Once something happens for the first time, it often becomes easier for it to happen again and again.
Skipping the school’s physical exercises had become a habit for Chi Yu. While the rest of the class filed out of the classroom, leaving him to sleep with his head buried in his arms, no one even bothered to acknowledge him anymore. Fu Zhi’an stood in front of his desk and tapped lightly on it. Chi Yu, irritated, smacked his lips and turned his head, continuing to sleep.
Fu Zhi’an had always been the kind of student who followed the rules, so when he unexpectedly appeared in the classroom during the exercise period and cornered Chi Yu against the wall, pressing his lips firmly against his, Chi Yu was momentarily stunned. The veins on the side of Fu Zhi’an’s neck stood out faintly, and his arm muscles were lean and defined.
This person had become something Chi Yu found increasingly hard to resist without even realizing it.
The sting of Fu Zhi’an’s tongue brought Chi Yu back to his senses. He pushed the other boy away, panting heavily.
“Aren’t you afraid someone will see us?” Chi Yu was brimming with curses, but all that came out was a half-hearted scolding.
Fu Zhi’an’s eyes crinkled as he let out a soft laugh. He stepped closer, lowering his body as he reached for the blue curtain tied to the side. With a swift motion, he pulled the curtain free, the fabric swishing closed and drawing them even closer together. The sunlight streaming in from outside lit up his face, and he blinked, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on Chi Yu’s lips.
“Now no one will see us.”
Chi Yu’s ears burned as he awkwardly pushed his knee against Fu Zhi’an’s stomach, frowning. “Get away from me.”
Fu Zhi’an noticed the redness of Chi Yu’s ears and reached out to lightly pinch them. Chi Yu quickly slapped his hand away, his brow furrowed deeply. Taking advantage of Chi Yu’s momentary distraction, Fu Zhi’an grabbed his collar and pulled him forward, their eyes locking in surprise. He planted a kiss on Chi Yu’s soft, dry lips. Almost instinctively, Chi Yu swung a fist, but it was caught mid-air by Fu Zhi’an.
“Why are you so fierce?”
Chi Yu had trouble sleeping in his own bedroom, but during class, he could sleep so soundly that he would drool. Now, however, sleep eluded him. Every time he closed his eyes, Fu Zhi’an’s faintly smiling face played before him like a slideshow, unnervingly vivid. Meanwhile, Fu Zhi’an was fully absorbed in his studies, expressionless as he worked through his assignments, looking every bit the top student destined to bring glory to the school.
It wasn’t until Chi Yu banged his forehead on the desk again that Fu Zhi’an finally turned to him. “What’s wrong?”
“My left eyelid keeps twitching,” Chi Yu grumbled, rubbing his eyelid in irritation.
Fu Zhi’an thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone, typing a few words and scrolling through a few pages before putting it away again.
“They say it’s a good omen when your left eyelid twitches.”
Superstition was a foolish thing to believe in, as Chi Yu learned when he saw Wang Yi sneaking in through the back door during study hall, only for the discipline officer to show up moments later, grim-faced, to summon him and Fu Zhi’an out of the classroom.
That officer looked as dark as a storm cloud.
The class had never seen the discipline officer come to pull someone out personally, so now no one was focusing on their assignments. Instead, everyone craned their necks to watch through the windows. The officer’s forehead shone with sweat, and he impatiently barked a few orders at the class before turning back to glare at Chi Yu and Fu Zhi’an.
“Follow me to my office.”
It wasn’t Chi Yu’s first time there—the discipline officer’s office was more than half again the size of Lin Jing’s, complete with a black leather sofa and large banana leaves, all the same as every time he had visited before. Fu Zhi’an stood silently beside him, and when their eyes met, Fu Zhi’an gave him a small, reassuring wink.
The man removed his suit jacket and sat on the sofa, crossing his legs and taking a sip of tea.
“There’s no need to be nervous,” he said, setting down his cup and folding his hands on his knee, his scrutinizing gaze moving between the two boys. “I just have a question.”
“Are you two in a relationship?”
It felt like a scene Chi Yu had dreamed of countless times before—strange, angry faces surrounding them, spitting accusations and insults. The discipline officer’s tone was far calmer than in those dreams, but it still made Chi Yu’s heart skip a beat. Just as he was about to deny it, the man interrupted.
“A student reported seeing you two together in the park,” the officer said, his tone shifting as he gave them a sly smile. “Think carefully before you answer.”
The suffocating silence hung thick in the air, like the inescapable pull of quicksand, suffocating and hopeless.
“Yes.” The word broke the silence as Fu Zhi’an spoke, his expression impassive as he looked the man straight in the eye. “I like him.”
It was as if Fu Zhi’an had just told the world’s funniest joke. The officer leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and staring at him.
“I understand the pressure of academics can lead to some… irrational behavior. But this sort of behavior is unacceptable in school. Even your classmates are concerned. Let me be blunt: these disgusting acts should be kept hidden. Don’t flaunt them.”
“If you’re having psychological issues, you should have your parents take you to a doctor sooner rather than later.”
The officer paused, then added, “I just can’t understand how you were raised. This is a psychological defect, you know?”
The boy standing in front of him suddenly let out a soft chuckle, running a hand over the back of his neck as a sharp smile curved his lips. Chi Yu shoved his hands into his pockets, tilting his head to meet the man’s gaze, his dark eyes gleaming with a dangerous intensity.
“You might not realize, but this isn’t my only psychological defect.”
“You either shut up now, or I’ll show you the rest of them.”
The disdain and irritation in his eyes were unmistakable, a spark that quickly ignited the officer’s towering sense of self-importance. He shot up from the sofa, grabbing a heavy ashtray from the desk and hurling it at Chi Yu. Fu Zhi’an quickly pulled Chi Yu aside, but he couldn’t avoid the still-lit cigarette butt that scorched the back of his hand.
“Oh, you think you’re so tough, huh?” The man’s eyes were bloodshot as he rummaged through his desk, pulling out a stack of files. “You’re both expelled! Get your parents down here right now!”
“It’s disgusting—two boys playing at love. It’s absolutely disgusting!”
The tirade seemed like it would never end, but suddenly, the door swung open, and a woman stepped in. She glanced at the ashtray on the floor before slowly moving to stand in front of the two boys. Lin Jing was a small woman, and whenever she scolded Chi Yu, she had to raise her head to spit out her words, sometimes even smacking him on the forehead with a rolled-up book. But that day, the usually fiery Lin Jing stood calmly before them, her voice steady.
“Mr. Wang, you can’t expel my students without talking to me first.”
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