Chapter 63: First World: Nerds Fighting Over Cookies

Sleep paralysis is a temporary condition where you wake up from slumber unable to move or talk and Wen Qinxi thought he was experiencing this phenomenon when he suddenly woke up feeling constricted and immotile. Agitated, Wen Qinxi tried to lift his body but couldn't as a wave of prickly heat swept his underarms.

"Shit!" he cursed but was startled when he realised he could actually speak. When he had sleep paralysis before he could neither move nor speak. Undoubtfully flummoxed, he turned his head to the side only to find the reason why he couldn't move. Qie Ranzhe's two limbs were wrapped around him like an octopus wounding around him like a bower constrictor tenderising its soon-to-be feast.

Frustrated, Wen Qinxi couldn't go back to sleep so to pass-time he decided to chit chat with the guys in the game room. It would at least serve as a diversion from Qie Ranzhe's tranquil handsome face lying on the same pillow as him. 'Jolie, initiate communication channel passcode qieranzheisajerk,' said a motionless Wen Qinxi in his mind.

As soon as the communication channel opened, his mind was flooded with two men quarreling over something so stupid. "You fucker ate all my cookies. Do you know who gave me these?" yelled Hei Bao who is normally passive. Even if you take food that his about to place in his mouth, he never got angry. Let's just say, no matter how much Xia Bai bullied him he would never complain but today he actually got mad over cookies.

Xia Bai was sitting in his swivel office chair languidly chewing the last cookie with a guileful smile. "l know so what? Tell her to bake two batches next time. Doesn't she know they are two handsome geniuses in the team unless she likes you and excluded me on purpose. Wait... were they confession cookies?" said Xia Bai with the last part spoken with disingenuous concern. Hei Bao was so angry he could flip a table over a couple of times.

"So what if she likes me? She's pretty and nice, what's wrong with her liking me? You....you are such an asshole!" he yelled cursing out the devil that had just eaten all his cookies.

Wen Qinxi felt a headache creeping up on him so he decide to interject saying, 'Guys y-,' before both of them rudely cut him off.

"WHAT!" said both Xia Bai and Hei Bao looking at the screen.

Wen Qinxi, "....." The douchebags actually dared to yell at him. 'You fuckin disrespectful brats. You still dare eat in the game room! What's so fuckin special about those damn cookies that you have to disrespect this ancestor. Yo-________,' the rest wasn't heard with the Xia Bai brazenly muting the communication channel.

The two men looked at each for a second before Hei Bao asked, "He's really pissed off this time, isn't he?" looking pensive.

"Yep," replied Xia Bai feeling that the empty cookie tin was suddenly getting hot under his fingertips. He gave the cookie tin to Hei Bao before saying, "Don't accept cookies from her anymore. They were a little salty. I will make you better cookies," with a blank expression.

"Dage," said Hei Bao taking the tin from him with a baffled expression, "Do you even know how to make instant noodles?"

Xia Bai glanced over the screen while saying, "For you, l will learn plus l think l can do a better job than her. She didn't even do research otherwise she would have known that you don't like ginger cookies. If l were her l would have made you some macaroons," in a natural tone as though knowing Hei Bao's favorite cookies was nothing.

Hei Bao was dumbfounded hearing this but soon relaxed when he remembered that one of their after-work escapades involved eating together so its no surprise Xia Bai knew his favourite cookies. He was about to tell him not to bother himself with it when Xia Bai unmuted the communication channel but were met with this, '-ssholes. You think l won't fine you? This emperor will teach you mann______,' which led him to mute Wen Qinxi again.

Hei Bao, "..."

Xia Bai, "....."

"I guess he haven't cooled down let's give him sometime," said Hei Bao walking to his bag before stuffing the cookie tin that had started this wild fire into his bag. Out of sight out of mind. Wen Qinxi really had a short fuse and yelled for fifteen minutes straight. Jolie who was hanging around couldn't take it any more wishing it had ears so it could block out the yelling with some earplugs.

Wen Qinxi soon calmed down and everything went back to normal as they resumed their chit chat. "Wen Qinxi, your little brother came over today to see you. I told him he can visit you after his clearance is approved. He will have access by next week," said Xia Bai squeezing a Hello Kitty shaped anti-stress ball which Hei Bao always found hilarious. A grown man held a cute Hello Kitty anti-stress ball which was a gift from his younger sister.

Hearing this Wen Qinxi was about to thank him but had a sudden glint of inspiration and tried to figure out other people's reactions to what Qie Ranzhe said to him earlier. He replied saying, 'Thanks Xia Bai for this. This is why l like you,' while listening closely to hear his response. He wished he could see his face so as to gauge his reaction but could only rely on minute changes in his voice.

"l like you too," said Xia Bai in a calm collect tone as though unfazed.

'Huh,' said Wen Qinxi but he still wasn't satisfied by his research so he said the same thing to Hei Bao, 'Bao Bao l like you.'

"Aww that so sweet l like you too," said a giddy Hei Bao.

Unexpectedly Xia Bai glared at him saying, "You don't have to be that excited," before turning his face back to the anti-stress ball in his hand.

The system, "..." while watching such a scene thinking, 'Fuckin lab rats with redundant EQs. What do they know?'