Chapter 78
After bringing Lin Huaixi to the sofa, Qi Wang handed him a cup of warm water. From beginning to end, he only watched him quietly and did not ask a single question.
That gave Lin Huaixi’s emotions room to settle. He sipped the hot water little by little, and his heart gradually calmed down as well.
“Aren’t you going to ask what happened?” Lin Huaixi said softly.
Qi Wang looked at him deeply and answered in the fewest words possible, “I know.”
“You know?” Lin Huaixi’s voice rose a little, and his eyes widened round.
Qi Wang did not know how to explain it, so he only nodded.
He had clearly known about Sun Baiyi’s feelings. He was familiar with the way Sun Baiyi looked at Lin Huaixi, and he also knew exactly why Sun Baiyi had come this time. Yet he had still failed to prepare thoroughly enough, and in the end Lin Huaixi had been caught between the two of them, pulled in both directions.
It was all his fault.
After a few seconds of silence, Qi Wang suddenly took hold of Lin Huaixi’s hand.
Lin Huaixi froze for a moment. He thought Qi Wang wanted to continue with their hand-holding plan, but when he met Qi Wang’s solemn gaze, he could not help sinking into it.
“Xixi, both of us like you. More than anyone, we want you to be happy. When we confessed to you, it was because we wanted to place that happiness in your hands ourselves, not because we wanted you trapped in the middle, hurting for the sake of the two of us.”
“I know you were sincere with both of us and treated us as good friends. But we went and liked you on our own, then forced you to make a choice before you were ready. When it comes down to it, that was our fault.”
“Xixi, you are not an object for us to fight over. You have your own thoughts, your own joys and sorrows. Just like I told you before, even if you rejected me, you should not carry any burden over it. You would not have done anything wrong. It’s just that you are so, so wonderful that we couldn’t help falling for you.”
Lin Huaixi pressed his lips together. He was feeling much better already, enough that he even had the mood to complain. “Why does that sound exactly like what Sun Baiyi said? Did the two of you rehearse this in advance?”
Qi Wang looked a little surprised. A few seconds later, he laughed. “Looks like even though we’ve never gotten along, we still have some tacit understanding after all.”
Lin Huaixi twitched the corner of his mouth too, but he simply could not smile. “Even so, I still hurt him. I made Sun Baiyi sad.”
For once, Qi Wang showed his true feelings and said indifferently, “It’s fine. Give him some time. Sun Baiyi only has one straight line in his brain. He’ll figure it out eventually, and it won’t even take that long.”
“…” Lin Huaixi said, “How can you talk behind Sun Baiyi’s back like that? Be careful, or I’ll go tell him to his face!”
Qi Wang still looked completely unconcerned. “He already has plenty of reasons to dislike me. One more won’t matter. Besides, I’m not afraid of him.”
Lin Huaixi suddenly thought of something and asked urgently, “When did you and Sun Baiyi start liking me? Why didn’t I notice at all before this?”
As soon as he said it, he felt a little guilty.
Qi Wang had always been mature beyond his years, with a deep heart and the ability to hide his past, but Sun Baiyi was like a cheerful puppy. He had no reservations at all. Everything on his mind showed right on his face. Yet Lin Huaixi had still failed to notice, while confidently assuming that the scum gongs had to be in love with the protagonist.
Lin Huaixi tried to think it through carefully, but Sun Baiyi had always loved sticking close to him ever since primary school and had always insisted on playing with him. After they grew older, their relationship only became closer. No matter how hard he searched through all the details, he could not find that crucial turning point.
Lin Huaixi asked for help on his own initiative. “When did you realize Sun Baiyi liked me?”
“First year of high school.” Qi Wang’s voice was very soft. “At the time, you twisted your ankle and couldn’t take part in the basketball game. I could tell how upset you were, so during evening self-study I took you to play basketball. Sun Baiyi happened to be there too. He saw that scene, and that’s when he realized his own feelings.”
When it came to romance, Lin Huaixi was completely being dragged along. It looked like he had finally awakened to it a little, but in some ways he was still terribly clueless.
“So Sun Baiyi saw us playing basketball together and then he fell for me? Was it because the basketball looked too cool? We were both there, so why did he like me and not you?”
Qi Wang: “……”
He was rendered completely speechless by Lin Huaixi, and even looked a little helpless.
Lin Huaixi awkwardly scratched his hair. “Was that question too strange?”
Qi Wang spared his feelings and did not answer directly. “It isn’t strange. It’s enough for you to know when it happened. You don’t need to know the exact details.”
Then Qi Wang seemed to think of something, and his gaze narrowed dangerously. “You’re not allowed to ask Sun Baiyi. And you’re definitely not allowed to talk with him about this again.”
Lin Huaixi gave an embarrassed little smile. “I won’t. If I asked him now, wouldn’t I just be deliberately reopening the wound? I already hurt him once. There won’t be a second time.”
Qi Wang was still dissatisfied and continued looking at Lin Huaixi with that same expression. A chill ran down Lin Huaixi’s back, and he shivered. “W-what is it?”
“You’re asking about Sun Baiyi, but not me?” Qi Wang sounded faintly sour, and his expression was almost aggrieved. Lin Huaixi could even sense a childish streak in him.
This side of Qi Wang was such a sharp contrast that it was almost cute. Lin Huaixi could not help taking another look at him. Suppressing the urge to laugh, he quickly soothed him. “Important things should be saved for last. Besides, I’ve actually been thinking about this for a long time. I wanted to figure it out myself.”
Qi Wang had always felt that Lin Huaixi was only making room for him, forced to match his pace. He had never expected Lin Huaixi to be thinking so much behind the scenes. His emotions rose and fell along with Lin Huaixi’s words. “Did you figure it out?”
After holding out for three seconds, Lin Huaixi’s face fell. “Not at all. Sorry. Am I too stupid?”
Instinctively, he raised his hand, intending to smack his own thick skull, but Qi Wang caught his wrist. “This isn’t your fault.”
Qi Wang enclosed his hand in his palm and said softly, “Because I don’t know either.”
Lin Huaixi’s pupils trembled slightly. He could not say a word and could only look at Qi Wang in silence.
Qi Wang seemed to understand the question in his eyes and smiled faintly. “Maybe because we grew up together. You were always there by my side. Before I consciously realized my feelings, I had already liked you for a very, very long time. I don’t know exactly when it began either.”
Lin Huaixi licked his dry lower lip and said softly, “I’m sorry. I never noticed. I made you wait so long.”
“It’s alright. I got what I was waiting for.” Qi Wang looked deeply at Lin Huaixi. His gaze was almost tangible, and Lin Huaixi could feel what it meant to be wrapped in love. At the same time, he also clearly realized that his own feelings were probably not even one ten-thousandth of Qi Wang’s, and that he might never be able to catch up.
It felt as though some sour fruit had burst open in his chest. A tangle of emotions slowly spread through him, washing over his heart, and before he knew it, Lin Huaixi was aching for Qi Wang again. He bent down slightly until their foreheads touched and their breaths mingled.
Qi Wang noticed the movement and went still in surprise.
Lin Huaixi made no extra move. They remained in that intimate posture, and the atmosphere turned quiet. In the silence, they could hear each other’s quickened heartbeat.
Lin Huaixi slowly lifted his eyes and said word by word, with utmost seriousness, “I’ll catch up to you.”
The sentence seemed to come out of nowhere. Qi Wang did not know its full meaning, but in that instant, the two of them truly understood each other’s hearts.
It felt as if every day and night of the past had been answered. It was as though Qi Wang heard the god of fate whispering in his ear.
Not only had he met Lin Huaixi and come to know that someone so beautiful could exist in this world, he had also been pulled out of the abyss.
This was fate’s favor toward him. He could have used the identity of childhood friend to remain forever by Lin Huaixi’s side, but he had been too greedy. He wanted more, so he had gambled everything. Fortunately, fate had tolerated that greed, favored him even more, and granted him the most precious thing in the world.
Even though Qi Wang had come from such a miserable childhood, and even though the past was like a muddy swamp that wanted to drag him under, he still felt that he was lucky. The tenderness in his heart was nearly overflowing.
No matter what happened, as long as he could come back and see Lin Huaixi smiling, then everything felt worth it.
The room was dimly lit. At first Lin Huaixi thought he had seen it wrong, but after staring for three full seconds, he realized that Qi Wang’s eyes really had turned red.
In front of him, Qi Wang had always been the protector. He rarely showed any vulnerability. Lin Huaixi had already been feeling sorry for him, and seeing him like this immediately threw him into a panic.
“Qi Wang, what’s wrong?” Lin Huaixi cupped Qi Wang’s face, studied him for a few seconds, then stretched out his arms as far as he could and pulled the much bigger Qi Wang into his arms.
But there was too much difference in their height and build. If Lin Huaixi wanted Qi Wang to bury his face in his shoulder, he had to maintain a terribly awkward posture. After just a few minutes, his waist was sore, and one of his calves even twitched with a cramp.
Lin Huaixi tried inching to the side, wanting to shift into a more comfortable position without disturbing Qi Wang. He thought he was hiding it well, but he had already been completely exposed.
Just as he was still edging over bit by bit, a strong hand suddenly clamped around his waist. Scorching heat seeped through the soft fabric of his pajamas and invaded his skin.
???
Before Lin Huaixi could react, his body abruptly grew light and the scene before his eyes flipped upside down. Qi Wang effortlessly adjusted their positions, and by the time Lin Huaixi understood what had happened, he was sitting on Qi Wang’s lap.
That brought their height difference almost to zero.
Qi Wang naturally buried his face in the crook of Lin Huaixi’s neck, both arms looped around his waist.
Lin Huaixi needed a full five or six seconds before his brain caught up. He did not dare move recklessly. He could only lower his gaze. In the warm yellow light, Qi Wang’s skin looked pale as jade. His fingers were long and clean-boned, resting on Lin Huaixi’s waist. The hem of Lin Huaixi’s sleep shirt had been pushed up, and two of those fingers disappeared beneath the fabric.
Lin Huaixi had always known Qi Wang had beautiful hands. He had even joked before that Qi Wang should become a hand model. But now, the veins standing taut on the back of those hands seemed to throb with pure hormones, enough to set someone’s blood racing.
Lin Huaixi reflexively drew in a breath, then jerked his gaze away as if electrocuted, staring at his nose and his heart and nothing else. Yet the harder he tried to calm down, the more his thoughts ran wild.
This position was far too intimate. He was practically curled into Qi Wang’s embrace, leaning against his chest, and underneath him was—
Lin Huaixi did not dare think any further. His whole body felt overheated, like electricity was running through him. He grew weak and limp, and could not help wondering whether, if Qi Wang let go of him now, he would even be able to stand properly on the ground.
Lin Huaixi endured and endured until he felt he might evaporate from the heat before finally giving a small struggle. “You…”
Qi Wang released him at once, so quickly that Lin Huaixi did not react in time. He could only stare at him blankly, and somewhere deep inside, a tiny trace of loss inexplicably surfaced.
Lin Huaixi’s expression was simply too cute. Qi Wang smiled and lightly tapped his nose. “Thank you for comforting me.”
Then, as if he had suddenly realized something, he lifted a brow. “Does this count as completing our hugging plan?”
Lin Huaixi could not manage any words at all and could only nod blankly, hoping Qi Wang would move on and spare him.
But Qi Wang’s arms tightened again, almost trapping him inside his embrace.
Lin Huaixi: ???
Qi Wang’s movements were forceful, but his manner remained gentlemanly. Looking at him deeply, his features more sharply defined in the light, he said, “I really liked that. Could you let me hold you a little longer?”
Lin Huaixi: “……”
Lin Huaixi: “……”
Lin Huaixi: “……”
He felt like a kettle of water that had finally gone past boiling point. After surging and roiling, it had reached its limit and let out a shrill whistle, with white steam bursting from the top of his head and all his reason evaporating away with it.
Five seconds later, he still could not get a single word out. With his ears burning red, he quietly burrowed a little deeper into Qi Wang’s arms.
