GBROTAH CH17

Xie Yuanxing didn’t take Fang Zhi’s playful pursuit seriously, nor did he give much thought to X adding him. His social circle was so small it was almost nonexistent.

The only two people he was relatively close to in class were Gao Yufei and Fang Zhi, but they would just talk in the classroom if anything came up and wouldn’t use Xie Yuanxing’s WeChat. After he blocked Xie Zhuowu on WeChat, his phone could go an entire day without a single message.

But now, Xie Yuanxing’s phone rang with unusual frequency every day, all the messages coming from the same person: X. He had initially thought the young master’s whim would be limited to that one time, merely a rebellious reaction to being rejected when he tried to promote himself. But after that, X began to contact him frequently.

7:05 AM

X: “Morning, are you awake?”

9:24 AM

X: “Still not up?”

In the school’s auditorium, Shen Bianye leaned against a table, one hand in his pocket, the other fiddling with his phone. His brow was slightly furrowed as he considered whether to find an excuse for “Shen Bianye” to call Xie Yuanxing and tell him to get up and eat.

A girl nearby looked at his legs, which seemed longer than her life, and inwardly gasped, marveling that he was like a character torn from a manga. She waved to him, “Senior, could you help us move this iron stand?”

The school auditorium was holding an event tonight, and all the student council members were called to help with odd jobs. But… Senior Shen’s expression seemed to indicate he was in a bad mood. Uh oh.

She felt a little apprehensive. Although she knew Shen Bianye never refused such requests, seeing his stern face darken always made her heart pound. Shen Bianye’s phone rang at that moment. She watched as his expression softened. He seemed to reply to someone on the other end, then walked towards her, his tone relaxed: “I’ll do it. Where should I move it?”

On his phone, Xie Yuanxing had replied to X: “Up.”

X: “Remember to eat breakfast.”

X: “It’s the weekend today, what are you planning to do?”

X: “I was called in early this morning to oversee event preparations. Those student council people really treat me like a supervisor.”

In the dorm room, Xie Yuanxing, dressed in pajamas and sitting on his bed, stared at the messages, feeling confused more than once. X would share his life with him, and inquire about his life. Their chats had been frequent lately, like friends they met online. The X on his phone and Shen Bianye gradually became unequal, as if they were truly two different people.

Xie Yuanxing: “My roommate isn’t here today. I plan to study in the dorm.”

Xie Yuanxing: “Work hard, supervisor.”

Perhaps busy with student council matters, the other side replied after a long while.

X: “Studying again?”

X: “Why do you love studying so much, Yuanyuan?”

The other person called him Yuanyuan because Xie Yuanxing’s profile picture was a one-yuan coin. When X asked him what to call him, Xie Yuanxing jokingly said he could call him “one block,” but X said, “Why not call you ‘one yuan’ instead?” and slowly, it became “Yuanyuan.”

Xie Yuanxing: “I want to get a scholarship.”

X: “Are you very short on money, or do you want money for something?”

Xie Yuanxing’s lips curved, a sign he was about to play a trick. He poked the screen with his fingertip and typed: “I’ll tell you a secret.”

The other side quickly became interested, almost instantly replying: “What secret?”

“Tell me.”

Xie Yuanxing: “My dream is to buy a big, big house.”

“So I need to save money to buy a house.”

X: “Are you a baby?”

X: “Only children talk about wanting to buy a big house in that tone.”

Xie Yuanxing chuckled softly. His childhood dream was never a house. This was a dream he’d had only since he was 13: to save money, buy back his old home. Having a home meant he wouldn’t have to depend on others anymore.

Xie Yuanxing didn’t reply. He silenced his phone and put it aside, tidied up the meal box on his desk, and took out his practice papers. Time flew by in the sea of questions. Before his nerves completely numbed, Xie Yuanxing decided to briefly let himself off the hook.

Phew. He let out a long breath, leaning back lazily, staring at the ceiling for a while before picking up his phone again. The message bar constantly showed notifications, “+7 messages,” all from one person.

X: “Why aren’t you talking?”

X: “Because I didn’t praise you?”

X: “Why do you love being praised so much, Yuanyuan?”

X: “Forgot to mention, buying a house is also a great dream.”

X: “Why are you ignoring me?”

X: “Are you studying?”

X: “So serious, Yuanyuan.”

Xie Yuanxing almost had the illusion that he might have been mistaken, that X wasn’t Shen Bianye. It was truly hard for him to connect this string of clingy and earnest, almost coquettish messages with Shen Bianye. But he genuinely liked Shen Bianye praising him. Just as he actually liked Fang Zhi praising him for looking better with his forehead exposed, praising his beautiful handwriting, so even when Xie Yuanxing knew Fang Zhi was observing him, he never said anything.

Xie Yuanxing liked being praised by others, by anyone, just like a gloomy mushroom in a corner, needing not just dampness, but also soil. But now, he no longer needed to endure the discomfort of being observed, nor did he need Fang Zhi anymore. Because X would praise him.

Xie Yuanxing took a photo of his completed paper and sent it to the other side: “I was busy just now, I’m done writing now.” This time, X replied quickly, as if he had been waiting.

X: “You finished such a big paper? Amazing, so fast, and your handwriting is still so beautiful.”

Shen Bianye accidentally discovered Xie Yuanxing liked being praised when he was tutoring him. When Xie Yuanxing answered a question correctly, he said, “Not bad,” and throughout the rest of the session, Xie Yuanxing’s performance was excellent, trying his best not to make mistakes. X was created solely to make Xie Yuanxing happy, and afterward, X spared no effort in praising the gloomy and silent little mushroom.

The effect was excellent; the little mushroom, in order to receive praise, would no longer habitually ignore X, and would even actively seek out X, sending X photos of the problems he had solved.

Usually, the photos were flat shots of the problems, but this time, the other side sent a picture of the paper held in hand. Shen Bianye licked his canine teeth, looking at the slender, pale fingers in the photo, and impulsively typed a message and sent it:

“Yuanyuan’s hands are also very beautiful, long, with well-proportioned knuckles, and pink nails. Very cute.”

The remaining excessive words were swallowed. He wanted to ask if he could lick them.

This sentence stunned Xie Yuanxing. Staring at a strange sentence formed by familiar words on the screen, he blinked blankly. Yet, there was a hidden sense of comfort after being praised, like small bubbles gurgling up in water. Perhaps it was because he had endured so much belittling during the long six years of living under his aunt’s roof. That belittling from his aunt, the insults from Xie Zhuowu, all weighed heavily on Xie Yuanxing.

This led to him genuinely enjoying praise, even if he wasn’t entirely comfortable with X’s slightly intrusive praise of his body. Still, he felt a certain fondness in his heart when he saw that sentence. Xie Yuanxing pursed his lips and slowly replied, “Thank you.”

X: “Can I see a photo? I want to see something other than your hand.”

Xie Yuanxing: “No, forget it.” He typed: “My roommate says I look lifeless.”

X: “…It could also be that your roommate has bad taste.”

X: “Take a picture. I’m sure I’ll like it.”

Xie Yuanxing initially didn’t want to respond, but then he suddenly knew what the other person would say. Shen Bianye had said he looked lifeless, like a vampire who couldn’t see the light, mocking his pale complexion, laughing at him for being a Beta yet so frail. What about X? What would X say?

Xie Yuanxing’s lips curved upward. With a playful mindset, he opened his phone’s camera. He never took selfies, and there was nothing worth remembering in his life, so he rarely took pictures. Accidentally facing the lens, Xie Yuanxing appeared slightly at a loss.

Should I just forget it?

Just refuse directly.

He met his own gaze in the camera, his eyes momentarily flustered. He instinctively tried to avoid the gaze, even if it was his own, he subconsciously tried to avoid and hide. His phone buzzed a few times, and messages from X kept refreshing at the top.

X: “Why aren’t you talking?”

X: “Are you still there?”

X: “I swear I’ll like it. Can I see it, please?”

X: “If it’s really difficult, then forget it.”

X: “I won’t look.”

X: “Don’t dislike me, Yuanyuan.”

The other party was like a relentlessly pressing wolf, yet just before tearing at its prey, it suddenly stopped, crouched down, and slowly wagged its tail, as if saying, Look, look, I won’t hurt you. Don’t be afraid of me, don’t dislike me, don’t run away from me.

Xie Yuanxing looked at the messages, his fingers clenched. Without looking at the camera, he haphazardly pressed the shutter button. He didn’t even check how the picture turned out before sending it.

Alright, my awkward moment is over. Now it’s the other side’s turn to be awkward.

Buzz, buzz, the man who received the message avoided the crowd and walked to a corner. He stood at the entrance of the corner, his head slightly lowered. Looking at his profile, his jawline was sharply defined, his nose bridge high, almost completely revealing his superior bone structure, yet half his face was hidden in shadow, making his expression unclear. In his hand, the phone displayed an enlarged photo.

The photo was a bit blurry. The person in it dared not look at the camera, but his eyes were captured in a dark, innocent daze. His lower lip was slightly bitten, and a tear mole sparkled beneath his eye. He was also fair-skinned, like a newborn cub, like an unblemished virgin. The man looked at the photo, his long, distinctly jointed fingers lightly tapping on it, as if feeling the tenderness of that face through the screen.

…It had been a while since that photo was sent. Why hadn’t there been a reply yet…? In the prolonged silence, Xie Yuanxing looked at his phone several times, his hand beneath the table nervously pinching his palm.

…Could he be thinking of how to curse him?

Buzz, buzz, his phone vibrated wildly on the table.

X: “Yuanyuan is so beautiful, why is Yuanyuan so beautiful?”

X: “Your face is so tender. Is the rest of your body also that tender?”

The other party retracted a message.

X: “Your face is so tender, Yuanyuan smells so good.”

X: “Just a little too thin, my heart aches for Yuanyuan. Did you not eat well before?”

X: “We’re friends, right? Can you please not send this photo to anyone else?”

X: “I don’t want anyone else to see Yuanyuan.”

Xie Yuanxing looked at these messages, and a thought slowly became clear in his mind. X and Shen Bianye were different. Shen Bianye wouldn’t praise him for being beautiful, wouldn’t say his heart ached for him. He wouldn’t desperately and dearly want to preserve an ordinary selfie he took.

It seems like Xie Yuanxing is experiencing a shift in how he perceives X compared to Shen Bianye. The contrast between X’s effusive compliments and concern and Shen Bianye’s bluntness and sometimes harsh words is striking him. He feels a sense of comfort and validation from X that he doesn’t get from his roommate, despite the discomfort of X’s occasionally boundary-crossing remarks.

Would you like to explore what happens next in this developing relationship, or perhaps delve deeper into Xie Yuanxing’s past experiences that make him crave praise so much?