Chapter 26: Unraveled Emotions

There is no way to get any clues from him now.
Yan Chuan thought for a moment; he could still go ask An Wen.
So, he simply thanked Shan Qi and planned to leave.
“Wait,” just as Yan Chuan turned around, someone called out to him, “You… came to see him?”
Shan Qi’s handsome and wild face showed a hint of unnaturalness, and his tone was a bit strange.
What was so appealing about Liang Xin that it warranted a special trip downstairs to see him?
Seeing him about to leave, in a moment of impulse, he blurted out this question.
Yet the beautiful lady only frowned slightly and asked him, “What’s wrong?”
As if she really did not understand.
Shan Qi looked at Yan Chuan with a puzzled yet calm expression… it was the same calm demeanor that made him feel a wave of annoyance.
Was he really that unresponsive?
Had he forgotten that they had kissed yesterday?
Shan Qi clearly remembered.
That was his first kiss.
In a dim, narrow, hidden bathroom, in a corner where no one knew. A beautiful, snow-white face leaned close, and he was given a gentle kiss.
The sensation was so soft, carrying a hint of fragrance, pressing against his face.
Even if the contact lasted only a few seconds, it was enough for Shan Qi to reminisce.
He remembered every detail of that kiss, including the delicate hands that wrapped around his neck, the slender calves that rested on his feet, and the glimpses of snow-white skin beneath the towel… Each scene played in his mind like a looping film.
Shan Qi even remembered the subtle touch of Yan Chuan’s eyelashes brushing against his face as he lowered his gaze.
It made him feel tinged with excitement, anticipation, and desire.
But he had been taken aback at the time, not allowing that kiss to continue.
He had suffered a loss without any experience.
After returning home, Shan Qi tossed and turned in bed, filled with regret.
He was extremely dissatisfied with his performance; how could he have been so daft? He didn’t even dare to move, like a fool, simply allowing Yan Chuan to come close and then leave without a second thought.
His face burned, and he didn’t know where to look, feeling completely at a loss.
Just such a kiss, which technically couldn’t even be called a kiss, had consumed his thoughts for such a long time, daydreaming incessantly.
Shan Qi felt too embarrassed to admit that he had had a hazy yet somewhat erotic dream last night.
In the dream, he recklessly chased after that sweet scent, with no pity whatsoever, only hearing the soft whimpers by his ear as he pulled the person back by the wrist.
Upon waking, he found himself drenched in sweat, the sheets unfit for sleeping, forcing him to awkwardly tidy up the room.
Looking at Yan Chuan’s puzzled expression, Shan Qi’s heart suddenly felt a bit bitter.
A kiss that barely counted could leave him so flustered, yet the other person seemed entirely unaffected.
His eyes reflected the beautiful face before him, slight and delicate, skin as white as snow, seemingly tender and ready to drip with water, yet his expression appeared exceptionally cold.
Or perhaps it was just cold towards him.
Thinking of Yan Chuan’s interaction with his tall husband the night before made Shan Qi feel a sense of suffocation.
Was the treatment of a wild man this poor?
Yan Chuan frowned at Shan Qi, who was blocking his way, and then showed a hurt expression.
His originally fierce countenance, with high cheekbones and deep-set eyes, now looked upset as he pursed his lips, staring intently at him.
Like an injured stray dog on the roadside, seeing a familiar human yet not receiving any acknowledgment.
Yan Chuan: ?
What on earth? Why was he comparing a man much taller than him to a wounded stray dog?
“Do you have something to say?” Yan Chuan pushed the strange metaphor aside. “Or is it… a task?”
He lowered his voice for the last two words, mindful.
Who would have thought this response made Shan Qi’s expression even worse, forcing out the words, “No…”
Then why block him from leaving?
As Yan Chuan studied Shan Qi’s increasingly bizarre demeanor, he decided to walk away when he finally heard Shan Qi speak.
“About yesterday…” His voice was almost through clenched teeth, laced with deep frustration, “Don’t you have anything to say?”
Yan Chuan: …
What should he say? Discuss the escape variety show task further?
[Laughing at myself]
[Getting kissed and spiraling like this—knowing what my wife and her deceased husband did last night, I could explode]
[Virgins, my wife didn’t do anything but is acting so impatient]
[Lover Number One: In love, there is no order of arrival; it is the unloved who are the third party]
What he wanted to say was, was Shan Qi speaking about a task? But yesterday should have met the criteria for evaluation.
His first task also showed a completion status.
Yan Chuan couldn’t understand, so he asked, “Did your task not get completed, or is there a new task?”
“But I don’t have time right now,” thinking that Shan Qi was still his partner, Yan Chuan carefully considered his tone, “Can we discuss it when I finish?”
Shan Qi’s expression visibly darkened.
He tightened his jaw, revealing a hint of defeat beneath his cold demeanor.
“It’s not about the task,” Shan Qi’s tone held a hint of acidity. “I want to know, what kind of task content can you accept?”
“Is it the same with anyone else?”
Including the “husband” from the script, displaying such a dependent expression, wearing his coat, hiding in his embrace, not wanting to separate for even a moment.
Did he like him that much?
And himself, was it only due to the identity obtained that he partnered with him?
Shan Qi felt a pang of bitterness.
Yan Chuan genuinely did not expect his single question to elicit such a long response from Shan Qi.
Of course, he did not accept just any content, especially since this was an escape variety show, not the sort of site known for lowbrow content. How could there be “everything” that Shan Qi mentioned?