SBAB Chapter 25

Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin were just a wall away from Wu Lian, completely oblivious to the outside conversation about his shocking identity as the son of the school’s chairman. Lin Xin also had no idea about the incredible news that classes were canceled for the next day. However, neither revelation would have mattered much to Cheng Shiyin, a carefree junior from another university. Skipping a day or two of classes was no big deal to her.

The real reason these two were so out of the loop was that they were even louder and more chaotic than the group outside.

After pulling the villa door shut behind them, Lin Xin had hoped to escape his friends’ teasing and finally relax. But Cheng Shiyin became far more persistent than he had imagined. She gave him no chance to recover, relentlessly insisting that he take off his wet shirt.

In a panic, Lin Xin resorted to using the massive coffee table in the living room as a makeshift barrier, running circles around it at high speed to avoid Cheng Shiyin’s pursuit. She, in turn, chased him just as tirelessly, creating a scene straight out of a slapstick comedy.

After several laps, Cheng Shiyin suddenly stopped, spun 180 degrees to face Lin Xin, and spread her arms wide as he charged.

For a brief moment, Lin Xin found himself marveling at her beauty, completely missing the fact that he was falling right into her trap. By the time he realized they were face-to-face, it was too late—he was securely wrapped in her embrace. His not-so-quick brain finally started to question, Wait, how are we facing each other?

Cheng Shiyin had planned to use her arms to hold Lin Xin in place. However, she underestimated his speed and the momentum he had built up from running. The result? Instead of falling to the floor, they both crashed onto the couch.

“Ha… ha…” Both of them lay sprawled on the sofa, exhausted and breathless, even more drained than after escaping Gu Nian’s fans together during their last adventure.

As Lin Xin felt the softness of Cheng Shiyin’s body against his own, he suddenly became hyperaware of their position. If they continued lying like this, they’d be pressed tightly together. If he could feel her, she could certainly feel him.

It wasn’t that Lin Xin didn’t want to enjoy the moment—it was that he couldn’t. As someone in the precarious throes of adolescence, any physical intimacy could lead to consequences he wasn’t ready to face.

The moment he regained some strength, Lin Xin propped himself up on his arms, creating a right-angled triangle of distance between their torsos. Yet as soon as he executed this move, he realized his actions might seem even more inappropriate.

Cheng Shiyin, still recovering from the exertion, lay limp on the couch, gasping for air, her cheeks flushed. Meanwhile, Lin Xin, now fully upright and seated on her waist, looked down at her from above.

This angle… it’s way too suggestive.

Shaking his head furiously to dispel any inappropriate thoughts, Lin Xin prepared to climb off of her. But then, he caught sight of the faint smirk on Cheng Shiyin’s lips, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Before Lin Xin could make sense of her expression, the white tablecloth he’d been using as his last line of defense slipped away.

Ah! That smirk was because she secretly pulled it away!

Realizing Cheng Shiyin’s playful antics, Lin Xin’s earlier embarrassment gave way to a new impression: She’s so… adorable. A mental image of her surrounded by little pink hearts popped into his mind.

Just as Lin Xin began to relax, Cheng Shiyin uttered a single word that plunged him back into chaos:

“Take it off.”

Her commanding tone left no room for negotiation.

Instinctively, Lin Xin’s hands crossed over the hem of his shirt, slowly lifting it to reveal his toned waistline. It was as if he had been hypnotized, completely unaware of what he was doing. Only when Cheng Shiyin reached out to help him did the touch of her fingertips jolt him back to reality. Panicking, he rolled off the couch, grabbed the discarded tablecloth, and wrapped himself tightly in it once more.

And just like that, they were back to square one.

Frustrated by Lin Xin’s stubbornness, Cheng Shiyin’s playful demeanor vanished. She snapped, “Take off that shirt! Are you trying to catch a cold on purpose?!”

Lin Xin looked up at her towering over him, her voice full of exasperation, and shook his head innocently. He certainly didn’t want to get sick, but he felt cornered, with no viable solution.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he came up with an excuse. “If I take it off, what am I supposed to wear? Going bare-chested would make me even more likely to catch a cold.”

“Oh?” Cheng Shiyin raised an eyebrow, walking over to the door. She picked up a bag from the floor and placed it on the coffee table.

Lin Xin watched her rummage through the bulging bag and suddenly remembered: when they had escaped the water park, he’d stuffed it with spare clothes belonging to Gu Nian and Ying Lun.

After some deliberation, Cheng Shiyin bypassed Ying Lun’s eye-searing pink polo shirt and handed Lin Xin a plain white button-up shirt that belonged to Gu Nian.

As Lin Xin accepted the shirt, an overwhelming sense of guilt washed over him. He realized this wasn’t just any shirt—it was one of Gu Nian’s favorites, as evidenced by the small embroidered black seagull on the cuff. It might even have been a gift from Cheng Shiyin to Gu Nian for a special occasion.

In the end, Lin Xin didn’t say a word, clutching the clothes in his arms as he bolted upstairs.

Cheng Shiyin, determined not to let him waste more time, followed after him. The longer Lin Xin stayed in wet clothes, the greater the chance he’d catch a cold. If he refused to change in front of her, then she’d leave him be. But as Lin Xin reached the stairs, Cheng Shiyin grabbed his arm and started walking toward the second floor herself.

Halfway up the staircase, she suddenly remembered to remind Lin Xin to dry himself off before changing clothes. Turning her head, she was met with an unexpected sight: Lin Xin had already taken off his shirt entirely, revealing a lean, angular back she had never seen before.

Unlike her own back—or that of any woman, for that matter—Lin Xin’s lacked the soft, curving lines of an S-shape. There was no hint of roundness or delicacy. His shoulder blades jutted out sharply, and his frame was covered with just a thin layer of skin, reminiscent of a teenage boy who had thinned out suddenly during a growth spurt.

From the moment Lin Xin began transitioning into manhood, his body had been undergoing countless subtle changes, his back being one of them.

Cheng Shiyin, unaware of the significance, stared a little longer than she intended, curious about how it differed from what she had imagined.

Not bad, she thought.

Pretending nothing had happened, Cheng Shiyin continued up the stairs. Just as she reached the second floor, Lin Xin called out, “You can come back down now!”

“Okay!” she shouted back in her usual loud, boisterous tone.

Descending the stairs, Cheng Shiyin couldn’t help but notice how Lin Xin looked from above. From her perspective, it appeared as though he was wearing nothing but an oversized white shirt, his long, bare legs peeking out from underneath. The sight was surprisingly eye-catching. Although Lin Xin wasn’t her boyfriend, the shirt—a boyfriend-style button-up—looked even better on him than it did on Gu Nian.

Reaching the bottom, Cheng Shiyin walked up behind Lin Xin, pulled the hair tie from his ponytail, and tousled his hair playfully. Spinning him around, she cupped his bewildered face in her hands and teased, “How is it that such a pretty girl doesn’t have any boys chasing after her?”

Lin Xin let out an awkward laugh, clearly avoiding the question.

He quickly changed the topic. “How about we head outside? They’re probably waiting for us.” With that, he dashed to the door and pushed it open, only to be greeted by an eerie emptiness.

Outside, there was nothing but desolation. Their roommates, Wu Lian, even the furniture—everything was gone. Only the small cabin in the woods remained, along with Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin.

A gust of wind rustled through the fallen leaves on the ground, brushing against their skin with an unexpected chill for summer.

Surveying the surreal scene, Lin Xin pulled his phone from his pocket, opened his social media app, and typed:
“So, are you here to take her away, Demon King?”

Of course, no one replied to Lin Xin’s melodramatic post—not even Cheng Shiyin, who peeked over his shoulder to read it.

They waited for some time, but the so-called Demon King never showed up. Instead, a strange signal lit up in the sky, reminiscent of a gang’s summon flare in an old martial arts movie.

Chasing after the fireworks, Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin eventually stumbled upon their missing companions. To their surprise, the group had set up a barbecue party. Nearby stood a neatly dressed chef expertly slicing beef.

Seeing the group crouched around the chef with rapt attention, Lin Xin immediately realized what had happened—they’d been distracted by the allure of freshly cut beef. After all, aside from He Xiangtong, which of their dormmates had the appetite for seconds? Even Wu Lian might struggle to eat that much.

But despite having just finished a buffet earlier, Lin Xin’s stomach betrayed him, growling loudly at the sizzling sound of beef on the grill.

Hearing the rumble, He Xiangtong leaped to her feet and challenged him. “If you’re so hungry, let’s settle this with a contest!”

What?

Are you a Pokémon trainer or something?

And so, with the enthusiastic support of their already-full friends—and the generous sponsorship of Wu Lian—the First Annual Wu Lian Barbecue Eating Championship officially began!