Don’t Pretend to be Poor with Me - Chapter 48

Future boyfriend

When Song Yan realized exactly what Xia Zhiye’s words meant, his first reaction was to turn around and run, but instead, was pulled back as Xia Zhiye reached out to grab his waist.

The crowd was congested and Song Yan couldn’t struggle free, nor did he want to make a big fuss, so he could only be pulled towards Xia Zhiye’s body with the other’s hands on his waist. He remained quiet as he lowered his head with the sweater hood covering his head.

Xia Zhiye stared at a certain someone who had their head lowered, pretending to be dead, and he gently laughed: “I made such a huge confession, but you wanted to run away before giving any reaction at all? Do you have a conscience or not?”

Song Yan didn’t say anything, just reaching out to pull the sweater hood down lower, completely covering his eyes, as if Xia Zhiye wouldn’t be able to see him as long as his field of vision was black.

Some people were normally quite fierce, yet would become quite fearful during crucial points.

But Xia Zhiye didn’t allow him to be fearful, and reached his hands out to pull the hood of his sweater up. He bent over to look at the other, and just happened to see that pretty little face that had already blushed all the way to his ears under the hood.

Xia Zhiye gently chuckled: “Look, our Yan ge looks so warm, you look as if you’re cooking under there.”

Song Yan slapped aside Xia Zhiye’s hand, pulling the brim of his hood further down, once again pushing it down fiercely, vowing not to allow Xia Zhiye to see his face.

Xia Zhiye knew the other had thin skin, but usually every time he was embarrassed, he made an empty show of his strength and beat others up. This time, he was incredibly shy to the point of being fearful, but it seemed that at least the other didn’t reject him.

So being dissatisfied with this small gain, he once again pulled up Song Yan’s hood, exposing that blushing yet frowning little face, then laughed: “What’s wrong, is our Yan ge scared? You don’t dare say anything?”

“You’re the one who’s fucking scared, it’s just that laozi is in no mood to joke around with you……”

“Song Yan, I’m not joking around with you. I’m very seriously telling you that I like you.” Xia Zhiye interrupted Song Yan, lowering his head to look at the other. His gaze didn’t have its usual lackadaisical nonchalance, and was instead earnest and solemn, “So can you give me an answer?”

Xia Zhiye’s tone was so serious it made Song Yan subconsciously raise his head to look at the other.

The fireworks in the night sky behind him were in full bloom, and a pair of beautiful eyes cast off all sense of humor, leaving only a tender focus and an inexplicable affection.

Time passed them by in a strange manner.

As if it transmitted some kind of tacit understanding.

Song Yan felt his heart beating faster and faster, faster and faster, so fast that it was as if in some instant, he would impulsively say a certain, preposterous answer.

But in the second before his heartbeat reached its threshold, he heard a distinct and lively voice: “Gege!”

At that moment, Song Yan seemed to have realized something, and he asked Xia Zhiye: “Did we forget about something?”

Xia Zhiye nodded: “Yeah, my sister.”

Song Yan: “……”

He stiffly turned around, and indeed saw a familiar group of three, one chubby, another beautiful, and a third small person, squeezing in through the crowd.

The three familiar figures also saw them tightly embracing each other.

After a short yet strange moment of silence.

The chubby person of the group covered up the eyes of the smallest person, then cried while grieving and lamenting: “There’s a child here! Can you guys pay attention to your influence!”

Song Yan: “……”

Fuck.

He felt that the most regretful thing in his life was that he didn’t bury little fatty directly when the other first danced in his minefield.

He pushed Xia Zhiye aside, lowered his head while tugging on his hood, wanting to pretend that he didn’t know any of them, then turned around to leave.

But he hadn’t yet taken two steps, when he discovered that his leg grew a set of weights. He lowered his head to look, and saw little mahjong hugging his leg with one arm, the other arm raising up a little wildflower she picked up from nowhere, then milkily calling out: “Yan gege! A flower!”

Song Yan: “?”

Little mahjong once again lifted it up higher: “The flower is pretty, give it to Yan gege.”

Song Yan hadn’t had time to react when little fatty replied at once: “Hurry and take it. She used a lot of effort to pick it, and protected it along the way. She didn’t give it to anyone, and didn’t even let me touch it.”

Song Yan uneasily squatted down to accept the little wildflower.

Then little mahjong seized the opportunity to hug his neck, exerting all her strength to blow a few breaths of air: “They said Yan gege got an owie, little mahjong will huhu for gege, then gege won’t feel pain anymore.”

Song Yan felt his heart soften intensely, then rubbed her head: “I’m fine, Yan gege doesn’t feel pain anymore.”

“Then Yan gege, hug.”

Little mahjong also didn’t know where Song Yan injured himself, nor did she know to what extent. She just knew that hugging was the greatest comfort that a young child could give an adult, so she tilted her head while spreading her two short arms wide open.

No one could reject such a cute child.

Song Yan endured the pain at his waist, was just about to reach out to hug her, when a pair of arms interjected, nestling into her armpits then picking her up: “Yan gege is tired, Ye gege will hug you instead, okay?”

“Okay.” Little mahjong’s milky voice agreed, hugging Xia Zhiye’s neck tightly, “Then if Yan gege is tired, let’s go home, okay?”

“Mm, okay.” Xia Zhiye helped little mahjong tidy up her bangs, then turned to look at little fatty and Kong Xiaoxiao, “What about you guys?”

Kong Xiaoxiao held the huge princess castle gift box: “We’ve already played all day. We’re also going home.”

“Then we can call two cabs. I’ll send Kong Xiaoxiao home, and Yan ge can go home with you guys.” Little fatty arranged it understandingly.

Yet Song Yan replied with a cold face: “I’ll go back to the dorms myself.”

“Can you get a cab?”

Little fatty asked in return.

Song Yan lowered his head to open the APP, saw a line of 187 people, with an estimated wait time of two and a half hours.

Little fatty had a face of incredible foresight: “I booked a cab this morning before I left. Now you can’t get a cab at all, so Yan ge, you should just go home with Ye ge.”

Xia Zhiye hugged the already exhausted little mahjong, then turned his head to look at Song Yan and leisurely said: “If you want to continue waiting, then little mahjong and I will stay and wait with you.”

“……” Song Yan suspected that Xia Zhiye was blackmailing him, but even if he had proof, he couldn’t do anything about it. He could only unwillingly sit in the passenger seat, “Sir, go to Wine Alley first, then go to the dormitory at Nanwu No.3 Middle High.”

Xia Zhiye lowered his head to chuckle, but also didn’t stop him. Instead, he just placed little mahjong in the back seat, then took the princess castle from Kong Xiaoxiao’s hands. He was just about to enter the car when little fatty called him.

“The host took a photo for you.” Little fatty pulled out a photo and handed it to him.

In the photo, a cold-faced youth wearing a blue sweater and a flirtatious youth wearing a red sweater each held hands with a little girl wearing a flower dress, and they all stood under the light, a soft and harmonious scene.

He was originally quite regretful that he couldn’t accept the award, but who would have thought there would be a photo.

Xia Zhiye smoothly tucked it away: “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Little fatty patted his shoulder, “This brother will keep your matters a secret, don’t worry.”

“……”

Xia Zhiye paused for a moment, then laughed, “Sure, thanks.”

After he sat in his seat and put the seatbelt on, he discovered that a certain someone in the passenger seat had already leaned against the window and shut his eyes. He looked as if he was extremely exhausted, so he fell asleep as soon as he got in the car.

And his eyelashes trembled when the car door shut.

Xia Zhiye’s lips curled up, but also didn’t expose the other, and the vehicle quietly proceeded towards Wine Alley.

When it stopped at the innermost alley, Song Yan punctually awoke.

He was just about to tell the driver to turn around, when little mahjong rushed towards grandma Liu who came out to greet them, and shouted: “Grandma! Yan gege is injured!”

Song Yan: “……”

Were both brother and sister in cahoots or something?

Song Yan had absolutely no time to incite the driver to leave the scene when grandma Liu anxiously pulled him out of the car, then dragged him into the room.

She examined him from top to bottom, back and forth, and after she ensured that Song Yan had no other issues, she scolded Xia Zhiye while pressing Song Yan, massaging medicine into his skin.

After applying the medicine, she exhorted and urged Song Yan countless times, saying that he had to sleep over so she could once again massage him tomorrow morning.

From beginning to end, Song Yan had no chance to interrupt. By the time he was finally able to free himself from grandma Liu’s evil clutches, he was already sent into Xia Zhiye’s room.

Song Yan’s entire body was wrapped in the scent of medicine, and he stood in the room in a daze.

Xia Zhiye leaned against the door, smiling while looking at the other: “Do you want to sleep on the inside, or should I?”

Song Yan pulled a long face: “I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

Xia Zhiye nodded: “If you want to sleep on the sofa, then you first have to answer my question.”

Song Yan acted stupid: “What question?”

“You’re sure you want me to repeat it again? I don’t mind. Song Yan, I like……”

“Shut up!”

Song Yan was ashamed into anger and immediately interrupted him.

Xia Zhiye also didn’t continue, just smiling as he walked towards the other, then with his eyes lowered, he asked: “So can little friend Song Yan give me an answer right now?”

But what answer could he give?

Even now, Song Yan hadn’t completely digested the fact that Xia Zhiye had confessed to him.

After all, those unexplained palpitations and guilt had long been completely disregarded and ignored by him in a fret. He never wanted to think of the fact that Xia Zhiye liked him, or that he liked Xia Zhiye.

He subconsciously evaded this thought for so long, yet it this was suddenly punctured by Xia Zhiye so directly, leaving him absolutely no room to maneuver and hide. For a moment, he couldn’t give Xia Zhiye any answer at all.

In a short period of two hours, could he truly believe that Xia Zhiye really liked him, and then confirm that he also liked Xia Zhiye, then agree to be with Xia Zhiye?

Song Yan had never thought of this.

In other words, in the past ten years of his life, he had never thought of any ending other than growing old alone, not to mention the fact that someone with the status of a lover would later stand by his side, saying that they would give him whatever he wanted.

What’s more, this person was even his roommate, was a boy, and was a boy that was beaten by him every day.

So what answer could Song Yan give.

Right now, his brain was just a jumbled mess.

Also, he had no faith in the maintenance and commitment of emotion, because he witnessed the tragic and embarrassing outcome of emotional deterioration with his own eyes.

Song Yan raised his head to look at Xia Zhiye: “Do you know the reason behind the excitement you get when you see the person you like?”

Xia Zhiye was pretty good at biology: “Phenethylamine1.”

Song Yan asked again: “Then do you know that the concentration of phenethylamine can only be maintained in the body for half a year to four years?”

Xia Zhiye didn’t speak.

Song Yan continued to say: “Other than phenethylamine, the remaining dopamine, norepinephrine and other substances that produce love can exist for five years at most. So Xia Zhiye, what answer do you think I can give you right now.”

He asked this coolly and calmly, so calmly it was as if he had no feelings at all, to the extent that it was sharply aggressive.

If a normal person received this kind of reaction, most would choose to back out of such an awkward situation.

Yet Xia Zhiye simply lowered his head to look at Song Yan, and answered easily and confidently: “An answer that gives me a chance to prove to you that the endorphins and hormones do exist.”

These two substances would continue to exist in the human brain for more than ten years, so much so that it would exist until one’s death.

And these hormones are what determine loyalty, trust, love, and dependence.

“In this world, in addition to the beautiful fireworks that disappear in a flash, there are also beautiful desk lamps that can be lit for a long time until its filament is exhausted. So little friend Song Yan, we can’t be so pessimistic, you know?”

Xia Zhiye reached out to push aside Song Yan’s unruly bangs, his tone patient and indulgent.

As if he understood all of Song Yan’s misgivings and fears, and also didn’t mind Song Yan’s indifference and bad temper, just wanting to show him what it meant to live well and love each other.

At that moment, Song Yan was suddenly curious as to what Xia Zhiye’s parents were like, and why they were able to raise Xia Zhiye into having this kind of temperament.

He looked as if he was always leisurely and indifferent, but brimming with trust and indulgence towards the beauty of the world.

Xia Zhiye smoothly reached out to rub Song Yan’s soft and fluffy hair: “So Song Yan, are you willing to believe in me.”

Song Yan lowered his head: “I don’t know.”

“Then do you plan on rejecting me?”

Song Yan opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but after that sentence swirled about on his tongue, he couldn’t seem to say it out loud.

“If you don’t reject me, then you agree?”

“Xia Zhiye!”

“So you’re rejecting me?”

“……”

Song Yan grew irritable at a pace visible to the naked eye, and Xia Zhiye began calculating in his heart, then laughed: “You won’t reject me, but you also won’t agree. Looks like our Yan ge is willing to let me court you.”

“I didn’t fucking say that!”

“Then what did you want to say?”

“……”

Song Yan finally exploded: “Xia Zhiye, how can you be so annoying!”

Xia Zhiye raised an eyebrow: “You didn’t say that before.”

Song Yan: “?”

“In the past, you said that I was quite charming.”

“Dream on!”

Xia Zhiye lazily pulled out his phone, then gently tapped on it twice.

The speaker immediately broadcasted a familiar, indolent, voice: “Then can you tell me why I’m so charming?”

Immediately after came a muffled voice: “Just like right now.”

“Just like right now?”

“Yeah, just like right now. Everytime your eyes bend, I’ll suddenly turn into an idiot.”

“Then do I have any other charming points?”

“Handsome, very kind hearted, treats me super well……”

Fuck.

After he finally realized who the other person speaking was, Song Yan reached out to grab the phone: “Xia Zhiye! Do you have no sense of shame!”

Xia Zhiye raised the phone all the way up, with a face of earnestness: “How can my face2 be more important than my boyfriend. Anyway, your face is better looking than mine, when it comes down to it, I also don’t lose out.”

The 1.81 meter tall Song Yan never would have thought that one day, he would hate himself for being short.

He couldn’t beat the other up, nor could he grab at the phone, and he was so angry he was fuming with rage: “You’re shameless and you don’t have a boyfriend!”

“Hard to say.”

Xia Zhiye laughed as if he was a weasel that had long since stolen the chicken3, then used his finger to tap against the screen, switching over to the next video.

Then Song Yan heard a childish, smothered voice that carried a hint of coquettishness: “Sleep together, I don’t like sleeping alone, I can’t sleep.”

It was so childish that for a split second, he was immediately skeptical of life.

Although he knew that the transmission of sound through air and bone would lead to great differences in timbre due to the differences in media, it was hard to believe that such a whiny voice came from his mouth.

But what made him even more incredulous was that Xia Zhiye followed with a righteous sentence: “No, I’m a very traditional man. If you want to sleep with me, you have to be responsible for me. For example, agreeing to let me chase you.”

And after a long moment of silence, he actually responded with: “Okay, then later on, you always have to sleep with me.”

“……”

Song Yan suddenly felt that this life was really endless, and he really wanted to go to the EGSY8p74 galaxy to live.

Meanwhile, Xia Zhiye put away his phone with great satisfaction, yet his face didn’t change at all: “Look, seeing as you already agreed to letting me chase you, then I have to fulfill my obligations and always sleep with you. This is a commitment that I must keep as an honest, upright, and responsible man, and I can’t go back on it. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“……”

It was said to be quite logical, but Song Yan always felt that there was something wrong about it.

Looking at Song Yan, who was completely dazed while standing in the same spot, Xia Zhiye whispered with a smile: “So let’s sleep together, future boyfriend?”

.

The author has something to say:

Xia Zhiye is shameless, I’ll scold him first! But baby Yan with this kind of avoidant, tsundere personality really needs a husband that’s shameless!

1. A chemical found naturally in the body but also can be made in the laboratory. Used for athletic performance, depression, weight loss, and to improve mood and attention.

2. Face in the case as in one’s reputation/honor. Shameless in CN is lit. to have no face, hence why XZY says his ‘face’ isn’t as important as getting a bf. This also leads to the pun in the next sentence – ‘your face is better looking than mine’.

3. It is said that weasels love stealing chickens to eat, idk if this is actually true, but meant to be a proverb to indicate someone being cunning

4. A very distant galaxy