{"id":6520,"date":"2024-07-11T09:40:55","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T07:40:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/?p=6520"},"modified":"2024-07-11T09:40:55","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T07:40:55","slug":"wolf-cub-chapter-64","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/2024\/07\/11\/wolf-cub-chapter-64\/","title":{"rendered":"Wolf Cub &#8211; Chapter 64"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe found Brother Qi and Brother Shiyu!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shen Ziyi shouted, and the group from Class 7 rushed to a small stall selling cold jelly on the riverside. They surrounded Zhong Qi and Lin Shiyu who were standing in front of the stall, like a group of followers surrounding their leader and his spouse.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBrother Qi, how could you take Brother Shiyu to eat alone?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat about the promised milk tea? What about trust?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat were you two doing holding hands? Tell us! Do you two have a secret?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi pulled out two red bills and handed them to Gao Jie, &#8220;Old Gao, go buy milk tea for everyone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Jie, thrilled with the money, quickly turned and led the eager crowd away.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This left only the two of them in front of the stall.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi bought the cold jelly, held it in one hand, and led Lin Shiyu to a bench by the riverside to sit down. The fireworks show had ended, and the crowd on the riverside had dispersed, leaving only a few people strolling and chatting.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi handed the cold jelly to Lin Shiyu. &#8220;Eat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu opened the plastic bag, held the bowl, and ate quietly without saying a word. After a few bites, he put down the bowl.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDo you want some?\u201d Lin Shiyu asked, his voice low and slightly nervous.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI bought it for you.\u201d Zhong Qi said. He turned to look at Lin Shiyu, his gaze falling on Lin Shiyu\u2019s lips. After a moment, he raised his hand to gently touch the corner of Lin Shiyu\u2019s mouth and said softly, &#8220;Your lips seem a bit chapped.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu quickly pursed his lips and turned his head away, feeling half annoyed and half embarrassed, thinking it was because of Zhong Qi\u2019s roughness.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A belated, troubling question came to Lin Shiyu\u2019s mind. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, &#8220;How are your parents?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi, leaning nonchalantly against the backrest with one arm draped behind Lin Shiyu, replied, &#8220;My dad wants a divorce. My mom doesn\u2019t agree, and both sides are in a deadlock. It\u2019s hard to say how long it will drag on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAnd you?\u201d Zhong Qi turned to Lin Shiyu. &#8220;What about you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu naturally asked, &#8220;How do you feel about it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two sat quietly on the bench, looking at each other. Zhong Qi lowered his head and smiled.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cLiving together reluctantly makes everyone miserable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu nodded, showing he understood. Then he asked, &#8220;So\u2026 will you move out?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He cared more about this question and looked anxiously at Zhong Qi after asking. Zhong Qi moved closer to Lin Shiyu, looking confused, &#8220;Why ask that? I won\u2019t move.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu finally let out a sigh of relief, feeling as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cToday, I saw you guys coming out of Mr. Li\u2019s office and heard you saying you were going to live somewhere else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi was slightly stunned, then he laughed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDoes it matter to you?\u201d Zhong Qi teased Lin Shiyu.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu glared at him, picked up the cold jelly, and continued eating, ignoring him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi had to explain. &#8220;After my mom threw away my backpack, they continued arguing about the divorce at home. My mom even brought my grandparents over. It was too noisy at home, so I discussed with my dad about renting a teacher\u2019s room at school.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teacher\u2019s room was a house on campus bought by the staff, mainly provided as a benefit for teachers. They were few in number and cheap internally, but most teachers didn\u2019t choose to live in the teacher\u2019s rooms. These houses, in excellent locations within the school, were highly sought after by parents of high school seniors. Near the end of sophomore year, parents would fight to rent these houses at high prices to allow their children, sometimes with a parent, to stay there, earning the nickname \u201cboarding houses.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a sophomore like Zhong Qi to rent a teacher\u2019s room, he needed Mr. Li\u2019s help to pull some strings, otherwise, it was impossible to get one.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu finally understood that he had overthought it again. He was too embarrassed to tell Zhong Qi he almost had a breakdown, so he changed the topic. &#8220;So\u2026 will your family stay with you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo, I\u2019ll stay alone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How extravagant, Lin Shiyu thought. It\u2019s better to stay in the dorm. Just as he was thinking this, Zhong Qi put his arm around his shoulders and lowered his voice. &#8220;But if you come to wash my clothes and cook for me, I don\u2019t mind saving a pillow for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu, holding the bowl of cold jelly he hadn\u2019t finished for a long time, blushed furiously.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cShameless!\u201d Lin Shiyu\u2019s angry shout echoed along the riverside. &#8220;Who wants your pillow?!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAlright, you don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu finished eating the cold jelly and then asked, &#8220;So what did you mean when you said you wouldn\u2019t take the final exam?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi calmly replied, &#8220;I was just angry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu thought he should have known that this seemingly mature yet actually capricious and childish person was just venting. He had foolishly over thought it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, Zhong Qi seemed to know what he was thinking and said, &#8220;If you don\u2019t like it, I won\u2019t say such things again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu was stunned and deeply moved.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was as if a magical spell had once again filled Lin Shiyu\u2019s mind with the intense heat and panting from the dark bamboo shadows. He stiffened completely, like a stone, on the bench.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Were he and Zhong Qi starting a relationship? Lin Shiyu felt a rush of blood to his head, wondering, how does one date? He had no experience. How would he date Zhong Qi? He didn\u2019t know. Could two guys even date? It was crazy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was too unreal, Lin Shiyu concluded.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if it was fake, he didn\u2019t care, Lin Shiyu decided.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The group that Zhong Qi had sent off happily drinking milk tea wandered around and finally encountered Zhong Qi and Lin Shiyu again behind a row of shops by the riverbank. Zhong Qi was buying hotpot skewers, with Lin Shiyu standing close by, watching.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu\u2019s voice floated over with the aroma of the skewers, \u201cStop eating.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then Zhong Qi said, &#8220;Eat more, gain some weight.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mao Silu and Shen Ziyi, with no sense of timing, immediately ran over, demanding Zhong Qi buy them some too. Zhong Qi seemed to be in a good mood and bought some for them as well.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tao Chen stood quietly not too far away, watching the two of them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Previously, Shen Ziyi noticed her lack of enthusiasm and repeatedly urged Zhong Qi to join them at the riverside. Zhong Qi hadn\u2019t responded. Tao Chen had given up hope, but then Zhong Qi showed up. However, her joy faded as Zhong Qi went straight to Lin Shiyu.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They disappeared together and reappeared together, always inseparable, just like every day at school. Since the start of high school, Tao Chen\u2019s gaze had uncontrollably followed Zhong Qi, watching him smile and tease Lin Shiyu into a fury, then casually coax him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She knew Zhong Qi wasn\u2019t someone who smiled often or liked to tease others for fun.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was acting unique just to Lin Shiyu.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She watched the group noisily crowd around the hotpot skewer stall. Mao Silu, talking excitedly, reached out to put his arm around Lin Shiyu\u2019s shoulder. Zhong Qi naturally raised his hand, pulling Lin Shiyu aside.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tao Chen thought, was it what she had imagined? The seemingly distant and cold Zhong Qi also wanted to monopolize someone?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Suddenly, Shen Ziyi remembered something and looked around. &#8220;Where\u2019s Tao? Where\u2019s my Tao Chen?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tao Chen took a deep breath, trying to muster a smile, waved, and called out, &#8220;Here!\u201d and ran over to join them. Shen Ziyi pulled her close, eagerly offering her a skewer of fish slices. Watching her eat slowly, Shen Ziyi patted her face gently and whispered, &#8220;Don\u2019t worry, there will be better ones in the future. Our Tao is so excellent, many people will like you, right?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tao Chen held back a tearful reply, nodding with a soft \u201cMm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the night wore on, the crowd dispersed and stars filled the sky. Lin Shiyu, having been fed various snacks by Zhong Qi all the way home, felt stuffed. The neighborhood was quiet and dark, only the occasional chirping of cicadas breaking the silence. Zhong Qi walked Lin Shiyu all the way to his building. The old residential building had few residents, with only a few lit windows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alone with Zhong Qi in the dim and deserted environment, Lin Shiyu felt nervous, his palms sweaty. He told Zhong Qi, &#8220;I\u2019m home, you should go back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cKiss me before I go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu nearly exploded. &#8220;Didn\u2019t we just kiss?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi grabbed his wrist, pulling him closer. Lin Shiyu quickly placed his hand on Zhong Qi\u2019s chest, glancing anxiously towards the building entrance, worried his mother might come down to take out the trash or buy something. &#8220;Not in front of my house\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi held his chin and turned his face back, half warning, &#8220;Lin Shiyu, don\u2019t look elsewhere when I\u2019m about to kiss you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their breath intertwined as Zhong Qi pressed his lips to Lin Shiyu\u2019s, forcefully prying open his teeth, kissing him with a possessiveness completely at odds with his usual aloof demeanor. Lin Shiyu had to tilt his head back under the pressure, a thin, trembling line stretching from his jaw to his neck.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu closed his eyes, struggling to breathe. His tongue went numb from the bite, and the grip on his waist gradually loosened. Zhong Qi wiped the corner of Lin Shiyu\u2019s mouth with his thumb, pressed their foreheads together, and softly said, &#8220;Go inside.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu lowered his head, taking steady breaths, barely managing to swallow his saliva, and mumbled a response.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDon\u2019t let your mom see your mouth,\u201d Zhong Qi added with a hint of teasing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu turned and fled.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the first night of his first relationship, Lin Shiyu had a severe bout of insomnia, staring at the ceiling until dawn.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At 6:30 in the morning, his alarm went off, accompanied by a vibration\u2014it was a message from Zhong Qi.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[Meet you at the gate of the neighborhood.]<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu picked up his phone and looked at the message. Three seconds later, he rolled out of bed and hurt his knee. He hurriedly washed his face, brushed his teeth, and changed clothes. Under the confused gazes of his mother and sister, he grabbed his backpack and ran out of the house.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like many ordinary people who had a boyfriend for the first time, Lin Shiyu couldn&#8217;t help but wonder what their first day together would be like. Would Zhong Qi treat him differently? He felt both unreal and nervously expectant.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cLin Shiyu, why did you get so many questions wrong?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi took his homework book and flipped through it. &#8220;You got seven out of ten multiple-choice questions wrong? You left three biology questions blank and got two wrong. Didn\u2019t I teach you the key points of this unit before?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu sat at his desk, speechless.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou got all the words wrong in this English fill-in-the-blanks exercise. Didn\u2019t I teach you how to judge prepositions last week? Didn\u2019t you memorize them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu remained silent.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After checking his homework, Zhong Qi picked up his Chinese composition book. &#8220;You forgot to write the short essay assigned last night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chen Xiaoxin commented, &#8220;Forgetting to write the essay, how could that be?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zuo Xiang added, &#8220;Stop talking, the kid\u2019s about to cry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under Zhong Qi\u2019s supervision, Lin Shiyu spent the entire morning study period finishing his essay, completing his biology homework, and correcting his English assignments. Mao Silu and the others brought him breakfast, almost calming him down.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What was he even worried about?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soon, Old Teacher Li helped Zhong Qi find a teacher\u2019s apartment that was about to be rented out. They were lucky, the apartment had originally been reserved for a soon-to-be senior high school student who had decided to transfer to another school, leaving the place available.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi\u2019s father quickly paid the rent, had someone drive Zhong Qi\u2019s luggage to the school, and even hired a housekeeper to come once a week to clean. Whether he was finally starting to care for his son or trying to improve his image before the divorce, Zhong Qi didn\u2019t mind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After moving out, he felt much lighter. He no longer had to endure his grandparents\u2019 persistent advice or his parents\u2019 endless arguments over who contributed more to the family and who deserved more of the property.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the day Zhong Qi moved into the rental apartment, Mao Silu and the others came over to help. Though their presence was more about having fun, the hired housekeeper took care of everything, making their efforts more of a hindrance than help.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mao Silu and Gao Jie wandered around the 120-square-meter apartment, enviously noting how Zhong Qi, still in his first year of high school, could live in such a spacious place without parents nagging him, enjoying unbounded freedom.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ruan Zhikai asked, &#8220;Are your parents really okay with you living alone?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi replied, &#8220;The apartment is on school grounds. What\u2019s there to worry about?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey\u2019re not afraid you\u2019ll have too much fun and your grades will drop?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey never supervised my studies even when I lived at home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a tour, Gao Jie approached with a sly grin, nudging Zhong Qi. &#8220;Brother Qi, you\u2019re free now, huh? So, if you want to go on a date with a girl, you won\u2019t have to worry about a place, right?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi met his gaze for a few seconds, then smiled.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh! Brother Qi? You\u2019ve got something going on, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi neither confirmed nor denied it, turning away and leaving the excited Gao Jie behind. He went to find his \u201csomething.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the kitchen, Lin Shiyu was putting the milk and frozen dumplings he had bought into the refrigerator. He had just closed a drawer when suddenly, a hand wrapped around his waist and pressed him against the wall, the fridge door slamming shut with a bang.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu was almost stunned. He quickly pushed Zhong Qi away, glancing nervously toward the kitchen door. &#8220;There are still people outside!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMm.\u201d Zhong Qi didn\u2019t let go, and continued to press him against the wall, leaning in closer with a low voice. &#8220;Will you sleep here tonight?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu blushed furiously, lowering his eyes to hide his racing heartbeat. &#8220;How&#8230; how could that be possible?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outside, the sounds of the housekeeper mopping and the loud voices of Gao Jie, Mao Silu, and Ruan Zhikai were getting closer, as if they would enter at any moment. Zhong Qi seemed unfazed, holding onto Lin Shiyu, whose eyelashes trembled with tension, not letting him escape his sight.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s my first day in a new place,\u201d Zhong Qi whispered in Lin Shiyu\u2019s ear. &#8220;Would you really let me sleep alone?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu couldn\u2019t stand him speaking so close. Lowering his head to avoid his breath, his voice weakening. &#8220;I need to go back and be with Wanyue.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi tilted his chin. &#8220;So you only care about your sister and not your boyfriend?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu was at a loss for words. Just as he was about to speak, Gao Jie\u2019s loud voice approached the door. &#8220;Brother Qi, Brother Shiyu! Where are you? I\u2019m starving, is there any food\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Jie barged into the kitchen, just in time to see Lin Shiyu brush past him, muttering, &#8220;There\u2019s food in the fridge,\u201d before running out. Zhong Qi was standing in the kitchen, facing the wall, seemingly doing nothing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Jie asked in confusion, &#8220;Brother Qi, are you facing the wall?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi gave him a subtle look and walked away.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That evening, the group took advantage of Zhong Qi\u2019s hospitality for a meal. After eating and drinking to their hearts\u2019 content, they each went home satisfied. Zhong Qi escorted them to the entrance of the snack street, saying he needed to get something from home and would walk back with Lin Shiyu. Once the others had left, Zhong Qi grabbed Lin Shiyu\u2019s wrist.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Wait&#8230; where are we going?&#8221; Lin Shiyu, carrying his backpack, was dragged in the opposite direction, unable to break free. &#8220;My house isn&#8217;t that way!&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;To the supermarket.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;For what?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;To buy you toiletries.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Toil&#8230;&#8221; Lin Shiyu nearly bit his tongue. &#8220;I never said I was going to your house or spending the night.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhong Qi stopped, turned around, and looked at him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On a weekend night, there were few pedestrians near the school. Between the snack street and the school fence was a winding path lined with trees. The summer breeze flowed through the leaves, the road was empty, and the lights were dim.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holding Lin Shiyu&#8217;s hand, Zhong Qi softly said, &#8220;Two days a week, is that okay?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The usually indifferent and uncaring Zhong Qi now wore a rare expression of vulnerability, like a wild predator lowering its head and ears, inviting trust and a gentle touch.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu looked at Zhong Qi and forgot everything he wanted to say.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;If two days is too much, even one day is fine.&#8221; Zhong Qi&#8217;s fingers hooked onto Lin Shiyu&#8217;s, not letting go, his voice low. &#8220;Is that okay?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Shiyu had never seen Zhong Qi like this. His heart pounded fiercely, then raced.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Then&#8230; still&#8230;&#8221; Lin Shiyu stammered. &#8220;Two days&#8230; okay.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>Edited by: Jaisland<\/p>\r\n<p>Proofreader:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Support translation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/bePatron?u=25191841\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"217\" height=\"51\" class=\"wp-image-338 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/become_a_patron_button.png?resize=217%2C51\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 217px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 217\/51;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/lajnaa\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kofi3-3.png?resize=185%2C47\" alt=\"This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is kofi3-3.png\" width=\"185\" height=\"47\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 185px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 185\/47;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWe found Brother Qi and Brother Shiyu!\u201d Shen Ziyi shouted, and the group from Class 7 rushed to a small stall selling cold jelly on the riverside. They surrounded Zhong Qi and Lin Shiyu who were standing in front of the stall, like a group of followers surrounding their leader and his spouse. \u201cBrother Qi, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[105],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wolf-cub","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/7ad9cb670002cc176207ae3fa86304d0.jpg?fit=300%2C400&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6520"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6520\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6521,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6520\/revisions\/6521"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}