YMW CH 38

Green Tea

Cen Wu sat next to Xie Guilan, and sure enough, no one tried to brush against his leg again. He had actually suspected Xie Guilan for a moment, but then again, why would a straight guy like him do something like that?

How could he even doubt his own brother?

He Yao had finally managed to get a few words in with Cen Wu, and he wasn’t too keen on letting him leave so soon. If the mountain wouldn’t come to him, he’d go to the mountain. Grabbing his backpack, he was about to move over to sit beside Cen Wu when he suddenly met Xie Guilan’s pitch-black gaze.

Xie Guilan had sharp, defined brows, and his eyes held a shadowy, unreadable depth—like a cold-blooded beast lurking in the dark.

Pure, unfiltered hostility.

How could someone have eyes like that?

He Yao stiffened, a chill shooting up his spine. His legs nearly gave out, and he had to grab the back of his chair to steady himself. Only when he sat back down did Xie Guilan finally lower his long lashes and shift his gaze away as if nothing had happened.

“You… why aren’t you eating?” Cen Wu had just finished a small plate of meat. Seeing that Xie Guilan hadn’t touched his chopsticks, he reached over and nudged him.

No one dared to snatch food from Xie Guilan’s side of the table. Everyone took turns picking up their share in an orderly fashion—unlike before, when even meat already halfway to someone’s mouth could get stolen.

Just watching them triggered Cen Wu’s social anxiety, so he didn’t eat much. But at least no one dared to take his food.

Xie Guilan took a clean plate and started picking out dishes for Cen Wu, even cooking a portion of duck blood for him. His tone remained indifferent as he said, “I’m not hungry.”

He Yao was the type to let things go quickly. Though Xie Guilan’s glare had startled him, he scratched his head and didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he went back to drinking with Zhang Yuanzhou and the others. Everyone had a little to drink, except for their class president, Zhou Wenqing.

They didn’t stay out too late. After finishing dinner, they all headed home around ten.

He Yao had invited everyone out, so he went to settle the bill—only to find that Xie Guilan had already paid for himself and Cen Wu in advance. The night wind hit him square in the face, and in an instant, half his drunken haze cleared. A realization struck him like lightning.

Holy shit?!

Did he just almost steal Xie Guilan’s girlfriend—wait, no. When did these two even get together?

First High was right next to Thirteenth High, an area known for its poor security. Zhou Wenqing and a few other guys planned to escort the girls from their class home. Since Cen Wu and Xu Lingling lived in the same direction, they decided to walk her back as well.

Cen Wu waved at Xie Guilan, said his goodbyes, and turned to leave—only to find Xie Guilan striding after him with his long legs.

“I’ll go too,” Xie Guilan said.

Cen Wu: “…”

Was he imagining things?

Why did it feel like Xie Guilan was following him?

Xu Lingling’s eyes sparkled. Getting escorted home by a handsome guy was already exciting enough, but having two of them? She was practically over the moon. Worried about an awkward silence, she started chatting with Cen Wu about the upcoming school anniversary gala.

Talking was too much effort for Cen Wu, so he simply clapped along enthusiastically like a seal.

Under the streetlights, their shadows stretched long on the pavement. Xie Guilan had his black backpack slung over one shoulder, while his other hand carried Cen Wu’s bag. He followed behind them, and each of Cen Wu’s steps landed squarely on his shadow.

Afraid of leaving him out, Cen Wu occasionally reached a hand behind him to squeeze Xie Guilan’s fingertips. Xie Guilan’s dark gaze lowered slightly, his knuckles bending as if wanting to hold Cen Wu’s hand. But before he could, Cen Wu let go—just like that. A casual, indifferent gesture, as if he had already moved on.

The kind of guy who’d pull up his pants and pretend nothing ever happened.

Xie Guilan: “…”

His Adam’s apple moved slightly as he swallowed.

Xu Lingling’s parents had been working out of town for years and hadn’t returned home in over a decade. She lived with her grandparents, but last year, her grandfather had passed away, leaving just her and her grandmother.

Her home wasn’t far from Xie Guilan’s rented place—a few rundown old buildings marked for demolition, their walls painted with bright red characters.

Cen Wu originally planned to leave once they reached the entrance. But staring at the dark, unlit stairwell, he hesitated and decided to walk her upstairs, making sure she got home safely before leaving.

“Er Shao, Xie-ge.” Xu Lingling leaned against the doorway and waved at them. Warm yellow light spilled from behind her, softening the grime of the old building. A bright, carefree smile lit up her face. “Thanks! You guys should head home too.”

Xie Guilan didn’t react, simply leaning against the stair railing and waiting for Cen Wu. Cen Wu waved back at Xu Lingling.

He figured this time, Xie Guilan would finally head home. But to his surprise, Xie Guilan kept following him—all the way to his doorstep.

Cen Wu could only stare at him, wide-eyed. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Xie Guilan replied.

Cen Wu turned and ran straight into the villa. But the absurd part? Even after he reached the entrance, Xie Guilan still hadn’t left.

He rushed up to his bedroom, turned on the lights, and peeked outside. Under the inky night sky, Xie Guilan stood there for another full minute before finally leaving.

Bro, what’s up with you?

Cen Wu felt that Xie Guilan was acting really weird. Since he had already said goodnight, he decided against messaging him again.

But at exactly eleven, his phone suddenly chimed.

【Xie Guilan: .】

【Cen Wu: ?】

Cen Wu was caught off guard. If he remembered correctly, this was the first time Xie Guilan had ever texted him first.

【Xie Guilan: .】

Xie Guilan didn’t say anything—he just kept sending that single punctuation mark. Cen Wu lay on his bed, unable to figure out what Xie Guilan was thinking. He kicked off his blanket and then suddenly realized—

No way, right?

He hesitantly typed a message.

【Cen Wu: Goodnight!】

【Cen Wu: Cat tucked in bed.jpg】

Xie Guilan finally seemed satisfied and replied.

【Xie Guilan: Goodnight.】

Cen Wu: “…”

A strange, almost dangerous feeling crept over him, as if he was being lured into something—like he’d unknowingly stepped into a carefully woven trap.

---

September was already coming to an end. The sports meet and school anniversary gala were both happening next week. After the typhoon passed, Huaijing finally had a few days of clear weather, but just when it was time for the medical checkup, it started raining again.

Every semester, the school arranged a routine medical examination for students, with each class taking turns. By the time it was Class Three’s turn, it was already the last period in the afternoon.

Zhang Yuanzhou craned his neck to look at the rain outside and nudged Meng Liangping. “Old Meng, can we do the checkup tomorrow instead? By the time we’re done, we’ll miss dinner at the cafeteria.”

Many classmates agreed, voices rising in a chaotic chorus.

“Yeah, exactly!”

“Damn it, I was planning to grab some sweet and sour pork ribs from the second floor! Those freshmen get dismissed five minutes earlier than us, and they always snatch everything before I even get there!”

“I didn’t bring an umbrella—how am I supposed to go out?”

“What are you all so anxious about?!” Meng Liangping scowled. “It’s just a little rain! And it’s not even that heavy. Can’t you deal with a little inconvenience? When I was your age—”

Before he could finish, the entire class stood up, grabbed their things, and hurried out, some squeezing under shared umbrellas, others covering themselves with plastic bags or jackets.

The sky outside was a dull gray, but dozens of students in school uniforms dashed through the rain, laughing under umbrellas. The dreariness of the day suddenly didn’t seem so oppressive.

Meng Liangping’s sharp eyes caught sight of a boy from another class lurking near the doorway, sneakily slipping an umbrella to a girl in the front row. He shook his head but didn’t say anything.

Sipping his tea, he leaned against the corridor railing and watched the students disappear into the rain.

Cen Wu hadn’t brought an umbrella. He was about to take off his school uniform jacket and use it as cover when someone handed him a warm jacket—one that had clearly been worn.

“Young Master,” Xie Guilan said, “use mine.”

“T-Thanks.”

Cen Wu didn’t refuse. His knee was still scraped up, and he had only just recovered from a high fever—he really couldn’t afford to catch another cold. He figured Xie Guilan was just worried about him getting sick again.

But now Xie Guilan was left without a jacket. The school uniform was oversized, and Cen Wu thought about pulling him under it too, but before he could say anything, Xie Guilan had already turned and stepped into the rain.

Since Lu Wang hadn’t arrived yet, Cen Wu had no choice but to walk alone. When he reached the experimental building for the checkup, a crowd of students was gathered at the entrance, shaking off their umbrellas—Xie Guilan was among them.

Xie Guilan was half-soaked, his black T-shirt clinging to his body. His broad shoulders and narrow waist were accentuated by the wet fabric, and though his chest muscles weren’t exaggerated, they were just the right amount of defined. His cold, handsome face was covered in raindrops as he lifted his T-shirt collar to wipe them off.

His fingers were long and slender, looking even paler against the black fabric. As he lifted his shirt, a glimpse of toned abs and a lean waist was briefly visible. Several people stole glances at him.

Unfortunately, Xie Guilan only kept his shirt raised for three seconds before letting it fall back into place.

Top student of the “Men’s Virtue” class.

A boy from another class tried to copy him, but because he was doing it on purpose, it just came off as cringe-worthy. And with only one barely visible ab, there wasn’t much to see. The crowd that had gathered in the hallway quickly lost interest and dispersed. Cen Wu, meanwhile, silently shook out his jacket and went to find Xie Guilan.

The other guy was left standing alone in the cold rain.

That boy: “…”

Utterly humiliated.

Most of the medical checkups were on the third floor. Cen Wu handed the jacket back to Xie Guilan, who put it on as they climbed the stairs, overhearing a conversation about the Qingyue Cup.

“Did you guys hear?! This isn’t the first time the Qingyue Cup has been involved in a scoring scandal!”

“Yeah, I saw the news too. Someone reported it under their real name. Xie bro finally got justice, but the guy who actually faked the scores got his results canceled. He was originally in the top three at his school, but after the scandal, his grades plummeted, and he even developed mental health issues.”

“It’s been ten years now, hasn’t it? A lifetime, just ruined like that.”

“Ugh, I knew it! The moment Guan Hangxue pulled out of their endorsement deal, I suspected the Liao family was shady. They sponsor the Qingyue Cup trophies, don’t they?”

Guan Hangxue and Cen Junshan were famously close.

Initially, Guan Hangxue hadn’t wanted to marry Cen Junshan, but while filming a disaster movie about an avalanche, she actually got caught in one.

The crew was stranded in a relatively safe area but lost all contact with the outside world. Cen Junshan thought she had been buried in the snow and joined the rescue team to search for her.

His feet nearly froze to the point of needing amputation.

By the time the crew was found, Cen Junshan was already on a stretcher, being rushed to the hospital. Seeing Guan Hangxue at the ambulance, he burst into tears and said, “As long as you’re okay.”

After that, Guan Hangxue agreed to marry him.

The Cen family became the dream life for many—wealth, power, status, and family love. People joked that in their next life, they’d want to be reborn as part of the Cen family.

Even the original Cen Wu had been annoyed by this before. Cen Junshan had to buy him a private island to make him feel better.

He was truly terrified—these people were just joking, but he had actually stolen someone else’s life, taking ten years that should have belonged to another person.

A deep, irreparable grievance.

Cen Wu went ahead of Xie Guilan for the checkup. When he finished, he sneakily watched as Xie Guilan got measured for height. He had a feeling Xie Guilan had grown taller—and sure enough, the numbers confirmed it. Xie Guilan was now 190 cm.

Meanwhile, Cen Wu was still 178 cm, just like in his past life.

But it didn’t matter. In his last life, after turning eighteen, his height had reached 1.8 meters.

After all, he had learned to use height insoles.

Once Xie Guilan finished his check-up, they headed to the cafeteria. The experimental building provided free umbrellas, and Cen Wu managed to grab the last one. However, just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Xie Shangjing was waiting for him.

Xie Shangjing was about the same height as Xie Guilan, but his features carried a certain sharpness and hostility. He stared coldly at Cen Wu and Xie Guilan.

Cen Wu thought he was about to lose his mind.

Xie Shangjing, of course, knew everything now. The Cen family’s involvement in Xie Guilan’s situation couldn’t have been kept from him. The Cen family wouldn’t help for no reason—it had to be because Cen Wu had gone to them on Xie Guilan’s behalf.

Not to mention the racetrack incident.

Cen Wu had originally worried that once he fled in the future, not only would the Cen family and Xie Guilan be after him, but Xie Shangjing would also come for revenge. That was why he hadn’t wanted to provoke Xie Shangjing unnecessarily.

But now, he had no choice. He didn’t mind tearing off the mask anymore. He had already prepared himself for Xie Shangjing to snap.

“I don’t have an umbrella.” Xie Shangjing’s expression was dark, but he didn’t explode. Instead, he simply fixed his gaze on Cen Wu and said, “I’ll walk with you.”

Cen Wu hesitated. He didn’t want to leave Xie Guilan behind, but since Xie Shangjing wasn’t trying to start a fight, there was no reason to make an enemy out of him for no reason.

The passing students all had expressions of eager anticipation, ready to watch the drama unfold. They didn’t know Xie Guilan was an illegitimate son of the Xie family, but they did know that Xie Shangjing was the Xie family’s eldest young master and had a close relationship with Cen Wu.

What kind of battlefield was this?

“Wu Wu,” Xie Shangjing called. “Come here.”

Cen Wu: “……”

He recalled that Xie Shangjing’s grandfather was a renowned orthopedic specialist. Was this defiance of his ancestors’ profession really necessary?

Cen Wu felt like he was standing precariously on two boats, each one more dangerous than the other, with a real risk of drowning. Just as he was still wavering, Xie Guilan suddenly spoke.

“Young Master,” Xie Guilan lifted his head, the cold light of the rain reflecting off his face, making his already pale complexion look even more stark. His eyes, dark as ink and glistening with moisture, met Cen Wu’s. “You should go ahead.”

Cen Wu froze, hesitating. “It’s still raining.”

He didn’t want Xie Guilan to get drenched.

“It’s fine.” Xie Guilan turned his head slightly, coughing softly. “It’s not that cold.”

Cen Wu already felt guilty—Xie Guilan had given him his jacket, and yet he had hesitated over sharing an umbrella with someone else.

Seeing that Xie Guilan might actually be getting sick, Cen Wu stopped wavering altogether. Concerned about him catching a cold, he grabbed Xie Guilan’s hand and pulled him along, then turned back to Xie Shangjing and said, “Shangjing-ge, he… he seems sick. I’ll take him back first, then come… come get you.”

“Young Master,” Xie Guilan’s thin lips pressed together as he lowered his gaze. “Is that really okay?”

Cen Wu helped him put on the school uniform jacket. “What’s not okay? Don’t worry about it, just… just come with me.”

Xie Shangjing: “……”

Damn manipulative little vixen.

Xie Shangjing stood there, his expression twisted. Was Cen Wu blind? How could he not see anything?!

Cen Wu dragged Xie Guilan to the cafeteria and even got him a bowl of hot soup to warm him up.

Xie Guilan accepted it but didn’t drink right away. Lifting his cold, dark eyes, he casually asked, “Young Master, weren’t you going to pick up my brother? He should still be waiting for you.”

Cen Wu blinked in confusion, momentarily failing to register who he was referring to. Apart from when he had first arrived at the Xie household, this was probably the first time in this lifetime that Xie Guilan had called Xie Shangjing “brother.”

“Are… are you running a fever?” Cen Wu felt like something was off with his brain too. He reached out to touch Xie Guilan’s forehead.

Xie Guilan didn’t dodge, standing still like a tamed hound, letting him touch him. His gaze fell on Cen Wu’s slightly parted lips, soft and red, the kind that would yield under the press of a fingertip.

Cen Wu never went back for Xie Shangjing. Instead, he paid ten yuan to have someone else deliver the umbrella.

Only then did Xie Guilan pick up his soup and drink it.

By the time they returned to the classroom, some classmates had already finished eating and were rehearsing again. The scene was a love triangle, though all the scripts in their productions were modified in some way. This one had been gender-swapped—the female lead running through the rain, struggling to decide who she truly loved.

Cen Wu watched with great interest. He had always enjoyed films with dramatic, tangled love stories. 《Butterfly》 was a love triangle too.

Xu Lingling was directing the scene, looking heartbroken as she coached the male lead. “You need to be jealous! JEALOUS!”

“Do you even know what jealousy is?!”

“Distorted!”

“Dark and crawling under your skin!”

The male student stood up and gave an exaggerated twist of his face.

Xu Lingling: “……”

Xu Lingling: “I didn’t ask you to contort your whole face.”

“I… I think the second male lead isn’t bad either,” Cen Wu had pulled up a chair, sitting with Xie Guilan in the last row. He whispered to him, sounding regretful, “If only… only she could have both.”

Xie Guilan: “……”

Xie Guilan’s dark eyes flickered up. His voice remained steady, but there was an undercurrent beneath it, like unseen reefs beneath turbulent waters. “You wouldn’t be the first man in history to love two people at once.”

Just as he finished speaking, Xu Lingling suddenly turned around.

Her expression was twisted, frenzied, consumed with jealousy.

“Xie-ge!” Xu Lingling was practically in tears. “That’s exactly the tone! Can you do it again?!”

This was textbook-level acting.

Xie Guilan: “……”

Xie Guilan’s expression darkened, cold and impassive. Seeing that he had no intention of repeating it, Xu Lingling didn’t dare push further and went back to instructing the other students.

But the current group was hopeless. Xu Lingling waved a hand in frustration and called for the next pair.

It was Cen Wu and Xie Guilan.

Both of them knew how to dance—not exceptionally well, but enough for a simple ballroom routine. That was all that was needed. The real issue was that after the dance, Xu Lingling wanted them to perform the classic 《Gone with the Wind》 embrace and kiss.

Fearing they might mind, Xu Lingling reassured them, “You can just fake it!”

Cen Wu froze, his ears turning red. “M-maybe… let’s not.”

Just thinking about it was utterly humiliating.

He had assumed Xie Guilan would refuse as well, but unexpectedly, Xie Guilan said, “I’m fine with it.”

Cen Wu was caught in a dilemma again. It was rare for Xie Guilan to agree to participate in a class activity—this might be the only time he’d join in high school. If Cen Wu didn’t cooperate, and their performance at the evening event wasn’t perfect, wouldn’t that leave a regret in Xie Guilan’s high school memories?

While he was still hesitating, Xu Lingling gave him a push, and before he knew it, they had moved a few desks aside to start rehearsing. Now, Cen Wu and Xie Guilan stood in the middle of the classroom.

Most of the students had already finished dinner and returned. It was raining outside, so they couldn’t play basketball. Around twenty to thirty classmates gathered around, their eyes gleaming with anticipation as they watched. Cen Wu’s palms were slick with sweat.

Xie Guilan wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him into his embrace. The boys on the side started whistling and cheering.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

“Xie-ge, can you do it or not?!”

Cen Wu’s eyes welled up, and his pale ears flushed crimson. What the hell? They were supposed to fake it!

Panic crept in—he wanted to push Xie Guilan away and say he wasn’t doing this anymore. But before he could, Xie Guilan’s other hand was already on his shoulder, and he lowered his head toward him. Cen Wu’s face turned so red it felt like steam would rise from it.

His mind short-circuited. His eyelashes trembled, damp with moisture, as he stared at Xie Guilan’s lips.

Xie Guilan’s lips were thin but strikingly red, a contrast to his usual cold demeanor—sensual yet indifferent.

Cen Wu’s legs started to shake. He almost thought Xie Guilan was really going to kiss him. But just as their breaths mingled, everything went black—completely and utterly dark.

His mind was still blank when he heard a collective groan of disappointment from the class. It took him a moment to realize—the power had gone out.

Class monitor Zhou Wenqing went to check and returned shortly after. “The whole school lost power. The dean said there’s a malfunction, and it might take about half an hour to fix.”

The class erupted in excited howls. To students, nothing was more thrilling than a sudden blackout—it carried a strange sense of exhilaration.

Cen Wu shoved Xie Guilan away and exhaled in relief.

Xie Guilan staggered back against a desk but didn’t seem upset. He simply followed Cen Wu to the last row and sat down with him.

“You… you—” Cen Wu rubbed his burning cheeks. His eyes shimmered in the darkness, exceptionally bright. After struggling for a while, he finally whispered, “Kissing a guy… doesn’t that feel weird to you?”

He had heard that in all-boys dormitories, even straight guys might help each other out occasionally, but kissing seemed like a step too far. He couldn’t imagine how a straight guy would even go about kissing another man.

The entertainment industry was messy, and while he couldn’t claim to be completely clean, he had at least thought about it before—finding a stable partner just for the physical aspect, no emotions, no kissing.

But in the end, he could never cross that line.

To him, those were things meant only for a boyfriend. Besides, there had never been anyone attractive enough to catch his eye. He was picky—far pickier than the original host of this body. Xie Guilan was undeniably good-looking, but unfortunately, Cen Wu didn’t mess with straight men.

Xie Guilan’s dark, alluring eyes locked onto him. Instead of answering, he suddenly leaned in, his voice dropping to a husky murmur by Cen Wu’s ear.

“Young Master, do you want to feel my abs?”

His voice, low and raspy, sent a tingling sensation down Cen Wu’s neck in the dark.

Cen Wu blinked in a daze. “Wh… what?”

“My abs.” Xie Guilan repeated in a whisper. Worried Cen Wu still hadn’t grasped his words, he took Cen Wu’s hand and, through the fabric of his uniform, pressed it against his waist.

Firm. Scorching hot.

Cen Wu’s brain short-circuited. He nearly forgot they were still in the classroom.

He instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but compared to Xie Guilan, his strength was as feeble as a cat’s paw. He couldn’t break free.

Xie Guilan tightened his grip, lifted his shirt, and pressed Cen Wu’s palm directly against his bare skin.

Nothing in between.

Cen Wu’s fingers landed on Xie Guilan’s searing-hot abs. As Xie Guilan breathed, the taut muscles shifted beneath his touch.

His entire body went stiff, lips quivering, unable to utter a sound—he didn’t even know what to ask. Xie Guilan didn’t let go, guiding his hand across the ridges of muscle.

His breath brushed against Cen Wu’s cheek as he whispered in a hoarse voice, “Young Master, delete them all, okay? Delete them, and from now on, you can touch me whenever you want. Hmm?”

So what if he wasn’t the first? At the very least, he could be the last. He didn’t care about being Cen Wu’s first love—that wasn’t important. But he refused to be just another name on a list.

Maybe… he actually liked Cen Wu.

And Cen Wu had better only like him from now on.