance?
Originally, Pei Zhi had thought those classmates at least had clear minds. He could not understand why, once they started dating, they all seemed to develop split personalities.
It was fucking stupid.
Xie Ning not dating was good. Very wise.
If he did not date, he would not turn into an idiot.
But what would Xie Ning be like in a relationship? Would he still be as cold and aloof as he was now? Or would he become completely different—clingy, for example?
Would he be even clingier than Pei Zhi already imagined?
Probably not.
At night, when they slept together, Xie Ning hugged him. Sleeping Xie Ning would unconsciously rub his cheek against Pei Zhi’s chest. His breathing would be even, his expression deeply satisfied.
That was already clingy enough.
After thinking it through carefully, Pei Zhi decided he really did not need to date.
What was so good about dating anyway? At most, you just ate together, went shopping, went on dates… Everything a romantic relationship could offer, he could do with Xie Ning too, as long as Xie Ning was willing.
He could not help thinking again—if neither of them dated, could they just keep this kind of relationship forever?
That would be perfect.
Luckily, both of them were straight guys.
