Chapter 26 Part 1: Physical Contact for Educational Purposes

Was Xie Yan teasing him?

Lin Chuji was indeed embarrassed.

But it wasn’t because of Xie Yan’s ambiguous actions—it was because as soon as they made such a move, they were being watched by everyone around.

He didn’t need to turn his head to feel those gazes—they fell on them in unison, as if carrying heat, burning his back until it was scorching.

“So cute, a handsome guy with a handsome guy.”

“Oh my god, the height difference, the build difference, the skin tone difference—they really are a couple.”

Two girls nearby were whispering.

Lin Chuji had suspected early on that Xie Yan was gay, but since school started, he had been distancing himself from Lin Chuji everywhere and repeatedly claimed to be straight, so Lin Chuji had thought it was a misunderstanding.

But at this moment, Xie Yan’s actions of getting close to him, interlacing their fingers, pressing skin to skin—it was truly strange.

He didn’t have much social experience, but was this how normal friends acted?

At least he had never seen Xie Yan do this with the Shen brothers.

Lin Chuji suddenly understood.

So the comics and books Xie Wan had given him were meant to help her brother turn him!

And Xie Yan was somewhat interested too, so he was starting with some small tests.

“I’m not embarrassed, I’m just hot,” Lin Chuji replied to his words, his mind in disarray.

“Really?

Then let’s continue.”

Xie Yan acted as if nothing had happened, as if he were really teaching a friend, reaching for more bullets to reload and starting to aim a second time.

Then a third, fourth, fifth…

Every shot hit the target.

With each impact sound, the booth owner’s expression grew uglier.

Lin Chuji, infected by the adrenaline rush, couldn’t help but tighten his fingers and pull the trigger along with him—the feeling of hitting was exhilarating.

It must be because his parents were criminal police officers that Xie Yan had such excellent shooting talent, Lin Chuji thought.

Xie Yan looked at his unreadable expression and asked again, “Have you learned?”

Lin Chuji snapped out of it and nodded slightly.

“I think so.”

Xie Yan released his pressing hand and let him go.

Lin Chuji blinked blankly.

He didn’t keep holding me.

Could it be that he really was just teaching me hand over hand?

Maybe I’m overthinking it.

Maybe he didn’t have any extra intentions.

He mimicked Xie Yan’s movements: set the gun, aim, shoot—dead center.

“I hit it,” Lin Chuji said, turning back to look at him, his pupils sparkling in the sunlight.

Xie Yan thought, He learns very quickly.

He’s smart.

But wasn’t he testing physical contact with me?

How could he still concentrate and learn so well?

Meanwhile, Lin Chuji shot one target after another, bullseye every time, getting more and more into it.

Xie Yan turned his head to look at Xie Wan and said thoughtfully, “So he was really serious about learning just now.”

“Otherwise?”

Xie Wan gave him a cold glance, then turned her admiring gaze to Lin Chuji’s back.

“Is everyone supposed to just have their heartbeat accelerate and be at a loss because someone hugged them once?

Don’t be so narcissistic, bro.”

Xie Yan: “…….”

It’s not always a good thing when siblings know each other too well.

Lin Chuji got the biggest stuffed animal and handed it to Xie Wan, smiling.

“Got it.

Here you go.”

Xie Wan didn’t take it.

She said meaningfully, “Why don’t you keep it?

After all, you two won it together, shooting guns.”

Wouldn’t that be basically their first love token?

How could I just give it away?

Ugh, I hate how straight guys have no romantic sense.

“I don’t like this kind of thing,” Lin Chuji said, still stuffing it into her arms.

Then he added, “I’ve only ever had one stuffed animal.

It was given to me by a boy a long time ago.

I used to sleep hugging it, but it broke from being used for too long.”

Xie Yan glanced at him but said nothing.

Given by an ex-boyfriend?

No wonder he hugged me on the cruise ship—he must have mistaken me for that doll.

Unbelievable.

I thought I was at least a substitute for a person, but it turns out I’m not even as good as a broken doll.

“Is it as good-looking as this one?”

Xie Yan asked.

“No, that one was very ugly.

Probably no one would think it looks good,” Lin Chuji answered honestly.

Xie Yan laughed and teased, “You hugged something ugly?

True love.”

Lin Chuji nodded, but his tone was grateful.

“It was ugly, yes, but it gave me a sense of security.

It accompanied me for several years.”

Several years, Xie Yan calculated silently.

He’s only eighteen now.

Lin Chuji didn’t start dating early in middle school, did he?

That’s too precocious.

Xie Yan asked again, “Then why aren’t you in touch with him now?”

Lin Chuji didn’t understand why he was so interested in this person who had only flashed by, but thought about it and said, “I can’t find him anymore.

I don’t know where he is now.”

“A white moonlight, huh,” Xie Wan said sourly from the side.

Damn, someone got there first.

“Not really,” Lin Chuji said.

“I had forgotten about it before.

That person didn’t exist in my memory at all.

I just suddenly remembered him recently in my dreams, so I’m a bit concerned.”

Xie Yan clicked his tongue and decided not to voice any more opinions.

Lin Chuji looked at him quizzically, wondering if he had said something wrong.

Why was he silent again?

Xie Wan spotted a new ride and pointed at it, breaking the silence between them.

“I want to go on that one.

The log flume.”

Lin Chuji had never been to an amusement park before.

Zhan Wanqiu was too easily alarmed, so all his recreational activities had been at home.

He found everything novel.

He watched many people standing at the exit picking photos from a screen, then turned curiously and asked, “How do you take those photos?”

Xie Yan turned to look and explained, “While you’re riding, there’s a camera that automatically takes a picture.

Just look at the lens.”

Lin Chuji nodded, indicating he understood.

Interesting.

He would buy several copies later as souvenirs.

They queued up and got on.

The seats were two-person boats.

With three of them, it was a bit awkward.

Xie Wan spoke first, firmly remembering her mission as a CP fan, and directed, “I’ll sit in the boat in front.

You two sit behind me and protect me.”

Xie Yan didn’t want to leave Lin Chuji alone either, so he agreed and sat next to him.

The three of them went up in order.

The boat started slowly, climbing uphill.

Lin Chuji gripped the railing in front of him, looking around for the camera, feeling quite excited.

When they reached the highest point, the boat paused for a second, then plunged down at high speed.

The water jets in front all turned toward them, and the boat was about to crash into the water.

Xie Yan turned his head to look at Lin Chuji, saw his tense face, and asked, “Scared?”

Lin Chuji had already started practicing his smile—just lifting the corners of his mouth, a bit stiff.

“Not really.”

Xie Yan looked at his forced smile and thought, He’s probably a little scared.

Is the princess and the pea afraid of heights or water?

Either way, those jets are going to soak all his clothes, and there’s wind afterward—he might catch a cold.

Just as the boat was about to hit the water, Lin Chuji was about to raise his hand to make a victory sign at the camera, but before he could lift it, Xie Yan pushed him down.

Lin Chuji: “…….”

What, reenacting a police arrest?

Lin Chuji was completely covered, his head pressed into Xie Yan’s chest by his strong arm, unable to lift it at all.

His entire body was also fully enveloped, his vision suddenly going black.

He widened his eyes, not understanding.

“What are you doing?”

Xie Yan used his back to block about ninety percent of the water spray.

His clothes and hair were completely soaked, drenched from head to toe.

When the boat reached the calm channel, he looked up, shook the water from his hair, and said flatly, “Don’t misunderstand.

I was just blocking the water for you.”

Lin Chuji looked at his previous action as if he were looking at a big dog that had just taken a bath—the water splashed all over him too.

He raised his hand to wipe the droplets from his face, dazed for a moment.

“Well, you’re really quite nice.”

Xie Yan was dripping from head to toe.

He just lowered his head and wrung out the hem of his shirt, saying casually, “Don’t mention it.”

After getting off the ride, they went to the photo area to wait for their pictures.

Xie Wan had been lucky—she had perfectly avoided the spray and was not very wet, dry and comfortable.

She looked at her photo, chose the clearest one, and said, “This one.

You can vaguely see you two behind me.

Good.”

Seeing that high-quality candid shot, Lin Chuji was even more excited about his own.

It was his first amusement park experience, and he eagerly said to the staff, “I’ll buy all ten copies.”

He had already scanned and paid before the photos even came out.

Xie Yan was still dealing with the water on his body.

He looked up at him and joked, “Single-handedly carrying the log flume’s KPI, huh?

You’re amazing.”

“Mind your own business,” Lin Chuji said, staring at the big screen, not blinking, watching as the candid shots of their boat slowly appeared.

Every single one had no face—just the broad back of Xie Yan tackling him.

In one or two, because they were buried too low, the boat looked completely empty.

Lin Chuji fell silent.

The staff member wasn’t sure either, scrolling back and forth with the mouse.

“Is this your boat?”

“Probably.

Look at that familiar back of the head—that should be my brother,” Xie Wan squinted, trying to identify.

Xie Yan: “…….”

Lin Chuji: “…….”

Xie Wan didn’t know what to say either.

“But what were you two… doing back there?”

The staff member looked at them curiously and said with a smile, “I’ve been doing photos for a long time, first time seeing a ghost boat.”

Several other couples nearby were looking at them, snickering quietly.

Xie Yan cleared his throat, embarrassed, and explained, “I was blocking the water for him.”

Lin Chuji was also mortified, his voice getting quieter.

“…Right.

He reacted too fast and suddenly pushed me down.”

“Then we’ll print these copies.

You paid for ten, no refunds,” the staff member said with a smile.

Lin Chuji: “…Yes, okay.”

That row of photos was so comical that a whole group of people waiting to select their pictures couldn’t hold back their laughter, heads bowed.

“Want them laminated?” the staff member asked in detail.

Lin Chuji felt his scalp tingle.

He reached out and said, “Yes, even… even if you can’t see the faces, it’s still a souvenir.”

So embarrassing.

There’s a hundred percent chance that whenever he and Xie Yan come together, social death follows.

Xie Yan caught on and suggested, “How about we go again?

This time I won’t block for you.”

Lin Chuji quickly grabbed the photos, raised his hand, and covered his face.

“I can’t face that staff member again.

Let’s get out of here.”

Xie Yan didn’t feel that embarrassed, but since Lin Chuji was shy, he went along and quickly left that ride.

The weather changed, and a sudden wind picked up.

As they walked along the tree-lined path, Lin Chuji noticed that Xie Yan’s shirt was already plastered to his back.

He was wearing black, which wasn’t see-through, but because it was wet, the fabric clung to his body, clearly showing the contours of his muscles.

“Do you need to find a place to dry your clothes?”

Lin Chuji asked.

Xie Yan looked down at himself and said casually, “It’ll air-dry in the wind.

It’s fine.

What else do you want to ride?

Hurry up—looks like it might rain today.”

Xie Wan’s dark eyes darted around.

“Ferris wheel, carousel—which one should we go to?”

Xie Yan knew exactly what she was plotting with his eyes closed.

He reminded her again, “Pick something you want to ride, okay?

Don’t just think about putting us together.

Know when to stop, alright?”

“You blocked the water for him.

Your mouth says no, but your body says yes,” Xie Wan muttered.

“What did you say?”

Xie Yan asked expressionlessly.

Xie Wan made a face at him.

“I said you’re truly the best brother in the world.

So let’s go on that spinning teacup ride.”

Xie Yan looked up at it, feeling she was up to something, but had no proof.

When they got on the spinning teacup ride, Xie Yan finally understood her intention.

The ride was supposed to have them sitting around the circumference of a large disc, but as the disc started spinning and shaking, people were tossed off one by one, like dumplings into a pot.

Lin Chuji, a first-timer with no experience, let go and immediately crashed into Xie Yan.

He grunted—it hurt.

When the ride jolted again, Lin Chuji was about to fly off when Xie Yan reached out and grabbed him.

Xie Wan held onto the railing for dear life, still managing to direct from the sidelines.

“Bro, hold on tight!

Don’t let him get hurt!”

Lin Chuji had nothing to hold onto, so he tentatively reached out to Xie Yan.

“Help.”

His tone was pitiful, hard to refuse.

Xie Yan now understood why people loved coming to amusement parks when they were pursuing someone—it was way too easy to get physically close and ambiguous.

But he couldn’t just ignore it, so he looked down, grabbed Lin Chuji’s lower back, and pulled him toward himself.

His arm strength was strong; even holding the railing with one hand, he could keep them from being tossed off.

Lin Chuji looked at the muscles bulging under his short sleeves and asked apologetically, “Am I a bit heavy?”

Afraid he might overthink, Xie Yan explained, “Not at all.

Very light.”

Lin Chuji was practically hanging off him, feeling a subtle awkwardness.

His cheek was pressed against Xie Yan’s damp collar.

He murmured, “Your clothes are very wet.”

Xie Yan looked down at him and laughed.

“Are you just making conversation?”

“Do you have to call me out like that?”

Lin Chuji’s voice was shaking from the jostling, making him sound even more pitiful, but his fingers held onto Xie Yan’s arm and wouldn’t let go.

Xie Yan saw his cheeks flush a little again.

All talk on paper, but in practice, he still gets so easily embarrassed.

So contradictory.

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