Chapter 58
Sitting across from them, Liu Zhengnian had been happily stuffing his mouth with meat. After noticing the looks between Lin Huaixi and Qi Wang, he turned to look as well.
As the campus know-it-all, with sharp eyes and ears everywhere, he recognized Zhong Chongqiu at a glance even though they had never met in person. “Isn’t that the president of the Astronomy Club?”
Liu Zhengnian waved at him in an easy, familiar way. “Hello, Senior.”
Zhong Chongqiu gave a very aloof nod. Then his gaze fell back onto Lin Huaixi, as though he could only come over after getting his permission.
Lin Huaixi pressed his lips together, his mood complicated.
Zhong Chongqiu had a fierce face and a strong aura, but every now and then Lin Huaixi could still sense a somewhat silly, even clumsy side to him.
Even if he was a scum gong and might hurt Qi Wang in the future, he had not done anything wrong yet and did not deserve to be excluded… As the thought passed through his mind, Lin Huaixi smiled and waved at him. “Hello, Senior.”
Zhong Chongqiu lowered his eyes slightly and walked toward them with his tray. With his long legs, his strides were twice as big as anyone else’s, and in just a few breaths he was standing beside them.
The direction Zhong Chongqiu came from put him close to Qi Wang. Afraid the two of them sitting together would create unnecessary sparks, Lin Huaixi’s pupils tightened and he quickly said, “Senior, sit beside me.”
Zhong Chongqiu’s movements paused. He raised his eyes to look at Lin Huaixi, as if he could hardly believe it. After a slow few seconds, he responded in a low voice and silently sat down at Lin Huaixi’s side.
With Qi Wang on his left and Zhong Chongqiu on his right, Lin Huaixi was trapped in the middle between two completely different but equally overwhelming presences. Even breathing felt a little difficult. He lowered his head and took small bites of his food.
Out of everyone present, Zhong Chongqiu only knew Lin Huaixi. Lin Huaixi should have acted as a bridge between him and the others, but he failed to shoulder that responsibility and left Zhong Chongqiu awkwardly on the side. On top of that, Zhong Chongqiu himself was also a man of few words. No one spoke, and the atmosphere stiffened.
Fortunately, Liu Zhengnian had maxed-out social skills by birth.
“Senior, I was too busy before and missed club recruitment. Is the Astronomy Club still taking people? I really love looking at the stars too,” Liu Zhengnian said with a smile.
Unable to tell whether he meant it seriously or was joking, Zhong Chongqiu answered in a very formal tone, “Sorry, there’s no chance this year. Every recruitment cycle, we don’t only recruit freshmen, we also recruit sophomores and juniors. You can try again next year.”
Liu Zhengnian nodded, then looked Zhong Chongqiu up and down. “Senior, your build is amazing. Can you share some experience? How do you train to look like this?”
Li Fengnian also got interested and leaned in. The two of them looked at Zhong Chongqiu with wide, eager eyes, like two baby birds waiting to be fed.
“I… I…” Zhong Chongqiu suddenly began speaking haltingly. “Basketball, running… liking sports.”
Liu Zhengnian and Zhang Yunqiu nodded thoughtfully. Their fluffy heads huddled together as they launched into an intense discussion, even passionately setting a future workout plan on the spot.
Zhong Chongqiu’s expression did not change much. He only blinked a little more slowly. After making sure the two of them were no longer looking at him, he subconsciously turned his head and rubbed his face lightly against his arm.
When he lifted his head again, he met Lin Huaixi’s gaze.
Lin Huaixi was staring at him without blinking. His eyes were clear and clean, like a pool of lake water reflecting only him.
Zhong Chongqiu froze all over. The sharp lines of his features grew even stiffer. In that instant, he forgot to blink and forgot to breathe, filled only with the panic of being discovered.
“…”
Lin Huaixi smiled at him, then naturally turned his head away, pretending nothing had happened so as not to give Zhong Chongqiu even more stimulation.
This was already their third meeting, and from all the little details, Lin Huaixi had discovered something remarkable.
Zhong Chongqiu’s skin seemed surprisingly thin. He got shy easily. The evidence was in his evasive gaze, in the way he rubbed his face against his arm, and in how the tips of his ears sometimes turned completely red.
The novel had never described this in detail. In the early part of the story, Zhong Chongqiu’s character matched the impression given by his appearance. Lin Huaixi felt that this discovery was also proof that he really could change the plot, and a small sense of accomplishment rose in his heart. The corners of his lips curled up uncontrollably.
Zhong Chongqiu stared blankly for a few seconds, then he too unconsciously grew happy, as if he were not the one whose secret had been discovered.
Across from them, Liu Zhengnian and Zhang Yunqiu had already come to a conclusion and looked at Zhong Chongqiu excitedly. “Senior, we heard you’re the basketball team captain. Do you think the two of us have a shot at joining the school team?”
Zhong Chongqiu had always been responsible and dutiful. “To join the school team, you have to pass multiple rounds of selection. I can’t directly give you an answer. But personally, I think your height meets the requirement. If you really love basketball and play well, you can go try.”
The two of them spent fourteen hours a day sitting at desks studying, with useless limbs and absolutely no physical stamina to speak of, yet for some reason they were extremely confident. They got excited immediately, as if the basketball team were already waving them over.
“Huaixi, do you want to try too?” Liu Zhengnian asked in passing.
Lin Huaixi’s appearance was cute and harmless, like a soft little rabbit. Anyone who did not know him would easily be misled by that face.
On top of that, his skin was very fair, and he looked nothing like someone who often played outdoor sports. Liu Zhengnian had underestimated him, and there was encouragement in his tone. “Why don’t you give it a shot too? There are two basketball tournaments every year, and the whole school comes to watch. It’s super cool. If you play well, you can even compete at the provincial level!”
With the campus know-it-all present, Zhong Chongqiu, the actual captain, almost seemed unnecessary. He only nodded.
Lin Huaixi did not answer. Out of habit, he turned to look at Qi Wang. “Do you want to join?”
Qi Wang had not spoken up until now, but his presence had not weakened in the slightest. He slowly put down his chopsticks, glanced at Zhong Chongqiu before speaking, and only then smiled at Lin Huaixi. “We can give it a try.”
Only then did Lin Huaixi give a definite answer. “Okay, let’s do it together.”
Everyone present treated it as a small interlude and did not take it seriously. Only Zhong Chongqiu felt every inch of exposed skin on his body tremble, because he had read the hostility in Qi Wang’s gaze.
Every beast had its own territory and its own possession. What he had just seen was a warning to an outsider.
And next time, it would no longer be just a warning.
On the surface, Qi Wang looked colder and more aloof, as though nothing could ever stir him. But inwardly, the two of them were complete opposites—Qi Wang was actually the more aggressive one. Zhong Chongqiu slowly lowered his eyes, yet he did not back down. As if making up his mind about something, he looked back at Lin Huaixi and took the initiative to invite him. “We practice on the basketball court every evening. Even if you don’t join the school team, you can still come with us.”
Before Lin Huaixi could answer, Liu Zhengnian blurted out first, “Really? That’s great! Senior, you’re totally different from the rumors. You’re especially warm and friendly.”
Friendly, perhaps. Warm, not even a little bit. Lin Huaixi imagined it and could not help laughing.
Zhong Chongqiu had been nervous, his voice a little dry. To him, Lin Huaixi’s laugh felt like encouragement. He straightened at once, like a little blade of grass watered by rain, and finally said the words that had been hidden in his heart for a long time. “Lin Huaixi, add me on social media. If you want to come next time, tell me in advance, and I’ll help you arrange a team.”
Lin Huaixi was still thinking about it, but Liu Zhengnian was so flattered he almost sprang out of his seat. His eyes shone as he urged Lin Huaixi with his gaze.
Lin Huaixi also thought this was a good idea and instinctively took out his phone. But just as the two of them were about to exchange contact information, Qi Wang said lightly, “I’ll do it instead. Xixi tends to forget things easily.”
Lin Huaixi did have a record in that area. He was not careful enough in his work, and his thinking came in fragments, so it was easy for something to go wrong. Qi Wang was the exact opposite.
He really was the better choice. Lin Huaixi nodded and set his phone on the table.
Sitting in the middle and watching the two men on either side silently exchange contact information, Lin Huaixi suddenly felt something in his mind snap.
Ahhh! How had he forgotten?! No matter how cold and indifferent Qi Wang and Zhong Chongqiu acted, they were still the protagonist and the scum gong!
Now that they had exchanged contact information, they would definitely interact more in the future… This was way too dangerous!!!
Lin Huaixi slapped the table and suddenly stood up, but it was too late. The phones chimed, and the two had already added each other as friends.
Lin Huaixi’s face went pale, then red, then green. He was the only one standing. Everyone else looked up at him with different expressions. Just as Liu Zhengnian was about to ask what was wrong, Lin Huaixi beat him to it. “Um, my mouth feels a little dry. I want to go buy drinks.”
“Huaixi, you’re so thoughtful,” Zhang Yunqiu said enthusiastically. “I’ll come too. I want iced soy milk.”
“…” Forget it. I just want some peace and quiet.
“I can buy it for you,” Lin Huaixi said, doing his best to suppress the storm of emotions inside while forcing a smile. “What do you all want?”
After asking around, Lin Huaixi left quickly. He wanted to find a place with no one around so he could properly explode and sort out his thoughts.
Qi Wang watched his retreating figure with an unreadable expression, then slowly withdrew his gaze and picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks.
Seeing the cilantro stuck to the side of the meat, Liu Zhengnian’s pupils tightened. He instinctively reached out, wanting to stop him, but Qi Wang had already put it into his mouth. His expression remained calm, and he did not even frown.
“Y-you… don’t you hate cilantro the most?” Liu Zhengnian asked in shock.
“I don’t hate it.” Only after swallowing did Qi Wang answer in his usual unhurried tone, “Xixi feels things deeply. He always wants to repay other people. If I only ever pick fish bones out for him, he’ll feel psychological pressure. I don’t want him to feel that way, so I pretend not to like cilantro.”
Zhang Yunqiu immediately understood and eagerly added, “So that way, it counts as you two helping each other!”
Qi Wang nodded.
Guided by him, Liu Zhengnian turned into the classic NPC from a romance novel and delivered the standard line. “Qi Wang, you treat Huaixi so well. I’m jealous. I want a childhood sweetheart too.”
Qi Wang did not answer. He smiled lightly, his eyes like glass beads with no visible emotion, yet beneath them dark currents churned.
He looked at Zhong Chongqiu, who had been naturally pushed out of the conversation. The corners of his mouth held a faint curve, and his tone was casual, as if he were only stating some ordinary little fact.
“Yes. We grew up together from childhood. We’re very close.”
