Chapter 16: A Childhood Friend’s Embrace

“Do I need to say it again?”

Gazing at Huang Beifeng, who stood before me, scrutinizing my every detail, I knew that given my familiarity with her, if she used that particular tone, it was best to surrender without a fight, and quickly at that.

Honestly, to think, as a boy, I still felt like trembling before my childhood friend. It was truly… indescribable.

Sometimes, I genuinely wondered if there’d been a mistake at birth, a misassigned setting that had turned what should have been a girl into a boy, given my appearance. How else could I explain being more ‘girlish’ than most girls, despite being male? Forget it, forget it. Best not to dwell on such absurdities.

“Uh, staying here is definitely not a problem. Let me go find you an empty room first.”

I exchanged an awkward glance with her. Just as I was contemplating turning to leave, Huang Beifeng, for reasons unknown, suddenly sprang from the sofa. She embraced me tightly from behind, burying her head in my soft, silvery long hair.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

Suddenly clasped in her embrace, my back pressed firmly against her front. I could even feel something soft and yielding pressed tightly against my back, occasionally brushing against it. There could only be one explanation for that sensation. Upon realizing the truth, my face, which had already flushed slightly from the close proximity to a girl, now blazed crimson!

“L-let go of me!”

Observing my reaction, Huang Beifeng let out a soft chuckle. “Honestly, you used to carry me on your back all the time when we were little. How is it that I’m not even blushing, yet you’re this embarrassed? Who’s the girl here, anyway?”

‘Who, who said boys aren’t allowed to blush?’ Of course, I didn’t dare voice that thought. ‘It’s all because of those two ‘weapons’ on your chest, even if they are quite meager. Meager they may be, but I can still feel them! Can’t you let go? Being pressed against you like this is truly uncomfortable.’

‘No, my face is burning! It must be completely scarlet by now.’ I forcefully suppressed the urge to turn and look at her. I knew that if I did, my flushed face would undoubtedly be exposed to them, and I would surely become the target of their teasing. The mere thought of being ridiculed made me decide to resolutely hide my blazing red face.

Taking a deep breath, I managed to somewhat quell the fiery redness, though a faint blush still lingered. That looked far more normal. ‘But Huang Beifeng, why are you still clinging to my back, refusing to get down? Are you expecting me to carry you upstairs? Honestly.’

Despite my mental protests, my body, however, was quite honest. It was fortunate her weight was still within my tolerance; otherwise, carrying her up to the second floor would truly exhaust me to death.

Watching the two figures—one silver, one black—Mu Rong Xin Xue, who was seated in the living room, couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Their relationship is still so good, though it seems a little different now. Perhaps Beifeng is finding it a bit hard to adjust to this version of Xiao Ye.”

“Never mind that! I’m starving. After Xiao Ye finishes getting Beifeng’s room ready, I’ll tell him to make dinner.”

Stretching and about to rise from the sofa, Xin Xue unexpectedly noticed Luo Ye’s phone, which he must have accidentally dropped on the floor.

“Did Luo Ye just knock this off?”

She picked up the phone. Since Luo Ye’s phone had her fingerprint saved, she simply unlocked it, only to be startled by a string of missed calls.

“Honestly, it seems I need to have a serious talk with him. He’s too engrossed in gaming; Mom and Dad called so many times, and he didn’t answer a single one!”

Dialing their parents’ number, Xin Xue patiently waited for the call to connect.

As usual, she was questioned about why neither she nor her brother had answered the phone. Xin Xue deftly concocted a few excuses, deflecting their concerns, before steering the conversation to the main topic.

“Xin Xue, while we’re away, make sure to keep a close eye on your brother, and don’t forget to look after Beifeng, that girl, too.”

“Yes, yes, Mom and Dad, please don’t worry. I’ll certainly watch over them well.”

After chatting about a few more household matters, Xin Xue hung up the phone.

Setting the phone down, Xin Xue reclined back onto the sofa. Luo Ye and the others would likely need more time, so she decided to take a short nap.

****

Meanwhile, in the hallway on the second floor.

“Are you going to choose your old room?”

She lightly patted my shoulder, as if in agreement.

“Let me search for it. It’s been a while, and that room hasn’t been used in ages. It might take some time to clean.”

“Then I’ll just sleep in your room.”

“Eh? Wait, what do you mean? Boys and girls shouldn’t share a room!”

“Are you sure, looking the way you do now, that you even count as a boy? I haven’t even verified your gender yet.”

‘Your thoughts are a little too dangerous, aren’t they?’ Though we did sleep in the same bed when we were little, that was childhood; we didn’t know any better then. But now, boys and girls shouldn’t be so intimate! How can we still sleep together now?

At her words, the blush that had only just receded from my face reappeared.

‘Ugh, as a boy, blushing so easily, I feel like I’ve lost all my masculine dignity.’

“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore.”

Hopping off my back, Huang Beifeng casually walked to the door of a room.

“Sleeping with you was just a joke. If I can’t finish cleaning up tonight, then I’ll just go sleep with Sister Xin Xue.”

‘Phew, if only she’d said that earlier.’

Watching Huang Beifeng produce a key and unlock the long-closed door, my mind couldn’t help but recall the last time it had been opened.

It had been so long, I couldn’t quite remember. Ever since Huang Beifeng stopped coming here to sleep, this room had remained untouched. I truly hadn’t expected her to still possess that key.

However, the very next moment after Huang Beifeng pushed the door open and stepped inside, she suddenly retreated, slamming the door shut with a resounding thud. Witnessing her unusual behavior, I was utterly bewildered. What on earth had happened?