TT Chapter 25. Date

Chen Ting woke up at eight thirty the next morning. He did not want to get out of bed, but no matter how he tossed and turned, he could not fall back asleep. In the end, he gave in and sent Pei Yiyao a message.

Donghu Crab King: You said last night you were picking me up. Where are we going?

Pei Yiyao: On a date.

Donghu Crab King: ?!

Pei Yiyao: Gao Duo lost. He agreed to give you the day off. Full pay.

Donghu Crab King: …

Wait. Was the point supposed to be the wages? Chen Ting reread Pei Yiyao’s words over and over, trying to make sense of them. As far as he could tell, he had never agreed to go on any date.

Donghu Crab King: I never said yes!

Pei Yiyao: You said I could pursue you.

Pei Yiyao’s words always left Chen Ting speechless. He did not know how to explain that dates were supposed to happen after the pursuit was successful. Or… was it that the point of pursuit was to win someone over through dates?

He tied himself in knots.

Pei Yiyao: I’ll be waiting downstairs at ten.

Cool guy logic always came out of nowhere. Chen Ting instinctively wanted to say no, but then thought back to last night’s misunderstanding. Maybe he did owe Pei Yiyao a bit of an apology.

Right? That was just basic courtesy, right?

He pressed a hand to his heart and tried to convince himself. Self-deception, ear-plugging, willful ignorance. After struggling for half an hour, he finally got up and began washing up.

From the neighboring bed, Yang Shulin cracked open a sleepy eye and peered over. “Ting Ting, why are you up so early today?”

“Mm.” Chen Ting gave a vague response. He opened his wardrobe and stared blankly at the half-filled row of hoodies and jeans. It was early December, and the weather was steadily getting colder. He had just bought some fleece-lined sweatshirts for winter.

He had attempted the mature, stylish look before, but each time it had ended in failure. Among all his clothes, the trendiest piece was a denim jacket with ribbon details sewn along the sleeves and zipper.

But would wearing something like that feel too intentional?

As that thought crossed his mind, Chen Ting’s gaze shifted toward a pink hoodie tucked in the back of the wardrobe. He remembered that Pei Yiyao liked the color pink. Still, he hesitated. Which one should he wear?

No, why was he even debating this?

“Whoa, Tingting, are you finally waking up to fashion?” Yang Shulin’s excited voice came from behind.

“What?” Chen Ting jumped slightly.

“Your outfit,” Yang Shulin replied with an innocent blink. “You’ve got such a good foundation. If you dress up a little, you’ll help improve our reputation as straight guys. Haven’t you seen how everyone online mocks our sense of style?”

“Oh,” Chen Ting answered vaguely.

Yang Shulin grew more enthusiastic. “Come on, let me help you out. Wear the denim jacket. It’s fleece-lined, so you won’t be cold. Just throw on a T-shirt underneath. Show a little ankle. The weather’s not that bad. For shoes, wear your white sneakers. And I have a hat that’ll go perfectly.”

He rummaged around and brought out a fisherman’s hat that had been popular all season. The black brim was accented with a small golden pin. Yang Shulin placed it on top of Chen Ting’s curls, and surprisingly, the overall effect was excellent.

“Look at you,” Yang Shulin said with admiration. “You could pass for a celebrity.”

Chen Ting had to admit it looked good. After all, he did have basic aesthetic sense. But changing his outfit so drastically would make it seem like he had dressed up for someone specific. Walking out the door like this would practically announce that he was going on a date.

Just then, Yang Shulin had a sudden realization. “Who are you meeting today?”

“…Pei Yiyao,” Chen Ting replied, almost under his breath.

Yang Shulin gave him another once-over, and for some reason, a few rather indecent scenarios flashed through his mind. “You should get yourself a leather jacket,” he suggested. “The kind with fringe and studs. Cool and edgy. Pair it with a wide-brimmed hat, and even the cool guy wouldn’t be able to out-cool you.”

Chen Ting gave him a speechless look.

Yang Shulin went on, “You really ought to dye your hair. I think you’d look great in blue or pink. Or maybe ash gray. These days, every trendy color has a bit of gray mixed in. You can’t go wrong with that.”

He had always been confident in his fashion sense. As a long-standing member of the Appearance Association, the only thing he resented was his own face. If only Chen Ting were a little more fashion-conscious, someone like Zhou Cheng would never have ended up with the title of campus heartthrob.

“Yes, yes. I shall obey your High Fashion Lordship.” Chen Ting replied dryly. He had grown used to Yang Shulin’s lectures by now. To shut him up, he finally put on the denim jacket, though he really could not get used to wearing hats.

When he left the dorm, it was only a quarter to ten. Chen Ting figured Pei Yiyao probably had not arrived yet, so he planned to wait by the entrance for a bit. But as soon as he stepped outside, he spotted Pei Yiyao standing under the tree across from the dormitory.

In truth, Pei Yiyao had already been there for over ten minutes.

The idea of going on a date had come from Xu Yiming, who said that going out a few more times would make someone start to feel like the two of them were really dating. Pei Yiyao had no opinion on this whatsoever.

He was not good at anything outside of scientific logic. Take romance, for instance. To him, it had no formulas or standard procedures. It was a complete mystery, full of uncertainty and unpredictability.

YogurtYiming: I’m telling you, Yiyao ge, you have to arrive early! Half an hour early, minimum! Stand out there in the freezing wind, and your chances of success will skyrocket!

Pei Yiyao: Are you an idiot?

YogurtYiming: It’s called strategy! Strategy! And don’t forget your pose. Even if the wind messes you up, you have to stay cool and handsome. Hold onto that aura. I believe in you!

Pei Yiyao: Idiot.

That was what he said, but he still showed up about half an hour early. He believed that for any appointment, punctuality was the standard. Being early or late was just a waste of time.

Also, the wind today was a bit strong.

Chen Ting ran up to Pei Yiyao and looked at his usual cold, expressionless face. For some reason, he thought Pei Yiyao seemed even more handsome today than yesterday.

Was it just in his head? Chen Ting had his doubts.

They left campus together, and Chen Ting kept sneaking glances, trying to figure out what was different about him today. It wasn’t until they got on the subway that he finally realized Pei Yiyao wasn’t wearing his trench coat.

He had on a black leather jacket, bumping his cool factor up another level. Yang Shulin had it wrong. Even if Chen Ting had worn that fringed jacket, he still couldn’t have out-cooled Pei Yiyao.

It was the weekend, and the subway was especially packed.

Pei Yiyao held onto the overhead handle and kept Chen Ting tucked in front of him. As the stares around them kept piling on, he silently stepped in even closer, blocking most of Chen Ting’s body from view.

Chen Ting was well shielded, but Pei Yiyao stood so close that if he leaned forward just a little, he could fall right into his arms. No matter what they said, their voices came out like intimate whispers.

Being protected like this made him feel awkward and uneasy, but deep down, Chen Ting couldn’t help but like it a little.

He kept his face blank, but his eyes stayed alert.

Pei Yiyao never made deliberate physical contact, but whether on the train or getting off, he was always careful about shielding him.

He adjusted his pace to match Chen Ting’s.

He walked beside him with that same aloof expression, but his hand had been quietly holding onto the fringe hanging from Chen Ting’s denim jacket the entire time.

The gesture made Chen Ting a little emotional. He suddenly wanted to ask, why on earth had he paid five yuan for that bottle of water?

The two of them stayed just far enough apart to not quite be touching, yet were still connected by the thread of cloth. Chen Ting swore he was never wearing that jacket again. In fact, he was starting to wish he could just reach out and hand him his hand instead.

Why are you grabbing that?
Why my fringe? What is this, dog-walking? Sheep-herding?
Seriously, what are you doing!

Chen Ting could even hear the girls passing by chuckling under their breath. His ears flushed red with embarrassment.

Pei Yiyao kept holding on to the fringe. He figured that since they were out in public, Chen Ting probably would not want to hold hands. But with so many people at the station, he could not feel at ease unless he had something to hold on to.

“What’s wrong?” Pei Yiyao finally noticed something was off in his expression.

Chen Ting said nothing. He shook his arm slightly, making the fringe pull Pei Yiyao’s hand along with it. Pei Yiyao understood, let go, and explained, “There were too many people earlier.”

“Next time, don’t grab it.”

“Okay.”

Next time, he would just hold his hand, Pei Yiyao thought.

There would be no next time, Chen Ting also thought.

They walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the city center, they had lunch and watched a movie. Nothing special, just the usual date routine. But for Chen Ting, it was the first time he and Pei Yiyao had truly spent a day alone together. Even the most ordinary moments felt tinged with something new.

Over the course of the afternoon, he felt like he was getting to know a completely new side of Pei Yiyao.

For example, Pei Yiyao was afraid of bugs. Even the brightly colored caterpillar plush toys inside claw machines were too much for him. He could not even glance at them.

Or that he was actually very good at playing the piano, though he had never once mentioned it.

At the center of the mall’s ground floor was an open space with a black Steinway piano. As they passed by, a clean-cut young man in a tailcoat was performing, drawing a small crowd.

Chen Ting could not help pausing to watch. His gaze lingered on the man’s elegant, nimble fingers, and he felt a touch of envy.

Pei Yiyao remarked coolly, “Mediocre.”

“I think he plays pretty well,” Chen Ting said seriously, trying to defend him. After all, this was just a mall, not a concert hall. The mere fact that a handsome guy was playing the piano was already pleasant enough to watch.

“If you want to hear it, I’ll play for you next time,” Pei Yiyao said.

Only then did Chen Ting realize he had been jealous. He rubbed his nose, neither nodding nor refusing. Amid the gentle notes of the piano, the two of them stood quietly outside the circle of onlookers, listening from a distance. Slowly, the restlessness in their hearts seemed to settle.

“Do you like playing the drums?” Pei Yiyao asked suddenly.

“I guess so.” Chen Ting tilted his head, giving it some thought. If he had to say, he did like it. But that trailing phrase carried a hint of ambiguity. It was not I love it, but I guess I like it. Pei Yiyao picked up on that subtle hesitation, sensing something unspoken beneath the words.

Before he could ask, Chen Ting spoke up on his own. “My dad taught me, so aside from drums, I never learned any other instruments.”

“Your dad liked music?”

“Who knows. He wasn’t even as good at it as me.”

Chen Ting turned and walked off, clearly unwilling to say more.

Pei Yiyao quickly caught up, his gaze resting on Chen Ting’s tousled curls. He reached out and gave them a soothing ruffle. The motion made Chen Ting lean half into him, which immediately made him scowl. “What are you doing again?”

“Don’t be upset,” Pei Yiyao said.

“I’m not upset,” Chen Ting muttered, his brows slightly drawn.

But Pei Yiyao suddenly leaned down and looked into his eyes, searching for any trace of a lie. The intensity of it made Chen Ting’s face burn. He glared at him and turned away.

This guy really had no sense of time or place.

But Pei Yiyao’s legs were long, and he easily caught up with him in a few strides. He grabbed Chen Ting’s hand and tugged him firmly back to his side. “Don’t stray too far from me.”

“Why don’t you just tie me to your belt while you’re at it.”

“All right.”

“I was joking!”

“So was I.”

Pei Yiyao smiled for once. It was rare enough to be startling. Because he was usually so serious, even the slight lift at the corners of his mouth, the faint glimmer in his eyes, was enough to leave Chen Ting staring in a daze.

And when Pei Yiyao reached up to ruffle his hair again, this time, Chen Ting didn’t resist at all.