Chapter Index

    Chapter 19

    “Baby, I’ll leave your clothes by the door…”

    Why else? Of course, it’s to guard against perverts like you. Pei Yisheng’s attempted slap failed, his wrist firmly grasped by Qin Zhou. His arm was twisted behind his back, and Qin Zhou pressed closer, so close that Pei Yisheng could feel the vibration in Qin Zhou’s chest.

    “What exactly do you want? What I wear has nothing to do with you! Mind your own business!”

    This was the first time Pei Yisheng had been pressed so tightly against someone, completely violating the safe distance of modern social interaction. It made him slightly incoherent, but thankfully, his momentum remained strong. He glared at Qin Zhou, absolutely refusing to back down!

    Qin Zhou’s heart warmed under the gaze of those dark, round eyes. How could someone exist who so perfectly matched his aesthetic? He was adorable, like something you just had to pinch.

    He acted on the thought. Locking Pei Yisheng’s hands behind his back, he used his free hand to brazenly pinch Pei Yisheng’s face. Although the baby fat was long gone, his cheeks were still full of collagen, and his contours were delicate and soft, allowing him to convincingly pass as a girl.

    The soft touch of his fingertips made him think of a small infant, fragile and defenseless. A light brush, and a blush bloomed on Pei Yisheng’s face, more fragrant and vibrant than the roses fiercely blooming in a summer flowerbed.

    Pei Yisheng’s expression was one of barely concealed shame and anger. He strained his neck backward but couldn’t escape Qin Zhou’s grasp. With his cheeks pinched, his words came out muffled, “Qin Zhou, let go! That hurts!”

    He hated how Qin Zhou treated him like a plaything. “Pervert, can’t you talk? Are you mute!”

    When a person is angry, they truly lose all sense of propriety. Pei Yisheng spewed out a torrent of words, “Let me go right now! I’m calling the police! I’m changing dorms! I’m going to expose you on the forum!”

    Qin Zhou chuckled and released his hand. It wasn’t because Pei Yisheng had cursed him out; it was because he saw the cheek under his hand was indeed red. He thought, how delicate. “Go ahead, expose me. I’d be delighted.”

    Pei Yisheng’s threats were utterly useless against Qin Zhou.

    Fortunately, Qin Zhou knew he shouldn’t push the person too far all at once. He took a small step back, still standing directly in front of Pei Yisheng. “Seriously, do you know why I was looking for a long-haired girl?”

    “…” What was Pei Yisheng supposed to say? Of course, he knew what Qin Zhou meant, but saying it out loud felt immodest, and who knew who Qin Zhou actually liked.

    Pei Yisheng subtly glanced down at his chest. To ensure authenticity, the school play’s costumes and appearance were carefully managed. With his face covered and the skirt left untouched, his gender was genuinely ambiguous.

    “What’s wrong, little mute? Your turn to speak,” Qin Zhou stared at him, his eyes full of amusement.

    Pei Yisheng rolled his eyes at him. “I don’t know, I don’t understand, and it’s impossible.”

    I don’t know why you were looking for a long-haired girl.

    I don’t understand why you’re blocking me.

    It’s impossible for me to get involved with you, so stop dreaming!

    Qin Zhou didn’t care what he said. Just watching those pretty lips move was enjoyment enough. He was accustomed to being domineering; even stealing someone else’s love interest was something he’d do. Shamelessly pursuing someone was nothing to Qin Zhou.

    He liked Pei Yisheng. His subconscious had recognized Pei Yisheng even before he did, so there was no way he would let him go.

    “It doesn’t matter if you don’t know. I’ll tell you. I like you, Pei Yisheng. I’m going to pursue you.”

    Qin Zhou took Pei Yisheng’s hand and kissed the back of it. “I will prove to you that I am your best choice.”

    Pei Yisheng snatched his hand back instantly, rubbing it against his back in obvious disgust, but Qin Zhou just smiled, not feeling angry at all.

    “Does your liking matter? I won’t like you. Your liking and your pursuit will only cause me trouble. Besides, the first time you saw me, you said ‘fake.’ You don’t genuinely like me; you’re probably just curious, wanting to see me in women’s clothes. No matter how you look at it, you’re still a pervert.”

    Pei Yisheng wouldn’t be corrupted by a few sweet words.

    “And you didn’t even recognize me, otherwise why would you be looking for a long-haired girl? You just like long-haired girls. Stop struggling and go find the right person!”

    Qin Zhou efficiently filtered out the majority of Pei Yisheng’s long speech, only receiving: “…liking matters… like you, genuinely like… want to wear women’s clothes… pervert…”

    How cute. He had accurately guessed most of what was on his mind.

    Qin Zhou nodded earnestly. “I won’t struggle. I will pursue you seriously. Can you highlight the key points for me, Baby?”

    Pei Yisheng instantly exploded. “Who are you calling Baby!”

    “I’m calling you, Baby.”

    “I am not your Baby! How can you be so pushy? Don’t you understand what I’m saying!” Pei Yisheng had a headache. This was like a scholar meeting a soldier—it was impossible to reason with him. Qin Zhou wasn’t even having a conversation on the same wavelength as him. Since that was the case, there was no need to continue talking. Pei Yisheng angrily shoved Qin Zhou’s shoulder, pushing him back just a tiny bit, and then ran into the bathroom to hide.

    He hadn’t changed his clothes yet, and running out would only cause more trouble.

    But staying in the bathroom forever wasn’t a solution either. His pajamas and everything else were still outside.

    After being isolated in the dorm room, Qin Zhou reflected for a rare moment, rubbing his nose, feeling a little embarrassed. He thought Pei Yisheng was too adorable; he simply couldn’t control the urge to tease him.

    He stood for a while, calming his turbulent emotions, and then, making amends, he acted like a gentleman and brought Pei Yisheng his pajamas and bath towel.

    “Baby, should I leave your clothes by the door?”

    Pei Yisheng shouted back from the bathroom, “Don’t call me Baby,” and then said weakly, “Just leave them by the door.”

    Listening carefully until the footsteps outside the door faded, Pei Yisheng quickly opened the door, snatched the clothes inside, and successfully took a shower.

    Qin Zhou’s brows were relaxed, and the curve of his lips hadn’t dropped.

    He would have been even happier if it weren’t for the constant barrage of messages on his phone.

    He was determined to sleep in the dorm tonight, so he couldn’t let anyone disturb him and Pei Yisheng. He glanced at the bathroom, estimating that Pei Yisheng would be showering for a while, then walked out onto the balcony to answer the call.

    “You finally answered the phone! Don’t you know what day it is? You could at least check on your friends. Who runs away from a family banquet like you do? Do you even want to inherit the family business!” The roaring baritone voice was practically yelling, and Qin Zhou could hear it clearly even holding the phone at arm’s length.

    He laughed carelessly. Before he could speak, he infuriated the other party further. “Don’t give your father that attitude! I think the family has spoiled you too much, making you so lawless!”

    “Dad, scold me all you want, but don’t scold yourself in the process.”

    Qin Father was choked speechless by that remark. After a long pause, he spoke again, his tone less frantic. The crisp voice of a woman could be faintly heard nearby. “Don’t talk to Xiao Zhou like that. You’ll make the child lose his temper. If he doesn’t want to stay at the banquet, he doesn’t have to. It’s not a big deal. Everyone in A City knows him. Instead of lecturing him every time, you should manage your own affairs and let him live a carefree life.”

    “Zhou Zhou, it’s Mom. Where are you? You left without eating dinner. Mom will have someone send you something.”

    Qin Zhou knew his mother was subtly asking if he had gone out to party. “I’m in the dorm. I’m going to sleep soon. I’ll eat if I get hungry. Don’t worry about me.”

    “Why did you go back to the dorm?” Now she was genuinely curious. She heard that the other side was quiet; the child probably hadn’t gone looking for trouble.

    “I wandered back to school and was too lazy to go home.”

    “Alright, whatever you want. Get some rest. Come home tomorrow if you have time. Your father isn’t really angry with you.”

    “Got it.”

    After hanging up, Qin Xiaohai complained to Zhou Yiran, “You, you know that doting mothers spoil their sons. Xiao Zhou was such an obedient and sensible child when he was little. Why is he less close to us the older he gets?”

    Qin Xiaohai couldn’t understand. When he was little, he was a clean, white bundle who used to sit on his shoulders to see the view from above. Now he stood taller than him, yet he was less willing to share his worries than when he was small.

    Zhou Yiran didn’t have so many demands for Qin Zhou, nor did she refute Qin Xiaohai’s comment about doting mothers. In her view, as long as there was no danger to life, what was wrong with Qin Zhou doing whatever he wanted? Didn’t they, as parents, work hard precisely to give their child an easier future?

    “Stop saying things like that. Childhood has its good points, and adulthood has its good points. It’s wrong for you to constantly compare and belittle him. Zhou Zhou’s growth fund is enough for him to live worry-free for eight lifetimes. What are you worried about? When we’re both gone, do you want the child to remember only the bad things about us?”

    “Look at you. I didn’t mean that. I just… fine, I admit it. I was unbalanced when I saw Old Wen’s and the Song family’s children were home,” Qin Xiaohai said grumpily.

    They held a banquet together, and the other children were by their side, but his own child didn’t bother to keep him company. Couldn’t he be upset about that?

    “His father’s connections don’t represent his connections. He’ll regret it eventually.”

    Zhou Yiran couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. It was late; she needed to do her skincare routine and go to bed.

    When Qin Zhou hung up the phone, Pei Yisheng still hadn’t come out. He sat at the desk playing a game, waiting for him. The two people in the dorm room were completely disconnected from the outside world, unaware that after the New Year’s Eve gala ended, Pei Yisheng’s female costume had been frantically searched for on the school’s confession wall.

    Not only that, some kind soul recorded a video and posted it online, tagging their school’s location. The popularity snowballed. By the time Meng Zihua saw it, it already had over a hundred thousand likes.

    Half of the comments below mentioned that the most attractive person in the middle looked very much like a recently popular coser.

    Meng Zihua: …

    Her worst fear had come true.

    She immediately sent the link to Pei Yisheng, asking him how he wanted to handle it—whether to admit it directly or keep silent.

    But after waiting for a long time, Pei Yisheng didn’t reply. Meng Zihua was pacing around like an ant on a hot pan.

    Forget it. She’d hire some online trolls first. Anyway, Pei Yisheng’s cosplay makeup was usually heavy, and the video was blurry. If people didn’t look closely, they probably wouldn’t notice.

    If Pei Yisheng was willing to admit it, it would be simple: just do a live stream.

    Note