Chapter 23
The feast Grandpa and Grandma prepared never disappointed.
Ever since he was little, Lin Huaixi had been a greedy little foodie. Once he started eating, he simply could not stop. In the end, he was so stuffed that he collapsed against the chair, his belly round as a ball, the shape of it faintly pressing against his shirt.
“Grandma, Grandpa, your cooking is so delicious. You’re even better than the chefs in five-star restaurants!” In the matter of sweet-talking, Lin Huaixi had advanced yet another level. Very few people could withstand it.
Grandma smiled and said, “Has Xixi ever been to a five-star restaurant?”
Lin Huaixi did not hesitate in the slightest. “To me, the food Grandma and Grandpa make is more delicious than anyone else’s in the whole world. I’d never get tired of eating it for the rest of my life!”
Grandpa was smiling so hard his whole face bloomed like a flower. Grandma still treated Lin Huaixi like a little child and hooked a finger lightly under his nose as she laughed. “All right then. Since Xixi likes it that much, Grandpa and Grandma will do our best to keep cooking for you for the rest of your life.”
Lin Huaixi immediately grew happy, hopped down from the chair, and carried his plate to the kitchen to find Qi Wang.
“Why are you secretly doing work again?” Lin Huaixi felt displeased. Both his hands were full holding the greasy plate, so he could only bump into Qi Wang with his body.
Qi Wang felt as though he had been struck by a little meatball. He deliberately staggered a few steps, then coaxed him with a smile. “It’s fine. You can do a little more later.”
Although he said that, he firmly occupied the sink and took over all the dishes. With nothing left to do, Lin Huaixi fluttered around him like a butterfly, putting everything back in its proper place.
Ever since third grade, the two of them no longer needed stools to reach the sink, so they had taken over the job of cleaning up the dishes. And with Qi Wang’s mild neat-freak and obsessive tendencies strengthening the process, the kitchen could always be cleaned spotless without Grandma having to supervise or instruct them.
Grandpa and Grandma were very at ease. They sat in the living room drinking tea, waiting for Lin Huaixi and the others to come out.
“Xixi, tomorrow is your first day at the new school. Remember to pack your schoolbag properly and don’t forget to bring anything.”
Lin Huaixi nodded and brought Qi Wang back to the bedroom, one after the other.
Lin Huaixi had eaten too much. The moment he entered the room, he flopped onto the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Qi Wang sat at one side and naturally picked up the schoolbag to help him pack it.
“Are three gel pens enough? And that bunny pen you like…” Qi Wang’s tone paused there, and he frowned instinctively. “Why is the rabbit’s face so dirty?”
The bunny pen had been a gift from Lin Yunmi to Lin Huaixi. On top of the pen was a soft, springy, adorable little rabbit. Lin Huaixi loved it dearly. Even after finishing his homework, he would still hold the pen and scribble all over paper from time to time, so attached to it that he probably wanted to hug it even while sleeping.
But he was rather careless, and sometimes got pen ink smeared across the rabbit’s clean little face. Knowing he was in the wrong, he reached out and smoothed Qi Wang’s furrowed brow flat, his two short little legs waving lightly in the air. “Sorry. I’ll pay more attention in the future.”
Qi Wang froze because of that gesture, and the small discomfort in his heart immediately vanished. He glanced at Lin Huaixi and sighed in resignation. “You’ve already said that to me three times.”
Lin Huaixi blinked his beautiful big eyes and put on an innocent, confused look. “Really? How come I don’t remember?”
Once the words fell, the two of them looked at each other and smiled at the same time.
Seeing that he had successfully coaxed Qi Wang, Lin Huaixi lazily lay back down again, utterly at ease while enjoying Qi Wang’s service.
Only after Qi Wang had cleaned the little rabbit’s face did he place the pen case into the schoolbag. “Tomorrow there are only five core classes, so you don’t need to bring all the textbooks. Otherwise your schoolbag will be too heavy.”
Lin Huaixi was too lazy to even open his eyes. He only gave a very tiny nod.
“I’ve packed your notebooks too. Do you want to check them?”
Lin Huaixi’s curled, thick lashes trembled lightly twice. He was already almost drifting into sleep and answered very slowly, “No need. If I forget to bring something, I’ll just borrow it from you.”
Looking at the person lying on the bed, Qi Wang said with hidden meaning, “What if the two of us don’t end up in the same class?”
Lin Huaixi’s eyes flew open at once. “Impossible. We’ll definitely be in the same class!”
“Class placement is random. Maybe we won’t end up together, and then we won’t be deskmates either.” Qi Wang sounded very casual, as if he did not care at all.
But Lin Huaixi looked deeply troubled, pressing his lips together tightly.
In the novel, Scumbag #1—Sun Baiyi—would keep pestering Qi Wang, bully him together with his little followers, and stop him from studying properly, making sure Qi Wang’s grades plummeted so badly that he failed to get into the high school he wanted.
But now Sun Baiyi had already changed for the better. Things should not develop according to the original plot anymore, right…?
Lin Huaixi struggled with it for a long time, then took a step back. “It’s okay. I can be in the same class as Sun Baiyi.” That way I can keep an eye on him.
Qi Wang and Lin Huaixi were not on the same wavelength at all. The moment he heard those words, Qi Wang’s face darkened, and that uncomfortable feeling in his heart reached its peak.
He tried hard to suppress and control it, turned around with his back to Lin Huaixi, and said nothing.
After speaking, Lin Huaixi sensed something was off.
The two of them had grown up together. Even though Qi Wang’s figure had gradually become taller and straighter, Lin Huaixi could still see within him that little boy from before, the one with his hair bristling and cheeks puffed up in anger.
Lin Huaixi tilted his head. “Qi Wang, why are you…”
He had only managed a few words when someone knocked on the bedroom door.
Qi Wang immediately stood up and walked quickly to the door. “Grandma, are you looking for Xixi?”
Grandma nodded. “I came to see whether you’ve packed your schoolbags.”
Qi Wang handed the bag to Grandma.
When Grandma saw the books inside lined up neatly by height, every corner perfectly aligned, every line horizontal and vertical as though measured, rather than all the books being thrown in at random, she immediately knew that Qi Wang had packed it for him.
Grandma fell silent for a few seconds and looked helplessly toward Lin Huaixi lying on the bed. She had originally wanted to say to Qi Wang, “Don’t spoil him too much,” but the words felt a little strange somehow, so she swallowed them back down and only gave a meaningful smile.
Qi Wang did not respond. “It’s getting late. I’ll head back first.”
“Please say hello to your mother for me.”
Qi Wang politely said goodbye to Grandma, but did not look at Lin Huaixi behind him. His steps were hurried as he left.
Lin Huaixi instinctively ran after him, but he was too slow putting on his shoes. By the time he reached the doorway, Qi Wang was already nowhere in sight.
Lin Huaixi paused for one second, then turned back anxiously. “Grandma, can I borrow your phone for a bit?”
“You want to call Qi Wang.” Grandma did not say it as a question at all. Her tone was completely certain, and she simply handed the phone straight to Lin Huaixi.
She was already used to it.
The two children had grown up together, and it was always like this: one moment they would separate, the next moment they would be on the phone. Before bed, they still had to stand by the little window and chat clingily for a few more minutes before they would finally agree to sleep obediently.
She had also watched Qi Wang’s reaction all along—from being uncomfortable with it at first to later accepting it gladly, and sometimes even taking the initiative to call Lin Huaixi himself. Lin Huaixi, that little chatterbox, always had endless things to say, while Qi Wang listened patiently every time and could carry on any topic with him.
Grandma smiled and quietly slipped out of the room.
Lin Huaixi moved quickly, not caring about anything else.
He understood Qi Wang’s temperament too well. If the problem was not solved that very night, Qi Wang could stay puffed up in anger the entire evening, still gloomily clouded over the next day, stewing in silent resentment and dragging the sulking out for three whole days before finally calming down.
Just imagining it made Lin Huaixi’s scalp tingle. He firmly made up his mind that this absolutely could not be dragged out until tomorrow.
Angry or not, Qi Wang always picked up the phone. The moment Lin Huaixi heard his voice, his heart finally settled back into place, and he smiled as he said, “Qi Wang, why didn’t you say goodbye to me when you left?”
There was a pause of a few seconds on the other end before Qi Wang’s voice came. “Sorry. I forgot.”
Lin Huaixi did not care in the slightest how mushy his own words sounded. “Actually, I really do want to be in the same class as you, and best of all I want to be your deskmate. But I can’t interfere with class placement. Even if we’re not in the same class, it’s fine. I’ll come find you during every break!”
Qi Wang paused, then said awkwardly, “What if there’s a very long corridor between the two of us?”
“Then I’ll cross the entire corridor to come find you.”
Half of Qi Wang’s anger dissolved, but he still stubbornly pressed on. “What if we aren’t even on the same floor?”
“Then I’ll go downstairs to find you.” Lin Huaixi fed him another dose of reassurance. “Even if we’re not in the same building, I’ll still go find you!”
Qi Wang fell silent again for several seconds, his tone unreadable. “You should stay in your own classroom. You need time to prepare before class.”
Lin Huaixi had a special way of sensing things. He knew Qi Wang’s mood had already improved a lot, so he deliberately teased him. “I’m going to find you anyway!”
This time, Qi Wang was silent for a full half minute before stiffly changing the subject. “It’s getting late. Go to sleep early. I’ll come get you tomorrow morning.”
The moment he heard that, Lin Huaixi knew Qi Wang had already been coaxed back into a good mood, and he finally let out a breath of relief. “Okay. Good night.”
“Good night.”
After hanging up, he lay on the bed imagining what expression Qi Wang must have had on his face while answering the phone, and he burst out laughing.
When Qi Wang was unhappy, he was silent. When he was happy, he was silent too. Other than Lin Huaixi, who in the world could tell the difference?
Lin Huaixi lazed around for a while longer before finally going to the bathroom to wash up.
—
This was their first day of junior high school. Grandma took it very seriously, even more seriously than Lin Huaixi himself. She prepared an abundant breakfast and was already waiting by the door early in the morning. “Xixi, the school’s a bit far away. Do you want Grandpa to take you there?”
Lin Huaixi swallowed the mouthful of rice porridge in his mouth and answered without even lifting his head, “It’s okay. Qi Wang is coming to pick me up.”
Grandma had only just nodded when she saw Qi Wang’s figure appear at the little gate. “Qi Wang, you’re three minutes early again. Xixi will be right out.”
Qi Wang nodded and stood in the little courtyard, one hand holding his bicycle.
Exactly three minutes later, Lin Huaixi came running out with his schoolbag on his back, still not having swallowed the food in his mouth. His soft little cheeks were stuffed out round like a greedy little hamster’s.
Knowing that Qi Wang liked cleanliness, he raised his hand to show that he had already washed it, then pulled a wet wipe from his pocket to indicate that he would wipe his mouth clean in a moment.
Qi Wang did not care about that. He was only worried Lin Huaixi might choke. Unhurriedly, he took the water bottle and poured him a cup of water.
Lin Huaixi was already so dry that he could barely swallow, so after drinking a cup of water, he felt much better.
“You don’t need to rush like this,” Qi Wang said.
After wiping his mouth with the wet wipe, Lin Huaixi climbed onto the back seat of Qi Wang’s bike and naturally grabbed onto his clothes.
Back in second grade, Lin Yunmi had taken them both out to learn how to ride bicycles.
Before that, Lin Huaixi had always used training wheels. But once they were suddenly removed, he had no idea how to ride at all and ended up falling, scraping his knee.
Afraid of making Mommy worry, Lin Huaixi had not burst into loud tears. He had only cried silently with red-rimmed eyes while forcing himself to comfort them instead. Lin Yunmi and Qi Wang had both felt horribly sorry for him.
Qi Wang had immediately declared that from then on, he would ride with Lin Huaixi on the back. Lin Yunmi had agreed on the spot as well. Under the indulgence of the two of them, the issue of Lin Huaixi learning to ride a bicycle quietly disappeared and was never brought up again.
Fortunately, the two children now went to the same school, so Qi Wang could bring him back and forth every day.
“Grandma, we’re leaving now,” Lin Huaixi said as he sat securely on the back seat and waved to Grandma and the others.
Grandma watched the two of them disappear around the end of the lane before turning back inside the house.
…
With another person on the bike, the speed was naturally slower. The two of them hurried all the way and luckily were not late.
Sun Baiyi was standing at the school gate waiting for them. The moment he spotted Lin Huaixi, his eyes lit up, and he came running over eagerly.
“Why are you two only getting here now?” Without waiting for an answer, he concluded on his own, “It must be because Qi Wang rides too slowly. How about this, Xixi—I’ll bring you to school every time from now on.”
Lin Huaixi smiled. “No need. Your house is too far from ours.”
After being rejected, the little tuft of hair on top of Sun Baiyi’s head drooped at once. But like a happy little dog, his depressed mood never lasted more than two seconds before springing back up again. “Come on, let’s go look at the class list. Maybe the two of us will end up in the same class!”
Lin Huaixi did not follow him right away. He stayed where he was, waiting for Qi Wang. “The three of us will go together.”
Sun Baiyi paused and cast Qi Wang a reluctant look.
They had been in the same class for all six years of elementary school, but the two of them really did not get along.
Sun Baiyi thought Qi Wang was far too pretentious, while Qi Wang thought Sun Baiyi was far too stupid. He had never taken him seriously in the first place. Only because of Lin Huaixi’s feelings had the two of them barely managed to maintain surface peace.
After a whole vacation apart, Sun Baiyi had gone a long time without being verbally smacked down by Qi Wang, so his courage had grown again. In a sarcastic tone, he said, “You’ve grown all this height for nothing. You still ride so slowly.”
Qi Wang looked at Sun Baiyi expressionlessly.
Sun Baiyi had shot up in height, looked a little sturdier, and loved causing a fuss, never able to stay still for a single moment. He was practically an enlarged version of a naughty little brat. But under Lin Huaixi’s influence, his personality had gradually improved, and his appearance had also become sunny and cheerful, which made him likable enough that he had escaped being blacklisted by teachers at every level.
Qi Wang only lifted his eyes slightly, yet that alone utterly killed Sun Baiyi. “Still better than you. You’ve grown taller, but your brain hasn’t.”
“You!” Sun Baiyi instantly exploded.
Lin Huaixi was already used to this. He stepped forward and stood between the two of them. “Let’s hurry up and go look at the class list first.”
Only then did Sun Baiyi rally again and take the initiative to pull Lin Huaixi along. “Come on, come on, let’s go together.”
Before he could finish speaking, Qi Wang slapped his hand away.
“…Qi Wang, don’t push it too far!” The flames of war flared up again. Furious, Sun Baiyi turned to Lin Huaixi. “Xixi, this time you can’t blame me. He’s the one starting trouble first!”
Lin Huaixi sighed inwardly and started walking forward.
Qi Wang’s gaze followed Lin Huaixi at once, and he immediately moved after him. When Sun Baiyi saw that the other side was not taking the bait, there was no way for the quarrel to continue. He sulked for a few seconds on the spot, then hurried after them too.
The three of them walked over to the class placement noticeboard and began searching for their own names among the densely packed list.
Squinting hard, Sun Baiyi practically shoved his face against the board and searched with great effort. “I found you, Xixi. You’re in Class Three.”
Before he could finish speaking, his eyes suddenly widened in delight. “I’m in Class Three too! We can keep being classmates!”
Sun Baiyi scanned the Class Three list all over again, so happy he nearly jumped. “That’s great! That annoying Qi Wang can finally stay far away from me now. Let me see what class you’re in.”
Before he even finished the sentence, he saw Lin Huaixi and Qi Wang standing on the other side of the board. He walked over, and sure enough, he found Qi Wang’s name in Class Ten.
!!!
At that moment, Sun Baiyi’s mood could only be described as drums thundering, firecrackers exploding, universal celebration. His tail seemed to wag as he swaggered over to Qi Wang and said with great pride, “Hahaha, what a shame. Xixi and I are in the same class, and you’re all alone in Class Ten. Class Three and Class Ten are three whole floors apart. I’d suggest you don’t run back and forth every break, or you won’t make it to class on time.”
Qi Wang gave no reaction, but Lin Huaixi was already sweating nervously.
His crow’s mouth—everything he said last night had come true exactly.
Without even turning around, Lin Huaixi could feel Qi Wang’s death stare on him and almost shivered. He quickly promised, “It’s okay. I run fast. I’ll come find you during every break!”
Qi Wang only shot him another icy glance and said nothing.
Lin Huaixi: “…” Oh no. He was going to have to coax him again.
Sun Baiyi failed to notice the silent storm brewing between them and instead grumbled, “Xixi, why do you have to go looking for him every break? Let me say this first—I’m not going. I can say ten sentences to him, and Qi Wang still can’t squeeze out a single word. Sometimes I seriously suspect he’s mute!”
Lin Huaixi’s scalp went numb. He reached out to push at Sun Baiyi. “All right, stop talking already. Let’s hurry back to class, or we won’t make it for the class meeting.”
Dogs always had two sides to them. In front of Qi Wang, Sun Baiyi was like a destruction machine and a stubborn fool who could not understand human language. But in front of Lin Huaixi, he was a completely happy little dog, responding to everything and giving a full measure of emotional support. “Okay, let’s go back to class together.”
The three of them headed forward together. It was almost class time, and nearly all the students had already run back into the teaching building. The huge campus was now almost empty except for the three of them.
The head of grade, with a big beer belly sticking out and his belt cinched tight, walked out from the office building nearby. The moment he saw the three of them, he knitted his brows tightly and barked, “Stop right there.”
Lin Huaixi had already been worried about being late. The moment he saw a teacher, he was like a rabbit seeing an eagle and instantly froze in guilt.
Sun Baiyi also tightened his chin and did not dare lift his head. In a place the head of grade could not see, he pinched Lin Huaixi’s hand, silently asking what they should do.
Lin Huaixi made a face like he was about to cry, indicating that he had no idea either.
Only Qi Wang remained calm, standing there and watching as the head of grade approached.
The man looked extremely fierce. His gaze swept across the three of them, and even the wrinkles in his face seemed stern, as if they had committed some monstrous crime. “Have you never read the school rules? How many times have I emphasized it? Absolutely no one is allowed to do this!”
Sun Baiyi and Lin Huaixi cowered like two little quails, shoulders hunched and too scared to speak. Only Qi Wang answered calmly, “We’re sorry, Teacher. We’re new seventh graders, so we haven’t had the chance to study the school rules carefully yet.”
At the words new seventh graders, the head of grade’s expression softened a little, though his brow remained tightly drawn. “Even if you haven’t read the school rules, you still ought to have common sense. Anyone could tell at a glance that this is something you absolutely mustn’t do. Why would you knowingly break the rules like this?”
There were only two minutes left before class. Knowing he was in the wrong, Lin Huaixi weakly lifted his head. “Teacher, we’ll definitely come earlier from now on. We won’t ever be late again.”
The moment he heard the word late, the head of grade froze. “Class hasn’t started yet. Even if you were late, that would only be a small issue. Don’t try to change the subject. I’m discussing something much more serious with you!”
The expressions on both Sun Baiyi’s and Lin Huaixi’s faces went blank. They looked at each other, completely unable to understand what other mistake they could possibly have committed besides nearly being late.
Qi Wang asked the question for them.
Seeing them play dumb on purpose—or so he thought—the head of grade looked provoked. His stern gaze swept over Qi Wang and Sun Baiyi before finally settling on the little low dip in the middle of their formation. “How many times have I said this? Our school may have both an elementary section and a junior high section, and they may be right next to each other, but students absolutely cannot run around between them! And yet you actually brought an elementary school student onto the junior high campus! If the elementary teachers realize they’re missing a child, won’t they worry? And what if something happens to him on campus—can you take responsibility for that?!”
Lin Huaixi: ???
Sun Baiyi: ???
…Where was this elementary student supposed to be?
“…” Qi Wang turned his head and looked at Lin Huaixi, who had barely grown these past few years, still with his round cheeks and looking every bit like a cute elementary school kid. After a few seconds of silence, he looked at the head of grade in resignation. “Teacher, he’s a new seventh grader too. He didn’t skip grades.”
Only then did Lin Huaixi understand what was going on. Looking at the head of grade with grievance and hurt, he protested, “Teacher, I’m a middle school student. I really am not an elementary schooler.”
The head of grade: “…”
He still did not quite believe it, so he asked, “What’s your name?”
“My name is Lin Huaixi.” Lin Huaixi pulled his student ID from his pocket and handed it over.
The head of grade looked at the student ID, then at Lin Huaixi. Realizing he had made a complete blunder, his expression turned awkward and a little embarrassed.
“Eat more. You’re still at the age where you’re growing. You’ll still get taller.” He handed the student ID back to Lin Huaixi. His gaze swept across the three of them, and finding Lin Huaixi’s height pitiful beyond words, he patted him on the shoulder in consolation. “I’m sorry. I made a mistake today. Actually, you look… mm… and your height is… mm… completely unlike an elementary school student.”
Looking at the head of grade’s strained and guilty expression, Lin Huaixi felt as if several knives had stabbed his heart. Even his eyes grew damp.
Teacher, if you don’t know how to comfort someone, you can just stay silent. You really don’t have to keep emphasizing how short I am and how much I look like an elementary school kid!
