The dorm room was quiet for a moment. Gu Kaifeng tightened the arm encircling Lin Feiran and asked, "RanRan, do you acknowledge me as your boyfriend now?"

"…What, nothing of the sort." Lin Feiran's body went taut.

"Then why did you call out 'husband' so pa.s.sionately just now?" Gu Kaifeng pinched Lin Feiran's slender waist in dissatisfaction.

With a guilty conscience, Lin Feiran twisted words to force logic and cried, "It's just a form of address. I can use it however I like." As Lin Feiran spoke, he rolled over and patted his pillow twice. He called out to the pillow affectionately, "Husband— Are you comfortable under me, husband?"

Gu Kaifeng pulled Lin Feiran back into his embrace. With both love and hate, he said, "I think you just need to be f.u.c.ked."

"What do you think you're talking about!" Lin Feiran's face went red and he stammered in retaliation, "Take— Take ten thousand steps back; even if that was true, it would definitely be me on top…" His voice became softer as he spoke, as if even he did not quite believe it.

"That's fine too, as long as you're happy." Gu Kaifeng undid the b.u.t.tons on his pajamas and made some distance between them. Grabbing Lin Feiran's hand, he forced him to touch him from his collarbone to his lower abdomen. Who knew what Gu Kaifeng had eaten growing up; his body was more developed than others his age, and he lacked the softness and tenderness of youth. Lin Feiran's palm caressed hard muscle encased in smooth and supple skin, his brain heating uncontrollably. As his hand slid over two erect nubs, Lin Feiran felt his mind had reached a boiling point. Meanwhile, Gu Kaifeng was devilishly restraining Lin Feiran's hands, making them rub gently.

Lin Feiran felt both ashamed and inexplicably excited. Even his toes had curled, and his exquisite Adam's apple was bobbing up and down unreservedly.

Gu Kaifeng pulled Lin Feiran back into his arms and held him there securely. Their two bodies were pressed together tightly without a single gap. Gu Kaifeng blew lightly on Lin Feiran's ear, which was so red it was almost dripping blood, and asked, "Baby, do you like it?"

Lin Feiran stared at him, his bright black eyes widened in shock. He looked like a stunned hamster. After several seconds of silence, he lied through his teeth and denied, "No… I don't like it."

"Stubborn." Gu Kaifeng was not stupid. Whether or not Lin Feiran liked it could be seen at a glance from his reaction; he did not need to hear the answer at all. As a result, he pressed even further, and stuck out his tongue to toy with Lin Feiran's earlobe. He deliberately lowered his voice and, in a flirtatious and wanton tone, spat out several words without restraint, "Didn't you say you want to be on top? Do you want to f.u.c.k me?"

Before he had finished speaking, Lin Feiran felt something in his mind give off a 'ta' sound, as if a string had broken. His breaths were short and hurried as he gasped out, "I… don't want to."

These words were actually true. Lin Feiran was almost unable to move, like a little piece of New Year cake that had been cooked until it was so soft and sticky it stuck to the bottom of the pot. He had no way of doing such a thing to Gu Kaifeng — it was far more likely for Gu Kaifeng to do that thing to him.

Gu Kaifeng had been excited by his involuntary teasing, but nothing more could really be done. He lifted Lin Feiran's chin and kissed him forcefully several times, then pressed the limp Lin Feiran against the wall and let his hands wander from his chest to his thighs to vent the fire of desire in his heart. At first, Lin Feiran hardly resisted, only whimpering softly  several times. But after a while, he realized that Gu Kaifeng seemed at risk of misfiring. With all his might, he pushed Gu Kaifeng away and callously commandeered the entire blanket so he could wrap himself up. Flushed with anger, he said, "Are you done? Are you still intending to go to cla.s.s tomorrow?"

"Done." Satisfied, Gu Kaifeng took away the hands that had eaten their fill of tofuand resolved not to wash them in the coming week.

After a lengthy silence, Lin Feiran, still bundled in the blankets, turned over and regarded Gu Kaifeng with a heated gaze. Very softly, he asked a question which Gu Kaifeng had already answered countless times, "Do you really like me?"

In actuality, the words were entirely useless, but nonetheless Gu Kaifeng was quick to nod his head and reply, "I really like you."

Lin Feiran pursed his lips and pressed on to confirm, "Since when?"

Gu Kaifeng answered honestly, "Since the first time I saw you, I had a good feeling. I like people like you. Your nose, eyes, mouth, face, hands, legs, arms, and waist… and your b.u.t.t, all of them are exactly to my tastes."

Lin Feiran immediately became angry!

Why did he have to emphasize his b.u.t.t at the end?!

Gu Kaifeng continued, "But at that time you did not care for me and didn't even want to talk to me, so I stopped thinking about this possibility. But then you suddenly started to tease me every day, and I fell into the mire."

The expression in Lin Feiran's gaze went dim and he seemed a little unhappy. "After all is said and done, the fact remains that it's only because I'm good-looking. There are many good-looking people. It would be all the same to you if you liked someone else. In the future, stop teasing me…"

"Worried that I'll meet someone good-looking in the future and have a change of heart?" Gu Kaifeng interpreted Lin Feiran's circuitous words with perfect accuracy. He reached out with his thumb and brushed it across Lin Feiran's lips, which he had just made swollen with his kisses. His smiling eyes were fixed on Lin Feiran as he continued in a gentle and sincere tone, "I admit that at first I was drawn by your appearance, but not any more. My wife is indeed so smart, so adorable, so kind, and so high-quality. Good at playing piano, good at singing, good at studies. He throws a basketball with accuracy, jumps high, runs fast, has dimples when he smiles, and has so many good qualities I could never finish listing them all. When I see you draw a line, I think that my RanRan draws it straighter than anyone else. When I hear you sneeze, I think that my RanRan has a nicer-sounding sneeze than anyone else. When you glare at me, my heart flutters. If you smile at me again, my spirit flies. Every day, I want to hug you, I want to kiss you, I want to have fun with you, I want to hear you speak, and I want to f.u.c.k you. Even if in the next second you're suddenly not so good-looking anymore, I've already fallen for you. That can no longer change…"

Receiving so many compliments out of the blue, the area of Lin Feiran's brain responsible for quirking his tail broke down from overwork. Lin Feiran was unable to show any expression of pride and could only stare adorkably at Gu Kaifeng. He felt as if there were a small pool of soapy water somewhere in a corner of his body and that Gu Kaifeng's words had just blown on it, causing tens of millions of rainbow bubbles to suddenly burst free from the surface. They tugged every cell in Lin Feiran's body and started to dance, leaving his mind completely blank from joy.

"I've said my piece. It's your turn." Gu Kaifeng nudged Lin Feiran with his elbow and asked, "Tell me how you came to like me. Was it that time you had a fever and I bought you medicine and congee that made you think I'm especially good?"

Lin Feiran's spirit wandered the far heavens for a while before gradually coming back down to Earth. He leisurely rolled his eyes and said, "I don't know. Probably because you're a pervert."

Gu Kaifeng laughed out loud and resigned himself to say, "That's okay too. As long as you like me, it's okay."

Realization suddenly dawned on Lin Feiran. With the effect of  saying 'there are no 300 taels of silver here', he quickly added, "I mean that I don't like you!"

(T/N: 'there are no 300 taels of silver here': protesting too much, clearly lying and inadvertently giving the truth away in the process.)

"Got it. Goodnight." The corners of Gu Kaifeng's mouth quirked joyfully, as if he had not heard those words. After that, he went to sleep with the duplicitous little sticky cake in his arms.

The next day was Monday, and the results for the midterm exams were released. Gu Kaifeng and Lin Feiran were sixth and seventh in their grade respectively; Lin Feiran's total score was 4 points lower than Gu Kaifeng's.

It was all the fault of Chinese literature!

Lin Feiran looked at the report card, his hands forming into fists. "Next time, I'll definitely surpa.s.s you."

Because he had said so much last night, he was a little embarra.s.sed to look at Gu Kaifeng when he got up this morning. He had been too shy to initiate a conversation, but now he had finally found a chance.

"You'll have no problems." Gu Kaifeng caressed Lin Feiran's hair, then used a red pen to draw a heart on the report card. This heart was just big enough to encircle Gu Kaifeng and Lin Feiran's names, which were next to each other.

Lin Feiran hesitated for a moment then said, "…Be careful. Don't let the teacher see your report card."

He seemed to be missing the main point!

Gu Kaifeng understood and made a gentle noise of a.s.sent.

This period was the homeroom teacher Ms. Zheng's cla.s.s, and she discussed the English papers from the midterm exam. Near the end of cla.s.s, Lin Feiran's Yin-Yang eyes activated and he heard the sound of a child playing ball coming from the corridor. Lin Feiran did not touch Gu Kaifeng to absorb Yang energy, and the moment Ms. Zheng announced cla.s.s was over, he was the first to run out of the cla.s.sroom.

It was indeed the little girl's ghost playing ball in the hallway. A translucent, insubstantial white hand was dribbling translucent, insubstantial ball. The scene looked very strange, but the little girl's ghost was having a lot of fun. When the ball rolled away from her carelessness, she ran over to pick it up with a smile, modestly gathering her skirt as she squatted down to pick up the ball. When she saw Ms. Zheng walk out of the cla.s.sroom, she immediately followed her.

Lin Feiran waved to her and called out softly, "Little girl."

The little girl's ghost looked at him, then, while holding the ball, turned and kept following Ms. Zheng with a spring in her step. Her silhouette was energetic and adorable, just like an ordinary little girl's, except for being a little incorporeal.

Lin Feiran followed behind her, forcing himself not to look at the other ghosts. He covered his mouth with his hands and said under his breath, "I was the one who gave you those toys and snacks. Big brother is a good person, do you know that?"

The little girl's ghost heard him and stopped on the spot, her big black eyes opened wide. In one hand she held the ball and in the other, the corner of her skirt. She said timidly, "Thank you, big brother."

Lin Feiran's expression was gratified. "Good…"

The little girl's ghost swiftly followed up with, "Goodbye, big brother."

After that, she turned and ran into Ms. Zheng's office.

Lin Feiran: "……"

The office door was not shut, and Lin Feiran was able to pop his head in and look around. The little girl's ghost had completely taken over Ms. Zheng's desk. Beside the tall stack of English homework sat a translucent, insubstantial doll; on top of the laptop's keyboard was the rabbit plushie, and various snacks were neatly arranged on the desk, perfectly orderly. It looked like the little girl had been a good, obedient child when she was alive.

After the little girl's ghost ran into the office, she put the ball by the foot of Ms. Zheng's desk. She stood on tiptoe and picked out two jelly candies from the pile of snacks. Ms. Zheng was currently going through students' report cards and was not aware of what was happening beside her. Though the little girl's ghost knew that her mother could not eat them, or even see them or hear her, she still placed one of the jellies by Ms. Zheng's hand and said, "Mom, it's been hard on you, teaching cla.s.s."

The little girl's ghost then arranged her skirt and sat down next to Ms. Zheng's chair, leaning against its legs. She tore open the packaging of the jelly in her hand and happily began to eat, her pitch-black eyes curved into two pitch-black crescents.