Breeze

Chapter 11 - Confession

In the days following that morning in Yibo’s apartment, an awkward tension began to build between Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo. Neither of them spoke about the closeness they had shared in bed, the teasing words, or the undeniable shift in their dynamic. Instead, they pretended nothing had changed, even though it was impossible to ignore the way their friendship now seemed heavy with unsaid things.

Yibo had withdrawn. He avoided lingering too long around Xiao Zhan, kept conversations short, and would find excuses to leave whenever they were alone. He became quieter, always on edge, as if afraid that one wrong move would shatter whatever fragile equilibrium they had.

Xiao Zhan noticed. And the more Yibo pulled away, the more Zhan regretted his playful teasing that morning. Did I overwhelm him? Was I too forward? These thoughts circled in his mind, gnawing at him day after day. He wondered if Yibo had been uncomfortable the entire time. Maybe he had crossed a line.

Their friends noticed the shift too.

Yixuan, always observant, was the first to point out the elephant in the room.
“What’s going on with you two?” he asked one afternoon as they gathered in the university courtyard, his eyes darting between Zhan and Yibo.

“Nothing,” Yibo mumbled, his gaze fixed on his phone, as if the conversation didn’t concern him. Xiao Zhan shrugged off the question with a vague smile, but Yixuan wasn’t convinced.

Bai Shu, who had been busy with his new girlfriend, had caught onto the tension as well. “You guys have been weird,” he said, during a lunch break.

“Is this about that sleepover?” His tone was teasing, but Zhan’s awkward silence and Yibo’s faint blush confirmed that something had happened.

It wasn’t just the small moments of awkwardness that their friends noticed. There were missed opportunities too—moments when Yibo would instinctively look to Zhan, only to stop himself before saying something. And Zhan would notice and feel the growing distance between them, uncertain how to bridge the gap.

There was a moment in the library, just a week after that night, when they had both reached for the same book, their fingers brushing lightly. Instead of laughing it off like they used to, Yibo had pulled his hand back immediately, as if burned, his face stiff with discomfort. Zhan had forced a smile, but his heart sank a little more.

Things came to a head ten days later during a group hangout. Bai Shu had invited everyone to join him and his girlfriend at a café near the campus. Xiao Zhan, Yibo, Yixuan, and a couple of others tagged along, though the air between Yibo and Zhan remained heavy with the unresolved tension.

The girl in question—Bai Shu’s girlfriend’s friend—was introduced to Yibo. She was bright, charming, and it didn’t take long for her to take an interest in him. Over the course of the afternoon, she gravitated toward Yibo, laughing at his jokes, brushing her hand against his arm, and engaging him in conversation.

Xiao Zhan watched, the pit in his stomach growing. The feeling was unfamiliar, ugly, and unmistakable—jealousy. He hated it. Every time the girl leaned closer to Yibo, every time Yibo responded politely, Zhan felt a knot tightening in his chest. His eyes kept flickering toward Yibo, hoping for some sign that he wasn’t enjoying the attention, but Yibo remained his usual composed self, offering polite responses but nothing more.
And then it happened.

They were standing outside the café when she asked. “Yibo, do you want to go out with me sometime?”

Her voice was casual, but it was clear she was serious. The entire group froze, and Zhan’s heart leapt into his throat. Yibo looked startled, clearly unprepared for the direct question. His eyes darted briefly to Xiao Zhan—just for a second—but the moment felt like an eternity. Zhan's heart raced, his jealousy burning like fire, but he couldn’t say anything. He just stood there, the world spinning around him.