Chapter 37
The two of them had grown up together, and their understanding of each other was extraordinary. Without a single word being spoken, Qi Wang could already tell that Lin Huaixi wanted to jump up, so he steadily supported Lin Huaixi by the waist and let him cling to him.
Lin Huaixi looked at Qi Wang with shining eyes, utterly excited.
He had not talked to anyone properly for many days, nor had he been this close to anyone, and this was also the first time he had been able to laugh so freely, without worrying about other people’s eyes on him.
Thinking of how lonely he had been these past days, Lin Huaixi’s gaze took on a layer of grievance and resentment, and he muttered, “Why did you only come now?”
The two of them were the same age, and their heights were almost the same too, yet Qi Wang could hold him with effortless ease and even free up one hand to pat his back. “Sorry. I came too late.”
Lin Huaixi swayed twice against him before jumping back down. He did not dwell on that topic and instead asked with concern, “Have your things already been taken care of?”
The smile on Qi Wang’s face paused for a moment, but his tone remained gentle. “They’ve already been dealt with.”
That might fool other people, but it could not fool Lin Huaixi. He knew very clearly that Qi Wang must have run into trouble and simply did not want to tell him.
Everyone had their own secrets. Qi Wang had once pressed him about the scumbags too, and Lin Huaixi had never explained. So now, he would not force Qi Wang either. Maybe once Qi Wang felt better, he would tell him on his own.
Looking at Lin Huaixi, whose eyes curved into crescents when he smiled, whose two little dimples showed, and who looked no different from the child he had been in kindergarten, Qi Wang suddenly felt that all the violent, dark energy inside him—like a heart packed full of knife points—had finally settled back into place.
Only when Lin Huaixi was by his side did he feel at ease, and the only place he wanted to stay was by Lin Huaixi’s side.
Qi Wang smiled and quietly changed the subject. “What’s this?”
Lin Huaixi followed his gaze and saw the red disciplinary armband on his arm. The invisible tail behind him shot high into the air, and he said in a very smug tone, “I’m a disciplinary monitor now. And I’m the very first first-year disciplinary monitor!”
“Xixi has always been this amazing.” Qi Wang’s tone was calm, without any hint of empty flattery, but Lin Huaixi still found it incredibly pleasing to hear.
“Of course I am.” Lin Huaixi accidentally spoke the truth. “I worked really hard to become a disciplinary monitor. I wear this shirt every day, button it all the way up to the top—it’s strangling me. And I have to copy the way you act every single day. Don’t laugh. The way you’re smiling right now doesn’t look like a disciplinary monitor at all!”
There was way too much information packed into Lin Huaixi’s words. Qi Wang frowned slightly, not even knowing what he should ask about first. “What do you mean, you’ve been copying me? And why do you have to wear a shirt every day?”
That was a long story, and it involved the scumbag two. Lin Huaixi’s eyes darted around twice, looking at the sky and then the ground, anywhere except at Qi Wang.
The thickness of Zong Nanze’s skin had far exceeded his imagination. Things had not gone according to plan at all. Zong Nanze was nowhere near being afraid of him yet, and with the kind of shamelessness he had, the second he saw Qi Wang he would definitely launch an offensive. Wouldn’t that just be repeating the old plot all over again?
Lin Huaixi suddenly grew anxious, instinctively biting his lower lip, his expression turning deeply serious.
“What’s wrong?” Seeing Lin Huaixi’s mood change so quickly, Qi Wang knew he had missed too much, and in his urgency he stepped closer and seized Lin Huaixi’s wrist.
The two of them were standing so close that their breaths mingled, already well beyond a normal social distance, but Lin Huaixi was used to it and kept looking at Qi Wang openly, even though his mind was actually elsewhere.
Qi Wang had already returned to school, so there was no way to send him away again. Since things had already reached this point, he might as well let Qi Wang see Zong Nanze’s true face. Qi Wang would definitely become disgusted with him and stay far away from him, never giving him a chance. And with Lin Huaixi staying by his side, things should not get too bad.
Once Lin Huaixi made up his mind, he suddenly grabbed Qi Wang by the wrist and forcefully dragged him toward the little grove.
Qi Wang still had many things he wanted to ask, and he stood still for a few seconds at first. But in the end, he simply could not win against Lin Huaixi and followed him into the grove.
It was only after the two of them disappeared from sight that the students on the field finally came back to themselves.
Good heavens. The cold disciplinary monitor in a white shirt buttoned all the way up to the top had openly gotten intimate with another student—hugging, holding hands—and now they had even plunged straight into the little grove together!!
Everyone’s eyes lit up. Instinctively, they all chased after them, but they stopped at the edge of the grove and did not dare go in.
Just then, the bell for class rang. Afraid of being scolded by the teacher, everyone dropped all else and sprinted back toward the teaching building together, and the field and the grove returned to their former quiet.
…
Lin Huaixi was focused on serious matters and did not notice that there was anything inappropriate about what he had done. With a solemn expression, he stared ahead and deliberately lightened his footsteps, worried that he might alert Zong Nanze.
He had already been fighting a battle of wits against Zong Nanze for a long time. Based on what he knew about him, there was no doubt Zong Nanze was currently fooling around in the grove with some new boyfriend or girlfriend.
That man was like some spider spirit from a demon cave—dating the way others sucked essence. He had to do it often and do it a lot, or else he could never get enough.
Lin Huaixi snarked inwardly and even rolled his eyes without restraint. Then he turned and made a hush gesture at Qi Wang.
Although Qi Wang did not understand what was going on, he still tried his best to cooperate with Lin Huaixi.
Lin Huaixi held onto Qi Wang’s wrist and walked in front, using the sunlight filtering through the leaves to judge direction. After pausing a few seconds, he dove deeper into the grove.
After walking forward for several more minutes, among the shifting shadows of the trees, Lin Huaixi saw a flash of white cloth.
!!! What a perfect chance.
If he brought Qi Wang to catch him on the spot, then Zong Nanze’s true face would be exposed for all to see. But he absolutely could not let Zong Nanze know about Qi Wang’s existence. Otherwise, that lunatic would definitely do something very bad.
Afraid that Qi Wang might make a sound and get discovered, Lin Huaixi pressed tightly against him, hooked his arm around Qi Wang’s, tilted his head up slightly, and rested his chin on Qi Wang’s shoulder while desperately signaling with his eyes.
The weather had already started to cool, but Lin Huaixi was still like a little stove. The moment he pressed close, Qi Wang broke out in hot sweat, and even his gaze turned unsteady.
Lin Huaixi did not notice any of it. Once he was sure they were hidden, he leaned in toward Qi Wang again, their shoulders fully touching. Even in such dim surroundings, the light in both their eyes was still clearly visible.
Lin Huaixi pointed behind him with one finger, signaling for Qi Wang to look that way.
But Qi Wang showed no reaction at all. In his black, deep-set eyes, a hidden fire was flickering faintly. His breathing had also become much heavier, and the hot air fell across Lin Huaixi’s face, making his skin shiver slightly.
Lin Huaixi’s eyes widened a little. In order to keep the tree shielding them from view, he did not dare move away or make any large motion. There was no way for him to raise a hand and check Qi Wang’s forehead, so, since he had always regarded Qi Wang like family, he directly pressed his own forehead to Qi Wang’s the way Grandma would do when checking his temperature.
Huh, he didn’t feel very hot.
Lin Huaixi looked at Qi Wang in confusion, thinking he must have caught a cold, or else his breath would not be this heavy and warm.
He wanted to tell Qi Wang to take cold medicine when they got back, but when he opened his mouth he realized now was not the time for that, so he just tugged at Qi Wang’s shirt again and motioned for him to look behind them.
This time Qi Wang finally reacted a little.
Bracing one hand against the tree trunk, Lin Huaixi carefully stuck his head out too and stared at that patch of white cloth, then followed it sideways with his gaze.
!!! Why was there only Zong Nanze alone?!
They were this close. The other person could not possibly have slipped away silently right past them without being noticed, so… was Zong Nanze sick in the head or something? What was he doing wandering around the grove all by himself?!
The moment Lin Huaixi realized his plan had fallen through, he became deeply irritated and put the entire blame on Zong Nanze.
And then, of all things, he met a pair of peach-blossom eyes full of smiling affection.
The instant he realized they had been discovered, Lin Huaixi nearly jumped out of his skin.
But Zong Nanze looked completely in control, like a hunter who had waited patiently a long time and was now finally watching his favorite prey walk straight into the trap, unable to wait even a second longer before stepping toward them.
Yet after only a few steps, the smile stiffened on his lips. His expression turned cool—not gloomy, merely cool—as he lifted one brow and looked at them with a playful sort of amusement.
Qi Wang also turned his head sharply, staring at Lin Huaixi in disbelief. He gave off an air of utter desolation, the kind that came after one’s hopes had completely collapsed, and there was a trace of hurt in his eyes.
Lin Huaixi had not yet understood what kind of disappointment Qi Wang was feeling when he suddenly felt the world blur in front of him. By the time he came back to himself, Qi Wang was already standing in front of him, and Zong Nanze was facing them.
Lin Huaixi’s pupils trembled. He was about to lose his mind, terrified that Zong Nanze would set his sights on Qi Wang from now on and keep hounding him relentlessly. He immediately jumped out and shielded Qi Wang behind him, his hands slightly spread, glaring at Zong Nanze in vigilance like a hen protecting her chicks.
That action stunned both of the other two. Qi Wang lowered his eyes slightly and obediently stayed still, while Zong Nanze’s gaze moved back and forth between them, his face full of teasing and amusement, though a trace of coldness leaked into his eyes, something even he himself had not noticed.
Zong Nanze was the first to speak, sounding as though he and Lin Huaixi were already close friends, with a hint of intimacy in his tone. “Xixi, introduce me. Who is this?”
The moment Lin Huaixi heard the word Xixi, goosebumps rose all over his body. But he did not bother with that and instead stepped back once, reached out to hold Qi Wang’s hand, and glared even more fiercely at Zong Nanze as though trying to scare him off.
Seeing Lin Huaixi act this way, the smile on Zong Nanze’s face did not reach his eyes, but his tone was still loose and casual. “Don’t be afraid. I’m just being polite. I only wanted to say hello. What kind of person exactly do you think I am?”
Lin Huaixi did not answer. His expression said plainly, How do you even have the nerve to ask?
Zong Nanze: “…”
“I haven’t broken any school rules today. The disciplinary monitor can’t deduct my points anymore, right?”
Lin Huaixi only made a couple of huffing sounds through his nose.
“Evening self-study just started, and you came over right away. Don’t tell me the disciplinary monitor came here specially to find me?” Zong Nanze truly had no idea when to stop.
“I absolutely did not!” Lin Huaixi was so angry that he ended up bickering with Zong Nanze back and forth, completely forgetting Qi Wang standing behind him.
Only then did Qi Wang realize that while he had been away for only a few months, he had still missed a great deal—and that Lin Huaixi now had someone else by his side too.
A sour, swollen feeling rose in his chest. He suddenly felt as though he could not breathe, and when he turned his head slightly, his gaze shot out like an arrow and lodged itself squarely in Zong Nanze.
Zong Nanze had originally been thoroughly amused, teasing Lin Huaixi with all his attention. But the sense of Qi Wang’s gaze was too strong to ignore.
Their eyes met. The smile in Zong Nanze’s eyes vanished at once, replaced by the wariness of a beast facing a mortal enemy.
Caught between them, Lin Huaixi watched the two of them stare at each other for seven or eight seconds, and his face gradually turned red.
Oh no. This can’t be that “one glance lasts a lifetime” moment between the protagonist and the scumbag, can it?!
