MWMM Chapter 34: It’s Time to Practice Hugging

This wasn’t the first time Yan Yuzhou had shared a bed with Shen Ci. However, even though they had slept on the same bed before, this time was different from the last. The previous time, they had both been too exhausted to think straight, but this time, they were fully conscious.

So when Yan Yuzhou woke up and saw Shen Ci still sleeping beside him, his upper body bare and his eyes closed, his heart unexpectedly skipped a beat.

He quietly slipped out of bed and walked into the bathroom to wash up, taking extra care to keep the shower noise down, fearing he might wake the person still in bed. When he came out of the bathroom, Shen Ci was already awake, lazily leaning against the headboard, watching him with clear eyes.

“When did you wake up?” Yan Yuzhou asked, feeling uneasy under Shen Ci’s playful gaze, and turned his head away awkwardly.

“Just now.” Shen Ci nodded towards the bathroom, noticing Yan Yuzhou’s wet hair. He asked, “Did you finish?”

Yan Yuzhou was momentarily stunned before realizing Shen Ci was asking if he had finished in the bathroom. He quickly nodded, “Yes, I’m done. You can go ahead.”

Shen Ci said nothing more. He tossed the blanket aside, revealing his boxer briefs, and got out of bed, leaving Yan Yuzhou blushing furiously. Yan Yuzhou turned his head away, coughing several times to cover his embarrassment.

As the bathroom door closed behind Shen Ci and the sound of the shower came on, Yan Yuzhou’s heart couldn’t help but flutter. He stood in front of the full-length mirror, patting his flushed face, telling himself, “Calm down, calm down… Don’t embarrass yourself in front of Shen Ci.”

Inside the bathroom, Shen Ci let out a deep, comfortable breath as soon as he turned on the shower.

Besides the scent of the body wash, the bathroom was still filled with the faint aroma of black tea left behind by Yan Yuzhou. It lingered in the mist, and Shen Ci took a few greedy breaths, savoring it.

He even felt a pang of regret—why hadn’t his room been completely wrecked by Yan Yuhe? If it had, and it was uninhabitable, he would have had a perfect excuse to stay in this room, which was so dangerously attractive to him.

By the time Shen Ci finished his shower and came out, Yan Yuzhou had already left the room. Recalling the faint blush on Yan Yuzhou’s face earlier, Shen Ci’s lips curved slightly. This omega was probably shy and had left early to avoid further embarrassment.

Sure enough, when Shen Ci reached the dining room, Yan Yuzhou was already dressed and sitting obediently in his seat, with a bowl of porridge and some side dishes in front of him, courtesy of Sister Song. When Yan Yuzhou saw Shen Ci sit down across from him, he nervously stirred his porridge with a spoon.

Shen Ci ate his meal calmly, secretly amused as he observed Yan Yuzhou’s attempts to hide his face in his bowl. Feeling a stronger urge to tease him, Shen Ci said, “We’ll be going to my grandfather’s this afternoon, and we’ll be staying there overnight.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Yuzhou choked on his porridge and began coughing violently.

“We’re staying there?” Yan Yuzhou asked in disbelief after his coughing fit subsided.

Shen Ci nodded nonchalantly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “To put my grandfather’s mind at ease.”

“Oh…” Yan Yuzhou knew he was telling the truth, but still felt a small, inexplicable pang of disappointment.

“So, to avoid raising my grandfather’s suspicions, we need to practice a little beforehand,” Shen Ci continued.

Yan Yuzhou’s heart started racing again. He blinked and cautiously asked, “…How do we practice?”

He watched as Shen Ci set down his spoon, wiped his mouth with a damp towel, and then looked at him with those deep, serious eyes. “We’ll practice hugging, so that we’ll have each other’s scent on us. That way, Grandpa won’t be suspicious.”

Yan Yuzhou swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. He felt awkward and out of place, his hands and feet fidgeting. Even his speech became stammered, “Th-that… whatever you say.”

He silently cursed himself—he should have refused, but in the end, he still agreed!

With Yan Yuzhou’s reluctant approval, Shen Ci’s expression became subtle, a faint look of satisfaction appearing on his face, like someone savoring a delicious meal placed in front of them, eager yet trying to contain their excitement.

In the afternoon, Shen Ci picked Yan Yuzhou up from school, and they headed to his grandfather’s house together.

The ride was uneventful, but Yan Yuzhou’s heart was pounding as if a small drum was beating inside, making it impossible for him to stay calm. It was probably because of Shen Ci’s earlier comment about “practicing hugging” that left him distracted all day.

Sure enough, Shen Ci spoke up.

“Zhouzhou.”

Yan Yuzhou: !!!

The sound of “Zhouzhou” almost made him jump out of his seat. He turned to his right, looking at Shen Ci who was sitting so close, his eyes full of panic. He even covered his mouth with his hand, reverting to the same cute, stammering mess from that morning, “You-you-you… What did you just call me?”

Shen Ci remained calm, his expression unchanged as he smiled slightly and looked at him, “Zhouzhou.”

“Why are you calling me that all of a sudden? It’s so mushy!” Yan Yuzhou’s wide eyes were filled with reproach, as if Shen Ci had just committed a grave offense.

Shen Ci noticed Yan Yuzhou’s emotional reaction but remained unaffected. Instead, he stayed unnervingly composed, as if this were the most natural thing in the world. “When we see my grandfather later, I’ll have to call you that. We should practice while we have the time.”

Then, in the awkward silence that followed, Shen Ci recklessly called out once more.

“Zhouzhou.”

It nearly drove Yan Yuzhou to the brink.

Steeling himself to endure this so-called “nickname practice” meant to deceive Shen Ci’s grandfather, Yan Yuzhou forced himself to calm down, letting the heat in his body dissipate. Summoning his courage, he replied, “Yes? Why are you calling me?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than he noticed Shen Ci’s body move slightly. Shen Ci leaned towards him slowly yet with an overwhelming presence, bringing with him the scent of cold pine.

But this time, the warmth of the pine seemed stronger than the coldness, making Yan Yuzhou feel warm all over.

“It’s time to practice hugging,” Shen Ci said.

Yan Yuzhou’s heart began to pound rapidly. He instinctively wanted to refuse, but before he could say anything, he heard Shen Ci add, “Otherwise, Grandpa might get suspicious.”

Yan Yuzhou gritted his teeth, silently cursing his own lack of resolve, then looked up to meet Shen Ci’s gaze. That gaze was calm and straightforward, without a trace of ulterior motive.

Yan Yuzhou felt a twinge of sadness, as if they were playing a game, but he was the only one foolish enough to take it seriously.

Even so, he couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous, especially since Shen Ci’s pine scent was growing stronger, leaving him no room to refuse. With a deep breath, he made up his mind, closed his eyes, and charged forward, as if ready to face any challenge. “Alright, let’s do it.”

And with that, like a warrior ready to sacrifice an arm, he threw himself into Shen Ci’s embrace. Before he could react, his nose had already begun to inhale the rich scent of pine.

As he breathed it in, he wondered if people’s pheromones could actually change in this world. From cold pine to warm pine—it was surprisingly comforting.