CHAPTER 91: YU XI’S DANCE

AN: So sorry for the delay. I was exhausted yesterday and forgot to edit. I hope you like the Chapters. See you in the comments.

Yu Xi’s movements were slower, blurred by intoxication, yet there was something entrancing in them. His arms traced arcs through the air, his steps soft against the floor, his body swaying with the melody as though he were tethered to it. His aura shimmered faintly, responding to the rhythm, as if the song itself had awakened something buried deep within him.

The door opened quietly. Jian Ci stepped inside and froze, his breath catching. Yu Xi moved with a strange, fragile beauty, his tall frame bending into the dance, his expression lost in memory. The music carried him, and for a moment he seemed untouchable—caught between past and present, between grief and grace.

Jian Ci’s eyes softened. He admired the way Yu Xi’s movements spoke without words, how even in his drunken haze there was elegance, a quiet power. He didn’t interrupt. He simply stood there, letting the melody and Yu Xi’s dance fill the room, knowing he was witnessing something rare, a glimpse of Yu Xi hidden beneath layers of restraint.

Suddenly, Yu Xi felt dizzy. He stumbled, bumping into the desk with a dull thud. Jian Ci rushed forward, steadying him with firm hands. "Careful," he murmured.

Yu Xi sat on the desk, cheeks flushed, and smiled faintly. "Gege," he said, the word slipping out with startling confidence.

Jian Ci blinked, his lips parting, utterly speechless. "..." His silence carried more weight than words, his heart thundering at the sound of that single word.

Jian Ci had been teasing Yu Xi earlier, never expecting that the drunk Yu Xi would call him Gege so confidently with no resistance. The word slipped out with a smile, Yu Xi’s gaze steady and warm. Jian Ci’s lips curved, his voice low and patient as he answered, "Hmm."

Yu Xi leaned his head against Jian Ci’s shoulder, the weight of his body heavy but comforting. Jian Ci patted his back gently. "Get up, don’t sleep yet. Drink this." He lifted Yu Xi’s head, twisted the cap off a bottle, and pressed it into his hands.

Yu Xi drank obediently, the liquid cooling his throat. When he finished, Jian Ci asked softly, "Do you want to go to bed?"

Yu Xi nodded, his movements sluggish. Jian Ci wrapped his arms around him, steadying his frame, and carried him toward the bed. He laid him down carefully, tucking the sheets around him with a tenderness that betrayed his usual playful demeanor. "Good night," Jian Ci whispered.

Just as he turned to leave, Yu Xi’s hand shot out, grabbing his wrist. "Gege... stay."

Jian Ci froze, his heart thudding. "..." After being called that, how could he refuse? He had slept over countless times before, so it felt natural. He tugged off his T-shirt, the fabric falling to the floor, and said with a grin, "Move over."

Yu Xi rolled to the side, making space. Jian Ci slid in beside him, lying down with a quiet smile.

He shuffled his head against the pillow until he found a comfortable spot, his gaze lingering on the back of Yu Xi’s head. The quiet rise and fall of Yu Xi’s breathing was steady, soothing. "Little Xi, you should dance more," Jian Ci murmured softly.

Yu Xi, already half-asleep, gave a faint response. "Mm."

Jian Ci smiled, his voice gentle. "Good night." He didn’t even bother with his usual routine of taking another shower before bed. Instead, he let himself drift off beside Yu Xi, the warmth of his presence enough to ease him into relaxation. He smiled happily, taking a deep breath, feeling his entire body loosen as if the day’s weight had been lifted.

***

Now that Yu Xi was going to Imperial Academy with him, Jian Ci’s excitement about school had doubled. The thought of sharing that new Chapter together filled him with anticipation. Later, as he was picking clothes to pack, Jian Rui walked in and immediately noticed the heap on his bed. "Finally, you are moving out," Jian Rui said dryly.

Jian Ci: "..." He frowned. "No, I am not."

Jian Rui chuckled. "Then why are you packing your entire closet? At the academy, ninety-five percent of the time you will be in uniform."

"What about when I want to go out with my friends for an outing?" Jian Ci countered.

"Three pairs of clothes max. Do you hear me? And you need a damn haircut," Jian Rui said firmly before leaving.

Jian Ci stood before the mirror, tugging at his hair with mild annoyance. It had grown longer than he liked, brushing against his ear, and he had to pin it back to keep it neat. His bed was a battlefield of clothes, jackets, shirts, trousers, all piled high as he tried to decide what to take with him to the academy. He struggled, unable to settle on anything, and finally thought of asking Yu Xi for help.

But Yu Xi wasn’t in his room. Jian Ci glanced out the window and spotted him outside, running across the estate with effortless grace. By the time Jian Ci went to find him, Yu Xi was already coming back inside. Downstairs, Jian Rui was speaking to him, his tone matter-of-fact. "Since you are the top student of this year, you get to choose your own dorm."

Yu Xi tilted his head. "Will I be sharing?"

"No," Jian Rui replied. "Those are the perks."

Jian Ci immediately jumped in, his voice bright. "Choose a two-person room and we can be roommates."

Yu Xi: "..."

Seraphyne, who had been nearby, interjected. "You already have your own room. Why do you want a roommate?"

"Why not?" Jian Ci countered. "We can take care of each other. It will be so lonely otherwise."

Yu Xi’s brow arched. Being roommates with Jian Ci would expose him far too much. "Nope," he said firmly.

Jian Rui and Jian Ci both froze. It was the first time they had ever heard Yu Xi say no to Jian Ci. The word felt foreign, heavy in the air.

Jian Ci, though taken aback, exhaled slowly. He knew he was a mature young adult now, and he should let it go. Yu Xi didn’t want to be roommates, and that was okay.

Well, that’s what should have happened, but what really happened was far more persistent.

Day one, Jian Ci leaned against the kitchen counter with a grin, listing reasons as though he were presenting a case in court. "We could take care of each other, study together, do assignments side by side. It will be easier when we are roommates."

Yu Xi didn’t even look up from the screen. "We can still do all that without being roommates."

Jian Rui and Jian Wei exchanged a glance, both unimpressed. "..." Jian Rui finally said, "Give it up."

Day two, Jian Ci arrived with a triumphant smile, holding matching sets of personal care items—soap, shampoo, even toothbrushes. "We can be twins. We use the same things anyway, right?"

Yu Xi blinked, expression flat. "..."

Jian Wei groaned. "Tell me you didn’t really think that would work."