News of the incident spread fast. Too fast.
By the time Chi Cheng and Wu Suo Wei got out of practice and saw the student group chat exploding, it had already escalated to:
"Cheng Yu beat someone in the editing lab."
"It was because of Xiao Shuai?"
"The guy ended up in the clinic!"
Chi Cheng dropped his phone. "What the hell..."
"Editing lab?" Suo Wei asked, voice trembling. "Xiao Shuai was there tonight. He was working on his final cut, he always goes late to avoid distractions–"
Chi Cheng was already dialing Cheng Yu.
But it was Suo Wei who got through first.
He watched the color drain from Suo Wei's face. "What?! Oh my God! Cheng Yu did what? Is Xiao Shuai okay? Are you–wait, okay... okay... I'll tell Chi Cheng. Call if anything changes."
He hung up and stared at Chi Cheng. "It was Meng Tao. He cornered Xiao Shuai in the lab. Tried to grab him. Cheng Yu walked in just in time and punched him out."
Chi Cheng's face hardened.
Wu Suo Wei clutched his arm. "Let's not go over. Cheng Yu said Xiao Shuai's with him now. He's safe."
Chi Cheng exhaled slowly. "I knew that bastard Meng Tao was trouble. Cheng Yu—he really hit him?"
"With his whole chest," Suo Wei murmured, eyes wide. "I think Xiao Shuai saw a side of him he didn't know existed."
Later That Night
Cheng Yu's apartment was quiet.
Too quiet.
The kind of quiet that settled after something stormy.
Xiao Shuai sat on the edge of Cheng Yu's bed, freshly showered, hair damp, wearing one of Cheng Yu's oversized black T-shirts. It smelled like him, like mint and sleep and something deeper.
The wrist Meng Tao had grabbed was slightly red.
Cheng Yu emerged from the bathroom, towel slung over his neck, sweatpants loose on his hips. His eyes, usually playful, were heavy. Still wired with worry.
"You okay?" he asked softly.
Xiao Shuai nodded. "Thanks for letting me stay here."
"You don't need to thank me," Cheng Yu said, drying his hair. "You should've been here a long time ago."
Silence.
Xiao Shuai looked up. "You hit him because of me."
"I hit him because he deserved it," Cheng Yu said, voice tightening. "But yeah. You were the reason I didn't stop after the first punch."
Xiao Shuai stood slowly.
Walked up to him.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Their eyes met.
"I was really scared, Cheng Yu."
"I know," Cheng Yu murmured. "But not anymore. Not as long as I'm here."
His hand cupped the side of Xiao Shuai's face. Thumb brushing under his eye.
There was a stillness.
Then, something shifted...
Their lips met.
Soft. Barely touching.
Then deeper.
It was gentle at first, a quiet release of all that tension, then messy with longing, fingers curling into fabric, bodies pressing closer like they needed to be sure it was real.
Xiao Shuai breathed out shakily as Cheng Yu leaned in, guiding him backward until his knees hit the bed. He lay back, and Cheng Yu followed, supporting his weight as his mouth moved to Xiao Shuai's neck.
"You're not afraid?" Cheng Yu whispered between kisses.
"No," Shuai gasped, arching into him. "Not with you."
Clothes were pulled away piece by piece. Not rushed, just explored.
Fingers grazing skin like it was sacred.
Xiao Shuai's breath hitched as Cheng Yu settled between his thighs, slow and deliberate, kissing down his chest, mouthing over his ribs, hands memorizing every inch of him.
"Tell me what you want," Cheng Yu murmured, breath warm against his stomach.
"I want you," Xiao Shuai whispered. "Just you. Tonight... stay with me."
"I'm not going anywhere," Cheng Yu promised.
Their bodies tangled together, sliding against each other, warm skin to skin. Moans broke the silence, soft at first, then louder, breathier.
Xiao Shuai clutched the sheets as Cheng Yu's mouth worked lower, teasing him with kisses and licks until he was trembling, hips twitching.
"Cheng Yu—!" Shuai whimpered, legs wrapping around his waist.
Cheng Yu kissed him again, swallowing his cry as they moved in sync, slow thrusts, hands gripping, gasping into each other's mouths, wrapped in something too real to deny.
It wasn't just lust.
It was every feeling they'd never said out loud.
Every fear finally met with warmth.
Every "I'm here" spoken through touch.
They came undone together, gasping, shaking, Cheng Yu holding him tightly, murmuring "I've got you" until the tremors passed.
Later, wrapped in blankets and warmth, Xiao Shuai pressed his face into Cheng Yu's chest.
"You stayed," he whispered.
Cheng Yu kissed the top of his head.
"I'm never leaving."