Refuse to Confess (23)

With the child sitting by the bedside, Yi Zhongshen went to freshen up and quickly took a shower. After washing up, he changed into loose-fitting, slightly thick pajamas. However, when he stepped out of the bathroom, his body still carried a bit of the lingering chill from the water.

As he walked out, Yi Zhongshen saw Bo Xiyun still sitting obediently at the edge of the bed. Perhaps because his master hadn't come out yet, the young boy hadn't laid down. Despite the late hour, he seemed visibly tired. He held the pillow that had been put down earlier, propping it up against his body and lowered his head slightly, burying half of his face into the pillow. Only a pair of beautiful eyes were left exposed, and his feather-like long eyelashes seemed like they were about to close.

Yi Zhongshen knew that if it weren't for him, the boy would have already fallen asleep. Although they had visited the hospital to address his sleep disorder, the reason for Bo Xiyun's difficulty falling asleep was clear: a lack of trace elements.

The child had not been well taken care of before. Even though the Bai family in Q City could be considered wealthy, they didn't pay much attention to the child's upbringing. Bai Gelei had always been self-centered, and in those more than ten years, he had little to no actions as a caring father. He only saw the child as a tool to showcase his superior genes.

Wu Ying herself was only taking over, and her personality wasn't one that had the patience to raise a child. In fact, Wu Ying had never wanted a child, otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen Bai Gelei in the first place.

At seventeen years old, Bo Xiyun's slender and frail figure was noticeable at a glance. He had a small appetite and didn't show much interest in the various fancy snacks that his peers were curious about at their age. While other teenagers would indulge in such treats, Bo Xiyun always stayed away.

Because he ate little, his body inevitably lacked essential nutrients. His lips would often become dry, and he would have difficulty falling asleep – typical symptoms of vitamin deficiency. In a normal family, parents would have noticed and taken care of such issues, but Bo Xiyun had to bear it all on his own.

His growth and upbringing could be likened to a topic that people would easily post anonymously on message boards: "Parents only give money and don't care, they don't even know which grade and class I'll be in this year."

Not to mention the recent disaster he faced when the so-called "family" he had lived with for more than ten years suddenly turned their backs on him overnight.

If it weren't for Bo Xiyun being able to rely on his competition awards and get admitted to T University on a scholarship, his winter vacation, and even his entire senior year and life, could have been full of hardships.

Yi Zhongshen approached with slow steps, gazing at the young boy by the bedside. He knew that Bo Xiyun had experienced so many setbacks and hardships that most people his age would never encounter.

Yet, Bo Xiyun never seemed to harbor any grievances or complaints. He quietly grew into the dazzling person he was today, handling everything on his own.

Yi Zhongshen lowered his gaze, concealing his slightly complex emotions.

Perhaps that was the case.

Bo Xiyun had always been independent, and he had already done well on his own. Regardless of how others tried to help him, he never really needed it.

"...Senior?"

Bo Xiyun raised his face and rubbed his eyes. The action made the corners of his eyes turn slightly redder, and his fingertips had a hint of moisture, making them appear translucent like jade under the light.

Yi Zhongshen had walked up to the bedside and reached out to lightly pinch Bo Xiyun's wrist, stopping him from rubbing his eyes.

"Eh…?" Bo Xiyun looked slightly puzzled. Just as he raised his eyes, he saw the tall figure of the male student leaning down, bringing them closer together.

Yi Zhongshen had taken a shower, and there was no trace of bath lotion or any such fragrance on him. Instead, there was a unique coolness and clarity that seemed like frost and snow, making him even more intriguing.

Bo Xiyun's wrist was still held in Yi Zhongshen's hand, leaving him immobile. He tilted his head slightly, looking puzzled about why the other suddenly acted like this, when in the next moment, Yi Zhongshen's other hand also reached out.

The slightly rough fingertips gently brushed against Bo Xiyun's soft and cool skin, and then the long fingers lightly gripped the bottom of his jaw, applying a gentle pressure.

Bo Xiyun's chin was lifted, and his thin and soft pale lips slightly parted without any defense.

In this position, he was even closer to Yi Zhongshen, with only a foot of distance between their noses, and they could clearly hear each other's breaths.

So close that Bo Xiyun could even see Yi Zhongshen's distinct and slightly cold-colored irises.

He had noticed before that Yi Zhongshen's eye color was lighter, not the common black or brown, but rather a colder shade.

In the backlight, the eyes looking at him seemed to faintly reveal a reddish-brown hue.

The proximity made Bo Xiyun feel somewhat unusual.

He couldn't help but want to ask, but before he could speak, Yi Zhongshen said, "Don't use your hands."

Bo Xiyun blinked, "Hmm?"

The fingers gripping his jaw finally relaxed, and Yi Zhongshen's voice was deep, "Rubbing too hard will hurt."

It took Bo Xiyun a moment to realize that Yi Zhongshen was telling him not to rub his eyes with his hands.

As he lowered his head, he felt a warm sensation on top of his head.

Yi Zhongshen gently tousled his soft hair, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Go to sleep, it's late," he said.

Bo Xiyun didn't sense anything unusual and obediently responded, "Okay."

Yi Zhongshen's bed was tidy, and his bedding was made of a special high-thread-count flannel material, providing a soft touch.

Bo Xiyun remembered that Gu Sheng had reminded Yi Zhongshen to change his bedding to prevent allergies.

He thought to himself, fortunately, it seemed that Yi Zhongshen was not allergic to him.

Bo Xiyun placed his pillow in position. He had originally planned to bring his own blanket, but his beddings were from the hotel and made of regular materials. He didn't want to accidentally cause any discomfort for Yi Zhongshen, so he decided not to use them.

In the end, Yi Zhongshen found another blanket for him. The pale gray color of the blanket looked somewhat cold, but it felt warm to the touch.

Bo Xiyun was not picky about what he slept with and thanked Yi Zhongshen for his help, "Thank you, it's really kind of you."

He was completely defenseless against Yi Zhongshen and had no idea what the slightly silent older student was thinking at the moment.

Walking over without any suspicion, sleeping in his room, wrapping himself in his blanket, and lying beside him, Bo Xiyun was completely unaware of the thoughts crossing Yi Zhongshen's mind.

Yi Zhongshen took the initiative to ask, "Do you want to sleep close to me, Bo Xiyun?"

The two blankets were placed on the spacious bed, seemingly not in contact with each other from the outside.

However, after getting on the bed, Bo Xiyun was still considering whether to move closer and sleep beside Yi Zhongshen.

Yi Zhongshen ultimately declined, saying, "No need, just go to sleep."

He didn't want to scare the child on their first night together.

Bo Xiyun didn't say anything and simply nodded.

But Yi Zhongshen continued to pay attention to him and noticed that Bo Xiyun seemed deep in thought.

"What's on your mind?" Yi Zhongshen asked.

After a moment of consideration, Bo Xiyun replied, "I've looked up some information. The hormones our bodies secrete can potentially affect the people around us. For example, several girls living together for a long time might eventually synchronize their menstrual cycles."

Yi Zhongshen was intrigued by the explanation and asked, "So, do you think it's better not to sleep too close to me?"

Bo Xiyun hesitated before responding, "I'm not sure. It might be better to keep some distance, just in case."

Yi Zhongshen nodded in understanding and said, "Alright, if you're worried about that, we can sleep a bit apart."

The two of them adjusted their positions on the bed, maintaining a comfortable distance from each other while still sharing the warmth of being together. As they settled in, Bo Xiyun's eyelids grew heavier, and before long, he fell asleep in the presence of his caring senior.

In the serene bedroom, under the warm-colored bedside lamp, Bo Xiyun suddenly brought up an academic topic.

"In males, the crucial hormone for this comparison is androstenone," he said.

Yi Zhongshen raised his hand and lightly pinched his nose, his gaze shifting to Bo Xiyun, with a faint smile that was hard to detect.

He wasn't surprised by the topic of discussion.

"I see," he replied calmly.

Bo Xiyun didn't notice anything unusual and continued, "So I was thinking, even without direct skin contact, pheromones might still have an effect."

He leaned forward, supporting himself with his palms on the bed, getting closer to Yi Zhongshen's side.

He looked at him and said earnestly, "As long as we stay close and spend more time together, it can have a soothing effect on you."

The soft yellow light from the bedside lamp cast a warm golden halo on Bo Xiyun, making him appear almost ethereal, not quite like a real person.

He seemed like a delicate and exquisite doll, tempting people to desire to possess him.

Forever trapped in his own embrace.

But in the end, Yi Zhongshen only raised his hand and gently covered the back of the young man's slender and fair neck with his palm.

Bo Xiyun was afraid of tickles, and the skin on the back of his neck was sensitive, but luckily, Yi Zhongshen's hand mostly rested on his soft hair, without disturbing him.

"The soothing effect is good," Yi Zhongshen's voice was low, steady, and calm.

"Thank you," Bo Xiyun replied, pursing his lips and smiling with his eyes.

Both of them settled into their sleeping positions, the bedside lamp was turned off, and the room was immersed in the dimness of the night.

Bo Xiyun was used to sleeping on his side, now facing the outside of the bed, and he fell asleep peacefully.

He slept quietly, without making even the slightest sound. Perhaps not wanting to disturb Yi Zhongshen, his breathing was light and almost inaudible in the already serene room.

But on Yi Zhongshen's side, the young man's presence couldn't possibly be diminished by even a tiny fraction.

Darkness provided excellent protection, enough to conceal any anomalies.

Lying flat on the bed, Yi Zhongshen closed his eyes, but his pitch-black field of vision still rendered the silhouette of another person in his mind.

Thankfully, Yi Zhongshen knew that although Bo Xiyun had difficulty falling asleep before, he had improved significantly in the past two days. Unlike Yi Zhongshen, who needed slow and steady recuperation due to his long-standing chronic condition, Bo Xiyun seemed to have benefited greatly from the vitamin supplements and had been sleeping well recently.

He had come to sleep with Yi Zhongshen today purely to help him, and besides, it was already late, and shortly after turning off the lights, it seemed that the young man had already fallen asleep.

Only Yi Zhongshen remained, silently listening to the light and shallow breathing beside him.

The night was still, with no cold winds outside the window, and the room was filled with silence.

After a long while, Bo Xiyun, who had fallen asleep under the light grey comforter, suddenly moved.

The down comforter lightly shifted, loosely covering the young man's body. He was so slender that the comforter failed to fill up the small space, so his movements didn't make any noise or disturb the bed.

With his slight build, he made no sound on the bed.

But Yi Zhongshen beside him instantly noticed.

Yi Zhongshen lowered his gaze to look, having been awake in the darkness for too long, he had already adapted to the night and could see Bo Xiyun's face clearly.

The boy was still asleep, his eyes tightly shut, and his breathing remained light.

He must have been deeply asleep to unconsciously roll over.

At first, Yi Zhongshen only glanced at Bo Xiyun's movement and didn't intend to look for long. He was already awake enough.

However, his drooping gaze seemed beyond his control. Yi Zhongshen's eyes lingered on the young man's face for a long time in the dimness, gazing at his delicate and serene features.

Looking at the boy half-sunken in the soft pillow, with a bit of softness on the exposed half of his face, the night's shadows outlined his smooth and gentle contours.

But Yi Zhongshen didn't expect that a slight indulgence in his gaze would actually cause the seemingly already asleep boy to open his eyes.

"...Senior?"

The boy's voice carried a sleepy nasal tone. He blinked a few times, struggling to articulate the next half of his sentence.

"Why... haven't you slept yet?"

The boy was still clearly not fully awake and immediately buried his face in the pillow, rubbing against it.

Yi Zhongshen had averted his gaze in that brief moment, and he was about to say that it was okay and ask the boy to go back to sleep. But then he heard the soft voice again.

"Is your arm still uncomfortable?"

Feeling extremely drowsy, Bo Xiyun gave up on analyzing any academic theories. He even seemed to forget the academic discussions they had earlier.

In his half-conscious state, Bo Xiyun's voice was soft and sweet as he mumbled, no longer focused on any academic topics.

But what followed was even more surprising. Yi Zhongshen's body stiffened suddenly because he felt a warm and gentle touch slowly reaching towards the edge of his blanket.

Bo Xiyun continued speaking, "Or, how about... I sleep while hugging you..."

Yi Zhongshen was taken aback by the suggestion, not expecting the young man to propose such an intimate action. His mind raced, trying to find a proper response. In the dimness of the room, he could see Bo Xiyun's eyes still half-closed, as if he was unsure about what he had just said.

In that moment, Yi Zhongshen's heart softened, and he hesitated before answering, "It's okay, you can sleep however you like."

He carefully moved the blanket, leaving enough space for Bo Xiyun to curl up closer if he wished. With a gentle expression, Yi Zhongshen invited the boy to seek comfort and rest as needed.

Bo Xiyun seemed to understand, and with a contented smile, he scooted closer to Yi Zhongshen, resting his head on the senior's broad chest and wrapping his arms around his waist. The warmth and security of their shared embrace brought a sense of peace to both of them.

In the embrace of the night, two souls found solace in each other's presence, and the room fell into a serene silence, accompanied only by the soft sounds of their breathing as they drifted off to sleep together.

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Tn: Sweet dreams MC and ML

This chapter was comforting for some reason.

Enjoy <3