Chapter 33: The Ocean

The fleeting softness felt like a passing illusion.

As if scorched by a flame, it left behind a faint burning sensation, sending a tingling, numbing current straight to his limbs. His entire body lost sensation, leaving the residue of where he had been touched exceptionally vivid.

Bang, bang, bang!

Gunfire erupted in the game, accompanied by a tragic cry from the character as the screen turned gray, concluding in a crushing defeat.

Yet, the person controlling the mouse and keyboard sat frozen. His dark eyes stared blankly ahead without the slightest reaction; even his breathing seemed to have stopped.

“Ah Shen.” Reacting after a mere second of bewilderment, Yu Xi called out to Meng Shen. Seeing the other youth completely stiffen, and knowing that such an accident must be highly unpleasant for someone as fastidious about physical contact as Meng Shen, he bit his lip awkwardly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. It shouldn’t be dirty…”

He reached out, using his own sleeve to gently wipe Meng Shen’s face, which bore no suspicious traces of moisture.

“Do you want to go wash your face?”

After a long pause, the focus finally returned to Meng Shen’s vacant eyes. “…No need.”

Saying only those two words, he resurrected Yu Xi’s character and continued to carry him through the game as if nothing had happened—though his mechanics were visibly less fluid than before.

Seeing that he didn’t mind, Yu Xi quickly tossed the minor accident to the back of his mind.

After all, when he was drunk before, he had even given Meng Shen a cheek-to-cheek greeting. A slight accidental brush was really nothing.

In the live stream, the viewers—who couldn’t see a thing—had already spammed a massive wall of question marks.

【？？？？？？？？】 【Streamer, what are you doing???】 【How do you both freeze up while holding hands to teach him??】 【The game is lost!!】 【Hey, hey, hey, you two aren’t kissing behind our backs, are you? (smile) (smile)】 【What do you mean ‘dirty’ and ‘washing face’? I don’t get it.】 【I’m reporting this. This isn’t the gaming category, it’s the romance category!】 【The account owner definitely changed. This isn’t our ruthless, silent, high-skill streamer! (cry)】 【Holy shit, your God S is gay…】

Waiting for the respawn countdown to end, Yu Xi caught sight of the chat overlay in the upper right corner of Meng Shen’s monitor. He tapped his fingers together. “Do you want to explain to everyone?”

Meng Shen: “Ignore them. There’s a treasure chest here.”

“Oh, oh, coming.” Yu Xi was quickly distracted.

They played game after game until Yu Xi’s stomach began to rumble, prompting them to stop.

Realizing it was already quite late, they chose not to cook. They headed down to a nearby restaurant to fill their stomachs.

Midway through the meal, Yu Xi checked his phone and discovered a barrage of unread messages.

In the group chat, Sheng Yunjuan had first asked why he was playing games on a live stream with Meng Shen, and the others quickly popped up one after another to ask what was going on.

Yu Xi bit his chopsticks and asked Meng Shen, “Do you mind if Xiaojuan and the others find out about you leaving the Meng family?”

Meng Shen was systematically picking the ginger slivers out of his bowl. He replied indifferently, “I don’t mind.”

After a brief deliberation, Yu Xi offered a simple explanation in the group chat.

Yu Xi: 【Ah Shen moved out of the Meng family and rented an apartment near the university. I’m hanging out at his place~ (puppy_spinning.jpg)】

Sheng Yunshu: 【Xiaojuan and I will come over to take a look in a bit.】

Zhang Xingkuo: 【Why didn’t you look for me? I’m home alone too.】

Lin Shuhuai: 【[Thumbs_up] [Like] [Rose]】

Gu Chuanzhou: 【Don’t stay out too late, come home early.】

Yu Xi replied to them one by one, then told Meng Shen, “Xiaojuan and Yunshu are coming over in a bit.”

Meng Shen’s expression remained indifferent. “Mhm.”

Roughly two hours later, Sheng Yunjuan and Sheng Yunshu knocked on the door, bringing quite a few things with them.

Sheng Yunjuan strolled around the space and remarked, “It’s a bit small, but it’s quiet. Still way better than living with the Meng family.”

Sheng Yunshu also agreed. “It’s quite nice.”

After staying for a short while, the sisters took their leave, bringing Yu Xi back to Huze Junting with them.

Once in the car, the corners of Sheng Yunshu’s mouth curved slightly as she said to Yu Xi, “I knew you would resolve things smoothly.”

Yu Xi tilted his head. “Actually, I didn’t do much.”

Sheng Yunshu shook her head. “You did far more than you think.”

The next day, Yu Xi and the group traveled to the neighboring city in two luxury business vans, arriving two hours later at a beachfront villa.

The villa belonged to Lin Shuhuai, purchased originally as a place to unwind when he had nothing else to do. The area was immense, a great deal of effort had been poured into the decor, and a dedicated staff maintained it when it was vacant. Now, it served a perfect purpose.

“Even though I’m sick of the sea here, it’s the first time it’s been this lively.” Sheng Yunjuan adjusted the bucket hat on Yu Xi’s head. “And with our Xiao Xi here, it’s even more interesting!”

Yu Xi’s eyes were wide and round, staring unblinkingly at the vast ocean not far away.

When he was very young, his mother had brought him to settle down in a fishing village. However, the lodgings there were crude, and the air was perpetually thick with the stench of rotting fish and decaying garbage. Sleeping at night, the blankets covering his body were damp, making it hard to fall asleep from the chill, and he had constantly feared that the tide would rise and swallow everything.

It wasn’t a pleasant memory. But the sea before him now was vast and blue under the clear sky, the surface sparkling like diamonds. More importantly, his friends were right by his side.

“Let’s go!” An arm draped over Yu Xi’s shoulders. Zhang Xingkuo’s silver-gray hair was blown back by the sea breeze, completely revealing his handsome features and a sun-drenched smile.

Yu Xi mirrored his smile, stepping forward with light, cheerful strides.

Upon entering the villa, the first order of business was assigning rooms. Because Lin Shuhuai had repeatedly emphasized to the designer his requirement to be able to sleep comfortably no matter where he went, the villa made no distinction between master and guest bedrooms; all of them were exceptionally cozy.

The point of contention lay in who would stay in the room right next to Yu Xi’s.

Sheng Yunjuan and Zhang Xingkuo were on the verge of causing another uproar until Lin Shuhuai suggested drawing straws to avert the conflict.

Lin Shuhuai held a bundle of paper slips in his palm. “Whoever draws a slip with a mark gets to stay next to Xiao Xi.”

While Zhang Xingkuo was deliberating with a grave expression, Sheng Yunjuan had already decisively snatched one first.

Lin Shuhuai pulled out the slip to display it. “What a pity, Xiaojuan, you didn’t get it.”

“!!” Sheng Yunjuan’s expression instantly turned into one of utter despair.

“Heh.” Zhang Xingkuo mocked her ruthlessly. Full of confidence, he selected one. “I’ll take this one.”

Lin Shuhuai announced with a beaming smile, “Missed.”

Sheng Yunjuan instantly revived, laughing up at the sky with her hands on her hips. “You’re laughing at me? Your own luck is just as terrible!”

“You didn’t win either,” Zhang Xingkuo grumbled, crumpling his slip into a ball and tossing it into the trash can.

Sheng Yunjuan countered, “Still better than losing to you.”

Lin Shuhuai asked, “Who’s next?”

Gu Chuanzhou stepped forward, but his gaze fell upon Yu Xi. “Xi Xi, why don’t you choose for me? Even if I don’t get it, I’ll be just as happy.”

“Okay,” Yu Xi agreed. Under the burning gazes of several people, he drew a paper slip.

—It was marked.

Gu Chuanzhou smiled.

While one person rejoiced, others despaired. Sheng Yunjuan and Zhang Xingkuo stopped bickering with each other, their faces filled with utter regret. There was a strategy like that??

There were two marked slips in total, leaving one remaining. The subsequent draws by Sheng Yunshu, Pei Wang, and Meng Shen all came up empty. Lin Shuhuai opened his palm to reveal the final slip. “Apologies, everyone. It seems I’ve lucked into the other room next to Xiao Xi.”

Ultimately, Gu Chuanzhou moved into the room to Yu Xi’s right, Lin Shuhuai took the one to his left, and the others occupied various rooms on different floors.

After a brief rest, once the sun had lost some of its blistering heat—and with the exception of Lin Shuhuai, who wouldn’t wake up until he had completed his full four-hour afternoon nap—the group headed out to the beach to swim and sunbathe.

A section of the beach in front of the villa was Lin Shuhuai’s private domain. The servants had prepared beach chairs, sun umbrellas, drinks, and fruits in advance.

Yu Xi didn’t know how to swim and had no intention of entering the water. Dressed in a cool, short-sleeved shirt and shorts, he and Pei Wang each took a small bucket and a shovel to play in the sand.

As he and Pei Wang built a Gundam together, he noticed Meng Shen standing idly by without entering the water. He waved to call him over, handing him a shovel.

“Ah Shen, help me flatten this pit.”

Meng Shen took it and silently began to shovel.

“Make sure to apply sunscreen.” Gu Chuanzhou, who had arrived a step late due to a business call, knit his brows slightly upon seeing the scene. He placed Yu Xi’s discarded pastel yellow bucket hat back on his head, brought over the sunscreen, and began rubbing it onto the back of Yu Xi’s neck first.

Yu Xi was like a cat; the moment the back of his neck was touched, he became entirely still, lowering his head obediently to cooperate.

“Extend your arm,” Gu Chuanzhou added.

Yu Xi wanted to say he could do it himself, but seeing that his hands were covered in messy sand, he silently extended his arm.

After one arm was finished, another phone call rang out.

Yu Xi said, “Go tend to your work first. I’ll find Yunshu to help me rub it on in a bit.”

Gu Chuanzhou didn’t speak. He wedged the phone between his ear and shoulder, pulling Yu Xi’s other arm to continue.

“Speak,” he commanded into the line, his expression cold and stern as he listened, occasionally offering a few brief words. Yet, when addressing Yu Xi, his voice seamlessly shifted back to a gentle tone. “Xi Xi, your legs.”

The assistant on the phone choked momentarily from the shock, before haltingly continuing the report upon recovering.

Because they were close, Yu Xi could faintly hear a bit of it. Not daring to disrupt him, he remained quiet and compliant, standing up to let Gu Chuanzhou apply the sunscreen to his legs.

Gu Chuanzhou’s palms were large. Coated in sunscreen, they massaged over the youth’s two slender, delicate legs. By the time he finished, the call also concluded.

“Alright. Reapply in three hours, and you won’t get sunburned.”

“Okay.” Yu Xi looked down at Gu Chuanzhou, who was half-kneeling before him. He lifted one leg to rub it against the other, feeling a bit sticky after the sunscreen application.

“Go back to playing. I’ll come over to accompany you in a bit.” Gu Chuanzhou immediately headed to the other side to handle the urgent work reported during the call.

Having had his fill of swimming a lap in the sea, a soaking wet Zhang Xingkuo walked over and remarked, “Why doesn’t he just stay cooped up in his company… Hiss, Sheng Yunjuan!”

Sheng Yunjuan, who had intentionally bumped into Zhang Xingkuo, squatted down in front of Yu Xi. “Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi, do you want to look for crabs together?”

Yu Xi nodded and said, “Sure, once Ah Shen and I help Wang finish building the Gundam.”

“I’ll help too!” Sheng Yunjuan joined in.

“I really don’t understand what’s so fun about sand…” Zhang Xingkuo uttered with disdain, though he snatched the shovel from Pei Wang’s hand and joined the effort anyway.

Twenty minutes later, under the united efforts of the five of them, a one-meter-tall Gundam stood complete.

The result was quite striking, to the extent that even Sheng Yunshu looked away from her book to admire it with them.

They took photos before setting off together to find crabs.

It wasn’t that they intended to find them to eat; it was purely for entertainment. However, whenever Sheng Yunjuan and Zhang Xingkuo were together, a competition was inevitable. As they played, it morphed into a contest to see who could gather the most.

The two used rock-paper-scissors to determine the teams. Ultimately, winning two out of three rounds, Sheng Yunjuan claimed Yu Xi for her team, her face brimming with smugness.

She whispered into Yu Xi’s ear, “No need to look at the results, he’s already lost!”

Yu Xi pursed his lips to hide a chuckle. He didn’t possess much competitiveness, leisurely looking for crabs beneath the sand or rocks. Along the way, he discovered many beautiful shells and conches. Gathering them as he went, he gradually drew closer to the water’s edge, entirely engrossed.

When a sudden wave crashed ashore, he was unable to dodge in time. Struck by the rushing water, he lost his footing and plunged backward into the sand, completely drenched.

In the next moment, he was scooped up into Gu Chuanzhou’s arms, lifting him away from the shoreline.

“Xiao Xi!”

By the time the others noticed, the color had entirely drained from their faces. They rushed over in a flurry, crowding around to inspect his condition.

Settled onto a beach chair while still in the older man’s embrace, Yu Xi coughed twice, wiping the water droplets from his eyelashes. Facing his worried and anxious friends, he smiled. “I was just splashed by a wave. Besides, I know how to swim, so don’t worry.”

He patted Gu Chuanzhou’s arm, signaling the other to let him go. Standing up, he pinched the hem of his dripping shirt, murmuring to himself, “It’s just that my clothes are completely wet…”

Confirming that he was unharmed, everyone breathed a silent sigh of relief. Following his words, their attention naturally gravitated toward his soaked attire.

The thin, pure white shirt clung tightly to his body now that it was wet, revealing the fair, translucent skin underneath, as well as the slender and delicate contours of his torso. The faint pink outlines of his chest were subtly visible.

As Yu Xi wrung out the water, the hem of his shirt rolled up slightly, completely unconcerned by his exposed waist.

In the next second, a large, broad towel dropped over Yu Xi’s shoulders, wrapping his body entirely and shielding him from several gazes that were gradually growing burning and intense.

Sheng Yunshu pulled the towel tight with an unreadable expression. “Go back and change your clothes, you’ll catch a cold.”

“Oh… okay.” Though Yu Xi felt it was highly unlikely to catch a cold in such hot weather, he obediently trotted back to the villa.

Returning alone to his room on the second floor, he first rinsed off the seawater before donning a bathrobe to gather clean clothes from the wardrobe.

Just as the wardrobe door swung open, a knock rattled against his room door.

Yu Xi went straight to open it. Finding Zhang Xingkuo standing outside, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just came to check on you.” Zhang Xingkuo entered the room, closing the door behind him before taking a seat on the sofa.

“I already said I’m fine.” Yu Xi let out a soft sigh, walking back to the wardrobe to retrieve a change of clothes.

He intended to change in the bathroom. Inoopportunely, a knock sounded against the door once more, accompanied by Sheng Yunjuan’s voice from outside.

“Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi!”

Yu Xi turned his head, just about to answer, when a large hand suddenly clamped over his mouth. Along with the sudden restraint, he was forced a step backward, partially leaning into the deep recess of the wardrobe.

“Ignore her!” Zhang Xingkuo commanded in a hushed whisper. “She’s always vying for your attention with me. It’s annoying to death.”

After his initial shock, Yu Xi was left somewhat amused and exasperated.

Sheng Yunjuan and Zhang Xingkuo competing with each other had been a daily occurrence during their childhood, and they remained exactly the same now that they were grown. In Yu Xi’s eyes, this was actually proof of their close bond, though being wedged in the middle occasionally gave him a headache.

“With her around, I don’t even get a chance to speak with you alone. So don’t answer her right now; let her leave on her own.” Zhang Xingkuo’s words carried a childish arrogance, yet they were laced with a hint of pitiful pleading. “Just side with me this one time, alright?”

Yu Xi nodded his head.

Yet, Zhang Xingkuo remained uneasy. “I’ll let you go after she leaves.”

Feeling a bit helpless, Yu Xi indulged his stubbornness.

Leaning against the edge of the wardrobe was uncomfortable, so he simply sat down.

Zhang Xingkuo, whose hand still covered his mouth, followed him down, bending his knees to press into the base of the wardrobe. Their four legs intertwined, sealing them tightly into the cramped enclosure together.