Chapter 26: Kissed the Wrong Person

Alcohol isn’t just a way to liven things up; the fruit wines Lin Shuhuai ordered were all very low in alcohol content, barely more than alcoholic sweet water. Since Yu Xi was acting like a curious kitten, holding the pitcher and sniffing it incessantly, no one present stepped in to stop him.

The first to notice something was wrong was Sheng Yunshu, who was sitting on Yu Xi’s other side. She watched as Yu Xi used his chopsticks to pull all the yakitori off the skewers, then repeatedly picked out the green peppers and transported them into Meng Shen’s plate.

For every piece Meng Shen ate, Yu Xi added another.

Sheng Yunshu observed for a while before silently handing her own portion of yakitori to Yu Xi. After finishing his own and Sheng Yunshu’s, Yu Xi thought for a troubled moment, looked left and right, and then his eyes lit up. He propped one hand on the table to reach for the plate opposite him.

“Want this?” Sheng Yunjuan proactively moved her plate closer.

“Mhm, thank you.” Yu Xi took them and promptly sent them to Meng Shen, a somewhat silly smile blooming on his face. “Our A-Shen should eat more; you can’t go hungry.”

Sheng Yunjuan widened her eyes. “Well now! Xiao Xi, you’re actually taking my things to give to someone else? I’m angry!”

Lin Shuhuai gave a light laugh and took a sip of sake. “Our Xiao Xi really has taken care of A-Shen since they were little. Nothing has changed.”

“He’s grown into such a big guy, why does he still need taking care of? It’s not fair! Xiao Xi, if you give it all to him, what will I eat? I’m going to starve to death—!” Sheng Yunjuan began to make a scene.

Hearing this, Yu Xi panicked for a few seconds and hurriedly took the meat he had pulled off the skewers and gave it to Sheng Yunjuan.

Sheng Yunjuan looked at her meat and then at the green peppers in Meng Shen’s plate; her pout turned into a triumphant grin. “That’s more like it.”

Not to be outdone, Zhang Xingkuo said, “Xiao Xi, I want some too.”

Lin Shuhuai joined the fray: “And me.”

So Yu Xi gave to them one by one. Everyone was competing and grabbing, wanting more than the others, making him incredibly busy. He finally finished giving away all of his own portions and hadn’t even caught his breath before he met Gu Chuanzhou’s gaze on his right.

“Xi Xi, I don’t have a single piece.”

“…” Yu Xi’s eyes were about to turn into swirly circles.

“Alright,” Sheng Yunshu spoke up at the right time. “Stop making it hard for him. Xiao Xi is already a bit drunk.”

Hearing Sheng Yunshu speak up for him, Yu Xi immediately sought her protection, hiding his head behind her. “Yunshu-jiejie.”

Sheng Yunshu froze slightly, her eyes flowing with warm laughter. It was a rare display of emotion for her as she gave a soft acknowledgment.

“Is he really drunk? Let me see.” Sheng Yunjuan left her seat and leaned over to look at Yu Xi.

Catching sight of her, Yu Xi called out again, “Xiaojuan-jiejie.”

“Oh my, oh my!” Sheng Yunjuan cupped her face and squealed. “It’s been so long since I heard Xiao Xi call me that. Come, give sister a hug.” She reached out, hugged Yu Xi’s head, and rubbed his hair vigorously.

By the time Yu Xi was released, he had become a ruffled little cat.

The bit of fruit wine he had just drunk had taken full effect. Yu Xi’s entire face was flushed pink, his dark, bright eyes were rippling with a misty, watery light, and his long lashes were half-drooped. His reactions were even slower than usual, and he was so well-behaved that it seemed he wouldn’t resist no matter how he was teased—he was exceptionally endearing.

Lin Shuhuai watched with great interest. He walked around from the other side of the table, leaned down to scratch Yu Xi’s chin, and asked in a low voice, “What should Xiao Xi call me?”

Yu Xi answered, “Shuhuai-gege.”

Just as he finished saying that, Sheng Yunjuan on the other side still wasn’t satisfied: “Xiao Xi, call me again!”

“Xiaojuan-jiejie.”

Gu Chuanzhou: “Xi Xi—”

Once the “Brothers” and “Sisters” started, it wouldn’t end. Before he knew it, Yu Xi was surrounded by the group and began to feel dizzy. He heard Sheng Yunjuan arguing with Zhang Xingkuo again.

“Hasn’t Xiao Xi called you Xingxing since he was little? Stop joining in just to take up space, move aside!”

“So what? I’m a few months older than Xiao Xi. Is there a problem with hearing him call me ‘brother’?”

Yu Xi supported his head. “Don’t… don’t argue, Xingxing…”

This kind of situation had happened many times when they were children. Usually, Yu Xi would choose to hold Zhang Xingkuo back and coax him with a few words to end the conflict.

Dizzy, he couldn’t see the silhouettes clearly. He swayed and threw himself onto the largest one, wrapping his arms around him and gently patting the person’s back. “Alright, alright, Xingxing is the best. Don’t be angry with Xiaojuan-jiejie, everyone is a good friend…”

He didn’t hear the person he was holding speak. His eyebrows knitted into a troubled bunch as he tried hard to think of a solution. “Right, the cheek-kiss… we agreed on it earlier, I haven’t given it to you yet…”

As he spoke, he grabbed the person’s clothes and leaned in. His hands found the neck to hold onto, and he pressed his face directly against the other’s. Because his center of gravity was unstable and he lost his sense of proportion, there was a “mwah” sound as his lips pressed against the youth’s cheek.

“…”

The private room went silent for a full ten seconds. Shock was written across everyone’s faces, including the person who had received this kiss.

Yu Xi, however, was unaware. Thinking he had completed his task, he let out a heavy sigh of relief. “There, Xingxing isn’t angry anymore, right?”

The next second, he was pulled back and bumped into another broad chest. This sudden movement made his vision blur again. His soft legs couldn’t exert any strength, and he was held by the waist and forced to stand up.

“Ugh…” He let out an uncomfortable moan and grabbed onto the arms holding him.

Then, he heard Zhang Xingkuo’s voice through gritted teeth: “You’ve got the wrong person!”

“What?” Yu Xi blinked blankly.

Zhang Xingkuo: “You. Got. It. Wrong. That’s Meng Shen, not me!”

Heaven only knew what Zhang Xingkuo felt as he watched Yu Xi proactively hug Meng Shen and deliver a kiss. The person who had just picked up the advantage that should have belonged to him was now covering the spot where he’d been kissed, his eyes vacant. He had probably been so happy his soul had flown three meters away. To take the benefit he had meticulously schemed for without even trying to dodge—how shameless!

“You have to pay me back, and you have to do it twice!” Zhang Xingkuo shook the person in his arms with indignation.

“I… I know… I’ll pay you back, I’ll pay you back… don’t be angry…” Yu Xi was shaken so hard he felt very dizzy and quickly agreed.

Before he could take the initiative again, a face was impatiently brought close to him. He followed the momentum and leaned in, their faces rubbing against each other, first on the left, then on the right.

“There.” Yu Xi held up two fingers. “I’ve given them. Twice.”

He thought it was over and wanted to leave the embrace that was making him feel hot. He began to struggle, complaining, “Xingxing’s face is so hard; it’s uncomfortable to rub against.”

Zhang Xingkuo choked for a moment. “That doesn’t count. I want what you gave Meng Shen. Do it again—”

“Enough.”

A cold, deep voice rang out.

Gu Chuanzhou hooked his hands under Yu Xi’s armpits, his gaze dark as he stared at Zhang Xingkuo. “Let go. Can’t you see he’s uncomfortable?”

Zhang Xingkuo, who wanted to argue, froze upon hearing this and unconsciously loosened his grip. This lapse allowed Gu Chuanzhou to succeed in taking Yu Xi away from that embrace.

“There.” Gu Chuanzhou sat Yu Xi down on his lap, stroked his back, and asked softly, “Are you dizzy?”

“Mhm.” Yu Xi gave a tiny response, knitting his brows as he buried himself into this more comfortable chest.

Sheng Yunshu called for a waiter and asked for a glass of honey water with a straw to feed Yu Xi.

“Look at you. You don’t know how to look after Xiao Xi at all. You’re so old now; shouldn’t you be more mature? All for the sake of competing over a kiss, really…” Lin Shuhuai sighed and shook his head.

“…” Zhang Xingkuo’s face looked terrible.

Not long ago, the words he used to complain about Lin Shuhuai to Yu Xi had been thrown back at him by the very person. While he was a bit defiant, his main feeling was guilt. He had indeed been too impatient. Knowing he had done something wrong, he didn’t dare to compete anymore and stood aside to observe Yu Xi’s condition.

This caused him to miss the small movement of Lin Shuhuai turning his head to steal a laugh. Sheng Yunjuan, however, saw it clearly and rolled her eyes. “Big idiot.” It wasn’t clear who she was referring to.

…

After the surroundings quieted down, Yu Xi didn’t feel too dizzy. The large hand behind him was patting his back very comfortably, and the honey water being fed to him was sweet. He bit the straw and sucked it into his mouth bit by bit. His furrowed brows gradually relaxed. After drinking enough, he licked the sweet water off his lips and didn’t forget to say a soft “thank you.”

Sheng Yunshu straightened up, put the mostly empty glass on the table, and replied warmly, “You’re welcome.”

“Are you still uncomfortable?” Gu Chuanzhou’s hand never stopped patting his back. When he lowered his head to speak, his chin would brush against Yu Xi’s hair.

Because it tickled, Yu Xi reached out and scratched haphazardly, making his hair even messier. “No, but… I feel a bit hot.”

As soon as he said he was hot, he felt a cool breeze fanning him within seconds. It was Zhang Xingkuo, who had fetched a fan. He finally got a chance to show off and took the opportunity to say, “Xiao Xi, I’m sorry.”

Yu Xi looked up, rubbing his eyes which still weren’t clear. He only saw a mass of silver-grey fur in his vision and, without thinking, reached out and rubbed it a few times. “August, such a good boy.”

Zhang Xingkuo, who was being petted like a dog, froze. The guilty expression solidified on his face. Sheng Yunjuan’s merciless laughter and Lin Shuhuai’s muffled chuckles rang out at the same time.

“…”

Zhang Xingkuo glared at them but couldn’t bring himself to be angry with Yu Xi at all. A dog then! Being petted felt pretty good too! He convinced himself and continued to keep his head low to be petted like a dog by Yu Xi.

Ten minutes later, once Yu Xi had mostly recovered, the group left the restaurant’s private room and went outside. Yu Xi could stand, but he couldn’t walk in a straight line, so he was still being held by Gu Chuanzhou.

The cars were at the door, so a certain question appeared again.

Gu Chuanzhou said simply: “Xiao Xi is more reliant on me right now.”

Zhang Xingkuo said defiantly, “How is he reliant on you? I’m a racing driver, I have the best skills; he’ll definitely be most comfortable in my car.”

Sheng Yunjuan hummed. “Since we’ve all been drinking, is there any difference with a chauffeur? Besides, do you know how to look after people? My sister and I are much better than you. And there’s Meng Shen!”

Lin Shuhuai laughed. “Let Xiao Xi choose for himself.”

Hearing his name, Yu Xi looked up and met the six expectant gazes, not yet understanding what was happening.

Gu Chuanzhou’s voice came from above his head: “Xi Xi, who do you want to take you home?”

Yu Xi looked at one, then the other, turning his slow-moving head to think for a while. Finally, he bumped his head back into the closest, warm embrace.

“Brother, take Xi Xi home.”