NASAY CH 41

Huo Xingzhou swallowed with difficulty, suddenly feeling a surge of heat.

For convenience, he had spread his legs apart and extended his hand for Luo Xing to hold. But now, Luo Xing was kneeling in front of him, gently licking the wound on his hand, causing a spark of fire to ignite within him.

“I… You…”
Luo Xing bit his tongue in embarrassment and said awkwardly,
“You said last time… that saliva can heal wounds, so I…”

Huo Xingzhou’s gaze deepened.
He looked down at Luo Xing, who nervously opened his mouth slightly, his eyelashes fluttering softly, as if brushing against Huo Xingzhou’s heart.

Huo Xingzhou couldn’t help but laugh. This kid really believed anything.
He pulled Luo Xing up and ruffled his hair.
“You don’t need to go that far. It’s just a small wound. No need to worry. Remember when I accidentally smashed your hand until it was swollen? Want me to lick it for you too?”

“It’s… already healed.”
Luo Xing looked at his hand, unconsciously recalling how Huo Xingzhou had held it before. His face instantly turned red, and he nervously took a step back.

Huo Xingzhou chuckled at his flustered expression.
“Alright, it looks like the snow has stopped outside. Someone cleared it this morning. Let’s go out today, maybe catch a movie or something.”
He stood up, not paying much attention to his small wound, grabbed his coat, and left the room.

Luo Xing glanced at his hand, exhaled softly, and went downstairs.

Huo Xingzhou was leaning against the semi-open kitchen door when Luo Xing came down. The familiar scene made Luo Xing’s heart skip a beat. He paused for a few seconds before walking over quickly.

“Why are you so fast?”
Luo Xing had washed up as quickly as possible but still couldn’t catch up with him.

“Who are you calling fast?”
Huo Xingzhou gave him a cold glance.
“Try again. Say I’m awesome.”

Luo Xing had a feeling it wasn’t a good thing to say that and just smiled without responding.

Huo Xingzhou gritted his teeth and stared at him, pretending to be fierce.
“Hurry up, or I’ll hit you.”

“Even if you hit me, I won’t say it.”
Luo Xing dodged to the side with a grin, thinking, You won’t actually hit me anyway.

“You’ll say it sooner or later.”
Huo Xingzhou huffed and handed him a cup of hot milk.

“Drink this, or you’ll get cold on an empty stomach.”

Luo Xing took the cup, blew on it gently, and drank it in small sips. He tried to wash the cup afterward, but Huo Xingzhou took it from him, quickly washed it, and put it back in the cupboard.

“It’s snowing so much. Won’t it be freezing outside?”
Luo Xing looked at the snow-covered yard and hesitated to go out after staying indoors for so long.

“Just wear more layers, and you’ll be fine.”
Huo Xingzhou bundled him up in a thick jacket, handed him a scarf and hat, and started getting dressed himself.

Huo Xingzhou wasn’t fond of shopping. Usually, Wu Suyan helped him pick clothes, and since she had good taste, he never worried about it.

While Luo Xing was washing up, Huo Xingzhou sent a message to Ye Qiaoqiao, asking for clothing store recommendations. She quickly sent a list of addresses.

As soon as they stepped outside, a gust of cold wind blew in their faces. Luo Xing sneezed and followed Huo Xingzhou, trudging through the thick snow until they reached a cleared pathway. He stomped off the snow on his shoes.

Before they left, Huo Xingzhou had called a car. It arrived in a few minutes, and they reached one of the locations Ye Qiaoqiao suggested. The first thing they did after getting out was find a place to eat.

“Are you cold?”
Huo Xingzhou asked.

“I’m fine.”
Luo Xing had drunk hot milk before going out, wore several layers, and had Huo Xingzhou shielding him from the wind the whole way, so he wasn’t cold at all—just his face, which had been exposed and was now flushed red from the wind.

Huo Xingzhou handed him the menu.
“Order whatever you want. I’ll go to the restroom.”

It was so cold that Luo Xing couldn’t think of what to eat. He noticed there was a hot pot restaurant nearby, so they went inside. Luo Xing flipped through the menu and immediately picked a few dishes Huo Xingzhou liked. He estimated the portions and handed the menu to the server.

“Thank you,” he said.

The server smiled.
“What kind of broth would you like? We have mushroom soup, yuan-yang^[1], spicy, and clear broth.”

“Clear broth, please,”
Luo Xing decided. Since Huo Xingzhou didn’t seem to eat spicy food, he chose something mild.

The server nodded.
“Alright, clear broth. Please wait a moment.”
She picked up her walkie-talkie and gave the order before leaving.

Luo Xing looked at the empty chair across from him and the bare table in front of him, feeling a strange sense of fullness in his chest. Everything still felt unreal.

He turned his head, watching the warm steam rise in the restaurant and the quiet conversations around him. Somehow, the envy he used to feel seemed to fade away.

It felt like he had something of his own now.

Huo Xingzhou hadn’t returned yet, so Luo Xing pulled out his phone and quietly opened Weibo. He started typing a post.

“This morning, I accidentally hurt hxz’s hand. He said it was fine, but I still felt bad. Last time, he said saliva could heal wounds, so I boldly tried it out.”

Not even a minute later, his phone vibrated with notifications—one after another—the familiar sound of Weibo alerts.

He glanced down and opened the comments section.

DrunkenWinter7: Oh my dear Luo Luo baby, you’ve leveled up! Licking hands now? Tell your sister, how does your Brother XZ’s hand taste?

Did Luo Luo Fall in Love Today: Why lick his hand? Go up and kiss his mouth!

Sweet and Sour Butter Tea: Luo Luo, listen to the sister above!

Turn My Fallen Hair into Cash: Please get married immediately. Sister is begging you. I’ll contribute four bucks and fifty cents!

PureParadox: Please get married now. I’ll pay the rest!

TimelessShepherd: Pounce on him! Lean in close, whisper in his ear that you like him and want to sleep with him every day. Lower your voice, brush your nose gently against his neck, and tell him you want him—make it irresistible. Just go, baby. Listen to your sister.

The more Luo Xing read, the more his hands shook. By the end, he could barely breathe.

“What are you looking at?”
Huo Xingzhou placed two bowls of sauce on the table, one in front of Luo Xing.

Startled, Luo Xing almost dropped his phone. He hastily locked the screen and stammered,
“N-nothing.”

“Why is your face so red? Is it too stuffy in here?”
Huo Xingzhou didn’t pay much attention to his phone. Seeing Luo Xing’s flushed face, he chuckled,
“Or were you doing something sneaky?”

Hearing that, Luo Xing felt even guiltier. His fingers dug into his nails under the table as he quickly denied it,
“N-no, it’s just too warm. The steam got to me.”

The restaurant’s heating was indeed on high. Huo Xingzhou poured him some juice and handed it over, just as the broth in the hotpot started to boil. He dropped some food into the pot.

“Hey, Zhou Ge!”
Feng Jia rushed over and plopped down next to Luo Xing, throwing an arm around his shoulder.
“Are you two eating hotpot? Take me with you! I was supposed to eat with Li Lefan, but after waiting 20 minutes, he bailed because it’s too cold.”

“Your hand,”
Huo Xingzhou said, his gaze dropping to Feng Jia’s hand for a second.

Confused, Feng Jia looked at his hand and immediately pulled it back as if it had been burned. He chuckled awkwardly,
“Ah, sorry, sister-in-law.”

Luo Xing choked on his drink.

Huo Xingzhou kicked Feng Jia under the table.

Feng Jia immediately straightened up and stared at them blankly before his jaw dropped.
“Oh… I get it now.”

Huo Xingzhou handed Luo Xing a napkin and lowered his voice.
“Slow down.”

Then he turned back to Feng Jia with a cold smile and whispered,
“Say something to cover this up, or you’re going into the hotpot next.”

Feng Jia nodded in despair, then grabbed some bean sprouts with his chopsticks and put them in Luo Xing’s bowl.
“I’ll just say I shouldn’t eat too much. How did you choke?”

Luo Xing, finally recovering from his coughing fit, glanced at Huo Xingzhou in confusion. Did he misread his lips earlier? He thought he saw him mouth the word wife…

Huo Xingzhou gave a slight nod and smirked at Feng Jia.
“Why are you crashing our meal? Who invited you? Even if you eat less, you’re not staying. You’ll drink the broth—extra spicy. My treat.”

“Save me, Luo Xing!”
Feng Jia whimpered and reached out to hug Luo Xing’s leg.
“Don’t let him kick me out.”

Amused, Luo Xing dodged him and laughed.
“One more person won’t make a difference. Just let him stay.”

Huo Xingzhou hummed in agreement, putting some meat into Luo Xing’s bowl and silently swapping out the bean sprouts for himself. Eating sprouts while being this skinny? Not happening.

Feng Jia perked up instantly and called for the waiter,
“Waiter, we’d like to add more dishes!”

The waiter handed him the menu, and Feng Jia took a glance at the broth.

“Wait, what’s this? Plain broth? Bro, you used to love spicy food. Have you switched to plain for health reasons?”

“Eating light occasionally is good for digestion.”

Feng Jia looked at the plain white broth in horror.

“This isn’t hotpot without chili! It’s just boiled cabbage. Let’s change it to extra spicy!”

Huo Xingzhou finished his bean sprouts and looked at Feng Jia, then at Luo Xing, without saying a word.

It took Feng Jia a few seconds before he realized.

“Oh my god, no way… You’ve changed your entire diet for him?!”

“It’s not bad,” Huo Xingzhou said calmly as he scooped a prawn into Luo Xing’s bowl.

“Zhou Ge, don’t you feel something is off about this?” Feng Jia leaned in and whispered quietly, careful not to let Luo Xing hear.

Huo Xingzhou paused for a moment, then said casually, “Nope.”

Feng Jia was speechless. This wasn’t just being wrapped around someone’s finger—it was like being swept up in a tornado.

“I think, well…”

Feng Jia had just started speaking when he caught sight of Huo Xingzhou’s faintly smiling expression. He immediately shut his mouth, coughed twice, and quietly began marking items on the menu.

When the king becomes foolish, the ministers are often the ones sacrificed. Forget it, forget it.

After the meal, Feng Jia patted his full stomach, let out a satisfied burp, and spread his arms wide toward Luo Xing with a grin, “I’m full!”

***

The three-day holiday quickly passed. Since they had evening study sessions, the two returned to school on the third afternoon.

The school was already being generous by giving them a three-day break, so there was no way the evening study sessions would be canceled. Teacher Cheng Limin sternly warned in the group chat that no student was allowed to request leave or skip class without a valid reason. Then, he specifically tagged Huo Xingzhou at the end.

Huo Xingzhou stared at the screen, pointed at himself, then at his phone, and asked Luo Xing in disbelief, “Wait, since when am I eligible for unauthorized leave and truancy?”

Luo Xing stifled a laugh and handed him a pen. “Hurry up and write. Stop looking at your phone.”

“No way, this hurts my feelings too much.” Huo Xingzhou stretched his legs out onto the crossbar under the desk and said, “You have to coax me, or I won’t do it. This has totally crushed my motivation to study.”

Luo Xing thought for a moment, then drew a strawberry in his notebook, down to the tiniest seeds. His strokes were quick yet delicate. Beside the drawing, he wrote:

—Don’t be mad. Here’s a strawberry for you to eat.

Huo Xingzhou took the notebook, glanced at it, and chuckled. He tapped on the strawberry twice and jokingly opened his mouth, mimicking a bite. “Mmm… How is it so sweet?”

Luo Xing laughed, pursing his lips before urging him to do his homework. Then he sat down to work on his own.

Evening study at their school was divided into three sessions, each lasting an hour. During the break between sessions, Huo Xingzhou stepped out.

While Luo Xing was grading his paper, his phone vibrated. He glanced down and saw a message from Bu Yuan Xing, asking when they could meet. Luo Xing furrowed his brows, hesitated for a moment, and then replied.

When Huo Xingzhou returned from the restroom, he overheard some students talking at the corner.

“Did you hear? That transfer student, Luo Xing, is transferring again in a few days.”

“Huh? No, where’d you hear that?”

“My aunt is the academic affairs director. She said Luo Xing’s mom came to see the principal this morning, saying he’s unhappy here and wants to transfer to No. 1 High School.”

“What? Seriously? But his grades are so good. Isn’t he important for the school’s graduation rate? How could the principal agree to that?”

“My aunt said the principal refused. Not because of the graduation rate, but because he said Luo Xing isn’t unhappy here. Claiming otherwise would be slandering the school’s reputation, so he didn’t approve it.”
The girl lowered her voice and leaned closer to her friend.

“My aunt also said Luo Xing’s mom caused a huge scene, saying if the principal ruins Luo Xing’s future, he’ll pay the price.”

“What? That serious?”

Huo Xingzhou didn’t listen any further. His face darkened as he walked away, his brows furrowed. He had already given Zhao Jiulan a chance, yet she still wouldn’t back down.

Accusing the principal of ruining Luo Xing’s life? Why beat around the bush? Why not just say that staying here would put him directly under his influence?

Huo Xingzhou let out a cold laugh. He’d like to see just how capable Zhao Jiulan was if she thought she could take Luo Xing away from him.

The next morning, after morning exercises, Luo Xing was about to return to the classroom when a student ran over to him.

“Luo Xing! Luo Xing!”

“Wait up!”

Luo Xing didn’t hear him. The classmate walking beside him, Hu Jiawen, tapped his shoulder in confusion.
“Luo Xing, someone’s calling you. Why aren’t you answering?”

Luo Xing froze for a second, then awkwardly said,
“I was too deep in thought and didn’t notice.”
He turned around to see a breathless boy running toward him.

“The principal…”
The boy panted, resting his hands on his knees. After a few deep breaths, he pointed toward the principal’s office.
“The principal wants to see you.”

Luo Xing looked at the principal’s office, puzzled.
“Is something wrong?”

The boy shook his head.
“I don’t know. He just told me to tell you to go to his office after the exercises.”

Luo Xing nodded.
“Thank you. Sorry for the trouble.”

The boy waved it off before running off again. Luo Xing turned to Hu Jiawen and said,
“You go back to the classroom first. I’ll head to the principal’s office.”

Hu Jiawen nodded but looked a little worried as he watched Luo Xing leave. The last time the principal called him to the office, it was because Ding Chao falsely accused him of cheating. He hoped nothing like that was happening again.

Feeling slightly anxious, Luo Xing knocked on the office door. Since he couldn’t hear a response, he waited for a few seconds and knocked again just to be sure.

“Come in.”

Luo Xing stepped in, standing properly in front of the desk.
“Principal, did you need to see me?”

The principal was flipping through a document. When he saw him enter, he quickly closed it and smiled, saying,
“Don’t be so reserved, have a seat.”

Luo Xing raised his eyebrows slightly. The principal leaned back in his chair with a smile, then sat forward again, resting both hands on the desk. With a serious expression, he asked,
“Luo Xing, I want to ask you something. Please answer truthfully and don’t hide anything from me, alright?”

Luo Xing didn’t understand why the principal suddenly became so serious, but he hesitantly nodded.

“In school, has anyone been bullying you?”
The principal paused and then said,
“Class 9 can be a bit chaotic. If someone is bullying you, tell me or your teacher, and we’ll help you resolve it.”

Luo Xing was taken aback.
“No one is bullying me. Why is the principal asking this?”

The principal frowned slightly, seeming to think about something. After a moment, he continued,
“I asked Teacher Cheng, and he said your current deskmate is He Xingzhou. He’s a bit unruly and loves to tease people. Is he bullying you?”

Luo Xing was startled and hurried to explain, afraid the principal would misunderstand.
“No, it’s not that. No one is bullying me. Why did you call me here? Did someone say something to you?”

The principal sighed, finding it hard to speak.
“Your mother came to the school yesterday and told me that you’ve been very unhappy here. She’s worried it will affect your academics and suggested transferring you to No. 1 High School.”

Luo Xing was stunned.

“I have to take this into consideration, especially since it’s your senior year. This year will determine your future. But I noticed your grades haven’t dropped, so I wanted to ask you personally. Has anyone been making you unhappy?”

“I spoke with all your teachers, and they’re very pleased with you. After thinking it over, I couldn’t find any other reason. So, what do you think? Do you want to transfer schools?”
The principal sighed, looking at the obedient and well-behaved student in front of him, reluctant to part.

“It’s up to you.”

Luo Xing walked out of the principal’s office in a daze. He looked up at the gloomy sky and suddenly felt something fall on his face.

It felt cool.

He touched his face but found nothing.

His legs felt heavy as he mechanically climbed the steps toward the teaching building. He couldn’t understand why Zhao Jiulan was so insistent on transferring him to No 1 High school.

To control him?

Luo Xing stopped at the window, pressing both hands firmly on the window frame. The cold wind blew into his collar, as if tearing open a hole in his chest and pouring in razor-sharp cold air.

The air in Jiangcheng was bad, and during the winter, the smog became worse. Gray, damp dust floated everywhere, almost suffocating.

Luo Xing stared at the smog in the distance, his mind replaying the principal’s words.

The cold wind made his eyes red and his face numb. Luo Xing blinked his sore, swollen eyes, desperately holding back the sob that nearly escaped his throat.

What on earth could he do to make Zhao Jiulan leave him alone?

He no longer expected any warmth or kindness from her. He had already kept his distance from her. Why did she still want to control his life?

Just because he was her son?

But if that were the case, why had she never given him even a shred of warmth or kindness?

What exactly was he to her?

Luo Xing gritted his teeth and took out his phone, sending a message to Zhao Jiulan that was the same as his response to the principal.

— I won’t transfer schools. Absolutely not.

Zhao Jiulan seemed to have been waiting for his message, replying almost instantly with a text.

The words carried a cold threat, just like how she had humiliated the younger Luo Xing countless times before—condescending and filled with chilling intent.

— You’re filthy and shameless. Do you not care about He Xingzhou either?

Luo Xing’s fingertips trembled. “What do you mean?”

— Do you want the whole world to know that He Xingzhou, like you, is a pervert who likes men? I heard his mother is in the entertainment industry, and his father is a famous writer. He will be the center of attention in the future. Can you take responsibility for that?

— Do you want him to be judged by others? If you truly like him, you shouldn’t let him suffer because of you. You can’t give him anything. It would be selfish and shameless to drag him into this.

— “He’s just playing with you. Listen to your mom and transfer to No 1 High school. Mom will guide you well, and you’ll turn back into a normal child. Be good.”

Luo Xing held his phone tightly. Even though he clenched his teeth, he couldn’t hold back his emotions.

A tear fell onto the screen, shattering into pieces and distorting the word “normal,” enlarging and twisting it.

The wind whistled in his ears, faint and fleeting before disappearing without a trace.

Luo Xing slowly crouched down, wrapping his fragile arms around himself, swallowing his sobs one by one. His shoulders trembled slightly.

After a long time.

Luo Xing took a deep breath, forcing himself not to sink too deeply into sadness. He wiped his face, stood up, and unexpectedly saw Xue Jian standing at the top of the stairs.

He froze.

Xue Jian was holding a stack of papers. He nodded slightly and smiled before walking down.
“What’s wrong?”

Luo Xing shook his head, forcing a difficult smile, then quickly walked upstairs. Xue Jian watched his retreating back and noticed the scattered wet marks on the ground. He frowned slightly.

He Xingzhou, who never participated in morning exercises, stayed in the classroom playing games. Feeling bored, he took out a box of mixed nuts from his desk and began peeling them one by one, placing the kernels into another container for Luo Xing to snack on later.

But by the time the exercises were over and everyone had returned, Luo Xing was still nowhere to be seen.

He sent Luo Xing a message on WeChat, but there was no response. After waiting a bit, He Xingzhou opened the class group chat and asked,
“Hey, does anyone know where Luo Xing went?”

The entire class turned to look at him.

The teacher cleared his throat.
“Why are you all staring at He Xingzhou? Look at the blackboard!”

The students obediently turned back.

Feng Jia sent him a private message:
“Zhou-ge, don’t act like a lovesick woman. Your ‘wife’ has only been gone for a second; you won’t die from it. Be a little more generous.”

He Xingzhou ignored him.

He didn’t care about being caught by Teacher Cheng for using his phone in class, but Hu Jiawen, who was timid by nature, hesitated before adding him as a friend on WeChat.

He Xingzhou accepted the request without looking up.

Hu Jiawen nervously messaged: “Luo Xing got called to the principal’s office. Something’s up.”

He Xingzhou: “Thanks.”

“Teacher, I need to go to the restroom,”
He Xingzhou said, standing up and addressing Cheng Limin at the podium.

Cheng Limin sneered, “Get out.”

He Xingzhou hurriedly left, almost bumping straight into Luo Xing at the back door. With quick reflexes, he caught him and steadied him.

“Watch where you’re going. What are you doing?”

Luo Xing looked up at him in a daze. His eyes, which had just started to calm down, suddenly reddened again, and his nose stung as he lowered his head uncomfortably.

“Hey, hey, I wasn’t scolding you. I was just saying.”
He Xingzhou was startled, thinking he had been too harsh. He softened his voice.
“It’s my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going. My eyes must’ve been on my feet. Don’t be mad.”

Luo Xing felt even worse seeing him act so gently to comfort him.

He thought he was truly selfish. He Xingzhou had already forgotten him, yet he was clinging to him like a child, trying to draw him in and ruin the bright life he was supposed to have.

He Xingzhou knew nothing. He was innocent.

His only “crime” was being liked by someone like him.

“What’s wrong?”
He Xingzhou asked, watching Luo Xing’s face shift from despair and pain to confusion and guilt. His heart tightened as if something had suddenly twisted it.
“What happened? Why did the principal call you?”

Luo Xing didn’t answer.

He Xingzhou frowned.
“I’ll go ask the principal myself.”
He turned to leave, but Luo Xing grabbed his hand. Taking a deep breath, Luo Xing forced a weak smile.
“It’s nothing. The principal didn’t say much. I was just standing by the window talking to a teacher, and I got cold.”

“Really?”

“Really, please don’t go to the principal.”
Luo Xing bit his lip, his eyes full of panic and pleading, his voice almost breaking into a sob.
“Please?”

“Okay.”
He Xingzhou softened at his plea, gently ruffling his hair.
“Go back to class.”

“What about you?”

He Xingzhou glanced at the back door and smiled.
“You go in through the front, I’ll sneak in from the back. I told the teacher I was going to the bathroom when I went out to look for you, so I can’t go in with you.”

“Then hurry back.”

He Xingzhou nodded, watching Luo Xing’s back as he walked away. His gentle expression quickly turned cold and stern. The principal must’ve called Luo Xing to talk about the transfer rumors from last night—about making him transfer schools.

With his hands in his pockets, He Xingzhou casually made his way to the principal’s office. He knocked politely on the door.

“Come in,”
came the response from inside.

The principal glanced up and frowned when he saw He Xingzhou.
“Why aren’t you in class? What are you doing here?”

Standing upright in front of the desk, He Xingzhou said seriously,
“Principal, did you talk to Luo Xing about transferring schools?”

“Yes, I did. Why?”
The principal nodded, surprised. How did He Xingzhou know about this?

“He can’t transfer.”

The principal froze for a moment, narrowing his eyes at the boy in front of him. If He Xingzhou knew about the transfer, how could he not know Luo Xing’s response?

“Why not?”
the principal asked after some thought.

He Xingzhou hesitated but decided not to mention Zhao Jiulan’s mental issues. Instead, he said,
“Our teacher and classmates all like him. Plus, he’s a top student. He even represented our school in the last competition. Losing him would be a big mistake.”

“That’s not the point.”
The principal sighed.
“His mother said Luo Xing is unhappy studying here. As the principal, I’m responsible for your well-being.”

He Xingzhou frowned, immediately realizing that Zhao Jiulan was too afraid to confront him directly and had pressured the principal instead.

“He already transferred from Fourth High to here this year. There’s only one semester left. Transferring again to Second High will seriously affect his studies and his ability to adapt to different teaching styles.”

“Of course I know that. That’s why I asked him about it to see if anyone was bullying him,”
the principal said, glancing at him. “But why are you so worked up? Are you the one bullying him?”

He Xingzhou choked for a second.

He had bullied him before… but not enough to make him want to transfer, right?

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Is it you?” The principal’s cold eyes caught the flash of guilt on He Xingzhou’s face, and he coughed lightly. “Well? Is it you?”

“It’s not me,” He Xingzhou finally said after a moment of silence. Trying to be as vague as possible, he added, “He tutors me every day. I’m nice to him—too nice, even. How could I possibly bully him? If you don’t believe me, ask our teacher, Mr. Cheng.”

The principal nodded skeptically. He Xingzhou cleared his throat and asked, “Then what did Luo Xing say?”

“He said no one bullied him and that he doesn’t want to transfer.” The principal paused for a long moment before continuing, “But we still have to consider his guardian’s wishes. If his mother insists that his experience here is miserable, we have no choice but to approve the transfer.”

“‘Have to’?” He Xingzhou’s brows furrowed tightly. Guardian? She’s not a guardian. She only spies on him. What kind of guardian is that?

The principal coughed and added, “Of course, it’s not set in stone.”

“What do you mean?”

The principal gave him a meaningful look. “Since it’s his mother requesting the transfer, I can only approve his departure from our school. But beyond that, it’s not within my authority. In other words, if the principal at Yizhong insists on keeping him there, I have no power to force him back to our school. Understand?”

Huo Xingzhou paused for a moment and immediately understood. He smiled, “If the principal at Yizhong doesn’t agree, then Luo Xing doesn’t have to transfer, right?”

The principal coughed and said seriously, “I didn’t say anything like that. Kids should just go back to class and stay out of adult matters.”

“Thank you, Principal.” Huo Xingzhou smiled, politely bowed to the principal, and turned to leave.

The principal watched his back, quietly sipping his hot tea. A faint smile appeared on his face as he recalled something—Huo Xingzhou’s uncle just happened to be the principal of Yizhong.

One class ended, and Huo Xingzhou returned from outside.

Luo Xing had no interest in the lesson. He didn’t even notice when the bell rang. When Huo Xingzhou came back, he handed him a can of hot milk tea, gently touching his fingers with it, causing Luo Xing to flinch.

Huo Xingzhou opened the can and handed it to him.
“What are you thinking about?”

Luo Xing lowered his eyes, biting his lip.
“If…” He struggled, unable to continue, choking on his words before finally managing to speak again. He looked at Huo Xingzhou with difficulty and said,
“If I… I’m no longer in the same school as you, can you… will you still study hard?”

“Did your brain freeze?”
Huo Xingzhou laughed and tapped him lightly on the forehead.
“What nonsense are you saying in broad daylight? If you’re not here, where would you even go?”

Luo Xing didn’t avoid his touch. His eyes reddened as he blinked rapidly, trying not to cry. Then he said,
“I’m serious. I mean, can you still…”

“Baby, I think you’ve misunderstood something.”
Huo Xingzhou chuckled softly and pinched Luo Xing’s chin. He spoke slowly, emphasizing each word,
“I’m not studying hard to get into college. I’m doing it for you. Understand?”

Luo Xing stared at him blankly, his mind a chaotic mess. He was overwhelmed by Zhao Jiulan’s words, self-loathing, and guilt toward Huo Xingzhou. He couldn’t comprehend the meaning of what Huo Xingzhou had just said.

“You can’t do it for me.”
Luo Xing seemed frightened, shaking his head vigorously.

“No… you can’t…”

Huo Xingzhou’s eyebrows furrowed as he noticed something was seriously wrong with him. His breathing was chaotic, and he looked on the verge of a breakdown. Without another word, he grabbed Luo Xing’s hand and pulled him along.

“Huo Xingzhou…”

He strode ahead without speaking, dragging Luo Xing with quick steps. Luo Xing had to jog to keep up.

The students in the hallway saw Huo Xingzhou’s dark expression as he pulled Luo Xing forward. His face looked like he was about to kill someone, while Luo Xing’s red eyes and helpless struggle only made things look worse. Everyone was frightened.

Instinctively, they all moved aside, no one daring to block their way.

They had never seen Huo Xingzhou this angry before. He looked like a beast unleashed from its cage. Just one glance from him was enough to make their skin crawl.

“Huo Xingzhou, where are you taking me? Let go…”
Luo Xing was terrified. Regaining a sliver of rationality, he tried to break free, but his efforts were futile.

Bang!

Huo Xingzhou kicked open the door to the downstairs water room. Inside were a few students hiding and smoking. Startled by his sudden entrance, they were about to speak when his icy gaze swept over them.

“You have five seconds. Get out,”
he said coldly.