GBROTAH CH35
When Xie Yuanxing received the text message saying his packages had arrived, he was still a bit bewildered. He rarely bought things online, so why was he receiving so many delivery notifications?
On the express station boxes, the recipient’s name was always his, so Xie Yuanxing had to collect them all and bring them back to his dorm, one by one.
Opening one package revealed a cashmere coat, another an Arc’teryx down jacket, then pants, inner sweaters, shoes, and even a bear hat.
Xie Yuanxing sat on his chair, almost buried by the high piles of clothes on either side.
He remembered X saying that night that he wanted to buy him clothes.
Xie Yuanxing had explicitly refused, but apparently, the other person hadn’t listened.
He looked around, blinking. But this was too much, wasn’t it?
These clothes had originally been packed in one or two large boxes, neatly stacked inside, with no tags whatsoever. They looked like items from a big mall sale, two boxes of cheap clothes bought for Xie Yuanxing.
Xie Yuanxing took them out one by one and temporarily placed them on the desk.
He reached for one, removed the clear bag wrapped around it, and felt the sweater.
Xie Yuanxing wasn’t stupid. Even without tags or fancy packaging, he could tell the quality of these clothes.
Perhaps X was afraid he wouldn’t accept them, which was why he sent them in this manner.
Xie Yuanxing got up, locked the dorm door, took off his own clothes, and put on the sweater.
The beige sweater looked very soft and was surprisingly perfectly fitted, without any awkwardness.
Even if Xie Yuanxing had gone shopping himself, he might not have found such a perfect size.
He took out his phone, found an angle, and sent a photo to X.
Xie Yuanxing: “It fits very well. Does it look good?”
X’s replies were always fast, as long as he wasn’t busy. X: “Baby looks so good.“
“Super beautiful baby, so soft.”
“Our baby looks especially good in anything, just a natural clothes hanger.”
Xie Yuanxing’s ears flushed a little. He asked, “Last time, didn’t you say black suited me well? Why are so many of these clothes different colors?”
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they were colorful. There were four colors of coats alone: tangerine, beige, blue, and black.
X: “A change of color, a change of mood, baby.“
X: “Especially beautiful. It’s enough for only me to see.“
Xie Yuanxing turned his head to stare at the pile of clothes, a little troubled: “Isn’t this a bit too much?”
X: “It’s only five sets of clothes, barely enough for changes. Baby, the tags are all torn off, so there’s no way to return them. If you don’t wear them, I’ll…”
He paused, realizing it was hard to threaten him, so he rephrased.
X: “…it means you don’t love me anymore.”
X: “Baby, don’t you like me anymore? Do you want to break up with me?”
X: “Baby shouldn’t refuse things from your boyfriend.”
X: “Baby, you can’t be fickle.“
Xie Yuanxing: ……
Where did he learn these childish, almost tantrum-like tactics?
Xie Yuanxing tried to make X understand that he could accept one or two items, but not so many, because it was too expensive and exceeded what was normal for a relationship. To X, it all transformed into “baby wants to break up,” “baby just doesn’t like me anymore.”
After some debate, Xie Yuanxing was tired.
Moreover, one thing X said was true: the tags were torn off, so they couldn’t be returned.
He looked at the clothes piled on the table, hesitating, and wondered if he should buy X a gift.
The winter break was coming soon, and he didn’t really have anywhere to go anyway.
If he found a part-time job for two months, he should be able to afford a decent gift, and he could get double overtime pay during the New Year.
Once Xie Yuanxing had a rough idea, he didn’t dwell on it further. Instead, he asked a question he was somewhat curious about.
Xie Yuanxing: “How did you know my size?”
He hesitated, then added, “The clothes fit surprisingly well.”
At the top of the chat box, the “typing…” indicator appeared and disappeared, disappeared and appeared again.
This went on for a full five minutes, and the other side didn’t send a single word.
Through the screen, Xie Yuanxing could feel a strange sense of guilt from the other person.
It was just a little odd before, but now he was truly curious.
X: “I touched you.” (The other party recalled a message.)
X: “I watched baby for a long time that night and remembered it.”
Xie Yuanxing’s eyelids twitched. He wasn’t sure if he should tell X that he had been staring at the chat interface for five minutes.
So, he had seen the message that was recalled in a second.
Where exactly had he touched? If he pressed the question… it would get weirder and weirder.
Xie Yuanxing felt a feather tickling his heart, wanting to know, but too embarrassed to ask.
Afraid X would say something even more shocking, he suppressed it and pretended he hadn’t seen anything.
Xie Yuanxing: “Watched for a long time?”
X: “That night, I didn’t sleep, baby.”
X: “Baby looked so cute sleeping.”
X: “Tiny in my arms, so delicate, baby.”
X: “My Star Baby.“
Xie Yuanxing froze for a moment, his face slowly flushing. His long, thick eyelashes blinked repeatedly. He felt like he shouldn’t have asked that question either.
He was shy about being praised, but also really liked it, which made him feel quite flustered.
“You’re… very cute too,” he replied.
Like children, you praise me, and I praise you back, some sort of pure cuteness.
X was amused, almost able to imagine Xie Yuanxing’s expression when he said that.
However, when he said “Star Baby” just now, he regretted it a little, but then he noticed Xie Yuanxing showed no signs of resistance.
Was it okay to call him “Star Baby” but not “Star”?
Why wouldn’t he let him say “Star”? Was there a reason, or…
Did he just dislike Shen Bianye calling him that?
The man behind the screen, who had a faint smile on his lips just a moment ago, now had his entire face fall, looking rather displeased.
A member of the etiquette team sitting next to him, watching his changing expression, went through all sorts of speculations in their mind, wishing they could pull out their phone and gossip with friends right now.
Shen Bianye was used to being watched and didn’t notice anyone looking at him. He was still frowning in thought.
Should he try calling Xie Yuanxing “Star” as X?
Not far away, the etiquette team teacher’s call for assembly interrupted Shen Bianye’s thoughts. He sighed and sent a message to Xie Yuanxing.
X: “Baby, I’m done with my work.”
X: “What is baby doing?”
X: “Finished your papers? Any questions?”
Xie Yuanxing: “Finished. On my way to the piano room now.”
X seemed unaware, asking, “To the piano room?”
X: “Is baby going to play the piano for me?”
Xie Yuanxing: “No, I might have to perform on stage next week.”
“My music teacher told me to practice a lot, until I’m perfectly familiar with it.”
As he spoke of this, he lowered his eyebrows, his mouth slightly pursed downwards. He was so pale that this slight movement gave him a pitiable appearance, as if he were being bullied.
But through the screen, X couldn’t see it.
X: “Baby is good at studying, and good at playing the piano, still a shining baby on stage.”
X: “I found a treasure, my Star Baby.”
For some reason, seeing these messages, Xie Yuanxing’s resistance to performing on stage lessened a little.
Just a little.
Walking on the road, Xie Yuanxing didn’t chat much with X and soon arrived at the comprehensive building.
The comprehensive building was quiet on Saturdays, and there were available piano rooms.
Xie Yuanxing swiped his card and entered a small piano room. The space inside could only fit a piano and a stool. In the cramped room, there was a window high above, out of reach.
Although his resistance had lessened a bit, Xie Yuanxing still wasn’t very eager to go. His enthusiasm for practicing piano was minimal. He reached out, pressed a few keys, and then propped his head up, lost in thought.
His phone in his pocket vibrated twice. He took it out, clicked on it, and felt a surge of guilt at being caught when he saw the message.
X: “Has baby started practicing piano yet?”
There was no one else in the piano room, so Xie Yuanxing didn’t type. He pressed the voice key and spoke listlessly: “No.”
“I don’t want to perform on stage.”
X: “Baby, even little peacocks hold their necks high when crying. Why are you suddenly afraid of going on stage?”
This was a childhood story Xie Yuanxing had told X when they were chatting about his piano class selection.
X still remembered.
X: “Just now, when baby said you might go on stage, I went online and picked out suitable stage clothes for baby. When the delivery arrives, baby remember to pick them up.”
Xie Yuanxing’s voice was still listless, his mood low: “I might not even go on stage.”
“Even if I buy the clothes, I might not get a chance to wear them. You should return them.”
“Right now, I’m just a substitute. If it’s confirmed, I’ll have to practice with the student who’s singing.”
X: “Who is the student practicing with baby? Male or female? Alpha, Omega, or Beta?”
X: “Baby will keep a distance from them, right?”
Perhaps the annoyance of possibly performing on stage was immediately dispelled. Xie Yuanxing felt amused, helpless, and a little embarrassed. “That’s too exaggerated. We’re just practicing together.”
“You sound like you want to check their household registration.”
X was silent for a moment, then said, “No.”
“I’m afraid baby will fall for someone else, and I’m afraid someone else will fall for baby, and even more afraid no one will like baby.”
Xie Yuanxing repeatedly replayed the eight-second voice message, listening to it over and over. Suddenly, he couldn’t quite grasp the definition of liking.
But he certainly felt valued.
The gloomy gray cloud in his heart completely dispersed. Xie Yuanxing had a sudden idea: “I’ll play the piano for you.”
“Do you want to hear it?”
His phone buzzed. The other side sent a video call request.
Xie Yuanxing’s heart pounded a few beats faster when he saw it was a video call. He was scared.
Seeing it ring continuously, showing no intention of hanging up, he hesitated for a moment before answering.
Fortunately, after the video call connected, the camera on the other side was black.
X’s voice came from behind the black screen, gentle and patient: “Baby, can you point the camera at yourself?”
He chuckled softly, “I’m the only audience, after all. I should have some right to offer suggestions, right?”
Xie Yuanxing hummed in agreement and obediently turned the camera to face himself. Then, he held the phone in a suitable position.
An angle that could capture half of his face and include his hands and the piano.
He felt inexplicably nervous. His hands rested on the black and white piano keys. He quietly let out a breath before softly beginning, “Shall I start then?”
Xie Yuanxing lightly pressed the first key. The soothing music flowed melodiously, with an inexplicable warmth, evoking thoughts of autumn, maple leaves, and warm camel-colored coats.
But a closer listen revealed a faint sadness, like a large hand reaching into his chest and gently squeezing his heart, leaving a bitter ache.
Always Online
Coincidentally, X had heard this song before.
It was very popular when it first came out. When someone requested it at a club, he even watched the music video for it.
The man behind the dark screen smiled silently. When Xie Yuanxing pressed the last key and asked nervously how he played, he broke the melancholic atmosphere.
X: “Baby, I really want to hide you away.”
X: “When you play this song on stage in a dress, under the spotlight, someone will definitely fall for baby because of it.”
X: “Maybe, baby’s photo will be on the confession wall, and a bunch of people will ask for baby’s contact information.”
This was what Shen Bianye wanted to see. For this, he was willing to act as a doorman at the school gate and even recommended Xie Yuanxing to perform on stage.
He wanted Xie Yuanxing to receive applause.
But Shen Bianye was Shen Bianye, and X was X.
X: “If too many people see baby, I’ll hide baby away.”
X: “Lock you in the room, and do it with baby on the piano.”
His voice was low and husky, filled with anticipation:
“Baby’s swaying body and randomly pressing hands will play notes on the piano. No one else will hear it, only me.”
His answer was a beautiful, blushing little face that abruptly moved closer to the camera, and then the screen instantly turning black, the call disconnected.
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