Chapter 68
Qi Wang was his childhood sweetheart. Lin Huaixi’s heart naturally leaned toward him, so there was no way he could stay perfectly impartial.
Those three scumbag male leads had all rubbed off on him—if you stay near vermilion, you turn red; if you stay near ink, you turn black. They were the ones who had led Qi Wang astray!
Even without meeting them, Qi Wang had already been affected. If he actually met them in person… Lin Huaixi only had to imagine the scene, and his expression changed. His attitude became even firmer.
“Stay here and don’t move. Whatever happens, don’t let them notice you. I’m going to see what they’re doing.”
Although they had hidden themselves in the corner, there was only a sparse grove of bamboo in front of them. The bamboo leaves were a sickly yellow, and the thin stalks—each no thicker than a wrist—stood there bare and useless, blocking absolutely nothing.
Lin Huaixi struggled with it for a few seconds, then pulled Qi Wang a few steps farther ahead, making him turn his back toward the three scumbags and face himself instead.
That way, even if the scumbags looked over, they should not recognize Qi Wang from just his back.
There were perks to being cannon-fodder side character number one in the book. His presence was so faint that no one paid him any attention. Taking advantage of that, Lin Huaixi planted himself in front of Qi Wang and spent half the day craning his head around, spying on Sun Baiyi and the others.
Sun Baiyi was so completely absorbed in arguing that he had long since forgotten about him. Only then did Lin Huaixi let out a breath of relief. Tugging on Qi Wang’s sleeve, he stealthily led him away.
“Don’t make a sound. I’ll take you—”
Before he could finish, a lazy, drawling voice sounded not far away, not bothering to lower the volume at all.
Besides the two of them, the only people here were…
Lin Huaixi’s shoulders twitched. Heart sinking, he turned around and found all three scumbag male leads staring right at them, each with a different expression.
…the thing he had feared most had still happened.
Sun Baiyi looked as though he had been struck by lightning, utter disbelief all over his face. A few seconds later, his mind finally restarted. Furious beyond words, he lunged at them like a wild beast baring its claws and fangs.
Lin Huaixi frowned in confusion.
Qi Wang and Sun Baiyi fought whenever they saw each other, sure, but things had never worsened to this degree. What exactly was Sun Baiyi so angry about?
While he was turning that over in his mind, his peripheral vision caught the way he and Qi Wang were standing. From an outsider’s perspective, the posture looked far too intimate.
!!! He understood now!
Sun Baiyi had misunderstood their relationship. As one of the scumbag male leads, seeing the protagonist with someone else had made him jealous!!
In that case, didn’t that mean he had been promoted from cannon-fodder passerby to cannon-fodder scumbag? Bah. He was not scummy at all.
Unable to help himself, Lin Huaixi glanced at Qi Wang. Qi Wang responded with a smile, and Lin Huaixi’s heart instantly melted into a puddle.
Qi Wang was so good. If only he were the story’s main male lead, he would definitely do better than those three scumbags.
In just a few short seconds, Lin Huaixi’s thoughts had gone spinning wildly off course. But the matter in front of him still needed handling, so he forcibly reeled himself back in.
As the only lubricant keeping things from grinding apart on the spot, Lin Huaixi was very self-aware. Clearing his throat twice, he said, “Baiyi, didn’t I tell you Qi Wang was moving? He’s got something urgent and needs help, so I probably won’t have time to hang out with you everywhere. Do you want to come with us?”
Sun Baiyi had grown up with them. His temper was still fiery, but his character had already changed for the better. Since he was the only remaining scumbag male lead here, Lin Huaixi believed he could keep him in line.
The moment Sun Baiyi realized Lin Huaixi had ignored Zong Nanze and Zhong Chongqiu and was speaking only to him, a strange sense of satisfaction swelled inside him. He did not even bother targeting Qi Wang anymore. “Sure! I’ll listen to whatever Xixi says.”
Only then did Lin Huaixi breathe easier. Turning to Zong Nanze and Zhong Chongqiu with an apologetic smile, he said, “Thanks to both of you today. I’ll treat you to dinner another time.”
Zhong Chongqiu heard the dismissal hidden in those words, and the light in his eyes dimmed. Forcing a smile, he said, “It’s fine. If you still want to wander around campus some other day, you can contact me.”
When he finished, he stared fixedly at Lin Huaixi, clearly hoping for some definite answer. But Lin Huaixi failed to notice the plea beneath his words. He only smiled, then turned toward Zong Nanze.
Of the three scumbag male leads, Zong Nanze was the hardest to deal with. If he refused to let things go, this situation would instantly descend into chaos.
Seeing how tense and wary Lin Huaixi looked, Zong Nanze slowly lifted a brow. His gaze passed between the two of them and then settled on Qi Wang with a meaningful smile.
“Alright. I’ll wait for your call.”
Zong Nanze had been the first of them to notice Qi Wang’s feelings, and he was the only one who knew the self-deceiving answer hidden beneath them. His gaze was full of provocation and challenge.
Lin Huaixi misunderstood completely, taking it as one scumbag male lead casting a sultry look full of feeling toward the protagonist.
!!! Too much. And he was still standing right here!
His protective instincts toward Qi Wang flared violently. He exploded at once and, full of fierce determination, planted himself between them, forming a concave shape with his body.
He was too short. He could not block anything…
Lin Huaixi fell silent for two seconds. Wearing a pair of dead fish eyes, he swept Zong Nanze up and down irritably.
Hah. This guy must have been raised on hormones. Why was he so tall?!
As for Qi Wang—his own childhood sweetheart was naturally better the taller and stronger he was, because then he could protect himself just fine.
Lin Huaixi’s double standard was complete and shameless. After shooting Zong Nanze another glare, he grabbed Qi Wang and walked off without once looking back. Sun Baiyi hurried after them.
The three of them said nothing, each wrapped in his own thoughts. Only after they reached the school gate did Sun Baiyi come back to himself. “Why did Qi Wang move out? Where does he live?”
Lin Huaixi answered instinctively on his behalf. “Qi Wang has some private matters to deal with, and it’s not convenient for him to come back to the dorm every day. He’s living in the apartment building next door. The environment there is really nice.”
Sun Baiyi did not care about the details at all. If it were up to him, Qi Wang would be kicked all the way to the horizon so he could stop getting in the way. But in front of Lin Huaixi, he could only pretend to be friendly. “If he’s got his own things to deal with, then he should just stay out there for good. It’d be more convenient for him, and he wouldn’t bother his roommates.”
Qi Wang heard the implication plainly, yet as always, he ignored Sun Baiyi completely, not even sparing him a glance.
Sun Baiyi’s patience was limited. He was on the verge of exploding again, stubbornly charging forward, but Lin Huaixi blocked him with practiced ease.
“I’ll treat both of you to ice cream. Cool your heads first. Then after that, we’ll go to Qi Wang’s apartment.”
The moment Sun Baiyi heard the word ice cream, his eyes lit up. For the hundredth time, he declared, “Xixi, you’re so good to me.”
Lin Huaixi rubbed the goosebumps on his arms and felt vaguely sickened.
What on earth had happened to Sun Baiyi?
Sun Baiyi had endured two whole months. In silence, he had gone completely deranged and had fully thrown out his old belief that long-distance love was painful. He had pestered his adviser endlessly until he secured a week off, swearing that within those seven days he would absolutely win Lin Huaixi over.
To reach that goal, he had made every possible preparation. He had used face masks for a month straight, changed his hairstyle, studied how to dress, and polished everything about himself, inside and out.
As long as he could be with Xixi, he was willing to go all in!
Now only one question remained. Distractedly licking his ice cream, Sun Baiyi asked, “Xixi, why don’t you just move in and live with Qi Wang?”
Lin Huaixi answered with a troubled expression, “I thought about that before too, but Qi Wang refused. He said it’d be inconvenient for classes and that we might not get enough sleep.”
“Then you two…” Sun Baiyi’s voice dried up. His heart climbed straight into his throat. “Are you… still just friends?”
Lin Huaixi: ???
Blinking in confusion, he turned back to look at Qi Wang and asked in return, “Do we look like people who had a falling-out? Like we can’t even be friends anymore?”
The moment he heard that, Sun Baiyi finally relaxed completely.
Qi Wang did not have a single redeeming quality anywhere on him, but at least he still counted as a man. He kept his word and had not secretly made a move on Lin Huaixi.
For once, Sun Baiyi looked at Qi Wang with genuine admiration. Qi Wang, however, remained exactly the same as ever and ignored him outright.
…Fine. A real man did not argue with annoying men. He would endure it!
With one worry lifted from his shoulders, Sun Baiyi felt refreshed and energized. Even though he knew perfectly well that this was Qi Wang’s apartment, he still cleaned with great enthusiasm.
As the daylight slowly faded, it became time for dinner. Sun Baiyi finally came back to himself and disgustedly flung away the rag in his hand. “Xixi, let’s go eat.”
Lin Huaixi had also just reached a stopping point with his cleaning. Casually, he replied, “Sure. What do you want? We’ll treat you.”
The moment he heard the word we, Sun Baiyi’s smile froze. His expression turned sour, tinged with grievance.
Lin Huaixi chuckled and had just been about to soothe him when Qi Wang walked out of the kitchen carrying two cups of water. “You two go ahead. I’ve got something else to deal with tonight.”
Lin Huaixi’s words stalled. Turning to Qi Wang, he looked at him with an unreadable expression. Qi Wang did not say it outright, but Lin Huaixi could guess.
Most likely that scumbag father had come pestering Qi Wang again, and that was why he was setting the two of them aside.
Sun Baiyi, on the other hand, was overjoyed. He rushed over, snatched a cup, drained it in one gulp, then dragged Lin Huaixi toward the entryway so quickly it looked as if he feared Qi Wang would change his mind.
“I heard your school’s skewer place is amazing. Tons of people go there. Xixi, take me there tonight.”
Pulled so hard he could barely stay upright, Lin Huaixi got shoved into his shoes amid Sun Baiyi’s nonstop urging. Before he could even say a word to Qi Wang, he was pushed right out the door.
Qi Wang remained where he was, watching their retreating figures. Lin Huaixi never looked back. Only Sun Baiyi turned around, flashing him a smug smile.
He had handed Sun Baiyi a chance to be alone with Lin Huaixi. In the matter of pursuing Lin Huaixi, Sun Baiyi was far in the lead.
He had known Xixi first. He had always been the one at Xixi’s side. So why did he have to stand there and watch someone else get closer and closer to him, stealing him away bit by bit?
There had already been Sun Baiyi before, and now there were Zong Nanze and Zhong Chongqiu too. If all of them could do it, why couldn’t he?
He no longer wanted to remain trapped in the role of childhood friend. If he just took one more step forward, Xixi probably would not be frightened, right? And even if he were frightened, he certainly would not have the heart to push him away.
Yes. As long as Xixi wanted him by his side, then he could be his childhood friend—but naturally, he could also be his boyfriend.
Outside the window, the last of the light vanished. Qi Wang’s shadow stretched longer and longer. He stood there like a statue for a full hour, without moving, without even seeming to breathe. Only after all the light had completely drained away and the room had fallen into darkness did he slowly lower his eyes.
And at last, the desire in them could no longer be concealed.
…
Being alone with Lin Huaixi made Sun Baiyi absurdly excited. He talked nonstop, word after word tumbling out in an endless stream. They were old friends, already close, with more topics than they could possibly run out of. They chatted so much that two full hours passed before it was finally time to take Lin Huaixi back.
Only then did Sun Baiyi realize he had completely squandered such a golden opportunity. Regret gnawed at him, but he did not shrink back. After escorting Lin Huaixi safely to the dorm, he silently gave himself a pep talk.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would definitely manage it!
Back in the dorm, Lin Huaixi showered first, changed into something comfortable, and then sat on his bed in a daze.
He had so many things to deal with, and his phone was right by his hand, yet he did not want to do any of them. All he could think about was how much he missed Qi Wang.
His gaze drifted unconsciously to Qi Wang’s empty bed. Then he noticed the charger lying beside it and frowned.
Without a charger, how was Qi Wang supposed to charge his phone? What if he lost contact?
Anxious, Lin Huaixi called him without a second thought. The call was picked up quickly.
He had only just opened his mouth to speak when an unfamiliar, hesitant voice came from the other end.
“L-Little Rabbit Cake… um, excuse me, are you his friend?”
Lin Huaixi’s expression froze.
Qi Wang had him saved in his phone as Little Rabbit Cake?
