HCILH Ch. 41

Chapter 41: Going Home Together

On Friday afternoon after school, Sui Houyu went back to the dorm to grab his dirty clothes. He rolled them all up into a bundle and stuffed them into his bag.

Just as he was finishing, Hou Mo walked into the room to retrieve his old racket from under the bed. Seeing what Sui Houyu was doing, Hou Mo asked: “You’re taking the clothes home?”

“Yeah, I’ll wash them with the washing machine there.”

“They’re not that dirty. Just rinsing them with water should be enough.”

After saying that, Hou Mo looked at Sui Houyu’s spoiled-young-master behavior and thought it was already a miracle that Sui Houyu wasn’t sending them to a dry cleaner.

Hou Mo considered for a moment and suggested: “Next time, just give your clothes to me when they’re dirty. I can rinse them quickly and hang them on the balcony to dry. There’s no need to carry them all the way home—it’s too troublesome.”

“It’s not troublesome at all.”

“It is from my perspective.”

Sui Houyu used to wash his clothes by hand whenever he had free time. 

But recently, with tennis practice taking up most of his time, and Hou Mo keeping him company so he could finally sleep better at night, the clothes had just piled up.

He couldn’t be bothered to explain further and changed the subject.

Noticing Hou Mo holding his racket, Sui Houyu asked, “What’s with the racket? Are you going to practice at home?”

If Hou Mo was going to practice, Sui Houyu figured he might as well bring his racket too.

 Hou Mo replied after a moment, “Oh, the tension loosened. I’m taking it home to get it restrung.”

With Sui Houyu’s usual habits, he would probably just buy a new racket if the tension loosened. But for Hou Mo, a sports student who used rackets regularly, it made more sense to restring them—each one cost three or four thousand yuan, after all.

Without saying more, Sui Houyu shouldered his bag and grabbed his electric bike keys to leave.

Hou Mo, thinking quickly, pulled something out of a box and followed him: “Hey, give me a ride home on your bike?”

“Huh?!”

“It’ll save me on the fare.”

“But I might fall asleep.”

“Then you can sit on my arms, and I’ll ride.”

“Get lost!”

Grinning, Hou Mo held up the item he had grabbed—a waist strap. “See? This is a waist trainer I use during practice. Now it’ll come in handy. You sit in front, and I’ll be able to see you. We can strap ourselves together with this thing—like a seatbelt. Even if you doze off, I’ll keep you safe.”

Sui Houyu stared at the waist strap and felt an overwhelming urge to punch Hou Mo.

How stupid would the two of them look riding a bike together with that ridiculous setup?

“No way! Absolutely not!” Sui Houyu stormed down the stairs without another word.

But Hou Mo was persistent and trailed after him: “In that case, stop coming to my bed at night. I’m not used to sleeping with someone else.”

“Then I won’t.”

“Wait—don’t be like that! How can you just say you won’t anymore?”

…This young master—what do you really want?

In the end, Hou Mo followed him all the way to the parking lot, still holding the waist strap like a prop.

Sui Houyu was so angry that he clenched his teeth in frustration.

Standing nearby, Hou Mo asked, “For someone like you, shouldn’t you be riding a motorcycle? That’d suit your image—cool and stylish. Motorbikes aren’t even banned around here.”

“Those cheap motorbikes only cost a few thousand. I don’t trust their quality. If something goes wrong, it’s safer on an electric bike—it’s slower.”

“That’s pretty thorough, but even a motorbike worth a few thousand should do.”

“I don’t feel comfortable with that.”

Sui Houyu unlocked the bike, and Hou Mo reminded him, “You’re not allowed to ride on campus. You’ll have to push it to the gate. We’ll walk part of the way, and once we’re somewhere with fewer people, we can get on. Sound good?”

Sui Houyu knew there was no getting rid of him, so he pursed his lips and pushed the bike out.

The two walked side by side, making their way through clusters of students gathered at the school gate.

It was baffling—why do people hang around the gate so long after school instead of just heading home?

As they walked through the crowd, some students, waiting for their rides, took a second look at them when they saw the two of them walking together..

“Are Hou Mo and that Sui Houyu from Qingyu on good terms? I thought they’d be fighting.”

“I heard Sui Houyu has a really bad temper.”

“But he’s really good-looking…”

“Why are they pushing such a crappy bike? Are both of them broke?”

“Sui Houyu isn’t poor. He only avoided expulsion because he donated a building to the school.”

“They’re doubles partners for tennis now. I saw them practicing together the other day.”

They were used to the gossip by now; after all, they’d been in the spotlight for years.

After squeezing through the crowd, they found a shady spot to stop.

They got on the bike, with Sui Houyu in front. Hou Mo sat behind him and used a waist strap to bind them together. Once everything was secure, Hou Mo put on his sports jacket. It not only kept his arms from getting sunburned but also concealed the strap around their waists—a perfect solution.

With the setup, Sui Houyu’s back was firmly pressed against Hou Mo’s chest, radiating heat.

Hou Mo didn’t mind. He gripped the handlebars and boasted: “Having a longer arm span is such an advantage.”

To see the road, Hou Mo had to lean over Sui Houyu’s shoulder, and his words landed right by Sui Houyu’s ear.

Sui Houyu felt a tickle in his ear, instinctively raising his hand to rub his earlobe, only to brush against Hou Mo’s chin. Embarrassed, he quickly pulled his hand back.

“Sit tight.” Hou Mo said, starting the bike and heading home with Sui Houyu.

Knowing that Sui Houyu got easily embarrassed, Hou Mo avoided crowded areas and took backroads where cars couldn’t pass.

If Hou Mo hadn’t brought him this way, Sui Houyu wouldn’t have known the route even existed.

It felt more like a path carved through a forest, twisting and turning. It was ideal for a walk, but anyone without patience would probably hate biking here.

It was afternoon, so the road was mostly empty. In the early morning or at dusk, it would probably be filled with elderly folks out for exercise.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows. The shadow of Sui Houyu’s hair landed on Hou Mo’s cheek, looking like a delicate tattoo etched on his skin.

A breeze swept through the forest, rustling the dense foliage. The branches swayed, casting intricate shadows on the ground, forming a patchwork net. It was as if the earth, lively and full of mirth, jiggled with laughter, causing the wind to stir in response.

The golden light surrounded them, as though it wanted to swallow the two boys into a realm of shimmering silver.

Hou Mo rode the bike to the riverside.

The path by the river was made of treated wood, and the bike tires made creaking sounds as they rolled over it.

But Hou Mo broke the peaceful moment, saying: “This used to be a smelly ditch before they built the resort.”

Sui Houyu, leaning lazily against Hou Mo, responded with a drowsy: “Oh.”

When they reached home, Sui Houyu managed to stay awake, surprising Hou Mo: “Not sleepy?”

“Sleepy, but it’s not as bad as before. I think I was just really sleep-deprived before. I’ve caught up on sleep now, and it’s much better.”

“That’s good.” Hou Mo parked the bike, and they headed upstairs together.

When Sui Houyu entered the code to unlock the door, Hou Mo said: “Let’s eat dinner together later. I’ll take you out.”

“Oh…”

“I’ll come get you in a bit.”

“Okay.” Sui Houyu replied as he opened the door and went inside.

Hou Mo went back to his place to get ready. After organizing his things, he went downstairs and rang Sui Houyu’s doorbell.

After waiting a while with no response, Hou Mo unlocked the door and went in. When he reached the bedroom, he found Sui Houyu lying on the bed, fast asleep.

Hou Mo checked the time on his phone. Well, at least it was progress—Sui Houyu had managed to stay awake for a full thirty minutes this time.

He had planned to let Sui Houyu sleep for a while, but as he turned his head, he suddenly saw Da Ge approaching silently. Startled, Hou Mo yelped and jumped a meter into the air.

The noise woke Sui Houyu, who looked at Hou Mo with sleepy eyes.

“Deng Yiheng and Shen Junjing are joining us for dinner.” Hou Mo said, trying to maintain his composure while inching away from his cat.

“Oh.”

*

When Sui Houyu and Hou Mo appeared at the street corner, Deng Yiheng was bouncing around like a monkey.

Beside him, Shen Junjing was striking poses, acting like the coolest guy on the block.

The moment Deng Yiheng saw them, he stopped and shouted from a distance, “It’s rare to see Senior Brother standing a whole meter away from Brother Yu!”

Hou Mo covered his face and explained helplessly: “I’m afraid of the cat he’s carrying.”

Deng Yiheng and Shen Junjing circled behind Sui Houyu and recognized the cat: “We’ve seen this cat before—he had it on his back the first time we met him.”

Deng Yiheng stared into the round opening of the carrier and couldn’t help but sigh: “Man, this cat is really handsome, and in great shape too.”

Confused, Shen Junjing asked Hou Mo: “What’s so scary about a cat?”

Hou Mo waved his hand hurriedly:“It’s just… it’s all black and looks scary. Other kinds of cats are fine.”

Sui Houyu let out a cold laugh and continued walking with the cat on his back.

Finally, he had found a way to deal with Hou Mo—whenever Hou Mo annoyed him, he could just bring out Da Ge, and Hou Mo would run away on his own.

Following behind Sui Houyu, Deng Yiheng kept trying to tease Da Ge, but the cat always looked at him as if he were a complete idiot.

Not paying attention, Deng Yiheng bumped into someone walking towards him. He quickly apologized: “Sorry, are you okay?”

He reached out to help the person, locking eyes with them.

Awkward?

This was a textbook case—running into the wrong person at the wrong time. In front of him stood a tall, slightly tanned girl—the very girl Deng Yiheng and Shen Junjing had been awkwardly trying to hit on before.

And now, the “thug” and the “rescuer” were walking side by side, with Sui Houyu—someone the girl found interesting—also appearing to be close with them.

Things were getting hard to explain.

The girl glanced between the three of them for a while, then asked Sui Houyu: “I can tell they’re in the same group, but are you with them too?”

Was this a case of “the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind”?

What nonsense!

Sui Houyu shot a glance at Deng Yiheng and Shen Junjing, feeling momentarily awkward—even a little embarrassed.

He had only seen their ridiculous performance as entertainment.

But now being mistaken as part of their group? That was just humiliating!

Deng Yiheng rushed to explain, “No, no, no, Brother Yu isn’t with us. It’s just the two of us.”

The girl sneered. “You’re calling him Brother Yu, and you expect me to believe he’s not involved?”

Sui Houyu thought for a moment, then decided it wasn’t worth explaining. He smiled and said: “Oh, I guess I am part of their act. Since they’re being so sincere, why not give him your WeChat?” 

He pointed at Deng Yiheng.

The girl glanced at Deng Yiheng, then unexpectedly smiled: “Sure.”

Straightforward and unapologetic.

She pulled out her phone and displayed her QR code.

Deng Yiheng froze for a moment, then fumbled with his phone, finally scanning her code to add her as a friend.

Seeing the new contact pop up on his WeChat, Deng Yiheng stared at it, wide-eyed, in disbelief.

He was stunned—utterly dumbfounded.

This was a god-tier assist from Sui Houyu.

Curious about what was happening, Hou Mo leaned over and asked, “What’s going on?”

Sui Houyu explained casually, “I fought with them because they were putting on a stupid act to hit on her.”

“Oh.” Hou Mo nodded, then burst into laughter.

Isn’t this embarrassing?

The girl asked, “Where are you all headed?”

Deng Yiheng stuttered, “To… to eat.”

“Which place is good?”

Deng Yiheng pointed at a restaurant. “That one in front, we were just heading there.”

The girl glanced at it and began walking toward the restaurant.

The four boys exchanged looks, then followed her. Shen Junjing muttered, “She doesn’t seem scared of us.”

Deng Yiheng answered happily, “She’s really cool.”

They all entered the restaurant. The four boys sat at one table, while the girl sat at another.

The owner came over with a menu for the girl and said, “Take your time looking.” 

Then she turned to the boys. “The usual?”

Hou Mo wiped the table with a tissue and answered, “Yeah.”

The owner noticed Sui Houyu and asked curiously, “Why are you with this guy this time?”

She remembered Sui Houyu well—not only because of his striking appearance but also because of his impressive appetite, which had left a lasting impression.

Hou Mo explained: “He’s my classmate now.”

Deng Yiheng added: “And his doubles partner too.”

The owner blinked in surprise, then smiled: “That’s good. You shouldn’t isolate yourself just because of your dad’s passing. Losses like that are inevitable—sooner or later, we all experience them. Playing doubles to earn prize money and make friends isn’t a bad idea.”

Hou Mo quickly nodded: “Yeah, yeah, exactly.”

The owner gave him a disapproving look: “You’re always brushing me off.”

“If my partner hears this, he’ll think I’m being melodramatic.”

“True.”

The owner walked back to the girl and asked: “Made up your mind?”

The girl responded, “I’m still looking, no rush.”

“Alright, I’ll get their order ready. Call me when you decide.” The owner left for the kitchen.

After she was gone, the girl turned to Sui Houyu: “Now I believe you’re not with them.”

Deng Yiheng immediately smacked the table: “I told you so!”

“Yeah, you don’t quite have the same vibe as these guys,” the girl remarked with a smile. “What’s the ‘usual’ you ordered? Is it any good?”

Deng Yiheng didn’t catch the teasing tone and eagerly replied: “Our usual is athlete-friendly—light and simple.”

The girl’s eyes lit up: “That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’ve been searching all over.”

She ran to the kitchen door and called” “Auntie, I’ll have what they’re having!”

When she returned, Deng Yiheng asked: “Do you compete too?”

“Yeah, occasionally. Just for fun.”

“What sport?” Deng Yiheng could tell from her build and complexion that she wasn’t an ordinary athlete.

Athletes like them, as fair-skinned as Hou Mo, are truly rare.

“Tennis.”

Deng Yiheng couldn’t contain his excitement and said eagerly: “We play tennis too! Which school are you from?”

“Dongti High.” She smiled brightly.

The mention of Dongti High left no doubt—she was no amateur.

After all, Dongti High students were typically fast-tracked to the Provincial Sports School. Only exceptionally talented athletes made it into that school.

Deng Yiheng was stunned for a moment…

He had just met a pro.

Sui Houyu, unfamiliar with Dongti High’s reputation, remarked: “I didn’t know there were so many high schools for tennis.”

Hou Mo replied, “Yeah, there are a few.”

“Have you played against Dongti High students? How good are they?”

“I have. They try hard, but they’ve never beaten me.”

“Oh.”

Hearing this, the girl shot them several curious glances before quietly texting on her phone.

Hou Mo got up, grabbed some sanitized chopsticks, and handed a pair to Sui Houyu.

Sui Houyu whispered: “Why does it feel like so many people know you—even the restaurant owner?”

“She’s one of my creditors,” Hou Mo admitted openly. “We only finished paying off most of the debt last year. Still got more to go.”

Just then, the girl suddenly exclaimed: “F*ck, you’re Hou Mo?!”

Her outburst startled Hou Mo so much that, just as he was about to sit back down, he missed the seat and fell straight into Sui Houyu’s lap.