Banana Panic

Jing Zhengxuan’s voice was soft when he uttered those three words,  almost like a murmur—inaudible unless you listened closely. But thanks to their height difference, Huai Xu’s ear happened to be right by Jing Zhengxuan’s mouth.  Combined with his sharp hearing, Huai Xu caught every syllable. “?” Jing Zhengxuan snapped back to reality and denied it.  “Nothing.” Huai Xu tilted his head, studying him.  He wanted to press further, but considering the injury on Jing Zhengxuan’s knee,  he decided it could wait. Like his meticulously organized room,  Huai Xu approached everything methodically,  always prioritizing tasks by urgency. Right now, Jing Zhengxuan’s wound was the top priority.  Everything else could be dealt with afterward. The Jing family’s driver was already waiting at the entrance of Jindai Film...

After getting Nian Jinsui’s reassurance,  Qin Chengyu finally relaxed,  closing his eyes and drifting into a deep sleep. Nian Jinsui glanced at the time and quickly called Nian Yixin to explain what had happened.  Worried that Nian Jinsui might be too exhausted to drive back safely, Nian Yixin arranged for a driver to pick them up. Hanging up, Nian Jinsui observed Qin Chengyu’s pale face and furrowed brows.  His lips mumbled softly, repeating, “Suisui, Suisui,” even in his sleep. A pang of sorrow struck Nian Jinsui’s heart.  Qin Chengyu had suffered so much growing up in the Qin family.  How could he not feel distressed? But soon, very soon, Qin Chengyu would rise above it all and reclaim what was rightfully his. Gently patting the back of Qin Chengyu’s hand, Nian Jinsui murmured soothingly,  “Chengyu, I’m here. Don’t be afraid.” When Qin Chengyu finally settled into a more peaceful sleep,  Nian Jinsui tried to step out for some fresh air....

Huai Xu stopped in his tracks.   The people discussing the topic were just as curious as he was.   "He has a partner? Then that girl must be drop-dead gorgeous, right?" "Ahem, not a girl." "Not… a girl?!" "It’s a guy—a super handsome one. Rumor has it they’ve been childhood friends, but they always claim they’re just friends in public." "So… he’s in the closet?"  "Some gay guys are like that, hiding it deep."   "..." Huai Xu: "..."   He hated his feet for not just keeping on walking.   What kind of nonsense was this? And with such vivid details, too.   Just as he was internally speechless, the gossip continued:   "Where’d you hear this?"  "My best friend goes to Jindai University. There’s a fandom group that ships them. Oh, and don’t spread this around—it’s top secret."   "Got it. Won’t tell a soul."   Huai Xu:  " =o= "   There’s a shipping group at Jindai University...

Wait a minute... Nian Jinsui suddenly recalled something—five years old? When Qin Chengyu was five, his parents were still alive... Looking at this cheerful and lively version of Qin Chengyu,  Nian Jinsui felt an ache in his chest, as though something heavy had rolled over his heart. If Qin Chengyu hadn’t endured the pain and loss that shaped his stoic nature,  would he have grown up as carefree and happy as the child standing before him? “Suisui Wifey, Wifey Suisui...” Nian Jinsui: ... Yet, he’s still insufferable.  His fists clenched involuntarily. “Qin Chengyu, shut up!” The stern rebuke immediately silenced Qin Chengyu,  who pouted and looked at him with teary eyes.  “Suisui, you’re so mean.” Forcing himself to calm down, Nian Jinsui softened his tone.  “Alright, Chengyu, how about you come to the hospital with me, hmm?” Qin Chengyu tilted his head.  “But Suisui, I’m not sick. Why do I have to go to the hospital?” “I’m the one who’s si...

After examining Qin Chengyu’s condition, the farmhouse host said,  “He’s experiencing hallucinations from mushroom poisoning. I personally cooked the soup, so it’s definitely not the problem. Likely, the mushrooms you grilled weren’t cooked long enough. You should also check with your other friends to see if anyone else feels unwell.” Nian Jinsui quickly called Chu Hejun to check. Chu Hejun, sitting in the car, nearly burst out laughing when he heard about Qin Chengyu’s condition.  Forcing himself to sound calm, he said,  “We’re all fine. I guess Qin Chengyu just got unlucky.” Driving the car, Chu Heting glanced at the smug expression on Chu Hejun’s face through the rearview mirror.  After confirming that Ning Liang’an was sound asleep in the passenger seat,  he asked quietly,  “Did you do something to him?” Chu Hejun shrugged, unconcerned.  “I just wanted to teach him a lesson. I gave him two slightly undercooked Green Caps. It’s not life-threat...

Chu Hejun approached Nian Jinsui, attempting to console him.  "Jinsui, don’t be upset. Maybe you can use this as an opportunity to consider other people." Nian Jinsui, oblivious to the subtle hint in Chu Hejun’s words, patted him on the shoulder and started consoling him instead. "You too. Just because you got rejected doesn’t mean you should feel down. You’re about to head abroad, right? There are plenty of handsome guys out there waiting for you to choose from." Chu Hejun’s expression instantly darkened as if he’d swallowed a fly.  Not only had Nian Jinsui rejected his confession, but now he was also enthusiastically encouraging him to look elsewhere.  Did Nian Jinsui dislike him that much? "Alright, enough about unpleasant things. Let’s get to grilling. I’m starving."  Nian Jinsui began picking out skewers.  "I’ll start with a sausage. Chengyu, do you want one?" Qin Chengyu nodded.  "Yes." "How about a broccoli skewer too...

Nian Jinsui cleared his throat, adopting a tone of faux seriousness.  "Liang’an, whether or not I like Chu Heting shouldn’t matter to you. What’s important is—do you like him?" Ning Liang’an looked up at Nian Jinsui, his eyes filled with surprise and hesitation. "But you—" Before Ning Liang’an could finish, Nian Jinsui cut him off.  "Let me give you an example. Imagine there’s a dish on the table. You want to eat it, and I want to eat it too. But this dish only wants to be eaten by you, not by me. If you take the dish, I’ll just find something else to eat. But if you don’t take it, I’ll just sit here, staring at it, knowing I can’t have it. Isn’t that worse?" Ning Liang’an seemed to grasp the metaphor, his expression contemplative.  "But if I take the dish, won’t Young Master Nian be upset? You’ve been so kind to me—I don’t want you to be unhappy." Nian Jinsui felt a pang...

This gathering wasn’t part of the original plot,  so Nian Jin sui assumed nothing unexpected would happen. After getting Chu Hejun’s approval, he decided to bring Qin Chengyu along. By now, it had become a habit for Nian Jin sui to include Qin Chengyu in nearly all his outings. Qin Chengyu drove them to the venue on time, following the navigation system.  Chu Hejun, Chu Heting, and Ning Liang’an arrived in the same car and were already waiting. The moment Ning Liang’an saw Nian Jinsui, he excitedly ran over to chat, clearly thrilled after not seeing him for a while. Meanwhile, the three men left on the sidelines each had their grievances. Chu Heting, who was still only in an ambiguous stage with Ning Liang’an, felt irked seeing how warmly Ning Liang’an treated Nian Jinsui. Chu Hejun, hoping to create fond memories with Nian Jinsui before leaving, found himself unable to get a word in edgewise because of Ning Liang’an on one side and Qin Chengyu on the other. And Qin Ch...

Qin Chengyu pressed his lips together subtly,  forcing himself to look away from Nian Jin sui’s exposed lower back. "Heh."   Nian Jinsui didn’t believe him.  He thought Qin Chengyu was just being nice and unwilling to concede.  Unwilling to back down, Nian Jin sui huffed,  "Sure, your body is well-trained, but… but…" His voice trailed off as he struggled to come up with something.  Then it hit him. Nian Jin sui’s eyes lit up.  "But this, you don’t have!" Turning around, he tugged down the waistband of his swim trunks slightly,  revealing the small dimples of Venus at his lower back. The sudden movement startled Qin Chengyu, but fortunately,  Nian Jin sui only lowered the band a little to show his dimples,  stopping before revealing anything inappropriate. "Look at these,"  Nian Jin sui declared proudly.  "These dimples of Venus are a hallmark of a great figure. Do you have them?" Though he knew they were more common...

Nian Jin sui was still unwilling to concede.  "Hey, it’s not my fault you’re flicking so lightly. Just wait—I’ll show you what a golden middle finger is all about in the next round!" "Mm."  Qin Chengyu, utterly unbothered by Nian Jin sui’s childish threats,  nodded calmly, as though he already knew the outcome. "Rock, paper, scissors!" The result was predictable. Nian Jin sui’s lips twitched. Seriously?  Could the supervillain archetype extend to being unnaturally skilled at rock-paper-scissors? Does this mean I’ll never get to flick Qin Chengyu’s forehead?! How am I supposed to complete the assessment task now? Noticing that Nian Jin sui’s motives seemed more complicated,  Qin Chengyu asked sharply,  "Jin sui, what are you trying to do? Just tell me directly." "It’s nothing, really…"  Nian Jin sui hesitated, carefully choosing his words.  "It’s just that sometimes people have random impulses, like wanting to hit someone fo...