Chapter 2232: Love Trapped in the Fate Loop 31

Raindrops outside the window tapped the glass, Xie Guan stared at the math problem in front of him for ten minutes, his pen tip drawing one meaningless circle after another on the scratch paper.

He irritably scratched his head, crumpled the paper into a ball, and tossed it into the already half-full trash can.

"Wrong."

Xie Guan muttered under his breath, glanced at the clock on the wall: three fifteen in the afternoon.

Fifteen minutes had passed since Jin Chen said he'd come over after class.

This idiot.

Xie Guan forced himself to refocus on the problem, but his ears involuntarily caught the sounds from the hallway outside.

When the sound of the key turning in the lock finally rang out, his spine straightened involuntarily, and his pen tip poked a small black dot on the paper.

"I brought coffee and croissants." Jin Chen's voice, accompanied by a gust of cold air, flowed into the small apartment.

He shook the water off his umbrella and stood the wet umbrella in the rack by the door.

Xie Guan didn't look up, pretending to focus on the problem before him, his tone steady, as if he didn't care.

"Didn't you say you'd be here by two-thirty?"

Jin Chen chuckled lightly, placed the paper bag and coffee cup on the edge of the desk, right within Xie Guan's line of sight.

The coffee's aroma immediately spread, mingling with the faint sandalwood scent on Jin Chen.

Xie Guan secretly took a deep breath; the smell seemed to shoot straight into his bloodstream, making his fingertips tingle slightly.

"There was a sudden group discussion." Jin Chen took off his coat, casually draped it over the chair back, then naturally sat on the edge of the bed beside Xie Guan.

"What, did you miss me?"

"Who said I missed you!"

Xie Guan immediately retorted, letting out a hum, "I just… am used to following the plan."

Jin Chen gave a noncommittal smile and opened his laptop.

He wore a dark gray shirt today, which made his jawline more distinct.

Xie Guan caught a glimpse of his profile in his peripheral vision and tilted his head slightly.

"Focus on your problems, future junior." Jin Chen teased without looking up, fingers tapping the keyboard, "I specially came to be your study supervisor."

Xie Guan forced his gaze back to the workbook.

But Jin Chen's presence was too strong—the sound of his typing, occasional light coughs, even the rhythm of his breathing—felt like tangible things constantly tugging at Xie Guan's attention.

Twenty minutes passed, and Xie Guan found himself unconsciously drawing Jin Chen's side profile on the scratch paper.

He abruptly stopped his pen, frustratedly crumpling the paper into a ball.

Too weird.

Back when he lived in that apartment, no matter how noisy the upstairs and downstairs were, even Zhao Chunmei's midnight fish-chopping sounds couldn't disturb him in the slightest.

Now, however, it's quiet around his ears, but his mind is not.

"Can't you do it?"

Jin Chen's voice suddenly sounded in his ear, startling Xie Guan so much he nearly jumped out of his chair.

"Who can't do it." Xie Guan said gruffly, feeling his cheeks heat up.

Jin Chen had somehow already stood behind him, leaning over to look at his workbook.

"This problem," Jin Chen's breath brushed Xie Guan's ear.

Jin Chen reached out, took Xie Guan's pen, and wrote several lines of formulas on the scratch paper.

His fingers were long and strong, with distinct knuckles and neatly trimmed nails.

Xie Guan realized he was staring blankly at that hand until Jin Chen returned the pen, his fingertips lightly grazing the back of Xie Guan's hand.

"Do you understand?" Jin Chen asked, his voice tinged with amusement.

"... Yeah."

The sandalwood scent on Jin Chen grew richer now, blending with the freshness of rain and the bitterness of coffee into a unique aroma that sped up Xie Guan's heartbeat.

"Then let's continue." Jin Chen ruffled Xie Guan's hair and sat back down on the edge of the bed.

Continue.

Xie Guan gripped the pen tightly.

... Continue my ass.

Xie Guan realized he could focus even less.

His gaze kept drifting toward Jin Chen, watching him frown slightly in concentration before the computer screen.

"Xiao Guan." Jin Chen suddenly closed his laptop, his voice low.

Xie Guan snapped back to attention, seeing Jin Chen looking at him with a half-smile.

"You've been staring at me for five minutes and haven't written a single character."

Jin Chen stood up, walked slowly toward Xie Guan, "It seems my presence really does affect your studying."

Xie Guan: "……"

Xie Guan felt a wave of shame rise up.

He could even notice that, did Jin Chen grow eyes on his back?

Jin Chen had already walked behind him and suddenly reached out to snatch the workbook from in front of him.

"Don't move."

Xie Guan froze in place, feeling Jin Chen's hands cover his eyes.

Suddenly plunged into darkness, his other senses became sharper.

He smelled the faint fragrance on Jin Chen's wrist, heard his steady breathing, and could even feel his chest temperature through the fabric.

"What are you doing."

Xie Guan tried to make his voice sound impatient, but the tail end trembled uncontrollably.

Jin Chen didn't answer, one hand still covering his eyes, the other sliding to the back of his neck, thumb lightly pressing the skin there.

Xie Guan involuntarily flinched, his whole body going limp.

"Someone seems unable to learn."

Jin Chen's voice was close to his ear, warm breath spraying onto Xie Guan's ear, "Do you need my help?"

"You can kiss, you can hug, that's what you said, Xie Xiaoguan."

Xie Guan opened his mouth to retort, but only a weak breath escaped.

Jin Chen's thumb continued to draw circles on the back of his neck, that tingling sensation spreading all the way to the end of his spine.

"I don't need it."

Xie Guan struggled in vain, but his body betrayed his words, unconsciously leaning back against Jin Chen's chest.

Jin Chen chuckled again, suddenly moving the hand that had been covering Xie Guan's eyes, but before Xie Guan could adjust to the light, his lips pressed against the ear.

"It was a touch so gentle it could hardly be called a kiss, yet it made Xie Guan's whole body tremble as if shocked by electricity."

"Use up all the energy on your random thoughts," Jin Chen's voice low and tempting, "then you won't have room to think of anything else."

The next second, Xie Guan felt himself turned, his back pressing against the edge of the desk.

Jin Chen braced his hands on either side of his body, trapping him between himself and the desk.

Xie Guan lifted his gaze to meet Jin Chen's eyes, where a heat burned that was both familiar and strange to him.

"Jin Chen." He whispered, his voice carrying a plea he himself hadn't noticed.

Jin Chen gave him no chance to continue speaking, lowering his head to seal his lips.

The kiss began soft, like a test, quickly becoming heated and prolonged.

Xie Guan felt his reason melting, his hands unconsciously climbing up Jin Chen's neck, pulling him closer.

The papers on the desk rustled from their movements, a pen rolled onto the floor with a crisp sound.

But Xie Guan had no spare attention for it.

When Jin Chen finally released him, Xie Guan was panting, his lips slightly numb.

He felt his mind go blank, all anxiety and pressure seeming to be drained from his body by that kiss.

Jin Chen lightly brushed his finger over Xie Guan's swollen lips, his voice tinged with a satisfied smile, "Try again to see if you can focus on the problems."

His tone was completely serious, as if he truly only had Xie Guan's ability to learn in mind.

Xie Guan glared at him, but the irritation in his eyes was gone.

Xie Guan tidied his disheveled clothes and sat back down in the chair.

Jin Chen returned to the bedside, reopened the computer, and quiet settled between them.

But this time, Xie Guan discovered he could truly focus on the problems before him, solutions springing forth like a spring.

He furtively glanced at Jin Chen, seeing him intently staring at the screen, his profile in the desk lamp's warm light looking especially gentle.

A warm current rose in Xie Guan's chest; he quickly lowered his head, focusing wholeheartedly.

And so he completely failed to notice the smile curling at Jin Chen's lips.

【Villain Heartthrob Value +5, total 85!】