Shock, anger, and a sliver of unrecognized shame.
All these emotions surged at once, making Qiao Nan’s expression flicker uncertainly.
The capillaries at the ends of his nerves dilated, flooding his fair cheeks with color; a flush spread across his face, even reaching his neck and ankles, leaving nowhere unscathed.
Qiao Nan felt his cheeks burning hot, and even his temples throbbed in time.
If someone measured his temperature, he was sure it would be off the charts.
But what burned him even more was the spot Pei Xu deliberately pressed close, making him feel the heat—full of aggressive intent, revealing the predatory side Pei Xu usually kept well-hidden.
He was an adult now, so of course he knew what this meant.
Not to mention, Pei Xu had just clearly and directly stated his own foolish desires.
Just recalling those two words made Qiao Nan’s body go weak.
The scalding heat was too much for even fabric to contain, making his fingers and toes curl instinctively.
His heart pounded wildly, seized by the unfamiliar sensations.
He parted his lips slightly, wanting to ask Pei Xu to let him go, but when he spoke, his voice came out hoarse and soft—even he didn’t recognize it.
He immediately shut his mouth again, his flushed peach blossom eyes looking at Pei Xu, as if brimming with unshed tears.
“Nan Nan, do you think I’ve changed?”
Pei Xu seemed to see right through his confusion. He lowered his head and planted a gentle kiss on Qiao Nan’s forehead, his deep gaze burning with a heat that was impossible to meet.
“But this is who I really am.”
His slender hand covered Qiao Nan’s cheek, lifting his face and forcing him to meet his eyes, leaving no room to escape.
“I get jealous, I get envious, and I want you.”
“These thoughts started the night your college entrance exams ended. I’ve held back for two years, but now I just can’t hold it in anymore,” Pei Xu said.
“Qiao Nan, I don’t just want to be your brother.”
Qiao Nan turned his eyes away, not daring to look too closely at the emotion in Pei Xu’s eyes.
Seeing him silent, Pei Xu lowered his head to kiss him again.
This time, he was much gentler.
One hand slid down to support Qiao Nan’s limp waist, while the other guided Qiao Nan’s arm around his own neck.
Pei Xu teased him with all the tenderness and lingering affection he could muster, stirring up his feelings.
Qiao Nan was no match for him. In no time, he was utterly defeated by Pei Xu’s unrelenting advance.
His gaze grew hazy, his mind dizzy, as if sinking into a cloud of sweet, blushing cotton candy he could never escape.
The last shreds of reason kept telling him this wasn’t right, that he had to push Pei Xu away.
But Pei Xu’s deep kisses and warm caresses kept making his limbs go weak, leaving him to lean helplessly against Pei Xu, letting him take whatever he wanted.
In the quiet stairwell, the air was thick with honey, warm and sticky.
The class bell suddenly rang, its sharp clang like thunder in his ears.
Qiao Nan’s muddled mind cleared in an instant.
He jerked his eyes open, pushed Pei Xu away with all his strength, and bolted down the stairs.
He moved fast, like a startled antelope, not daring to look back as he ran downstairs.
Pei Xu watched his retreating back, but didn’t give chase.
Outside, the corridor was filling with students’ voices and footsteps.
Pei Xu carefully straightened his crooked tie and smoothed his wrinkled shirt.
Only after calming his breath in the stairwell corner did he walk out at a measured pace.
The corners of his lips curled in a rare, satisfied smile.
He felt better than ever.
After leaving Mei Yuan, he called Zhao Bo, “Have someone pack up everything from Qianting Residence and send it all to the Binjiang Villa.”
***
Qiao Nan didn’t stop for a moment, running from the ninth floor all the way down to the first.
He was so flustered and rushed that his legs still felt weak.
When he finally set foot on the first floor’s lobby, he nearly tripped and fell flat.
Steadying himself against the wall, Qiao Nan glanced back toward the stairwell, and only after confirming that Pei Xu hadn’t followed did he quietly breathe a sigh of relief.
But he didn’t dare linger, afraid that if he stayed too long, he’d run into Pei Xu coming down the stairs.
Once he’d caught his breath and steadied himself, he immediately left the teaching building.
But his mind was in a mess—he couldn’t focus, couldn’t even decide where to go.
He wandered aimlessly around the campus for a long time.
Once he’d finally calmed down a bit, Qiao Nan called Qian Chuan, “Liu’er, drive to the school and pick me up.”
“Screw off, what do you take your dad for, a chauffeur? Where’s your car?”
Qian Chuan was gaming and had no time to pick him up.
“I can’t drive right now,” Qiao Nan replied.
“What happened?”
Qian Chuan finally noticed something off in his tone.
He hastily quit the game, grabbed his car keys, and headed out, “Wait there, your dad’s coming. Fifteen minutes.”
Qiao Nan wandered over to the west gate to wait for him.
When Qian Chuan arrived, he saw Qiao Nan curled up at the base of a wall like a little cabbage after frost, arms wrapped around his knees, chin resting on his arms, looking utterly dejected.
Qian Chuan honked, stuck his head out the window, and called, “What’s up with you? Did you lose a fight or flunk an exam?”
Hearing Qian Chuan’s nagging, Qiao Nan relaxed a little, opened the passenger door, and got in.
“Let’s go to Springtime.”
“Drinking in the middle of the day?”
Qian Chuan was startled.
“It’s not even open yet.”
Qiao Nan didn’t want to talk.
Besides, he couldn’t explain it anyway.
How could he tell Qian Chuan that his brother had suddenly become a different person, pinned him in the stairwell, kissed him fiercely, and even wanted to develop something beyond brotherly affection?
That would just be too embarrassing.
Qiao Nan slumped back in his seat, closed his eyes, and said, “Don’t ask. I just want to drink right now.”
Drown it all in alcohol.
“Fine, fine, whatever you say.”
Qian Chuan could only resign himself to being the driver.
When they got to Springtime, the bar wasn’t open for business yet, but since they were regulars, the manager recognized them and opened up their usual private room, treating them courteously.
Qiao Nan ordered a tableful of drinks—white, red, and beer.
He poured himself a glass and clinked with Qian Chuan.
“Cheers!”
Qian Chuan sat beside him, throwing an arm around his shoulders.
“Come on, tell me what’s going on—”
“What are you doing?!”
Before he could finish, Qiao Nan suddenly jumped up, slapping his hand away hard, his expression a mixture of shock and suspicion.
He even spilled his drink.
Qian Chuan shook his reddened hand, completely bewildered.
“I didn’t do anything! Why are you so jumpy?”
Realizing he’d overreacted, Qiao Nan looked embarrassed and sat down again, cursing Pei Xu a hundred times in his heart.
In the end, nearly all the drinks went into Qiao Nan alone.
Qian Chuan originally wanted to take him home, but Qiao Nan refused to go back no matter what.
Finally, he just fell asleep on the sofa in the private room.
***
By the time Qiao Nan woke up, it was already evening.
He sniffed himself, wrinkled his nose at the smell of alcohol, and kicked the still-sleeping Qian Chuan on the sofa.
“Liu’er, get up and take me home.”
“You done drinking?”
Qian Chuan sat up groggily, went to the bathroom to wash his face, then came out and lectured him sternly, “If you do this again, I’m telling your brother.”
But now, just hearing that name was Qiao Nan’s Achilles’ heel—it hit right where it hurt.
He glared at Qian Chuan.
“Don’t mention him! I don’t want to hear that name again!”
Qian Chuan understood—they must’ve had a fight, and a bad one at that.
He didn’t press, just coaxed, “Alright, alright, I’ll shut up. Let me wash my face and I’ll take you home.”
When Qiao Nan returned to the Binjiang Villa, it was already dark.
After saying goodbye to Qian Chuan, he trudged inside.
His phone was full of missed calls and WeChat messages, all from Pei Xu during the day.
He didn’t want to read a single one, dragging his feet as he walked home.
Just as he reached the front door, he saw Pei Xu coming out, car keys in hand, clearly about to go out.
Qiao Nan immediately stopped in his tracks, eyeing him warily.
“Why did you come back?”
Pei Xu looked at him gently.
“Didn’t Nan Nan always want me to move back?”
Qiao Nan was speechless.
That was then—right now, he didn’t want to see Pei Xu at all!
Just seeing him made his mind involuntarily replay what had happened in the stairwell.
He took a step back.
“I’m going to a hotel.”
With that, he turned and ran.
Qian Chuan was already gone, and Qiao Nan didn’t want to go back and get his car, so he searched for the nearest hotel on an app and took a taxi over.
After checking in, Qiao Nan took a shower and changed into a soft bathrobe.
Only after having dinner delivered to his room did he feel alive again.
He didn’t want to let his mind idle, afraid it would wander back to Pei Xu, so he called out in the friends’ group chat, pulled Qian Chuan and Xiao Rang into a three-man team, and played games until two in the morning.
When his eyes could barely stay open, Qiao Nan finally logged off and crawled into bed.
He thought that by doing this, he could avoid thinking about Pei Xu or what had happened before.
But Pei Xu appeared in his dreams, too.
He found himself back in that silent stairwell, where even the sound of breathing was clear as day.
Pei Xu pinned him in the corner, kissing him over and over.
His arms and legs went weak, and he could only cling to Pei Xu, tilting his head up to receive the kisses.
Because of their height difference, he even had to stand on tiptoe.
Their hot breaths tangled together, mixed with the faint sound of exchanged saliva.
In the quiet, empty stairwell, every subtle, secret sound was magnified.
Qiao Nan, eyes hazy, could hear his own heartbeat loud and clear.
Push him away, push him away—
Qiao Nan’s consciousness screamed, but in the dream, he opened his mouth and called out softly, “Gege.”
Pei Xu seemed to like it when he called him that. He chuckled softly and murmured, “Nan Nan, you’re so good. Say it again.”
And in the dream, Qiao Nan obediently did.
He kept calling him “Gege.”
At first, Pei Xu was gentle, but in the blink of an eye, he turned rough, biting Qiao Nan’s ankle without mercy.
His voice dropped, dangerous and low, “Nan Nan, are you still going to run? If I catch you again, I really won’t be able to hold back—”
Qiao Nan jolted awake.
He sat up, gasping, his body still tingling with the lingering sensation from the dream.
It took effort to move his limbs.
He wanted to get out of bed and pour a glass of water, but his movements suddenly froze.
In disbelief, he reached down and touched himself.
Qiao Nan’s face went blank, utterly shocked.
It was bad enough to dream about Pei Xu—but why did he have a wet dream?
Stiffly, he rushed into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and scrubbed himself clean, cursing Pei Xu a hundred times in his heart.
It was bad enough that Pei Xu was so strange, but now he’d made Qiao Nan strange too.
Pei Xu was nothing but a beast in human skin.
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