QTEBS Chapter 13

Fu Xin got out of bed with two dark circles under his eyes.

He had barely slept the entire night, tossing and turning, his mind filled with the words, “The moonlight is pretty nice tonight.” He couldn’t lie down any longer, but he still had to wait for Zong Yuan to come pick him up at the usual time.

After Fu Dongqiang started working at the school, he began his shift at eight o’clock, while Fu Xin had over two hours to spare. The principal was quite accommodating and, upon learning about Fu Dongqiang’s situation, had immediately gave him a month’s salary without hesitation. This money was something Fu Dongqiang put a lot of effort into when it came to meals.

Fu Xin looked at the carefully prepared dishes on the table, remembering how Fu Dongqiang had reminded him through the door last night, “Son, remember to heat it up before you eat in the morning.”

Gazing at the table full of lovingly preserved food, his expression was complex. Indeed, Fu Dongqiang had been acting like a reformed man these past few days, but Fu Xin found it hard to believe.

A sudden change of heart—could it really happen to Fu Dongqiang?

When Zong Yuan saw Fu Xin, he was taken aback. “What’s wrong with you?”

The boy’s pale face was marked by two large black circles, looking fatigued and dispirited.

It was obvious he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep.

Fu Xin felt like grabbing him by the collar and demanding what last night’s words meant, but he only weakly pinched Zong Yuan’s shirt as he got into the bike, his voice lacking energy. “I’m fine.”

0046 felt that if he needed sleep, he would be just like Fu Xin. “Who told you to only say half of what you mean? So annoying.”

Fu Xin’s heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat; he wrapped his arms around Zong Yuan’s waist, his grip loose and slack. Whether intentionally or not, each time the bumpy ride seemed to brush against his sensitive spots.

He reacted even more sensitively, almost like a dragonfly skimming the water, pulling away in less than a second.

Zong Yuan frowned, tugging Fu Xin’s hands upwards. “Hold on tight.”

Fu Xin’s face turned red from behind, especially with those dark circles under his eyes. “What did you mean last night?”

Zong Yuan replied casually, “Guess.”

Fu Xin cautiously spoke up, “You don’t like me?”

He held his breath until Zong Yuan’s voice broke the silence. “No.”

Fu Xin started to feel excited, a hint of shyness in his eyes as he gazed at the back of Zong Yuan’s helmet. “You like me.”

Zong Yuan laughed softly, his voice carried by the wind to Fu Xin’s ears. Fu Xin instinctively tightened his grip. “What are you laughing at?”

Zong Yuan looked straight ahead, his expression under the helmet relaxed. “Congratulations, Fu Xin.”

Fu Xin’s eyes lit up.

“Congratulations, you guessed wrong.”

Fu Xin was momentarily speechless. “Then what do you mean?”

“The moon, bro,” Zong Yuan suddenly slammed on the brakes, causing Fu Xin to lurch toward him. Zong Yuan turned to support his shoulder.

At the school gate, people were coming and going.

Zong Yuan held Fu Xin with one hand and removed his helmet with the other. His tousled hair danced wildly in the wind as he leaned down, speaking softly into Fu Xin’s ear. Fu Xin was dazed, feeling the tickle of Zong Yuan’s hair brushing against his cheek and then his pupils suddenly constricted, slowly bursting with light.

Zong Yuan said, “Fool, what I meant is, the moon is curved and so am I.”

He leisurely added in a low, seductive voice that stirred the heart, “So, Fu Xin, you can start pursuing me now.”

When Fu Xin finally snapped back to reality, he saw Zong Yuan casually pushing his motorcycle, strolling into the school with an air of coolness.

He covered his pounding heart, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks as he gazed at Zong Yuan’s retreating figure, feeling as though his vision was overflowing with water, gently entwining around Zong Yuan.

He hurried to catch up.

Zong Yuan smirked and 0046 muttered, “Sick sense of humor.”

During class, Fu Xin kept staring at Zong Yuan, troubled because he didn’t know how to pursue someone.

Zong Yuan rested his chin on one hand while the other lay casually on the desk. Suddenly, he felt someone stealthily take the pen from his hand, pulling his hand under the desk and quietly slipping his own hand inside.

Zong Yuan let him do as he pleased. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fu Xin seriously focused on the blackboard, his delicate face seemingly filled with a thirst for learning, looking every bit the ideal student.

It felt as if the one holding his hand and gently brushing past his fingers wasn’t even Fu Xin.

With a mischievous thought, Zong Yuan quickly pulled his hand away. “Fu Xin, what are you doing during class?”

Fu Xin furrowed his brows. “Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Zong Yuan raised an eyebrow, feigning annoyance. “Are you trying to take advantage of me while I’m sleeping, hmm?”

Fu Xin’s neck flushed a bright red, his eyes darting about like a guilty little thief. “N-no.”

“Your confidence is lacking,” Zong Yuan commented with a laugh. “Just do what you want. It won’t be me who suffers.”

Fu Xin looked at him in confusion, a flicker of understanding flashing across his eyes, as if he hadn’t quite grasped Zong Yuan’s meaning. Zong Yuan chuckled softly, “Let’s focus on class, little fool.”

Days spent with someone you like always fly by quickly. In computer class, Fu Xin stealthily checked his notes, which were filled with tips on how to pursue someone, but he hadn’t yet implemented many of them.

First, he couldn’t spend money; Zong Yuan didn’t lack it either.

Second, Fu Xin’s face turned crimson at the thought of sweet nothings; he could never say those lines. They all sounded so flirtatious that just thinking of Zong Yuan made him excited and unable to sleep.

So, despite waiting and waiting, Zong Yuan didn’t get to see any of Fu Xin’s pursuit tactics.

Having been pursued by countless people, Zong Yuan wondered, “Does this guy really think running errands and checking on me counts as pursuing?”

Fu Xin shyly handed Zong Yuan his completed math test, blushing. “Zong Yuan, I can’t solve a few questions.”

Even though Zong Yuan hadn’t done anything, Fu Xin appeared utterly embarrassed, a sight that made people want to tease him. Zong Yuan took the test paper and casually set it to the side, looking at Fu Xin. “Is there nothing else you want to say to me?”

Fu Xin recalled the romantic lines he had read online, swallowing hard. “How many legs do you think we have?”

Zong Yuan smirked. “Six.”

Fu Xin stared at the corner of Zong Yuan’s mouth, his eyes uncontrollably revealing affection, his voice tense. “No, it’s one.”

Zong Yuan licked his lips, already guessing where this was going, and playfully asked, “Why?”

“Because we have one line.”

I have to admit, those cheesy lines he saw before were fine in theory, but saying them out loud felt really awkward.

Fu Xin’s face turned red, his eyes glistening as he eagerly awaited praise. Zong Yuan thought for a moment and seemed to recall something similar. “Then I’ll have to save your phone number as ‘One Line’ in my contacts.”

Fu Xin was taken aback. “Why?”

“Because,” Zong Yuan lowered his voice, “if you do one thing, you should love it.”

In an instant, Fu Xin’s face flushed bright red.

He was so flustered he didn’t know where to put his hands and feet. His mind went blank, feeling as though he had been struck by lightning. All that remained was a sweet, tingly sensation in his heart. After a long pause, he stammered, “I-I agree.”

Zong Yuan burst out laughing.

Time flew by, and before they knew it, Saturday arrived. He Xiu’xiu paced nervously in her room. Her parents asked her, “Are you sure the classmate you mentioned has the surname Zong?”

He Xiu’xiu nodded shyly. “Yes, he transferred from the capital. Didn’t you say you would inquire about his family background? How is it?”

He Xiu’xiu’s parents exchanged glances. “There are many people with the surname Zong in the capital, but only one prominent family. We have no ties with them, but we heard there’s indeed a young master around eighteen or nineteen, also in his third year of high school.”

He Xiu’xiu was elated, confidently saying, “That must be him!”

Her mother looked worried. “Daughter, it’s risky to associate with a prominent family. Just being friends is enough; there’s no need for anything more.”

“Mom!” He Xiu’xiu interrupted sharply, “Don’t upset me. If I really get close to him, wouldn’t it be better for both you and Dad? Look, Dad hasn’t said anything.”

Her father, appearing indifferent, nodded with a gleam in his eye. He patted her mother’s hand. “It’s just a young person’s matter; let’s not interfere. Besides, our daughter is both beautiful and sensible. Not to mention this young master Zong, even if a few more came along, she’d handle them just fine.”

He Xiu’xiu displayed a modest smile.

Her birthday party was scheduled for 3 PM that afternoon. She had started styling her hair and doing her makeup in the morning, eagerly awaiting the afternoon’s grandeur, hoping for a perfect outcome.

Zong Yuan had almost forgotten about the event until Fu Xin suddenly reminded him, “We’re going to He Xiu’xiu’s birthday party this Saturday.”

Zong Yuan lazily held a cigarette in his mouth, not in the mood to move. “Do you want to go?”

Fu Xin smiled slightly. “I want to.”

Of course, he wanted to go. He still remembered the look He Xiu’xiu had given him that day—jealousy and malice. She was indeed an outstanding and beautiful class monitor, even her disdainful expressions were high and mighty.

Fu Xin coughed a few times from the smoke. “Smoking is bad for you.”

Zong Yuan pointed toward the door, lazily saying, “Just go stand over there.”

Fu Xin obediently closed his mouth. They were currently in Zong Yuan’s apartment, in a space as large as the living room, yet he insisted on squeezing close to Zong Yuan.

Zong Yuan exhaled a puff of smoke and shifted away. Fu Xin stuck to him like chewing gum. Zong Yuan helplessly shook off the ash from his cigarette. “I mean, isn’t it hot being so close?”

Fu Xin replied, “Not hot.”

Zong Yuan wasn’t fond of being clingy. He had played around in a few relationships before, finding them dull. They never lasted more than a few days. He hated monotony, despised being rigid, and loathed feeling restrained or entangled.

Logically speaking, Fu Xin had crossed quite a few boundaries, but strangely enough, Zong Yuan felt not a hint of annoyance; instead, he vaguely enjoyed teasing Fu Xin.

He patted his thigh and joked, “Why don’t you come sit here?”

Fu Xin hesitated, saying, “No, that’s not so good.” Despite his words, he stood up without any hesitation and was about to plop down on Zong Yuan’s lap.

“—” Zong Yuan was just about to say it was a joke, but before he could finish, Fu Xin had already sat down. Zong Yuan’s quick reflexes kicked in, and he instinctively reached out, perfectly catching Fu Xin’s falling weight. The soft flesh of Fu Xin bounced against his hand.

Zong Yuan subconsciously squeezed it.

In the next second, both of them froze in place.

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