“Zhong Qi…Qi” Shen Ziyi was leaning at the classroom door, her voice rising. “Senior Sister has brought some snacks for you…”

Zhong Qi had just finished explaining a math problem to Lin Shiyu, who had attempted the calculations twice but still couldn’t get it right. Eventually, Zhong Qi had to take a pen and personally write out the solving process on a scrap of paper. Nearby, Gao Jie, Mao Silu, and Ruan Zhikai were chatting casually. As for Chen Xiaoxin, he felt quite numb to these people who frequently occupied his seat during break time.

Zhong Qi raised his head upon hearing Shen Ziyi’s voice, and the classroom immediately erupted with teasing laughter. Gao Jie jokingly nudged Zhong Qi. “Another Senior Sister; our Junior Brother is really popular.”

Lin Shiyu looked up from the headache-inducing pile of numbers and glanced towards the door.

They could only see a faint profile. She was talking to Shen Ziyi at the corridor railing. She had long black hair, and was wearing a short top and wide-leg pants in a very comfortable color scheme. She also looked fair and slender, with a delicate profile.

The last time Senior Sister came to find Zhong Qi, they hadn’t seen her appearance. This time, Lin Shiyu saw her in full view, and she was indeed very beautiful.

He couldn’t help but glance a few more times. An outstanding, eye-catching, and warmly proactive girl.

Suddenly, Lin Shiyu felt a bit awkward.

Zhong Qi noticed him looking outside and asked, “What are you looking at?”

Lin Shiyu immediately averted his gaze and replied stiffly, “Nothing.”

He felt strange rather inexplicably; he didn’t know why he suddenly felt upset.

The chair was pulled aside, and Zhong Qi stood up and walked to the classroom door. Lin Shiyu glanced at the assignments for a while, but unable to contain his curiosity and some unclear emotions, he took another look.

Shen Ziyi ran back, sat in Zhong Qi’s seat, and everyone’s heads immediately gathered around her.

“I’ve asked around. Senior Sister is from the 10th-grade Arts Class 1, and is named Wang Heju. She’s also the head of the Literature and Art Department,” Shen Ziyi reported the situation. “I think she’s beautiful and asked her a few questions. She’s very generous and says that she’s here to pursue Zhong Qi.”

Gao Jie and Mao Silu showed expressions of admiration, while Chen Xiaoxin seriously asked, “Is there not much homework in the 10th grade?”

Shen Ziyi pushed his head back. “Go work on your favorite math homework.”

Zhong Qi returned to the classroom, holding a bag of snacks in his hand.

“Zhong Qi, you’re not being nice; why didn’t you inform your brothers you were in a situation?”

“Are you really dating the Senior Sister?!”

“You’ve accepted someone else’s snacks, otherwise…”

Lin Shiyu stared at the bag in Zhong Qi’s hand, which contained matcha biscuits, chocolates, and a small box of Swiss rolls, looking quite delicious.

Did Zhong Qi really fall in love?

“No,” Zhong Qi frowned. “I’m not, don’t spread rumors.”

He carelessly threw the bag onto Lin Shiyu’s desk, startling Lin Shiyu with a table full of snacks.

Ruan Zhikai said: “She brought you snacks even though your two aren’t?”

“Who knows.”

“Then, when Senior Sister confessed to you…”

“I refused,” Zhong Qi calmly observed the disappointed bunch of gossip-hungry people. “Any other questions?”

“Wow, but you accepted her snacks!”

“She insisted on giving them to me and left. Am I supposed to chase after her?”

A group of people were shouting, “Yeh she’s truly annoying,” while angrily dividing the snacks Senior Sister had brought for Zhong Qi. After all the snacks were depleted they all dispersed abruptly.

In the end, only a lonely piece of chocolate remained on Lin Shiyu’s desk. He unwrapped the package and tasted a small piece. It was too sweet.

Seeing his twisted expression from the sweetness, Zhong Qi asked, “How does it taste?”

Unsatisfied, Lin Shiyu replied, “Not good.”

“You’re quite picky,” Zhong Qi retorted and casually took the chocolate Lin Shiyu was holding, putting it in his mouth and eating it.

Afterward, Zhong Qi was lectured by Gao Jie and the others all day, criticized for not appreciating things, being wasteful, and not grasping love when it came. Even Mao Silu, who only cared about basketball, while playing, stopped to ask, “Zhong Qi, who do you really like?”

Even Zhong Qi, typically undisturbed, was disinterested. After finishing a match, he wiped off his sweat, picked up his backpack, and left the court.

As students trickled out of school after classes, Zhong Qi retrieved his bicycle from the school and after riding less than two hundred meters, noticed Lin Shiyu standing opposite the school at the bus stop.

He stood out. He was still wearing his usual pink chubby cat hoodie, sparkly shoes, and a pink rabbit backpack. People occasionally glanced at him, wearing strange and puzzled expressions, but Lin Shiyu seemed accustomed and unaffected to it.

Initially, Zhong Qi only intended to glance and continue riding his bike. However, his peripheral vision caught sight of a familiar figure, prompting him to abruptly brake and stop.

At the edge of the bus station, a college student was playing with his phone while waiting for the bus. He was dressed very casually, a simple coat with jeans, glasses, a flat-brimmed cap, looking no different from anyone else waiting for the bus.

Even so, Zhong Qi recognized him instantly as the photographer who had taken pictures of Lin Shiyu.

Zhong Qi stopped on the opposite side of the road until a bus came to the bus stop, stopped for a moment, then slowly moved on. Half of the people waiting at the bus station had left, and Lin Shiyu and the photographer were no longer there.

His gaze followed the departing bus, seeing the bus number clearly. Without hesitating, Zhong Qi took out his phone and called Lin Shiyu.

After the third call, Lin Shiyu finally answered.

Lin Shiyu’s voice echoed amid the noisy background, “I’m on the bus, it’s a bit noisy. Wha–”

Zhong Qi didn’t let him finish and directly said, “Get off at the Han Street Subway Station entrance.”

“What?”

“I need to see you,” Zhong Qi replied as he rode his bike with one hand. “Go to the Starbucks at Han Street and wait for me.”

“Why can’t you say it on the phone….?”

“Listen, I told you to go to Starbucks and wait for me.” The bike wheels spun rapidly on the concrete ground. Zhong Qi’s expression was calm, his tone indifferent but resolute. “Get off the bus when it reaches the stop.”

He hung up and zoomed across the street.

The bus was packed. Zhao Bin purposely chose a crowded corner facing the window so that with a slight turn of his head, he could use his peripheral vision to see Lin Shiyu standing by the back door, without Lin Shiyu noticing him.

He observed Lin Shiyu after he finished a call. Lin Shiyu seemed puzzled and confused for a moment. He looked at his phone, then up at the bus stop sign, and returned the phone to his pocket, standing quietly.

When the bus arrived at Han Street Subway Station, Lin Shiyu checked the window before getting off with the crowd.

 Zhao Bin followed the last passengers off the bus.

During the busy post-school hours, Chuhehan Street was bustling, particularly around the subway station. Zhao Bin trailed behind Lin Shiyu, who turned at the main street intersection. Various shops around the subway station were advertising their cuisine over loudspeakers. A few large buildings were under renovation, with racks and barriers set up around them, creating narrow passages that people had to squeeze through, making the area crowded.

As the day darkened, the street’s lights dimmed. Zhao Bin managed to push through the crowd, but after a moment’s inattention, found himself lost.

He cursed inwardly, looked around, but couldn’t spot the conspicuous pink figure. After walking a long stretch from the west side of Han Street to the east exit and back, he couldn’t find Lin Shiyu. He reluctantly decided to return.

There weren’t many people weaving through the buildings. Zhao Bin passed a flowerbed and, feeling frustrated, hid in a sheltered area to smoke, occasionally glancing at the street outside, hoping to find the person he was looking for again.

After finishing two cigarettes, he flicked away the cigarette butt and was about to leave when a shadow fell over him.

Without warning, Zhong Qi appeared in front of him. He looked down at Zhao Bin with a cold and dark expression, a part of his face hidden in the fading evening light. His demeanor, blocking Zhao Bin’s path, was anything but friendly.

Zhao Bin was just over 1.7 meters tall and had to look up at Zhong Qi, a high school student. An oppressive atmosphere and a sense of shock, as if a secret had been discovered, rushed over Zhao Bin. He immediately felt the danger, instinctively raising his hand to push Zhong Qi away.

In the next moment, Zhong Qi seized Zhao Bin by the collar, pushing him to the sheltered corner. Zhao Bin was thrown down with force.

Zhong Qi stepped closer, the dim lighting shrouding them, and stared at Zhao Bin, who was grimacing in pain. “You were following Lin Shiyu.”

It wasn’t a question but a statement. Zhao Bin climbed up from the ground, breathless, facing Zhong Qi. “Lin Shiyu? What are you talking about? I’m just strolling around Han Street. You’re insane! You’re assaulting people!”

“You took the bus across from the school where Lin Shiyu was, you got off at the same station as him.” Zhong Qi’s voice was devoid of emotion “You were just leisurely strolling, were you?”

“How did you… you were following me?” Zhao Bin realized the situation, abandoned his denial, and sneered. “You two have a good relationship, huh? You even brought him back before. He’s counting on you, isn’t he? I said you have no evidence, but I do, I–”

Before he could finish his sentence, Zhong Qi pinned him against the wall, his knuckles pressing into Zhao Bin’s throat, making him flush red instantly, and struggling to get free.

Zhong Qi maintained his pressure, his expression turning cold. “What did you do to him?”

Zhao Bin was being choked, his eyes reddening and he started coughing. He desperately tried to strike Zhong Qi’s arms and aimed to kick him hard, but Zhong Qi’s face displayed impatience. He lifted his hand and landed a forceful punch on Zhao Bin’s abdomen.

Zhao Bin retched, nearly falling.

Zhong Qi picked him up, repeating, “What did you do to him?”

Zhao Bin felt an underlying fear of helplessness. He never anticipated that this seemingly indifferent high school student would turn out to be this ruthless or that his strength would seem to be trained professionally. The punch almost turned his insides upside down, nearly making Zhao Bin vomit bile. However, Zhong Qi continued to squeeze his throat, making it hard for him to breathe.

“First… release me and I’ll tell you…”

Zhong Qi loosened his grip, and Zhao Bin leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. It took a while before he managed to speak. “I just touched his leg… I didn’t do anything else, then he kicked me!”

“And then?”

“That’s it. I didn’t really do anything. He almost broke my bones with that kick!”

Zhong Qi stood in the slowly dimming evening light, the streetlights already casting his silhouette in a deep black against the blue. Zhao Bin saw Zhong Qi’s face and an expression that didn’t belong on the face of a high school student.

The boy was looking at someone as if they were an animal, indifferent to whether they were injured or even if they were dying, like a cold, dark wolf.

“He almost broke your bones, yet you eagerly followed him.” Zhong Qi smirked. “Seems like you like him quite a bit.”

Zhao Bin paused, and for a moment, he almost felt as though Zhong Qi knew everything.

Zhong Qi stood in front of Zhao Bin, his tone carrying a chill. “Don’t follow him again. If I catch you, I’ll break your hands.”

He lowered his head slightly, observing Zhao Bin. “Since nobody saw, let’s consider it as you breaking them yourself. How about that?”

Meanwhile, Lin Shiyu sat on a bench near the window at Starbucks, swinging his legs restlessly, supporting his chin while gazing at a cup of untouched Chocolate Frappuccino. A glass of water sat beside it. He repeatedly told himself to wait fifteen more minutes before leaving.

Where the hell was Zhong Qi? After dragging him off the bus midway home, claiming there was something to discuss, but then abandoned him here for almost an hour. There were no responses to his messages or calls, it was as if he had vanished into thin air.

The Frappuccino in the cup had entirely melted. Lin Shiyu’s patience was at its limit. He thought to himself, ‘Just a few more seconds.’

The high stool beside him was pulled back. Lin Shiyu turned his head and saw Zhong Qi dragging a chair and sitting beside him.

His face wasn’t flushed, his breathing wasn’t labored, his hair was neat, and his clothes were perfectly in place. He didn’t seem like someone who had been rushing over from somewhere.

“Look at the time now,” Lin Shiyu glared at Zhong Qi.

Zhong Qi took out his phone to check. “It’s almost seven.”

“Almost seven,” Lin Shiyu almost spit the words out. “Didn’t you see my calls? You dragged me all the way out here, and then you’re late! I was almost starving to death!”

People around them started to look over, so Zhong Qi had to calm down Lin Shiyu, who was as fiery as a Charmander. “This is a public place, be considerate.”

He went to the counter and ordered a chicken wrap and a croissant, adding a piece of cheesecake. He brought it to Lin Shiyu. “Eat.”

Lin Shiyu still glared at him indignantly. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Start by eating. Aren’t you hungry?” Zhong Qi noticed the melted Frappuccino on the table. “Was this yours?”

Lin Shiyu, in a bad mood, retorted, “It was meant for you.” He didn’t enjoy these kinds of drinks.

Zhong Qi nodded, about to reach for it, but Lin Shiyu rudely blocked his hand.

“It’s not yours now.” Lin Shiyu snatched the cup. “I’ll have it.”

He stubbornly took a sip from the straw, but the cup was soon snatched away.

Zhong Qi took a sip of the melted Frappuccino, his expression calm. “It’s melted, but the taste is still decent.”

“I didn’t say it was for you.”

“Yes, you did.”

“No, I didn’t!”

“You did.”

It was a completely pointless argument. One was exasperated to the point of a headache while the other was calmly drinking. The calm one, as if trying to irritate the other, said, “Hurry and eat. You said you were hungry.”

Lin Shiyu picked up the chicken wrap and bit into it with a frustrated air. He was indeed hungry. He swiftly finished the wrap, then moved on to the croissant. Zhong Qi handed him a fork for the cake, and Lin Shiyu, unreserved, took the plate and continued to eat the cheesecake.

“Done?” Zhong Qi asked as Lin Shiyu finished the last bite of cake, and stood up. “Let’s go.”

Lin Shiyu, having eaten his fill felt a lot calmer.

As they left Starbucks and walked onto the street, it suddenly clicked in Lin Shiyu’s mind.

“What exactly did you want to tell me?” Lin Shiyu was perplexed.

Zhong Qi took his hand out of his pocket and strolled forward. “I just suddenly felt like coming to Starbucks and thought of inviting you.”

Silence.

“Are you crazy?!”

Lin Shiyu was about to hit him on the spot. Zhong Qi quickly ran a few steps away, appearing fairly self-righteous. “What? It’s on the way and we can go back together.”

“Who wants to go back with you?” Lin Shiyu fumed. “I’m leaving!”

 

Edited by: Jaisland

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