SIIL Chapter 25

A candy wrapper left on the windowsill fluttered in the wind and landed on Chi Yu’s desk. Fu Zhi’an reached out, his pale, slender fingers lightly pinching the transparent wrapper, rubbing it gently between his fingers.

It was such a simple action, but it left Chi Yu’s heart pounding and his face flushed. He couldn’t tell if he was just being a hormonal teenager or if Fu Zhi’an was some kind of reincarnated fox spirit. Feeling the weight of Fu Zhi’an’s gaze on his face, Chi Yu’s ears burned with embarrassment. Trying to save face, he turned to meet Fu Zhi’an’s gaze, but those enticing eyes and the playful smile were too much for him.

He had hoped to create a tense standoff, but instead, it ended up with him retreating in defeat.

The boy beside him awkwardly turned his head away, but the blush spreading across his fair neck betrayed his nervousness. His fingers fidgeted anxiously, intertwining tightly. Fu Zhi’an’s teasing smile softened as he scooted his chair a little closer, the edge of his seat now crossing the line between their two desks.

The familiar scent of mint filled the air, and when Chi Yu turned back, he realized the gap between them had somehow shrunk. All he had to do was lean slightly, and his shoulder would touch Fu Zhi’an’s.

It felt like he was under a spell. Chi Yu looked down at their matching school uniforms and found himself oddly pleased by the sight. He licked his lips and leaned a little closer, just brushing against Fu Zhi’an’s shoulder when he noticed the faint dimples appearing at the corners of Fu Zhi’an’s mouth.

Caught in the act, Chi Yu’s heart pounded with guilt. His face darkened as he slammed his hand on the desk, startling Wang Xiao in front so badly he nearly jumped out of his seat.

Wang Xiao twisted around awkwardly, casting Chi Yu a look full of grievance. Chi Yu, still scowling, didn’t say a word.

Lowering his head, he muttered through gritted teeth, “Stop smiling at me like that.”

“It’s distracting me from studying.”

Fu Zhi’an obediently refrained from smiling or even looking at him for the rest of the afternoon. Chi Yu cleared his throat several times, but all he caught out of the corner of his eye was the cold side profile of Fu Zhi’an’s face.

He couldn’t focus on his studies when Fu Zhi’an was watching him, and now he couldn’t focus because Fu Zhi’an wasn’t. Frustrated, Chi Yu wondered why someone who supposedly had so many admirers could be so clueless about relationships. He’d never been in one himself, so he couldn’t even sort out the confusing mix of feelings swirling inside him.

“Wanna watch us rehearse?” Fu Zhi’an asked as he packed his bag, bending down to pick up Chi Yu’s bag from the floor.

Annoyed that Fu Zhi’an had ignored him all afternoon, Chi Yu snatched the bag back with a scowl. “Boring as hell. Only an idiot would go.”

The rehearsal hall was brightly lit. Girls were busy painting the backdrop with various colors of watercolors, but the sound of footsteps at the door made them all look up at once. Fu Zhi’an stood in the doorway, his school uniform pants accentuating his long, straight legs. Just as they were about to enjoy the sight of his handsome face, a shadow darted out from behind, lazily leaning against the doorframe to block their view.

Chi Yu’s dark eyes scanned the room, his brows knitting together at the sight of all the girls with their hair in braids.

Turning around, he shot an irritated look at Fu Zhi’an. “Wipe that fake smile off your face. Smiling all the time is creepy as hell.”

Standing with the light behind him, Fu Zhi’an looked up at Chi Yu’s half-lit, half-shadowed face, his eyes curving into a smile.

Chi Yu sat with one leg propped up in the corner of the hall, finding the rehearsal even more boring than he had expected. He watched the boy standing still on the stage, completely bored out of his mind. Some people just seemed to have a natural glow, standing out in a crowd no matter where they were. To Chi Yu, Fu Zhi’an was one of those people.

How could someone even look good while blinking?

A memory suddenly flashed through his mind—one of them lying on the same bed not too long ago. He had opened his eyes in the dark of night to find Fu Zhi’an’s peaceful sleeping face inches away. Finding it amusing, he had playfully brushed his fingers over Fu Zhi’an’s long eyelashes, causing a slight crease to form between his brows. Undeterred, he continued to lightly touch those lashes.

Before he could have his fill, his wrist was suddenly caught. The touch was cool and smooth, like cold jade.

“Quit it,” Fu Zhi’an had murmured, his voice hoarse. He rubbed his thumb lightly against Chi Yu’s wrist and sighed softly.

“How am I supposed to sleep if you keep that up?”

Chi Yu could almost hear that low, hoarse voice in his ears again. He let out a long breath and, when he snapped back to reality, Fu Zhi’an had somehow ended up in the seat in front of him, leaning his head back against the chair and raising an eyebrow at him.

“What are you thinking about so seriously?”

“None of your business.” Chi Yu turned his head away, avoiding Fu Zhi’an’s gaze. He always felt like Fu Zhi’an had some sort of magic power—how else could he show up right when Chi Yu was thinking about him?

Fu Zhi’an’s stare was intense and unfiltered, making Chi Yu’s mouth dry. Annoyed, he clicked his tongue and patted the armrest of his chair before standing up. “This is so boring. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

Rehearsal was nearly over when Fu Zhi’an climbed onto the platform to grab his costume, not even bothering to check it before pulling it over his head. The giant green tree costume only had a small hole in the middle for his eyes and nose to peek through. Fu Zhi’an didn’t mind, but for Wang Xiao and Lin Chuan, it was a huge relief. With Fu Zhi’an standing on stage, how could Lin Chuan hope to play the prince convincingly? If Lin Chuan had been in charge of costume design, he wouldn’t have even left the eye holes—just fully covered it up.

Fu Zhi’an wasn’t interested in their thoughts. Leaning against a pillar, his gaze drifted down to the basketball court where a white figure caught his eye.

Chi Yu had somehow gotten hold of a basketball and was standing outside the three-point line. He lightly tapped the ground with his foot and launched himself into the air. His body leaned back slightly as he relaxed his wrist and sent the ball flying in a graceful arc straight through the net, not even touching the rim. He jogged a few steps to pick up the ball, performing several three-step layups and small dunks before standing in the middle of the court, panting heavily.

Annoyed by his hair getting in the way, he pushed his bangs back, revealing his smooth, broad forehead.

Fu Zhi’an was somewhat thankful for the tree costume, as it hid the fact that he was grinning ear to ear. But then, another figure appeared on the court, and his smile froze in place. The person approached Chi Yu and said something while casually resting a hand on his shoulder.

The smile vanished from Fu Zhi’an’s face as he narrowed his eyes, staring unblinkingly at the two figures on the basketball court.

Whatever they were talking about, it made Chi Yu smile as he glanced down. One hand still in his pocket, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it up without thinking, revealing a set of defined abs and the waistband of his black underwear. He wiped the sweat off his face with his shirt, then casually hooked the ball with his toe, catching it easily in his hand.

“Fu Zhi’an?”

Wang Xiao watched as Fu Zhi’an yanked off the tree costume, striding out of the rehearsal hall with a pace that suggested he was on his way to settle a score.

Chi Yu stood just outside the three-point line, launching another shot. The ball circled the rim for a moment before bouncing out. He jogged over to retrieve it, then, without looking, tossed it backward, knowing the person behind him would catch it.

“Just playing some ball.”

The cool voice rang out from behind him. Chi Yu turned to see Fu Zhi’an’s not-so-happy face.

“Done with rehearsal?”

Fu Zhi’an responded with a grunt, tilting his head to glance at the boy in the black hoodie beside him. Smiling, he asked, “Wanna keep playing?”

Chi Yu sat cross-legged in the bleachers, watching as Fu Zhi’an played like he was on a sugar high, sinking every shot no matter where he stood on the court. He even managed to leave the taller guy he was playing with panting in exhaustion. It wasn’t until one of Fu Zhi’an’s classmates called him away that the one-sided basketball game finally ended.

“Who pissed you off during rehearsal? You seem really fired up,” Chi Yu asked lazily, his arm draped over his knee as he swung his bag by the strap.

Fu Zhi’an lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable. Suddenly, he reached out and hooked his arm around Chi Yu’s neck.

“Do you really like showing off your abs that much?”

Fu Zhi’an’s eyes were slightly narrowed, with a hint of irritation as he pursed his lips into a tight line, giving him a cold, dangerous look.

Chi Yu had never seen Fu Zhi’an like this before. His body stiffened, and for a moment, he couldn’t think of a comeback. Seeing his silence, Fu Zhi’an’s irritation seemed to grow. He tilted his head, letting out a cold laugh as he pinched the hem of Chi Yu’s shirt between two fingers, causing Chi Yu to tense up.

“Chi Yu,” Fu Zhi’an murmured, leaning down close to his ear, his voice low and slightly nasal.

“I’m not happy. What are you going to do about it?”

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