WP Chapter 39

Inside the bedroom, Si Shaorong was feeling a little anxious. He still had the condom in his hand, fingers rubbing over the packaging again and again. He wondered if he should say something later, or maybe say nothing at all and just go for it. Would his boyfriend think he was too unromantic?

If Zhen Zhen had been here, she would have probably dropped her jaw. The always self-assured, unapologetically blunt Great Master, actually second-guessing himself? That would have been a sure sign the sun was rising from the west.

First came nerves, then a rush of overexcited imagination. Si Shaorong could not sit still. He kept fidgeting on the edge of the bed. The mental images were getting the better of him, and his body had already begun to heat up. But as the minutes dragged on and his boyfriend still did not show up, the excitement started to morph into unease. Eventually, it circled right back to anxiety.

He wondered if maybe Jiang Yibai did not want to sleep with him after all.

That thought made him jump to his feet. He walked to the door and opened it to look outside.

Only one hallway light was on, casting a dim, yellowish glow. Not far away, in front of the master bedroom, Jiang Yibai was standing with his arms crossed, saying something to Chen Yi. The two of them were still up in the middle of the night, whispering away. Even though Jiang Yibai had his back to him, Si Shaorong could sense it. He looked tense, stiff even, as if something was not quite right.

Si Shaorong frowned. Worried that Chen Yi was saying something outrageous again, he stepped out into the hallway.

The moment they heard him, both of them stopped talking. Jiang Yibai turned around with an awkward expression. Chen Yi, on the other hand, had a smug little smirk on his face. He was glaring straight at Si Shaorong, and there was something oddly triumphant in his eyes.

Si Shaorong stared back, unsure what he had just walked into.

Si Shaorong raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

Chen Yi replied, “Wow, still up, old man?” His tone was laced with mockery, lips curled into a smug little grin. “I still have things to talk about with my teacher. If you can’t wait, just go to bed first.”

Si Shaorong: “…..”

But somewhere inside him, a long-dormant nerve twitched. After so many years of silence, it finally began to stir again, slowly waking in the summer heat.

He caught the unspoken meaning right away. Teacher Jiang is too busy talking to me to care about you. Compared to you, I’m the one who matters more.

The realization made a vein at Si Shaorong’s temple twitch ever so slightly. While he had been waiting anxiously in the bedroom, his boyfriend had been out here in pajamas, chatting away. And it did not matter whether this was just a kid. It was still a teenage boy full of tricks, stubborn and headstrong, and very much male.

If it had been a normal teenager, Si Shaorong might not have thought much of it. But with Chen Yi, who never followed the rules, who said and did whatever he liked, he was no longer so sure.

He stepped forward and spoke calmly. “It’s late. Whatever it is, talk about it tomorrow.”

Jiang Yibai gave a sheepish smile and quickly agreed. “Right, right. Let’s continue this tomorrow.”

Chen Yi’s expression crumpled into a pout. In the very next second, he softened entirely, like he had found the perfect way to manipulate his teacher. In a pitiful little voice, he said, “But I still don’t get a lot of things… I can’t sleep…”

Jiang Yibai could only laugh. “That’s enough. Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it tomorrow. Don’t overthink it. It’s not that serious.”

He gave Chen Yi a gentle push toward the room. The boy took the hint and backed off, but not before glancing sidelong at Si Shaorong. With a flash of mischief in his eyes, he said with a grin, “Teacher, I was wrong today. I apologize.”

Jiang Yibai’s anger vanished in an instant. His heart softened. He reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Admitting your mistakes is good, but will you still drink again?”

“Nope!”

“Good.” Jiang Yibai smiled. “What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?”

“I like whatever you make,” Chen Yi said immediately.

Si Shaorong’s temple throbbed even harder. He was sorely tempted to mock him. You’ve never even eaten his breakfast. You sleep in, disappear all day, and now you’re acting like you know anything?

But picking a fight with a teenager felt beneath him. It would seem petty and undignified. All he could do was purse his lips and force out a smile that barely disguised his irritation.

Jiang Yibai, on the other hand, was clearly pleased. “Alright then. Go get some sleep. No phones or computers tonight. And I wasn’t perfect today either. I owe you an apology too. I’m sorry.”

Chen Yi tugged lightly at Jiang Yibai’s hand, then let go quickly. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

Si Shaorong stood there, watching the two of them exchange warm goodnights like they were the perfect picture of harmony. Jiang Yibai shut the door with a content expression, no trace of anger or frustration left on his face.

Si Shaorong felt more than a little sour. He knew it was ridiculous to be jealous of a teenager, and he kept telling himself as much, but the feeling refused to leave him. It stayed sharp and stubborn, pressing beneath his skin no matter how hard he tried to ignore it.

Back in the bedroom, Jiang Yibai hesitated and said sheepishly, “I think I’ll sleep on the couch tonight.”

Si Shaorong placed one hand on the doorframe, trapping his boyfriend in his arms. He leaned in, eyes fixed on him. “What were you two talking about? What got him to apologize so quickly?”

“Nothing major.” It was a private matter for the student, so Jiang Yibai did not feel it was his place to share. He reached out and pinched Si Shaorong’s chin with a smile. “He’s just a difficult kid. But at heart, he’s not bad. Give it time. He’ll come around. You don’t need to be so upset.”

Si Shaorong could not hold it in any longer. His hands began to wander restlessly along his boyfriend’s waist as he mumbled, sounding thoroughly aggrieved, “I was the one who got mad on your behalf, and then you turned around and made up with him. So what does that make me?”

Jiang Yibai stared at him, bewildered.

He had just finished coaxing one student, and now here came another one throwing a tantrum. He could only laugh helplessly, rubbing Si Shaorong’s face as he let the man’s hands slip slowly under the hem of his shirt. He even leaned in, brushing lightly against him as he whispered, “You’re my boyfriend, of course.”

Si Shaorong lit up in an instant. His mood had been up and down all day, and now it soared again like a roller coaster cresting a peak. It was exhilarating, if a bit dizzying.

He leaned in and gently bit Jiang Yibai’s ear. “Stay with me tonight. Sleep here, alright?”

His voice was low and smooth, a warm vibration that clung to Jiang Yibai’s skin like the rich hum of a cello. Jiang Yibai felt his ears go hot and tingly. He could not help but pull Si Shaorong into his arms and kissed him in return, slow and lingering, a kiss drawn out with warmth and layered intimacy.

Si Shaorong tried to scoop Jiang Yibai up into his arms, but he barely lifted him before the effort faltered. They were about the same height, and their weight was not too far off either. Trying to carry him like this was no easy task. Worse yet, Si Shaorong spent most of his time at home writing, rarely exercised, and muscle-wise, he could not compare to the more active Jiang Yibai. It was, in a word, embarrassing.

Jiang Yibai turned his head and burst into laughter. Si Shaorong was still reeling from the failed attempt when he was suddenly pushed down by a firm hand on his shoulder. Jiang Yibai pressed him gently onto the bed. Using a move he had just seen earlier, he hooked his foot around Si Shaorong’s ankle to knock his balance off, then shifted his weight to lean in, smoothly lowering his boyfriend down onto the mattress.

Jiang Yibai straddled his boyfriend, looking down at him with a sly smile. At some point, he had already taken the condom from Si Shaorong’s hand. He held the thin little packet between his teeth as he lifted his shirt with one hand, the movement slow and teasing, every gesture dripping with sensuality.

Si Shaorong stared at him, completely dazed. He forgot to even ask how it was supposed to work.

But Jiang Yibai gave him no time to react. His fingers trailed along the edge of Si Shaorong’s waist, lingering just above the skin of his lower abdomen. He leaned in and whispered, “Try to keep it down.”

Si Shaorong’s eyes widened slightly. Before he could respond, Jiang Yibai had already shifted, kneeling between his legs, his eyes bright with heat as he lowered his head.

…

The next morning, the first thought that crossed Si Shaorong’s mind when he woke was he had been tricked again.

He had planned to go all the way. But due to his lack of experience, he ended up getting swept up instead and lost control. In the end, it was Jiang Yibai who had taken the lead and handled everything, but they had not actually gone all the way.

It had still felt incredible, but there was a lingering sense of frustration, a need left unmet. Si Shaorong sat up, staring blankly at the desk across the room, thinking: it was still a pretty big step. At least they had moved past just kissing and touching.

As he thought back to the night before, he could see his boyfriend’s expression clearly. It had been seductive, breathless, and unbearably sexy. The memory sent a rush of heat through him, and he realized that something new had awakened inside him.

It had been a night worth remembering.

Si Shaorong got out of bed, pulled out his notebook, and started jotting things down:

First day of officially dating.

He likes me, otherwise he wouldn’t have agreed to my request. I want him to know I am sincere.

First time getting a blowjob. It felt really good. His expression made me feel something a little twisted. I wanted to crush him and make him cry. I didn’t know I had that kind of side to me. Honestly, I’m surprised.

Next time, I want to go all the way.

He wanted to write more, in greater detail, but he was afraid someone might see it. A memory like that, with that kind of Jiang Yibai, was better left preserved in his mind.

He stood up, rummaged through the trash can, found the used wrapper from the night before, wiped it clean, and tucked it between the pages of the notebook as a keepsake. A small memento of the door they had just opened.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yibai was in the kitchen making breakfast.

He had juiced three glasses of fresh fruit, fried bacon and eggs, and toasted a few slices of bread.

As he spread peanut butter across one of the toasts, his mind began to drift. He could not help but feel that something was different about the male god. Ever since they broke through that invisible wall, Si Shaorong had become more proactive, more passionate. It was not a bad change, not at all, but the pace of it all felt just a little fast.

Yesterday, he had known what Si Shaorong wanted. But there was still something in his heart he could not push past. He was afraid that once they took that final step, something would change between them, that the relationship would somehow lose its balance.

He was scared, but when he remembered the look on Si Shaorong’s face, how good he had felt, his heart softened again. He wanted to take care of him a little more.

Jiang Yibai absentmindedly spread a thick layer of peanut butter on the toast. Chen Yi had been standing next to him for quite a while, but he hadn’t even noticed.

Chen Yi had already finished washing up. He had even styled his hair with gel, combing every strand perfectly into place. Standing behind Jiang Yibai, he cleared his throat and said, “Why bother with all that? Why not just eat straight from the jar?”

Startled, Jiang Yibai looked down and let out an “oh no” before quickly scooping some of the excess spread onto another piece of toast.

Chen Yi asked, “What’s up? You seem distracted.”

Jiang Yibai shook his head and told him to wait outside. Chen Yi pouted and said, “We didn’t finish our conversation last night. Now that the old man isn’t here, you can go on.”

“What’s left to say?” Jiang Yibai sighed. “Your focus right now should be on studying. Don’t overthink things. Just let it happen naturally. And listen, don’t go hanging around with shady people, and definitely don’t go online looking for answers. You could run into someone with bad intentions.”

Chen Yi gave an “oh” and asked, “Letting it happen naturally… so if I end up liking someone, then I like them. I don’t need to overthink it?”

“Don’t treat yourself like a freak,” Jiang Yibai said, frowning as he looked at him. “But I honestly doubt you really understand what you’re feeling.”

Jiang Yibai had every reason to worry. Chen Yi was a kid whose thoughts tended to zigzag in unpredictable directions. He didn’t act like others his age. He could flip moods in an instant, and just as suddenly become unusually obedient. He had grown used to doing whatever he wanted, with little regard for other people’s feelings. Selfishness came naturally to him.

From what Jiang Yibai knew, Chen Yi often skipped class and didn’t have many friends. Because he received a generous allowance from home and had a habit of rubbing people the wrong way, he frequently attracted the attention of troublemakers. With so few real friends, Chen Yi might easily confuse certain vague emotions.

Troublemakers. Jiang Yibai thought about it and decided that wasn’t quite the right word. Chen Yi himself was a troublemaker.

Jiang Yibai admitted to himself that he truly wasn’t cut out to teach kids. He hadn’t studied educational psychology, and his relatively good relationship with Chen Yi came purely from years of life experience. After all, he hadn’t been a model student growing up either. He knew a thing or two about being a rebellious teenager.

He figured he wasn’t the one to get through to Chen Yi. But maybe putting him around peers with similar experiences would help more than anything he could say.

As luck would have it, Zheng Youli was coming for a lesson today. Maybe he could get Chen Yi to talk to him.