Chapter 54
Zhong Chongqiu didn’t show any obvious reaction. It was just that his dark pupils were fully exposed now, and he stared at Lin Huaixi without blinking.
The moment the words left his mouth, Lin Huaixi also felt that it might not have been entirely appropriate. A little embarrassed, he pressed his lips together and looked up at Zhong Chongqiu.
It was their first meeting, and they weren’t familiar with each other at all. On top of that, Zhong Chongqiu’s outward emotional fluctuations were almost nonexistent. From his face, Lin Huaixi somehow read a kind of indifference, as though he didn’t care one way or another.
Affected by that mood, Lin Huaixi also felt that there wasn’t really any problem.
“Okay.”
Zhong Chongqiu turned his head away quickly, stared at some empty point on the wall, and kept a serious expression, though his gaze gradually drifted.
From his movement, Lin Huaixi read the unspoken subtext:
Hurry up. Stop dithering and wasting my time.
He had originally been ready to give up, but after being provoked by Zhong Chongqiu like this, now he absolutely had to touch it.
Lin Huaixi had always been stubborn whenever it came to fighting against the scum gongs. His rebellious streak rose up again, and he reached out directly.
Even through the thin fabric, the feel of the muscle was still very obvious—firm and powerful, like a rock. Lin Huaixi pressed a little harder, and the one who ended up hurting was his own hand.
Lin Huaixi paused, his gaze dropping to Zhong Chongqiu’s exposed forearm.
Whenever he exerted strength, the lines of the muscle tensed tightly. Zhong Chongqiu made no attempt to hide it at all. His hand was clenched hard into a fist, veins bulging across the back of it.
Tsk. His competitive streak was pretty strong too. Deliberately flexing his muscles this hard—was he trying to show off to him?
Perhaps because Lin Huaixi’s gaze was too intense, Zhong Chongqiu finally turned to look at him. His eyes jumped quickly, only staying on Lin Huaixi’s face for a single second before dropping to his own arm.
The muscle at the end of his brow twitched once in a split-second motion. Zhong Chongqiu reached up, rolled his short sleeve farther up, then turned his head away just as quickly and resumed staring at some empty corner.
There had been no verbal explanation, so Lin Huaixi was utterly baffled by this move.
Was he telling him not to touch through the fabric?
Now that he could see it directly with his eyes, even with his scum-gong filter firmly in place, Lin Huaixi still had to admit that Zhong Chongqiu’s muscle lines were very beautiful.
It wasn’t the kind of muscle shaped in a short burst through special diets and training plans—those kinds of muscles tended to look swollen and puffed up, like overproofed steamed buns, with the overall frame unable to support them and the final effect looking hollow and showy.
Zhong Chongqiu’s muscles were built over a long period of training, mixed with sweat and time. Even looking with the most critical eye possible, Lin Huaixi couldn’t find a single flaw. Even his expression and gaze changed.
This was exactly the kind of body he idealized for himself!
All his fellow martial brothers looked like this too. Only he himself showed absolutely no trace of having practiced martial arts!!
By this point, Lin Huaixi had already forgotten all their personal grudges. He was simply treating Zhong Chongqiu as a fellow martial artist and wanted to exchange training insights with him.
As he squeezed the muscle, he asked, “How do you train?”
Zhong Chongqiu’s skin leaned cool, but Lin Huaixi’s palm was very warm. With no layer of fabric between them, it felt as though Zhong Chongqiu had been scalded. He shook involuntarily, turned his head toward him, and his chest rose and fell slightly.
Lin Huaixi hadn’t expected such a big reaction from him and blinked innocently. “Did I squeeze too hard?”
“No.” After saying that, Zhong Chongqiu pressed his lips downward hard, and his expression turned even stiffer.
Lin Huaixi increasingly felt that Zhong Chongqiu had an odd temper. He truly could not make sense of what was going on in his mind, so he sensibly chose to keep quiet too.
The two of them walked out side by side.
Zhong Chongqiu had been extremely cold before, but now he had taken the initiative to look at him twice, and Lin Huaixi hadn’t responded either time.
When they reached the door, Lin Huaixi—having grown up with proper manners—stopped politely to say goodbye.
Zhong Chongqiu looked at him once and asked again, “Are you coming to the observatory this weekend?”
They had just spoken about this topic ten minutes ago. Lin Huaixi hadn’t expected Zhong Chongqiu’s memory to be so bad and looked at him in surprise. “I am.”
“Good. Someone will add you to the group later. The gathering times are all in the group chat. Don’t forget to check it.”
It was rare for Zhong Chongqiu to say such a long sentence. Without waiting for any reply, he turned and left.
Lin Huaixi looked at his retreating back and felt even more envious.
What a naturally blessed muscle physique. Those lines were too beautiful!
After sighing inwardly over it for a while, he turned around in a very good mood.
The first encounters with the previous two scum gongs had gone terribly. Compared with that, he and Zhong Chongqiu had gotten along fairly amicably. That could count as a good start.
Lin Huaixi had been keeping this matter in the back of his mind for days. Now that it had been perfectly settled, the weight on him was gone, and even his steps felt lighter.
By the time he got back to the study room, only half an hour remained before Qi Wang got out of class—and he hadn’t touched his homework at all.
!!!
Lin Huaixi instantly remembered the fear of being ruled by the god of homework. He had no time for anything else. Grabbing his pen, he started writing frantically on the paper, so absorbed that he didn’t even hear the bell ringing for the end of class.
It wasn’t until he finished one assignment that he felt someone sit down next to him.
Without even lifting his head, he said, “Qi Wang, give me five more minutes. Let me check this once more and then we’ll go.”
“Mm, no rush.”
Qi Wang asked casually, “Why did it take you so long this time?”
Lin Huaixi’s hand paused, and he let out a dry little laugh. “Because it was harder than usual.”
The two of them were in different majors, so Qi Wang had no way to expose him. He only smiled slightly.
After Lin Huaixi finished his homework, the two of them walked back together.
The school’s lights-out time was eleven. By the time they got back to the dorm, it was already past ten.
Zhang Yunqiu had already taken a quick shower and was lying in bed playing on his phone. Seeing them return, he stuck his head out. “Why are you two so slow?”
“Too much homework.”
Zhang Yunqiu sucked in a breath. “As expected of the legendary law major. It’s that terrifying.”
Lin Huaixi didn’t joke around with him and simply went to take a shower too.
Soon all of them were lying in bed playing on their phones. The dorm was quiet, but after lights-out they naturally slipped into nighttime conversation.
“Why didn’t we have military training this year?” Zhang Yunqiu asked.
As the resident know-it-all, Liu Zhengnian very dutifully answered, “Because October is the school’s 150th anniversary celebration. The dates clash, so of course military training has to give way to the anniversary.”
Zhang Yunqiu rolled over. “That’s great news. Hopefully we never have military training at all.”
“Oh, come on. That’s impossible. Once the anniversary celebration is over, it’ll be our turn to suffer.”
Lin Huaixi smiled and comforted him. “It’s good that it’s been pushed back. At least it won’t be this scorching anymore.”
Zhang Yunqiu nodded. He was already so sleepy that his consciousness was blurring and his brain had stopped functioning, but his mouth moved of its own accord. “By the way, today was the first day for club recruitment. Did you go to the Astronomy Club?”
Lin Huaixi: !!
He squeezed his eyes shut so hard that if Qi Wang hadn’t also been there, he probably would have pounced over and beaten Zhang Yunqiu on the spot.
Liu Zhengnian also instantly realized the problem and kicked upward hard from the lower bunk.
Zhang Yunqiu’s bed shook violently. His sleepiness disappeared, and he sat up irritably. “Liu Zhengnian, are your feet bored or something? I was just about to fall asleep, and you kicked me awake!”
Liu Zhengnian showed not a trace of guilt. He raised his brows and made exaggerated signals with his eyes, while his mouth kept jerking toward Lin Huaixi.
“Even Huaixi can’t save you…” Zhang Yunqiu was only halfway through the sentence when his eyes suddenly widened.
It was over. He had let it slip.
He hadn’t skipped even a single bite of the barbecue at noon or the spicy hot pot in the afternoon. After taking all those benefits, he had still betrayed his good brother without hesitation.
Zhang Yunqiu’s knees instantly went weak, and he dropped to his knees toward Lin Huaixi’s side. “Xixi, my brain short-circuited just now. I really didn’t mean it.”
Lin Huaixi didn’t speak. Qi Wang’s low, magnetic voice echoed through the dorm instead. “Xixi, are you planning to join the Astronomy Club?”
The moment those words came out, the room fell into a silence as deadly as a grave.
Liu Zhengnian and Zhang Yunqiu instantly reached an understanding, lying stiff as boards in bed and pretending to be asleep. Lin Huaixi looked calm on the surface, but his brain was spinning at high speed.
Half a minute later, he made his decision, climbed down from the bed, and sat at Qi Wang’s bedside.
In the past, whenever he had hidden something from Qi Wang, he had always used the same strategy.
“Yeah. The reason I didn’t finish my homework tonight was because I went to interview for the Astronomy Club.”
“How did it go?” Qi Wang’s tone was gentle, giving away no emotion.
“It was okay, I guess. That club doesn’t really have any super strict organizational structure. People just get together and talk about things they’re interested in.”
Lin Huaixi was careless for one instant and was immediately caught by Qi Wang. “Since when did you become interested in astronomy? How come I didn’t know?”
“…”
The dorm fell into an eerie silence.
From the opposite bed, Liu Zhengnian and Zhang Yunqiu quietly broke out in a cold sweat for him.
But Lin Huaixi’s response came more naturally than they had imagined. “After the college entrance exam, I had nothing to do, so I read a lot of science fiction novels and gradually got interested in astronomy. Then I heard our Astronomy Club is especially impressive, so I wanted to go take a look.”
“So you only wanted to have a look, not actually join?” Qi Wang pressed on.
Lin Huaixi pressed his lips together, his tone turning helpless. “That doesn’t really depend on me, does it? What if they don’t want me?”
“They will.” Qi Wang’s voice took on a soothing quality, like smoothing down fur the right way. “You like it so much. You’ll definitely get in.”
In the darkness, Lin Huaixi looked at Qi Wang with bright eyes. “Then what club do you want to join?”
Qi Wang had no interest in any of them. He only wanted to stay beside Lin Huaixi every moment he could. He was just about to say the words Astronomy Club when Lin Huaixi cut him off. “But don’t waste your time just because of me. There are so many clubs—there’ll definitely be one you’re actually interested in.”
Qi Wang heard the refusal hidden in those words and didn’t insist any further. “All right. Then tomorrow I’ll go take a look around the clubs first. Will Xixi come with me?”
Just like that, Lin Huaixi successfully changed the subject, and the two brothers lying in the opposite beds both let out quiet sighs of relief.
Thank goodness. Lin Huaixi was pretty good at coaxing people after all. He actually managed to blur it over.
Liu Zhengnian sighed inwardly—but then suddenly felt that something was off, and he turned his head thoughtfully.
Why did it feel like no matter what Lin Huaixi said, Qi Wang would just go along with it?
In the moonlight, he saw Qi Wang sitting in bed with the blanket in his arms, giving most of the space to Lin Huaixi. The usual icy edges of his handsome features had melted away, and his gaze was so gentle, carrying a faint smile. From time to time he responded softly, all while carefully tending to Lin Huaixi’s emotions.
…So in the end, which one of them was actually coaxing the other?
Liu Zhengnian was such a straight guy that even though he sensed something odd, he still naturally found the most innocent explanation for it.
Qi Wang really treated Lin Huaixi well—so well it was practically like treating a wife. As expected of childhood bamboo horses who grew up together!
…
For two whole days, Lin Huaixi accompanied Qi Wang around the club recruitment fair.
The two of them were very popular. Some clubs wanted them to join without even asking them to interview. But Qi Wang remained indifferent all the way through, and in the end he only joined the public-interest law club from Lin Huaixi’s department.
Lin Huaixi, meanwhile, was like a butterfly that had fallen into a flower garden. Every club liked him. After walking one full round, he was holding more than ten flyers.
As they walked, he enthusiastically chatted to Qi Wang. “The gaming club not only has old-school arcade games, they also hold e-sports tournaments for popular games.”
“And then there’s the food club. I heard they have all the secret food guides to places around campus. Every week they organize members to go out and eat like crazy. It’s AA for the cost, but everyone says the food is amazing.”
“And this one too—what the club actually does doesn’t matter. The important thing is that it gives academic credits!”
“…”
That day, after listening to everything Lin Huaixi had to say, Qi Wang finally responded. “The gaming club is just the host for the tournament. If all you want is to participate in matches, there’s no need to actually join. As for the food club, both our majors have lots of evening classes, so the times might conflict. And for this one—credits are important, of course, but it still depends on whether you’re actually interested.”
Lin Huaixi listened, then nodded thoughtfully and reexamined all the club flyers in his hands.
He thought about it for a full two days before finally making a decision at the very last deadline.
University might be free, but time was limited. One had to do things that were truly meaningful and truly interesting. Lin Huaixi realized that he had nearly let the dazzling variety of choices make him lose his head, and patted his chest in delayed fear. “Good thing I had you. Otherwise I might’ve joined more than ten clubs all at once!”
Qi Wang only smiled and placed another piece of meat into Lin Huaixi’s bowl. “Eat first.”
Lin Huaixi’s mouth was stuffed full, and he mumbled indistinctly, “Oh right, I still have to go to the observatory later.”
A flicker passed through Qi Wang’s expression. “The observatory?”
Only then did Lin Huaixi realize he had forgotten to explain it to him. After swallowing the food, he said, “Today’s a special event the Astronomy Club organized for the new members. We get to go to the observatory and watch the stars.”
He held up a hand and spread his fingers. “I heard the telescope up there is this amazing! Normally it’s not open to the public at all. If you want to borrow it later, you have to submit an application report, and the approval process takes a full three months.”
Qi Wang nodded and said as if casually, “Then can outsiders go too?”
“Very difficult. The Astronomy Club has to take responsibility for it, and they don’t want to take that kind of risk.” Lin Huaixi didn’t quite catch the deeper meaning in Qi Wang’s words and only smiled. “I heard we might be able to see Cancer tonight. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.”
Seeing how happy Lin Huaixi was, Qi Wang smiled as well. He escorted him all the way to the gathering point before turning to leave.
Lin Huaixi had only just watched Qi Wang’s figure disappear when someone walked up beside him.
It was Zhong Chongqiu.
“When did you get here?”
“I’ve been here the whole time.”
Technically, this wasn’t an event he actually needed to attend. All he had to do was wait at the observatory. Yet this time, for some mysterious reason, Zhong Chongqiu had come in person—and had even shown up a full hour early. Before this, he had been standing beneath a patch of dark tree shade, which was why Lin Huaixi hadn’t noticed him.
“Was that…” Zhong Chongqiu paused and didn’t finish the question.
Lin Huaixi tilted his head in confusion, then followed the direction of his gaze. Instantly, alarms rang inside him.
“Did you see everything just now?”
“I did.” Zhong Chongqiu’s presence was as steady as a mountain, nearly enveloping Lin Huaixi in his shadow. “Who was that?”
Lin Huaixi had no way of stopping the natural entanglement and strange attraction between scum gongs and the protagonist. But he absolutely had to make Zhong Chongqiu understand that Qi Wang was under his protection. If he wanted to bully Qi Wang, he could forget it.
Lin Huaixi raised a brow and said in a deliberately provocative tone, “That’s my best friend. We grew up together from childhood, and we’re extremely close.”
After hearing that, Zhong Chongqiu only gave a faint mm, lowered his eyes, and walked away.
Lin Huaixi watched his retreating figure and sank into thought.
Was that him looking down on him, thinking he wouldn’t be any kind of obstacle?
Zhong Chongqiu’s physique and muscle were far beyond his own. That lodged like a thorn in Lin Huaixi’s heart, and ever since then he had always wanted to compare himself against Zhong Chongqiu.
Fortunately, other people from the club arrived soon enough and began chatting to Lin Huaixi with smiles.
When everyone had gathered, the senior student leading the group said from the front, “Our campus is very large, and there’s a hill at the back. The observatory is on top of it, and the scenery around there is nice too. But everyone remember not to run around. There might be snakes in the woods.”
Most of the people present were new students and still unfamiliar with the school. Hearing that, they all became excited and clustered together, chatting nonstop.
The older students led the group of freshmen up the hill like they were heading out on a spring excursion. Lin Huaixi walked at the very end, curiously looking around in every direction.
The so-called back hill was really just a small slope. It only took half an hour to reach the observatory at the top.
They had already informed the teacher in charge ahead of time. After opening the door, the senior student reminded them one last time: “All the equipment inside is extremely expensive. Once you go in, follow instructions and don’t touch things at random.”
Once everyone responded, they finally went inside together.
There was a wooden staircase to one side, but the second floor was not open to the public. On the first floor, two astronomical observation instruments were set in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Standing at the front, the senior student said, “Come over here and split into two lines. Each person gets five minutes. Now I’ll explain how to use them…”
University students were famous for their orderliness. Before the senior had even finished speaking, the newly joined members had already split themselves into two neat lines, chatting excitedly while inching forward.
Because Lin Huaixi had entered too late, he could only stand at the very back.
He glanced ahead once and felt his heart sink halfway.
It would be ages before his turn came. At this rate, he probably wouldn’t get to see anything tonight.
He forced himself to remain in line another fifteen minutes, but during all that time he barely moved forward at all.
Lin Huaixi sighed. Reason told him he should give up early, yet he also didn’t want to miss this one rare chance. Just when he was still hesitating, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.
There had clearly been nobody behind him. Turning his head, however, he found Zhong Chongqiu’s handsome face.
Zhong Chongqiu said nothing, only flicked his eyes toward the side, signaling for him to follow.
Lin Huaixi didn’t understand, but after hesitating for a few seconds, he still chased after him.
What he hadn’t expected was that Zhong Chongqiu would lead him straight up the forbidden staircase.
Lin Huaixi wanted to ask why, but speaking out loud would alert the others. And if they were seen, he’d be dragged into it too, unable to explain himself clearly. So he could only clear his throat and make frantic eye signals at Zhong Chongqiu.
Zhong Chongqiu just kept walking with his eyes lowered slightly. All Lin Huaixi could see was the sharply sculpted line of his profile.
Left with no choice, he reached out and tugged at the hem of Zhong Chongqiu’s shirt.
Zhong Chongqiu felt as if he had been lightly scratched by a cat’s paw. Turning his head, he realized it was Lin Huaixi’s hand.
Seeing that he had finally gotten Zhong Chongqiu’s attention, Lin Huaixi relaxed a little and silently pointed toward the sign on the wall.
The lighting in the building was dim, and because the staircase was a prohibited area, the lights there weren’t turned on at all. Zhong Chongqiu’s face was half-hidden in darkness, and his whole presence seemed even steadier because of it.
“It’s fine.” Zhong Chongqiu seemed to curl his lips slightly and let out a laugh.
His facial features were naturally severe, and he was taciturn with an odd temper. Yet that one smile looked unexpectedly shy, softening the sharp lines of his face.
Those two sides of him clashed strongly. Lin Huaixi stared at him in a daze, forgetting for a moment to look away.
The smile vanished so quickly it felt almost like an illusion. Zhong Chongqiu turned around at once, reverting to his usual cold and hard posture, and even quickened his pace, no longer waiting for him.
Lin Huaixi had long since gotten used to never being able to read Zhong Chongqiu. He simply sped up and followed after him. Their two figures disappeared together into the second-floor entrance, and no one noticed them leave.
…
Only after reaching the second floor did Lin Huaixi realize it wasn’t nearly as dark as he had imagined. Two wall lamps were lit nearby, casting a clear, moonlike glow.
The entire second floor rose in tiers, and at the far end of his sight was a broad platform. On it stood a large astronomical telescope.
Even to an outsider like Lin Huaixi, who understood absolutely nothing, it was obvious that this thing was astonishingly expensive—far beyond the two instruments downstairs.
At once, his eyes lit up. Delighted, he turned to ask Zhong Chongqiu, “Can this one be used too?”
Zhong Chongqiu nodded.
With the self-awareness of someone getting special treatment, Lin Huaixi lowered his voice, afraid of being discovered by those below. “Then… can I go a little closer?”
It was completely unnecessary to ask, yet Lin Huaixi right now looked exactly like some obedient little primary school student. Zhong Chongqiu seemed to smile again.
Almost on tiptoe, Lin Huaixi walked over, stopping a meter away and carefully studying the telescope without touching it on his own.
The design of the telescope was extremely ingenious. Lin Huaixi couldn’t understand any of the technical side of it, but it stirred his curiosity intensely. As a complete beginner, he had a great many questions, and his instinct was to turn to Zhong Chongqiu.
Zhong Chongqiu had approached without making a single sound. Before Lin Huaixi realized it, he was already standing behind him, his shadow slanting down and blocking the light in Lin Huaixi’s eyes.
“You…”
“You…”
The two of them spoke at the same time and fell silent at the same time too.
The atmosphere stayed quiet for three seconds. Then Lin Huaixi smiled. “You go first.”
“I…” Zhong Chongqiu only got out that single word before, for some reason, stopping again. His lips pressed into a straight line, and his naturally imposing features now seemed faintly displeased.
Lin Huaixi froze for a moment, then reviewed everything he had just done and said. He really hadn’t made any mistakes. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No.” Zhong Chongqiu replied far too quickly, almost as if he were anxious.
Now Lin Huaixi was thoroughly confused by his attitude. He blinked innocently.
Once again, Zhong Chongqiu’s lips pressed into a hard line. His eyes lowered. Since Lin Huaixi was standing so close, he unexpectedly noticed that Zhong Chongqiu’s eyelashes were thick and curled, giving him a strangely delicate refinement that didn’t match his overall air at all.
Lin Huaixi’s gaze seemed to have weight. Zhong Chongqiu’s lashes trembled twice. He looked up at him, then quickly dropped his eyes again. The hand hidden behind his back moved once, as though he were some rusted robot. Stiffly, he brought it forward.
The moment Lin Huaixi saw what Zhong Chongqiu was holding, his eyes widened round with shock.
In Zhong Chongqiu’s hand was a cup of milk tea.
His palm was broad and his fingers long, making the cup look strangely small and delicate.
The outside of the cup was covered in beads of water. No one knew how long he had been holding it for it to end up like that.
“Do… do you want to drink it?” Zhong Chongqiu’s tone was stiff and hard, almost like a threat, but the tail end of his voice trembled.
Outside the window, the clouds had been blown apart by the wind, and the bright moonlight once again poured over the earth, driving out the darkness and illuminating the two of them standing beside the telescope.
Zhong Chongqiu’s skin was on the darker side, and the night itself was helping to conceal him—but even so, under the moonlight, Lin Huaixi still caught sight of the tips of his ears, red all the way through.
