Scars

Chapter 27

"Laoshi!" Yibo slapped Xiao Zhan's thigh when he sat up. "Are you trying to scare me to death? What are you doing?"

Xiao Zhan cackled as he sat closer. "I have to be honest. I thought you'd be too scared to sleep here alone tonight." He's been lying on his bed for two hours waiting for Yibo to barge into his room anytime, wanting to share his bed. When nothing of what he expected was happening, Xiao Zhan got up and made his way downstairs only to see Yibo lying on the couch, eyes closed with earphones on, the volume too loud, Xiao Zhan could hear the music he was listening to. "Maximum volume is bad for your hearing."

"I needed it to be able to sleep." Yibo frowned at him. "And I was so close to falling asleep right before you pulled on my blanket."

"Don't look at me like that. I wasn't trying to scare you." Xiao Zhan twisted to face Yibo better. "I just came to say good night."

"Okay. Good night."

"Ah! No!" Xiao Zhan held Yibo up when he tried to lie down again. "Not like that."

"Xiao Zhan."

Ignoring the warning on Yibo's tone, Xiao Zhan grabbed him by the nape and hauled him close. "I want a kiss good night." He leaned in but didn't let their lips touch. "Will you let me?"

"Why do you have to ask?"

"I don't know." Even though their faces were too close together, Xiao Zhan still saw the corner of Yibo's lips twitching. "I just feel like I have to. Don't I?"

It was Yibo who moved to take his lips once. "You don't."

Xiao Zhan slid his hand down from Yibo's nape, over his chest, lower to slip around his waist and draw him even closer. "I can't help but feel like I'm making you uncomfortable, Yibo. Will you tell me what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

Yibo sighed. It seems like he's been unintentionally sending wrong signals to Xiao Zhan. "You didn't do anything wrong." He sighed again and pulled back to scan Xiao Zhan's face. This man will never do anything wrong.

"Is it still about last week?"

"We talked about that."

"Yeah. And I thought we're good."

"We are."

"Are we? It doesn't feel like it."

It's starting to frustrate Yibo. He doesn't know why it has become like this. He's just trying to get his head around things. "Look... I'm just a little confused right now."

"Confused about what?"

"Us." Yibo surprised himself that he didn't hesitate saying this to Xiao Zhan.

"Us?"

"Us."

"What's confusing you?"

"Us." Yibo repeated, trying not to roll his eyes at Xiao Zhan.

"I mean what about us is confusing you--Wait..." Xiao Zhan studied Yibo's face closely. "Yibo... Is this about what Xuan Lu said yesterday? Is it because I told her you're my--"

"Yes." Yibo didn't want to hear it directly from Xiao Zhan. Or rather, Yibo wasn't ready to hear it directly from Xiao Zhan.

Xiao Zhan didn't say anything for a minute and simply stared at him before letting a dragging breath go, snickering before lowering his head to avoid Yibo's eyes. "Yibo, I'm--I didn't... I wasn't trying to assume anything--"

"I didn't say you were--And you really did say that?"

Xiao Zhan met his gaze. "Yes. Yes, I did." Xiao Zhan huffed, leaning across Yibo's thighs to rest his head on the couch. "I shouldn't have done that, huh?"