Chapter 52
After suddenly learning such a huge secret, Lin Huaixi could control his mouth, but not his eyes. He often found himself staring dreamily at Qi Wang, and would even laugh out loud for no reason.
If it had been anyone else, they might have found it strange or even offensive. But Qi Wang harbored very different thoughts, so for him this was nothing short of torture. He could only desperately suppress the emotions in his heart and pretend he hadn’t noticed.
Given how well he knew Lin Huaixi, he could already foresee that sooner or later Lin Huaixi would smile sweetly and say something he simply would not be able to endure.
For example: “Qi Wang, how did I only just realize you’re this good-looking?” or “Qi Wang, why do you always smile at me like that?” Lin Huaixi always flirted without knowing he was flirting, and every straight shot landed right in the softest place in his heart. Yet whenever he asked why, Lin Huaixi would only blink those innocent eyes at him and look at him in pure confusion.
Every single time, he couldn’t bear to push Lin Huaixi any further.
Lin Huaixi had only just become an adult. He needed time to adjust, time to naturally understand love in this world before he could know the beauty within it.
Qi Wang wanted to place all the best things in the world before Lin Huaixi.
This was no exception.
But to his surprise, Sun Baiyi, who had loudly declared on Lin Huaixi’s birthday that he was going to confess and had looked so full of confidence, had chosen exactly the same strategy.
Something must have happened that day when Lin Huaixi went to his house. Qi Wang had noticed and had quietly tried to probe about it.
They had grown up together. They were each other’s best friend and had never kept secrets from one another. Yet this time Lin Huaixi was unusually evasive. If Qi Wang asked too many times, Lin Huaixi would even avoid him.
Seeing him like this, Qi Wang had no choice but to give up.
This eighteenth summer was hot, yet beautiful. Time slipped through their fingers, and the admission letters from their dream universities arrived. They both had to go register.
B University and A University were in two completely different cities, one in the south and one in the north. Even by plane, it took half a day to travel between them. It felt as though after this, they might not see Lin Huaixi again for the next four years. So at their final gathering, Sun Baiyi got drunk again and hugged a table leg while crying.
Having learned his lesson from last time, Lin Huaixi also drank until he was a little dizzy, but he didn’t lose consciousness.
He crouched down to comfort Sun Baiyi, but after Sun Baiyi took one look at him, for some reason he cried even harder.
Lin Huaixi ended up with his whole shoulder smeared with tears and snot, and a huge question mark popped over his head. He simply couldn’t understand the delicate emotions of his good brother.
But Qi Wang had guessed the reason.
For someone like Sun Baiyi—whose confidence usually swelled to the heavens, who feared nothing and no one—to give up, the only explanation was that he had realized Lin Huaixi hadn’t awakened to that kind of thing at all, let alone liked him. So Sun Baiyi had chosen to take things slowly, planning to pursue Lin Huaixi properly over the summer. But absolutely no progress had been made, and now they were being forced apart.
Compared to that, at least his own situation was a little better.
So when Sun Baiyi mistook his foot for a table leg again, he didn’t kick him flying three to five meters away. He only overturned him with one kick.
Sun Baiyi got drunk out of his mind. The next afternoon he was still not sober, and Father Sun, having reached the limit of his patience, directly packed him off to the airport.
Before his phone was forcibly shut off, Sun Baiyi was still calling Lin Huaixi, whining pitifully and sounding terribly wronged. Lin Huaixi somehow had the strange feeling that a dog head was rubbing against him, so he could only smooth his fur in his mind and continue coaxing him in a soft voice.
“Xixi, the flight attendant is here urging me again. I’m hanging up now. I’ll talk to you after I get off the plane.”
“Okay. I’ll wait for you.”
Only after receiving Lin Huaixi’s firm assurance again and again did Sun Baiyi finally hang up.
Just then, Qi Wang came to knock on the door, pulling a suitcase behind him. “Are you ready? Grandpa is already waiting for us downstairs.”
Lin Huaixi slipped his phone into his pocket and walked over with a smile, stepping toward an unknown yet beautiful university life.
After today, he would officially become a glorious college student.
Once they finished registration, the older students pointed them in the right direction, and the two of them dragged their luggage to the dormitory.
They were in different majors, but by sheer luck they were assigned to the same dorm room—and even to the upper and lower bunks.
Lin Huaixi smiled until his eyes narrowed to slits. “This is such a coincidence. It’s a four-person dorm, but our majors just happened to each have two extra people, so we got assigned to the same room. And we just happened to be those two extra people.”
It was registration day, and there were people everywhere on the road. Seeing Lin Huaixi happily spinning in circles, Qi Wang was afraid someone would bump into him, so he grabbed his wrist and pulled him inward, shielding him with his own body. “Yes. I didn’t expect it to be this perfect either.”
Lin Huaixi was already imagining the future. “Come to think of it, this is the first time we’ve ever lived in the same dorm room. From now on, when I open my eyes in the morning, I’ll be able to see you right away.”
When they were little, they had lived close enough to open their windows and see each other. They said good night every day. Later, in high school, they had even lived under the same roof and gone to school together every day. But if one really thought about it, this was the first time they had ever lived in the same room. To Lin Huaixi, it felt utterly fresh and exciting.
They chatted as they walked and soon reached their dorm.
Qi Wang asked, “Do you want the top bunk or the bottom?”
“The top one,” Lin Huaixi said, thinking of him. “That way you won’t have to keep climbing up and down every day. It’d be too troublesome.”
“Okay.” Qi Wang set the luggage down.
It was now the transition between late summer and early autumn, and the temperature was still high. The two of them had dragged luggage around all day, sweating heavily until their clothes clung damply to their bodies.
Lin Huaixi’s lips were so dry they were nearly cracking. He took the initiative and said, “You rest here for a while. I’ll go buy some water.”
Before he even finished speaking, Qi Wang pulled a water bottle out of his bag as if by magic.
Lin Huaixi’s eyes lit up at once and he immediately took it. It was cool boiled water steeped with chrysanthemum, the best thing for relieving heat.
He drank several big gulps in satisfaction and then handed the bottle back to Qi Wang.
But instead of drinking, Qi Wang began organizing their luggage in perfect order. A minute later, Lin Huaixi found an apple in his hand and himself guided over to a little stool on the balcony.
“Eat this first and line your stomach a bit. Once I’ve finished putting everything away, we’ll go to the cafeteria.”
Lin Huaixi nodded reflexively and took a huge bite, chewing loudly. Only after swallowing did he realize he had been successfully talked into it.
“Wait a second—aren’t you giving me any work to do?” He immediately moved toward him and reached for his own luggage. “I should organize my own things. You can’t do everything yourself.”
“It’s fine.” Qi Wang thought for a moment and then said, “In that case, sit beside me and fan me a bit. It’s hot.”
Lin Huaixi took a book out of his bag and, while chewing on his apple, diligently fanned Qi Wang.
Qi Wang had obsessive tendencies. Even if Lin Huaixi organized things neatly, it would never meet Qi Wang’s standards. If Qi Wang saw it, he would probably feel uncomfortable, frown, and then help him reorganize everything all over again.
This kind of situation had happened many times before. In the past, whenever Lin Huaixi got caught, he would purse his lips and stand quietly at the side. Over time, he had gotten used to it. Occasionally he still tried to struggle and insist on doing it himself, but in the end, Qi Wang always managed to coax him into giving up.
So when the other two roommates walked in, this was the scene they saw:
One of them looked like the youngest and most precious little brother in the family, cute and easy to dote on, sitting on a stool eating an apple with cheeks puffed full. The other was organizing everything, his gaze so gentle. He had taken all the troublesome work onto himself, and even while busy, he still had enough attention left to hand over a tissue at just the right moment and throw away the apple core.
The two new roommates exchanged a look and silently reached the same conclusion.
These two didn’t look alike at all, but they were equally good-looking.
They had to be family.
One of the boys had an exceptionally cheerful personality and came over enthusiastically to greet them. “You two are brothers, right?”
Lin Huaixi looked up at him and smiled as he greeted him back. “Mm, we’re good brothers. My name is Lin Huaixi. I got here a little earlier than you.”
Hearing the true implication behind the word brothers, Qi Wang clarified, “We’re good friends who grew up together.”
Lin Huaixi blinked blankly, and only after a few seconds did he react. “We’re brothers, but not biological, and not cousins either. We’re not related by blood.”
That sentence sounded so funny that the boy’s mouth twitched before he finally managed to suppress a laugh. “Got it. So you two are childhood sweethearts, right?”
Lin Huaixi nodded without hesitation, and Qi Wang, watching this, suddenly found himself in a very good mood.
Lin Huaixi had always adapted quickly and had perfect social skills. He was liked wherever he went. The other two boys were chatterboxes as well, so it didn’t take long for all of them to become close, as if they had already known one another for years.
One of the boys was very loyal and even took the initiative to share information. “Are you guys going to sign up for the student union? The student union in our department is kind of a big deal. It’ll help with work later on, and I heard the student union president can even stay on at school after graduation.”
The other boy immediately looked interested.
Lin Huaixi thought for a few seconds, then slowly shook his head.
In high school, he had once been a disciplinary committee member. It came with a few privileges, but facts had already proven that dead pigs weren’t afraid of boiling water. He had chased after Zong Nanze every day deducting points like crazy, and Zong Nanze still hadn’t reined himself in by even half a step.
Besides, the scum gong who would appear during university was not the same type as those previous disasters. He didn’t need to be watched every minute.
As the plot from the book surfaced in his mind once again, Lin Huaixi subconsciously turned to look at Qi Wang.
There was only one final scum gong left. As long as he could protect Qi Wang properly, Qi Wang’s future would be bright and undisturbed.
This last scum gong was also a little special. As long as Lin Huaixi could stop the tragedy from happening at the crucial point in time, Qi Wang wouldn’t be dragged into it or treated unfairly.
Lin Huaixi had already thought through this countless times during the summer and had made full preparations. Now that two walking encyclopedias had practically been delivered right in front of him, he hurried to gather information.
When Qi Wang went out to fetch water, Lin Huaixi leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Do either of you know about the Astronomy Club?”
“Of course. Our school’s astronomy department is ridiculously strong. Even the club has a super high-end telescope. It’s insanely rich.”
“Then do you know who the president of the Astronomy Club is?”
The boy thought for a moment, digging through his memory for scraps of information. “I kind of remember… ah, right! The Astronomy Club president is over one meter ninety, with an amazing physique, and he also serves as the captain of the basketball team. I heard from upperclassmen that not only does he look fierce, he also has a terrible temper. If you don’t have to, absolutely don’t provoke him. Our little bodies won’t survive even a few punches.”
Lin Huaixi’s heart stirred, and he was just about to ask more when, from the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw the dorm door open. Before Qi Wang’s figure could even fully appear, he immediately shut his mouth, grabbed a washbasin in a panic, and dashed to the balcony, pretending he had never leaned over to whisper anything at all.
The other two boys stared, dumbfounded. Their eyes moved between the two childhood friends, unable to understand why Lin Huaixi was keeping this from Qi Wang.
