The Allure of the Green Tea and a Dormitory Dilemma

Si Xi had truly exhausted himself last night, overwhelmed by a potent blend of fatigue and drowsiness, yearning to succumb to unconsciousness the very next second.

Yet, as he watched the man discard the bath towel from his waist, bending to retrieve his clothes from the floor, Si Xi’s eyes involuntarily widened.

No wonder he had felt such a potent foreign sensation; even in slumber, the ‘sleeping dragon’ proved to be remarkably imposing.

From this vantage, Jing Chen’s physique was nothing short of perfection, his lines fluid, symmetrical, and aesthetically pleasing, akin to a meticulously sculpted statue.

Moreover, Jing Chen exuded an inherent air of aristocratic grace, a reserved detachment that, when he was silent, naturally carried a captivating and formidable presence.

The tenderness he displayed in bed became particularly alluring, making it seem as though Si Xi was the sole person capable of eliciting such gentle treatment from him.

It was fortunate that school was about to start, preventing them from seeing each other daily; otherwise, this man would surely ensnare both his body and his heart.

‘Ah, the beauty of a man’s allure, how utterly captivating.’

Si Xi audibly swallowed.

Jing Chen, hearing the sound, turned his head and, seeing Si Xi staring intently, asked, “Did I wake you?”

“Yes, your captivating beauty startled my eyes awake.”

“…”

Si Xi’s face was alight with undisguised desire, a sight that brought a smile to Jing Chen’s lips.

‘He wondered who it was that had cried and begged for mercy last night.’

He walked over, gently placed a hand over Si Xi’s eyes, and said, “It’s still early, go back to sleep.”

Si Xi was indeed profoundly tired; he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep within moments.

****

Jing Chen’s early rising was not due to urgent company matters, but rather a need to return home.

He was driving Si Xi’s car, and the outer gate’s system did not recognize its license plate.

The security guard unceremoniously waved him off, indicating that entry was prohibited.

Jing Chen lowered the window. Upon seeing his face, the security guard’s eyes widened in disbelief, and after a moment of shock, he offered a respectful smile.

“Patriarch, my apologies, I didn’t realize it was you. Please, come in, come in.”

He quickly pressed the button to open the gate, allowing Jing Chen to enter.

Before rolling up the window, Jing Chen instructed, “Register this vehicle for entry and exit privileges.”

“Ah? Oh, oh, yes, of course.”

The security guard watched Jing Chen’s car depart, taking a good while to recover from his astonishment.

It wasn’t unusual for the Patriarch to drive an unfamiliar car; wealthy individuals bought cars as casually as common folk bought cabbage, especially since this was merely a Panamera.

However, this car was adorned with a garish ‘forgiveness green’ wrap, seemingly freshly applied, gleaming untainted by dust, and shining blindingly green under the morning sun—utterly lacking in decorum.

It was well-known that the Patriarch’s previous vehicles had always been in their original black, perfectly suiting his reserved and mature demeanor.

‘Where did such… such an audacious color come from?’

Jing Chen parked the car in the courtyard. Upon seeing him alight, the butler’s pupils constricted momentarily, and he even unsteadily rubbed his eyes.

Their reactions were observed by Jing Chen, who felt a slight twitch at his temple.

‘Just two days ago, this car had a vibrant sky-blue wrap; yesterday, it had transformed into this lurid green. He wondered what had provoked Si Xi.’

The butler, possessing excellent professional composure, quickly regained his calm and inquired, “Patriarch, will you be having breakfast? I assumed you would go directly to the office, so I didn’t have the kitchen prepare anything. If you’re in a hurry, I can order delivery.”

Jing Chen strode into the house and replied, “Prepare it now. I’ll be working out for an hour.”

“Understood.”

The butler hurried to instruct the kitchen. He had initially assumed that the Patriarch’s return at this hour meant he wouldn’t be going to the office that morning, or that he had other matters to attend to.

However, after Jing Chen completed his hour-long workout, showered in his room, and changed into a suit and tie, it became clear he was still heading to work.

‘So, the Patriarch’s special trip home was actually just to… work out?’

While the Patriarch did exercise, it wasn’t a daily routine, and in a situation like this, he would typically go straight to the office. Such a round trip, in his own words, was an utterly pointless waste of time.

The butler, less reserved around him, asked out of curiosity.

“Patriarch, why did you specifically rush back to exercise? Was there an issue with your health check-up from two days ago?”

Jing Chen’s hand paused mid-breakfast, and then he coldly uttered two words: “Nosy.”

Accustomed to his lofty position, he was always the one being flattered by others.

Therefore, deep down, he would never admit that this was due to a certain ‘little one’ constantly fawning over his physique, fearing that his abs might disappear without diligent effort, leading to the ‘little one’s’ disdain.

The butler: “…”

‘Though scolded, the Patriarch’s lips were clearly curving upwards.’

‘He hadn’t seen the Patriarch this happy in a long time (not really).’

****

Si Xi’s second nap didn’t last long; school was starting tomorrow, and he needed to register today.

Upon arriving at the dormitory, he happened to encounter his roommate Guo Hao, who was coming out to dispose of trash. Seeing Si Xi enter with a suitcase, Guo Hao was startled.

“Brother Xi, what are you doing here? Didn’t you say you were renting a place off-campus this semester?”

Originally, Si Xi and Shao Xun were to marry, and Si Xi had applied for off-campus housing in his third year. Their marital home had been purchased just a fifteen-minute drive from the school, making it convenient for the couple to live together after marriage.

Now that the engagement was off, the marital home was no longer an option.

Si Xi wanted to rent another place to facilitate the intimate activities with Jing Chen.

He intended to rent a well-appointed two- or three-bedroom apartment; nothing less, he felt, would be suitable for Jing Chen.

However, upon his initial search on rental websites, he hadn’t found any satisfactory listings. The agent explained that it was the start of the school year, making available properties scarce, and while single rooms were plentiful around the university, two- or three-bedroom apartments were difficult to rent.

Si Xi, being someone who preferred to have nothing rather than settle for less, asked the agent to keep an eye out for him, intending to stay in the dorms for a while.

His classmates were unaware of his engagement to Shao Xun, so he simply told them he was renting a place off-campus.

“The landlord suddenly decided not to rent anymore, and I couldn’t find another place immediately, so I’m staying here for a bit.”

Si Xi noticed Guo Hao’s strange expression, and slung an arm over his shoulder: “What, you don’t welcome me, kid?”

“Of course not, it’s just, well…”

Guo Hao scratched his head and said, “Uh, the counselor thought you weren’t staying, so they arranged for another student to move in. The new student has already taken your bed.”

‘So that’s how it is.’

Their dorm originally housed only three students, so it was perfectly normal for the school to arrange for someone else to move in after he moved out.

Si Xi asked, “Has the other empty bed also been taken?”

“No, not that one. If you want to stay, Brother Xi, we’ll help you clean it up.”

Their dorm had an unoccupied bed, but it was cluttered with various odds and ends, making it difficult to clear.

Moving things around and throwing things away would be quite a chore.

After Guo Hao disposed of the trash, he returned with their other roommate, Xiao Nan, to help clean up.

Si Xi, being a pampered young master unaccustomed to manual labor, and having engaged in strenuous, back-straining activities the day before yesterday and yesterday, quickly found himself with an aching back and trembling legs after just a short while of tidying.

As they were diligently cleaning, voices drifted from the doorway.

“We’re finally here. It’s so heavy.”

“I told you I’d carry it, but you insisted on being strong. Look, your hands are all red.”

“It’s fine, I just didn’t want you to work too hard.”

One of the voices sounded quite familiar.

Si Xi wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, looked up, and saw Shao Xun entering the dorm with several bags.

Their eyes met, and the air seemed to suddenly freeze.

Si Xi indifferently averted his gaze, cursing inwardly.

‘Shao Xun had already graduated, so this new roommate was… Wang Yang, trailing behind him.’

‘Alright, alright, so this is how the drama unfolds, is it?’

The other two roommates had clearly already met them.

Unaware of the strange tension among the three, they enthusiastically made introductions.

“You’re back with your shopping! This is Si Xi, our other roommate. Brother Xi, this is our new roommate Wang Yang, and this is his brother.”

Since Si Xi didn’t want his relationship with Shao Xun to become dorm gossip, Shao Xun had never visited him at Yan University, and his classmates were unaware of their past involvement.

Si Xi gave Wang Yang an indifferent nod, considering it a greeting.

Wang Yang had never met Si Xi, but the affair between Shao Xun and Si Xi was common knowledge, and he had, out of curiosity, seen Si Xi’s photos.

When he saw the photos, Wang Yang had only thought the man incredibly vain, editing himself beyond recognition. ‘He’s a man, not a celebrity, why make himself so pretty?’

Yet, upon seeing Si Xi in person, he realized the photos hadn’t been edited at all; in fact, they had made Si Xi look less attractive.

The real Si Xi was even more stunning.

Wang Yang had always been quite confident in his own appearance, but seeing Si Xi now, an unexpected sense of inferiority welled up within him.

It turned out that someone could genuinely be so breathtakingly beautiful, completely surpassing the realm of ordinary people, like a celestial beauty stepping out of a painting, an object of human fantasy.

But then he remembered that his looks were inferior to Si Xi’s, his family background was humbler, and even for Yan University, his initial grades had been too low to gain admission.

His current admission was thanks to three years of studying abroad, allowing him to speak fluent English, and then leveraging connections to barely get into the foreign languages department.

Yet, despite being inferior to Si Xi in every aspect, he had captured Shao Xun’s heart and become his ‘white moonlight’.

‘What good was Si Xi’s beauty if he was still dumped by Shao Xun and mocked by the elite circles of Yanjing?’

Thinking this, a sense of superiority swelled within Wang Yang.

Of course, he did not outwardly display this superiority.

With a look of feigned helplessness, he said, “I’m sorry, I thought you had moved out, which is why I took your original bed.”

Si Xi couldn’t even be bothered to roll his eyes.

Wang Yang continued, “If you mind, I’ll pack up my things right now and switch with you.”

Si Xi paused his work.

‘He likes to put on an act, does he?’

“Alright then, I actually quite like that bed. Since you’re so sincere, I won’t stand on ceremony.”

Wang Yang: “…”

Wang Yang hadn’t expected him to actually agree, and bit his lip.

‘He was just saying it.’

His bed was already made, the computer desk underneath neatly organized, and this spot by the window offered ample light and fresh air. The unoccupied bed, however, was closer to the bathroom, not only damp but also prone to odors if the toilet wasn’t perfectly clean.

He had assumed that someone as strong-willed and straightforward as Si Xi, who couldn’t even accept a contractual marriage with Shao Xun, certainly wouldn’t accept him giving up the bed.

Who knew he would just agree?

Si Xi didn’t give him a chance to regret it. He walked up to Wang Yang and handed him a dirty rag.

“Here, you can wipe down the table yourself. I’m going to throw out the trash.”

“…”

Wang Yang was caught between a rock and a hard place, hoping Shao Xun would step in and say something to give him an out.

But when he turned, he saw Shao Xun standing there with downcast eyes, looking utterly lost.

Wang Yang slowly took the rag, his mind still racing for a way to back out, while Si Xi had already picked up the large bag of freshly collected trash.

“Can you carry that? Leave it, I’ll take it later,” Guo Hao offered.

Si Xi lifted the bag: “It’s fine. Trash needs to be thrown out promptly, lest it get in the way and become an eyesore.”

Shao Xun, who had remained silent: “…”

‘Why did he feel like he was being subtly targeted?’

The bag of trash was heavy. Si Xi exerted considerable effort to drag it next to the trash can, then leaned on his knees to rest for a moment before opening the lid, preparing to toss the garbage in.

Just as his hand touched the bag, another hand reached out, lifted the trash, and tossed it directly into the bin.

“Tha—”

Before Si Xi could utter the second syllable of “thanks,” he looked up to see that the person helping was Shao Xun, and he immediately felt a profound sense of ill omen.

He turned and walked away, eager to avoid any further bad luck.

“Wait.” Shao Xun blocked his path.

“Xiao Shi, I came to apologize to you.”

Si Xi was utterly exasperated by such exes.

‘Couldn’t they just stay put like they were dead after a breakup?’

He said mercilessly, “We are now strangers, completely unrelated. You have no apology to offer me.”

“Yes, I do. I truly didn’t know that Yang Yang was assigned your bed. It wasn’t intentional, nor did I mean to upset you.”

Shao Xun, seeing Si Xi today, was utterly dumbfounded, having no idea such a coincidence could occur.

He worried Si Xi might think he intentionally meant to provoke him, and since Si Xi had blocked him on WeChat, he seized this opportunity to explain.

He knew that ever since their engagement, Si Xi had poured his entire heart into their relationship, his world revolving around Shao Xun. Even with the engagement called off, Si Xi’s feelings for him were a complex mix of love and hate.

He had experienced similar emotions when Wang Yang chose to abandon everything and go abroad.

Beneath the anger lay an intensifying affection.

‘He understood it all.’

That was why he felt compelled to explain; even if he couldn’t give Si Xi what he wanted, he couldn’t bear to make him sadder. Such misunderstandings, especially, needed to be clarified promptly to prevent Si Xi from dwelling on them.

Furthermore, when Wang Yang offered to switch beds, Si Xi immediately accepted. Was that not a subtle hint that if Shao Xun broke up with Wang Yang and returned, Si Xi would accept him too?

Therefore, some things needed to be explicitly stated.

“Although there’s no longer any possibility between us, I harbor no ill will towards you. Rather than cause you pain, I genuinely wish for your happiness.”

“…”

Si Xi couldn’t help but rub the goosebumps on his arms.

‘How had he never noticed this obnoxious jerk was so sickeningly sentimental and greasy before?’

Si Xi replied with a cold expression, “I know, it’s just a coincidence.”

Shao Xun nodded, “Yes, it’s a coincidence.”

Si Xi: “You don’t have that much power anyway.”

“…”

Si Xi asked impatiently, “Can you move aside now?”

‘He resents being dumped by me, he resents being dumped by me, he resents being dumped by me.’

Shao Xun silently repeated this mantra three times before regaining his composure. “The house in Lan Garden is vacant, and the interior was decorated to your liking. You can move in there.”

The house in Lan Garden referred to their former marital home.

Si Xi’s eyes lit up: “Are you giving it to me?”

‘If it was a gift, he wouldn’t mind taking Jing Chen to roll around on their marital bed.’

A vein throbbed in Shao Xun’s temple: “To stay temporarily.”

‘The house was worth tens of millions; he certainly had the nerve to think that.’

Si Xi rolled his eyes.

After rolling his eyes, he looked past Shao Xun and said, “Wang Yang.”

Shao Xun startled and quickly turned around. Si Xi seized the opportunity, pushed him aside, and ran off, not forgetting to stomp on his foot, which made Shao Xun grimace in pain.

Still feeling unsatisfied, Si Xi ran a few steps, then turned back and flipped Shao Xun the middle finger.

“Idiot.”

After the curse, Si Xi felt much better and turned to leave.

****

Shao Xun limped back to the dorm and, seeing Wang Yang moving his neatly arranged belongings to the newly cleared bed, quickly walked over, took the items from his hands, and whispered, “I’ve made things difficult for you.”

Wang Yang harbored resentment; knowing he was wronged, Shao Xun hadn’t said a word to help him earlier.

Now that he had moved, what was the point of saying all this?

Nevertheless, with the matter settled, Wang Yang smiled gently and said, “It’s fine.”

Just then, their roommate Xiao Nan emerged from the bathroom with a clean mop, glanced at his phone, and said, “It’s 12 o’clock. Let’s go eat; if we’re late, the cafeteria will be cleaned out.”

Shao Xun quickly interjected, “No need to go to the cafeteria. My treat, we’ll eat out.”

Xiao Nan scratched his head: “That’s too much trouble.”

“Don’t be polite with me. You helped Yang Yang tidy his bed, and Yang Yang will need your care in the future. Go call Si Xi back first, and I’ll make a reservation.”

Their other roommate, Guo Hao, held up his phone and said, “No need to wait for Brother Xi. He messaged me saying he had something to do this afternoon and left already.”

“Moreover, he said he was overwhelmed by the strong ‘green tea’ scent from the trash when he threw it out earlier, and lost his appetite. Strange, I didn’t smell anything when I went to take out the trash.”

Shao Xun: “…”

Those words were too pointed, insulting both of them, making Wang Yang inevitably overthink.

He had felt something was off when Shao Xun suddenly went out earlier. Had Si Xi gone to talk to him while throwing out the trash?

Wang Yang’s eyelid twitched.