The 5th Day

Ling Xie was concerned about the familiar name, but he was too exhausted to dwell on it. He decided to ask Chen Yi about it when he woke up. Falling asleep in Chen Yi's comfortable embrace, he drifted into a deep slumber, one so profound that his body's natural clock couldn't stir him.

Chen Yi woke up to find Ling Xie's ethereal face resting in his arms. The sun had yet to rise, but Ling Xie's face seemed to glow with a natural radiance. Chen Yi stared at him for what seemed like an eternity before leaning in to capture his tempting lips.

Ling Xie's eyes fluttered open, stirred by the sudden stimulation. His misty gaze landed on Chen Yi's bright eyes, which sparkled as they met his. Chen Yi pried his mouth open and deepened the kiss.

Ling Xie moaned involuntarily. It's too early for this! he grumbled inwardly.

They kissed for a long time, savoring each moment. When they pulled apart, a streak of saliva lingered between them. Ling Xie, now disordered, had completely forgotten his initial plan of questioning Chen Yi about the name "Coffee." His thoughts were consumed by Chen Yi's indecent tongue.

Chen Yi, satisfied with the chaos he'd caused, chuckled. "Good morning, Xie'er~" he said softly. Coffee is too sensitive. It's better to let him remember me slowly.

Ling Xie's face twisted in confusion. He tilted his head toward the window, noticing the lack of light that would normally signify morning. His gaze shifted to a clock in his peripheral vision, where he saw that it was 7:00 a.m. Still, his mind was a mess, and he couldn't understand why Chen Yi had woken him up so early.

Chen Yi laughed heartily. "We have school!" he said. In his heart, he screamed 'meng.' "Or do you want to skip?"

Ling Xie was suddenly enlightened. "Oh, um," he patted the hard wall that encased him, signaling Chen Yi to get up. "Let's go." He wasn't about to forget that finals were next week.

As always, when Chen Yi's stubbornness doesn't trigger, he was obedient, and they began getting ready for school. After a light, pleasant meal at Thousand Lotus Loft, they headed to school together.

They had just stepped out of Chen Yi's car when several students immediately fixed their eyes on their entwined hands. Before these sharp gazes could spark a heated discussion, the students looked up and were blinded by a brilliant light as if the god of the sun had graced the mortal realm.

Ling Xie was oblivious to this, but the glasses that had stuck to his face for so long were now gone. The culprit, Chen Yi, wore an innocent expression as he hid them. He wanted Ling Xie to get used to being without glasses. His heart had ached when he learned that Ling Xie hated his appearance with them on.

"Who is this goddess?!" A random student nearly fainted. Beside him, his friend was in no better shape—he was hyperventilating.

On the fourth floor, two pairs of eyes were fixed on the new couple entering the building. "Ey! This development is too fast!" Eun-tak pressed his forehead against the window to get a better view. But he was too far away, only able to see their silhouettes.

Young-Su watched with amusement. Really fast, he thought, giving his friend a thumbs-up inside.

When Chen Yi and Ling Xie's figures disappeared into the building, the students left behind were still rooted to their spots, frantically discussing what they had just witnessed.

"Who was that beside God Yi?!"

"A goddess?"

"That was a guy!"

"WHAT?!"

Those who had mistaken Ling Xie for a girl stood with their jaws hanging open. Their hearts shattered as they mourned their lost chance at love.

Ling Xie could feel his back tingling from all the stares. Something's wrong, he thought, frowning.

Chen Yi noticed Ling Xie's discomfort. He exuded a dangerous aura as he cast a sharp glare at the students around them. The poor students, who had no idea how they had offended him, turned pale, quickly parted to make way, and glued their eyes to the floor.

Ling Xie found this amusing and laughed. His laughter was melodious, and his curly hair bounced lightly with each sound. Those whose eyes weren't quick enough to look away ended up gawking in awe, their souls seem to have left their mortal shells.

Chen Yi was helpless in the face of his own actions. He dragged Ling Xie to his first class, leaving the stunned students to lament the chaos of their lives.

Even as they sat down in the back of the middle row, countless pairs of eyes were drawn to their beauty—especially Ling Xie's. To the "normal" students, it was his beauty that caught their attention. To those with more roguish thoughts, it was their linked hands that held their gaze, causing them to squeal secretly.

Chen Yi didn't leave when the class started. "Why are you still here?" Ling Xie leaned closer and whispered.

Chen Yi deflated like a balloon at the question. "You don't like me?"

Ling Xie's mouth twitched. "How did you come to that conclusion?" Doesn't he have his own class?

"So, Ling Xie likes me?" Chen Yi's eyes narrowed in happiness, perfectly masking the teasing gleam in them.

"U-um—" Like I said, how does he come to these conclusions?! Blood rushed to Ling Xie's face and ears as he quickly hid behind his hands.

Chen Yi grinned at the shy Ling Xie and petted his head.

A series of "kyaas," "awws," and giggles echoed through the classroom. Even the female professor couldn't help but join in on the fun.

The class quickly lost its momentum. Ling Xie and Chen Yi were too distracting. The female professor shamelessly glanced their way every now and then, clearly hoping for another juicy moment.

Ling Xie decided to skip the rest of his classes to avoid causing any more disruptions.

They headed to the club room to escape, where they found Young-Su and Eun-tak studying while other students were at the computers, too absorbed to notice their arrival.

Upon seeing them, Eun-tak abruptly stood up.

He hadn't seen Ling Xie's transformation from the fourth floor, but now that they were face to face, he was startled. This is Ling Xie? he thought. He could tell it was his friend, as everything else was the same, except for the missing glasses that now revealed his bare face. He was surprised.

Ling Xie, overwhelmed by Eun-tak's stare, flung his hands off Chen Yi and hid behind his back. Thinking that Eun-tak was probably surprised by their closeness, he felt embarrassed and avoided making eye contact with his friend.