You’re Causing Chaos Again

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Shen Yanming hesitated for a moment, his lips moved slightly, but no words came out. He Changkong was still waiting for his response. After a while, Shen Yanming seemed to have made up his mind and simply grabbed his tuft of white hair, “I’ll go back to get mine.”

There was no need to act so shy and hesitant like a young girl getting on a sedan chair.

He originally intended to come and check on He Changkong. Now, it was great; they could lie on the same bed and chat, just like the late-night chats he used to have with a few guys in the dormitory. Maybe, during the conversation, He Changkong would be willing to open up his heart a little more?

They had known each other for so long, but He Changkong rarely talked about himself.

Shen Yanming would be very happy if he could take this opportunity to get closer to He Changkong.

Of course, during those late-night chats in the dorm, they rarely discussed personal matters; they mostly talked about games, the girls in their class, complaining about teachers, and the sneakers they couldn’t get their hands on when they were released…

But since he had already spoken, he could just stay at his good neighbor Kong Jiang’s place tonight. Having different sleeping habits wasn’t an absolute thing, after all. He hugged his pillow first, so what’s there to fear about hugging someone else?

Shen Yanming return to his room and took his pillow and small blanket, but before stepping out of his own room, he looked deeply at the uncooperative air conditioner inside and muttered, “How can a perfectly good air conditioner start leaking? Does it have a runny nose in the middle of the night? Is it having dreams about electronic chicken wings?”

He then foolishly thought, the only difference between Kong jiang and air conditioner was one character.1Kong jiang(空酱: Kōng jiàng) and air conditioner (空调 Kòngtiáo), the difference is only between jiang and tiao Would someone as seemingly flawless in every aspect like He Changkong also drool in his sleep?

With that thought in mind, Shen Yanming patted his own face. This brain of his… Why couldn’t it focus on something useful and instead kept wandering into strange territory?

When he arrived at He Changkong’s room again, He Changkong was already leaning against the headboard, flipping through a book. There was a large empty space beside him, specially reserved for Shen Yanming.

Shen Yanming went around to the other side of the bed, spread his pillow and blanket, and knelt on the bed to look down at He Changkong. “What book were you reading today?”

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He Changkong mentioned the title of a book and then closed it, placing it back on the bedside table before lying down. It’s not that he didn’t want to read anymore; usually, at this time, he could read for another half an hour before sleeping. However, if Shen Yanming kept staring at him, he would notice that He Changkong hadn’t turned the pages for several minutes, and he might continue holding the book while absentmindedly gazing at the same page.

He couldn’t concentrate on the words on the paper; his thoughts had drifted far away.

In fact, he hadn’t expected himself to let Shen Yanming sleep in his room like this. He usually interacts with others in a distant and indifferent manner. Apart from the times when they shared a double room during out-of-town competitions, he never took the initiative to invite others to stay overnight in his room, let alone sharing the same bed. He could also tell that Shen Yanming didn’t come over for that reason; he just didn’t know why, but his words came out before he could think, and he asked like that.

After asking, He Changkong thought Shen Yanming would probably refuse.

But unexpectedly, Shen Yanming actually went back to get a pillow and blanket and ran over.

This made him feel a bit at a loss.

After listening to the book title He Changkong mentioned, Shen Yanming acted as if he had a sudden realization and said, “Oh~ I’ve never heard of it.”

With that, Shen Yanming lay down on his side, hugging his small blanket, and smiled playfully. “A while ago, I tried reading one of the books you read before, but after finishing it, I realized that I really don’t have any talent for studying… Do you think I’m uncultured?”

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He Changkong was initially taken aback but then remembered Shen Yanming had changed his name before. He had a vague suspicion that Shen Yanming might have gone to read the book, but he was afraid of overthinking, so he didn’t ask. Now, he heard it directly from Shen Yanming, and he asked, “What did you read that book for?”

Shen Yanming felt a bit embarrassed to say that he wanted to understand He Changkong’s inner world, so he beat around the bush and replied, “Whatever books ge reads must be interesting, so I just read it casually.”

Shen Yanming was lying on his side, and with just a slight turn of his head, He Changkong could directly meet his gaze, their breaths possibly intertwining. But unfortunately, not to mention turning his head, He Changkong didn’t even move a bit. He lay straight, staring at the ceiling. In He Changkong’s peripheral vision, he could see Shen Yanming’s eyes, like a clear spring, staring straight at him, blinking from time to time, causing his fluttering eyelashes to move up and down like little fans.

He Changkong decided to simply reach out and turn off the lamp on the bedside. In the darkness, his uneasiness diminished a bit.

He spoke, “Everyone has different preferences and strengths. I don’t understand those science and engineering formulas and experimental principles. Do you think I’m uncultured?”

Shen Yanming answered quickly, “Of course not.”

He Changkong chuckled softly, “Besides, we are professional players now. Being able to perform well in competitions is more important than anything else… the rest doesn’t matter.”

Shen Yanming was somewhat curious and moved closer to He Changkong, “Ge, What major did you study before in college?”

It wasn’t just out of curiosity, he was lying next to He Changkong now, and the faint scent of shower gel on him lingered around Shen Yanming’s nose, making him feel somewhat nervous for no apparent reason. Coupled with the fact that it had been a long time since he had shared a bed with someone else, Shen Yanming couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable.

Feeling nervous, he wanted to find something to talk about, to ease the sense of restraint he felt around He Changkong.

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Everyone knew that He Changkong dropped out of a prestigious university, but no one seemed to know the specific major he was studying. Even Meng Yan had never mentioned it.

He Changkong didn’t hide it, “Chinese literature.”

It wasn’t very surprising…

He almost blurted out, “Then why didn’t you continue studying?” Anyone who could get into such a good university must have had excellent grades. From Meng Yan’s occasional remarks, Shen Yanming already knew that He Changkong must have been a top student since childhood. Furthermore, He Changkong liked reading, so it probably wasn’t his family forcing him to study… Of course, this person was quite exceptional; not only did he excel in academics, but he was also great at playing games. However, no matter how good he was at gaming, from a conventional standpoint, it might be better for him to study and get a stable job.

But such a question wasn’t easy to ask, as there might be some sad story behind it. He came here to make He Changkong happy, not the other way around. He even regretted bringing up the topic of university majors.

Unexpectedly, He Changkong spoke first, “During my first year of university, I disliked going to school because of some things. I skipped classes every day and played games in the dorm. I skipped too many classes and ended up failing some courses miserably. At that time, Meng Yan was already in the team. He jokingly asked me to join, and I actually did it. He was scared to death.”

Shen Yanming opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

Did He Changkong also have times of escaping from reality?

He Changkong seemed reluctant to talk about it further and said lightly, “Let’s sleep.”

“Hmm… Good night,” Shen Yanming replied.

Once they said goodnight, their reactions were completely different. Shen Yanming turned over, facing away from He Changkong, curled up like a small shrimp with the blanket, and at first, he thought about some things randomly. But before long, his thoughts slipped beyond his control, and fragments of dreams filled his mind.

Gradually, his breathing became steady.

He Changkong listened to Shen Yanming’s breathing but couldn’t fall asleep himself. Maybe it was because there was someone unfamiliar beside him, or maybe it was because he had brought up some things that were long gone but not entirely pleasant for him.

He lay there like that, not knowing how much time had passed, when the person beside him turned over again.

The blanket that Shen Yanming was holding seemed to have slipped away at some point. With his hands now empty, he felt uncomfortable. So, he reached out to find his pillow, wanting to fill the empty space in his arms.

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As he stretched his hand, Shen Yanming accidentally touched He Changkong’s waist, and he instinctively snuggled his head against the other’s chest.

He Changkong’s body stiffened.

Shen Yanming remained oblivious in his slumber, holding the newly acquired pillow tightly and rubbed against it. After a while, his legs restlessly tangled up as well.

The air conditioner in the room was set at a low temperature, yet He Changkong inexplicably felt hot, with the culprit undoubtedly being the person clinging to him.

Through the thin layer of their pajamas, he felt the warm breath spraying on him whenever Shen Yanming exhaled.

Apart from feeling hot, He Changkong could also hear his own heartbeat clearly.

His mind was a mess, like a lump of paste.

Could it be that because he had never been held like this before, his heart was now restless?

He Changkong took a deep breath and raised his hand hesitantly.

Of course, he could remove this personified octopus from himself.

However, after hesitating for a long time, in the end—

He gently placed his hand on the other’s waist.

He didn’t know what he was thinking.

Now, it wasn’t just Shen Yanming holding on to He Changkong.

They were embracing each other, like two pieces of broken jade embedded together.

The next day, He Changkong woke up first. When he woke up, Shen Yanming was still in his arms. Last night, it was too dark to see clearly, but now that the sun had risen and the sunlight leaked through the half-closed curtains, He Changkong could clearly see Shen Yanming’s appearance.

Shen Yanming’s silver-white scattered hair was slightly messy, and his face was buried in He Changkong’s chest, making his lips slightly pouty, and his face had a rosy tint to it.

Unable to resist, He Changkong reached out and poked Shen Yanming’s cheek. In response, Shen Yanming, in his sleep, frowned and raise his hand to swat away the mischievous finger.

Shaking his head, He Changkong carefully removed Shen Yanming’s hands and feet from his body, then placed a pillow back into his embrace. Afterward, he got up very lightly, took some clothes, and went to the bathroom.

When he came out, Shen Yanming was already sitting cross-legged on the bed, playing with his phone. Seeing He Changkong come out, Shen Yanming smiled, “Morning.”

“Morning,” He Changkong’s expression remained unchanged, “Did I wake you up? I was going to finish my run and then come back to wake you up.”

“No, I woke up naturally while sleeping,” Shen Yanming yawned and continued, “You’ve been inside for a long time, I even heard the sound of water. Why are you taking a shower so early?”

He Changkong hesitated for a moment, “…No.” He had just taken a shower to sort out his thoughts, but instead, he ended up feeling even more confused.

Shen Yanming didn’t press further. He was preoccupied with something else and felt a bit embarrassed now, “Was my sleeping posture okay last night? I was afraid that I might unconsciously hug someone and disturb your sleep.”

He Changkong remembered how Shen Yanming slept peacefully in his arms and shook his head reluctantly, “You didn’t disturb me.”

Shen Yanming was delighted, “That’s great.”

Then He Changkong asked, “When you slept in the same room with others… did you accidentally hug them?”

“No, I used to do that when I was a child, so as I grew up, I stopped sleeping with others. But now that you’ve reassured me, I feel relieved. I guess this habit will slowly change on its own,” Shen Yanming joked playfully, “Then I can comfortably cuddle with my close friends. I’ll sleep with Pudding tonight and with Little Fish tomorrow…”

He Changkong: “!!!”

He had been a bit conflicted before, but upon hearing Shen Yanming’s words, he immediately refuted him, “…No way.”

“Huh?” Shen Yanming looked puzzled.

He Changkong, with a straight face, made up stories about their teammates, “Pudding likes to sleep naked, and Fish snores when sleeping.”

“…That’s indeed hard to bear,” Shen Yanming’s face showed some doubt, “How do you know?”

“Meng Yan told me. He likes to sleep with others everywhere,” He Changkong added, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, “If your air conditioner still isn’t fixed tonight, you can come over to my room.”

Author’s Message:

Meng Yan: Who would have thought that someone as innocent-looking as you would also learn to spread rumors about others? =皿=

Kong: (pointing at the air conditioner in Luan Luanzi’s room) Let it stay broken for a few more days, got it?

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1Kong jiang(空酱: Kōng jiàng) and air conditioner (空调 Kòngtiáo), the difference is only between jiang and tiao