15 Embrace Me

Xie Guilan didn’t speak to him again. Cen Wu muttered a few words, and as soon as the class bell rang, he hurried downstairs, clattering along to the cafeteria to buy breakfast for Xie Guilan.

He was stubborn in his attitude. Xie Guilan never wanted to waste words on him; every time he accepted the food, he never actually ate it.

Xie Guilan’s coldness was sharp and easily hurt others.

Besides the few original group members, most classmates had no ill will toward Xie Guilan, but when faced with his icy expression and indifferent resistance, no one dared approach him.

Cen Wu stared longingly for a while before deciding not to disturb him further. He obediently turned away and started working on problems.

Such a cold-hearted guy.

“Second Young Master, Lu Wang,” after the first class, the boy sitting in front of Cen Wu turned his head, winking at them and lowering his voice. “Are you coming to Jinghai tonight?”

The boy was Zhang Yuanzhou. Jinghai was an internet café near Huai Jing No.1 High School, where many students went to play games after school.

Cen Wu quickly shook his head.

Places like internet cafés were no place for someone with mild social anxiety.

“Come with me then,” Lu Wang grabbed his arm, shaking it. “We’ll stay just half an hour.”

Cen Wu had been resolute in refusing, but Lu Wang kept pestering him. Hesitant, he whispered, “Are… are there many people? I really can only stay half an hour.”

“Don’t worry, it won’t be crowded,” Zhang Yuanzhou assured him. “Only Friday nights get busy.”

At 7:30 p.m.

Cen Wu sat in the internet café, his pale little face numb, surrounded by a sea of people.

Cen Wu: “...”

He was already struggling to breathe, but fortunately, Lu Wang sensed his fear of crowds and secured him the seat furthest inside.

Lu Wang and Zhang Yuanzhou played PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The original owner had an account, but Cen Wu didn’t know the password, so he registered a new one and tagged along behind them.

When Cen Wu, clutching his sniper rifle, was headshot once again, Zhang Yuanzhou finally lost it. He leaned back in his chair, dazed, and muttered, “Did the English exam just sacrifice our stats?”

He had hoped Cen Wu would carry him to victory since he was a national-level player, but instead, Cen Wu’s performance had dragged them down two ranks.

Cen Wu: “...”

He told them he didn’t play games.

“Do you want anything to eat?” Zhang Yuanzhou rubbed his face, deciding to avoid the harsh reality for a moment. “This place’s instant noodles are pretty good.”

Cen Wu: “I… I’m fine with anything.”

Lu Wang: “Same here.”

Zhang Yuanzhou went to the front desk to buy food but returned in a whirlwind minutes later, face full of shock. “Holy crap, you won’t believe who I just saw!”

“Who?” Lu Wang asked, puzzled.

Following Zhang Yuanzhou’s gaze, Cen Wu was stunned. Xie Guilan was here too, the cold, dim glow of the screen reflecting on his face, which looked pale, his eyes deep and dark as the night.

Xie Guilan wore the school uniform with sleeves rolled up, revealing a slender, cold-white arm. His knuckles rested on his stomach. Perhaps due to his indifferent expression, all the nearby machines were empty.

Zhang Yuanzhou clicked his tongue. “The school genius is here too? I thought he’d be up late studying after school, trying to outwork everyone.”

He probably hadn’t eaten dinner.

“I… I’m going out for a bit,” Cen Wu whispered to Lu Wang, suppressing his fear of the crowded room.

“Huh?” Lu Wang scratched his head. “Then come back quickly, or the noodles will get cold.”

Cen Wu nodded a few times, circled behind Xie Guilan, whose screen displayed a game interface. There was no rule against Xie Guilan coming here to play games.

He bought a cup of instant noodles with sausage and egg, plus a bottle of lychee soda, then sneaked away.

Xie Guilan held the mouse, his long, dark, almond-shaped eyes glinting coldly. The café owner tapped his chair and placed the noodles down. “Here, someone bought this for you.”

“...Who?” Xie Guilan frowned.

The owner smiled knowingly and waved his hand. “They didn’t want me to say, just eat it.”

Young people these days, always so complicated about relationships.

Xie Guilan was handsome and tall, but outside of the senior class environment, no one at the internet café recognized him. Still, many girls secretly watched him, though none dared approach.

---

Xie Guilan was busy going to the hospital and working part-time at a bar, often skipping dinner in the evenings.

The noodles steamed, fragrant and hot, with a soft-boiled egg oozing creamy yolk and sizzling sausage beside it. Even without eating, the gnawing pain in Cen Wu’s stomach suddenly eased.

The lychee soda was room temperature, sweet and fragrant, filling the cramped seats of the café.

Cen Wu collapsed onto his seat and lay still. A few minutes later, he saw Xie Guilan turn his head but was blocked by the screen, so he relaxed.

He didn’t want Xie Guilan to notice him. Since he wouldn’t eat what he gave him, it was better not to tell him.

Checking the time, Cen Wu prepared to go home and was about to tell Lu Wang when suddenly a boy burst in shouting, “Run! Bald Qiang is here!”

Cen Wu froze, but Zhang Yuanzhou reacted first, grabbing his backpack and standing up in panic. “Hurry, hurry! If we get caught, we’re doomed! What’s going on?”

“Hasn’t it been a while since this place was last inspected?!”

Several high schools were nearby, but most students at Jinghai were from Huai Jing No.1 High. The crowd scattered, and Cen Wu spotted the shiny bald head approaching.

The disciplinary director!

Cen Wu had only seen him once when they were punished to stand.

Named Wang Qiang, he had a shaved head and was notorious for raiding internet cafés to catch students, earning the nickname “Bald Qiang” behind his back.

Zhang Yuanzhou grabbed Cen Wu and Lu Wang, pulling them toward the back door, nearly colliding with a group of boys.

“Don’t run this way,” one boy urged urgently. “Old Meng is blocking the back!”

Cen Wu was startled; even their homeroom teacher was here.

The café had three floors; the top was private rooms requiring payment. It was too late to rent one now, and the disciplinary director stood firm at the front desk.

The only hiding spots on the first and second floors were a few restrooms, but by the time they arrived, these were already crowded.

They couldn’t crawl under tables.

Cen Wu was tempted to do just that but was yanked up by Zhang Yuanzhou. “No way, Bald Qiang’s flashlight will spot you right away! Come this way!”

Dazed, Cen Wu followed him, but halfway through, he noticed Xie Guilan still hadn’t left.

The entire café was in chaos, like a zombie movie. Except for a few fearless outsiders, only Xie Guilan sat calmly with his cold expression.

“Y-you guys go first.” Cen Wu’s calves trembled. He forced himself to pull away from Zhang Yuanzhou’s hand and ran toward Xie Guilan.

Zhang Yuanzhou panicked, afraid Cen Wu was walking into danger, but could do nothing and held Lu Wang back, fleeing.

Halfway there, someone tapped Zhang Yuanzhou on the shoulder. He assured, “We’re here. This restroom should be less crowded.”

The person tapped again.

Zhang Yuanzhou snapped around, ready to snap at the interruption but froze when he saw a burly man with a huge gold chain.

“Little student,” the man’s thick face twitched, eyes sharp as knives. “Let go.”

Zhang Yuanzhou was speechless.

He thought he was holding Lu Wang, but when he turned, it was a local tough guy!

Xie Guilan typed a few words on the keyboard but was pulled away by Cen Wu, who grabbed his wrist.

Lu Wang found a large storage cabinet built into the wall. Moving it aside, it could hide two or three people and block the view.

“Cen Wu!” Lu Wang waved frantically. “This way!”

Cen Wu, his throat raw and bleeding, shoved Xie Guilan inside first, then squeezed in himself. Lu Wang pushed the cabinet shut behind them. Cold sweat poured down Cen Wu’s back.

Before he could catch his breath, the cabinet was suddenly pushed open. Cen Wu’s heart stopped; it was Zhang Yuanzhou.

“You guys are here too?” Zhang Yuanzhou gaped. Bald Qiang was coming fiercely toward them. He hurried inside. “Squeeze in, squeeze in!”

A hefty boy followed Zhang Yuanzhou and squeezed in as well.

Zhang Yuanzhou pushed hard. “No way, we’re gonna suffocate! Get out!”

“I have nowhere else to go. Let’s just squeeze more.”

Cen Wu was suffocating. He was pressed tightly against Xie Guilan, held snugly, his nose touching Xie Guilan’s collarbone. Tears nearly fell.

---

There was a crack in the cabinet, dim light spilling in. Xie Guilan lowered his head. Cen Wu’s pale face was scrunched in pain, smudged with dirt, his eyes red-rimmed.

“Damn it,” Zhang Yuanzhou wrestled with the other boy, hooking his arm around his throat. “I told you not to come in here! You trying to get us killed?”

The other boy fought back, grabbing Zhang Yuanzhou’s neck. “If you can hide, why can’t I?”

Lu Wang was wedged in between, feeling like he’d soil himself from the pressure. The cabinet shook. He tried to grab something for support but couldn’t lift his hands.

“D-don’t be afraid,” Cen Wu comforted Xie Guilan. “We probably won’t be found.”

He looked up at Xie Guilan, leaning against him. He could only see the sharp lines of Xie Guilan’s throat and swallowed nervously.

Xie Guilan’s Adam’s apple seemed formidable.

Trembling, Cen Wu reached behind the cabinet, fumbling to find something to grip.

Blocked by Lu Wang, he couldn’t turn and clung to Xie Guilan’s arm instead. His other hand reached back awkwardly.

Cen Wu’s cold, pale cheeks flushed crimson. His eyes blurred with tears, suffocated and nervous, packed among so many people. His vision darkened as he breathed near Xie Guilan’s neck.

Xie Guilan turned, his skin cold and pale, veins taut on his neck.

The disciplinary director and Old Meng had already gone upstairs. Zhang Yuanzhou and the other boy continued their noisy fight.

Xie Guilan had had enough. He wrapped his arm around Cen Wu’s back, gripping his shoulder and pressing him firmly to his chest. Then he hooked his hand into a hole behind the cabinet.

His voice was cold, hoarse with the roughness of youth transitioning to adulthood. “Shut up.”

Though quiet, his voice carried an undeniable force in the cramped space.

Zhang Yuanzhou and the other boy froze mid-struggle, their backs prickling as if pierced by cold blades. They maintained their chokehold but dared not move.

Whispered close to Cen Wu’s ear, Cen Wu shuddered, clearly feeling Xie Guilan’s fierce command. He said Xie Guilan was very stern.

Cen Wu dared not breathe, biting his lip, eyes reddening. After a moment, thin sweat broke out on his back. Tears welled, looking like a bullied child.

Xie Guilan lowered his head slightly, catching a faint scent of lychee on him.

“Nowadays these students,” the disciplinary director said through clenched teeth, “playing games at internet cafés is bad enough, but now they’re even dating here? I caught three couples tonight alone!”

He disapproved of early romances and recently had been assigning homeroom teachers to patrol near the school after classes.

Cen Wu was so squeezed his toes nearly lifted. He looked up at Xie Guilan’s reddened, thin lips. Though his eyes were cold, his body radiated heat—a burning youth.

Cen Wu closed his eyes, not daring to look at him again.

Through the cabinet, he heard Old Meng pat his chest reassuring the director, “Don’t worry, director, none of my students ever date early!”

Zhang Yuanzhou and the other boy were still arguing.

“Move over!”

“Why don’t you go then!”

“You looking for trouble?!”

“Heh.”

Suddenly, a boy panicked and crashed into the cabinet, unaware it wasn’t fixed. With a loud crash, both the boy and cabinet fell.

Everyone in the internet café turned their heads.

Several awkwardly exposed figures were revealed. Zhang Yuanzhou and the other boy were still locked in a chokehold, their faces full of hatred.

Meanwhile, Xie Guilan embraced Cen Wu’s shoulders. His usually cold expression cracked repeatedly into something indescribably tender.

Lu Wang, small and helpless, was stuck in the middle, arms around both sides, so he just hugged himself tightly.

The disciplinary director: “...”

Old Meng: “...”

Should we hug too?