Chapter 13: Is He Your Boyfriend?

Chapter 13: Is He Your Boyfriend?

Inside the fitting room, Qin Liyi looked down at Chi Xingcun, his face a mask of displeasure, his voice sulky.

"It's been a month and a half, and you haven't hit me up once. You didn't even text me back."

Chi Xingcun looked at his brows and eyes, hesitating for a moment before saying, "I don't wanna hang with those people anymore, so I didn't hit you back."

"What's wrong?" Qin Liyi's brow twitched. "Did they give you a hard time?"

Chi Xingcun gave a small shake of his head. "They've always looked down on me. I know."

Qin Liyi paused, his eyes darting, confused. "You know? How do you know? How come I never knew?"

Sure enough, a few of those people looked down on Chi Xingcun. After Qin Liyi warned them, they stopped badmouthing him to his face, but they still did it behind his back.

Qin Liyi had no idea, but Chi Xingcun did.

Chi Xingcun stayed silent, and Qin Liyi took a deep breath before saying, "I'll go back and give them a piece of my mind. If you don't like them, then don't hang with them. How about I take you out alone next time? Just you and me."

For some reason, as he talked, Qin Liyi felt the corners of his mouth twitch up.

But he forced it down right away.

Then he thought again—

"But if you don't like them, why didn't you hit me up either? It's not like I only ask you out to hang with those people."

Chi Xingcun didn't answer and went to leave, but the second he turned, Qin Liyi wrapped his arms around him.

Qin Liyi's arms locked around Chi Xingcun's waist, his whole body pressing into him, shoving his back against the wall.

Before he could say anything, the fitting room curtain was yanked open. They both turned. Xie Yean stood there, his gaze calm and fixed on them.

Chi Xingcun shoved Qin Liyi off, trying to leave, but got pulled back.

"Something up?" Qin Liyi's sharp eyes went cold on Xie Yean.

"You two don't seem to be getting along." Xie Yean stepped forward, freeing Chi Xingcun's wrist from Qin Liyi's grip. "Can you not force my young master?"

The tension was thick. Chi Xingcun could only step between them and say, "Let's talk about this back home. Let's head out first."

After that, Xie Yean sat down for his haircut, and Chi Xingcun went to the living room to wait and watch TV. Qin Liyi stood in front of him, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking pissed.

Then he leaned in close again, eyeing him like a watchdog:

"Who's he? Why didn't you tell me about him?"

Chi Xingcun didn't want to answer, but said anyway, "I just hired him yesterday."

"Where'd you find him?"

"...I met him at Keda." Chi Xingcun had never seen Qin Liyi act like this.

"Get someone else." Qin Liyi said directly. "If you want, I'll find you someone better."

"Don't bother." Chi Xingcun didn't get why he was acting like this. "I'm happy with him."

Qin Liyi gritted his teeth, his jaw tight: "You didn't ask me to get a haircut, but you're going with him instead. Is that it?"

"..." Chi Xingcun paused, his gaze drifting, feeling a bit upset. "It's not like I have to ask you every time."

"What the—?!" Qin Liyi gritted his teeth, about to blow a fuse!

Seeing him mad, Chi Xingcun didn't want to hold back either. He shoved him away and got up to leave: "When you're done with your haircut, just go home. Don't wait for me."

Qin Liyi grabbed his arm: "What's up with you lately? Why aren't you talking to anyone?!"

Chi Xingcun looked up at him: "I just don't want to. What's it to you?"

Qin Liyi's grip tightened on his wrist: "Fu Chenzhan's birthday is in a couple days. You're not coming either?"

Chi Xingcun shot him a fierce glare, and Qin Liyi immediately backed down: "Okay, okay, I won't bring him up. But you can't ignore me too. How about coming over tonight?"

Chi Xingcun's heart softened at his pitiful look: "I have to paint tonight..."

"Tomorrow then." Qin Liyi leaned in. "You don't have class tomorrow afternoon. I'll come get you."

"..."

Qin Liyi was the only one who'd been kind to him in his past life after his identity was exposed, and that left him at a loss.

Forget it. He'd just see how things went. Even if they couldn't be friends anymore, that would take time.

While they talked, Xie Yean, still in the barber chair, kept watching them.

......

That night, Chi Xingcun had a nightmare and woke up soaked in sweat.

He got up, took a sip of the water by his bed, then after a moment, headed downstairs.

He was craving some ice water.

As he reached the ice machine, he heard footsteps behind him. He spun around—it was Xie Yean.

Xie Yean had gotten a perm today, and with his sharp, cold features, he looked like a tall, elegant figure—aloof to outsiders but obedient to his master, like a little dog.

"Can't sleep either?" Xie Yean's voice was clear and even.

Chi Xingcun looked at him. "What about you?"

Xie Yean walked over to him. "Can't sleep. Wanted to get some water."

Xie Yean poured the water, took a sip, then glanced at the guy beside him with his narrow eyes, his thin lips parting slightly:

"That guy today—is he your friend, or... your boyfriend?"

Chi Xingcun froze, eyes wide, then felt his whole body go red with embarrassment, stammering: "He's just a friend! How—how could I ever be with him?!"

"But he doesn't seem to think so." Xie Yean watched Chi Xingcun's changing expression and said bluntly.

Chi Xingcun was stunned again and quickly said, "No way! Don't talk nonsense! He's straight!"

He couldn't even look at Xie Yean anymore. He set his cup down and ran back upstairs.

He buried his face in his pillow, thinking—did Xie Yean know he was into guys?

...Well, Xie Yean and the friends he'd made at Keda probably all knew about his thing for Fu Chenzhan...

Chi Xingcun tilted his head, thinking—he'd liked Fu Chenzhan since he was a kid and had never liked any other guy. Maybe he wasn't actually gay. Could he ever fall for a girl?

......

The next day, after Chi Xingcun finished his morning classes and walked out of the school gate, he saw Qin Liyi's car parked at the entrance, with Qin Liyi himself leaning against the car door like a supermodel, and tons of people around couldn't help but sneak glances at him.

Wherever Qin Liyi went, he received this kind of treatment. His face was more chiseled than any TV celebrity's, so handsome it drove people crazy, coupled with a wild and unrestrained aura, and a crazy number of girls had crushes on him.

He was undeniably the undisputed campus heartthrob at his school.

But today, he was different from usual. Normally, he wore a smile everywhere he went, charming and sociable, but today, for some reason, his face was dark as he stared at his phone.

It wasn't until he looked up and saw Chi Xingcun approaching that a smile finally broke through.

"Young Master!"