ALCSRB Chapter 63

Seeing Shen Xingyan curl his lips into just the faintest smirk, Jiang Mingyi pressed his own lips together and fell silent.

Thirty push-ups would be a lot of pressure for your average guy — but when Shen Xingyan started doing them so easily, everyone around them wore exaggerated looks of shock.

“Is this easier for him than sit-ups or what?!”

“Look at those arm muscles — you can tell he works out alot.”

“Good-looking, rich, and a body like that… with arms and core strength like this, I bet he’s pretty amazing in… other areas too.”

A few of the girls couldn’t help but let the conversation drift into spicier territory while the guys on the sidelines could only watch, green with envy.

Zhang Tao stood off to one side, his face dark. He’d designed this dare to make himself the center of attention — and now it had just turned into a show for someone else. The resentment brewing in his chest nearly made him choke.

Unlike them, each with their own thoughts, Jiang Mingyi found himself holding his breath every single time Shen Xingyan lowered himself over him. His heartbeat grew faster and faster, until his handsome face was flushed red.

He’d never imagined that watching someone do thirty push-ups could feel so damn endless. At first, he’d tried to count along, but his chaotic heartbeat soon ruined any rhythm. It was like the numbers blurred into the pounding in his ears, impossible to keep straight.

Why the hell did this guy look so relaxed doing push-ups — and why did he keep staring at him like that?

They were so close — wasn’t he afraid he’d go cross-eyed?

Jiang Mingyi’s mind was a mess of these random thoughts, his fingers clutching the fabric of his jeans so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

And those curious, probing looks from the other classmates only made every inch of him itch with discomfort.

Why did he even agree to come to this stupid reunion? It was so awkward and pointless.

Meanwhile, Shen Xingyan’s eyes stayed fixed on him, that unwavering gaze not the least bit affected by his movement. He took in every tiny flicker of expression on the boy’s face.

He could see how nervous Jiang Mingyi was — the flush that spread behind his ears, distinct from the blush on his cheeks.

He noticed how Jiang Mingyi’s eyes darted around, yet never once dared to meet his own.

A faint, secret satisfaction rose up in him, but on the surface he just kept doing push-ups, calm and casual as ever.

This bit of exertion was nothing to him — like drinking a glass of water. If the dare hadn’t lined up so perfectly with what he wanted, Shen Xingyan would’ve just accepted the penalty shot instead.

But seeing every little nuance of Jiang Mingyi’s flustered face, Shen Xingyan found himself rather appreciating this game’s… hidden perks.

Jiang Mingyi, of course, had no idea what was going through his head. Amid the chaos, his own heartbeat finally synced back into something steady, thanks to Yu Qing counting the reps out loud with absolute focus.

“…28, 29, 30. Shen-ge, you’re amazing.”

Out of everyone, only Yu Qing’s thoughts stayed pure. She counted to the end with utmost seriousness, didn’t forget to praise him, and handed over the grape she’d prepared in advance.

Jiang Mingyi had just let out a tiny breath of relief when he immediately froze up again.

His eyes widened as Shen Xingyan bit down on the dark, purple grape — then slowly leaned closer.

That face, closing in, looked more predatory than ever. It was just a grape, just a silly feeding dare, yet the way Shen Xingyan approached made Jiang Mingyi feel like he was about to be devoured whole.

That ridiculous thought had barely flashed through his mind when he felt a sudden coolness on his lips.

The grape had obviously been chilled — and now that icy touch sent a tiny shiver through him.

Jiang Mingyi’s lips were still pressed lightly together, but that sudden chill made him instinctively clamp them shut even tighter.

In Shen Xingyan’s dark eyes, a faint smile flickered. Still holding the grape between his teeth, he brushed it against Jiang Mingyi’s soft, flushed lips — as if urging him to just open up already.

“Those push-ups were so easy for him, and now he only has to feed a grape? That’s too simple.”

Someone’s voice rang out from the crowd, plucking at the taut string of Jiang Mingyi’s nerves.

Right — all he had to do was eat the grape quickly and the dare would be over. No more of this restless, flustered suspense that left his heart pounding and his face burning.

Why had he been so dumb, pursing his lips like that, practically rejecting Shen Xingyan feeding him?

Stupid. He should have just opened his mouth naturally, taken the grape like it was nothing, and let no one see the mess inside his head — then it’d be done, simple as that.

Thinking this, Jiang Mingyi loosened the tight seal of his lips.

The moment his lips parted just a sliver, the chilled grape slipped in — but hot on its heels came another, completely different warmth.

Jiang Mingyi’s eyes flew wide open, dark pupils reflecting Shen Xingyan’s breathtaking features now so close he could count every eyelash. In those deep, black eyes lurked something primal, like some abyssal beast rearing up to roar at the world — a beast that had been caged away from light, now howling out its wild exhilaration.

Then something warm and slick brushed his tongue.

Jiang Mingyi jolted like he’d been struck by lightning.

It took him a split second to register what that extra “something” was, tangled up with the grape inside his mouth — and when he did, his face went scarlet.

H-He… he put his tongue in too?!

At that moment, Jiang Mingyi didn’t even dare to move a muscle. He didn’t dare imagine what the others might think if they saw this. His whole world felt like it had been flipped upside down.

All those kisses with Shen Xingyan before — those had all been accidents, at least in his mind. Totally accidental.

But now? Shen Xingyan had slipped his tongue right into his mouth, in front of everyone.

This was not normal!

Shen Xingyan narrowed his eyes slightly, catching that flicker of distraction in Jiang Mingyi’s expression.

This guy — spacing out even now? Did he really think Shen Xingyan wouldn’t take it further if he let his guard down?

If there hadn’t been other people around, he might not have been able to restrain himself.

But at this moment, Shen Xingyan still managed to rein in his desire. He pulled his tongue back, smooth and subtle, so cleanly that it almost seemed like nothing had happened.

The whole motion of lowering his head to feed him the grape had only lasted a few seconds — and with the angle of his head blocking Jiang Mingyi almost completely, no one around them noticed what he’d really done.

But when he got up from the sofa, Jiang Mingyi’s thoroughly flushed face was still laid bare for everyone to see.

Yu Qing, ever the considerate one, handed him a tissue. “Jiang Mingyi, the grape juice dripped — quick, wipe it off.”

Her gaze was so pure that Jiang Mingyi felt like he was the dirty one. How could he be so flustered just because Shen Xingyan had slipped his tongue in by accident?

He grabbed the tissue in a hurry, wiping away at the corner of his mouth like he could erase every telltale trace.

“Thanks!”

When he was done, he tossed the tissue into a nearby trash bin. With his eyes lowered, he could feel Shen Xingyan standing right next to him, but he didn’t dare lift his head to look.

Meanwhile, Shen Xingyan casually grabbed a bottle of red wine and filled four glasses to the brim, his eyes sweeping over the four guys in the private room with a faint, mocking smile.

“Now it’s your turn.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the private room sharp and clear, landing like a hammer on the four guys — a crisp reminder of the bet they’d made.

The empty wine bottle clinked against the table, a clear sound that struck their nerves like a final warning.

Jiang Mingyi’s dazed brain finally started to catch up. He lifted his head and glanced at the four guys — when his eyes passed over Zhang Tao, he caught that flash of poisonous resentment in Zhang Tao’s gaze.

Suppressing that odd mess of emotions inside, Jiang Mingyi pointed at the four full glasses. “Yeah — we did our punishment. Now it’s your turn.”

The other girls, realizing it too, immediately started to stir the pot.

“Hey, Jiang Mingyi and his ‘brother’ went above and beyond — you guys can’t back out now.”

“If you’re real men, down it! It’s just a glass of wine.”

“Come on, you’ve already drunk so much — worst case, just hit the bathroom and puke it up.”

With everyone chiming in, the guys had no choice but to stiffen their necks and each pick up a glass.

It was obvious they still had plenty of booze sloshing around in their stomachs — this final glass was about to break the camel’s back.

“Brothers, I’ll take one for the team.” One of the more easygoing guys downed his in one go, then headed straight for the bathroom.

Seeing him go for it, the other two guys grit their teeth and did the same, practically racing after him to the restroom.

Zhang Tao stared at the last glass in front of him. The girls’ eyes were bright with that familiar ‘drama-loving crowd’ look. He glanced at Yu Qing, then shot Jiang Mingyi a vicious glare.

“….”

Jiang Mingyi was speechless under that glare, but since Zhang Tao drank it in the end, he couldn’t be bothered to care.

The private room gradually quieted down. The girls who’d been teasing the guys fell silent too.

Then Shen Xingyan stood up.

Jiang Mingyi, confused, stood up with him by reflex.

“We’ve eaten, the game’s done — we’ll head out now.”

His tone was calm and distant. Yu Qing, caught in his gaze, automatically nodded. “Okay.”

By the time she snapped out of it, the two figures of Jiang Mingyi and his ‘brother’ had already disappeared from the room.

“I probably shouldn’t have invited Jiang Mingyi to this gathering.”

One of the girls heard her mutter under her breath but didn’t catch it all. “Yu Qing, what’d you say?”

—

When they stepped out of the private room, Jiang Mingyi trailed behind Shen Xingyan — until, apparently fed up with how slow he was walking, Shen Xingyan’s big hand suddenly reached back to grab the one dangling at his side.

Jiang Mingyi froze for a second, then felt himself being pulled into the elevator.

The elevator went straight down to the underground parking garage.

Inside the quiet, cramped space, Shen Xingyan’s deep voice came low and close against Jiang Mingyi’s ear.

“Don’t go to these kinds of class reunions again in the future.”

Jiang Mingyi looked up at him blankly, not understanding. “Why?”

Shen Xingyan’s gaze was deep and heavy. “I don’t want you playing those kinds of games with anyone else.”

If it hadn’t been him tonight… would Jiang Mingyi have done something that intimate with another man?
So close, so ambiguous — just imagining it made something violent stir in Shen Xingyan’s chest.

He shut his eyes for a moment, forcing down the storm churning behind them.

When he opened them again, they were calm.

“A grape is so small — when someone feeds it to you, how could your mouths not touch? I only used my tongue to push the grape in, and your tongue still touched mine. That kind of intimate, ambiguous game — do you want to do that with someone else?”

The pad of his thumb brushed gently over Jiang Mingyi’s flushed lips, lingering, rubbing back and forth as if savoring the feel.

The touch was so soft — so tender that it felt like the caress of a lover. Jiang Mingyi felt like he shouldn’t push it away; instead, he should accept it openly.

While he was still dazed, a voice brushed right up against his ear, low and coaxing: “Do you want to do something that close and ambiguous with someone else?”

The heady, charged air wrapped around him, and Jiang Mingyi’s mind was completely seduced by it. He shook his head dumbly. “No…”

A soft laugh seemed to slip out, almost inaudible.

Then that same dangerous voice, even softer: “Then who do you want to do it with?”

Who do I want to do it with?
Jiang Mingyi asked himself that in his mind.

He looked at the breathtaking face in front of him, those deep black eyes that reflected only his own image — and in that gaze lurked an emotion that made his heart tremble.

One word fell from his lips before he could stop it: “You…”

The next second, his chin was caught between strong fingers. Warmth that didn’t belong to him crashed down — his lips felt the press of something soft.

That was…

“Close your eyes.”

Jiang Mingyi obeyed without thinking. His lips felt that same softness again.

And then something pried his teeth apart, slipping inside — his tongue was lightly brushed.

A strange spark shot from the tip of his tongue through his whole body in an instant. Jiang Mingyi’s mind went completely, perfectly blank.