Xia Zhinian was startled. He stood at the door, eyes wide open, watching Zou Ziqian, tall and burly, rushing toward him. In a panic, he took two steps back.
“What are you doing?!”
Zou Ziqian lunged forward for a bear hug, and Xia Zhinian retreated out the door. Unable to match Zou Ziqian’s speed, he was hugged tightly.
“Sorry, deskmate,” Zou Ziqian wailed, “I didn’t know you were allergic to kiwifruit.”
“…It’s okay. I didn’t know either. Just let go first.”
Zou Ziqian held him tightly, making Xia Zhinian tilt his head back and try to push him away.
Zou Ziqian, with his large, rough face, looked regretful and wailed in repentance. Just then, his arm was suddenly gripped by someone with immense strength, pulling him away.
“Who the hell is pulling me?”
A deep voice replied with a chilling tone.
“I am.”
Yan Ci had just arrived, seeing the commotion at the door. He glanced at Zou Ziqian holding Xia Zhinian and smiled slightly, coldly.
Zou Ziqian: “…”
He immediately let go and stepped back.
You go ahead!
Xia Zhinian breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m fine. Stop pouncing.”
Yan Ci pulled Xia Zhinian closer, scanning him up and down. His voice was gentle. “Are you okay now?”
Xia Zhinian nodded.
People were coming and going in the corridor, occasionally glancing in their direction. Yan Ci led Xia Zhinian back to the classroom.
Zou Ziqian felt a bit guilty, thinking his kiwifruit caused Xia Zhinian to faint for a day and spend several days in the hospital, which was quite a hassle.
Seeing Zou Ziqian sighing from time to time, Xia Zhinian pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and said, “How about you treat me to a barbecue?”
Zou Ziqian hesitated for a moment. “From my family’s shop?”
He didn’t know that Xia Zhinian’s family had bought some once before, so he was slightly surprised.
“Yes!” Xia Zhinian nodded heavily, his eyes slightly brightening. “It’s delicious.”
“…Alright!”
Xia Zhinian sat back at his desk but saw Zou Ziqian walking forward along the aisle. He was puzzled and asked where he was going.
Yuan Lang laughed sneakily, “Old Zou has lost the right to sit here.”
Zou Ziqian sadly sat at the familiar seat in the left front, sighed, and then smiled. “Yes, but I have gained a desk blessed by the top student! The class president won’t ask me to swap seats anymore.”
Xia Zhinian: “?!”
What the heck?
He turned to look beside him and met a gentle, smiling face. The tone was warm.
“Good morning, new deskmate.”
Xia ‘new deskmate’ Zhinian: “…?”
Xia Zhinian looked at Yan Ci sitting down, his almond-shaped eyes round and full of surprise, not quite recovering from the shock. “What does this mean?”
Yan Ci… became his deskmate?!
Yan Ci looked at him, seeing that the lively rice cake was no longer as quiet and empty as in the hospital. He chuckled softly, ruffled Xia Zhinian’s hair, and explained a few things.
He said that Teacher Qin had communicated with Xia Zhinian’s family about his health condition and mentioned his homework issue.
Xia Zhinian’s elder brother asked to manage him strictly to avoid spoiling him. So, Teacher Qin adjusted the seating arrangement.
Looking at Yuan Lang and the others’ calm expressions, the seat had probably been changed for a few days.
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Xia Zhinian had a headache. He hadn’t even figured out how to handle the plot, and now there was another variable. Neither the protagonist gong nor the protagonist shou were easy to deal with.
Yan Ci calmly took a notebook from the desk and pushed it in front of Xia Zhinian, his voice gentle.
“Take a look.”
Xia Zhinian: “??”
“What’s this?”
He pouted, flipped it open, and saw a thick stack with neat and powerful handwriting, meticulously organizing all the basic knowledge points of all subjects for the first and second years of high school.
The notebook was new, showing it was recently organized and written.
It was a lot of effort.
Xia Zhinian paused, holding the notebook, feeling a rare bit of confusion. He pursed his lips, his voice soft and unsure.
“…For me?”
Yan Ci looked at him, his features precise and gentle, and smiled slightly. “You can’t use my previous notes now, so I went back to the textbooks and reorganized them.”
Xia Zhinian lowered his eyes, gripping the page corner a bit harder.
…Speaking of which, the day before he went to the hospital, he was still thinking about how to avoid Yan Ci. The protagonist shou was too smart, and even a slight anomaly would be easily noticed.
But now he suddenly felt a bit envious of the original Xia Zhinian.
He had the same appearance, name, and allergic asthma, but the original owner’s parents cared for him. Although the elder brother was serious, he cared about his younger brother.
Although the original owner had a bad personality, no one avoided him like the plague.
Xia Zhinian remembered his frequent hospitalizations, each time in severe condition but always surviving, with the person who sent him to the hospital leaving in a hurry, as if he were some kind of demon stealing others’ life force.
…But now he had taken over the original owner’s body and wasn’t much different from what those people had said.
Xia Zhinian lowered his eyes, his expression faint. After a moment, he pursed his lips and regained his energy, pushing the notebook back, glancing at Yan Ci with his clear almond eyes, and speaking softly.
“No need. I know my own grades. You’d better tutor someone else in the class. You’re the only one taking this tutoring seriously. I’ll talk to Teacher Qin after class.”
Xia Zhinian sat with his feet on the bar in front of the stool, hugging his legs, resting his chin on his knees, hiding behind the desk, and playing with his phone.
The little rice cake curled up into a ball. Yan Ci’s dark eyes observed him, the small scar at the corner of his eye turning slightly red. Suddenly, he smiled meaningfully.
Xia Zhinian turned his head, and before he could react, his chair suddenly shifted. He was pulled to the right, almost dropping his phone.
He widened his eyes, lowering his voice in a panic. “Yan Ci, what are you doing?”
Yan Ci pulled the boy closer, his dark eyes looking at him closely, his lips curling slightly. His voice was soft.
“Classmate Xia… do you really not want this tutoring so much?”
Xia Zhinian paused for a moment without saying a word.
Yan Ci glanced at him twice, then changed the topic abruptly and said, “Or is it that Classmate Xia has something on his mind?”
The little rice cake looked like he was about to cry.
Yan Ci pulled him closer.
Xia Zhinian’s chair was almost next to Yan Ci’s. He leaned his body to the other side, trying to pull his chair back, but was easily stopped by Yan Ci.
Xia Zhinian’s almond-shaped eyes glared fiercely at him. Fearful to disturb others, his clear voice was low but not husky, but soft and weak, losing its threatening edge.
“None of your business.”
“Classmate Xia.” Yan Ci’s eyes were gentle as he sighed lightly. “You promised to let me touch you, so why are you running away now?”
Xia Zhinian: “??!!”
Xia Zhinian suddenly remembered what he said when he was sick and crying, his face instantly red, his ears burning, and the little hair on top of his head standing straight up.
His almond eyes widened, and he stammered, “I-I didn’t…”
Yan Ci glanced at the two strands of hair sticking up, wanting to touch them, and chuckled softly, his voice clear and pleasant.
“What did you say?”
“My hand got burned, and Classmate Xia, you said you would take responsibility. But after you gave me the medicine, you never checked on me again. Now you’re going to go back on your word?”
Xia Zhinian’s ears burned, unable to recall his teary and pleading self. The blush quickly spread, and he gritted his teeth fiercely.
“I said if I didn’t go to the hospital, I would… let you touch me, but didn’t I go?”
“So why Classmate Xia didn’t want to go to the hospital?” Yan Ci asked suddenly.
Xia Zhinian reacted quickly, “You’re trying to trick me again!”
Yan Ci chuckled.
Seeing the lively “little rice cake,” his hands itched, and he couldn’t help but reach out to the two strands of hair, shaking them by the roots.
“Is it fun, you two?”
A female voice suddenly came from behind.
Yan Ci’s movements stopped, and the “little rice cake” beside him froze. The little hair on his head jolted up, then drooped down, looking particularly noticeable.
The Chinese Teacher laughed, reached out to straighten the hair, and said, “Just sit together and don’t play. Mr. Qin wants you to study together, not play.”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Xia Zhinian was completely turned away from the Teacher, frozen in place, not daring to move.
Yan Ci turned slightly, smiled gently, and said proactively, “Teacher, it’s my fault. I couldn’t resist.”
The Chinese Teacher glanced at the two of them, doubting whether they could study together, her mouth twitching downward.
“You two are quite similar. Xia Zhinian, just recovered, sit down. Class president, stand up for the class.”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Yan Ci: “…”
Xia Zhinian glanced at Yan Ci sneakily.
The class president calmly stood up, smiled gently at the gazes from the classroom, and then looked down to meet a pair of bright almond eyes.
From this angle, the boy’s eyes looked even rounder, like a plump kitten, clear and bright, with amber pupils that seemed to glow.
He no longer looked downcast.
Very easy to coax.
Yan Ci smiled and reached out to rub his head.
Xia Zhinian’s hair had grown quite a bit. The original owner, who was sullen, didn’t like getting haircuts, and Xia Zhinian hadn’t cut it since he took over. It was almost covering his eyes. He ran his fingers through it, thinking.
…If he kept getting his head rubbed, he would get a buzz cut and see if Yan Ci would still rub it.
–
He called his big brother in advance and found a highly-rated barbershop on his phone map, planning to get a buzz cut that evening after leaving school.
As he passed a small alley, he looked around a few times and kept walking.
The hairstylist examined the boy’s delicate porcelain-like face, his lips rosy, and his amber eyes matching his light-coloured hair.
In the light, he looked like a pampered little young master.
And quite adorable.
“Young student.” The hairstylist tried to persuade him, “Your looks don’t suit a buzz cut.”
Xia Zhinian sat in the chair, hesitating for a while.
Wanting a buzz cut was indeed impulsive. The original owner’s image would completely collapse if he went out with such a hairstyle.
Although it was already mostly shattered, in the eyes of strangers, there was still a bit of the old impression.
“…Then just trim it a bit, not too much, just enough so it doesn’t get in the way.”
“No problem!”
After the haircut, the hairstylist looked him over carefully, eyes sparkling.
Xia Zhinian glanced at himself in the mirror, his hairstyle now similar to his original self in the real world, and smiled, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome!”
The stylist couldn’t stop smiling, feeling a rush of affection, and softened her voice, “Come again next time.”
After paying, Xia Zhinian touched his hair and walked out.
The shop was highly rated but in a relatively remote location. He had to go back through a secluded alley to get a cab.
It was almost dark. As Xia Zhinian walked back through the alley, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of alertness.
He stopped, quickly turning around.
At the mouth of the alley, three or four tattooed youths in black shirts blocked the way, with the leader whistling at him.
“Hey, this kid is quite pretty.”
Xia Zhinian was startled, didn’t respond, and immediately backed away.
But in a flash, a few more thuggish-looking youths appeared at the other end of the alley, blocking his way.
“Don’t leave, we’ve been waiting for you.”
“He’s really pretty, huh.”
“Rich kids are different.”
Xia Zhinian stopped, his heart tightening. He slid his phone in his pocket, trying to call the police, and steadied his voice.
“What do you want, money?”
“What money!” A skinny guy, agitated, yelled at him, “My brother was jailed because of you, and a bunch of us were dragged in too. You’re pretty damn impressive.”
Xia Zhinian: “!!”
The skinny guy turned to the black-shirted leader, his voice angry, “Big brother, it’s him. He’s a fat sheep, but we lost a lot of people because of him. The fat sheep is here, it’s up to you to slaughter him or not.”
Xia Zhinian frowned his heart racing, fingers tapping on his phone as he slowly backed towards the few people.
“If you want money, I can give it to you.”
The black-shirted leader whistled again, grinning lewdly, “This kid’s smart. I wonder if he’s always this smart.”
“Come on, guys, search him and take everything valuable!”
“Haha, I’ll go first!”
“Get lost, let’s go together.”
Xia Zhinian’s face darkened.
Both sides whistled and quickly approached, Xia Zhinian’s heart pounding. He grabbed a stick he had eyed earlier and ran towards the side with fewer people.
“He’s running!”
“Is he gonna hit us? Haha, get his stick.”
Xia Zhinian’s heart raced, and he was suddenly hit in the lower back. Grimacing, he swung the stick at the nearest person, aiming for weak spots, eliciting a scream that quickly turned into cursing.
“You son of a bitch!”
Gritting his teeth, Xia Zhinian hit a few people and ran, quickly breaking through the encircling thugs and sprinting towards the alley exit, breathing heavily.
But he rarely ran so hard, his breathing chaotic, chest tight. Just as he was about to exit the alley, he was suddenly grabbed by his clothes and yanked back.
“Ugh!”
He panicked, eyes flashing with fierceness, lifting his hand to swing back when suddenly his waist tightened, an arm pulling him back and kicking the person in front away.
Xia Zhinian looked back in shock, seeing a rare cold, grim face.
“Yan Ci?”
“Behind you!”
Xia Zhinian cried out in surprise as a group of ruffians surrounded them. Yan Ci’s eyes darkened with a hint of menace. He moved Xia Zhinian behind him, snatched the stick from Xia Zhinian’s hand, and swung it down forcefully without expression.
“Be good. Close your eyes and stay still.”
Xia Zhinian: “!!!”
Xia Zhinian, rarely anxious, wanted to move closer but feared worsening things.
The ruffians, annoyed, approached with their weapons. Yan Ci’s face was icy cold, his movements swift. Unlike the ruffians who relied solely on brute force, Yan Ci was trained, striking precisely at their weak points.
Soon, a few ruffians were down. A skinny one looked furious.
“So it was you who got Brother Zhuo and the others locked up. I remember you!”
The skinny ruffian, veins bulging, screamed and charged forward. Yan Ci knocked down another nearby ruffian. The skinny one got closer and suddenly pulled something from his pocket, flashing a cold light.
Xia Zhinian’s pupils contracted, his voice urgent.
“Watch out, he has a knife!”
Back to Xia Zhinian, Yan Ci glanced around, a smirk tugging at his lips. He slowed his movements deliberately.
The knife grazed his arm, and blood instantly flowed out. Xia Zhinian’s pupils froze.
Yan Ci’s expression remained cold. He raised his hand and knocked down the last attacker. Lowering his eyes, his gaze met the scar on his face, now fierce and icy. He pressed the stick against the skinny ruffian’s chest, his voice calm.
“So, the one that got away is here.”
“What do you want? What do you want!”
Yan Ci moved the stick slowly to the ruffian’s neck, his eyes icy, applying slight pressure, his voice sharp.
“Annoying. Got the guts to block people but not to shut up?”
With so many people and Xia Zhinian having asthma, what if he had arrived a moment later…
Yan Ci’s eyes grew darker.
The skinny ruffian, terrified, glared at Yan Ci. They were just small-time thugs, but Yan Ci looked at him as if he were a corpse, cold and terrifying. In a moment of fright, he stuttered.
“You, you can’t, not here—!!”
Rage surged in Yan Ci, his eyes darkening, the vicious air spreading, his grip tightening.
Suddenly, his sleeve was gently tugged.
“Yan Ci.”
He paused, turning his head, the scar at the corner of his eye crimson.
Xia Zhinian, shocked by the fierceness in Yan Ci’s eyes, felt a chill run from his head to his toes.
It seemed like the first time he had seen the black sesame dumpling completely drop his facade. He pursed his lips, his voice softening.
“Yan Ci?”
Xia Zhinian’s almond-shaped eyes were round. He tugged Yan Ci’s sleeve again, his gaze dropping.
“It’s over. Let’s call the police.”
“Your arm is bleeding.”
Continuing to fight might lead to serious trouble.
Yan Ci hesitated, his rationality slowly returning. He lowered his arm, and the ruffians scrambled away.
He stared at the skinny ruffian’s retreating figure, his eyes flashing with menace, then slowly let the coldness in his gaze dissipate.
Raising his hand, his fingers threaded through Xia Zhinian’s hair, pushing it back to reveal his forehead and eyes. He took a deep breath, asking softly.
“Are you scared?”
Seeing the blood-soaked sleeve, Xia Zhinian’s almond eyes showed concern. He shook his head, his voice soft.
“No, it’s okay. Let’s get your wound treated first.”
Yan Ci didn’t move.
His palm felt the softness of Xia Zhinian’s hair, the strands slipping through his fingers. Yan Ci watched him for a while, his dark eyes unfathomable. He sighed softly.
“…I am.”
His voice was low, pulling his hand back, gradually easing his grip. He gently rested his chin on Xia Zhinian’s shoulder.
“I was scared.”
As the boy’s broad shoulders leaned closer, Xia Zhinian’s fingertips curled momentarily, the scent of cool body wash filling his senses. His body stiffened, and his amber eyes showed a hint of helplessness.
…Yan Ci, scared?
Because of him?
Xia Zhinian blinked.
He had never encountered such a situation and didn’t know how to handle it. He hesitated, his voice halting, sounding like a soft, sticky rice cake dumpling.
“Then, then what should I do?”
“…” Yan Ci paused, chuckling, his head resting on Xia Zhinian’s shoulder, his voice muffled. “What does Classmate Xia want to do?”
Xia Zhinian: “??”
He was confused, “I don’t know.”
Yan Ci sighed softly, “Then, comfort me.”
Xia Zhinian hesitated, slowly reaching out, his fingertips grasping Yan Ci’s clothes, lightly patting his back.
–
Xia Zhinian and Yan Ci went to a nearby small hospital.
The wound was on the right forearm, not too deep, but bleeding a lot. While a nurse cleaned Yan Ci’s wound, Xia Zhinian sat quietly by the side, looking at the cleaned wound.
…It looked painful.
Xia Zhinian clicked his tongue, looking at Yan Ci, hesitating to speak.
The nurse was about to wrap the wound with gauze. Yan Ci reached out to take it. “Thank you. I’ll do it myself.”
“Do it yourself?” The nurse frowned disapprovingly. “How can you do it yourself? Don’t make it worse.”
Finding it difficult to manage with his left hand, Yan Ci looked at the little rice cake, sitting obediently with hands on his knees. He tilted his head and smiled gently.
“Classmate Xia, could you please help?”
Xia Zhinian: “??”
Nurse: “??”
Xia Zhinian and the nurse exchanged a glance. The nurse, glancing meaningfully between them, handed the gauze to Xia Zhinian with a smile.
“You’re together? You should have said so earlier.”
Yan Ci smiled gently, not explaining.
Xia Zhinian: “…”
The black sesame soup dumpling doesn’t want others to touch him because of his cleanliness obsession, huh?
Xia Zhinian pouted, took the gauze, and started wrapping it around Yan Ci’s arm, his voice clear. “I’m not very good with strength. If it hurts, tell me, and I’ll be gentler.”
“Okay.”
The boy bowed his head, concentrating on wrapping the gauze. Yan Ci could see the delicate collar bone protruding slightly, soft hair naturally falling, hands alternating the gauze.
“Classmate Xia, you seem quite skilled,” Yan Ci suddenly remarked.
Xia Zhinian paused, lowering his almond-shaped eyes. “Really?”
It’s just that he used to scratch himself badly during severe allergic reactions, so he had to wrap gauze.
Yan Ci looked at him meaningfully, noting his slightly lighter hair color, and reached out to ruffle it. “Got a haircut?”
“Hey, don’t move.”
Xia Zhinian, startled by the sudden touch, widened his eyes, his hands pausing to avoid tugging the wound.
Yan Ci chuckled. “I moved my left hand, not the right.”
Xia Zhinian puffed his cheeks. “I said, don’t touch me!”
Yan Ci responded with an “oh,” then ruffled his hair again, his tone casual. “It could be shorter; it’s still a bit long.”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
“But don’t go to that place again. It’s a bit too remote,” Yan Ci said softly.
The boy paused and finished wrapping the gauze, his amber eyes a bit uncertain, not used to accepting kindness from others. He nodded, his voice soft.
“Okay… Thank you.”
He still didn’t know how Yan Ci found him. After asking, he learned that Yan Ci had tried to call the police but accidentally sent a garbled message with 110 to Yan Ci while trying to add him as a friend. Yan Ci figured out his location from there.
Looking at the gauze on Yan Ci’s arm, Xia Zhinian tightened his grip on his sleeve and softly thanked him again.
–
First period, math class.
In June, the sun was scorching, making the classroom bright. Teacher Qin scanned the class from the podium, his gaze settling on the empty seat at the back, puzzled.
“Class president, where is Xia Zhinian?”
Yan Ci looked at the empty seat beside him, shaking his head, his voice clear. “I don’t know. He wasn’t here this morning.”
“Not feeling well and asked for leave? I didn’t see any messages.” Teacher Qin looked for his phone.
“Reporting.”
A clear, boyish voice suddenly sounded at the door. The classroom door opened, a fluffy head peeked in, and the whole body moved inside.
Xia Zhinian’s eyes widened as he blinked a few times. Unfortunately, he hadn’t slept well last night and woke up late this morning, just in time to hear his name being called inside.
“Sorry, teacher, I’m late.”
The previously noisy classroom fell into an eerie silence as everyone raised their heads to stare at him with mixed expressions.
Under a barrage of odd looks, Xia Zhinian’s cowlick quivered as he looked around in confusion.
Standing at the podium, the chubby Mr. Qin’s small eyes widened in astonishment, and his voice was incredulous.
“…Xia Zhinian?”
“Are you Xia Zhinian?”
Xia Zhinian: “…?”
He looked down at himself in bewilderment. “Wh-what’s wrong?”
Did he wear his clothes backwards?
A girl in the front row was staring at him, her lips curling into a grin as she excitedly nudged her deskmate.
“Ahhh, did getting a haircut make him look like a different person?!”
The slender boy was wrapped in his school uniform, his light-colored hair catching a hint of golden hue in the sunlight, matching his soft amber eyes.
“Ahem.”
Mr. Qin cleared his throat, smiling kindly as he assessed Xia Zhinian from head to toe. “Not bad, Xia Zhinian. In the future, keep your hair at this length. Our class just gained another representative.”
Xia Zhinian: “…?!”
Mr. Qin waved him over to quickly take his seat and began the lesson. Xia Zhinian sat down.
Yan Ci glanced at his new deskmate. Their back-row seats were spacious and free from obstructions, with plenty of light. Sitting in the sunlight, the little rice cake appeared wrapped in a layer of golden cream, looking exceptionally soft.
He chuckled, “Good morning, new deskmate.”
“I forgot to mention yesterday, your new haircut looks great.”
As students frequently turned to look at him, Xia Zhinian touched his head and began to regret cutting his hair. This face drew too much attention.
But since it was already cut, there was no help for it. He glanced at Yan Ci and asked softly, “How’s your arm?”
Yan Ci raised his right hand slightly. Seeing the concern in Xia Zhinian’s bright eyes, he hesitated momentarily, letting the pen drop onto the desk, and sighed dramatically.
“It hurts a bit. It’s difficult to hold a pen.”
Xia Zhinian focused on the pen that had suddenly fallen, his cowlick bouncing as he looked puzzled.
“…Are you sure it didn’t just start being difficult now?”
Yan Ci chuckled softly, his voice gentle, “How could that be, I—”
“Ahem.”
Mr. Qin coughed from the front, “Students, stop talking and turn around. Xia Zhinian may be good-looking, but am I not good-looking too? Isn’t math good-looking?”
Laughter erupted, with someone teasingly replying.
“Definitely not as good-looking as Xia Zhinian.”
“Mr. Qin might barely compete, but math can’t!”
A girl excitedly whispered, “I always thought he looked good, but I didn’t expect him to look so delicate with a haircut! Ah, I’m in love.”
Mr. Qin huffed, “You dare love someone in front of me!”
“Hahaha, no way, no way.”
Mr. Qin knocked on the blackboard, “Alright, Xia Zhinian, lead by example and love math. Take notes during class and hand them to me afterward.”
“…?!”
No!
Xia Zhinian, innocently implicated, protested, “Teacher—”
“Quiet, class!”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Xia Zhinian: “……”
This is bad.
He had only practised the original owner’s name and the alphabet.
He swallowed hard, considering whether to fake a stomach ache on the spot, but was interrupted by a notebook being pushed towards him.
“Come on, Classmate Xia.” Yan Ci smiled kindly, his tone warm, “You wouldn’t pretend to be sick just to avoid taking notes, would you?”
“…”
Xia Zhinian gritted his teeth and glared at him in frustration.
What’s the black sesame soup doing stirring things up?
Yan Ci chuckled, ignoring the fierce look in the boy’s eyes, and pushed his notebook over.
“If you don’t have a notebook, you can use mine.”
“Oh right, I also have a pen.” He added with a smile.
Xia Zhinian’s fingers curled up as he glared at him, lips pursed.
Mr. Qin had already started the lesson, and Yan Ci watched him intently.
…Looks like there was no avoiding this.
Xia Zhinian rubbed his thumb against his index finger, hesitated, and fished the original owner’s math notebook from the desk. The front had some wobbly notes.
He glanced at it, feeling somewhat relieved.
…Fortunately, numbers were easier than Chinese characters.
After a moment’s thought, he moved the notebook further from Yan Ci and slowly doodled with the pen while playing on his phone under the desk, ensuring the handwriting looked different enough to blame on distraction.
The boy appeared to be wasting time and taking the opportunity to slack off, which Yan Ci found rather amusing.
The little rice cake had no intention of taking serious notes from the start.
Yan Ci watched him with an ambiguous look, then suddenly paused.
A sharp itch shot through his fingers, coursing through his nerves and enveloping his entire body.
His arm grew cold as the air conditioner blew cool air up his sleeve, sending a surge of uncontrollable desire rushing up.
Yan Ci’s lips paled, and his brows furrowed.
It’s happening again.
—
Xia Zhinian glanced ahead at Chu Qingjian, sitting and playing with his phone, not going out for a stroll with his girlfriend during the break.
Or rather, ever since he returned to school, he hadn’t seen that girl. After asking around, he confirmed she had gone abroad.
Xia Zhinian sighed lightly. Considering it was a sweet story, aside from the main romantic plot, there wasn’t much going on.
The original owner’s death was closely tied to the progress of the main couple’s relationship.
After much hesitation, he concluded that the romantic subplot was indeed crucial.
After handing in his notes and heading to wash his hands, he glanced in the mirror and saw a tall boy with a furrowed brow. His eyes lit up as he quickly turned back.
“Brother Chu.”
Chu Qingjian’s gaze shifted, and seeing the boy looking at him eagerly, he clicked his tongue.
“What’s up?”
Xia Zhinian hesitated, unsure how to ask, his fingers fidgeting with his sleeves. His clear, round eyes looked up cautiously, and he nervously asked, “Brother Chu, your girlfriend…”
“Went abroad. We broke up.”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Of course.
Xia Zhinian couldn’t pinpoint his feelings, remembering the forum’s nickname, “Professional Overseas Escort Service,” and sighed inwardly. He thought for a moment, then tentatively asked.
“Then, Brother Chu, do you really pick girlfriends based on love letters?”
Chu Qingjian: “…?”
Chu Qingjian cleared his throat, his eyes darting around uncomfortably. He awkwardly coughed, “…If they’re written with genuine emotion.”
“…”
“??!”
Xia Zhinian was dumbfounded. So it was because the original owner’s love letters were too bad?
His eyes suddenly sparkled with a few bright spots, his amber eyes lighting up, and a smile spreading on his face as he eagerly asked.
“Then, if I, if I…”
Before he could finish, an arm suddenly wrapped around his waist, pulling him back with a force that left him breathless. Xia Zhinian’s pupils contracted, and his hair stood on end.
“Classmate Xia.” A low, gentle voice whispered in his ear, “If you what?”
“!!”
Xia Zhinian stiffened, slowly turning his eyes to the side. Yan Ci was close behind him, his eyes dark and lips curling into a soft smile.
“I look away for a moment, and Classmate Xia runs off to have a private chat. Why don’t you share it with me too?”
Xia Zhinian: “!!!”
What the heck?
The memory of the banquet night suddenly resurfaced, sending chills down Xia Zhinian’s spine. He tried to sidestep, but the arm around him tightened, making him stammer.
“Yan, Yan Ci.”
The protagonist shou’s gaze shifted towards Chu Qingjian, but before he could turn entirely, a tight grip around his waist forced him to pivot, causing him to bump his head against Yan Ci’s shoulder.
Yan Ci’s body was wracked with a chilling, itching pain, like bugs gnawing at him. Hearing the boy’s voice unexpectedly, he hadn’t fully processed it before realizing Xia Zhinian was with Chu Qingjian again.
He pulled his lips into a slight smile and spoke softly.
“Classmate Xia.”
Xia Zhinian: “?!!”
“You’re… having another attack?”
Isn’t the frequency a bit too high?
His eyes shifted down to see the bandages around Yan Ci’s arm loosening, revealing deep wounds with blood trickling down.
Startled, his voice rose slightly, “Yan Ci, your wound!”
A low, repressed voice, tinged with a sigh, entered his ear, stirring his heart.
“It hurts,” Yan Ci murmured. “I’m in pain.”
Xia Zhinian’s heart clenched, his ears turning red as he instinctively shrank back a bit, panicking, “You, you…”
Yan Ci held him tighter, his gaze turning cold and clear towards Chu Qingjian by the door.
Chu Qingjian: “…”
Chu Qingjian stayed silent.
Chu Qingjian turned and walked away.
This wasn’t a place for him to be.
Hearing the footsteps recede, Xia Zhinian wanted to look back, but a hand pressed against his head.
“Classmate Xia.”
Yan Ci’s voice was low, presenting his blood-streaked arm, “This hand was burned that day too.”
Classmate Xia: “…”
Classmate Xia felt his head swell with confusion.
No one was left at the door, and although Xia Zhinian hesitated to pursue further, he looked at the refined boy instead, seeing the slight furrow of his brow enduring the discomfort.
After a moment of hesitation, his soft voice wavered.
“You… are you really in a lot of pain?”
“Mm, it hurts.”
Yan Ci’s voice was low and sounded almost pitiful.
Xia Zhinian’s long lashes fluttered anxiously. “Then, maybe, should I let you… touch me?”
He bit his lip, feeling his ears heat up even more with embarrassment, “Where… do you want to touch?”
