As soon as Chi Yu pushed open the door, he saw Fu Zhi’an leaning against the railing with his head lowered. Today, Fu Zhi’an wasn’t wearing his school uniform; instead, he was dressed in a loose black hoodie that made his pale skin and red lips stand out even more. For some reason, when Chi Yu looked down at his own white hoodie, he felt like a soda bottle being uncapped, with sweet bubbles gurgling up inside him.
When Fu Zhi’an turned his head, he caught sight of Chi Yu, who was staring at the ground with a silly grin on his face, his eyes gentle.
“You didn’t sleep in today.”
Chi Yu’s ears burned as he coughed twice and mumbled, “I don’t sleep in, anyway,” as he walked over.
Today was the rehearsal for the arts festival, so both the morning reading session and the first two periods had been canceled. When Chi Yu heard this yesterday, he almost grinned from ear to ear—finally, a legitimate excuse to sleep in. But just before class ended, Fu Zhi’an had leaned in close, lowering his voice to say, “I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning.”
At three in the morning, Chi Yu lay wide awake, staring at the patterns on his ceiling, listening to the ticking of the clock beside his bed. He had never been so worried about what to wear the next day. He had always been told by neighbors and relatives that he was like a clothes hanger—anything he wore looked good on him. Chi Yu rolled over in bed, muttering to himself, “Nonsense, who looks good in everything?”
But then he thought about how Fu Zhi’an seemed to look good in anything, even making the shabby school uniform look a bit classy when he wore it.
The thought only lingered for a few seconds before Chi Yu shot up in bed, cursing himself. How did he end up becoming a simp for Fu Zhi’an? Everyone knows that simps never get anywhere.
So when Fu Zhi’an dragged him into the wonton shop that morning, Chi Yu looked at the steaming bowl of vegetable wontons in front of him, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and then turned his head away.
“I’m not hungry.”
Across from him, Fu Zhi’an smiled as he nudged the spoon closer. “Come on, try it. Whatever’s bothering you, it’s my fault.”
Chi Yu coughed again, waving his chopsticks dismissively. “Put it in my bowl first—it’s too hot.”
Fu Zhi’an blew gently on the spoonful of broth before offering it again, his light brown eyes twinkling.
“Be good. Open up.”
The breakfast shop was crowded, and the sight of two handsome boys sitting together was already drawing attention. Now, with Fu Zhi’an coaxing Chi Yu over a wonton, they were turning even more heads. Without thinking, Chi Yu quickly ate the wonton, his tongue accidentally brushing against the spoon.
He had just grabbed a new spoon from the container and was about to hand it to Fu Zhi’an when he noticed Fu Zhi’an drinking soup from the same spoon he had just used.
“Why are you staring at me?”
“Nothing.” Chi Yu stammered as he quickly looked down at his food, the tips of his ears turning red. Fu Zhi’an watched him with a smile, his eyes soft with amusement. For most students, the school arts festival was a welcome break from the daily grind. When Wang Xiao saw Chi Yu, dressed in a white hoodie and leaning casually against the doorframe, his eyes widened as he walked over.
“Whoa, Chi Ge actually showed up for the arts festival?” Wang Xiao sighed dramatically before adding, “If I wasn’t stuck playing a dwarf, I’d be off at the internet café. You didn’t need to come to school just to soak up some ‘culture.’”
Chi Yu smirked, raising an eyebrow. “None of your business.”
Whether they were interested in the performances or not, everyone was just happy to get a break from homework. Smiles were everywhere. Chi Yu stood backstage, watching as Fu Zhi’an, dressed in a giant green tree costume, stood stiffly to the side of the stage, trapped inside what looked like a vertical barrel.
After a moment’s thought, Chi Yu walked over to Fu Zhi’an and pulled a tissue from his pocket, gently dabbing at the sweat on his forehead. Fu Zhi’an said nothing, his long eyes fixed intently on Chi Yu’s face, his gaze bright and piercing. Chi Yu felt his face heat up under that stare. Flustered, he slapped the tissue over Fu Zhi’an’s face, his expression neutral. “You’re so damn lazy. Wipe it yourself.”
His footsteps faltered as he left, Chi Yu finally able to breathe again. If he hadn’t walked away just then, he might’ve ended up kissing Fu Zhi’an right there.
Their class’s performance was scheduled third. On stage, the speakers were blasting some intense electronic music that sounded like pots and pans clanging together, while a few boys danced wildly as if they were drunk. The homeroom teacher watching from the audience looked like she was on the verge of a stroke, but the boys on stage pretended not to notice, turning the school’s arts festival into something resembling a low-end nightclub.
Chi Yu impatiently scratched his ear, glancing at Fu Zhi’an, who stood expressionless in his ridiculous tree costume, and muttered a few choice curses under his breath.
“What the hell am I doing here? Fu Zhi’an doesn’t even have a single line, and I’m standing here like an idiot.”
The chaotic sounds on stage finally ended, and Chi Yu was about to see who the culprits were when someone bumped into him from behind, causing him to stumble. The person didn’t even have time to apologize before rushing over to their classmates, whispering something that made their smiles fade instantly, even darkening Fu Zhi’an’s expression.
“Chen Jiameng’s stomach suddenly started hurting. She’s in the bathroom and can’t even stand up,” Wang Xiao muttered as he slumped to the ground, dejected. “Without her to play the piano, our performance is screwed.”
Wang Xiao was clearly upset. He hadn’t been thrilled about playing a dwarf, but after so many days of rehearsals, he had even started dreaming about his lines. The backstage area fell silent, and the announcer on stage had already called their class twice, but no one moved.
“Maybe we should just cancel,” Chen Lin said, her eyes red with tears. She had poured her heart and soul into this play. Even though she didn’t get to be Snow White, at least she was the second female lead.
Chi Yu sighed and looked up, meeting Fu Zhi’an’s gaze. Fu Zhi’an raised an eyebrow at him, his pale skin flushed slightly from being in the costume for so long, his clean features highlighted by the unnatural blush. Feeling uncomfortable, Chi Yu quickly turned his head away.
“That song you guys need to play…” Chi Yu suddenly spoke up, ruffling his hair awkwardly before adding, “Do you have the sheet music?”
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