Ji Xu glanced down at Cheng Yue, who had fallen asleep leaning against him, and then at the test paper with only a few questions attempted. He let go of the broken pen in his hand.
The broken pen fell to the ground, rolling a bit before settling into the soft wool blanket.
Cheng Yue, feeling somewhat drowsy, sensed that his hands and feet were as if blown by something cold. But since he was too sleepy, the sensation soon faded, and he didn’t pay much attention until the silence in the room was broken.
In a semi-conscious state, Cheng Yue vaguely heard Ji Xu’s voice.
“Hmm, yes, it’s troublesome. He’s sick, alright.”
Sick? Who is sick?
Cheng Yue, with his eyes still closed, pondered while half-asleep, and eventually, unable to make sense of it, slowly opened his eyes.
What came into view was Ji Xu’s legs. Cheng Yue craned his neck to look up, and it was still just legs…
Cheng Yue, feeling bewildered, tried to sit up, but a pair of hands pressed firmly on his shoulders, pinning him to the sofa.
Ji Xu bent over, keeping him pinned to the sofa, and looked down at him.
“Awake?” Ji Xu asked with a smile.
Cheng Yue was startled by the smile, feeling a shiver down his spine, and could only nod obediently.
“Are you thirsty?” Ji Xu inquired.
Cheng Yue licked his lips, realizing that he was indeed a bit thirsty.
Ji Xu straightened up, letting Cheng Yue feel uncomfortable under his gaze before speaking, “Wait a moment.”
Cheng Yue watched as Ji Xu turned and walked into the kitchen, leaving him in a daze.
Before he could gather his thoughts, Ji Xu returned carrying a large jug of water and placed it in front of him.
Cheng Yue was taken aback by the gesture but was indeed thirsty. He reached for the jug, poured himself a glass, and drank it.
Feeling still a bit thirsty, Cheng Yue poured another glass and drank it. It was only after finishing this glass that he realized how unnaturally quiet the room had become.
He licked his lips, set down the cup, and slowly moved towards Ji Xu, who was sitting on the other side.
Ji Xu noticed Cheng Yue’s small movements out of the corner of his eye, casually glanced at the glass bottle that was now more than half empty, smiled slightly, and lowered his head to read the book he was holding.
Cheng Yue lay on the sofa, having vaguely figured out some things in his mind, and slowly moved towards Ji Xu. Feeling a bit guilty, he asked, “What are you reading?”
Ji Xu didn’t say anything, his gaze fixed on the book as if it contained something crucial that captivated him.
“I was just really, really tired,” Cheng Yue said softly, feeling that Ji Xu might be upset. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
Ji Xu remained silent.
“I promise, I’ll get up right now and start writing!” Cheng Yue vowed earnestly.
Ji Xu didn’t even glance in his direction.
Cheng Yue continued to mumble to himself for a long time, but Ji Xu didn’t respond. Eventually, Cheng Yue had no choice but to sit down on the floor and continue working on the test.
After struggling and barely finishing half of it, Cheng Yue nervously placed the test paper on Ji Xu’s lap, saying, “This is all I could do.”
This time, Ji Xu looked up at him, gently set the book aside, and picked up the test paper.
“Didn’t I explain this problem to you last time?” Ji Xu pointed to a mistake on the test paper.
Seeing that Ji Xu was finally willing to talk to him, Cheng Yue quickly nodded his head, even though he wasn’t sure if Ji Xu had explained it before. He decided to nod first and then figure it out.
“I’m lying,” Ji Xu said, flicking his forehead. “I haven’t explained this problem to you.”
Cheng Yue: “……”
Cheng Yue, feeling aggrieved, touched his forehead and looked at Ji Xu.
“Stand up,” Ji Xu said. “Don’t squat on the floor.”
Cheng Yue slowly got up, but his legs had gone numb from sitting on the floor for too long. When he stood up, he lost his balance and swayed towards Ji Xu.
In a panic, Cheng Yue grabbed whatever he could, but as soon as he steadied himself and looked up, he saw Ji Xu’s darkened expression.
“I…” Cheng Yue began to speak but was interrupted by Ji Xu.
“Get up.” Ji Xu frowned, looking at his chest.
“Huh?” Cheng Yue was momentarily stunned, following Ji Xu’s gaze and seeing that he had grabbed onto Ji Xu’s chest.
Ji Xu was only wearing a shirt at home, and Cheng Yue’s hands were gripping it tightly on both sides, mostly because…
Ji Xu must have been working out regularly… His chest felt a bit firm.
Cheng Yue, feeling uncomfortable, swallowed hard and slowly released his grip.
“Sit properly.” Ji Xu ordered in a low voice.
“Oh, okay.” Cheng Yue, not daring to touch the “tiger’s whiskers” again, immediately bent his legs and sat back down on the floor.
Ji Xu: “……”
Ji Xu frowned, puzzled at how Cheng Yue could be so foolish.
After a while, unable to understand, Ji Xu simply stood up, lifted Cheng Yue from the floor, and threw him onto the sofa, sternly commanding, “From now on, you must sit here quietly for an hour without moving. You can only eat after finishing the test.”
Seeing Ji Xu’s stern face, Cheng Yue nodded vigorously and started to scribble on the test paper.
Ji Xu, seeing that Cheng Yue was working on the test, looked down at his crumpled shirt and sighed. He went to change into another shirt.
Half an hour later, Ji Xu came out of the room and looked at Cheng Yue, who was sitting on the sofa.
Cheng Yue was clearly losing focus, his body twisting and turning without purpose.
“Are you done?” Ji Xu asked as he walked over.
“Not yet…” Cheng Yue’s voice was small. “I want to…”
“Don’t think about anything until you finish the test,” Ji Xu interrupted, picking up the test paper and glancing through it to confirm that Cheng Yue had completed most of it. He then began explaining the questions that were not filled in.
Another ten minutes later.
“Ji Xu,” Cheng Yue, eyes downcast and struggling to hold back his urge to urinate, called out, “I want to…”
“Recite this formula,” Ji Xu said, not hearing Cheng Yue’s faint voice.
“Huh?” Cheng Yue was momentarily stunned and obediently recited the formula.
“Why did you still make mistakes if you’ve memorized it?” Ji Xu raised an eyebrow. “You’re still not being careful.”
“I…” Cheng Yue tightened his grip on the sofa, just as he was about to say something, he accidentally brushed against his abdomen, causing his whole body to tense up.
Ji Xu, while looking for mistakes on the test paper, did not glance in Cheng Yue’s direction.
Cheng Yue, after calming down, noticed that Ji Xu had somehow already sat beside him, holding Cheng Yue’s math test paper and looking at him.
“Now, let’s discuss question six,” Ji Xu said, helping Cheng Yue sit up, grabbing a pen, and pointing to the mistake on the test paper. “Look here…”
Cheng Yue: “……”
“Do you understand now?” Ji Xu asked after explaining.
Cheng Yue was almost entirely focused on his bladder situation, unable to pay clear attention to the math problem he was unfamiliar with.
“Don’t understand?” Ji Xu asked, looking at him and explaining the problem again.
After explaining, Ji Xu asked, “Do you know how to solve it now?”
At that moment, Cheng Yue even felt that Ji Xu was scarier than their math teacher.
“I was wrong; I won’t sleep while doing homework again!” Cheng Yue repeatedly promised. “Really! I’ll definitely stay awake next time!”
Ji Xu, uninterested in Cheng Yue’s promises, continued explaining question six.
After explaining, Ji Xu asked, “Can you do it now?”
Cheng Yue, sweating coldly, recalled Ji Xu’s explanation of the problem, closed his eyes, and chose option A.
“Correct,” Ji Xu nodded. “You can still understand.”
“I want to…” Cheng Yue hurriedly said.
“Now let’s look at question seven,” Ji Xu continued with an unwavering tone, moving on to the next question.
Ji Xu asked Cheng Yue after each question whether he understood it.
By the end, Cheng Yue could only nod; he didn’t even dare to move. His hand trembled as he finished the test, and he unconsciously made strange sounds from deep in his throat.
“Quite smart,” Ji Xu said, looking at the test paper Cheng Yue had barely finished, and patted his head. “Go to the bathroom.”
Cheng Yue, stiff on the sofa, didn’t dare to move. Even if he wanted to go, he couldn’t.
“Will you still sleep while doing homework next time?” Ji Xu asked.
Cheng Yue quickly nodded, then realizing something was off, rapidly shook his head.
“Can you pass next time?” Ji Xu asked again.
Cheng Yue was almost in tears, only able to shake his head in approval.
“You said it.” Seeing Cheng Yue’s response, Ji Xu directly bent down and picked him up.
As Cheng Yue was lifted, his face turned pale and then quickly flushed red. He buried his head in Ji Xu’s shoulder, too embarrassed to move.
Just as Cheng Yue feared he would be thrown out, he heard Ji Xu’s somewhat muffled laughter near his ear.
Cheng Yue’s face turned even redder, including his neck and ears. He thought Ji Xu’s laughter so close to his ear was somewhat provocative.
Ji Xu had intended to carry Cheng Yue to the bathroom but didn’t expect this situation. He cleared his throat a couple of times and then placed Cheng Yue in the bathroom.
After entering the bathroom, Cheng Yue, head down, jumped down and quickly pushed Ji Xu out, locking the door behind him.
Ji Xu went back to the living room, tidied up everything, and carefully placed the test paper and pen into Cheng Yue’s backpack before sitting on the sofa, frowning and contemplating.
Once the water noise from the bathroom stopped, Ji Xu got up, went to Cheng Yue’s room, and hung a set of pajamas outside the bathroom door.
Ji Xu knocked on the bathroom door, “I’ve left the clothes outside.”
There was a brief silence before Cheng Yue’s muffled voice responded.
Ji Xu rubbed his temples, walked into his bedroom, leaned against the wall, and sighed, reminding himself that he could only go so far.
Although Cheng Yue didn’t realize it this time, if he couldn’t control himself, he would have wasted his teenage years.
After the noise in the living room subsided, Ji Xu gathered his emotions and stepped out of his bedroom.
The door to Cheng Yue’s room was ajar. Ji Xu walked over slowly, knocked on the door, and asked, “Are you asleep?”
“No…” Cheng Yue’s voice came from inside.
“Let me know if you feel uncomfortable anywhere,” Ji Xu said, standing at Cheng Yue’s bedroom door and looking at the small lump under the covers.
“Next time, study seriously. If your class advisor sends me another report with a failing grade…”
Ji Xu didn’t finish his sentence, as Cheng Yue’s muffled voice came from under the covers.
“I’ll definitely pass!” Cheng Yue shouted from beneath the blanket.
“Alright,” Ji Xu replied with a smile. “As long as you pass. Get some rest and go to bed early for school tomorrow. Good night.”
“Good night.” Cheng Yue reluctantly returned the goodnight wish.
After Ji Xu gently closed the door to Cheng Yue’s room, Cheng Yue slowly poked his head out from under the covers, looking contemplative.
He began to suspect that Ji Xu might have a certain inclination… although Ji Xu’s usually serious and composed demeanor made it hard to tell.
And then… Cheng Yue’s face suddenly turned red as he realized he didn’t actually mind these feelings. When it came to Ji Xu, he seemed to accept it without much resistance, even finding it quite comfortable.
After this thought popped into his mind, Cheng Yue buried his face back into the blanket, his face still flushed.
He felt like he was starting to become more peculiar than Ji Xu. Even though Ji Xu wasn’t actually related to him by blood, Cheng Yue felt inexplicably shy.
Cheng Yue swore to himself that he would definitely pass next time while nervously reaching to touch his pants.
The next morning, after discussing Cheng Yue’s intimidation incident with Tang Jing, Ji Xu took a two-day leave.
Tang Jing, though reassured about Ji Xu’s capabilities, was still concerned about the possibility of facing a larger group. After some thought, he provided Ji Xu with a phone number, saying, “This is a friend of mine, the same guy who helped us catch that person who threw dead rats at Mu Jia’s door. He knows many people and can get you special assistance if needed.”
“Got it, thanks,” Ji Xu said, hanging up the phone. He then looked at Cheng Yue, who was taking his last sip of milk at the table, and frowned. “Drink more slowly.”
“Finished. Let’s go,” Cheng Yue said, setting the cup down, wiping his mouth, and picking up his backpack.
On the drive to school, Cheng Yue clearly recalled the incident with the three men blocking him at the school gate yesterday.
After Ji Xu parked at the school entrance, Cheng Yue looked around carefully before entering the school, all under Ji Xu’s watchful eye.
Ji Xu, after seeing Cheng Yue enter the school, didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he parked the car by the roadside and stayed in the car, squinting and carefully observing the surrounding vehicles.
For the past few days, Cheng Yue had noticed that Ji Xu would always be on time, parked by the roadside waiting for him after school.
Today, as Cheng Yue left the school, he saw the car parked by the roadside again, as if it had never moved.
Once inside the car, Cheng Yue asked in surprise, “Don’t you have work these days?”
“Not much going on,” Ji Xu replied while glancing at the black van not far from them.
Cheng Yue nodded in response and asked, “What are we having for dinner today?”
“What do you want to eat?” Ji Xu asked.
“Spicy crayfish!” Cheng Yue replied, not noticing Ji Xu’s unusually cold demeanor.
After dinner, Ji Xu didn’t take Cheng Yue home. Instead, he dropped Cheng Yue off at the school just before the busiest time for evening self-study sessions.
“Go in by yourself today,” Ji Xu said, parking the car at a distance from the school.
“Huh?” Cheng Yue was momentarily stunned but didn’t ask why. He obediently got out of the car and walked towards the school.
Ji Xu watched Cheng Yue’s retreating figure and slowly drove away, maintaining a distance while following him.
After watching Cheng Yue enter the school, Ji Xu turned his gaze to the now darkened sky outside the car window and focused on the black van not far from him.
He then took out his phone and sent the address and estimated number of people to Tang Jing’s contact before waiting in the car.
Soon, it was time for Cheng Yue to finish his evening self-study session. Ji Xu, squinting, watched as three men got out of the car.
Ji Xu had been closely accompanying Cheng Yue these past few days to identify the car they were using and the number of people involved. By deliberately not picking up Cheng Yue today, he aimed to make the three men let their guard down.
As Ji Xu was pondering, his gaze suddenly turned cold.
He noticed that the three men who had been in his line of sight had suddenly disappeared.
Ji Xu furrowed his brows, took another careful look, and, confirming that the men had indeed vanished, pushed open the car door and got out.
Just as he was about to move forward, he heard light footsteps behind him.
Author’s Note:
Three big guys: “We told you we’re not pushovers!”
By the way, I’d like to emphasize one thing.
After receiving various opinions, I have made some discretionary edits to this chapter based on the realization of errors.
However, I want to make it clear that if you cannot accept such scenarios, please stop reading, even though the situation involving the aggressor is only mild. This may be the most extreme occurrence before adulthood.
But after adulthood, I can’t guarantee what might happen. I appreciate the suggestions, and I have removed content that might cause discomfort.
Lastly, I want to stress that this is not a fiction focused on explicit adult themes! Absolutely not!
