Chapter 17: Throwing into someone's arms

Yin Xiuzhu looked up and saw Qi Mu entangled with his clothes.

He smiled slightly, walked over, and said, “Let me help.”

Qi Mu’s entire head was stuck in his clothes, and his voice was muffled, “The buttons are in the front, find them for me.”

Yin Xiuzhu replied, “Okay.”

As he spoke, he reached out and felt around Qi Mu’s neck. The buttons were at the front collar, but they were hard to find because Qi Mu had turned the whole garment inside out. Yin Xiuzhu fumbled for a while before his fingers touched the buttons…

Qi Mu chuckled, “That tickles.”

Yin Xiuzhu suddenly froze.

Qi Mu said, “Don’t touch my ticklish spots.” His voice was soft and seemed coquettish, probably because he felt hot and stifled by the clothes.

Yin Xiuzhu hadn’t thought much of it at first, but in that instant, he felt as if those words were like a delicate feather, unintentionally brushing against his ear, making all his nerves tremble slightly.

“I…” He paused, “I didn’t mean to.”

“I know,” Qi Mu urged, “Hurry up, I’m going to die from the heat!”

Yin Xiuzhu snapped back to reality, a bit embarrassed, “Okay.”

Qi Mu turned his head and had another idea, “Wait, let me straighten out the clothes, it’ll be easier to find the buttons.”

It was a brilliant idea, so brilliant that it left his upper body completely exposed, his straight back looking like a soft white rice cake with two red beans on it.

Yin Xiuzhu’s head buzzed, an inexplicable heat filling his chest.

“Yin Xiuzhu?”

Yin Xiuzhu exhaled lightly, “Found it.”

The buttons were undone, and Qi Mu finally took off the damn clothes. His small head emerged, his hair sticking up messily, his eyes, nose, and lips all tinged with a red blush from the heat. He took a deep breath and complained, “Stupid shirt, so troublesome.”

Yin Xiuzhu’s voice was a bit stuttering, “They look pretty nice.”

“Then it’s yours!” Qi Mu said as if tossing a hot potato, “If I throw them away, my mom will scold me. Just say you liked it, and I gave it to you!”

Yin Xiuzhu: “…”

“That’s settled then,” Qi Mu said happily, taking off his shorts and heading to the bathroom with his butt exposed.

Yin Xiuzhu didn’t dare to look at him at all. He stood there for a long time before slowly picking up the dark blue shirt with the white collar.

He didn’t know what was wrong with him, only that his palm holding the shirt felt incredibly itchy as if thousands of ants were gnawing at it.

He wanted to let go but couldn’t help gripping it tighter.

After Qi Mu finished his shower, he glanced at Yin Xiuzhu and said, “Why is your face so red? Go take a cool shower before you get heatstroke.”

Yin Xiuzhu stared straight ahead, “Okay.”

He entered the bathroom, and Qi Mu shouted from behind, “Hey, aren’t you going to take off your clothes?”

Yin Xiuzhu paused for a moment before saying, “There’s a clothes rack in the bathroom.”

Qi Mu laughed loudly from outside, “Come on, we’re so close, are you still shy?”

Yin Xiuzhu closed his eyes, turned on the shower, and doused himself with cold water.

Unable to sit still, Qi Mu started wandering around again. He saw Yin Xiuzhu’s open suitcase and curiously approached it.

This guy’s suitcase was just as neat and organized as his appearence. Everything was organized and placed meticulously, forming a stark contrast to Qi Mu’s messy luggage.

Because it was so orderly, everything was clear at a glance. Qi Mu immediately noticed a stack of test papers and a few books, which gave him a headache.

Bringing homework on a trip? His dear Yin Xiaozhu gone crazy studying!

Under the books, a blue piece of clothing was sticking out. This was the only messy part of the whole suitcase, and Qi Mu immediately recognized it as his discarded shirt.

He chuckled to himself, thinking, “He doesn’t mind it, huh.” Actually, this kind of little shirt suits Yin Xiuzhu quite well. It makes him look especially obedient. Hmm, obedient might not be the right word for a boy; Tyrant Qi racked his brains to come up with the perfect word—distinguished!

When Yin Xiuzhu came out, he was completely calm. Qi Mu saw that he had changed clothes and asked, “Where are your old clothes?”

They were all soaked, and taking them out would be hard to explain, so Yin Xiuzhu said, “I washed them.”

Qi Mu quickly said, “Wash mine too, then. I already feel bad enough giving you an old shirt, and it’s all sweaty…”

“It’s fine.” Yin Xiuzhu interrupted before Qi Mu could finish.

Qi Mu was puzzled, “Why?”

Yin Xiuzhu: “…” He couldn’t explain it. He himself didn’t know why. It was as if he was afraid of touching that shirt or perhaps liked it so much that he couldn’t bear for it to undergo any change. His palms started to itch again, an indescribable sensation causing waves of shivers.

Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden knocking on the door.

Yin Xiuzhu got up to open the door, and Xu Xiaoming’s cheerful face instantly froze: What the hell happened again? Did I knock on the wrong door?

Qi Mu hadn’t paid much attention initially, but Xu Xiaoming’s interruption made him forget the matter, “Did you both shower?”

Xu Xiaoming finally found his voice, “Yeah, we did.”

“The teacher is staying next door. Should we ask for permission to go out?” Xu Xiaoming suggested in a low voice.

Qi Mu had been itching to leave for a while. He immediately stood up, “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s explore.”

This summer camp had been meticulously chosen by Qi Dashan, with five teachers in charge, almost a one-to-one ratio. There was no other choice; after all, they were all young masters. Without proper security, no family would dare let them out alone.

Although they didn’t have any activities planned for the afternoon, they weren’t allowed to roam around freely. The villa complex had security guards, and there were surveillance cameras everywhere outside. The teachers provided them with some independence but were quietly monitored to ensure their safety.

Qi Mu and Xu Xiaoming eagerly went to find the teacher.

The teacher next door was Teacher Zhao, who had previously welcomed them. He was quite young, about twenty-five or twenty-six, a former marine with a bright and sunny demeanor.

Teacher Zhao said, “Let’s go, I’ll take you out for a look around, but you must not run off. This place isn’t like the city; the security isn’t as good.”

Xu Xiaoming nodded repeatedly, “Okay, okay!” He agreed enthusiastically but hadn’t really listened.

Teacher Zhao smiled, called over two more companions, and the seven of them set off.

The villa was built by the sea, and within a minute or two, they were on the beach.

Having spent most of their time in the concrete jungle of the city, seeing the vast, boundless sea was liberating. It felt as though all their worries were blown away by the sea breeze, and all their trivial thoughts were gently carried away by the seagulls.

Yin Xiuzhu’s chaotic mind also gradually found peace.

“Yin Xiuzhu!” Qi Mu called out loudly.

Yin Xiuzhu turned his head to look, and in an instant, the seagulls that had flown away came back, dropping all the little thoughts they had taken, and filling his chest to the brim.

Against the golden horizon, the water had turned a brilliant orange-yellow. A slender boy, eyes curved into a smile, revealing playful little tiger teeth, ran towards him. It seemed as if, by spreading his arms, he could embrace him completely.

—To pull him from the sunset’s afterglow and the boundless sea, and hold him tight.

“This is for you.” Qi Mu placed a palm-sized white seashell in his hand.

Yin Xiuzhu took a breath, “It’s beautiful.”

“Isn’t it?” Qi Mu said, grinning, “Lift it up and look.”

Yin Xiuzhu raised the shell, aligning it with the setting sun. The warm light penetrated the thin shell, dyeing it a beautiful gold.

Qi Mu asked, “Doesn’t it look like gold?”

Yin Xiuzhu nodded, “Yes.”

“Gold from the sea.” Qi Mu said, “Such a beautiful gem.”

Qi Dashan worked in jewelry, and Qiao Jin was a jewelry designer. Although they never forced their careers and hobbies on their son, Qi Mu had been exposed to it much more than others.

He liked shiny things, without caring about their value.

They returned to the villa for dinner. Teacher Zhao took on the role of head chef, with the four young boys assisting, cooking a pot of seafood.

Little Fang Junqi had no food aversions. He looked at Xu Xiaoming’s plate and asked, “You’re not eating this sea urchin?”

Xu Xiaoming replied, “It’s all yours! Can’t believe you don’t mind the fishy taste!”

Fang Junqi responded, “Fishy? It’s so fresh!”

Qi Mu was struggling with a crab. After a long battle, he exclaimed, “I miss Aunt Chen.” Aunt Chen was an expert at peeling crabs, able to cleanly extract every bit of meat from a whole crab.

Yin Xiuzhu took the crab from him and said, “Let me do it.”

Qi Mu protested, “You haven’t eaten yet.”

Yin Xiuzhu replied, “I don’t like crabs.” As he spoke, he carefully began to peel the crab for Qi Mu.

After eating a couple of pieces of crab meat, Qi Mu belatedly asked, “If you don’t like crab, how are you so good at peeling them?”

Yin Xiuzhu: “…”

Xu Xiaoming chimed in, “Is there anything Yin Xiuzhu isn’t good at?”

That made sense, and Tyrant Qi was completely convinced.

After dinner, there was still quite a bit of time before bed. With a smile, Teacher Zhao suggested, “If you can’t sleep, how about I tell you a ghost story?”

Xu Xiaoming, ever the drama queen, immediately shouted, “Yes, yes!”

Then he looked at the others and asked, “You’re not scared, are you?”

Fang Junqi calmly replied, “What’s there to be afraid of?”

Yin Xiuzhu shook his head.

Xu Xiaoming completely skipped over Tyrant Qi. As if! Our Tyrant Qi could never be afraid of ghost stories!

In reality, Tyrant Qi’s mouth was already twitching in fear. Damn it… Xu Xiaoming, you bastard!

Teacher Zhao, having led many summer camps before, was very experienced. His ghost story was chilling, eerie, and perfectly complemented by the cold air blowing from the air conditioner, making everyone’s back feel cold.

“Ahhh!” Xu Xiaoming screamed like a ghost, practically falling over in fright.

If Qi Mu didn’t have a reputation to maintain, he would have screamed along with him.

Teacher Zhao laughed heartily, “Alright, alright, it’s all fake. Go back to sleep.”

Sleep? How could anyone sleep after that?

Back at their villa, as they climbed the stairs, Xu Xiaoming humbly pleaded, “Mu Mu, Brother Mu, can we switch rooms?”

Qi Mu was trying hard to suppress his shivering, “What’s the fuss?”

Xu Xiaoming clung to the fat guy’s arm, “I want to sleep in the same bed as Little Fatty. I need to hold him. If I’m alone, I’ll die of fright!”

Qi Mu couldn’t help but feel relieved, “Come on, it’s just a ghost story. Is it really that scary? Go back to your room and sleep!”

With that, he grabbed Yin Xiuzhu’s hand and went back to their room, shutting the door without mercy.

It was getting late, so they got into bed early.

Yin Xiuzhu noticed Qi Mu was a bit tense, “Are you scared?”

Qi Mu would never admit it, “What’s there to be scared of? I’m not like that coward, Xu Xiaoming.”

Yin Xiuzhu responded, “Should I turn off the light?”

“Sure.” Qi Mu swiftly slipped under the covers, revealing only a pair of eyes.

Yin Xiuzhu felt a warmth in his heart but showed no expression on his face. He knew Qi Mu cared about his pride and didn’t want to embarrass him.

After turning off the light, he also got into bed.

The bed was very large, enough for two young men to sleep with room for another person in between.

Qi Mu was timid, his mind filled with Teacher Zhao’s tales of eerie female ghosts. He always felt the curtain drifting as if there was a face…

Damn it! Qi Mu scared himself half to death!

He wanted to be closer to Yin Xiuzhu but didn’t want to expose his timidness. He waited and waited until Yin Xiuzhu’s breathing evened out. He whispered softly, “Yin Xiuzhu?”

Yin Xiuzhu didn’t respond.

Qi Mu asked quietly, “Are you asleep?”

Yin Xiuzhu remained motionless.

Qi Mu breathed a sigh of relief, certain that he was asleep. He carefully moved closer, inch by inch, wanting to be nearer to him.

“Meow~ Meow~”

A cat’s cry outside completely terrified Tyrant Qi. He immediately dove into Yin Xiuzhu’s embrace, tightly wrapping his arms around Yin Xiuzhu’s waist.