SBAB Chapter 19

Perhaps she wasn’t as strong as she appeared.

Even though Lin Xin couldn’t peer into dreams or read minds, he could still clearly sense why Cheng Shiyin shed that single tear—over the abrupt end of a relationship, especially one with such a poor conclusion.

Lin Xin didn’t want Cheng Shiyin to be upset, but he couldn’t enter her dreams and press Gu Nian’s head against a 40-degree asphalt road to roll back and forth. The only thing he could do now was help Cheng Shiyin wipe the tear stains from her face, and even that didn’t truly aid her—it was more about making himself feel a little better.

Lin Xin knew there was no other way.

But the right hand he intended to use to wipe away Cheng Shiyin’s tears didn’t act as he’d planned. The spine that should have been propped up against the sofa bent involuntarily…

[I want to kiss her.]

“Slap!”

Just as Lin Xin’s lips were about to touch Cheng Shiyin’s face, his right hand finally obeyed him and delivered a resounding slap.

Lin Xin was fully awakened by his own action, and any lingering romantic thoughts vanished from his mind.

He understood—everything that had happened, all the sudden, inexplicable feelings, could be explained.

—He was falling for her.

—From the moment he first saw her.

Since meeting Cheng Shiyin, Lin Xin’s heart couldn’t accommodate Gu Nian’s presence. One moment he was Gu Nian’s biggest fan, the next, he had become her greatest rival.

Lin Xin had given up hope on his mind; his body had given him repeated, unmistakable hints, yet he hadn’t noticed any of them.

Lin Xin habitually pulled out his phone, typed a short “I like you” post, and then quickly deleted it. His feelings for Cheng Shiyin were mixed with too many impure thoughts; even mentioning one of them could lead to an uncontrollable flood of emotions. In the end, Lin Xin kept “liking” as a secret buried deep within his heart, not even telling his Weibo.

Having confirmed his feelings, Lin Xin wouldn’t be startled by the changing tides of his emotions anymore. So when Cheng Shiyin sleepily asked him, ‘What’s wrong?’ he simply thought of “cute” and naturally reached out with the hand that had just slapped himself, gently stroking her hair as if it were meant to be.

Yet even so, being in such proximity to Cheng Shiyin made it hard for Lin Xin to sleep. Fortunately, this gave him a chance to quietly admire her sleeping face.

Cheng Shiyin was lying on her side, resting her head on Lin Xin’s lap. From this angle, Lin Xin could see not only her beautiful profile but also every alluring detail of her.

I won’t look!

Lin Xin turned his eyes away, resolutely ignoring their presence. But Cheng Shiyin seemed to be testing him; she suddenly pulled open her collar, revealing more than just her closed eyes.

Lin Xin tried to keep his desires in check, reminding himself to maintain control—he was already a “grown-up.”

Lin Xin hesitated to even peek, afraid of triggering some impulse that would lead him to do something reckless. He knew that everything he wanted to do with Cheng Shiyin would only hurt her, especially considering he had a secret he couldn’t tell her.

“Hot…”

Lin Xin heard that faint voice in the darkness and immediately understood why Cheng Shiyin had pulled open his collar. He dared to barely open his eyes a bit and caught a glimpse of the sweat on Cheng Shiyin’s forehead.

Lin Xin couldn’t help but laugh to himself: so his feelings, even if barely expressed, were too intense for Cheng Shiyin. But realistically, it was just because his thigh was too hot.

Since Cheng Shiyin was sleeping on Lin Xin’s lap, his range of movement was limited to about a meter in every direction from his arms. Lin Xin looked around and saw no sign of an air conditioning remote control. The fan’s switch was hard to reach. Eventually, Lin Xin picked up a magazine from the coffee table and gave Cheng Shiyin a little breeze.

The night passed like this.

Given Lin Xin’s previous negligence, Cheng Shiyin set the alarm clock for him before bed. When it rang, Lin Xin opened his eyes but only mechanically waved the fan in his hand. By the time the second alarm went off, he hadn’t reacted.

Cheng Shiyin’s concern was justified.

But even though Cheng Shiyin set the alarm, habit told her that there was no need to wake up early on a Monday without classes. So, she snuggled closer to Lin Xin, curling up into a little ball, and refused to get up.

Cheng Shiyin’s small movements caused Lin Xin’s ‘brother’ to wake up. He didn’t react as frantically as before. Instead, he smoothly slipped a soft pillow behind Cheng Shiyin’s head and gently stroked her hair, speaking in a lazy yet affectionate tone: “Just sleep, okay?”

If Lin Xin didn’t have to go to class, he would have liked to stay with Cheng Shiyin a bit longer, especially as the morning sunlight poured into the living room, painting a picture of perfect tranquility.

But Cheng Shiyin didn’t see things quite as idyllic. Lin Xin’s unexpected actions startled her, and she quickly woke up. She suddenly sat up, tossed the pillow aside, and placed a hand on Lin Xin’s forehead, looking puzzled: “You’re not running a fever, are you? Maybe possessed?”

Cheng Shiyin then used both hands to hold Lin Xin’s face, measuring his forehead temperature with her own. The sudden closeness, nearly kissing distance, sent Lin Xin’s emotions into chaos again. His face quickly heated up, turning bright red. He suspected his brain was going to overheat if this happened too many times.

Feeling Lin Xin’s burning temperature, Cheng Shiyin finally relaxed—at least it wasn’t possession.

She quickly got up to fetch some cold medicine and fever reducers for Lin Xin, assuming it was because he didn’t cover up well while sleeping that led to the fever.

Seeing Cheng Shiyin getting up, Lin Xin quickly followed suit. He hadn’t yet sorted out his feelings and spending more time with Cheng Shiyin risked exposing his confusion. It was too dangerous.

Unfortunately, because Cheng Shiyin had used his thigh as a pillow all night, the blood circulation in Lin Xin’s leg was cut off. As a result, when Lin Xin tried to get up, he collapsed to the floor, practically dragging himself out of Cheng Shiyin’s house.

Cheng Shiyin saw Lin Xin’s awkward state and smiled like a third-year senior: That’s Lin Xin, the world’s most easily flustered kid.

As Lin Xin closed the door behind him, Cheng Shiyin suddenly noticed a pair of forgotten sneakers in the entryway. They looked pitifully abandoned.

Looks like Lin Xin’s about to panic again, Cheng Shiyin thought.