No, that’s not right. What’s the hurry? The class teacher is still here.
Qi Juan swallowed the crushed sugar residue, slowly turned around, and covered his wrist with his hand while holding his abdomen. He hooked the corner of his mouth and said, “If it hits me, what will Laoshi use to compensate me?”
“…”
Yu Yue Sheng was momentarily speechless, his face looking quite conflicted. Silently, he reached his large hand into Qi Juan’s thin clothes, covering the other’s icy abdomen. His hand movements indeed trembled, not appearing to be a pretense.
“Does it really hurt?”
“Yeah. It hurts here too.” Qi Juan covered his hand and moved it downward. When his fingertips slid across the soft skin, a slightly beautiful curve formed. His pair of pitch-black eyes also returned brightly.
“Understood.” Yu Yue Sheng simply let his eyelashes fall, no longer looking at him. He sat beside him and slowly massaged the painful areas.
Qi Juan remembered how he used to play with a cat – the little cat would lazily meow and occasionally rub against his palm.
He felt like an incredibly comfortable cat now, offering his soft belly to this slim, pale hand. He even felt like surrendering to the gentle touch, gradually becoming tender and melting.
As the cold and painful sensation eased a bit, not as unbearable as before, Qi Juan leaned on his arms and sat up. It seemed to be for the first time that he said earnestly, “Much better, thank you, Laoshi.
“Mm.”
Not even three minutes had passed before Qi Juan added, “Reciprocity is important, Laoshi. Let me teach you a trick.”
Yu Yue Sheng paused before asking, “What is it?”
“The thing Auntie worried about for you last time, your attitude is too indifferent. When you meet a girl you like, Laoshi should learn to comfort her, say some sweet words.”
Yu Yue Sheng’s face darkened and his back stiffened a bit. No wonder Qi Juan’s mother had mistaken him for Qi Juan’s classmate the last time; being called ” Laoshi” by Qi Juan sometimes made him feel more like an unprovoked, unapproachable senior.
After a long time, Qi Juan even thought the person might scold him for interfering, only to hear a somewhat awkward sentence squeezed out between his teeth: “How do you comfort someone?”
Qi Juan’s lips curled playfully, his courage growing. “Well, if the girl tells you that her stomach hurts,” he held Yu Yue Sheng’s hand and placed it on his lower abdomen, demonstrating with flair, “Laoshi can say, ‘My darling, is your stomach feeling better? Let Gege give you a little massage. At this point, you can kiss while the massaging.”
Between each breath, a moist and damp feeling, still carrying a crisp fruitiness with a hint of sweet orange. Qi Juan stifled a laugh as he looked at him, his deep eyes seeming to be filled with stars.
“Where did you learn that?” Yu Yue Sheng frowned.
“Probably from TV. They often act like this on TV. This is live instruction, Laoshi . Can’t you just see me as a girl for a moment and practice?” Qi Juan looked at himself, “Although there are some areas, well, they are kind of flat…”
Yu Yue Sheng fixed his gaze and interrupted him. “Smoking, drinking, getting into fights, being one of the school’s top troublemakers, and carelessly going on stage to read self-criticism during the monthly flag-raising ceremony… Is there really a girl like that?”
Qi Juan chuckled and lowered his head. “Maybe there is.”
Seeing that Yu Yue Sheng was not as serious as before, just a bit irritated, he even felt like grabbing the other person’s chin and forcing him to meet his gaze.
Since he never considered himself a good seedling, why not fully embrace this unruly spirit? He decided to continue with this mischievous and rascally attitude, giving the teacher a good look.
Qi Juan rolled over and pressed down on Yu Yue Sheng’s shoulders, holding him down. The wind gently swayed the curtains, making subtle rustling sounds. His Adam’s apple moved up and down slightly, and a delicate feeling stirred in his heart.
Just a moment ago, Qi “Laoshi” was confidently explaining things, but now his breath caught. His eyelashes trembled hesitantly, and he avoided eye contact for a few moments before daring to look at the other person. However, he was pleased to see himself reflected in those beautiful eyes.
When he leaned down affectionately, Yu Yue Sheng turned his face away.
In a moment of excitement, his stomach also twitched. Qi Juan absentmindedly rubbed the cloth covering his abdomen. Unable to resist, he collapsed and buried himself in Yue Sheng’s neck, inhaling a breath of cool air with fatigue and weight.
“Does it hurt?” Yu Yue Sheng moved a little, realizing that he couldn’t free himself.
“Not really,” Qi Juan buried his face and discreetly pinched his stomach, whispering, “I’m just demonstrating for you. If this troublemaker wants to play chase, this is how to do it…”
Damn, why does it feel like things are getting darker?
Yue Sheng said with a cold expression, “Get off.”
Qi Juan: “…”
He replied dryly with an “Oh,” and supported himself somewhat awkwardly with a pillow. Only then did he crawl away from Yue Sheng, rolling to the side and lying down with a relieved exhalation. His chest rose and fell for a while, and he couldn’t help but wish he could beat himself up for the impulsive moment.
They would have to live together for some time, and every time he looked at that face he had liked for so long, he couldn’t resist moving closer. Yet, as they got a bit closer, he felt like he could hear his own chaotic breathing, heartbeat, and even felt a bit intoxicated without any alcohol. How was this going to work?
Fortunately, Yu Yue Sheng didn’t bring up the matter again, and Qi Juan also restrained himself. They chatted aimlessly about unrelated topics, and in the end, both of them were exhausted. They each returned to their respective beds and fell asleep.
Qi Juan lay on the edge of the bed, watching Yu Yue Sheng already asleep. His sleeping posture was quiet and proper, with thin lips slightly pursed, showing a stubborn and proud demeanor.
Suddenly, he felt that maybe fate wasn’t treating him too poorly after all.
Someone who goes for a walk in summer sometimes hears a song lyric and wishes to return to the cold winter to see another beautiful snowfall; Some people, after finishing a year of school, read a novel for young people and often dream of returning to their high school days, wanting to relive them with tears streaming down;
And how many people, looking back often, realize that they have missed the person they liked, and even a chance encounter becomes difficult to repeat, leaving only a lingering regret.
So he wanted to see him, at least that night. As soon as he looked, it seemed as if time had never passed silently.
Qi Juan closed his eyes and tossed and turned without falling asleep. Obviously, he was extremely tired, but he liked to replay the events and experiences in his mind. The more he thought, the more melancholy he became.
Quietly, he reached for the coat he wore during the day, took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket, held them gently in his hand, and tiptoed out of the room, silently closing the door behind him.
The curtain was half drawn, outlining a serene starry sky on the window frame. Qi Juan tiptoed out onto the balcony in his cotton slippers. Without turning on the light, he lit a cigarette by the faint glow of the street lamp. The spark of the flame reflected in his eyes and disappeared in an instant.
After a few puffs, he felt a little uncomfortable in his stomach. He wrapped his clothes tightly around him and returned to the living room, where he lay down on the sofa. Enduring the pain, he continued smoking, letting his slender arm hang down and lazily flicking cigarette ash into the trash can.
Reminding himself not to fall asleep, he urged himself to finish the cigarette quickly, dissipate the smell of smoke, and slip back into the room. But his eyelids fought against each other and he felt as if he hadn’t slept for centuries.
As the cigarette burned to the end, the ash slid gently from his fingertips.
The stars gradually faded, and the sky began to brighten. A few rays of sunlight pierced through the misty sky, casting a diagonal glow through the French windows.
The person on the sofa turned over, and his hand instinctively pressed against the aching stomach. When the thin eyelids struggled to open, his mind suddenly cleared.
Qi Juan rubbed his face and quickly got up.
As sunlight brushed over his eyes, making the pupils clear and transparent, the black dots in the middle shrank several times. He couldn’t help squinting. His body, surprisingly, woke up faster than his thoughts. Pinching his stomach with his fingers, he slowly bent down.
Perhaps due to the ongoing growth, he had been unusually hungry lately, and hunger tore at his stomach like a rupture. His gaze subconsciously went towards the direction of the wall clock. Staring at the empty wall for a moment, he realized he wasn’t in his own home, and his phone was probably left in Yu Yue Sheng’s room.
Qi Juanpicked up the cigarette butt, wrapped it in some tissues from the coffee table, and stuffed it into his pocket. As he patted the wrinkles on the pillow and prepared to place it neatly on the sofa, he noticed that the pillow had somehow gotten a hole from the cigarette, with the edges charred and a few strands of fine fluff escaping.
Glancing at the tightly closed door, he decided to take out his phone and see if he could find a similar pillow on an online shopping platform. It wasn’t until his hand reached into the deflated pocket that he felt puzzled and a few words rolled through his mind: “I’m in trouble.”
He quickly turned the pillow to hide the damaged side, intending to brave it and retrieve his phone from the room. His fingers rested on the doorknob, pushing it down slowly and gently.
He held his breath, his heart beating faster and faster.
Just as Qi Juan pushed open the door and walked in with a slightly crouched posture, he suddenly heard the familiar ringing tone of his phone.
Coincidentally, he had changed his ring tone to match Yu Yue Sheng’s. Now, the very thing he was looking for was undisturbed in its place from the night before.
… It happened to be under the pillow where Yu Yue Sheng slept.
What a damned coincidence.
Qi Juan lamented inwardly, propping himself up on the bed with one hand. When he reached out to grab it, he heard Yueyuesheng mumbling something in his sleep, but he couldn’t make out the words. Then Yu Yue Sheng turned to the side, reached under the pillow, and groped around.
Qi Juan quickly pulled his arm back, but he stumbled and fell. With a “bang,” he hit the tiled floor. Not only did his stomach hurt even more, but his slipper also got caught on his heel.
He awkwardly lifted his head, and just when he thought Yuyuesheng had woken up completely from the noise, he realized that Yuyuesheng was only groggily picking up his phone. After a few futile attempts to unlock it, Yu Yue Sheng immediately hung up the call.
Qi Juan raised his hand to rub his forehead, somewhat relieved. He was about to slowly lean back on the bed when both of their phones unexpectedly started ringing.
Yu Yue Sheng sat up and looked at Qi Juan. His eyes fell on the strange object around Qijuan’s ankle, and his eyebrows furrowed.
“This…” Qi Juan hurriedly sat down on the floor and tried to fix his slipper.
Yu Yue Sheng picked up the two cell phones from under the pillow and the bedside table. One call was from Han Xuan, and the other was from the class monitor Cheng Yuanyuan. Without a second thought, he threw one of the phones to the frozen figure with a strand of hair sticking out, who was busy adjusting his slipper.
The other party immediately answered the call. Qijuan checked the screen, and Han Xuan had already hung up. After a few seconds of silence, the WeChat messages of the other two started ringing simultaneously, like a happy duet.
Yu Yue Sheng picked up the clothes next to the mattress and threw them at Qijuan’s face, who was getting ready to go back to sleep.
Qi Juan: “…”
He felt as if the world had suddenly turned pitch black.
Yu Yue Sheng added indifferently: “It’s seven o’clock.
“What?” Qi Juan quickly pulled down his jacket and put on the sleeves. “Damn it, doesn’t morning study start at six?”
Wait, why was he in such a hurry? The class teacher was still here.
On second thought, both of them were late… how would they explain that?
Yu Yue Sheng finished washing the dishes, walked to the door and answered a new incoming call, “You look at the podium first, I’m almost there… Is Qi Juan cutting class again?” Yu Yue Sheng looked in the direction of the bathroom and added, “Write it down in your notebook.
The person who had already written it down in a small notebook was still struggling with stomach acid at the sink. He splashed some cold water on his face and walked out with a pale face. Qi Juan grabbed his backpack from the sofa and slung it casually over his shoulder. One moment he looked energetic, the next moment a stomach cramp hit him. Unable to bear it, he crouched down next to Yu Yue Sheng, grabbed Yu Yue Sheng’s pant leg, and whispered, “Can you wait a little? It suddenly hurts so much…”
On the other end of the phone, there was silence for a few seconds, then a cautious inquiry, “Teacher, is it Qi Juan?”
“You heard wrong.”
The slender fingers quickly pressed the lock screen button.
After the class monitor Cheng Yuanyuan hung up the phone, she reacted and exclaimed “Oh my god” repeatedly. A group of students around her was curious, and her desk mate tapped her, asking, “What happened? What did the teacher say?”
Cheng Yuanyuan slowly came back to her senses and said, “He said he’s almost here.”
“Oh—” someone elongated the sound.
Then someone else added, “Why did you say ‘oh my god’ then?”
Cheng Yuanyuan lowered her voice and said, “I, I think I heard a boy panting just now.”
“…” “Oh my god, what’s going on?” “It’s quite explosive early in the morning.”
For a few seconds, the surroundings fell silent, then suddenly erupted into a cacophony of gossip, with everyone discussing the situation.
“What are you chatting about during morning self-study!” At this moment, a louder voice suddenly drowned out the chattering. The head teacher stood at the classroom door, banging the iron door with his pointer.
Cheng Yuanyuan, facing the doorway, whispered, “Mr. Liu is here.”
The lively onlookers who were previously engrossed in the spectacle slumped back to their seats, holding textbooks listlessly, occasionally glancing with the corner of their eyes at the middle-aged man standing at the door with an angry expression.
The head teacher walked in with hands behind his back, spouting angrily, “Morning self-study is not over yet, and you’re not studying, just chattering away! Where is your class teacher? Where is the class monitor?” Cheng Yuanyuan stood up and said, “The class teacher is on his way. He’ll be here soon.”
“Alright, continue with your studies.” The head teacher, with a furrowed brow, processed the general idea, kicked a stool from the side of the platform towards the center, and sat down with authority, saying, “Why are you all looking so downcast? Haven’t had breakfast, have you? Stand up and read.”
After the sparse sound of moving desks and chairs, a large group of students stood below. The atmosphere inexplicably became extremely tense, with time ticking away second by second.
Cheng Yuanyuan read her book while taking advantage of the head teacher turning to look at other sections. She quietly crouched down, reached into the desk, and flicked the mute switch on the side of her phone. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, bringing phones to school was not allowed, but Yu Yue Sheng wasn’t strict about it and hadn’t made any demands.
Surrounded by the melodious sound of reading, Cheng Yuanyuan failed to notice that inside her desk, her phone screen kept flickering, and several prominent red dots appeared in the missed calls section. As for the urgency on the other end of the calls, she naturally remained oblivious.
rue: Heyy, i finally posted!! My exams are over and i have free time to translate again! I’ll update more chapters asap! Happy reading~
