Chapter 41
“Leaving right away. The car is already waiting outside.” After answering instinctively, Lin Huaixi looked at Zong Nanze with a wary gaze, as if he must be plotting something.
Zong Nanze had no idea why he had ended up leaving this kind of fixed impression in Lin Huaixi’s mind. With a bitter smile, he said, “Don’t overthink it. I’m not going to do anything.”
Lin Huaixi let out a little huff through his nose and sneered inwardly.
Don’t think I don’t know. You just want to harass Qi Wang!
You didn’t come early, you didn’t come late—you waited until the exact moment Qi Wang came to pick him up before showing up here. Your intentions couldn’t be more obvious. It’s not like I’m stupid. How could I possibly fail to see through that!!
Zong Nanze had no idea what little schemes were running through Lin Huaixi’s head. He only felt that there was a very deep misunderstanding between them. “It’s true that I’m not exactly a good student. I’m often late, leave early, and break rules and discipline. And when it comes to relationships, I’m not exactly serious enough. But… I’m not that bad either.”
Lin Huaixi: …With that many flaws, and you still don’t count as bad?
Seeing the look on Lin Huaixi’s face, Zong Nanze paused. “Are you cursing me in your heart right now?”
Lin Huaixi’s eyes drifted aside, refusing to meet his gaze, but the answer was already written all over his face.
Zong Nanze shrugged helplessly. “I’m not serious enough about relationships, but I am loyal. If someone cheats on me, I never make a fuss, and I don’t bully people or force them into anything. You really don’t need to think this badly of me.”
Lin Huaixi treated his words like wind passing by his ears and immediately caught the important point. His gaze rose and landed on top of Zong Nanze’s head, as if there were a green hat sitting there. “You got cheated on?”
“You could say that. My boyfriend at the time wanted to get back at me, so he got together with someone else before even breaking up properly. When I found out, I gave him my blessing. Dating is just for having a good time, after all. If two people aren’t suitable for each other, there’s no need to drag things out.”
Zong Nanze said all of that in a very carefree and logical way, but in Lin Huaixi’s mind, he had already been classified as one of the abnormal people.
“Oh, give me a break. Do you think you handled it so well? Like you were especially magnanimous and especially understanding? You simply don’t know how to like anyone. Your boyfriend must have been pushed to that point by you, otherwise he wouldn’t have done something like that.”
Zong Nanze did not argue back. His smiling peach-blossom eyes turned attentive and serious. Even though he looked like a carefree playboy, his expression actually seemed almost deeply affectionate. “Maybe one day I’ll meet someone who teaches me what real liking actually is.”
The moment he heard that, every alarm in Lin Huaixi’s head went off.
That person definitely had to be Qi Wang!
In order to prevent the tragedy that would happen later, he had to crush this dangerous thought in Zong Nanze right now. “And why should someone else be the one to teach you? Do they owe you that? They’d have to deal with all your crazy admirers on one side while also teaching you what liking and love are on the other. Have you ever thought about how they would feel? If you don’t become good enough yourself, then you don’t deserve for anyone else to like you!”
When Zong Nanze first heard that speech, his expression was rather surprised. But gradually he grew quiet, staring straight at Lin Huaixi.
His expression was a bit strange, but Lin Huaixi was not afraid in the slightest and met his gaze with plenty of force.
After a full three minutes, Zong Nanze finally nodded slowly, taking those words to heart. “You’re right. I keep saying I want to change, but actually I enjoy the state I’m in now. Pushing everything onto other people is just an excuse.”
In Lin Huaixi’s mind, Zong Nanze was a full-blown scumbag with countless stains on his record, someone whose playboy nature had already shown itself in high school. He had never expected Zong Nanze to actually reflect on himself seriously, so he was caught completely off guard and looked a little blank.
Zong Nanze looked at him with a smile. The classroom was very quiet, and the ticking of the clock could be heard. The afternoon sunlight was gentle too. Youthful days always seemed to be wrapped in a different kind of glow.
The two of them had always been locked in opposition—more accurately, Lin Huaixi had been the one doing all the disliking and targeting toward Zong Nanze. It was rare for them to have such a peaceful moment. Zong Nanze’s gaze moved upward. Lin Huaixi’s hair had been ruffled by the wind, and without thinking, he reached out, wanting to smooth it for him.
Lin Huaixi stared at him blankly, but the instant his hair was touched, he snapped back to himself. The reaction seemed carved into his DNA. Smoothly and deftly, he grabbed Zong Nanze’s wrist, making use of bones and joints with practiced ease, and without using much force at all, he flipped him into a reverse hold.
Zong Nanze: “…”
That familiar posture.
The first time they met, Lin Huaixi had given him this treatment. And now, right before leaving, there was another one waiting for him.
Zong Nanze tried to break free, but the moment he used even a little strength, his arm ached fiercely. He had no choice but to turn his head and soften his tone toward Lin Huaixi. “I was only trying to fix your hair for you. Aren’t you overreacting a little?”
Lin Huaixi glared at him, then reluctantly let go of his hand.
As expected of someone with the heart of a scumbag—too black-hearted. He had pretended to reflect, using sweet words to lower Lin Huaixi’s guard, and then took the chance to make a move. If Lin Huaixi had not trained in martial arts for so many years in advance, he really might have fallen into Zong Nanze’s trap.
Zong Nanze rubbed his wrist and stood up straight again. Looking at Lin Huaixi’s angry, puffed-up expression, he knew the misunderstanding and resentment between them had only deepened.
Without sounding especially regretful, he sighed. “I came over this time because I wanted to give you something. Since you’re leaving too, just think of it as a farewell gift.”
After saying that, he pulled a delicate gift box tied with a bow out of his pocket. Lin Huaixi frowned and had only just started to say that he didn’t want it when Zong Nanze put the box down on his desk and, before Lin Huaixi could speak, turned and walked out of the classroom.
Lin Huaixi had never seen such shameless forced-selling behavior before. He glared in the direction Zong Nanze had left for a long while before finally withdrawing his gaze and picking up the gift box on the desk.
A gift from Zong Nanze—his instincts told him it could not possibly be anything good. Just as Lin Huaixi was wondering whether he should throw it away, Zong Nanze’s figure appeared in the doorway again.
“Don’t throw it away.”
Lin Huaixi instinctively grabbed the gift and chased after him, but Zong Nanze was extraordinarily fast, vanishing past the end of the hallway in the blink of an eye.
Having learned his lesson, Lin Huaixi rushed after him again, but this time Zong Nanze had truly left.
Lin Huaixi stood huffing angrily at the stairwell for several minutes before finally smoothing out his expression and returning to the classroom to continue packing his things.
He wanted to see what Zong Nanze was really up to, so in the end, he did not throw the box away and instead stuffed it into the side of his schoolbag.
Qi Wang had already finished handling the transfer paperwork and could no longer enter the campus freely, so he could only wait for Lin Huaixi outside. The moment he saw Lin Huaixi dragging his luggage toward him, he immediately smiled and went forward to help him carry things in the most natural way.
The two of them had grown up together. Lin Huaixi had always leaned on Qi Wang deeply, and he was also used to Qi Wang taking care of him.
After they got into the car, Qi Wang asked, “Did you leave anything behind?”
Lin Huaixi shook his head. “No. I checked over and over. I brought everything important.”
“Good. We’re heading to see Aunt Gu now. The ride is long, so I brought you an eye mask. You can sleep for a while first.”
“Okay.” Though he said that, Lin Huaixi was actually very excited and grabbed Qi Wang, chattering away nonstop.
Qi Wang stayed with him the whole time, but he also noticed that Lin Huaixi was getting tired, so he handed him a cup of warm water he had prepared in advance. “The weather has been too dry lately. I steeped some chrysanthemum tea.”
Lin Huaixi nodded and held the cup, taking little sips. Once his brain emptied out, the exhaustion surged over him, and he could not stop yawning.
Qi Wang had already guessed as much and smiled as he passed him the eye mask again. “You should still get some sleep.”
After taking it, Lin Huaixi did not put the mask on right away. Instead, he turned to look at Qi Wang.
Without him needing to say a single word, Qi Wang instantly understood what he meant. He shifted a little closer and offered over his shoulder. “You’ll sleep more comfortably like this.”
Lin Huaixi was not polite about it at all and immediately leaned against it. His vision sank into darkness, and his nerves gradually relaxed. But before he fully fell asleep, there came that muddled in-between stage when the brain went fuzzy, and in that haze, the delicate gift box suddenly popped into his mind.
Lin Huaixi abruptly opened his eyes. Without even taking off the eye mask, he began groping around for his schoolbag.
He did not find the schoolbag. Instead, his fingers touched something warm, and Qi Wang’s voice sounded next to his ear. “What are you looking for?”
They were probably very close. Qi Wang’s voice sounded especially low and magnetic, making the center of Lin Huaixi’s chest tingle slightly.
Instinctively rubbing the itchy ear, he muttered hazily, “My schoolbag.”
Qi Wang handed him the bag, and Lin Huaixi pulled out the gift box tucked to one side.
He absolutely had to see what exactly Zong Nanze was trying to pull.
It was not a prank, nor was it some love letter trying to curry favor with Qi Wang. Inside the box lay soft dried grass, and on top of it rested a tiny yellow flower.
?? Why would Zong Nanze give him a flower?
For a playboy like Zong Nanze, flowers naturally carried special meaning—but there was only one, and it was no bigger than his fingernail, like something casually plucked from the roadside.
After thinking a few seconds, Lin Huaixi decided that a single flower probably was not dangerous. He carefully picked it up, almost wishing he had a magnifying glass so he could examine it properly.
Once he confirmed it really was just an ordinary little wildflower, Lin Huaixi continued rummaging through the box and found a card under the dry grass.
Zong Nanze’s grades were terrible and he was always late or leaving early, but his handwriting was beautiful, carrying an effortless, elegant looseness.
[Xixi]
[I know you don’t like the little grove. You think it’s too dark, that you can’t tell direction there, and that it’s easy to get lost. But beside the grove there’s actually a low wall. Sunlight shines in there, and a cluster of little yellow flowers grows by that wall. Do you remember the cat that tried to scratch you back then? It loved lying there in the sun, and it liked catching butterflies there too. If we get the chance later, I can take you to see it.]
There were many details in that passage, and many memories that belonged only to the two of them. Sitting in the car, Lin Huaixi felt as though some invisible hand had pulled him back through a crack in time and dropped him once more into that campus where he had stayed for only two months.
On one side was the dark, chilly grove. On the other side was a brilliant golden brightness. Sunlight poured in and blended with the blooming little yellow flowers. The flowers swayed in the wind, revealing one upturned little cat paw with pink pads.
Beside the ripples butterflies drew through the air, one butterfly ignored all the little yellow flowers and instead landed right on the cat’s paw, as though it were staring at the cat’s terrible sleeping face.
When Lin Huaixi had first seen that cat on the wall, it had been sprawled out in sleep, limbs limp, its pink tongue sticking out, practically rolling its eyes back.
Little animals were always given extra favoritism by Lin Huaixi. As the scene surfaced in his mind, he suddenly let out a laugh.
Qi Wang had already noticed Lin Huaixi’s movements. At first he had assumed Lin Huaixi was too hungry to sleep and had even picked up a cushion to pad his shoulder. But when he turned his head, he instead saw Lin Huaixi holding a card and smiling so happily.
Qi Wang leaned over and glanced at it. The moment he saw the form of address at the top, he had a strong premonition: Zong Nanze had sent it.
That night, Zong Nanze had once asked him, “If I seriously pursued Xixi, would you agree?”
Qi Wang still remembered his answer.
No matter how close he and Lin Huaixi were, they were still only friends, bamboo-horse childhood companions, brothers. Sooner or later, Lin Huaixi would be with someone else. If that someone treated Lin Huaixi with real seriousness, he would not interfere.
That answer had not occurred to him only when Zong Nanze asked. He had already repeated it in his own heart thousands and thousands of times before ever speaking, as though he had been trying to convince himself all along.
That was why when he answered Zong Nanze, his tone had been so calm and natural, not a single hitch in it.
But only now did Qi Wang realize that he had thought too highly of himself. The answer he had given so confidently at the time now came back like a heavy slap across his face, burning hot, while harsh noise rang in his ears.
He’s smiling?
Did his heart move?
Does he like Zong Nanze?
But he had clearly promised him that he would not date during high school. For these three years, the two of them would stay together properly, study well together, and get into the same university.
So now… was he going back on that? Was he giving him up?
It felt as though another soul lived inside his body, struggling desperately, trying to break through the shell that trapped it, asking wildly over and over.
Qi Wang acted on instinct and reached out toward Lin Huaixi.
…
“Qi Wang, Qi Wang!”
It was only when he heard Lin Huaixi calling his name that Qi Wang suddenly snapped back to awareness. He was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving violently, and the suffocating pressure in him had made every muscle in his body ache terribly.
Fresh air rushed greedily into his brain, sweeping away the madness. Qi Wang’s vision swayed twice before it finally settled on Lin Huaixi’s face.
Noticing that something was very wrong with Qi Wang, Lin Huaixi was frowning tightly. “What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?”
Qi Wang did not answer him. His gaze moved, and he saw that the hand he had stretched out was clutching the card and the little yellow flower from Zong Nanze.
He had been gripping so hard, and yet he had not snapped the flower in two. It was still intact, passing quietly through the gaps between his fingers as if it were mocking him.
No matter how much he tried to stop it, no matter how much he tried to delay it, the things that were destined to happen would not change.
After this one time, there would be countless more. All he could do was remain in the place of “best friend,” watching as Lin Huaixi kept moving farther and farther away, continuing on with his life.
And yet right now, Lin Huaixi’s eyes reflected only him. To Lin Huaixi, aside from family, the person he cared about most, the person dearest to him, was still Qi Wang.
Lin Huaixi fumbled busily with tissues, wiping the sweat from Qi Wang, then poured him another cup of warm water. A moment ago, Qi Wang’s face had looked so terrible, but after drinking, he turned back into the familiar Qi Wang again.
“I’m fine. Sorry for making you worry.”
“Are you really okay?” Lin Huaixi pressed.
“I just had a nightmare just now.” Qi Wang smiled and soothed him.
Lin Huaixi felt that was only an excuse, but he could think of no other reason either. After holding out in silence for a few seconds, he finally sat back down.
Qi Wang had always seemed mature and steady far beyond his years. What kind of terrifying nightmare could possibly make him turn into this?
Because of that little interruption, Lin Huaixi casually tossed Zong Nanze’s card and flower aside and did not think of them again.
When they got off the car, Qi Wang lowered his head to pick up the luggage and happened to see the gift box lying wedged in a gap.
He paused, then naturally withdrew his gaze and pretended he had seen nothing at all.
The car drove farther and farther away. The card and that flower would never return to Lin Huaixi’s hands again.
Lin Huaixi noticed none of this. He had only been standing there for a minute before he was pulled into a warm embrace.
“Xixi, my baby, Mommy can finally see you every day now!”
Time never defeats a beauty. Lin Huaixi had gradually grown up from a soft sticky rice dumpling into the clean, refreshing young boy he was now, while Lin Yunmi had not changed at all—neither in looks nor in personality.
The baby fat was already gone from Lin Huaixi’s face, yet Lin Yunmi still reached out and pinched his cheek. “Xixi, did you miss Mommy?”
Lin Huaixi had always been especially good at coaxing people ever since he was little, and now that he was older, his ability had become even more masterful. As he helped his mother smooth her hair, he looped an arm through hers and said, “I missed you a lot. But I know Mommy is a beautiful career woman with great ambition, so I have to support you and help take care of Grandpa and Grandma for you.”
Hearing that, Lin Yunmi seemed to go back to that afternoon long ago, when she had been about to leave for work and crouched down to ask Lin Huaixi what he wanted.
There had been so many gifts she could bring him, but Lin Huaixi had wanted none of them. He had only wanted Mommy to take care of herself outside, rest more, and come back to see him soon.
Back then she would rub against him wildly like someone hugging a cat, but now Lin Huaixi had grown up and was no longer that little dumpling she could scoop straight into her arms.
Just moments ago, Lin Yunmi had still been all smiles, but now she suddenly turned melancholy. Lin Huaixi froze for a few seconds, but the bond between mother and son was real enough that he did not even need to ask to know what she was thinking, so he immediately started coaxing her.
Lin Yunmi still had the temperament of a child—her emotions came quickly and left just as fast. A few minutes later, she was smiling again and beckoned to Qi Wang. “Come here quickly, I personally cooked something delicious for you two.”
The moment they heard the words personally cooked, Lin Huaixi and Qi Wang silently exchanged a look, and both their expressions stiffened a little.
Lin Yunmi’s cooking was very mediocre. The only thing she could make well was Lin Huaixi’s favorite little bunny cake. But it was her sincere effort, and neither Lin Huaixi nor Qi Wang wanted to disappoint her, so they forced themselves to eat it all.
After dinner, Lin Huaixi sat to the side, patting his stomach, his eyes unfocused, as though his soul was drifting off somewhere far away.
“I called Mom. She’ll be back in another three days.” Worried that Lin Huaixi had not eaten enough, Qi Wang handed him a peach.
Lin Huaixi took a bite of the peach and said through full cheeks, “Are we going to report to school tomorrow?”
“If you feel tired, you can rest a couple more days before going. The two schools are a little different in learning progress, but it won’t delay your studies.”
Lin Huaixi shook his head. “It’s fine. I’ll just treat it as review. Anyway, during the last few days over there, I wasn’t really listening seriously anymore.”
Qi Wang nodded.
The parents on both sides were business partners and had rented this apartment together. The apartment was in an excellent location and was also very spacious. Lin Huaixi and Qi Wang each had their own room, and the two rooms were right next to each other.
Students always had fairly healthy routines. The two of them watched a little television with Lin Yunmi, then washed up early and went back to their rooms to sleep.
Lin Huaixi kept yawning. Just as he was about to return to his room, he suddenly stopped and turned to Qi Wang with a sigh. “We’re neighbors again. We live even closer now than we did before.”
Qi Wang smiled and ruffled his hair. “That’s right. We won’t have to say goodnight through the window anymore.”
“Like saying it face to face?” Lin Huaixi’s tone turned playful.
Qi Wang walked him to his room, then said, “Good night.”
…
High school had morning self-study, so students needed to arrive early. Lin Huaixi had a bad habit of lying in bed too long, and by the time he finished washing up, there was barely any time left.
Lin Yunmi’s schedule was even worse than theirs. She forced herself out of bed to prepare breakfast for them. There were three people in the apartment, and only Qi Wang was reliable. After a burst of total chaos, Lin Huaixi finally ran out the door with his schoolbag on and jumped onto the back seat of Qi Wang’s bicycle.
This apartment was very close to school. Lin Huaixi had only just swallowed the fried dough stick in his mouth when the bike was already stopping at the school gate.
“Wait for me a second. I’m going to park the bicycle,” Qi Wang said.
Lin Huaixi nodded and stood under the shade of a nearby tree, tilting his head up to look at the grand school gate.
Only now did the feeling become real to him.
He had truly changed schools. Here, there was no Zong Nanze, and he no longer had to keep worrying about Qi Wang getting hurt.
Thinking of that, Lin Huaixi’s lips curved up without him even realizing it, and he turned to look at Qi Wang.
The two of them were in perfect sync. Qi Wang happened to be looking at him too. Their gazes passed through the students coming and going and fell upon each other’s faces.
Everything that had happened these past days drifted far away from them like a howling wind. The heart that had been disturbed by Zong Nanze finally settled back into place. Qi Wang smiled, then stepped toward Lin Huaixi.
But before that step had even landed, an uninvited intruder beat him to it. A boy in school uniform came sprinting over and threw his arms around Lin Huaixi in a bear hug.
“Xixi, you finally came. I missed you so much.”
Qi Wang: “…”
Qi Wang: “…”
Qi Wang: “…”
He had actually forgotten.
Now that there was no Zong Nanze, there was still Sun Baiyi.
