SBAB Chapter 18

For some reason, Lin Xin always felt that the walk from the dorm to Cheng Shiyin’s place was much shorter than he remembered. Even before fully considering how to decline Cheng Shiyin’s invitation, he found himself already standing downstairs at her place.

Just like the day of the school festival, tonight was a night with beautiful moonlight too.

The difference was, last time Lin Xin didn’t even manage to catch a glimpse of Cheng Shiyin’s back. This time, though, Cheng Shiyin was the one who actively extended her hand, pulling him to her side.

Cheng Shiyin asked Lin Xin to wait aside as she pulled out her access card from her bag. After hearing the beep, she struggled to pry open the heavy door, her body leaning against it to keep it from closing. She said, “Go on in.”

Lin Xin, being considerate of Cheng Shiyin, didn’t hesitate. He quickly rushed through the door, pressed the button for the elevator, and then stopped to look back at Cheng Shiyin, grinning proudly as if saying, “Aren’t I thoughtful?”

But Cheng Shiyin didn’t pick up on his cue and wasn’t even within his line of sight.

Only two seconds later, where did she go?

Just as Lin Xin was wondering, a chill wind brushed the back of his neck, raising goosebumps all over his skin.

Lin Xin had a sudden thought and quickly checked his phone’s time—his mind filled with the classic imagery from traditional ghost movies: the clock ticking, the hour, minute, and second hands all pointing to 12 o’clock. Midnight, the witching hour.

“Cheng Shiyin! Cheng Shiyin!”

Lin Xin called out her name, spinning his head like a frantic puppy, but got no response. Lin Xin started to panic; was she taken by a ghost?

“Pfft!”

Cheng Shiyin covered her stomach, and poked her head out from the stairwell, hiding her hand behind her back. She sauntered over, leaning against the doorframe, and laughed at Lin Xin’s dismay: “What are you waiting for at the elevator? My place is on the second floor; no need for an elevator.”

Lin Xin stood there, staring at Cheng Shiyin in front of him, but still tapping his phone incessantly.

Cheng Shiyin guessed Lin Xin was still caught up in ghost stories. To snap him out of it, she picked up her phone and quickly sent a tweet.

【Tweet sent】

Cheng Shiyin’s phone lit up behind her back.

So, Cheng Shiyin decided to give Lin Xin’s cheek a playful pinch, adding a bit more force if the jolt wasn’t strong enough.

She took slow, deliberate steps towards Lin Xin, but unexpectedly tripped on something, losing her balance and nearly tumbling into Lin Xin’s arms.

Lin Xin caught her steadily, though his phone fell hard onto the floor again. This time, though, nobody cared about the phone; it had never been ignored like this before.

Cheng Shiyin nestled into Lin Xin’s arms, her soft form cradled by him. Lin Xin held her tightly to prevent her from falling again. The distance between them reached zero for the first time, and it held.

Summer clothes are so thin and soft, Lin Xin thought to himself.

He wanted to describe the wonderful feeling, wanted to talk about the fragrance of Cheng Shiyin’s shampoo drifting from behind her ear, the slenderness of her waist, the envy-inducing joy of holding her close.

But he couldn’t. Lin Xin could only blush and stammer, barely whispering in Cheng Shiyin’s ear, “You… you okay?”

Lin Xin tried to let go of Cheng Shiyin, but his arms refused to move.

Cheng Shiyin decided to have a little fun, teasing the shy Lin Xin. She rubbed against him a couple of times, giving him a more intimate touch.

Yes, the sensation.

Lin Xin stood stiffly there, not just because of Cheng Shiyin’s playful touches but because of the significant consequences that touch brought.

This was a chain reaction Lin Xin couldn’t let Cheng Shiyin know about—it was that state.

Lin Xin quickly pushed Cheng Shiyin away, then crouched down to pick up his phone. He didn’t immediately stand up but continued to squat there, blowing dust off the phone and checking if it was damaged. After a moment, he stood up, and laughed awkwardly at Cheng Shiyin, saying, “Haha, this phone is pretty tough—nothing’s wrong.”

Cheng Shiyin didn’t see the expected amusing reaction, so she stopped teasing Lin Xin and led him up to the second floor.

Cheng Shiyin switched to slippers by the door, then took out another pair from the shoe cabinet—identical to the ones she was wearing, just a different color—placing them in front of Lin Xin and said, “Come in. My place is empty.”

Hearing it was empty, Lin Xin felt more anxious.

Just now, when he was reminded of his male identity once more, Lin Xin started wondering if Cheng Shiyin was suggesting something.

However, the perfectly fitting size 7 slippers dealt him a heavy blow—yes, in Cheng Shiyin’s eyes, he was just an ex-boyfriend’s junior. Just an ordinary female friend.

Lin Xin followed Cheng Shiyin into the living room, then obediently sat on the sofa, waiting for Cheng Shiyin to give him the next order—he could sleep on the couch.

But Cheng Shiyin didn’t bring up sleeping arrangements. Instead, she tossed Lin Xin a towel and said, “Go wash up first. I’ll find you one of my pajamas.”

“Wash up… wash…?” Lin Xin stuttered again.

“Is there a problem?” Cheng Shiyin playfully sniffed Lin Xin and pretended to gag, covering her nose and saying, “Don’t think about getting into bed without a shower. You stink after today’s shopping spree.”

“No… I didn’t say I wouldn’t shower… You go ahead, you go ahead.” Lin Xin read between the lines of Cheng Shiyin’s words, understanding that sleeping arrangements meant sharing a bed with her tonight. He decided to stall for time and figure something out later.

— But what about morning wood?

“Alright, then I’ll go first.” Cheng Shiyin started walking toward the bathroom, slipping out of her clothes as she did so. Lin Xin felt a jolt of nervous excitement, teetering on the edge of losing composure.

For the next half-hour, while Cheng Shiyin was in the shower, Lin Xin mentally prepared himself. He even snuck a peek at the still-saved “Gu Nian” movie on his phone, trying to steel his resolve. But watching high-quality footage did not affect him—he was too distracted by Cheng Shiyin’s proximity.

Half an hour later, Cheng Shiyin emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, gently wiping her wet hair with her head tilted to the side.

When Lin Xin saw Cheng Shiyin, surrounded by steam and wearing just a towel, he didn’t know where to look to hide his flustered state without being impolite.

Lin Xin didn’t even dare to meet Cheng Shiyin’s gaze now; he felt that her eyes, freshly washed, held a hint of allure.

Wearing angelic white, Cheng Shiyin seemed to set a trap with every breath Lin Xin took.

But she hadn’t done anything.

Lin Xin hastily rushed into the bathroom. The cold shower was the only way to calm down.

As Lin Xin leaned against the bathroom door, trying to steady himself, he heard Cheng Shiyin’s voice coming from the other side, “If you’re not picky, you can get in now. Or, do you want to wait and I’ll run another tub of water for you?”

Lin Xin couldn’t care less about Cheng Shiyin’s invitation, instantly replying, “No… no need, I’m not picky.”

After checking the bathroom door lock again, Lin Xin cautiously stripped down, hiding his boxer briefs between his clothes. He cautiously pulled back the bathroom curtain.

…What?

It was a bathtub?!

Lin Xin froze, pulling back his already extended foot, replaying Cheng Shiyin’s words. Now he understood what she meant by not picky.

Lin Xin extended his hand to touch the water—warm, not scalding, reminiscent of the hug he shared with Cheng Shiyin downstairs earlier.

In the next second, he submerged his entire arm in the water, then his whole body, leaving only his nose above the surface to prevent himself from drowning like a clumsy duck.

But even if he drowned here, so what? Lin Xin’s mind entertained a bizarre thought, one he didn’t even realize at the time.

Lin Xin quickly stood up, drying himself with a towel and pulling his sweaty clothes back on. Sniffing at his clothes, smelling a faint scent of his sweat, Lin Xin finally regained his composure. He mimicked Cheng Shiyin’s actions—rubbing his head as he walked out.

Cheng Shiyin was holding a pajama set, about to knock on the bathroom door when it suddenly opened. Lin Xin, flustered, grabbed her hand and quickly released it.

Lin Xin was truly shy, Cheng Shiyin thought.

But Lin Xin was affected by Cheng Shiyin’s touch, feeling an unusual sensation with each interaction.

What’s wrong with me? Lin Xin couldn’t figure it out.

In a two-bedroom apartment, there was plenty of space, and even if he ended up sleeping on the floor, Lin Xin wouldn’t have any complaints. Yet now, he was in bed with Cheng Shiyin, in the position by the wall, with no room to fake a fall out of bed to sleep on the floor for the night.

I need to think of something.

“I can’t sleep.” Lin Xin suddenly turned on the charm, his eyes glowing like a night owl. His entire demeanor radiated a lack of sleepiness, and he spoke with a whiny tone, “I’m not tired, I want to watch TV.”

“…?” Cheng Shiyin, who was just about to say goodnight, was momentarily speechless. She had to get up and find the remote control.

Lin Xin flipped through the channels but couldn’t find anything interesting, so he settled on a random station, pretending to watch intently. He didn’t give Cheng Shiyin any opportunity to suggest he should go back to sleep.

Cheng Shiyin, who was sitting next to Lin Xin watching TV, only noticed after thirty minutes that the so-called “true love” show was an ad for treating vitiligo. When a specialist suddenly started talking about medical advice, she couldn’t help but fall asleep.

With Cheng Shiyin now passed out, her head resting on Lin Xin’s shoulder, her breath softly brushing against his neck. Lin Xin, like a spooked cat, felt every hair on his body stand on end.

Lin Xin glanced at Cheng Shiyin’s beautiful profile but couldn’t bring himself to push her off. Instead, Cheng Shiyin’s head fell onto his lap, rubbing her face against his thigh, trying to form a comfortable dent in her makeshift pillow.

But this was a leg, there was no indentation, only an awkward bulge.

Lin Xin didn’t know what to do, but then he saw a small teardrop form at the corner of Cheng Shiyin’s eye, falling onto his leg.

“Slap!”

The loud sound startled Cheng Shiyin awake. She saw Lin Xin’s flushed cheek and asked in concern, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just a mosquito.” Lin Xin gently pressed Cheng Shiyin’s head back onto his lap, saying softly, “Go back to sleep.”

“Mm.” Cheng Shiyin, groggy, didn’t notice Lin Xin’s subtle change.