Chapter 35: Be There For Him.

After their chaotic dinner,the three friends walked over to their little PlayStation to play games together. Gu Shan and Li Yunxi settled on the two gaming chairs planning to compete.

"Guys I'll be back in a jiffy,"Liu Daxun excused himself.

Li Yunxi found it a perfect opportunity to play a little naughty game before their audience came back. Gu Shan was looking at the computer not batting an eye. Even when Li Yunxi cleared his throat to attract his attention,he still remained unbothered. Li Yunxi finally stretched out his hand and squeezed Gu Shan's thigh that was now covered by a silk pajamas.

"What are you doing?" Gu Shan yelled slapping Li Yunxi's hand away.

"Guys I'm back,"Liu Daxun announced not noticing the tension between the two.

"I'm going to do the dishes,"Gu Shan declared getting up from his seat.

"Why? Aren't you playing anymore?"

"I'm not in the mood anymore,"He replied sounding annoyed and walked to the kitchen.

"What happened?"Liu Daxun inquired curiously.

"I don't know. Maybe he doesn't like me around." Li Yunxi was aware of the real reason why Gu Shan left. He was responsible for it. Gu Shan was angry with him for risking to get intimate everytime and considering he almost got caught because of the swollen lips ,he was frustrated enough for the day.

*****

Elsewhere,Xiao Hui was having his little date at a lady's apartment. It was the new hot barmaid Yu Xin. Apparently they had been crushing on each other since Yu Xin started working there. At first ,many of the male bartenders made a move on her but she was only interested in Xiao Hui. Xiao Hui had been watching her secretly for sometime, keeping his feelings to himself but a few weeks ago they started talking when they were working in the same shift. That night they flirted while working and things got serious and they started going out on dates.

"You don't look like someone who would date ,"Xiao Hui said immediately Yu Xin came back from the bathroom after changing into her night attire.

"Why do you think so?"

"I mean you're hot , beautiful,flirty and so on. So it looks like settling with one man is a waste of your beauty,"he elucidated.

"Why do I feel you're saying I look like a slut?" She questioned with a sly smile.

"No I didn't...mean ...that...I,"Xiao Hui stuttered incoherently, unable to defend himself.

"Look at you now in a stuttering mess. I know I look and behave like a slut but I'm actually not. I don't like putting on the good girl demeanour because I'm not a good girl either. I can at least say I'm an ethical person."

"Looks like it."

"What?"

"Otherwise you wouldn't change your clothes in the bathroom,"he said and chuckled afterwards.

"Did you want me to change in front of you?"She asked her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"No. I will see your beautiful body when the right time comes,"he concluded.

"Let's sleep. You take the right side I'll take the left,"She instructed.

The two of them got on her bed and slipped under the quilt. They slept each facing away from each other but their bodies were still in contact.

*****

After their three hour lecture,Li Yunxi was summoned to the lecturer's office. There the lecturer sat on his leather inarmchair with a solemn expression on his face. Li Yunxi wasn't one to get all tensed up because of school and its related things but he was still curious why he got summoned. Just then the door behind him clicked open and another student walked in - Ma Chao,a student from his medicine class.

"Professor Luo,"Ma Chao bowed perfunctorily.

"Ma Chao, you're here,"Professor Luo acknowledged lazily.

Something was common between the two students. They were the brightest students in their year of study.

"I called you two here because of something serious that happened. You two are very smart and your treatises have always been the best especially you Yunxi,"he paused looking at Li Yunxi,"I'm sure you both will make good doctors in the future. But yesterday someone stole your treatises from my office and as you know they're no cameras here so we can't find the culprit. So I'm instructing you to rewrite the essays and submit them to me before Friday. The schedule is tight so you have to sacrifice yourselves for your future meanwhile I will consult the technology department and see if they can install cameras in my office and I'll have to check the door's lock. Now go back and start writing them because you have only two days."

As the two students walked out of the office,Li Yunxi felt like someone had placed a huge load on his shoulders that kept pressing him down threatening to crush him down. It was a sixteen pages essay that he spent several hours working on. He had other assignments to tackle,work at the club and still complete the essay in two days. He had never felt so much despair in his life.

"Yunxi,are you alright?" Ma Chao asked in a concerned voice.

That's when Li Yunxi noticed his fingers had clenched into fists and his knuckles were turning white.

"Yes ,"Li Yunxi said relaxing his facial muscles.

"The one who stole them must have been jealous of us and wants to punish us but we can still manage. Don't give up ,okay?" Ma Chao said comfortingly.

Li Yunxi nodded in agreement,"I gotta go, I'll see you later."

"Okay fighting!"Ma Chao encouraged raising his softly fisted hand.

*****

"What did Professor Luo want?" Xiao Hui asked curiously noticing his friend's foul mood.

Li Yunxi explained everything that they were informed at the office and Xiao Hui couldn't help but curse at the culprit. He knew how hard Li Yunxi worked on his studies especially his essays. He would spend hours writing them and refining them to perfection. Surprisingly,Li Yunxi didn't google much for his essays. Most of the essays were based on his own innate knowledge but still his essays were the best capturing both biological and medical essence.

When they reached home after the lecture, Yunxi immediately started working on the essays. In the evening he left for the club and worked as usual. But it wasn't the essay that stressed him much it was the fact that Gu Shan hadn't talked to him since the previous night. He tried texting him but his texts were neither read nor answered. He apologized for his behaviour and promised to act only with the boy's consent.

*****

The following day,Li Yunxi had lectures taking up most of his day time. In the evening he didn't have a shift at the club so he chose to work on his essay.

"I'm going out. I'll be back later. Will you manage on your own?"

"Yes,"Li Yunxi confirmed,"Are you going to see Yu Xin?"

"How do you know?"Xiao Hui was surprised.

"I've seen the way you look at each other at the club."

"You're really observant,"Xiao Hui chuckled awkwardly,"I'll see you later then." With that,Li Yunxi was left alone in his apartment.

For the next four hours he worked on the essay. He only went on a few breaks and had a bowl of noodles for dinner. His muscles were tense from relentless writing and all needed was a good rest.

A knock at the door was what distracted him while he wrote his conclusion. He went to open the door for the guest who happened to be Gu Shan. To his surprise,Gu Shan jumped into his arms hugging him tightly. To return the gesture,he only wrapped his hands awkwardly around Gu Shan's slim back.

"Are you working on your essay?"Gu Shan asked.

"How do you know that?"

"We met up with Hui-ge at the food stall during lunch and he told us about how your essay got stolen. Is Hui-ge around?"

"No you can come in,"Li Yunxi ushered him in politely.

They walked to his bedroom where Gu Shan settled on his bed while Li Yunxi continued writing.

"I'm just writing the conclusion you can talk if you want,"Li Yunxi broke the awkward silence between them.

Gu Shan was there in accordance to his plan. He was there to feed off Li Yunxi's misfortune by pretending to be there for him during his hard times. It was the only way to convince Li Yunxi that he cared for him and was ready to dive through hard times beside him.

So Gu Shan got up from his bed and stood behind Li Yunxi's rocking chair. His soft hands reached for Li Yunxi's tensed shoulders and began kneading them. Li Yunxi dropped his pen and closed his eyes leaning into the touch.

"Today you can make those sounds you made last time I massaged you. You don't have to hold back,"Gu Shan encouraged him. His face looked so innocent but the meaning behind those words was undeniably dirty.

"What sounds?"Li Yunxi asked pretending to be clueless.