I Can Still Salvage It

In order to meet the requirement of the system that they shouldn’t be separated by more than 20 cm, Shen Mian woke up in Pei Zhiyi’s arms the next day.

Since graduating from elementary school, Shen Mian rarely slept while hugging Pei Zhiyi hence that morning he kept shifting in Pei Zhiyi’s embrace, eventually waking him up.

“What are you doing?” Pei Zhiyi’s voice was a bit hoarse, with a low tone that indicated he had just woken up.

“I’m a bit hot,” Shen Mian honestly said, “you’re hugging me too tightly, and the air conditioning isn’t working.”

Pei Zhiyi paused for a moment and quickly loosened his grip. Shen Mian finally managed to get his whole head out of the blanket and breathe fresh air.

At that moment, the electronic voice of System 007 timely sounded in their minds: “Congratulations to the two hosts for completing the task of sharing a bed, and you have been awarded 2 points.”

Shen Mian was happy instantly. He had never cared about scores in his life, not even when he scored last in exams. But now, a mere two points made him overjoyed.

He didn’t hurry to get up, instead leaning against Pei Zhiyi and chatting with him. “It would be great if every task were this simple.”

But before Pei Zhiyi could reply, he muttered to himself, “But it shouldn’t be that easy for me. Special tasks offer more points and are definitely harder to complete.”

He was quite clear-headed.

Pei Zhiyi didn’t have the habit of lying in bed. After chatting with Shen Mian for a few moments, he got up from the bed to change his clothes. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a faint glow in the room. It wasn’t entirely dark, and Shen Mian could clearly see Pei Zhiyi’s abs and smooth arm muscles.

Although it wasn’t his first time seeing Pei Zhiyi’s body, he couldn’t help but touch his own soft belly and feel a bit discouraged.

Shen Mian didn’t return to his own home until after having lunch at Pei Zhiyi’s house.

It was the weekend, and his parents and younger sister, Shen Yu, were at home. He had informed his family the previous day that he would be staying at Pei Zhiyi’s place, so no one asked him why he didn’t come home all night. They had become used to him and Pei Zhiyi being inseparable.

Before entering the house, his mother, Su Ying, was cutting fruit salad. When she saw him come in, she stuffed a piece of dragon fruit into his mouth and said, “Did you go hide at Xiaoyi’s place to play games again yesterday?”

Shen Mian felt wronged.

“Not at all. Pei Zhiyi saw me finish three exam papers and checked them before letting me go,” he ate the piece of dragon fruit and grumbled discontentedly, “He’s stricter with me than you guys.”

She showed no sympathy for her son, “That’s good. That reminds me, I should give Xiaoyi a bigger red envelope for Chinese New Year.”

After saying that sentence, she ignored her son who had just returned home and leaned over to watch the latest episode of a TV series with her daughter. Recently, both of them had become obsessed with a young and handsome actor. They would get excited and slap their thighs whenever they saw him on screen.

Shen Mian shook his head, thinking that the actor was not as good-looking as Pei Zhiyi.

He approached his father, Shen Changhe, who was a university professor preparing materials for Monday’s class. Seeing him coming over, his father poured a cup of coffee from the coffee pot and said, “Try it, I ground the new coffee beans myself. How does it taste?”

Shen Mian took a sip and said, “Not bad.”

His father finished preparing the PowerPoint slides for his class and put down the computer. He started chatting with his son and mentioned that there would be a new movie releasing the day after tomorrow, and he planned to take Shen Mian and Shen Yu to watch it. He even suggested inviting Pei Zhiyi along, showing no self-awareness as a parent of a high school sophomore.

Sipping his coffee and listening to his father’s chatter, Shen Mian’s mind wandered unintentionally.

That was just an ordinary afternoon in their extremely ordinary family.

In the past, Shen Mian didn’t think there was anything worth cherishing. But now, sitting at that small round table by the floor-to-ceiling window, Shen Mian hoped that that kind of time could last a little longer, just a bit longer.

He didn’t tell his parents about his illness. At first, he couldn’t say it, but later, he chose not to.

That Love Brain System 007 had probably done something to him. He could only discuss the matter with Pei Zhiyi. Whenever he tried to tell someone other than Pei Zhiyi, his voice would instantly vanish, and he couldn’t say a word.

So his parents still didn’t know that their son had a time bomb in his brain, which could explode at any moment.

Sitting there, leisurely drinking coffee, he appeared no different from usual, but in fact, every minute was stolen.

Actually, he was also afraid. That day, after the examination at the hospital, he finally regained his senses from extreme shock. As soon as he came out, he hugged Pei Zhiyi and burst into tears.

He sobbed and asked Pei Zhiyi, “Why am I so unlucky? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Pei Zhiyi hugged him tightly but couldn’t give him an answer.

Because fate is so unpredictable and won’t show mercy just because you’re a good person.

That day, Shen Mian really wanted to tell his parents about it. Although he was the older brother at home, he had been pampered and doted on just like his younger sister, Shen Yu.

When he felt wronged outside, he would reflexively want to complain to his parents.

But he couldn’t say it.

He had been deprived of the right to speak.

That was a secret belonging only to him and Pei Zhiyi.

 Shen Mian looked at his mother smiling on the couch, his sister happily munching on potato chips, and his father cheerfully saying he would buy him the latest sneakers.

Suddenly, he felt it was better that his family didn’t know about it.

If they all knew about his physical condition, the atmosphere in the house wouldn’t be so relaxed.

Anyway, there was still six months of probation, and until that day arrived, he would rather maintain the current situation.

Shen Mian finished his last sip of coffee and said to his dad, “I’m going upstairs to do my homework, I still have an essay to write.”

His dad immediately gave him permission. It was rare to see his son so enthusiastic about studying, and he had to support him.

Shen Mian passed by the sofa and took out the biscuit box from his backpack and threw it to his sister. “The cake shop you like has a new product, I brought you a box.”

Shen Yu was happily watching TV and without turning her head, she casually responded to her elder brother, “Thanks, love you.”

It didn’t sound sincere at all.

Shen Mian casually ruffled her hair and couldn’t help but comment, “Is this the male celebrity you like? He’s just average, not as good-looking as Pei Zhiyi.”

Shen Yu became furious and exclaimed, “There’s not much difference, at most it’s a tie between them.”

Shen Mian swiftly walked away.

But as he was going up the stairs, he stopped at the corner for a moment.

He didn’t do anything, just leaned against the wall, and listened to the voices coming from the living room for a while. His dad also joined his wife and daughter in their TV drama discussion and was shouted at to shut up.

Shen Mian couldn’t help but smile, thinking that his dad brought it upon himself.

He looked at his watch, it was currently 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and there were still 33 hours until the end of the week.

Shen Mian sighed and thought that in order for his family to continue living peacefully and happily, he would have to sacrifice Pei Zhiyi.

He would go find Pei Zhiyi the next day and give him a kiss!

That would be worth 2 points!

So during the evening study session the next day, while Pei Zhiyi was working on a problem, a small paper ball was suddenly passed to him.

He didn’t need to look to know who wrote it, so he looked at Shen Mian in confusion, wondering why he couldn’t just say it directly.

He opened it and saw a little person holding a sign drawn on the paper, with the words written on the sign saying: “Brother, let me give you a kiss later!!!”

Three exclamation marks were enough to show the determination.

Pei Zhiyi: “…”

He looked at Shen Mian with a speechless expression, thinking that the little person drawing was perfectly done. Perhaps he should have convinced Aunt Su to enroll Shen Mian in an art class when he was younger, so that he wouldn’t have to worry about grades every day.

But before he could say anything, another note was passed to him, this time with only words.

“I’ll treat you to a meal tomorrow!”

Pei Zhiyi was completely speechless.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and said softly, “No need to treat me to a meal for a kiss.”

Shen Mian’s eyes welled up with tears, and he quickly handed over a rainbow-farting note.

“Brother, you truly deserve the title of a top student, you have the aura of a general!”

Pei Zhiyi couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to him anymore. He tore all three notes into pieces and threw them into the trash bag to destroy the evidence.

After finishing evening self-study, Shen Mian deliberately lagged behind, dragging Pei Zhiyi until the classroom was locked, and the corridor was deserted. Only then did he take Pei Zhiyi and, like thieves, rushed to the fifth floor of the teaching building.

To be precise, it was only he who felt guilty. Pei Zhiyi, as the one about to be forced by a tyrant, remained calm from beginning to end.

The rooftop was located above the fifth floor. Although it was locked , that short section of stairs leading to the rooftop rarely had teachers passing by. It was a place where students often hid to eat instant noodles.

Now, after evening self-study, it was even more empty, with no one in sight.

Encouraging himself, Shen Mian pushed Pei Zhiyi against the wall with a loud thud, placing his hand on Pei Zhiyi’s shoulder. He had seen that in a trashy TV drama the previous night, where the male lead kissed the female lead in that manner.

The hallway was pitch black, with only a small patch of moonlight shining through the small window of the door leading to the rooftop. It happened to illuminate Pei Zhiyi’s handsome face, with a high nose, thin lips, long feathery eyelashes, and perfectly shaped eyes. His face was worthy of appearing in any girl’s fantasy.

Shen Mian thought that if he were a girl, he would kiss Pei Zhiyi ten or even twenty times for such beauty.

But the problem was—he was undeniably a guy.

Moreover, he had grown up in the same house as Pei Zhiyi, holding hands and going to school together since childhood. They were good brothers.

Shen Mian spent a full three minutes building up his courage but still couldn’t bring himself to kiss.

He slumped against Pei Zhiyi, burying his face in Pei Zhiyi’s chest, muttering to himself, ‘How can I do this…’

Pei Zhiyi had been standing obediently without moving. Since Shen Mian pushed him against the wall, he had been extremely cooperative, essentially playing the role of a perfect tool. Apart from breathing, he made no other movements.

However, Shen Mian continued to hesitate, dragging the thirty-second task into half an hour. Eventually, even he became impatient.

PeI Zhiyi patted Shen Mian’s shoulder. ‘Get up from me.’

Thinking that Pei Zhiyi found him troublesome, Shen Mian quickly stood upright. ‘Brother, I’ll prepare myself more and it’ll be soon.’

But before he could finish speaking, a cool hand held his chin.

Pei Zhiyi’s face enlarged in his line of sight.

Under the moonlight, Shen Mian could even see Pei Zhiyi’s eyelashes gently flickering, like ripples spreading on a lake.

Then, another pair of soft lips covered his own.

They carried a faint citrus scent, the chewing gum Shen Mian had forcibly given Pei Zhiyi earlier.

Pei Zhiyi kissed him willingly.

This fact exploded in Shen Mian’s mind like thunder.

At first, it was just a reserved and gentlemanly kiss, with no other unnecessary movements except for their lips touching.

It could be considered a polite consolation.

However, the system’s requirements explicitly stated that their lips must touch. In other words, an overly innocent kiss wouldn’t pass.

So, after hesitating for two seconds, Pei Zhiyi firmly pried open Shen Mian’s teeth, unable to resist any longer.

His tongue delved in, intertwining and kissing.

There was a faint citrus taste in Shen Mian’s mouth as well.

Moonlight outside fell on the ground, creating a small misty white. The corridor was too quiet, with almost everyone in the school gone. No one knew what was happening in that corner.

Shen Mian let out a muffled groan, his fingers weakly scratching at the wall as if trying to find support to prop up his limp body.

But in the end, he couldn’t grasp anything. His hand was grabbed by Pei Zhiyi and held tightly.