Serenade

Chapter 28

Jin Xi posted a message in the WeChat group "410 Beauties' Dormitory":

"Everyone, I've got the scoop on Senior Bo Yan - it's super juicy!"

Chu Zhao: "What's the scoop?"

Jin Xi: "Pecs, abs, thigh muscles, the V-line... *massive nosebleed*"

Lin Luo: "Did you two sleep together?"

Jin Xi: "No way!"

Chu Zhao: "Tell us clearly, what exactly happened?"

Jin Xi: "I'm not saying... anyway, it was juicy."

She put down her phone, feeling restless. Not knowing how else to relieve herself, she strode into Shen Ping Chuan's room on wheels of fire.

Shen Ping Chuan was lying on his bed playing games. Seeing Jin Xi come in, he waved at her, "Come, play a round with your brother."

Jin Xi jumped onto the bed, lifted his shirt and looked disdainfully at his flat abdomen, "Bro, your abs are so puny! Get off the games and go work out!"

"You little rascal!"

"And your pecs are practically non-existent!"

"My chest may be flat but it's still bigger than yours!"

Jin Xi: ...

She gave him a hard kick.

Shen Ping Chuan yelled curses while Jin Xi was kicked out of his room. The group chat on her phone had already exploded, with her roommates bombardment after bombardment on Jin Xi -

Chu Zhao: "Leaving us hanging like that, how annoying!"

Lin Luo: "Tell us, what happened! How did you get to see Senior Bo Yan in all his glory?!"

Jin Xi: "Well, just now... he probably clicked the wrong button and gave me a live shower show."

Chu Zhao: "Wow!"

Lin Luo: "Did you see everything?!"

Jin Xi: "Mmm."

Lin Luo: "So you saw his little brother too?!"

Chu Zhao: "Squeee!"

Jin Xi: "Oh, I was only looking at his abs."

Lin Luo: "So with such a golden opportunity, your eyes were glued to his abs?!"

Jin Xi: "Uh..."

Right, why was she only looking at his abs?

Half an hour later, Bo Yan's video call came through again. This time, Jin Xi was prepared and stared intensely at her phone screen.

The call connected.

Bo Yan: ...

Why are her eyes so huge! What is she trying to see!

Seeing Bo Yan dressed in a casual cotton hoodie, Jin Xi asked in bewilderment: "Senior, you're done with your shower?"

He let out an awkward "Mm".

Jin Xi said obediently, "Then I didn't see anything just now."

Bo Yan said helplessly, "Yet you sound a little disappointed."

Jin Xi denied guiltily, "No no, not disappointed at all."

He sat down on the sofa and picked up the remote to turn on the TV, explaining lazily, "I accidentally tapped the wrong button just now."

"I know, Senior must have tapped wrongly." Jin Xi said with a smile, "Senior, you have a great body."

A tinge of red crept up Bo Yan's cheeks. "Yet you said you didn't see anything."

Jin Xi scratched her head, "Oh, I just saw the abs, that's all."

"What else were you hoping to see."

Jin Xi started giggling, revealing two tiny canine teeth. Like a sly little creature, yet still rather bashful. "Nothing."

Today, Bo Yan lost his manly chastity. Feeling downcast, he slouched on the sofa and asked listlessly, "What did you want to ask me?"

Only then did Jin Xi remember she had something to consult Bo Yan about.

"I wanted to ask Senior, for a six or seven year old boy's birthday, what kind of gift would he like the most?"

Bo Yan asked casually while watching TV, "What was Shen Ping Chuan's suggestion?"

Jin Xi exclaimed, "Senior, you are so perceptive! Shen Ping Chuan told me to get the kid a PSP gaming console. If I give him a console, my dad's auntie will surely give me the stink eye."

After thinking for a moment, Bo Yan asked, "Are you free tomorrow?"

"Yup."

"I'll send you an address later. Come find me at that address and I'll bring you to pick out a gift."

Jin Xi fawned, "You're the best."

The corners of Bo Yan's eyes lifted as he looked at the girl in the video. She wore a pink, frilly flannel pajamas. Everything about her was so cute - her room's decor behind her also looked fresh and girly.

"Senior, what are you looking at?"

"Checking out your room."

"Oh." Jin Xi switched her phone camera to rear-facing and gave Bo Yan a tour of her princess room. "My brother set all these up."

"Shen Ping Chuan?"

"Yup. He decorated my room in this overwhelmingly pink and fuzzy style. Such bad taste for a straight guy!"

Bo Yan blurted "It looks good" but choked back the words halfway.

**

6:28pm, Jin Xi was walking on the busy streets. She received another call from her father -

"What right does he have to stop you from going home for New Year? You're going back to your dad's home, your own home. What gives him the right to block you? If you were still young I'd fight for custody. Now that you're grown I don't want to hurt your feelings, that's why I've let you stay with the Shens. But you must come home for New Year, let your grandparents see their granddaughter too. They're getting old and want to see you."

Jin Xi mumbled a soft "Mm" as she sat down on a bench by the roadside, looking at her own beige snow boots.

Rendered speechless by what Jin Xi said, Jin Mao suddenly faltered.

At that time, he already had his own family. Jin Xi was only ten then. Being a daughter, she was not well regarded by the elders in the family.

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After her mother passed away, the Shens did not take the initiative to send the girl back. Instead, they raised her in their own home. Jin Mao simply turned a blind eye, leaving his daughter with the Shens.

Now that the girl was all grown up, Jin Mao often thought back on his relationship with his former wife. He also hoped to bond more with his biological daughter.

"Anyway, I'll be back for my brother's birthday." Jin Xi said before promptly hanging up.

Torrential rain suddenly poured down without warning. A thin veil of mist permeated the surroundings.

The sudden downpour forced pedestrians to flee helter-skelter. Jin Xi quickly took shelter under a shop's eaves.

The streets were drenched by the rain, reflecting the city's motley lights.

Jin Xi took off her thick horn-rimmed glasses and wiped the raindrops off the lenses with a tissue.

Following the address Bo Yan gave her, she arrived at a narrow alley behind the school campus. The alley was filled with all kinds of beauty and nail salons, and dubious massage parlors, a chaotic sight.

Jin Xi walked to the end of the alley, stopping in front of a shop without any signboard.

It was more a studio than a shop, with just a few tables, chairs and stools haphazardly placed inside. Paintings were hung on the walls.

Seeing Jin Xi come in, Xu Zhao Yang waved at her, "Little Jin Xi is here. Your senior is sleeping upstairs. Wait for a bit."

"So this is your painting studio!"

"Feel free to look around."

The shop was messy, unlike the bright and tidy art shops in the city. Paintings of various styles were hung on all four walls.

"Did Senior Bo Yan paint all these?"

Xu Zhao Yang laughed, "How could he paint so many himself. These are done by art school students who put them here for sale. We take a commission from pieces sold. The studio is jointly rented by Jing Chi and Bo Yan. I'm here to help out when free."

Jin Xi looked at Jing Chi, "Jing Chi senior hasn't gone home yet?"

Jing Chi put down his cards, "Business is good during this season, so I stayed behind to watch the shop and take care of the cats and dogs on campus. I got train tickets for the 30th to head back to my hometown near City B. I can make it back in time."

Jin Xi knew Jing Chi often peddled snacks and small items in the male dormitory, but didn't expect him and Bo Yan to be running an actual business and renting such a big storefront.

No wonder the Cat and Dog Society had such generous budgets.

In the half hour since Jin Xi arrived, many customers came in to view and purchase paintings. The paintings ranged from 100 to 600 yuan each, painted by students to earn extra allowance.

To Jin Xi's untrained eyes, these watercolor and oil paintings were very beautiful, more than suitable as home decor.

Their quality was not inferior to professional galleries in the city, yet the prices were reasonable. No wonder business was brisk.

"Don't know how long more Senior Bo Yan will sleep. Little Jin Xi, just head upstairs and find him." Xu Zhao Yang suggested, "No idea when he'll get up if you keep waiting here."

"Alright."

She went upstairs. The upper floor was the actual studio workspace, cluttered with canvases, paint palettes, and unfinished works.

The three full-length windows provided an excellent view and lighting. Night had fallen now, and dots of light glittered outside the window.

A single lazy wall lamp cast a dim glow in the room.

"Senior, are you awake..."

Jin Xi had just stepped in when she tripped over something, lurching forward.

Ouch.

It didn't hurt as much as she expected. Instead of falling on the floor, she felt something soft and warm?

Jin Xi looked up in bewilderment. In the lamplight, the man's features were strikingly three-dimensional. He had high brows and sharp eyes sunk deep in their sockets. Thick long lashes cast shadows on his eyelids. His hazel eyes held traces of weariness.

She had stumbled onto him.

Bo Yan looked at her askance, her long hair draped over her face. Her skin was very fair and she smelled nice.

That crisp, clean scent unique to girls. Quite pleasant.

"Senior, you're sleeping on the floor?"

Bo Yan rubbed his head and mumbled a lazy "Mm". His deep, husky voice was still groggy from just waking.

He had been painting just now when drowsiness hit. He simply lay down to sleep where he was, on top of discarded art paper laid out as a makeshift mattress.

Jin Xi was lying on top of him, propping herself up with her hands on his abdomen. Through his thin shirt, she could faintly feel the hard ridges of his sculpted abs.

She clutched at Bo Yan's collar with her hand, gently exhaling breaths that tickled his neck.

"Did you hurt yourself when you fell?" he asked with concern.

Jin Xi did a quick assessment and didn't seem to be injured. She shook her head.

"Then move your knee over a bit."

Jin Xi glanced down and realized her knee was firmly lodged between his legs in a delicate area...

And all her weight was supported on that knee.

Jin Xi panicked a little. She quickly shifted her knee away, trying to get up, but lost her balance and pressed down instead.

She distinctly heard a low groan from the man beneath her.

"Ah, sorry!"

That was visibly painful.

Jin Xi scrambled to her feet, backing away a couple steps, filled with guilt.

"Senior...are you okay?"

Bo Yan was about to say "Let me knee you there and see how you like it" but seeing Jin Xi's sweet and innocent appearance, he couldn't bring himself to.

If he really kneed her there...he'd feel bad about it later.

Bo Yan got to his feet, standing tall but with his legs crossed awkwardly.

It looked like...the injury wasn't minor.

Jin Xi felt awful, like her body was cursed to always "harm" the men around her unintentionally. She asked with concern, "Senior, do you need to go to the hospital?"

Bo Yan: ...

He'd rather die than go to a urologist for this.

"I'm fine, I can take it."

This was the last of Bo Yan's stubborn pride speaking.

Jin Xi sincerely praised, "Senior, you really are tough."

Bo Yan: ...

Not good, why did it feel like he was getting hard?

Bo Yan took a moment to collect himself until the pain subsided. He glanced around and tidied up the art supplies and drawing board on the floor, then casually asked, "What took you so long to get here?"

"It was raining earlier, which held me up."

Jin Xi's gaze fell upon the drawing board where a faint outline of a girl could be seen on the pristine white paper. Curious, she walked over. "It's so pretty."

But before she could make out the details, Bo Yan swiftly grabbed the drawing and rolled it up.

"Senior..."

Bo Yan looked a little embarrassed, his cheeks slightly flushed. "It's not finished yet."

"I can't see it if it's not done?"

"Yeah."

"Why not?"

"No reason, you just can't look at it."

"Then...will you show me after it's completed?"

"We'll see, depending on my mood."

"Hmph, stingy."

Bo Yan took the drawing into the back room and carefully unrolled it—

The girl in the drawing bore a striking resemblance to Jin Xi. She sat on the window sill with her knees bent, body leaning forward, goose-egg face rested against her knees. She gazed at him in profile, sunlight streaming in from outside. She was as beautiful as a soft, graceful swan.

Except the girl in the drawing wasn't wearing anything on top. Her smooth, expansive back arched elegantly as if ready to take flight at any moment. Her soft breasts were partially pressed against her knees, their shape unmistakably full.

This was Bo Yan's uncounted nights of longing made manifest.

He absolutely could not let Jin Xi see this drawing, nor anyone else.

Bo Yan put the drawing away and came back out. He saw Jin Xi sitting alone by the window in the studio, knees bent, gazing out at the hazy nightscape beyond the glass. The breeze stirred the curtains, ruffling a few strands of hair across her forehead, bearing some resemblance to the girl in his drawing.

But the version he imagined still didn't compare to her actual beauty.

Bo Yan's heart stirred and he gently called out, "Jin Xi, when can you model for me?"

Jin Xi looked back at him. "Huh?"

"Model for me, I want to draw you."

His dark eyes held a sincere, devout look.

Jin Xi was a little embarrassed. "How would you draw me?"

"Any way, pose however you like."

He felt she would look beautiful no matter what.

"Okay then." Jin Xi nodded. "Next time when I dress up nicely, you can draw me."

What Bo Yan actually thought was...she would look best undressed.

Jin Xi hadn't forgotten her original purpose for coming. "Senior, you said you'd help me pick out a gift for my brother."

"Come with me."

Bo Yan headed downstairs at a leisurely pace and pulled open a drawer, taking out a stiff sheet of cardboard with intricate cartoon outlines drawn on it in ink. It just needed coloring in.

Jin Xi could tell the cartoon figure was hand-sketched entirely by him, not a printed coloring book bought online. The minimalist ink drawings left open for creative coloring would turn out very nicely.

"It's a coloring project to develop kids' intelligence," Bo Yan explained gently. "Last summer we held an art class for little kids, the 5-6 year-olds really enjoyed coloring in cartoons like this. If you think it's good, I can give you a set of watercolor paints to go with it."

It wasn't just good, it was perfect. Jin Xi had wanted to give an educational gift like this in the first place, much better than Shen Ping Chuan's random idea of a game console.

"Thank you Senior, I'll take this! It's awesome!"

Bo Yan handed the coloring project to Xu Chao Yang. "Help my junior wrap up the gift."

"Senior, how much does it cost?" Jin Xi started rummaging for her wallet.

Bo Yan's actions stalled briefly. He gazed at her askance, a faint smile on his lips. "How much do you think it's worth?"

Jin Xi didn't want to lowball the price. She tugged at Bo Yan's sleeve, fawning over him. "Bro Bo Yan drew it, so it's priceless."

"You really know how to flatter." Xu Chao Yang smiled. "But little Jin Xi, my bro Bo Yan pulled an all-nighter to draw this for you on a four-page spread. Rather than talk money with him, why not talk feelings instead?"

Jin Xi's elegant eyebrows creased in thought. After pondering for a bit, she said, "Then I'll thank Senior in some other way."

**

For a rundown little art studio, the packaging was quite exquisite. After Xu Chao Yang carefully wrapped up the coloring project and watercolor paints in a gift box, it looked presentable and refined, easily comparable to the artwork sold in fancy galleries.

These people really knew how to do business properly.

Bo Yan let Jin Xi name her own price, and she fawned that it was "priceless" so clearly money was out. She had offered to thank Bo Yan in some other way.

So Bo Yan had her accompany him shopping for new clothes for the upcoming new year.

When they left, Shen Ping Chuan had slipped a thermal flask filled with honey date tea into Jin Xi's purse. Jin Xi thought it was cumbersome and refused to bring it along, but Shen Ping Chuan barricaded the door and wouldn't let her leave without it.

"It's so cold out, you need something warm to drink!"

"I can drink milk tea."

"Is milk tea as good as my honey date tea?!"

"Ugh, such a hassle."

"If you think this is a hassle, don't be a girl in your next life."

Shen Shishan was often busy with work, so Jin Xi was practically raised single-handedly by "nanny" Shen Ping Chuan. He made her drink all kinds of nourishing teas and soups in winter, and pickled lemons for her in summer along with chilled silver ear mushrooms and green bean soup.

If Jin Xi had been a little brother instead, Shen Ping Chuan would never have turned himself into a nanny. It was precisely because she was a girl that he doted on her so much.

Girls are so precious. Delicate and fragile, they can't be allowed to bump and scrape themselves, and must be shielded from harm. Everything requires the utmost care and caution.

When Jin Xi was twelve, Shen Ping Chuan signed her up for a summer art class. The teacher assigned them to draw a watercolor painting of "Me and Mom". The other kids all painted themselves holding hands with their mothers.

But in Jin Xi's watercolor, the little girl in a pretty white dress stood next to a shaggy golden retriever as tall as herself. The dog wore a black scarf around its neck, mouth open in a smile, tongue lolling out.

Above the golden retriever's head were the crooked characters spelling out "Shen Ping Chuan".

To little Jin Xi, the silly loyal dog Shen Ping Chuan was like a mother figure.

**

Outside Gallery A in Tianjie, Bo Yan spotted Jin Xi sitting on a bench beneath one of the square's sculptures. She wore a white cloak-like overcoat with a fuzzy pom-pom on the tip of her hat. Black pants clung to her legs, disappearing into tan snow boots.

She looked left and right, craning her neck as she scanned her surroundings.

In her hands she held the thermal flask, periodically unscrewing the cap to take a sip from the straw.

Just then, a little kid wearing the same style coat bounced past right in front of her. Jin Xi watched the kid, then looked down at her own matching coat, stunned speechless as she nearly dropped her drink.

She voice-texted Shen Ping Chuan: "Did you buy me kids' clothes?!"

Shen Ping Chuan leisurely replied: "Yup."

Jin Xi: ...

Damn you Shen Ping Chuan!

Bo Yan picked up the fallen thermal flask from the ground and looked Jin Xi over with amusement. "That outfit suits you very well."

"It does not!"

Jin Xi took the flask back from him and got to her feet, adjusting her collar and back hem.

If she hadn't seen the kid wearing the same style, she would have thought this cloak was pretty cute. But now it was clearly a kids' clothing item.

So annoying! She wanted to sprint home and pummel Shen Ping Chuan!

Bo Yan actually really liked the style of Jin Xi's outfit. Although it was kids' clothing, her small build wasn't much different from an elementary schooler.

Bo Yan wrapped his arm around her shoulders, cuddling her like a daughter.

"Dear daughter, will you let Daddy take you shopping for clothes?"

Jin Xi: "No!"

Who's your daughter!

Of course, Jin Xi was here to accompany Bo Yan shopping. She had offered to thank him, and it just so happened he needed new clothes for the upcoming new year festivities. Shopping was her specialty after all.

Tianjie had four buildings, A through D, housing all kinds of brand name fashions. Jin Xi took Bo Yan around various menswear shops, earnestly helping him pick out clothes.

Bo Yan lazily followed behind Jin Xi, watching her excitedly peruse the racks and select pieces for him to try on.

More than the shopping itself, seeing her heartfelt dedication to choosing items for him filled Bo Yan with warmth. Her enthusiasm to hold up and compare outfits on him gave off such a wifely vibe that he found especially endearing.

He suddenly thought of something important, "Were Shen Pingchuan's clothes also picked out by you?"

Jin Xi put down the clothes and said, "Of course not, Shen Pingchuan bought all his clothes from Taobao. He looks down on the clothes I picked for him."

Bo Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

Given Shen Pingchuan's low and vulgar straight man dress style, if Jin Xi had helped him coordinate, Bo Yan would have had a hard time believing the girl's taste today.

It was reassuring that she didn't.

Jin Xi knew Bo Yan disdained Shen Pingchuan's taste. Not to mention him, even his sister couldn't stand it.

She picked out several pieces of clothing at one go, then pulled Bo Yan to the fitting room to try them on.

As the year end approached, the mall was crowded, and even trying on clothes required lining up. When it was finally Bo Yan's turn, as Jin Xi pushed him in, he pulled her into the fitting room with him.

"Hey...what are you doing!"

"There are several pieces here, help me take a look."

Bo Yan closed the door of the fitting room without further ado.

The light over their heads was bright. She was trapped in the cramped, narrow cubicle with nowhere to escape.

Bo Yan stood in front of her. They were incredibly close, almost standing body-to-body.

Under normal circumstances, such proximity might be fine, but in such a narrow space full of infinite possibilities, with a man and a woman locked inside, even a dense girl like Jin Xi couldn't be completely unaware and indifferent.

Jin Xi leaned against the wall in shock, trying to keep as far from him as possible. "What...what are you trying to do!"

Bo Yan didn't actually have any intentions at first, but seeing her panic, he suddenly felt like teasing her a little.

He rolled up his sleeves and walked over slowly, lightly placing his hand on her shoulder.

Jin Xi's breathing grew hurried, her little face flushed red. "Bo...Bo Yan..."

He moved closer to her crimson ear and whispered gently, "Shh, don't make any noise, or others might think we're up to no good."

As expected, upon hearing this, Jin Xi immediately shut her mouth tightly, staring at him nervously with her pair of dark doe eyes.

Bo Yan reached out and took off her black framed glasses. Her vision instantly became blurred, but she could still see the man's handsome features clearly.

At this moment, there was less than a palm's distance between them.

Jin Xi's hands instinctively shielded her chest, barely keeping his pressure at bay. But the dressing room was too cramped, like a kind animal cornered by a predator with nowhere left to run, she could only let him have his way.

Jin Xi breathed rapidly, her petite chest heaving up and down. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Bo Yan lifted her chin with his hand, forcing her to face him.

"Why are you closing your eyes?"

"Ah?"

Jin Xi opened her eyes, only to see a teasing, playful smile at the corner of his lips, as if he was wicked to the bone.

"Waiting for me to kiss you?"

"No...no!"

That was just an instinctive reaction.

Jin Xi lowered her head, covering her burning hot face. "You're teasing me!"

"You seem a little disappointed?" Bo Yan pressed her shoulders again, bowing his head to kiss her. "We can play for real too."

His actions were extremely swift this time. Jin Xi was completely unprepared. At the moment he touched her, she hurriedly blocked her lips with her hand.

Bo Yan's kiss landed on the back of her hand, gentle and soft, even a little cold.

If she hadn't shielded herself, her first kiss might have really been forfeited here!

"You...you're serious!" She angrily pushed him once, but of course, with her meager strength, she failed to push him away.

Bo Yan opened his dark eyes, the corners twisting into an enticing smile. "I never joke around."

"You're going too far!"

His eyes were still smiling as he looked at her patiently, "How am I going too far?"

"Who allowed you to kiss me!"

"Can't I kiss you?"

"No!" Jin Xi shielded her lips defensively with her elbow, stammering, "You can't kiss me!"

"Why not?"

"You're so flirtatious, who...who knows how many girls you've kissed." Jin Xi's face turned beet red. She just said whatever came to mind.

Upon hearing this, Bo Yan was taken aback for a moment, then he chuckled softly, helping her put her glasses back on, "Alright, enough dressing room play. I need to try on clothes. Help me take a look."

Since it was winter, he only needed to change his coat and sweater, so there were not many taboos.

Although Jin Xi still felt a little uncomfortable, she dutifully helped him select clothes.

His figure really was perfect. His elbow muscles protruded very obviously, his waistline was also very flat. Even with an undershirt on, it was still hard to conceal his flawless clothes hanger figure.

With a physique like this, clothes were no issue at all. Jin Xi felt that no matter what he wore, as long as it fit well, he could make it look amazing.

She really couldn't give any opinions. She felt that everything she picked looked good. Bo Yan simply bought all of them in the end.

After selecting clothes, Jin Xi dragged Bo Yan to walk around IKEA.

She was more enthusiastic about IKEA than clothing stores. Like a hamster loving to build nests, Jin Xi also enjoyed adding all kinds of cute and cozy daily items to her little home.

In front of a round white humidifier, Jin Xi stopped. "The humidifier and essential oil set is on sale! I want to buy it!"

Bo Yan stood beside her, hands in his pockets, casually saying, "Then buy it."

"There's no place to put it in the dorm. If I leave it at home, that annoying Shen Pingchuan will definitely take it to scent his smelly socks." Jin Xi pouted and sighed, "I'll buy it when I have my own home in the future."

Bo Yan reached out and touched the white mist spraying out of the humidifier. "I like the lemon scent."

Jin Xi looked reluctantly at the humidifier. "Then our home will buy lemon scented essential oils in the future."

"It's a deal."

"A deal..."

Huh, wait, why did she make a deal with him?!

Note from Author: Approved, get married on the spot.