"Because I wanted to see when a little fool like you would finally figure it out," Shen Yu whispered into Yi Cheng's ear, his warm, amorous breath caressing Yi Cheng's earlobe.
Yi Cheng blushed slightly. This man was really too much! He had just come back and already started teasing him, calling him a fool. If he let this go on, would he still have any status in this household?
Without hesitation, Yi Cheng wriggled out of Shen Yu's embrace. Standing there, hands on his hips, he tried to look imposing and brave.
"You... who are you calling a fool?"
Shen Yu, a head taller than Yi Cheng, looked down at the man in front of him, whose ears had turned red from shyness. Every move and every subtle expression on Yi Cheng's face was captured by his sharp eyes.
He didn't say a word, just stared at Yi Cheng, who was still standing there with hands on his hips, pretending to be angry.
When Shen Yu remained silent for a while, Yi Cheng, who had turned his head away, turned back. Their eyes met again.
In Shen Yu's eyes, Yi Cheng seemed to see the gentle morning light, star - filled skies, and vast fields of flowers. His eyes were brimming with affection, so much so that it seemed to overflow from the corners.
Yi Cheng was slightly stunned. The blush that had just faded from his cheeks rushed back, and his face felt hot.
He couldn't bear such intense gazes. Like a frightened little animal, he quickly averted his eyes. His voice trembled as he said, "I... I'll go back first. The house hasn't been lived in for a long time. I should clean it up. Right... Also, the school has suddenly assigned me a teaching task. It's urgent. I... Oh, I'm so busy. I'll go first!"
Making up some flimsy excuses that even he didn't believe, Yi Cheng left Shen Yu standing there and rushed back to his room in a hurry, locking the door from the inside.
Only after Yi Cheng had completely disappeared from sight did Shen Yu slowly withdraw his gaze. He gently rubbed his lips with his fingers, still feeling Yi Cheng's warmth.
Once back in his room, Yi Cheng pressed his hand firmly against his heart. He fell back onto the soft white bed, as if his mind hadn't fully returned to his body yet.
His eyes were a bit dazed as he kept replaying what had happened between him and Shen Yu in the past few minutes.
That usually silent, aloof Shen Yu... had he just kissed him on his own initiative?
He pinched the back of his hand hard. The real pain told him that he wasn't dreaming. It was real. Shen Yu had just kissed him!
He let out a silly giggle. He himself didn't know why he was so overjoyed.
In the past few days, Shen Yu's coldness and all the miscellaneous household matters had exhausted Yi Cheng both physically and mentally. But in just a few minutes, all his exhaustion seemed to have vanished, replaced by an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
He didn't know how much time had passed. As Yi Cheng was lying in bed, giggling foolishly, the door lock clicked. Someone had opened the door with a key from the outside.
Seeing someone coming in, Yi Cheng quickly jumped up from the bed in a panic. He placed his hands on his knees, looking like a well - behaved and obedient boy.
However, he didn't have enough time to wipe the silly smile off his face, and Shen Yu saw it clearly.
Now, Shen Yu stood in front of Yi Cheng, arms crossed. Just like before, he looked down at Yi Cheng, but the previous emotions in his eyes were gone, and his face was expressionless.
The situation remained awkward for a while. Being stared at by Shen Yu made Yi Cheng feel nervous. He cleared his throat, about to say something to break the ice, but unexpectedly, Shen Yu spoke first.
"I see you're quite happy to be kissed by your 'enemy'. I didn't know you were into this."
The man's voice was as calm as ever, without a single fluctuation in tone, but Yi Cheng could detect a hint of jealousy. This was the first time he had seen Shen Yu like this.
But the "enemy" Shen Yu referred to... was it himself?
Whether it was due to lack of oxygen in his brain or a slow reaction, Yi Cheng couldn't immediately figure out what Shen Yu was referring to.
Seeing the confused look in Yi Cheng's eyes, Shen Yu found him cute. But on the surface, he remained calm. Still looking at Yi Cheng sitting on the bed, wracking his brains, he said, "Don't you even remember what you said yourself?"
What he said himself?
When had he ever said that Shen Yu was his enemy?
"That day, you said you were sick. Your roommate Yangcong came to see you. I..."
Before Shen Yu could finish his sentence, a look of sudden realization dawned on Yi Cheng's face.
Oh, he remembered. He still remembered that from then on, their relationship had rapidly cooled down and only slightly improved a few days ago.
Seeing Yi Cheng's expression, Shen Yu knew that he finally remembered. Although it was after several hints, it was already quite an achievement for him.
After understanding, Yi Cheng's eyes darted around. He looked at Shen Yu and then at himself. Squinting his eyes and thinking about what had happened that day, after a short while, Yi Cheng could guess what had happened. Naturally, he also knew why Shen Yu's words were full of jealousy.
"Let bygones be bygones!"
The best strategy was to run away!
Just as Yi Cheng was about to make a dash for it, Shen Yu did something unexpected.
He walked over, gently patted Yi Cheng's shoulder, and resumed his rare gentle demeanor. "Don't run away. Your 'enemy' is tired. Your internship is almost over. There may be a lot of things to deal with recently. You should rest well at night to recharge your energy."