The White Moonlight of Three Male Leads - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Yi Xiangsui

Whether it could be called a budding friendship was still unclear, but Yi Xiangsui was undeniably awkward. He had originally been standing there to wait for his new friend. But after overhearing that “truthful” comment from his new friend, he ended up coughing lightly and striding off in a hurry.

He walked so fast, it was like something ferocious was chasing him from behind.

Song Yuyan stared in a daze at the protagonist’s retreating figure. The protagonist’s presence was overwhelming—he somehow walked off with an aura of untouchable dominance.

“Song Yuyan: “It’s like black mist was rolling behind him.”
He hadn’t even gotten the chance to touch the hem of the robe before the black cloak had already swept past him and disappeared.

System: “There was no black mist.”

Song Yuyan didn’t explain. That was just his added special effect for the protagonist—a casual comment. Whoever takes that seriously loses.

Doesn’t every lively optimist need a rich inner world?

“Let’s go!”

…

In the days that followed, Song Yuyan and the protagonist got along increasingly well.

Their harmony came from the fact that he and Yi Xiangsui now greeted each other every day, saying good morning, and the frequency of Song Yuyan turning his head and Yi Xiangsui poking him with the eraser-end of a pencil both significantly increased.

Every time Yi Xiangsui poked him, Song Yuyan would jolt as if struck by lightning, his spine instinctively snapping upright like a pine tree.

Song Yuyan: “I hereby unilaterally declare that we are now friends!”
System: “What kind of friends? Also, you know it’s unilateral—so it doesn’t count!”

Song Yuyan chuckled coldly.
“Aren’t you a system? Use your data to calculate—shouldn’t I be the protagonist’s closest classmate by now?”

The system fell silent. Song Yuyan knew it had gone off to analyze.

And he wasn’t the least bit afraid.

Sure, they only said a few words and greeted each other every day, but the point was—the protagonist only did that with him!

The moment something is wrapped in the shell of “uniqueness,” the emotions involved feel special and distinct.

In fact, when Song Yuyan first realized this, he didn’t feel smug. Instead, he had this inexplicable sense of guilt.

It was like… secretly dating someone.
But clearly, they weren’t dating.

It must be because the protagonist is male, likes males, and somehow resonates with him. The protagonist treats him specially, so that’s why he’s having thoughts like this.

They had only known each other a few days—at most they were just friends.

He’s here to study. Academics are the priority. Friendship comes second. All those messy thoughts about dating—get lost!

Huo Enlin was just talking about a video game when he noticed Song Yuyan’s expression changing rapidly. He couldn’t help but ask, “Song, what’s up with you?”

Song Yuyan hadn’t snapped out of it yet. “…I want to talk.”

“Talk about what?” Huo Enlin was confused.

Song Yuyan looked at him with a mysterious expression. “Talk about life.”

Now that’s a heavy topic! But when it came to that, Huo Enlin had a lot to say. He had plenty of thoughts about life and the world, and he had just been looking for someone to talk to.

Behind them, Yi Xiangsui’s expression darkened slightly.

He could talk to Song Yuyan about life too.

He thought they were already good friends, but now he realized there was still a great distance between them.

No—worse, there was a Huo Enlin between them.

Luckily, class started soon after. For the first time ever, Yi Xiangsui found himself looking forward to class.

Song Yuyan always focused hard during lessons. After all, this wasn’t just a one-off disguise—this persona had to be maintained long-term. When it was time for him to leave, the system would piece together a video to make the protagonist believe everything he’d experienced was real.

Knowing Song Yuyan wouldn’t respond during class, Huo Enlin shut his mouth awkwardly.

The teacher lectured energetically, then left time for them to work on problems. Just after finishing his worksheet, Song Yuyan suddenly sat up straight.

A familiar rush of excitement crept up his spine and exploded in his brain, sending tingles to his scalp.

He turned his head slowly, only to see Yi Xiangsui’s flawless face staring back at him.

He was dead.

Dead, but still forcing himself to sit up straight and act normal.

Song Yuyan tried to keep calm. “Hmm? Something up?”

Yi Xiangsui twitched his ear. He hadn’t yet realized that Song Yuyan used a completely different tone when speaking to him versus speaking to Huo Enlin.

There was a subtle seductive pull in that lowered voice that made Yi Xiangsui feel inexplicably tense and uneasy.

“Just a question about this problem,” Yi Xiangsui said, then pushed his paper and pencil toward Song Yuyan.

Song Yuyan picked up the pen and frowned in concentration.

Yi Xiangsui’s eyes fixated on Song Yuyan’s hand.

His skin was really pale—almost glowing.

His eyes were dark, lashes fluttering like black butterfly wings. Even the blackness seemed to shimmer.

Yi Xiangsui looked away nervously.

Just then, he heard Song Yuyan say, “Got it! I figured it out!”

His face lit up with a genuine smile.

Song Yuyan felt it—the magic of math.

Look, the protagonist was stunned. Math was the lover of many people’s dreams—and the nightmare of even more!

Yi Xiangsui froze.

At that moment, the sky was clear and bright.

But in his eyes, that smile was brighter than sunlight.

It was too vivid. In the noisy background, it stood out as the only splash of vibrant color.

Yi Xiangsui lowered his head and listened carefully as Song Yuyan explained the problem.

After the explanation, Song Yuyan noticed how obedient the protagonist looked—so well-behaved, it made you want to ruffle his hair.

Song Yuyan: “This isn’t right. The protagonist isn’t supposed to be this well-behaved…”

Yi Xiangsui was beautiful and sharp, and his oversensitivity gave him a certain arrogance. He usually looked down on people—like a rich young master.

Spoiled and extreme. People who hated him really hated him, but people who liked him also liked him a lot.

He never bowed to anyone. Even when he opened his mouth, he never spoke nicely.

Back in school, he only had one friend: the neighboring childhood sweetheart.

But now? The protagonist could talk just fine.

Song Yuyan asked, “Did you understand?”

“I did,” Yi Xiangsui said slowly, his dark eyes fixed on him. “You’re really smart.”

Song Yuyan pressed his lips together. Who said Yi Xiangsui couldn’t talk nicely? Look at that sincere face and expressive gaze—if he didn’t have such good self-control, he’d already let the protagonist taste the pains of youth.

But the protagonist was so obedient. Better to save the heartbreak of love for after graduation.

For now, Yi Xiangsui could just suffer through academic misery with him.

Song Yuyan replied dryly, “You’re pretty smart too.”

Even he didn’t believe that.

Neither did Yi Xiangsui, his deskmate, his front-desk deskmate—or even Yi Xiangsui himself.

Studying isn’t everything, but for high schoolers, it’s still the main way to prove themselves.

After finishing the compliment, Song Yuyan turned back around.

Yi Xiangsui stared at his back for a while before laying his head down on the desk and gazing out the window.

This time, he didn’t see any birds.

Instead, what filled his vision was a huge face.

Chubby cheeks make your face look bigger, and Zhang Yuan couldn’t help it.

He didn’t care about looks, but compared to Yi Xiangsui’s face, he suddenly wanted to vanish from his line of sight.

The contrast was too brutal!

Sitting next to Yi Xiangsui meant no one would give him love letters for the next three years!

Crying on the inside, Zhang Yuan outwardly frowned. “Want to sit closer to the window? We could switch seats?”

Yi Xiangsui jerked his head around and flopped back on the desk.

He spun his pencil in his hand. Like hell he’d switch seats with Zhang Yuan. If he were switching, it’d be with Huo Enlin!

Yi Xiangsui said nothing, but his silence was incredibly loud.

Someone who liked him might find his awkwardness adorable—but to Zhang Yuan and most of the boys in class, he just came off as arrogant.

No friends. And no girlfriend either!

The day passed uneventfully.

After school, Song Yuyan walked outside the gates. As usual, the protagonist had already vanished without a trace.

He rubbed his chin. Maybe Yi Xiangsui had developed a special ability that boosted his speed?

Or maybe his shoes weren’t normal—maybe they added speed?

A real-life Speedy Gonzales?

The thought made Song Yuyan chuckle.

On his way to the gates, he greeted every classmate he ran into with enthusiasm.

The system was impressed. “You’ve only been here a few days and already have friends everywhere!”

Song Yuyan didn’t respond. He just smiled—then that smile collapsed.
“What good is that? I still have to walk home on my own.”

He walked alone. Pathetically alone.

All that energy and friendliness—nowhere to go.

He and the protagonist were neighbors. He had just moved in. But Yi Xiangsui moved too fast, always vanishing like someone was chasing him.

By the time Song Yuyan left school, there was never any sign of him.

So after all these days, Yi Xiangsui still hadn’t realized they lived in the same neighborhood—even the same building.

Song Yuyan strolled along. The evening air was cool, moonlight gentle. With the noise of the day gone, teenage worries spread freely in the night.

Random thoughts filled his head. He carried his backpack over one shoulder, walking with the unhurried ease of youth.

He was admiring the scenery, not knowing he had become someone else’s scenery.

Through a car window.

Yi Xiangsui sat in a car, looking out the window, and the first person he saw was Song Yuyan.

Though they were now friends, sitting in the car, he suddenly felt overwhelmed by social anxiety.

Could they be closer? But if he went over now, would it be too much?

Deep down, Yi Xiangsui was incredibly sensitive. He overthought everything, and in the end, backed off because of it.

The driver up front asked if he should pull over.

Yi Xiangsui shook his head. “Forget it. Just keep driving.”

The car resumed its normal speed. Then Yi Xiangsui suddenly said, “You don’t need to pick me up tomorrow. I’ll go home on my own.”

He lived with his grandmother in this small town, but his family wasn’t short on money. He had a regular driver to pick him up every day.

But now, he wanted to try a different way of going home.

Chatting with a friend while walking—that’s kind of romantic, right?

No, wait—that word snuck in by mistake. Yi Xiangsui’s cheeks flushed slightly. The wind from the window cooled his face.

He kept a straight face, staring expressionlessly at the passing scenery before shutting his eyes.

He was used to these views. But now, somehow, they felt dull—like something was missing.

His long fingers pinched the bridge of his nose.
Suddenly, he was looking forward to tomorrow.

But… today wasn’t over yet.

That night, Song Yuyan dragged his exhausted body home. After putting down his backpack, he flopped onto the bed.

System: “Aren’t you going to study?”

Song Yuyan: “Ugh… I feel completely drained.”

System: “Then why’d you bring your backpack home?”

If you’re not studying, there’s no use for the backpack. It’s heavy. You bring it home one day and carry it back the next. Even the system’s CPU couldn’t make sense of this behavior.

That question actually brought Song Yuyan back to life…