I Can Still Salvage It

The room was unusually quiet. Shen Mian was probably too shocked to make a sound. Sitting on the bed, holding the blanket, he looked like a violated little cabbage, looking at Pei Zhiyi with grievance and astonishment.

Pei Zhiyi also felt somewhat guilty. After all, he was the one who accepted that task.

But he could swear to the heavens that he didn’t have any malicious intent in seeing Shen Mian cross-dressing. It was purely because the system awarded high points for it, and after weighing the options, he couldn’t let it go.

But now, seeing Shen Mian’s trembling lips and the way he looked at him as if he were a pervert, it felt like he was being morally condemned.

Pei Zhiyi awkwardly cleared his throat and tried to console Shen Mian, “It’s just once, and only I will see it. No one else will know.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Mian threw a pillow at him. It was soft and didn’t hurt.

Shen Mian shouted at him in frustration, “Then why don’t you wear it?”

Pei Zhiyi paused for a second and truthfully replied, “The system didn’t ask me to.”

Shen Mian threw another pillow at him, let out a wail, and buried himself under the covers.

Pei Zhiyi had simply not reacted earlier, but now the shame surged within him like a tidal wave. Compared to that shameless task, even the shadow of death didn’t seem as terrifying.

Shen Mian didn’t recover from that blow even until the next morning.

During the morning self-study session, the test papers for the beginning-of-term exams were distributed. Shen Mian had made progress this time, ranking 38th. If it were before, he would have boasted and bragged to Xu Jing and the others. But that day, he glanced at it uninterested and casually threw it in the corner of his desk.

Even the teacher Ding Yi praised him for being more serious recently and asked him to keep it up, but he couldn’t muster any enthusiasm. He just frowned, looking unhappy.

The teacher was surprised and asked Pei Zhiyi, “What’s wrong with this guy? He’s not happy even though his grades have improved”

Pei Zhiyi smirked and lied to teacher Ding without blinking, “His stomach was hurting yesterday, so he couldn’t sleep well.”

Shen Mian looked at Pei Zhiyi expressionlessly.

Teacher  Ding said, nodding slightly, “Oh, I see. That’s why. I told you not to eat at the street vendors near the school back gate. The hygiene conditions are suspicious…”

Teacher Ding seized the opportunity and used it to lecture the students again about the hygiene issues with the snacks sold near the school back gate.

Shen Mian looked at him, with the words going in one ear and out the other, completely ignoring it. He casually started eating his packed lunch, which was rice balls sold near the school back gate. They were kept warm in a thermal lunch box and still retained their warmth.

Pei Zhiyi had bought the rice balls early in the morning, knowing that Shen Mian was still upset with him. He deliberately teased Shen Mian, saying, “Is it delicious?”

Shen Mian ignored him, took another big bite, turned away, and didn’t look at him.

Pei Zhiyi wasn’t annoyed either. He reached under the desk to grab Shen Mian’s hand. Shen Mian tried to pull away but couldn’t escape, so he had to turn around and look at Pei Zhiyi discontentedly.

Pei Zhiyi smiled lightly and wiped off the mayonnaise from the corner of Shen Mian’s mouth. “It’s smeared here. Why do you eat like a child and get it all over your face?”

That scene happened to be seen by Mu Lingling, who turned around to chat with Shen Mian. She exclaimed in her mind and even had the urge to take out her phone and capture the moment. However, when she saw the look in Pei Zhiyi’s eyes, she didn’t dare to.

Shen Mian finished eating the rice ball in a few bites, thinking that Mu Lingling wanted to talk to him. However, Mu Lingling placed a magazine in front of Shen Mian and asked, “Could you help me take a look? Which of these dresses looks better?”

Shen Mian almost choked on the last bite of the rice ball.

He widened his eyes to look at the pictures in the magazine, which were all cute outfits for girls, with lovely colors and styles, all of them short and revealed beautiful legs and rounded knees.

In the past, Shen Mian wouldn’t mind accompanying Mu Lingling shopping for outfits, as they had a good relationship. It was because he wasn’t like other teenage boys who were annoying, always making jokes about girls.

But that day, as he looked at those pretty and vibrant dresses, and then at Mu Lingling’s naturally calm face, he couldn’t help but feel aggrieved and asked, “Why are you asking me about this?”

He felt like the whole world was targeting him that day!

Mu Lingling was puzzled and said, “What’s wrong? I’m just asking which color you think looks good. This is me valuing your taste, okay?”

Pei Zhiyi couldn’t help but let out a short laugh beside them.

Shen Mian glanced at Pei Zhiyi resentfully, then looked at Mu Lingling seriously. “It’s better if you don’t . just found out I’m color-blind.”

Mu Lingling: “…”

She silently took the magazine back and ignored Shen Mian, deciding to continue discussing it with her girlfriends.

Shen Mian finished the remaining four classes unmotivated and finally reconciled with Pei Zhiyi after school.

His mother asked him to bring Pei Zhiyi home for dinner on the weekend, so Pei Zhiyi didn’t arrange for the driver to pick them up that day. They took the subway back home. In the crowded subway, Pei Zhiyi naturally enveloped Shen Mian in his arms, creating a small and peaceful space for him.

Shen Mian leaned against the railing. The subway was crowded, and the smell was not unpleasant but not pleasant either. However, there was a faint scent of sea salt coming from Pei Zhiyi, which made him feel refreshed and comfortable. He couldn’t help but lean towards Pei Zhiyi again.

He was no longer sulking.

After all, that was a 40-point super-expensive mission, worth more than two months of basic missions.

Besides, only Pei Zhiyi could see him in the dress anyway. How many times had he embarrassed himself in front of Pei Zhiyi from childhood to now?

When he was three years old, he fell into a mud pit, and it was Pei Zhiyi who pulled him out.

But he couldn’t help but tug at the button on Pei Zhiyi’s chest and ask, “Do you remember? The highest score for special missions is 100 points, but the dress-wearing mission only gives 40 points. What kind of bizarre mission is worth 100 points?”

Shen Mian couldn’t think of it. He looked at Pei Zhiyi with clear eyes. The last time he held hands with a girl dated back to kindergarten, so in his understanding, holding hands, hugging, and kissing were already intimate things. He hadn’t thought beyond that level.

Pei Zhiyi coughed. He hadn’t thought about that question before, but now that Shen Mian brought it up, certain images involuntarily flashed through his mind.

And Shen Mian was still looking at him in a dazed manner.

“I don’t know either. Let’s see how 007 announces it,” he calmly said.

Shen Mian didn’t ask any further.

Two minutes later, the subway arrived at their stop. Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi walked out of the underground passage together. It was drizzling outside, and Pei Zhiyi had brought an umbrella. The two squeezed under one umbrella and entered the house.

Lunch was already prepared at home. Shen Mian’s father made tomato beef stew, and as soon as Shen Mian entered, he smelled the aroma. While changing his shoes, he shouted to his father, “Dad, did you make salt and pepper shrimp for me?”

He had specifically requested it the previous day.

His father came out of the kitchen holding a pot. “Would I dare not make it? If I forget, you’ll definitely turn the house upside down.”

Shen Mian was satisfied.

Pei Zhiyi also smiled at Shen Mian’s parents. “Uncle, Auntie, I’m here again.”

His smile was much more sincere than usual at school.

Shen Changhe and Su Ying had taken care of Shen Mian since he was young and didn’t treat him as an outsider. They greeted him and asked if he and Shen Mian were still used to staying in the dormitory at school.

Pei Zhiyi answered all of their questions and even helped Shen Changhe cut vegetables. He was familiar with everything, as if he were in his own home.

Su Ying packed some cold dishes he had bought from a certain restaurant outside  and casually fed Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi, asking Pei Zhiyi, “Is it delicious? If you like it, we’ll go to this place next time.”

Pei Zhiyi nodded, “yes it tastes good.”

Shen Mian asked his mother, “Why don’t you ask me? Isn’t my opinion important?”

Su Ying scolded him, “You have too many things you love to eat. Even without this, there would be something else. I don’t need to worry about it.”

During their conversation, Shen Yu also heard the commotion and rushed down from upstairs. As soon as she saw Pei Zhiyi in the living room, she screamed and hugged him, loudly declaring, “Pei Zhiyi, I missed you so much!”

Pei Zhiyi was used to Shen Yu’s enthusiasm but still had a knife in his hand and couldn’t respond, so he could only nod.

Shen Mian was extremely speechless. He poked Shen Yu and said, “Miss, may I ask if you saw someone standing next to your little Pei Zhiyi? Does this person look a bit like your brother whom you haven’t seen for a week?”

Shen Yu couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to him because Shen Mian had sent her a message a couple of days ago, lying to her that Pei Zhiyi wouldn’t come.

She circled around Pei Zhiyi like an infatuated girl, her eyes sparkling, and asked, “Pei Zhiyi, we will have a cultural festival at our school. Will you come?”

Shen Mian, in his unsuccessful attempt to get his sister’s attention, could only grumble, “Just give yourself to Pei Zhiyi as a sister already.”

Shen Yu wasn’t afraid at all and said without lifting her head, “That would be great!”

She completely ignored her own brother.

After finishing lunch, Su Ying and Shen Changhe still had work to do, so they left first, reminding Shen Mian and Shen Yu not to just play around and to set aside some time for studying.

Shen Mian and Shen Yu half-heartedly agreed, and then they both lazily sprawled on the sofa, assuming the same posture. They truly lived up to being siblings.

Meanwhile, Pei Zhiyi was in the kitchen making fruit juice for the two of them.

In the natural light of the kitchen, he rolled up his sleeves to his wrists, revealing strong and powerful arm muscles, neatly styled black short hair, and a handsome and indifferent face. Even though he had a fruit knife in his hand, he looked like a male model from a magazine cover.

Shen Yu couldn’t resist and took a photo with her phone, immediately sharing it with her friends, and as expected, it received a chorus of screams.

As a teenager in the third year of junior high school, she could clearly tell between her brother and Pei Zhiyi, who would make a better perfect boyfriend. Although her brother was also handsome, when it came to boyfriend material, Pei Zhiyi outshined him by a mile.

She couldn’t help but worry. Even though she argued with Shen Mian every day, she didn’t want to see her brother end up lonely and unmarried.

She sighed deeply and said to her brother, “What are you going to do in the future? Will you be able to find a sister-in-law for me?”

Shen Mian didn’t understand and thought that Shen Yu was making fun of him, so he said with dissatisfaction, “Don’t underestimate me, Am I not handsome enough?”

Shen Yu looked at him sympathetically, “But you can only fool people with your face, you don’t know how to do housework or even cook, and you don’t have the attentiveness and thoughtfulness that Pei Zhiyi has. Even if a girl likes you, if you bring her out to meet Pei Zhiyi, she might change her mind.”

Shen Mian looked at Pei Zhiyi, then at himself, and couldn’t come up with a rebuttal for a moment.

Just then, Pei Zhiyi finished making the juice and brought it to them.

Shen Mian took the opportunity to hug Pei Zhiyi’s waist and said to Shen Yu, “It’s simple. I’ll let Pei Zhiyi be your brother-in-law, killing two birds with one stone. Mom and Dad won’t have to worry about my studies anymore.”

Shen Yu coldly laughed, “I think you’re daydreaming.”

Pei Zhiyi almost didn’t steady the tray in his hands.

But he quickly regained his composure and asked Shen Yu, “What are you talking about?”

Shen Yu took the juice and repeated the words from earlier.

Shen Mian rested his chin on Pei Zhiyi’s shoulder and pressed, “Tell me, will you be Shen Yu’s brother-in-law or not?”

Pei Zhiyi lowered his gaze, took a sip of the juice from Shen Mian’s cup, a mixture of pear and orange, sweet with a hint of sourness.

Then he answered in a low voice, “Yes.”

Shen Mian triumphed and looked smugly at Shen Yu.

Shen Yu was furious and pounced on her brother, starting a pillow fight on the sofa. They playfully fought, without using much strength, like kittens playfully scratching each other. It seemed like their mental age was not even three years old.

Meanwhile, Pei Zhiyi quietly watched them from the side, a smile lingering on his lips.