Just as the morning sun began to rise, a sliver of light pierced through the deliberately left gap in the curtains.
The teenager, a notoriously restless sleeper, lay with his hair in disarray. The blanket only managed to cover his waist, leaving his athletic pectorals and abdominal muscles fully exposed to the air. His hands were spread out naturally, the beam of light on his chest seeming to drip particles of gold.
A vibration from the pillow beside his head jolted Chu Ci awake, his dream shattered.
His eyes were pure, the black and white distinct.
This was the first time since the holidays that Chu Ci had woken up at 6:30 in the morning. His sleep schedule was unhealthy, showing this was no easy feat for him.
Perhaps because he hadn’t suffered any insomnia the previous night, he’d drifted off smoothly not long after glimpsing his roommate close his eyes. So, his mood wasn’t bad now.
It was just that dream…
His roommate was tucked neatly under his blanket, not a single inch exposed, his face peaceful to an uncanny degree.
Because of this, Chu Ci unceremoniously lifted his own blanket to glance down. A magnificent sight. He hopped lightly out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom.
There wasn’t a trace of embarrassment on the young man’s face. After all, to him, morning wood was as simple and natural as eating and sleeping.
Erotic dreams, however, weren’t a common occurrence. He’d had a few back in high school when he first discovered his sexual orientation. At first, they were chaotic—sometimes he was on top, sometimes on the bottom. The protagonists were, of course, male, but with no faces and blurry physiques.
Later on, his position became pretty clear.
But the dream just now was much more vivid.
The man sprawled over him had a head of fluffy, soft hair, diligently working away on his chest. The body was perfectly aesthetic.
Even now, fully awake, he could still recall that sensation of relaxed pleasure, as if his whole body felt comfortable after a real session.
As for the finer details, they were completely blurry in the dream, like they’d been mosaicked. Chu Ci figured it was probably because he lacked experience.
Chu Ci closed the bathroom door and took a shower. Normally, in such situations, he would have just put on a gay video and taken care of it himself.
But right now, the thought didn’t even cross his mind. Recalling the gay videos he’d seen before now felt utterly dull. He’d rather just cool off with a cold shower.
The popular ‘tops’ in the market totally didn’t match his aesthetic. Before, he just had no choice but to watch whatever. Now, he felt he’d be happier just looking at his roommate’s face.
By the time everything was back to normal, half an hour had passed. It was just the right time for the breakfast delivery he’d pre-ordered; the doorbell rang.
“Just leave it there,” Chu Ci said, toweling his hair as he went to wake He Yuxuan.
His wardrobe consisted mainly of black and gray clothes. Chu Ci thought they looked cool and suited his temperament, though the styles were more or less the same. He wasn’t a detail-oriented person; if he liked something, he’d buy several similar items.
So today, he was wearing yet another Balenciaga T-shirt.
Passing through the living room into the bedroom, the moment he saw his roommate’s sleepy eyes, that morning’s residual heat within Chu Ci completely dissipated. The fresh tea scent of the room’s diffuser grew stronger in his awareness. Without any particular purpose, he simply watched the other get out of bed, get dressed, and eat.
This was the first time the Young Master had been ready before his playmate. Normally, even for dinners, Chu Ci was the one to arrive just on time. Only others waited for him.
He Yuxuan sat lazily on the sofa, brushing his teeth. He had an ability: for three minutes, the foam in his mouth wouldn’t drip at all, so he often wandered around the whole apartment while brushing.
Once he was more awake, he realized this wasn’t his place; it was the Young Master’s territory.
Last night could be said to be his most comfortable sleep since transmigrating into the book. So, while he usually woke up naturally in the morning, today he hadn’t.
Recovering his senses, He Yuxuan obediently went to the bathroom to finish his hygiene routine.
“When’s your birthday?” Chu Ci watched him as if he were sleepwalking, finding it quite amusing. He asked the question while sitting cross-legged at the dining table.
“February,” He Yuxuan replied, settling down opposite Chu Ci after cleaning up. He noticed breakfast was again very mild and light.
He didn’t know if it was a coincidence, but it didn’t stop a small warmth from blooming in his heart.
“Then you’re older than me. I’m an August baby.”
Calculating that, he was older than the Young Master. He Yuxuan naturally wasn’t bold enough to call himself ‘big brother,’ but that’s what he was thinking in his heart. Who would have thought his real age was several years older than these kids?
“I just checked our schedule. We have an 8 a.m. class today, but no afternoon classes,” Chu Ci added.
He Yuxuan ate his breakfast with refined manners, occasionally lifting his head to glance at Chu Ci. Finding the schedule was something he’d still need a while to locate—was the Young Master this reliable?!
“I also got someone to save seats for us, so don’t worry.”
!!!
He Yuxuan was floored.
He was now somewhat confused. How could the protagonist Gong and Shou have so many conflicts? The Young Master might have a bit of a sour face, but he was really a pretty good guy.
But then again, he was just a straight man and a cannon fodder character. He definitely didn’t understand the romantic sparks between two distinctive young men. They’d naturally develop a satisfying story without him worrying. He just needed to be a good roommate.
“You’re so thoughtful,” He Yuxuan praised from the bottom of his heart.
Though he’d never been familiar enough to say too much, sometimes he just couldn’t hold it in.
In his past life, He Yuxuan didn’t get close to people easily. But he had participated in one or two music programs as a mentor. Those were the times his true self was most exposed to the public eye.
Even while maintaining the demeanor of a male celebrity, He Yuxuan couldn’t help but praise cute juniors or amateur singers. Because many things he himself couldn’t manage, yet some people could, and he genuinely thought they were amazing.
This was also a major reason the media called him fake.
Chu Ci’s fingers holding the chopsticks trembled slightly. Hearing a compliment from his roommate for the first time, he felt a tingling sensation down his back.
Just that was enough to…
That feeling of receiving feedback for his efforts made the Young Master’s heart flutter a little, even if he’d just done it unconsciously, not wanting his roommate to think him incapable.
But at this moment, Chu Ci had completely forgotten that within the second-generation rich circles of Jinghai City, one kind expression from him could move people to tears of gratitude.
It was just that to him, the affirmation of his beautiful roommate held much higher value.
“Mhm, eat,” the Young Master said, face impassive.
“I think the hotel’s breakfast is even more distinctive than last night’s meal,” He Yuxuan commented, his male celebrity airs surfacing again.
But this was a compliment.
“The chef this place hired is decent. I’ll have the manager reward the kitchen staff later,” the Young Master said casually, continuing his posturing.
But his posturing was truly valid.
He Yuxuan suddenly recalled that the Chu Family had reached the pinnacle in the hotel industry. Not only did they run a chain of high-end hotels domestically, but the book also mentioned Chu family members were all over the world. For example, Chu Ci’s parents had been based in Vancouver for recent years, operating the resort hotels there.
And Chu Ci was the only son of the main Chu Family branch. Barring any accidents, he was set to inherit the majority of the family business.
A true Young Master, indeed.
The timing, from breakfast to the commute, was perfectly calculated. The two stepped into the classroom almost exactly on the dot. This was the first class of their freshman year majoring in Economics and Management.
Surrounded by unfamiliar, youthful faces—all of whom would be his classmates—He Yuxuan finally felt the reality of being a student.
The one thing outside He Yuxuan’s expectations was that the Young Master had gotten someone to save them seats in the second row…
In his past life, He Yuxuan, with his delicate looks, was well-liked by teachers, but he was also a total vase, undeniably. His grades couldn’t be good, not one bit.
Thus, he was a frequent guest in the teachers’ office. But unlike the other problem kids in that office, whose uniforms were covered in graffiti, he was always neatly dressed, never talked back, never broke any rules, and was good-looking. The teachers’ anger would usually dissipate just by looking at him for a while.
Their only common ground was equally poor grades.
So now, sitting right under the teacher’s nose, He Yuxuan’s smile was very strained. He wanted to say, Young Master, this seat really wasn’t necessary…
Students at Jinghai University were quite studious. The front few rows were packed, and they were smack in the center, a highly sought-after spot.
The Young Master was quite generous; he’d simply named a price in the trading group, and someone immediately took the job.
Chu Ci thought He Yuxuan should be quite satisfied. After all, the other guy looked like a model student, the type who’d go to the library and love learning. But he hadn’t heard any affirmation from him yet.
As luck would have it, just as He Yuxuan was in despair, he saw the guy sitting ramrod straight right in front of him. Who else could it be but the Academic God, Tang Yi! No wonder—everything had a trace. The plot destined him to sit there today. Thus, the male celebrity quickly resigned himself to his fate.
Then, both of them suddenly realized they hadn’t brought their books.
Chu Ci wanted to borrow one from someone. Even though no one knew each other, his words undoubtedly carried weight. Basically, the entire class had recognized Chu Ci the moment they walked in. They’d been immensely curious about this Crown Prince of the Economics and Management Department since military training.
Seeing him today, indeed, an air of affluence hit them instantly, and he was pretty handsome too.
But at the same time, the classmates were equally curious about the guy next to him, whom they hadn’t seen during military training either.
A classmate who looked like that couldn’t possibly be forgotten. Maybe he was a friend of Chu Ci’s, just auditing the class?
If gazes held power, He Yuxuan’s back would be riddled with holes by now, as they mostly didn’t dare to stare directly at Chu Ci.
“It’s fine, let’s not disturb others’ studying,” He Yuxuan quietly tugged at Chu Ci’s arm.
Otherwise, his guilt from playing on his phone later would be even stronger!
Chu Ci felt another numb patch on his arm. This was their first physical contact, and now a feeling of genuine familiarity existed between them.
“Mhm.”
The Young Master was too embarrassed to admit he was even less interested in studying. But he naturally chose to reveal his true self selectively.
Knowing the other liked learning, why would he blabber nonsense? Wasn’t that crazy?
So, the two played on their phones for the entire class, covering for each other. He Yuxuan browsed a fashion magazine, while Chu Ci watched videos from a foreign fitness blogger.
Only Tang Yi, the protagonist Gong sitting in front of He Yuxuan, was genuinely attentive the whole class, taking fantastic notes—so good it made one sigh just glancing at them from behind.
The protagonist Gong and Shou were bound to have some interaction soon, otherwise, wouldn’t he have borne the pressure of sitting in the second row for nothing? He Yuxuan felt a distinct spectator’s mentality.
