Chapter 1: CH extra 1

Of course, a lot of people would think that if a middle-aged person found an especially young partner, they’d suddenly feel younger too, as if they were back in their twenties and had regained their youth.

But the actual situation was far from that.

In reality, the gap between the two of them was more like a reminder for the middle-aged man who would turn forty in less than two years; that his youth had long since passed, and that he was getting older. Now he could only stand aside and watch as his little boy and his friends fought with water guns, messing up the house.

Of course, a lot of people would think that if a young person found an especially mature partner, they’d have someone to guide them, and they’d follow in their footsteps, maturing quickly and developing the ability to handle all kinds of situations steadfastly.

But the actual situation was far from that.

In reality, the mature partner would always be considerate, always be gentle, and would slowly watch as the child grew up into a twenty five or twenty six-year-old child in an adult’s body, and then indulge his request to hold a water gun fight at home with his friends.

Song Xin was doing his internship when he received a message from Ting Shuang. The contents were very simple, and he had sent it to the group chat: Young master, I, have graduated, and intend to find a day to celebrate. May I have the honour of inviting you to participate?

Celebrating was something that had to be done, but how?

The close friends in the group discussed for half a day, came up with countless proposals, and finally decided on a water gun battle – He Le said he had a stash of unused water guns.

Song Xin said he would be in charge of the beer and snacks.

Guo Ping said he would be responsible for renting the venue.

Everyone was especially enthusiastic in assigning tasks to themselves, so when it came to Ting Shuang, there weren’t any roles left for him to fill. He thought for a while, then said, “Then I’ll be responsible for filling the water guns with water.”

Song Xin said, “Okay, the important task of securing ammunition will be left to you.”

It wasn’t weird for the students to be this enthusiastic, as Ting Shuang was the only one in the group who had completed his graduation thesis under the perverted professor, which had been, needless to say, full of difficulties and challenges. The fear that accompanied Robotik was still fresh in their minds, and just a glance at Bai Changyi’s profile on the LRM’s official website would make them remember it all again.

It was like a codeword between robotics students. They’d look at each other, their gazes inquiring – have you attended Prof. Bai‘s class before?

Just like war veterans back during the period of war who looked at each other, gazes inquiring – have you fought the ghosts(1) before?

If you’ve fought the ghosts before, then we’re brothers.

Similarly, if you’ve attended Prof. Bai‘s class before, then we’re now related by blood.

Now that Ting Shuang had graduated, it was as if they’d witnessed their comrade climb out of the same trench they were in, and successfully escaped from the tiger. Who wouldn’t be happy for him?

After a big fuss in the group, they decided to hold the celebration on Saturday morning, the last Saturday of the month.

Originally, Ting Shuang would have spent a rest day like that with Bai Changyi, but now Bai Changyi even had to work on Saturdays.

He had been this busy for the past few months.

A professor like him could take a year off to do some research once every three to five years. He could spend the whole year doing research on his own, taking a vacation, or reconditioning himself. In short, he could put aside all school affairs and not take on any work for a whole year. He intended to take a year off to settle some unresolved problems, spend time with the kid, and discuss some things with him.

In order to take that year off, he had a lot of work to finish ahead of time.

At the end of the month, when he was almost done with all his work, he planned to invite his friends over for dinner.

After all, the child at home had graduated, and it wouldn’t be long before he was going to take a year off. He had hidden his lover in his house until now, and it was about enough.

Knowing that his friends were also busy, Bai Changyi planned to arrange a time to have dinner together on the last Saturday of the month.

When he told Ting Shuang about it, Ting Shuang was lying upside down on the sofa – his back was on the seat, and his legs were folded over the backrest – reading manga in his leisure time. He replied carelessly, “Oh.”

The manga was so exciting that he exclaimed again, “What the fuck?”

Bai Changyi looked at Ting Shuang and laughed soundlessly for a while before leaning over and taking the manga out of his hand, “What did I just say?”

Ting Shuang couldn’t answer, and habitually started stammering, before he sudden remembered, “I’ve already graduated!”

So what if he wasn’t paying attention while the Professor was speaking?

So what if he wasn’t able to answer the question?

He’d graduated!

His confidence was suddenly bursting at the seams.

“Yes, you’ve graduated.” Bai Changyi laughed as he kissed the corner of Ting Shuang’s lips. “So I intend on inviting my friends over for dinner on Saturday, are you free?”

Ting Shuang thought for a while, “Sure, I plan to go out and play with my friends in the morning, but I’ll come home right after, I won’t dally.”

He thought too simply, and everything seemed like it would go according to plan.

But at noon on Saturday, he went overboard playing, and forgot that he had a meal to eat in the evening. They had rented the venue for only one morning, and everyone planned on leaving after having lunch outside, but Young Master Ting drank alcohol and it got to his head. He had been beaten badly in their last round, and was eager to make a comeback, refusing to give up. So he jumped onto a sandbag that was meant for cover and raised his water gun, full of enthusiasm and pride, “Damn it, let’s go to this Young Master’s house! We’ll continue this!”

When this group of armed mountain bandits went to the house to commit their crimes, Bai Changyi had just driven away. He had invited friends over for dinner in the evening, so he had to buy ingredients.

More than an hour later, the great Professor Bai brought the ingredients home.

As soon as he entered the house, before he could even put down the bags in his hands, he heard a voice from a distance, “Fuck them! To their deaths!”

Then a jet of water hit the front of his shirt. A large patch on his clothes was suddenly wet, and two droplets of water even made it to his glasses.

Bai Changyi put down the things in his hands, lowered his head, and dumbfoundedly looked at the front of his shirt. Then he raised his eyes and looked in the direction where the water had shot from—

There were water stains on the ground and the furniture, and even his books had not been spared. Behind the mess was Song Xin and a few other students holding water guns, using the sofa as a cover, still stiffly maintaining a posture ready to shoot, just like stone sculptures, unable to move.

“Fuck who?” Bai Changyi simply asked, bending over and picking up a dripping wet book.

15 minutes later.

Everyone had sobered up.

Song Xin was holding a mop, his head down as he concentrated on mopping the floor; Guo Ping was holding a rag, his head down as he concentrated on wiping the table; He Le was holding a hair dryer, his head down as he concentrated on blowing the sofa dry…

Ting Shuang grabbed a towel, head down as he concentrated on rubbing the dog dry — Vico had also been pulled into the bloody battle by accident. Fortunately, Vico’s hair was short and dried quickly.

No one spoke, and only sounds of cleaning up could be heard in the living room.

It was Bai Changyi who broke the silence. He kept away the ingredients he had bought and walked to the living room to see the back of several heads, as their owners conscientiously carried out their tasks. “What do you want to drink?”

Although it was a perfectly normal question to ask, to Song Xin and the rest, it sounded like a difficult question you’d come across in a professional setting. No one dared to speak. Not only were they scared to speak, they also avoided Bai Changyi’s eyes, as if they would be selected to answer the question individually as soon as they met Prof. Bai’s gaze.

Thus, the one mopping the floor mopped even harder, the one wiping the table seemed like he was trying to rub off a layer of skin from the table, and the one blowing the sofa became so careful that he looked like he was blowing dust off a cultural relic…

Only Ting Shuang answered naturally, “I want to drink iced tea.”

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There was a kind of dependence in his tone, and it sounded as if he habitually spoke that way. To the other straight men in the room, that kind of dependence sounded more like a weird way of acting spoiled.

Ting Shuang, was acting spoiled, in front of, Prof. Bai.

Acting, spoiled.

Bai Changyi nodded and looked at the others, “How about the rest of you?”

Song Xin felt tremendous pressure from Bai Changyi’s gaze, and had to speak up, “… I want the same.” After saying that, he immediately added, “Thank you, sorry for the trouble.”

With Song Xin stepping up, the others immediately felt salvation, speaking up together, “Me too. Sorry for the trouble.”

So Bai Changyi turned back towards the kitchen to prepare the iced tea.

After Bai Changyi’s figure disappeared completely, Song Xin slowly moved to Ting Shuang’s side as he pretended to still be mopping the floor. He stopped and gave Ting Shuang a kick to the leg.

Ting Shuang, who was sitting on the ground holding Vico, raised his head and asked, “What are you doing?”

Song Xin stared at Ting Shuang with an expression that read  “I haven’t asked you why we’re all cleaning the living room of the perverted professor’s house, and you still have the face to ask me why I kicked you?”

Collectively, the others also looked at Ting Shuang, the same question in their eyes: Bro, can you explain our current situation?

Ting Shuang continued looking down, concentrating on wiping down the dog, then he raised his head and said innocently, “Do you guys want to stay for dinner? My partner cooks pretty well. I’ll introduce him to you.”

Everyone was dumbfounded for a few seconds, before slowly turning their heads at the same time, looking in the direction of the kitchen——

Partner???

Then, everyone slowly turned their heads back and looked at Ting Shuang——

So this person in front of them was their…

Shimu???*

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The living room fell into complete silence.

Ting Shuang let go of Vico, now completely dry. Then he stood up, “Come on, tell me if you’re eating dinner. I can ask him what he’s cooking tonight… Do you want to eat anything in particular?”

Song Xin and a few others, “No not… We’ll leave right away…”

“Yes, yes… We won’t bother you…”

“Sorry… We really caused trouble today…”

At that moment, Bai Changyi had just walked out of the kitchen, holding a few cups of iced tea on a tray. Hearing those words, he looked at them, smiled, and asked, “You’re leaving? Is it because I didn’t entertain you well enough?”

15 minutes later.

The students had grit their teeth and gone through with it, and were currently sitting in the yard drinking iced tea.

No one dared to say goodbye.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Ting Shuang looked for a topic to bring up, “I suddenly remembered, Song Xin, weren’t you unable to make an appointment with the Professor for Sprechstunde before? Now he’s sitting right here, so if there’s anything you’d like to ask, you can just ask now.”

Bai Changyi smiled and looked at Song Xin with kind eyes.

Song Xin: “…”

Song Xin: “Sorry, I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh, then I’ll take you there.” Ting Shuang got up and said to the other students who were about to face the Professor by themselves, “You guys have a good talk.”

The other students: “…”

After entering the house, Ting Shuang pointed to the bathroom, “It’s this door.”

Song Xin said, “I don’t need to go, I just want to catch my breath.”

Ting Shuang felt like laughing, “Mm.”

Song Xin kicked Ting Shuang, “You think this is funny? You threw me under the bus just now, was that funny? Fuck off(2).”

Ting Shuang laughed as he ducked aside, “Aren’t I the closest to you? Who would I throw under the bus if not you?”

“You just specialise in killing those you’re close to.” Song Xin leaned against the door frame and thought deeply for a while, still having trouble digesting the fact that Ting Shuang had become their shimu, “Uh… You guys… Um… When… How did you… Um…” He gestured around for a long time but still couldn’t find the right words, “You guys… Did you chase him down, or… he chased you down?”

Ting Shuang laughed, “What do you think?”

“How would I know about the two of you…” Who knows what kind of image had appeared in the mind of Song Xin, a straight man, but his face suddenly turned red as he spoke.

Ting Shuang teased him, “Then I’ll help you ask.”

Song Xin: ?

Ting Shuang immediately ran out, and Song Xin couldn’t stop him even if he wanted to.

Ting Shuang ran to the yard and yelled to Bai Changyi, “Hey, Professor, Song Xin wants to ask you, did you chase me first?”

Song Xin’s face was flushed red as he stood at the doorway, not even daring to look at Bai Changyi.

Bai Changyi stood up, waved to the others, and tousled Ting Shuang’s hair affectionately as he answered in a low voice, “Yes, it was me who chased you. Okay, I’ll go prepare dinner now, you can play with them.”

Ting Shuang couldn’t resist grabbing Bai Changyi’s collar and making him lower his head. Then he leaned in, planting a kiss on Bai Changyi’s lips.

Song Xin’s face was burning so much that it felt almost fully cooked. Not only him, but the faces of everyone else also turned red.

When Bai Changyi entered the house, Ting Shuang very naturally sat next to Guo Ping, He Le, and the others, asking, “What did you guys talk about just now?”

What did they talk about?

They had just done a second Q&A session, like the one they did when presenting their graduation thesis.

He Le said, “… Nothing much.”

Ting Shuang drank a few sips of his iced tea before he thought of something, “Oh yes, I remember now. Didn’t we have a group in which everyone added their partners to after they got attached? Then should I add my partner in, too?”

To be continued…

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