Chapter 66
Lin Huaixi pulled open the tent flap and slipped outside as quietly as he could.
Everyone else had already gone back to rest. The night outside was so still that he could even hear the faint sound of moths throwing themselves at the light.
Afraid of disturbing the others, he did not dare move forward rashly. Instead, he rose onto his tiptoes and searched among the little mushroom-shaped tents for the one he wanted.
His tent had been bought for him by Qi Wang. Of all things, Qi Wang had chosen a rabbit-shaped one. At the time, Lin Huaixi had thought it did not suit his macho image at all and had almost gotten into a sulk over it.
Now, though, he finally saw the advantage. One sweep of his gaze and he spotted the two unmistakable rabbit ears at once.
His eyes lit up. He immediately headed over, moving carefully through the narrow gaps between the tents.
The weather had been fine during the day, but now a thin mist had spread through the air, and every blade of grass was heavy with dew. The skin left exposed on Lin Huaixi’s body quickly turned damp, and when the cool breeze blew over it, he could not help shivering.
At a time like this, the warm, dry tent was incredibly tempting, yet Lin Huaixi did not hesitate at all. He pressed on with determination until he stopped outside the little rabbit tent.
The tent was zipped up from the inside. Lin Huaixi could not just barge in like some scumbag male lead, yet if he called out, he might startle Qi Wang awake. Squatting at the entrance, he thought for a few seconds, his face full of troubled hesitation.
At that moment, a familiar voice sounded by his ear. It was awake and clear, with only the faintest trace of someone not fully roused yet. In the still of the night, it flowed softly like the sound of a cello, low and magnetic.
“Xixi, is that you?”
At the sound of his own name, Lin Huaixi’s eyes widened at once. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Did I wake you?”
A few seconds later, the tent zipper was pulled open just enough for a gap. Lin Huaixi, utterly unceremonious, immediately squeezed his way inside, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness within.
He saw Qi Wang lying inside the warm sleeping bag, half sitting up. One arm was braced against the ground, and the other was already reaching forward, intending to help open the flap for him.
Lin Huaixi did not treat himself like an outsider in the least. Grabbing Qi Wang by the wrist, he pressed him back down onto the bedding. “It’s fine, go back to sleep. I can handle it myself.”
But Qi Wang was fully awake now. The last traces of drowsy confusion faded from his eyes. Reclining halfway, he looked at Lin Huaixi and asked, “Why did you come looking for me at this hour?”
Lin Huaixi paused in his movements, then came up with an awkward excuse. “I had a nightmare and couldn’t sleep. I misread the time and thought you might still be awake.”
“Scared?” Qi Wang’s voice was soft and gentle, the kind of tone one used to soothe a child.
Lin Huaixi rubbed his slightly warm ear and, forcing himself through it, gave a stiff little hum. “A little.”
“Then sleep here.” The two of them had grown up together and often shared a bed. To them, this was nothing out of the ordinary.
The moment he heard that, the little tuft of hair on top of Lin Huaixi’s head practically sprang up. He forgot all about pretending. His whole face lit up with delight as he moved deftly to burrow into Qi Wang’s covers.
But just as he lifted the blanket and was about to sit down, he suddenly noticed that half his pants were soaked.
The dew outside was heavy. As he had walked through the grass, he had only felt his ankles growing damp, like some slick little snake winding upward. Only now did he realize that the fabric from his ankles to halfway up his calves was nearly drenched.
Qi Wang had a cleanliness obsession. Without thinking, Lin Huaixi sat down on the edge of the bedding and started pulling off his pants.
The soft rustle of fabric rang through the cramped tent space and lingered there. Only one small lamp glowed by the bedside, and in its dim light, the skin left bare on Lin Huaixi’s body looked pale and luminous, almost like moonlight.
With his back turned, the hem of his shirt covered the finer lines of his thighs. From Qi Wang’s angle, all he could see was a delicate, narrow ankle stretched along the end of the bed. Lin Huaixi’s calf brushed over the black bedding, the contrast in color striking—soft as a cloud on the horizon, more like the cream on top of a rabbit cake, the sort that made a person want to taste it just once, to see whether it was sweet.
Feeling a bit cold, Lin Huaixi proactively burrowed deeper under Qi Wang’s blanket. That flash of white vanished in an instant, so quickly it felt almost imagined.
Under the blanket, only vague outlines could be seen. One of them rose where Lin Huaixi’s knee pressed up against the cover. Qi Wang’s gaze traveled slowly upward from the blanket until it reached Lin Huaixi’s face.
Wrapped in the blanket, Lin Huaixi had only his clean, fair face exposed. His eyes curved nearly shut with his smile, and two shallow dimples showed at his cheeks. There was obvious dependence in his gaze, not a trace of defense.
“Why are you still not lying down? Aren’t you cold?” Lin Huaixi urged, even reaching out on his own to pull the blanket higher over him.
Qi Wang’s body was stiff, every muscle tense, but he allowed himself to be guided down by Lin Huaixi’s hand. The space inside the sleeping bag was terribly limited, even narrower than the little bed back in their hometown. Sharing one blanket, their shoulders pressed together, and each could clearly feel the other’s body heat.
To Lin Huaixi, Qi Wang occupied a uniquely special place in his life. The very notions of personal space and restraint simply slipped from his mind whenever it came to him. He felt no awkwardness at all. Right there in front of Qi Wang, he even leaned down and sniffed at the faint scent of laundry detergent on the blanket before burrowing farther in and sighing in satisfaction.
It was strange. The blankets were the same, yet he always felt that Qi Wang’s bedding was softer, his bed more comfortable. Was this the terrifying power of a cleanliness freak?
Now that he had relaxed, sleepiness began creeping in. Lin Huaixi turned over, ready to drift off, but suddenly remembered the real reason he had come.
Wait a second. He had not come here to sleep. He had come here to guard against the scumbag male lead and stop him from bullying Qi Wang.
Turning over again, Lin Huaixi looked at Qi Wang, who was lying on the outer side.
All he could make out was the outline of his body. The tent entrance was blocked off there. If the scumbag barged in, he might not notice him in time, and that would put Qi Wang in even greater danger.
Lin Huaixi frowned tightly. After hesitating for three seconds, he inched forward until his chin was nearly resting on Qi Wang’s shoulder, his warm breath feathering over the thinnest skin at the side of his neck.
The muscles at Qi Wang’s jaw twitched involuntarily. He could no longer pretend to be asleep. “What is it?”
Seeing that Qi Wang was still awake, Lin Huaixi lowered his voice and consulted him in a whisper. “Can we switch places? I want to sleep on the outside.”
He was already racking his brain for an excuse, but in matters this small, Qi Wang always gave in to him. He agreed immediately and started to sit up.
Seeing this, Lin Huaixi wrapped an arm around Qi Wang’s shoulders and pushed him back down.
“Don’t sit up. All the warmth in the blanket will escape.”
He had already disturbed Qi Wang several times in the middle of the night. Feeling both guilty and sorry for him, Lin Huaixi smiled and said, “We can change places under the blanket.”
Qi Wang said nothing.
Lin Huaixi tucked in the blanket edges again. Once he was sure he would not accidentally kick the covers off, he turned over and curled up under the blanket face-down into a little ball.
Scooting himself forward against Qi Wang, the hem of his shirt rode up a little. The bare skin at his waist brushed against the back of Qi Wang’s hand, and warmth spread instantly from the contact. The pronounced knuckles skimmed lightly along the hollow at his side.
Lin Huaixi paid it no mind. Stretching one leg out carefully toward Qi Wang’s side, he only relaxed when his toes finally touched the soft bedding on the opposite side.
Good. At least I didn’t kick Qi Wang.
One leg over meant he was halfway there. Lin Huaixi reached an arm across and slowly scooted toward the other side, his whole body shifting with it. The distance between them closed again until he was almost lying face-to-face over Qi Wang.
At first his attention had been completely on the logistics of moving, so he had not noticed Qi Wang watching him. But now they were too close. Something in his mind tightened, and he looked up.
The lamp in the tent had already been switched off. Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough to make out the blurred lines of each other’s features and the faint glow filtering through the tent fabric.
Qi Wang lay beneath him, his features in the night more defined than ever. There was no visible emotion on his face. He was simply looking at him quietly.
In that instant, Lin Huaixi felt that Qi Wang’s eyes were the brightest thing in the world. They were pitch-black, yet he seemed to see flames flickering and burning deep within them.
He did not dare keep looking. Instinctively, he shifted his gaze away.
He had never been guarded around Qi Wang, but all people had an instinctive sense for danger. His breathing slowed. The skin at the back of his neck drew taut and shivered inch by inch in the moving air.
The hand supporting him against the bedding lost strength, and his body sank lower with it. Their shoulders brushed together, close enough that not even air seemed to fit between them.
The moment Lin Huaixi noticed, he pushed himself back up again and, moving as quickly as he could, crossed over Qi Wang and lay down on the other side.
Qi Wang still said nothing. He merely shifted aside thoughtfully to make room for him.
Clutching the blanket, Lin Huaixi lay there motionless with his back to Qi Wang. Even he himself did not notice that it was a defensive posture.
Only after several minutes did the heat in his brain slowly subside and his reason return.
What had that just been? Qi Wang had felt different from usual somehow. Was he angry?
Unable to sort out his thoughts, Lin Huaixi slowly turned back over and looked at Qi Wang in the dark, wanting to speak but unable to.
Under such a gaze, Qi Wang lasted only three seconds before surrendering. “Still not sleeping?”
Lin Huaixi pressed his lips together. “Were you angry just now?”
“Angry?” There was genuine confusion in Qi Wang’s tone.
Lin Huaixi swallowed the words “You looked really fierce just now.” In the end, he decided it must all have been his imagination.
“It’s nothing. Go to sleep. Once morning comes, we’ll head back down the mountain.”
Qi Wang gave a soft hum. His breathing soon grew even and light, as if he had fallen asleep immediately.
Afraid of waking him, Lin Huaixi turned around again as slowly as possible. Wrapping himself in the edge of the blanket, he lay there wide-eyed, staring fiercely at the tent entrance.
Hmph. That nameless cannon-fodder scumbag. I’m waiting right here tonight. If you’ve got the guts, then come.
Lin Huaixi mentally acted out the scene and instantly felt much better. He was more alert than ever—until suddenly his ankle was seized.
The weather had turned colder, and Lin Huaixi’s hands and feet easily grew chilly. The cold sole of his foot met a patch of warmth, like ice and fire colliding, and every nerve ending in him sparked at once.
Lin Huaixi nearly jumped off the bed. One hand clutched the blanket as he turned around, staring at Qi Wang in shock.
Qi Wang’s expression remained calm, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. “I’m warming them up for you. Otherwise you won’t sleep well.”
Even though Qi Wang was the one with the cleanliness obsession, he now had both of Lin Huaixi’s feet enclosed in his hands, resting on top of his own stomach.
When they were children, Lin Huaixi used to mischievously shove his feet against Qi Wang. Qi Wang would pretend to get angry and glare at him, and the two children would tumble around playing. But now that they were older, Lin Huaixi knew full well how severe Qi Wang’s cleanliness obsession was, so he no longer did such things on purpose.
He reached down to snatch his feet back, his voice rising in a rush. “Dirty! I washed my feet before I slept, but I just walked here in shoes!”
Qi Wang’s obsession with cleanliness seemed to have vanished—or perhaps Lin Huaixi was simply the exception. His tone remained calm. “It’s fine. They’re not dirty.”
His ankle was still caught in Qi Wang’s grip, and the pads of Qi Wang’s fingers rested right over his protruding ankle bone. Lin Huaixi’s senses sharpened to a ridiculous degree. He did not even need to look to know the outline of each of Qi Wang’s fingers.
The pressure was light, yet carried an unmistakable firmness that said he would not be allowed to pull away. Lin Huaixi’s feet felt almost numb, and his mind, as though hacked by some virus, completely forgot the concept of taking them back.
The two of them remained like that for three full minutes. For some reason, Lin Huaixi suddenly began feeling hot. Fanning his face with one hand, he stole a glance at Qi Wang and managed to squeeze out, “Have you been secretly working out? Your abs are so hard.”
The sole of his foot was pressed against Qi Wang’s lower abdomen. Naturally he could feel it. The thought had barely crossed his mind when his mouth blurted it out before he could stop himself.
“…”
At that moment, Lin Huaixi truly wanted to saw his own mouth off.
After a brief pause, Qi Wang replied modestly, “No. My abs aren’t that obvious.”
Lin Huaixi’s toes curled involuntarily, making the sensation even clearer.
He opened his mouth, realized he had absolutely no way of continuing this conversation, and shut it again.
The blood circulation in his feet picked up quickly, and before long they were warm. Qi Wang then let them go naturally and said softly, “Enough messing around. Go to sleep.”
After thinking for a moment, Lin Huaixi grabbed a tissue from beside him. “Give me your hand. I’ll wipe it off for you.”
Qi Wang complied without protest.
Pressing close to him, Lin Huaixi lowered his head with a look of deep concentration and carefully wiped each finger one by one, not even missing the nails or the gaps beside them, as though he were tending to some precious work of art.
Afterward, he checked once more before finally relaxing. “Do you want to inspect it?”
Qi Wang did not even look. He only gave a quiet laugh and tugged the blanket up for him. “Good night.”
Lin Huaixi nodded and lay back down.
Now the nameless cannon-fodder scumbag was no longer what occupied his mind. Instead, it was replay after replay of Qi Wang warming his feet just now.
Why had he felt so uncomfortable? Wherever Qi Wang had held him felt like it had been set on fire, trembling inch by inch as if an electric current had passed through him. Even his calves had gone numb, without the slightest strength left in them.
Lost in thought, Lin Huaixi unconsciously reached down and touched himself in the same spot, but felt nothing unusual at all.
He thought so hard that his head began to ache, yet he still could not come up with an answer. In the end, the effort drained him. Sleepiness deepened, and, still entirely carefree, he drifted off.
By the time he opened his eyes again, daylight was already streaming in. Lin Huaixi did not wake immediately. Drowsily, he stared up at the top of the tent. It took a full five minutes before everything from the previous night came back to him.
He sat bolt upright, instantly on alert, his eyes sweeping the entire tent.
Oh no. I actually fell asleep. I failed to guard against the cannon-fodder scumbag.
Throwing off the bedding, Lin Huaixi scrambled to look for Qi Wang. He had not even gotten his shoes on when Qi Wang bent over and entered from outside.
Lin Huaixi’s gaze ran quickly over him. Only after confirming that Qi Wang was perfectly safe did he let out a relieved breath. “How did you sleep last night?”
“Very well. And you?”
Lin Huaixi studied his expression closely, making sure he had missed nothing at all, and only then fully relaxed.
It seemed that cannon-fodder scumbag truly had not shown up.
Every action he took created a butterfly effect and had already altered the plot many times. Coming here last night had only been a precaution, not because he had really expected that nameless scumbag to appear.
After turning the matter over in his head, Lin Huaixi felt lighter than ever.
This meant he had nearly stopped every tragedy in Qi Wang’s life. From here on, Qi Wang would no longer be constrained by those scumbag male leads. He would be free to embrace his own life openly and passionately. Lin Huaixi’s eyes curved nearly shut with delight. Seeing that, Qi Wang asked, “What are you thinking about?”
Lin Huaixi shook his head. “I just thought of something happy.”
“What happy thing?” Qi Wang asked lightly as he packed things up, the tone casual.
Stifling his grin with effort, Lin Huaixi pressed his lips into a line. “Nothing.”
Then, after three seconds, he added, “I’ll tell you later.”
Qi Wang did not push him. He only smiled.
Once they finished packing their things, they came out of the tent and went to eat breakfast.
Originally they had all come in three separate groups, but by now everyone had grown familiar enough to head down the mountain together.
Zong Nanze had tried to find Lin Huaixi when they returned the night before, but had been stopped by Qi Wang. At last he got his chance now. Walking over with a smile, he said, “Xixi, I wanted to thank you. You’re my lifesaver.”
The last four words rose slightly at the end, sounding more flippant than properly grateful. Usually that would have made Lin Huaixi bristle, but this time he merely turned his head and looked at Zong Nanze with a smiling face, clearly in very good spirits. “It’s fine. You don’t need to take it to heart.”
With that, Lin Huaixi turned and walked away without bothering about him further.
Zong Nanze remained where he was, staring at Lin Huaixi’s retreating back. His brows drew together tightly, as if dark energy were gathering around him.
On the surface, Lin Huaixi’s attitude toward him seemed to have improved. Yet to Zong Nanze, that behavior felt even more like complete indifference. He had the feeling that from now on, Lin Huaixi would treat him as nothing more than a stranger he did not particularly like, someone not worth getting too involved with.
Why? What had he done wrong?
No. From the very beginning, none of this had actually been about him.
The first time they met had been when Lin Huaixi, acting as a disciplinary prefect, caught him in the woods.
Every meeting after that had carried some sort of purpose. Lin Huaixi had either been guarding against him or trying to force him to give something up. At the root of all of it stood Qi Wang.
Lin Huaixi believed he would hurt Qi Wang.
And now that Lin Huaixi had dropped his guard toward him, was it because he had quarrelled with Qi Wang and gone their separate ways? No—that was not possible. Their relationship was still obviously close, and Qi Wang would never allow such a thing to happen. Then what was the reason?
Zong Nanze was perceptive and quick-witted. He had been the first to notice Qi Wang’s feelings, and in some ways understood their relationship better than either of the people involved. Now, too, he had been the first to catch the subtle shift in Lin Huaixi’s feelings.
His eyes narrowed slowly, and his expression turned dangerous.
He would not allow this to become a one-sided game. His interest in Lin Huaixi had only just deepened into something intense. He absolutely would not allow Lin Huaixi to back out now.
A subtle shift passed through Zong Nanze’s gaze. He let out a low laugh and followed after him.
Lin Huaixi also noticed that Zong Nanze had suddenly become absurdly clingy, enough to leave him at a loss.
“Yes, I saved you. But in that situation, no matter who it had been, I would have done the same.”
Zong Nanze looked wounded, though his eyes still glimmered with amusement. “Xixi, that’s awfully heartless of you.”
“I’m not heartless. I’m just telling the truth.” Lin Huaixi turned and cast a pleading look toward Qi Wang.
Qi Wang walked over, caught hold of his wrist, and pulled him away. “The bus will be here soon. Let’s go wait.”
Lin Huaixi instantly relaxed and, like a little tail, followed obediently behind him.
Left standing behind, Zong Nanze watched them for a full minute before his own friend came to call him away.
Only after that intensely present gaze had disappeared did Lin Huaixi finally let out a breath. Turning back, he wore an unreadable expression.
He had stopped this tragedy. Zhong Chongqiu would not darken because of it and take out his resentment on Qi Wang. Sun Baiyi had already changed for the better as well. Of the three scumbag male leads, only Zong Nanze was left.
In the book, Qi Wang had grown up in an extreme environment and carried self-destructive tendencies. But the Qi Wang now had a mother, friends, and many people who supported him. Even if Zong Nanze continued to pester him, Lin Huaixi believed Qi Wang would know how to handle it properly and would never again choose mutual destruction.
And from the fact that Zong Nanze had saved Youyou, he was clearly not beyond all hope. Perhaps before long he would turn over a new leaf too.
Lin Huaixi went over the matter three times in his head before finally breathing out in relief, as though he had at last laid down a heavy burden.
He had finally fulfilled the wish he made as a child—to change the plot of the book and protect his little childhood sweetheart. At last he could retire with honor.
He was happier than if he had won some grand prize. If there had not been other people around, he might have punched the air in celebration.
Qi Wang noticed his mood at once and asked, “Why are you suddenly happy again?”
Lin Huaixi did his best to suppress his smile, pressing his lips into a line. “Nothing.”
Three seconds later, he added, “I’ll tell you in the future.”
Qi Wang did not press him. He only smiled faintly.
The bus arrived, and after another jolting afternoon ride, they finally returned to school.
Now that Lin Huaixi had shrugged off this burden, he felt as light as air. He had been thinking that he and Qi Wang could finally enjoy college life properly—only to be hit with another piece of bad news.
Qi Wang was moving out to live off campus.
It was not exactly a bad thing, but it was still very hard for him to accept.
Up until now, they had not been living in the same room, but they had always been close by. Now that they finally had the chance to room together, Qi Wang was suddenly moving out.
Lin Huaixi guessed the reason. While the dorm was empty, he quietly asked, “Is it because you think this place is dirty?”
Qi Wang shook his head. “Don’t overthink it. It’s just that the dorm has strict time rules. Living outside is more convenient.”
Lin Huaixi understood the implication immediately and frowned. “Do you have something going on? Something that means you’ll often be back late?”
After a few seconds of silence, Qi Wang answered without hiding anything, yet without speaking the truth aloud either. He simply looked at Lin Huaixi in that deep, unreadable way.
“Did he come looking for you again?” Lin Huaixi understood at once.
Qi Wang nodded. When he saw Lin Huaixi’s face go grave, he tried to reassure him with a gentle smile.
Lin Huaixi blew up on the spot. “He bothered you in high school, and now he’s here again! He never fulfilled a father’s responsibilities. But now that you’re grown up and a student at a top university, he suddenly thinks it makes him look good and wants to drag you back to help his family for free!”
Seeing Lin Huaixi breathing hard like a little angry bull, pacing the center of the dorm, Qi Wang grabbed his wrist and forcibly pulled him down onto the bed. “Don’t be angry. I’m doing it willingly.”
“What?!” Lin Huaixi sprang up so violently that his head nearly smacked into the upper bunk above him.
Qi Wang’s whole expression tightened. He checked him over first before finally easing his tone. “I’m not some puppet he can manipulate however he pleases. I chose to go back because I want to take back what should have been mine all along.”
Though he said that, his expression remained calm, and there was not the slightest trace of ambition in his eyes. Lin Huaixi paused, then said anyway, “Don’t force yourself to do something you hate. I know there’s always been something pent up in your heart. But that’s still the previous generation’s grudge. Your own feelings matter most. If you really don’t like this, there’s no need to throw half your life—or even more—into it for something like that.”
As he spoke, Qi Wang could feel the genuine concern in him. Only then did a faint smile surface in his eyes. “Don’t worry. I’m not doing this out of spite, and I’m not doing it for revenge. I’ve thought about it for a very long time. For me, this is the best choice.”
Ever since childhood, Qi Wang had always possessed a maturity and steadiness beyond his age, and he remained rational in all things. Seeing that expression on his face, Lin Huaixi finally relaxed.
“Then if there’s ever anything you need, you have to tell me!”
“Alright. Then can you help me tidy up the new place?” Qi Wang smiled, smoothly changing the subject.
Rolling up his sleeves, Lin Huaixi answered readily, “No problem.”
Qi Wang could not tolerate anyone else touching his things, but Lin Huaixi was the exception. Even if he packed the suitcase into utter chaos, Qi Wang would still stand behind him and praise him to the skies.
Lin Huaixi was still very much like a child in that way and loved being praised. Pressing his lips together, he asked, “What about these? Should I pack them too?”
“No need. I’ll still come back to stay here for a few days now and then.”
The moment Lin Huaixi heard that, his eyes brightened. “That’s great! Then I’ll make your bed for you every day and make sure it never gets dusty!”
The other two roommates were also sorry to hear that Qi Wang would be moving out, and in a burst of loyalty, they helped him carry his luggage to the new place as well, so that Lin Huaixi would not have to make multiple trips.
Once the two roommates left, Lin Huaixi stubbornly stayed behind, insisting on helping Qi Wang clean.
He worked himself ragged all afternoon. By the end, his eyes were glazed over with exhaustion. After stuffing down a few random bites of dinner, he refused to let Qi Wang walk him back and returned to campus alone.
Only when he stepped back into the familiar grounds of the university did the stiffness in his expression slowly ease. He patted his own face with both hands.
He’s only moving out. He’s not leaving you. You’re a grown man—stop acting all sentimental over such a small thing just because your mood took a dip.
After giving himself the same pep talk more than ten times, his mood gradually improved. He had planned to return to the dorm and rest, but instead received a phone call from Zhong Chongqiu.
The mountain trip had only happened the previous weekend, just a few days ago, yet when Lin Huaixi thought back on it, it felt as if ages had passed. He could barely remember the details now.
“Huaixi, do you have time right now?”
“I do.”
“I sent Youyou home this afternoon. You saved her that day, but as her brother, I still haven’t properly thanked you.”
Lin Huaixi brushed it off. “It was nothing. And the one who actually saved your sister was Zong Nanze.”
“I’ve already thanked him,” Zhong Chongqiu said, then quickly added, as if afraid Lin Huaixi would brush him off again, “But if not for you, the two of them might not have made it back safely. Something worse might have happened. So I still have to thank you.”
That was only the truth. Lin Huaixi softened at once and asked, “How is Youyou? Was she badly frightened?”
“She was fine during the day. At night she woke up from nightmares a few times. I stayed with her the whole time, and she’s much better now. I also took her to the hospital for a checkup. There’s nothing wrong.”
“She’s still so little. Stay with her more. Maybe she’ll forget it soon enough.”
Zhong Chongqiu took that advice to heart. “Where are you now? I want to come find you.”
There was something careful in Zhong Chongqiu’s voice, almost a trace of pleading too faint to catch unless one listened for it. Lin Huaixi chose not to refuse. “I’m by the sports field. What about you?”
“Wait for me five minutes. I’ll be right there.”
He spoke so quickly that he forgot to hang up immediately. Through the phone, Lin Huaixi could still hear fragments of his conversation with other people.
“I’ve got something to do. I’m heading out.”
“Look how worked up he is. He must be going to see his girlfriend.”
“…”
It was only the usual joking between friends. Lin Huaixi did not listen further and ended the call.
Zhong Chongqiu was exceptionally punctual. In only four minutes, Lin Huaixi saw a blurry figure hurrying toward him through the shadowy trees.
Panting as he stopped in front of him, Zhong Chongqiu was too out of breath to say anything at first. Clumsily, he only held out the milk tea in his hand.
“For me?” Lin Huaixi looked surprised, then took it with a smile.
After sipping it, he found the taste oddly familiar. The sweetness was much lower than the cup he had drunk at the observatory last time.
Something stirred in Lin Huaixi’s heart. He glanced down at the label stuck to the cup and realized it was not his imagination at all.
That day, he had mentioned that the tea would be even better with less sugar. Had Zhong Chongqiu actually remembered that? And all this time too?
No, that was not right. The milk tea shop probably promoted this flavor as one of its standard options. Zhong Chongqiu must have simply picked one at random.
Feeling that he was being embarrassingly self-important, Lin Huaixi laughed at himself.
Zhong Chongqiu caught that smile instantly. The tension in his tightly drawn brows eased at last, but his hands were still clenched together, rubbing nervously against the sweat in his palms. “Is it… good?”
“It’s good.” Lin Huaixi noticed that Zhong Chongqiu’s hands were empty and looked up in surprise. “You only bought one?”
“Ah, I… I don’t really like milk tea much. This one… is just a thank-you gift.” Zhong Chongqiu sounded somewhat guilty, stammering through the explanation.
The tree leaves above blocked much of the light, and visibility around them was low. Lin Huaixi did not study Zhong Chongqiu’s expression closely, so he accepted the explanation easily. “You really don’t have to keep taking this so seriously. I like Youyou, and I’m happy I was able to save her. If you thank me over and over like this, it makes us seem awfully distant.”
Zhong Chongqiu had been so formal the whole time that Lin Huaixi deliberately made a joke, hoping to lighten the mood.
Zhong Chongqiu only looked fierce on the outside. In reality, he was more like a big, rather dim-witted bear. He froze for a couple of seconds, then a smile spread across his face. Even so, his words still came out haltingly. “Right. We… we’re not distant. I’m just too…”
Seeing that he had run out of words, Lin Huaixi took the initiative to change the topic. “Will Youyou come to see you again after this?”
“It’s getting too cold lately. I’ll bring her to see you in the spring.”
“Okay.”
A little thirsty, Lin Huaixi drank half the milk tea in one go. Feeling pleasantly warm and comfortable all through, he propped a hand behind him against the stone bench and tilted his head up toward the night sky.
Zhong Chongqiu watched him in silence, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. The string in his chest tightened and trembled.
Perhaps the night was simply too quiet. Or perhaps Lin Huaixi’s smile had given him some kind of courage.
On the day he discovered Youyou had gone missing, he had truly felt as if his heart had stopped beating. It was as though his whole body had been filled with stones, dragging him straight down into some endless abyss.
Even now, he could hardly put into words what those thirty minutes had felt like. Every time the fragments returned to his mind, he broke out in a cold sweat.
If he had failed to watch over his little sister—if something had really happened to her—then he would have become a sinner, someone who would never deserve forgiveness.
And yet, the moment Lin Huaixi emerged from the bushes holding Youyou’s hand, all of Zhong Chongqiu’s senses, all of his heartbeat, returned to him.
The campsite itself had been brightly lit, while the bushes had been swallowed by darkness. Yet when he saw Lin Huaixi appear, he felt that all the light in the world had gathered around him.
He was not religious, nor did he possess much imagination. But in that instant, a vivid image had flashed into his mind—a haloed angel, alive and real.
The night before, Lin Huaixi had appeared in his dreams. This time, the dream had not frightened him awake. Instead, his tight brow had slowly smoothed out, and the nightmare had softened into something beautiful, as though he had finally found a new place to belong.
After waking, all he had wanted was to go and see Lin Huaixi at once. He had struggled with himself for an entire day, making mental preparations again and again before finally summoning the courage to call.
He knew that Lin Huaixi and Qi Wang were officially only friends, though far closer than ordinary friends. Perhaps before long, the two of them really would end up together.
But there were still things he had to say to Lin Huaixi. If nothing else, then at least for the sake of giving himself an answer.
No longer wanting to hesitate, Zhong Chongqiu fixed his eyes on Lin Huaixi with determination. “Huaixi, I…”
His words overlapped with another voice—one more distinctive, one that instantly drew attention.
Lin Huaixi turned his head toward the sound. Zhong Chongqiu paused and followed his gaze.
It was Zong Nanze.
Lin Huaixi immediately connected the dots and understood.
Since Zong Nanze was the one who had truly saved Youyou, Zhong Chongqiu must have invited him as well because he wanted to thank him too.
Still, there was only one cup of milk tea. So perhaps Zhong Chongqiu had prepared something different for Zong Nanze?
Such thoughts were written almost plainly across Lin Huaixi’s face. Zhong Chongqiu’s smile grew bitter, and from that expression, he seemed to understand something as well. For reasons he himself did not fully grasp, he did not explain.
Zong Nanze walked straight over to them and, with false politeness, asked, “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
“No,” Lin Huaixi answered, then asked in confusion, “Wasn’t it the senior who invited you?”
Zong Nanze’s movements paused. He turned a probing gaze on Zhong Chongqiu, and when Zhong Chongqiu did not deny it, the curve at his lips grew deeper. “I know. He wants to thank me. I skipped dinner tonight, so why don’t you two come eat something with me?”
He acted as though they had all been arranged under his command from the start, without the least sense of awkwardness.
Lin Huaixi glanced at the time. “You two go ahead. I’m a little tired.”
The moment he turned to leave, Zong Nanze smilingly caught him by the wrist. “Old classmate, that’s really too heartless of you.”
Before he could finish, another hand struck his away without ceremony.
Someone had approached them without a sound, then pulled Lin Huaixi behind himself and shielded him there.
“I met Xixi in elementary school. We’ve been classmates for nine years. Who exactly are you supposed to be? Why have I never seen you before?”
