When He Stops Looking at You

Teacher Wu stood at the doorway for the first time, head lowered, sinking into an unusually long silence.

He didn’t immediately agree, nor did he step aside to let Pei Qingyu enter.

“What’s wrong?” Teacher Xue asked, not thinking much of it.

“Teacher Wu, is something inconvenient?”

What inconvenience could he possibly have?

Wu Qie looked up and replied briefly, “No.”

From the start, Pei Qingyu had only been quietly watching the black-haired young man standing barefoot at the door.

Just because a crush stops being a crush doesn’t mean you leave someone sleeping in the corridor in early winter.

Wu Qie gave in.

He shifted slightly, about to move aside—

At that moment, the door next door opened.

Zhao Shu, hair still messy from sleeping without drying it, poked his head out mid-yawn.

“Why aren’t you all sleeping? What are you doing?”

Pei Qingyu raised an eyebrow.

In the dim backlight, Wu Qie seemed to hear a faint “tch” from him—

So soft it might’ve been imagined.

Zhao Shu appeared, and Teacher Xue patiently explained everything again, starting from the broken pipe.

The corridor suddenly became lively.

Especially when Zhao Shu heard Pei Qingyu would stay in Wu Qie’s room—

He let out a sharp, incredulous laugh.

He turned to look at Wu Qie.

But Wu Qie leaned against the doorframe, looking exhausted, yawning, clearly thinking:

Do whatever you want, just solve this quickly.

—Completely different from the “overjoyed” reaction Zhao Shu had imagined.

It was like being doused in cold water.

His objections died in his throat.

After a pause, he said casually,

“Are you all crazy? Isn’t Wu Qie’s room a single bed?
You want them to hug and sleep?”

His complete trust in Wu Qie’s earlier nonsense made Teacher Xiao Wu feel guilty.

Before he could explain—

Pei Qingyu had already pushed the door open.

Inside, two beds were clearly visible.

Zhao Shu fell silent.

He shot Wu Qie a look that said “We’ll settle this later,” then proposed,
“Then Pei Qingyu can stay with Wang Jiajia. I’ll move here.”

That suggestion wasn’t strange.

After all, publicly, Zhao Shu was Wu Qie’s fiancé.

Sharing a room was perfectly normal.

Teacher Xue looked at Wu Qie.

Wu Qie still looked indifferent.
“Do whatever.”

Zhao Shu raised his eyebrows in surprise.

He hadn’t expected that reaction.

Sometimes lowering expectations makes happiness easier—

For example, he never thought he’d ever be a 50-50 choice against Pei Qingyu.

…Wait.

Was this some kind of playing hard to get?

He hesitated.

Pei Qingyu, however, gave a faint, almost mocking laugh.

He clearly wasn’t pleased.

“What time is it?” he said calmly.

“Do we really wait for you to pack, call room service to change bedding, and still wake up at six?”

It was 3 AM.

There wasn’t much time left.

Teacher Xue chimed in, saying neutral things like, “They’re all men, and Teacher Wu is a Beta—nothing to worry about.”

Zhao Shu went back to his room, face dark.

Pei Qingyu entered with his suitcase.

The door closed.

Wu Qie immediately crawled back into bed, pulled the blanket over himself, and closed his eyes.

He could hear Pei Qingyu unpacking—

Moving carefully, placing things quietly.

As if afraid to disturb him.

—Still gentle and composed, just like always.

Wu Qie turned over, burying himself deeper into the blanket.

Only a few strands of black hair peeked out.

His phone lit up.

He frowned, grabbed it under the blanket, and checked—

Instant irritation.

[Shu: Happy now?]

1:30 AM.

[Wu Qie: My eyes haven’t opened since he came in.]

[Wu Qie: How many times are you going to ask this in different ways?]

[Wu Qie: I already said I don’t like him anymore.]

[Wu Qie: I’d rather break your pipes than his.]

[Wu Qie: Now shut up and sleep.]

He sent four messages in a row.

“Typing…” appeared for a long time.

Wu Qie, already half asleep, locked his phone.

…He wasn’t the one who had to wake up in two hours anyway.

He didn’t sleep well.

In his dream, he seemed trapped in a dark space.

Sticky, suffocating things wrapped around him.

He couldn’t move.

But he could hear breathing—

Right next to his ear.

He wanted to push it away, but couldn’t speak or open his eyes.

Despair crept in.

“Teacher Wu.”

The voice came again.

But he was still trapped—

Falling endlessly.

Suddenly—

He woke up.

Heart pounding.

Pei Qingyu was leaning over him, looking concerned.

Early morning.

Even a handsome face couldn’t stop the irritation.

“What?”

His voice was hoarse with sleep.

“Morning training,” Pei Qingyu said.

“You should at least come up the mountain once, right?”

He was right.

But Wu Qie wasn’t their coach.

Still, the polite tone made it impossible to refuse.

He got up, annoyed.

As he lifted his shirt—

He stopped.

“Something wrong?”

Pei Qingyu sat back.

“Are you troubled by me staying here?”

Yes. Completely.

Wu Qie thought.

But said flatly, “You didn’t break the pipe.”

Pei Qingyu smiled lightly.

“I’m troubled too. Please bear with it.”

Wu Qie froze.

For a moment, it felt like everything about him had been seen through.

That suffocating feeling returned.

He shut the bathroom door.

—But Pei Qingyu hadn’t denied it.

The thought lingered.

He shook it off under the hot water.

When he came out, Pei Qingyu was gone.

Wu Qie sighed in relief.

Living with someone unfamiliar was inconvenient.

Later, he noticed red marks on his neck.

“…Mosquitoes?”

At the mountain assembly point, teams gathered.

Wu Qie carried a crate of water, walking behind.

Duan Bairui approached him—but suddenly stopped, staring.

“Teacher… you smell like pheromones.”

Wu Qie froze.

Soon, someone mentioned Pei Qingyu staying in his room.

Duan Bairui understood.

Then eagerly explained how Pei Qingyu had helped him before.

Wu Qie listened.

“Oh. Love at first scent,” he thought.

At the top of the mountain, Wu Qie instantly became the center of attention.

People gathered around him.

He handed out water calmly.

As he moved, the red marks on his neck occasionally showed.

Five meters away, Pei Qingyu accepted breakfast from Duan Bairui.

Then—

His gaze landed on Wu Qie.

Wu Qie glanced back.

Then looked away.

Pei Qingyu let out a soft laugh.

Not warm.

Something else.

Then he lowered his head, calmly opening his sandwich.

“Nothing. Thank you for breakfast.”

When someone who once looked only at you…stops looking at you.