ASSHKHME Chapter 40
by VolareA high-end residential complex in Jiangbei’s city center.
Inside, only a floor lamp was on, its dim yellow light casting a warm hue over the surroundings.
A tall figure stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, the glass reflecting his handsome face and tightly furrowed brows. He clutched a phone that had long gone dark, gazing out at the Jiangbei cityscape blurred by the torrential rain.
Xie Yu repeatedly unlocked his phone. Only an hour remained before the dormitory lights automatically shut off, and the WeChat message he’d sent Chen Zhuo half an hour ago had sunk like a stone into the sea, utterly silent.
Xie Yu collapsed onto the sofa, staring blankly at his phone.
He just wanted a way out, a step down. Even if Chen Zhuo had sent him a simple “no,” he would have immediately driven back to school, rushed to his side, and pulled the pitiful little hedgehog into his arms, saying, “Hmph, I knew you were just putting on a tough act.”
But Chen Zhuo hadn’t replied with anything, not even a period!
That stubborn mule! He’d rather shrink under the covers and tremble miserably than show even the slightest hint of weakness.
Xie Yu repeatedly refreshed the WeChat interface, checking if the network was affected by the lightning while contemplating whether returning to the dorm so easily would spoil Chen Zhuo too much.
He’d already made such a big show of needing to “cool off.” Wouldn’t going back now be a huge loss of face?
Xie Yu thought that putting distance between himself and Chen Zhuo would allow him to return to his former self.
After all, a boiling kettle removed from the heat would eventually cool down, but he hadn’t expected himself to be a thermos…
After a week of “cooling off,” he’d had plenty of dreams, and Little Xie had gotten plenty of release, but he still couldn’t find a clear answer to the question of Chen Zhuo’s sexuality.
Having been straight for nineteen years, and with such a large family business to inherit, Xie Yu instinctively resisted facing the implications.
But if you asked him if he missed Chen Zhuo…
He did.
Otherwise, why would he have driven half an hour to the school cafeteria on a weekend just to have lunch? Was he just eating too much salt and feeling parched?
He’d seen them talking about trying the new minced pork rice noodles at Cafeteria 3 in the group chat, and purely went on the off chance of bumping into them, never expecting that he actually would.
It was such a good opportunity, he’d even intended to join them for a meal, but Chen Zhuo had glared at him and turned his head away. Did he not have any self-respect?
Lightning split the night sky, and a thunderclap shattered the heavens under the rolling dark clouds. The glass window shuddered violently.
The image of Chen Zhuo wrapped in a blanket, his face pale, flashed clearly in Xie Yu’s mind. He cursed under his breath, unable to resist any longer. He grabbed his coat and car keys and strode out the door.
A Jeep drove out of the deserted underground garage, plunged into the rain, its visibility extremely low, turned on the hazard lights, and sped along the road, splashing large amounts of water.
—
Two small red dots lit up on the WeChat interface.
Chen Zhuo sank into his pillow, his cool fingers tapping open Xu Qingyou’s chat box: [Brother, don’t worry, I have people with me in the dorm. We are playing games. I am fine.]
The top of the chat box showed that the other party was typing, but two minutes later, Xu Qingyou only replied with five words: [Okay, rest early.]
Chen Zhuo’s nose felt a little sour. Perhaps Xu Qingyou had already noticed his aloofness. It seemed he didn’t have the ability to maintain intimacy with people.
Chen Zhuo was sometimes quite envious of Xie Yu, who could make many friends even without being in the same dorm as his classmates.
Even Zhao Jiashu and Li Ang seemed to get along better with Xie Yu, probably because they were all very candid. In contrast, he himself had no desire to confide in anyone.
Human nature dictated that sharing secrets could bring relationships closer, but Chen Zhuo couldn’t do it. He couldn’t bear to lay open his sorrow and fear for others to see.
There was no true empathy in the world. Chen Zhuo didn’t want to see anyone looking at him with pity or sympathy.
He curled up, his erected spines protecting him, but also keeping those who were good to him outside, leaving no one to share his loneliness.
The red dot from that boorish wild boar was still lit. Chen Zhuo stared at the four words “Are you scared?” for a long time, dissecting each stroke of the characters, but he still couldn’t understand what Xie Yu meant.
His thoughts were stirred, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly.
Xie Yu was rampaging through his mind. Chen Zhuo didn’t like the feeling of being easily manipulated, and he especially hated being passive.
Straight? Would a straight guy actively kiss another man’s lips?
Instead of being led by Xie Yu’s inexplicable behavior, it was better to take the initiative. Anyway, he had nothing to lose.
Chen Zhuo tapped on the obnoxious red dot, feeling a strange sense of anticipation as his fingers fell on the screen and began to type.
Scared.
Didn’t quite fit his usual style, deleted.
Not scared.
No, Xie Yu knew he was afraid of thunder, and would definitely laugh at him if he saw those two words, deleted.
Is it any of your business?
This reply was quite in line with his personality, but it left no room for imagination, deleted.
…
At the last intersection before reaching the school, Xie Yu gripped the steering wheel anxiously, waiting for the red light. Suddenly, his phone beside him “dinged.”
Chen Zhuo: [A little bit]
Xie Yu glanced at the WeChat notification that popped up on the screen.
Amidst the “pitter-patter” of raindrops drumming against the car body, he heard the sound of his own heart pounding wildly.
The Jeep shot off the moment the light turned green. All those jumbled thoughts vanished. Xie Yu was left with only one thought: to pull Chen Zhuo into his arms.
Strangers cannot enter the school, Xie Yu parked the car in the temporary parking area on the side of the road, only to find out that he had forgotten to bring an umbrella.
The rain outside the car was like a string of beads, hitting the ground non-stop, and some standing water had already accumulated.
Xie Yu put on the hood of his windbreaker, turned off the car, and stepped into the downpour without any hesitation.
The cold rainwater quickly soaked him from head to toe, clinging to him as the howling wind blew, making him very cold.
Xie Yu, drenched and unable to open his eyes, cursed silently.
He thought that he must be controlled by an evil spirit. He was so willing to do this for a man. Not only was he driving at night in a thunderstorm, but he was also soaked like a drowned rat, which was too embarrassing.
A black van with its headlights on was parked at the entrance of the school. Xie Yu glanced at it suspiciously, but the rain was so heavy that he couldn’t see clearly at all.
Probably just another idiot like him, Xie Yu thought to himself, feeling slightly comforted.
The dormitory auntie was awakened from her sleep by a loud knocking sound, and came out angrily with a feather duster in hand. The flames of anger vanished when she saw Xie Yu, who was completely soaked in the heavy rain. She quickly opened the door to let him in.
“Why are you soaked like this? Why are you coming back so late, child? Hey! Why are you running! Slow down! The ground is slippery!”
At eleven o’clock, the dormitory lights went out automatically. At the instant of darkness, the dormitory door was knocked.
“Open the door, it’s me, Xie Yu.”