Chapter 59
Lin Huaixi was anxious and did not waste a single second. Claiming that he was feeling unwell, he asked the instructor for leave, then secretly slipped away.
At this hour, all the freshmen were in military training, while most of the older students were in class. The campus was unusually empty, and it was hard to spot anyone at all.
He circled the area near the sports field once, but still did not find Zhong Chongqiu. Standing there with his phone in hand, he looked miserable.
How could he have forgotten to add Zhong Chongqiu’s contact information? If he could not find him now, what was he supposed to do?
Then Lin Huaixi suddenly remembered that, during that one meeting, Qi Wang had added Zhong Chongqiu. His eyes lit up at once, and he sneakily slipped back.
The two classes were not training at the moment. Instead, they were sitting on opposite sides, singing military chants back and forth, with students occasionally going up to perform. The two instructors were standing under the shade of a tree nearby, chatting happily and paying much less attention to the class than usual. Lin Huaixi noticed several students with their heads lowered, secretly playing on their phones.
The timing was perfect.
Afraid of being caught by the instructors, he crouched down and sneaked to one side of the railing, only sticking out his fluffy little head as he frantically waved at Qi Wang.
The two of them had grown up together, and it almost felt as though they had some kind of telepathy. Lin Huaixi had not really expected anything, but Qi Wang turned his head without warning and accurately caught sight of him.
Lin Huaixi was the one who froze for a second. Then a smile bloomed across his face. He slowed his lip movements on purpose and mouthed his words while desperately pointing at his phone.
Qi Wang did not respond right away.
Lin Huaixi told him almost everything. The two of them hardly had any secrets. But just now, Lin Huaixi had not said a word to him before asking the instructor for leave and hurrying off without even lifting his head.
Qi Wang had seen his expression. He had known perfectly well that Lin Huaixi was not actually feeling unwell, but he had still worried. Now, seeing Lin Huaixi alive and kicking, his brows finally relaxed.
Lin Huaixi seemed to have something to tell him. Qi Wang narrowed his eyes slightly and barely managed to make out his lip movements.
WeChat?
Lin Huaixi had sent him a message and wanted him to look at it.
Qi Wang paused, then immediately turned his back to the instructors and pulled out his phone from his pocket. Sure enough, Lin Huaixi had sent him a message a minute ago.
[Little Rabbit Cake: Qi Wang, do you have Zhong Chongqiu’s WeChat and contact info? Send it to me!]
Qi Wang: “……”
For a moment, he did not move. His gaze, dark and unreadable, settled on Lin Huaixi, his eyes churning with currents too deep to describe.
Unfortunately, they were too far apart. Lin Huaixi noticed none of Qi Wang’s strange reaction and only kept gesturing harder at him.
Qi Wang understood immediately.
Lin Huaixi had suddenly asked for leave because of Zhong Chongqiu, and now that he could not find him, he had come to ask him for the contact information.
Qi Wang’s fingers stilled. He stared fixedly at the phone screen, as if his gaze were piercing through layer after layer of barriers, already seeing a scene of Lin Huaixi and Zhong Chongqiu standing together and chatting.
Lin Huaixi was smiling, two dimples showing, his face tilted slightly upward, his eyes full of sunlight. Zhong Chongqiu was standing there quietly looking at him, listening with patient attention.
It was a beautiful picture, but Qi Wang’s hand tightened uncontrollably, the veins on the back of it bulging, as if he wanted to crush something.
He did not want Lin Huaixi to go looking for someone else. He did not want Lin Huaixi talking to someone else either. Most of all, he did not want to see him smiling at someone else. But…
Qi Wang drew a deep breath. For one second, all of his emotions seemed to freeze. By the time he came back to himself, the contact information had already been sent.
Hearing the notification chime, Lin Huaixi saw the WeChat contact card and phone number that had been forwarded to him. His eyes curved into crescents with delight. From across the railing, he waved at Qi Wang, then turned and left.
What he did not know was that Qi Wang kept staring fixedly at his retreating back. He stared until his eyes turned sore and blurred, and still he could not bear to blink.
He was losing control over his emotions more and more. Whenever they reached a peak, the thread of reason would snap for a moment, his mind going blank as he acted on instinct.
This time, he had chosen to send the contact information. But the next time something like this happened, he could not guarantee that he would not stride over, grab Lin Huaixi tightly by the wrist, and forcibly keep him by his side.
…
The school was absurdly large, so Lin Huaixi did not waste time searching blindly. He directly called Zhong Chongqiu.
The phone rang five times before it was finally answered.
“Hello.”
The moment he heard that familiar voice, Lin Huaixi let out a breath of relief and said with a smile, “Zhong Chongqiu, it’s Lin Huaixi.”
The other side fell silent for a full five seconds, as though the signal had become unstable, yet he could still hear children laughing on the other end. Lin Huaixi looked at his phone in confusion, about to ask what was going on, but Zhong Chongqiu cut him off.
“I’m here. What do you need me for?”
Lin Huaixi was suddenly stumped.
Right. He had not actually come up with a proper excuse yet.
“I…” Lin Huaixi forced out a sentence. “I wanted to ask about the astronomy club. Where are you right now? Would it be convenient for me to come find you?”
Zhong Chongqiu agreed readily. “We’re behind Cafeteria No. 1.”
Behind Cafeteria No. 1 was an entire row of maple trees. In autumn, the whole place turned into a blaze of color, making it a famous scenic spot on campus. Lin Huaixi guessed Zhong Chongqiu had taken his little sister there to keep her entertained.
Cafeteria No. 1 was rather far from where he was. Anxious, Lin Huaixi ran all the way there. By the time he finally saw Zhong Chongqiu, he was panting so hard that he could not get a full sentence out.
“I—I—I…”
Seeing that Lin Huaixi could only gasp soundlessly, his nose tip and cheeks flushed an unhealthy red, Zhong Chongqiu hesitated, then raised a hand as if he wanted to pat his back and help him catch his breath.
But he lifted his hand and lowered it several times. As though summoning a great deal of courage, he finally gritted his teeth and lightly placed it on Lin Huaixi’s back, gently patting him twice as if soothing a baby.
“Don’t rush. Speak slowly.”
Lin Huaixi patted his own chest. Cool air rushed into his body, and he finally felt a little better.
Realizing how flustered he looked, he pursed his lips in embarrassment and gave Zhong Chongqiu a dry little smile.
Zhong Chongqiu stared at him for a moment. His brows eased, and the fingers hanging at his side twitched spasmodically, as if they wanted to grasp something.
When he came back to his senses, he felt guilty for what he had just been thinking. He opened his mouth in a panic, only to choke on the air and start coughing.
One of them was panting, the other coughing, and together they still somehow failed to make up one normal person.
The atmosphere became strangely delicate. After three seconds of silent eye contact, the two of them burst out laughing at the same time.
The little girl playing nearby turned her head in confusion. Her eyes slowly moved until they landed on Lin Huaixi’s face, and then they lit up at once. She came running over like a little cannonball and hugged his leg.
She was like a little meatball, and surprisingly strong. Lin Huaixi had not been prepared and nearly staggered. Luckily, Zhong Chongqiu was quick enough to steady him from behind, letting him barely keep his balance.
The little girl rubbed herself against him twice, her cheeks flushed pink, and looked up at him with sparkling eyes. “Big brother, you’re so pretty. Youyou likes you!”
At such a young age, Youyou was already a full-fledged face-con. Her eyes were glued to Lin Huaixi’s face, and there was no room in them for anything else.
Zhong Chongqiu awkwardly rubbed his nose. “Don’t mind her. She doesn’t mean anything by it. She just naturally likes pretty things. She doesn’t usually act like this either. I don’t know why she…”
Youyou puffed out her cheeks and complained in her milky little voice, “It’s all because big brother is too handsome. I look at you every day, so everyone else starts to seem just average. But this big brother is different. He’s the prettiest person I’ve ever seen!”
Zhong Chongqiu’s face turned bright red from his little sister’s words. Although he was still trying to keep a straight face, his gaze flickered, like a thin layer of water had spread across it.
At a glance, Youyou saw right through her brother’s act. Hands on hips, she said while swaying from side to side, “Don’t be shy. I’m praising you. You should learn from this big brother. He’s so open about it!”
Zhong Chongqiu: “……”
Lin Huaixi was almost dying from laughter at the siblings’ interaction. He worked hard to suppress the corners of his mouth before speaking, “Then that means you usually don’t compliment your brother enough. That’s why he’s so thin-skinned.”
Youyou puffed up her cheeks like a little grown-up and thought for a few seconds. Then, taking it in stride, she said, “Okay, then from now on I’ll compliment my brother three times a day. That way he won’t get embarrassed so easily.”
Lin Huaixi gently rubbed her soft hair and praised her. “Youyou is so smart.”
Zhong Chongqiu had not expected Lin Huaixi to have such a mischievous side. He looked completely dumbfounded, only knowing how to stare at him.
Lin Huaixi felt no guilt at all for teasing him. He simply pretended to be innocent and dazed.
Surprisingly, Zhong Chongqiu did not get angry. He actually laughed too.
Seeing the two big brothers chatting and no longer paying attention to her, Youyou pouted unhappily. “Big brother, you still haven’t told me your name.”
Lin Huaixi crouched down to meet her at eye level. “My name is Lin Huaixi.”
The little girl nodded, then said with childish bluntness, “Hi, Xixi.”
Other than family, Qi Wang, and Sun Baiyi, very few people called him by his nickname, especially not a four-year-old child. Lin Huaixi was caught completely off guard and had no idea how to respond.
Zhong Chongqiu walked over and frowned. “Youyou, why are you so rude? You should call him big brother.”
“No,” Youyou said stubbornly, following her own childlike logic. “A brother this pretty can’t just be called ‘big brother.’”
The little girl was usually sensible and obedient, but on this matter she was especially stubborn, and the siblings were on the verge of arguing.
Lin Huaixi sighed inwardly. Then he reached out and lightly pinched Youyou’s little cheek. “All right, then I’ll make a special exception and let you call me by my nickname.”
Youyou’s face immediately lit up. She threw herself into Lin Huaixi’s arms and said, “Xixi, I like you so much!”
Sometimes Lin Huaixi felt that he himself had never really grown up, because he got along especially well with little children. Half an hour later, Youyou had played herself out. Sleepy-eyed, she clung to her brother’s leg and tried to climb up, wanting to be carried.
Zhong Chongqiu smiled, picked her up, and sat down nearby. Leaning against her brother’s broad, sturdy shoulder, Youyou fell asleep very quickly.
Seeing that Lin Huaixi had not left yet, Zhong Chongqiu pursed his lips and lowered his voice. “Thank you for today.”
“I didn’t do anything, so there’s no need to thank me,” Lin Huaixi said sincerely while looking at Youyou’s flushed little face. “Your sister is adorable.”
At the mention of Youyou, Zhong Chongqiu’s expression softened even more. “Yes. She’s our family’s little ray of sunshine.”
Remembering why he had come, Lin Huaixi carefully steered the topic. “Next weekend… is the astronomy club having a group event up in the mountains to watch the stars?”
Zhong Chongqiu looked somewhat surprised. “How did you know? The official notice hasn’t gone out yet.”
Lin Huaixi had already prepared an excuse. “I heard it from the upperclassmen. It’s a regular annual event.”
Zhong Chongqiu did not think much of it and simply nodded.
Lin Huaixi pressed on. “I remember you said before that Youyou would be staying here for two weeks. Then what about her?”
Zhong Chongqiu looked down at his sleeping sister. “I’m the club president, so I have to go. But Youyou can’t be left alone, so I’ve been thinking about whether I should ask someone to help take care of her.”
Hearing that, Lin Huaixi finally relaxed a little. “That makes sense. Besides, you’d have to stay overnight on the mountain, and bringing Youyou along would be really inconvenient. It wouldn’t be safe for a little child either.”
Zhong Chongqiu seemed to think about his words. It was obvious he had taken them to heart. “I definitely won’t take Youyou with me. As for how to solve the problem, I still need to think it through.”
At last, Lin Huaixi heard the sentence he had been hoping for. He smiled in satisfaction.
Zhong Chongqiu’s eyes reflected the look on Lin Huaixi’s face. To him, it felt almost like encouragement. He pressed his lips together, tugged unconsciously at the hem of his shirt, then lifted his eyes again. This time there was much more determination in them, though his voice came out dry from nervousness.
“Are you going to join the event? You’ll be able to see a lot of stars up on the mountain.”
Lin Huaixi was tempted.
He liked group events like this. But in the original story, a tragedy had taken place on that mountain. A young life had been cut short forever, and Qi Wang had been dragged into hell because of it.
That thought had left a constant trace of fear and unease in his heart.
If he agreed to go, then given how well he knew Qi Wang, Qi Wang would definitely worry about him and follow along.
And in that case, even if Zhong Chongqiu’s sister was not there, Qi Wang—as the other central figure—would still be appearing at the center of the whirlpool. That alone filled Lin Huaixi with an ominous feeling.
After several seconds of hesitation, Lin Huaixi made his decision. Looking into Zhong Chongqiu’s hopeful eyes, he said with genuine regret, “I’m sorry, but I won’t be joining this time.”
