Chapter 28 Part 1

The hand that reached over was broad and strong, its palm’s warmth chasing away the fear brought by the nightmare.

It wasn’t until his body was wrapped in soft, comfortable bedding—with the faint scent of woody agarwood lingering at the tip of his nose—that Liang Zhixia realized he was on Lu Quan’s bed.

The sheets on the other bed were soaked through more than halfway. Clearly, no one could sleep there tonight.

He pulled Lu Quan’s covers over himself. The fabric felt incredibly soft, far more luxurious than his own by who knew how many times over.

His light tea-colored eyes fixed intently on the guy standing at the bedside. Liang Zhixia licked his lips and said, “I’ll wash your bedsheets and duvet cover again tomorrow.”

Lu Quan raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly as he met Liang Zhixia’s gaze. “…My clean freak tendencies aren’t that bad.”

Liang Zhixia knew this was just polite talk. Otherwise, why would Lu Quan have had Xu Cheng send him all those dorm regulations at the start of the semester?

He let out a quiet hum in response.

But Lu Quan could tell Zhizhi didn’t believe him. A flicker of annoyance crossed his face. If he’d known Zhizhi’s identity ahead of time, he never would have made those “over-the-top” demands.

With only two beds in the dorm and the other one unusable, Liang Zhixia sat on Lu Quan’s bed, feeling restless and out of place.

He pressed his lips together and said, “Brother Lu, I won’t sleep tonight. You go ahead and rest.”

He knew Lu Quan had a place off-campus, but with the rain pouring outside and thunder crashing, it wasn’t safe to head out now.

Pulling an all-nighter was no big deal. He’d done it plenty of times before while drawing comics.

To his surprise, Lu Quan reached out and pressed down on his shoulders, urging him to lie back.

“There’s still this bed, isn’t there?” Lu Quan said.

Liang Zhixia froze for a moment. His gaze slowly drifted down to the bed beneath him, his tongue tying itself in knots as he stammered, “Brother Lu, you mean… we’re sharing a bed?”

Against all expectations, Lu Quan nodded.

While Lu Quan was in the shower, he hopped online and searched: Can someone with mysophobia share a bed with another person?

The comments below were all over the place, but one reply seemed somewhat reliable.

【If he’s the one suggesting sharing a bed, then it’s probably fine. It means your relationship has taken a step forward.】

So that was it.

Lu Quan might look cold on the surface, but he had a warm heart.

If Lu Quan knew what the guy was thinking right then, he definitely would have told him that he wasn’t the hottest part at all.

Having found his answer, Liang Zhixia closed the page, forgetting to tap the “expand” button under the reply.

【…Taking it a step further means he’s got the hots for you and wants your body! If it’s not mutual, run for the hills! —Advice from a senior】

He perked up his ears, listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom. Once it stopped, he watched as Lu Quan emerged.

The other guy was wearing a set of pajamas he’d never seen before, but the style looked oddly familiar.

Suddenly, he glanced at his own clothes—they seemed to match.

Which meant Lu Quan owned the same style of sleepwear as him.

The mattress dipped slightly on the left side as Lu Quan’s tall frame blocked most of the light. Liang Zhixia instinctively looked over, only to meet Lu Quan’s eyes.

Those pitch-black eyes were deep and inscrutable, hiding whatever emotions lurked within.

He quickly looked away, slowly tugging at the edge of the blanket before squeezing his eyes shut. Then he opened them again, staring up at the ceiling—anything to avoid looking at Lu Quan beside him.

Ding-dong—

His phone chimed.

He didn’t move, but Lu Quan spoke up from next to him. “Xia Xia, your phone’s ringing.”

“Oh,” he replied, and had no choice but to check it.

It was a message from L.

Just three words, but they put him on high alert.

【L】: Voice chat?

He hurriedly typed back.

【Zhizhi】: Not tonight!

【L】: Why not tonight?

【Zhizhi】: ‘Cause I’m super sleepy and about to crash! Plus, my phone’s almost dead!

Lame excuse.

What if L asked for a screenshot of his battery right now…

【L】: Really? Send me a screenshot, Zhizhi.

Prophet…

He’d called it!

Liang Zhixia was about to grab a random image online or flat-out refuse L when Lu Quan started to sit up beside him. He glanced over instinctively and heard Lu Quan say, “The phone’s dead.”

“!” Ignoring his embarrassment, he leaned in close. “Brother Lu, how much battery does your phone have left?”

“Three percent,” Lu Quan replied.

Perfect!

Liang Zhixia’s eyes lit up, a smile blooming on his face. “Brother Lu, can you take a screenshot of your lock screen for me? Make sure the battery shows.”

“Sure,” Lu Quan said.

A few seconds later, his phone buzzed. Liang Zhixia checked it over, then forwarded the image to L.

It had the time and battery level—solid proof his phone was out of juice.

So focused on fending off L, he didn’t notice how awkward their position had become.

In his haste to lean over, his already loose collar had slipped even further. Lu Quan’s gaze darkened as he propped himself up on one arm, effectively trapping the other guy in his embrace.

Looking down, he could see Zhizhi’s pale neck—slender and graceful like a swan’s. The long, lowered lashes cast shadows beneath Zhizhi’s eyes. The way Zhizhi was scheming so hard to fool him was utterly adorable.

The faint scent of body wash wafted to his nose. Lu Quan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he gripped his phone in his left hand; the screen lit up and dimmed repeatedly.

After replying to L, Liang Zhixia shifted and felt something warm pressing against his back.

He turned to see it was Lu Quan’s arm.

So firm.

Only then did he realize he was practically sitting in Lu Quan’s lap. They were so close he could count Lu Quan’s eyelashes.

He scrambled to the other side, his face flushing pink, the air filled with the woody agarwood scent from Lu Quan’s body.

He really hadn’t meant to invade his space!

Would Lu Quan mercilessly toss him off the bed for getting so close?

He waited tearfully for the verdict, but all he heard was Lu Quan getting up. Looking over, he saw the other guy toss his phone on the desk to charge and flick off the lights.

In an instant, the dorm plunged into darkness.

The storm raged outside the window. Liang Zhixia lay there with eyes wide open, catching glimpses of the tall figure approaching the bed through the faint light.

A puzzled expression crossed his face. He swore he’d seen this silhouette before during late-night awakenings.

As he pondered, Lu Quan lifted the covers and climbed in.

Even though the beds in Emerald Bamboo Garden were larger than standard dorm ones, they still weren’t meant for two.

Liang Zhixia hugged the wall carefully, determined not to touch Lu Quan’s body.

After a long while, the cold wall had warmed from his body heat, but sleep still eluded him.

He cracked his eyes open stealthily toward Lu Quan on the other side, making out only the man’s superior, fluid facial contours. He couldn’t tell if Lu Quan was asleep.

Suddenly, the man lying flat flipped over, facing him.

Now he could see—Lu Quan wasn’t asleep either.

“Can’t sleep?”

The low, magnetic voice sounded right by his ear. Liang Zhixia had always known Lu Quan’s voice was pleasant, with an oddly familiar ring to it. But here, in the dead of night on the same bed, it felt even more alluring.

Especially since they were so close.

Close enough to feel each other’s body heat.

So he scooted even nearer to the wall.

In the darkness, Lu Quan’s lips curved slightly. He parted them and asked knowingly, “Why’d you scoot all the way over there, Xia Xia?”

Liang Zhixia stammered, “N-No reason… I just think it’s cooler by the wall.”

Lu Quan let out a low chuckle. Under the covers, he hooked an arm around the other guy and pulled him close—but left a bit of space between them.

“Just sleep like this.”

Liang Zhixia felt the arm withdraw from behind him, but the sensation of being held lingered.

Afraid Lu Quan might grab him again, he inched back just a little before closing his eyes.

The quiet dorm was filled only with the hum of the AC, the muffled storm outside, and the breathing of the man beside him.

He couldn’t sleep but refused to open his eyes.

Pretending, he rolled over to face the wall and slowly let out a breath of relief. Sharing a bed with Lu Quan was so much pressure.

His mind raced with random thoughts. He didn’t know how much time passed before his breathing finally evened out.

At that moment, Lu Quan on the other side slowly opened his eyes.

Zhizhi slept defenselessly beside him, within arm’s reach, their body heat already mingling.

Lu Quan propped himself up, his toned arm gently circling Zhizhi’s waist and drawing him into his embrace.

The guy in his arms slept soundly, showing no signs of waking.

He leaned down, pressing kisses to Zhizhi’s forehead, eyes, nose tip, and finally those lips that seemed to carry a sweet fragrance.

His tongue tip teased the seam of the lips, his canines nipping at the soft, rosy flesh. His breathing grew unsteady and heavy, hot puffs scorching the skin and bringing a flush to its surface.

In the depths of heavy sleep, Liang Zhixia felt his lips aching, something annoying probing inside. He pried open his heavy eyelids just a slit, raised a hand, and swatted blindly.

Those lips, slick from licking, parted slightly. The tip of his tongue unconsciously licked them again as he grumbled irritably, “I’ll smack you dead, you little bug.”

Lu Quan paused his ministrations at the words, his Adam’s apple bobbing as a low chuckle rumbled from his throat.

Little bug? Was that him?

Too cute.

The slap looked forceful, but half-asleep, it landed soft and harmless.

Lu Quan’s tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth. He inhaled lightly, the air thick with Zhizhi’s scent.

He let out a low pant, ignoring the odd sensation in his lower abdomen. Content for the moment, he held Zhizhi close in his arms and closed his eyes.

The next day.

When Liang Zhixia woke, his mind was foggy. His bleary eyes blinked slowly open, and it took him a long moment to recall the events of the previous night.

There had been thunder, then he’d knocked over and shattered a glass while getting water. Lu Quan had come back, and finally, they had ended up sharing a bed.

Sharing a bed!

As his awareness sharpened, sensation returned to his body. First came the steady warmth radiating against his back, followed by the rhythmic thump of another person’s heartbeat.

He glanced down at the muscular arm draped over his waist. Somehow, he had ended up sleeping right in Lu Quan’s embrace.

Their bodies pressed tightly together. He shifted forward a few centimeters with effort, only for the arm around his waist to yank him back into place.