Chapter 47: Your Majesty, Please Retire for the Night

The entire table turned to look at Xia Chiyi. He could only offer an awkward smile—he could hardly explain that Zhou Zhexiao had listened to this song on loop in his phone over fifty times.

The lead singer had originally intended to tease Zhou Zhexiao, hoping to see him act shy or reserved, but she never expected him to drop a “nuclear bomb” the moment he opened his mouth.

“You don’t know the song?” Zhou Zhexiao asked back.

“No… we just didn’t expect anyone to actually dare to sing it.” The lead singer raised her hand and shouted, “Hit the music! Let’s hear Gingerbread Man!”

Many people in the crowd pulled out their phones to search for the lyrics. Some wore expressions of shock, while others were incredibly excited.

As the intro began, an atmosphere of “playing hard to get” and suggestive ambiguity immediately swirled through the bar. Zhou Zhexiao held the mic, one hand casually tucked in his pocket, looking as relaxed as if he were just at a private KTV session.

“All those flowers are not you.“

His deep voice was like the onset of night, telling someone: I am here, and you have nowhere to run.

Those who had been staring at their phone screens couldn’t help but look up, focusing on his eyes, trying to find even a hint of desire within them.

Zhou Zhexiao’s voice gradually grew softer, as if he had arrived at someone’s bedside, leaning into their ear to plead in a voice both noble and humble: “Don’t be so scared of my biting, ah… ah…“

Those two soft moans were natural, sounding like his slightly heavy breathing after playing basketball. But to Xia Chiyi’s ears, it sounded like a high-and-mighty man soberly walking step by step into the abyss of passion.

At the word “biting,” it felt as if something in the air actually nipped at Xia Chiyi’s ear, carrying a cautious probe and a restrained invitation.

Xia Chiyi picked up his glass. The ice had melted, and the icy water cooled his throat, but it couldn’t stop his blood from heating up.

“You are the icing covering my tongue, ah… ah…“

Xia Chiyi lowered his head. He didn’t dare imagine what “icing on the tongue” would actually be like, but he instinctively licked his upper lip. Even that tiny movement, that slight flash of red from his tongue, was caught by Zhou Zhexiao on Stage C.

Everyone could see that the “Mr. Cool” who hadn’t shown a single expression seemed to smile. It was a sense of tenderness, as if he were flirting with someone who wasn’t there. But quickly, Zhou Zhexiao pulled back his expression, making the smile look like a moment of self-mockery.

“Love me hard, ah… ah…“

These two breaths were more delicate than before, carrying a faint, irredeemable desire that sent a tremor through the guests. Xia Chiyi’s eardrums were vibrating so hard he almost slid off his chair; as he tilted, he braced himself against Zhou Zhexiao’s empty seat. His palm could still feel Zhou Zhexiao’s body heat, burning from his hand straight to his heart.

“Let’s taste each other, ah… ah…“

Xia Chiyi suddenly thought of how, just moments ago, Zhou Zhexiao had plucked the lemon slice from his mouth… did that count as having tasted each other?

You’re finished, Xia Chiyi.

If Zhou Zhexiao knew his head was full of this nonsense all day, he’d probably crush his skull with one hand! Xia Chiyi had never felt so conflicted; one part of him wanted the song to end immediately, while the other wished it would never stop.

“You never see me, but I desperately want you.“

This was the final line of the song, filled with gloomy despair and a restrained, explosive possessiveness. For some reason, the line “You never see me” made Xia Chiyi’s heart ache.

He looked up at Zhou Zhexiao, no longer avoiding his gaze, but looking at him directly. Even if it was just a lyric, Xia Chiyi wanted Zhou Zhexiao to know that he always saw him—whether he was being low-key or wild, shining or arrogant.

Zhou Zhexiao raised his eyes and froze for a moment when he met Xia Chiyi’s candid gaze.

He knew that he was the Gingerbread Man. Xia Chiyi would play with him in his palm when he liked him and expect to bite him into pieces without hesitation when hungry. He wanted to be the icing on the boy’s tongue; even if it meant making himself fragile and vulnerable, even if he could be easily crushed by this boy, he would stay sober and choose to drown.

Before the guests could snap out of it, Zhou Zhexiao handed the mic back to the singer without a hint of lingering. He walked through the crowd’s gaze back to the booth and asked Yang Huaiyu, “Is the bill waived now?”

The entire booth was in a state of shock.

“Zhou Zhexiao, since when were you like this? I thought you’d be half-dead singing up there, but… my ears are going to get pregnant!” Meng Ting exaggeratedly rubbed his ears.

Ke Yan was also surprised. “If this bar hired you as a resident singer, they’d be rolling in money.”

Yang Huaiyu flashed a playful smile. “Some people’s ‘sexiness’ valve is attached to someone else. They only become sexy for a specific person.”

The lead singer was the first to applaud. She truly hadn’t expected him to sing so well, blending cold asceticism with a conscious fall from grace. It made her even more curious about how crazy this man would be if he fell in love.

The server processed the refund, and the group stood up to head back. Even after they left, Zhou Zhexiao remained the primary topic of conversation among the guests.

Smoking in the back alley, the lead singer said with a hint of regret, “I should have found an excuse to ask for his contact info…”

Jin Ni, the bartender who was also out for air, shook her head. “Stop dreaming. We’re old pros; can’t you tell who he was looking at?”

“So what if I can tell? He definitely hasn’t confessed, or else he would have been biting that cute guy’s lips instead of a lemon slice.”

“Haha, if you want to give up, you should have made their table play the tissue-passing game. I bet that tissue would have definitely torn.”

The lead singer looked down and smiled. “He would have flat-out refused that game, because he wouldn’t let anyone but himself touch that little handsome guy.”

---

As Xia Chiyi and the others walked out of the “Stranger” bar, they collectively let out a sigh of relief.

Meng Ting mused, “If my future girlfriend finds out I’ve been to a bar like this… I wonder if she’ll make me kneel on a basketball…”

He Zhan stabbed him ruthlessly: “Single dogs shouldn’t daydream about the future. Careful not to set a ‘flag’ and stay single forever!”

Yang Huaiyu looked at Xia Chiyi and asked with a smile, “How was your bar experience today?”

“To be honest, I felt the terror of being dominated by the Gaokao (college entrance exam). The lead singer was the examiner, and I was the failing student who could never grasp the key points.”

Xia Chiyi’s analogy made everyone roar with laughter. The night wind blew, and Xia Chiyi closed his eyes to take a deep breath, stretching. “Now I’m finally out of the exam hall!”

He finally understood why Ling Huanzhen had been so generous in letting them come to the bar. After seeing it once, Xia Chiyi had no more curiosity left. The “bar encounters” in movies and TV weren’t nearly as real as the Zhou Zhexiao standing next to him.

Everyone tacitly decided to walk. After sitting in the bar for so long, they wanted to move. Unconsciously, they passed the public court where Xia Chiyi and Yang Huaiyu had played the night before.

Meng Ting rolled his shoulders and shouted, “Whoa, there’s a basketball court here! After being cooped up, does anyone want to play?”

He Zhan immediately responded, “I’m in! I’m in! Let’s do two-on-two! Zhou Zhexiao, Xia Chiyi, you guys in?”

Their acting was so terrible it was hilarious. Even Yang Huaiyu and Ke Yan couldn’t bear to look. You want to play 2v2 and instead of asking your own teammates, you ask guests from another school? Does that make sense?

Xia Chiyi didn’t want to play games with them either. He rotated his wrists and smiled. “Playing is fine, but you have to agree to one condition.”

“What condition?” Meng Ting asked.

“First to ten points wins. If Zhou Zhexiao and I win, you have to bring the full starting lineup of Qincheng University to play a practice match against our Ningchang University team.” Xia Chiyi tilted his chin. “Why don’t you ask your Ace if he’ll let you take that bet?”

This request was completely unexpected for Meng Ting. He looked at Yang Huaiyu and Ke Yan.

Ke Yan crossed his arms and laughed. “If the honored guests from Ningchang can win, I certainly have no objection.”

Yang Huaiyu also smiled. “Are you really sure you can win? He Zhan and Meng Ting are top-tier forwards nationwide. You guys played four full quarters of practice today; if you lose later, don’t blame it on unfair stamina consumption.”

Xia Chiyi flashed a bright smile. “There’s no such thing as ‘fair’ stamina in a real game. We’ve rested for five hours; we’re fully charged! Don’t let your ‘glass hearts’ shatter when you lose!”

“Damn, who gave you the courage to be so arrogant? Liang Jingru?”

“Zhou Zhexiao, of course!” Xia Chiyi pointed a thumb at Zhou Zhexiao. “My partner is super awesome.”

Regarding that, Meng Ting and He Zhan couldn’t argue. After all, this was the man who had blocked Yang Huaiyu.

They entered the community court, and Yang Huaiyu bought a ball from a nearby sports shop that was just about to close. “I’m putting real money into this contest—this ball cost eighty yuan. If you two lose, you’re splitting the cost of the ball.”

They set the rules: full court. Since Ningchang was the guest, Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao started with the ball.

They all thought that given Zhou Zhexiao’s explosiveness, he would be the primary attacker while Xia Chiyi handled the ball. But to their surprise, the game started with Zhou Zhexiao cleanly dribbling past He Zhan’s defense to go head-to-head with Meng Ting under the basket.

As Zhou Zhexiao brushed past He Zhan, He Zhan could feel the air pressure and the sheer power of Zhou Zhexiao’s dribbling. The ball felt like an extension of Zhou’s body. He was like a fired arrow; if He Zhan had tried to turn at that speed, he would have surely collapsed from the momentum.

He Zhan managed to steady his center, and by the time he turned, Zhou Zhexiao was already at the rim.

Meng Ting was ready to intercept, thinking: Kid, Papa is waiting for you! Let me serve you a “stir-fried beef” block!

Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze was cold, as if saying: Who’s whose Papa?

When they jumped, Meng Ting’s reach was nearly a head higher than Zhou’s. Impossible! Zhou Zhexiao’s explosiveness is huge; he shouldn’t be at this height!

Meng Ting suddenly realized Zhou Zhexiao hadn’t jumped with full force. Instead, before landing, he passed the ball to Xia Chiyi, who had run to the baseline. Xia Chiyi took an easy shot with perfect form.

“Nice shot,” Zhou Zhexiao said simply.

“Hehe,” Xia Chiyi made an “OK” sign over his eye and looked at him.

“Damn it!” Meng Ting cursed under his breath.

He Zhan’s jaw tightened. “These two kids are good!”

On the sidelines, Ke Yan almost blurted out “Are you two stupid?”, but then he remembered the afternoon practice where Xia Chiyi had made shot after shot like this. He realized he didn’t have the right to criticize them.

“Uh… I’m a bit worried our Center and Power Forward can’t outplay those two.”

Yang Huaiyu laughed. “Nothing we can do. Zhou Zhexiao is a swingman, and Xia Chiyi’s release is too fast—he’s a master at finding the smallest gaps.”

Finding gaps? Then give him no gaps!

Ke Yan shouted, “Xia Chiyi can shoot from anywhere once he has the ball! If you have to, just sandwich him!”

Xia Chiyi looked at Ke Yan in surprise. Sandwich me? Is this the kind of dialogue I can listen to without a VIP membership?

“Hey, if they both go for Xia Chiyi, what about Zhou Zhexiao?” Yang Huaiyu flashed a meaningful smile.

“You said it yourself—better to lose in practice than to be blindsided on the court. If we can lock down Xia Chiyi with a double-team of tall guys, don’t tell me you aren’t capable of guarding Zhou Zhexiao?” Ke Yan looked at Yang Huaiyu with a cold, slightly threatening gaze.

Yang Huaiyu didn’t speak; he just smiled while watching Xia Chiyi’s silhouette. Whoever tries to double-team him is going to get leaked like a sieve.

After losing three points, He Zhan and Meng Ting gradually adapted to their opponents’ playstyle, showing their top-three national-level skill. They took Ke Yan’s advice and used their height advantage to double-team Xia Chiyi. If Xia Chiyi managed a pass, they would immediately rotate back to the basket. Their chemistry was flawless.

During one left-handed layup, Xia Chiyi thought he had bypassed Meng Ting, only to be blocked by He Zhan. The shock of it made Xia Chiyi’s heart thud. He exchanged a look with Zhou Zhexiao—these two rotated back way too fast. He wondered if Du He and Shuai Bei could hold up against them.

Yang Huaiyu’s eyes followed Xia Chiyi. Even though Xia was the one being blocked, Yang couldn’t help but admire him. Most people who got blocked that hard by He Zhan would develop a sense of fear—maybe for a few seconds, maybe for the whole game. But in Xia Chiyi’s eyes, there was only “respect” for the block, no “fear.” Looking at the boy’s eager eyes, Yang Huaiyu suspected Xia Chiyi would try to layup over He Zhan’s head again.

What a little monster!

“Do you want me to set a screen?” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice came. If he could block one of them, Xia Chiyi’s vision and drive lane would open up significantly.

“No.” Xia Chiyi’s lips curled into a smile. He lifted his T-shirt collar to wipe sweat from his chin. “Can’t you tell? They’re using me for double-team practice on purpose. So I’ll use them to practice breaking through a double-team!”

“Okay,” Zhou Zhexiao nodded.

Soon, He Zhan and Meng Ting had him sandwiched again. These two had long arms and broad shoulders; their lateral movement was immense. They were like a “Golden Bell Shield” covering Xia Chiyi. They harassed him with steals while trash-talking.

“Yo, little Chiyi, you’re being made into a dumpling! How does it feel to be the filling? Do you like leek and egg? Or pork and green onion?” Meng Ting was grinning, his mouth never stopping. If he didn’t play basketball, he could do stand-up comedy.

“Since you love dumplings so much, when I win, I’ll buy a hundred pounds of flour and wrap you up!”

With that, Xia Chiyi took a jab step to feign a breakout, then suddenly braked. The two defenders almost collided. In that tense moment, Xia Chiyi performed a fadeaway jumper without any warning.

The two giants jumped to force Xia Chiyi to lose balance in the air. Xia Chiyi even provided his own sound effects, making a “Shuuu—” sound. The ball soared over He Zhan and Meng Ting’s fingertips and fell beautifully into the hoop.

Xia Chiyi staggered back and sat down on the ground.

Meng Ting put his hands on his hips, looking at him helplessly. “I don’t want to pull this guy up!”

He Zhan turned his face away. “I don’t want to pull him up either.”

Xia Chiyi just sat there, pointing one finger at Meng Ting and one at He Zhan. “Shuuu—shuuu—shuuu—“

“SHUT UP!” the two shouted in unison.

On the sidelines, Yang Huaiyu and Ke Yan were both annoyed and amused. Xia Chiyi’s passing lanes were unpredictable, constantly refreshing He Zhan and Meng Ting’s understanding of the game. He kept them running all over the court. Although they owned the air space under the basket, Xia Chiyi’s sudden “cold arrows” made them impossible to defend against.

Whenever the ball reached Zhou Zhexiao, he was like the “Terminator,” efficiently and quickly putting it into the basket before the giants could rotate back. But He Zhan and Meng Ting were undeterred, double-teaming Xia Chiyi as if they were determined to master this tactic until it could trap him.

With their prior experience, the two giants tightened the circle, almost pressing right against Xia Chiyi. The physical contact, the swinging arms, the tension—it made Xia Chiyi both suppressed and excited.

“Are you two standing this close because you have a crush on me?” Xia Chiyi bantered while looking for a gap.

“Yeah, we’re secretly in love with you… pick one: me or Meng Ting!” He Zhan wasn’t angry at all, bantering right back.

“No way. If I’m picking, I’m picking Zhou Zhexiao!”

Xia Chiyi’s lips curved. His mood was like a roller coaster—this was great! To experience such high-level double-teaming before the regional qualifiers!

“Watch your ball-handling time!” Zhou Zhexiao’s cold voice came.

Ke Yan was timing them loudly from the sidelines: “Five—four—”

Xia Chiyi grit his teeth. Thinking of his physical training lately—he could even set screens for He Bin now—he decided to go big!

Go big or go home! Daddy has been eating well lately! Twenty-four oysters were very nourishing!

Xia Chiyi suddenly pressed into He Zhan. Feeling his position being pushed outward, He Zhan realized Xia Chiyi was going for a physical confrontation!

“Kid, you don’t know your limits—”

He Zhan thought his lower body was stable, but Xia Chiyi’s specifically strengthened core and thigh power allowed him to bounce He Zhan off in a brief instant! Even though it was only a tiny bit of space, Xia Chiyi sent the ball out. He almost lost his balance, stumbling a step and bracing himself with one hand, but the moment he scrambled up, he heard the sound of Zhou Zhexiao scoring the layup.

He Zhan’s eyes widened. He looked at Xia Chiyi in disbelief. This kid actually pushed him back?

Meng Ting couldn’t help but punch He Zhan lightly. “Did you take muscle relaxants? You let Xia Chiyi push you off during a confrontation?”

He Zhan punched back. “You’re the one on relaxants! That shove he gave me really had power!”

Yang Huaiyu closed his eyes and nodded. “He even dared to block my shot.”

Ke Yan’s frown deepened. “This is trouble. Xia Chiyi has physical confrontation capability; he’s not a glass-cannon assassin.”

“Yeah. Just trying to crush him with a tank won’t work,” Yang Huaiyu said with an expectant look. “There are four and a half months until the qualifiers. At Xia Chiyi’s age, this is when skills and physical stats grow fastest. You can’t even imagine what level he’ll be at if Qincheng faces Ningchang in the official tournament.”

Ke Yan laughed. “What, got some motivation now? Think the qualifiers will be interesting?”

“Yeah,” Yang Huaiyu nodded gently.

In the next round, Xia Chiyi took advantage of Meng Ting trying to swipe the ball, performed a direct feint, and used a wide crossover drive that almost made the two big guys crash into each other.

“Whoa—” “Don’t hit me!”

Xia Chiyi made an easy basket.

Meng Ting massaged his knee and whispered, “Whoever guards this kid is going to have their knees ruined!”

“Not just knees, it’s easy to cause a ‘traffic accident’! You’ve got guts, kid!” He Zhan felt a mix of love and hate. He pulled Xia Chiyi over and gave his head a rough rub.

Ke Yan nodded in total agreement.

But Meng Ting and He Zhan weren’t pushovers either. Their power wasn’t limited to under the basket. In two consecutive plays, Meng Ting screened Zhou Zhexiao for He Zhan. Since Xia Chiyi didn’t have He Zhan’s height advantage, He Zhan made two shots in a row.

“Hmph,” Xia Chiyi looked at He Zhan, grit his teeth.

He Zhan mimicked Xia Chiyi’s previous smug look and said to him, “Shuuu—shuuu—shuuu—“

Vengeance was finally served. Xia Chiyi shrugged at He Zhan indifferently. “Whatever makes you happy.”

Xia Chiyi returned to Zhou Zhexiao’s side and bumped him. “How’s our Center and Power Forward’s mid-range shooting?”

“Do they even have mid-range shooting?” Zhou Zhexiao asked back.

Xia Chiyi rubbed his head hard. “Then we’re screwed! He Zhan and Meng Ting can both shoot, and their speed and accuracy are decent!”

“Tell Ling Huanzhen when we get back.”

Xia Chiyi nodded. “Yeah. He probably doesn’t want people saying the students he raised are just like him—mid-range trash!”

Ke Yan looked down at his phone notes. “Xia Chiyi is 5-for-6. This kid’s accuracy is still this good even after drinking. The high intensity of the afternoon game didn’t affect his performance tonight. Really tricky.”

Just then, Xia Chiyi took a shot, but He Zhan’s recovery was too fast. Xia didn’t create enough distance and was contested. Immediately after releasing, he shouted, “Rebound!“

Zhou Zhexiao and Meng Ting battled under the hoop. Zhou’s jump was faster, and his height was not inferior to the two-meter Meng Ting. With a put-back dunk—CLANG—the ball went in.

This play gave Meng Ting a huge shock. Decisive and determined.

Zhou Zhexiao glanced at Meng Ting. Xia Chiyi had already leaped onto Zhou’s back from behind, shaking his shoulders.

“Whoa… you actually put-back dunked it? I thought I’d be thanking the heavens if you just grabbed the rebound! Meng Ting is two meters tall! TWO METERS TALL!”

Every time Xia Chiyi repeated the height, it felt like a jab to Meng Ting’s knees. Yeah, I’m two meters tall, and not only did I miss the rebound, I let Zhou Zhexiao score a put-back dunk!

Ke Yan waved from the sidelines: “Congratulations, honored guests from Ningchang. You’ve won this match 10 to 5!”

Yang Huaiyu stood nearby, smiling and clapping.

Xia Chiyi, still hanging on Zhou Zhexiao’s back, looked surprised. “What? We won already? So fast?”

When Meng Ting heard this, a vein bulged on his forehead. He really wanted to pull Xia Chiyi down and slam him from left to right, then right to left.

“What do you mean by that, kid? Think we lost too fast?”

“No! We can keep practicing the double-team! It won’t count toward the bet… practice or not? Practice or not?” Xia Chiyi looked at He Zhan and Meng Ting.

“Haven’t you been ‘sandwiched’ enough?” Meng Ting felt a bit out of breath.

“Because I won’t find another pair of big guys who are taller, more flexible, and so in sync they might as well be wearing the same pair of pants!” Xia Chiyi draped his arms over He Zhan and Meng Ting’s shoulders like a bro. “Think about it, you won’t find another guard with better handles and a faster release than me! Usually, you can only practice your double-team against Ke Yan, right? But Ke Yan doesn’t shoot as fast as me. You’ll definitely meet other guards like me in the qualifiers… are you really not going to continue?”

The more He Zhan and Meng Ting listened, the more sense it made. Xia Chiyi being willing to practice with them was a gift from heaven; there was no reason to refuse.

“Ke Yan, Yang Huaiyu, if you’re tired, go back and rest. We three are going to practice the double-team breakthrough some more!” Meng Ting shouted.

Yang Huaiyu sighed helplessly. “Clearly he’s using you two to practice his breakthroughs, okay?”

“Xia Chiyi has the potential to be a master cult leader,” Ke Yan said, both amused and resigned.

Then Ke Yan shouted, “We’re not leaving; I’ll watch for you! Yang Huaiyu will record videos and send them to you. Since it’s practice, you’ll have to show the coach later!”

The three turned back and gave an “OK.”

Thus, the three of them tirelessly engaged in “three-person exercise” at the community court. About half the time, He Zhan and Meng Ting managed to contain Xia Chiyi, but Xia Chiyi still pulled off some brilliant passes. Zhou Zhexiao just stood nearby with his hands on his hips, bored; if he caught a pass, he’d lazily sink a basket.

They played until 12:30 AM!

“That’s enough, you three! Don’t keep going forever! We won’t even be able to get into the dorms!” Ke Yan finally lost patience and yelled at them.

Meng Ting immediately raised his hands; his T-shirt was soaked through with sweat. “No more, no more! Tomorrow… tomorrow there’s a practice match with Shenghai…”

He Zhan also braced his hand on his hip, panting. “Anyway… there’s still a chance… tomorrow, we can find a place to keep practicing…”

Xia Chiyi pulled at his collar. It was sweltering. He had been too focused on breaking through; now that he had stilled, he felt thirsty.

From not far away came the sound of a plastic cap being unscrewed. Zhou Zhexiao handed him a bottle of sports drink. Xia Chiyi took it and gulped down two large mouthfuls. “Ha—finally back to life!”

Then, Xia Chiyi picked up the ball from the ground and let out a long breath toward the sky. “I’m not satisfied… I’m still being locked down tight by these two giants.”

As if to make up for the regret, Xia Chiyi took a light jump and tossed the ball.

Yang Huaiyu’s eyes widened as they followed the arc. Xia Chiyi was like a light feather, yet he had an unshakeable center of gravity. The streetlights shone on him like a coating of silver. His arms extended, the ball was pushed out, and it fell perfectly into the hoop.

“They’ve been playing for… almost two hours,” Yang Huaiyu whispered.

Ke Yan’s fists tightened. “But Xia Chiyi’s shooting form hasn’t changed at all.”

It was terrifying. In a normal game, a player’s shooting form would warp due to massive stamina consumption, leading to lower accuracy. But Xia Chiyi must have been exhausted, yet that shot was still textbook.

“Let’s go back, I’m sleepy,” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice came, tinged with a slight nasal sound.

Xia Chiyi checked his phone. “Whoa! It’s so late!”

No wonder Zhou Zhexiao couldn’t hold on; his biological clock was very precise. Looking up, Zhou Zhexiao was already hanging his head and rubbing his eyes.

“Right now, right now! We’re going back to sleep immediately!”

In the end, Meng Ting and the others were too lazy to go back to campus and simply stayed at the budget hotel with Xia Chiyi’s group.

To the Qincheng University guys’ surprise, Zhou Zhexiao fell asleep the moment he entered the taxi. By the time they reached the hotel, he was in a daze, completely losing his “Mr. Cool” bar persona. He almost walked into the hotel’s side door; luckily, Xia Chiyi grabbed him from behind and painstakingly steered him toward the revolving door. Even in the elevator, Zhou Zhexiao leaned his head on Xia Chiyi, his breathing steady.

“Do you need help getting him to the room?” Yang Huaiyu asked.

“No, no. This guy is always like this. As long as the direction is right, you can just push him back, hahaha!”

“Truly amazing,” Meng Ting marveled.

Back in the room, Xia Chiyi first guided Zhou Zhexiao to the sofa. The guy’s head was tilted back, looking as if he could blow bubbles with his nose. He had probably fallen asleep so fast partly because of the Mojito.

Xia Chiyi packed Zhou Zhexiao’s clothes into a waterproof bag. When he pulled out his boxer briefs, Xia Chiyi paused. Huh… I feel like if this were ancient times and I sold Zhou Zhexiao to be a eunuch, I’d need a really big jar to hold…

“Where are you selling me?”

Zhou Zhexiao’s voice suddenly rang out from behind. Flustered, Xia Chiyi tried to stuff the underwear into the bag but missed, almost dropping it. Zhou Zhexiao quickly bent over and caught them. At the same time, he maintained a posture of semi-hugging Xia Chiyi from behind, half his cheek pressed against Xia Chiyi’s back.

Xia Chiyi froze, not daring to move. Zhou Zhexiao’s breathing was like a rhythmic tide, washing over Xia Chiyi’s right shoulder blade over and over.

After three or four seconds, Xia Chiyi suddenly realized something and shook him. “Zhou Zhexiao! Zhou Zhexiao, wake up! Don’t sleep on my back!”

Slowly, Zhou Zhexiao stood up, took the waterproof bag, and went into the bathroom. Xia Chiyi was a bit worried and called out every minute: “Zhou Zhexiao, are you conscious?”

“Mmh…”

Hearing a response, Xia Chiyi was relieved. After another minute, he called again, “Zhou Zhexiao, you haven’t fallen asleep, have you?”

One second, two seconds, three seconds… no sound. Xia Chiyi immediately twisted the door open.

Warm steam rushed out. The man before him was hanging his head, a towel draped over his hair. Sharp abdominal lines, a lean waist… the mist cleared faster than expected…

Xia Chiyi’s gaze froze, his heart racing. Seeing Zhou Zhexiao about to look up, he dashed back to the door at half-court sprint speed and shut it.

I saw nothing! I saw nothing!

After a few more seconds, the bathroom door was pushed outward. Zhou Zhexiao’s voice, thick with sleep, came through: “Xia Chiyi… why are you blocking the door?”

Xia Chiyi quickly moved away.

Zhou Zhexiao walked out with a faint trail of steam. The T-shirt he was wearing was tighter than usual, outlining his waist and abs. He frowned and tugged at it. Xia Chiyi gasped.

That T-shirt didn’t seem to be Zhou Zhexiao’s; it was Xia Chiyi’s own. Damn, in the rush just now, I grabbed the wrong one. But Zhou Zhexiao was already wearing it; if he asked him to take it off now, he didn’t know if he’d get angry.

Zhou Zhexiao sat on the edge of the bed and yawned. He held the hair dryer, trying to plug it in for a long time without success. He wasn’t in a hurry; he lowered his head and slept for a few more seconds, then remembered he needed to dry his hair and started trying to plug it in again.

Xia Chiyi found it funnier the more he watched. He took the plug from his hand, took the hair dryer, and Zhou Zhexiao simply lowered his head, his forehead bumping against Xia Chiyi’s chest from time to time. Xia Chiyi rubbed Zhou Zhexiao’s hair, smoothing the strands; Zhou Zhexiao was incredibly obedient, letting himself be handled however Xia wanted.

When the hair was dry, Xia Chiyi gave Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulder a jaunty push. “Your Majesty, please retire for the night—”