HCILH Ch. 70

Chapter 70: Bone Setting

After school, while the sports students were gathered to eat boxed meals, Ouyang Ge entered the classroom.

He didn’t say a word upon entering; he just crossed his arms and stood to the side, watching them eat.

Usually, when they ate together, it was always noisy with laughter and chatter. But today, with Ouyang Ge staring at them, they were exceptionally quiet, eating in complete silence. Even a boy who liked to eat noisily held back today.

As they ate, everyone couldn’t help but glance toward Sui Houyu and Hou Mo.

The two being stared at remained calm, eating as if nothing was going on.

After observing for a while, Ouyang Ge was the first to break the silence: “Other people think managing you guys is exhausting, but I actually find it quite easy. You don’t hold grudges, are carefree, and if things are handled well, you even become friends. In terms of loyalty, you’re much better to handle than other students.”

Everyone looked at Ouyang Ge but didn’t dare respond.

They knew that a compliment from him was often followed by a scolding. Ouyang Ge was never up to anything good.

Ouyang Ge continued: “Plus, you guys make my life easier in other ways. Other teachers are always worried about early relationships in their classes. But not in mine—out of fifty or so students, not one has a significant other. When it comes to early dating, you guys give me complete peace of mind.”

Deng Yiheng didn’t feel touched at all by this and looked like he was about to cry: “Gege, please stop…”

Ran Shu paused his eating and gave it some thought, then suddenly laughed: “Hey, now that I think about it, it’s true—none of us are dating. Not a single one of us is a traitor.”

Ouyang Ge nodded: “Even though Hou Mo’s face looks unreliable, his behavior gives me peace of mind. Same with Sui Houyu—his temper is actually very reassuring.”

Then, turning his gaze back to the two, he added: “But you two don’t seem to mind each other, huh?”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Sui Houyu looked at Ouyang Ge, clearly unhappy.

In truth, he really did find Hou Mo annoying.

But Hou Mo grinned cheekily and responded: “Gege, you and I are alike with these sharp mouths. Is that why you’re still single?”

Ouyang Ge wasn’t offended by the teasing. Instead, he calmly replied: “I’m single by choice. Back when I was your age, quite a few girls had a crush on me.”

The group erupted with teasing noises.

They had to admit, with his personality, Ouyang Ge would have been quite popular as a student, and it was easy to imagine girls liking his vibe.

Ouyang Ge just smiled.

Once the group finished eating, Ouyang Ge called out to Hou Mo and Sui Houyu.

As they walked toward the training room, Hou Mo made a face and asked: “Gege, you’re not serious, right?”

Ouyang Ge replied: “I just want to have a chat with you two. You both need some straightening out.”

Sui Houyu looked at Hou Mo, puzzled.

Hou Mo slowed his pace, walking beside him, and explained: “Remember I told you that Gege is great at bone-setting?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, he’s about to take us to get our bones corrected.”

“Why?”

“It’s his special way of fixing people up. Back in our first year, we were a wild bunch, and Gege dealt with us one by one. No one dared to act up again.”

Ouyang Ge glanced back at them and remarked: “You two play doubles like you’re dating. Even Shen Junjing and Deng Yiheng aren’t as clingy as you two.”

“That’s different.” Hou Mo replied cheerfully. “Based on the timeline, those two are an old married couple. We’re in the honeymoon phase. You gotta cultivate feelings to build synergy, right?”

“How do you even say that with a straight face?” Ouyang Ge knocked him on the head with a stick.

Still, Hou Mo tried to bargain: “Gege, I didn’t even do anything! I just looked at Brother Yu a couple of times—does that count as a crime?”

“How dare you ask me that? If you’re not staring at him, you’re sleeping during class. You never pay proper attention. I know your mom teaches physics at Tsinghua University, and you can learn everything on your own. She could tutor you in all the science subjects at home. But when you come to school, you need to take it seriously. Do you really think you go to school to make money?”

“Well, yeah…” In Hou Mo’s mind, school and work were the same thing.

Winning scholarships, earning prize money from competitions—being a good student was just like being a good employee.

Ouyang Ge stopped in his tracks, visibly irritated, and continued: “Do you think you can stay on top forever? Last time, you only beat Sui Houyu by a few points on the test. Next time, he might surpass you. Aren’t you worried?”

Hou Mo glanced at Sui Houyu and whispered: “Aren’t you just giving him more pressure?”

“He’s determined to beat you—better watch yourself!”

After scolding Hou Mo, Ouyang Ge turned to Sui Houyu: “And you! Always fidgeting during class—one moment playing with erasers, the next with building blocks. During the competition, I even found a ball of yarn in your desk. What, are you knitting in class?”

“That was felting, and the eraser was for carving.”

“What even is that?” Ouyang Ge didn’t understand.

“It’s nothing, really. Same thing.” Sui Houyu couldn’t be bothered to explain—it wasn’t like it would change anything.

Ouyang Ge asked again: “I know you have your own issues, but aren’t you better now? Can’t you try other ways to overcome them?”

“I’m trying…”

In some ways, Sui Houyu had improved, but his mental habits and tendencies still lingered.

When they reached the training room, Ouyang Ge opened the door and led them into a smaller room inside.

Hou Mo was a little scared, standing at the doorway and tugging at Sui Houyu’s sleeve, unwilling to go in.

Sui Houyu still didn’t fully understand what bone-setting involved, but seeing how nervous Hou Mo was, he had a feeling it might not be pleasant.

Ouyang Ge turned to them and said: “What are you waiting for? When I treat other people, they have to book appointments, and I charge pretty high. Get in here.”

Once inside, they took off their jackets and placed their bags on the chairs.

Ouyang Ge beckoned to Hou Mo: “Come on, show your Brother Yu how it’s done.”

Hou Mo took a deep breath but still walked over and lay down on the small bed.

Sui Houyu stood to the side, watching as Ouyang Ge twisted Hou Mo’s body into unexpected positions, accompanied by the occasional crack of bones.

Clearly, this wasn’t Hou Mo’s first bone-setting session. A few times, he even let out pained groans.

Seeing Hou Mo in pain, Sui Houyu was a little amused, but when he realized he’d soon have his turn, a trace of fear crept in.

After a particularly painful adjustment to his shoulder, Hou Mo couldn’t help but curse, “Sh*t…”

Ouyang Ge jabbed him: “Why are you full of dirty words?”

“It just slipped out…” Hou Mo mumbled, tears welling up.

After the session, Hou Mo lay on the bed, propped up on his elbows, struggling to get up.

His pale complexion, flushed with red, hinted at either the strain or the effort to hold back his discomfort.

Next, it was Sui Houyu’s turn. As he lay down, he swallowed nervously, watching Ouyang Ge approach.

At first, he didn’t feel too scared while Ouyang Ge adjusted his posture.

He had been practicing dance for years, so his body was quite flexible, and his bones were probably in good shape. He didn’t find these moves particularly difficult.

However, when Ouyang Ge suddenly exerted force and twisted, there was a sharp “crack” sound. Sui Houyu’s body trembled, and his eyes widened instantly.

“I…” Sui Houyu almost swore, but he forcefully swallowed the last word^[1].

Ouyang Ge wasn’t done yet—he was about to adjust the other shoulder. Sui Houyu began to resist, but Ouyang Ge reassured him: “It’ll probably hurt a bit the first time you get your bones set, but it’ll be better later.”

Obviously, Ouyang Ge was lying—Hou Mo didn’t look like he was feeling any better!

Sui Houyu continued resisting, even trying to escape the bed. Seeing this, Ouyang Ge called out: “Hou Mo, come help hold him down. This guy is so skinny, but his strength is something else.”

Hou Mo walked over slowly and whispered: “Brother Yu, I do want to save you, but… honestly, it’s good to have your bones set every now and then.”

With that, he helped hold Sui Houyu down, making it impossible for him to leave the bed as Ouyang Ge continued his work.

Before Sui Houyu could even shoot Hou Mo a glare, Ouyang Ge twisted again—this time even quicker and harder.

“Ah—!” Sui Houyu let out a loud cry, as if his soul had left his body for a moment.

He collapsed awkwardly onto the bed, still stunned. Before he could recover, Ouyang Ge flipped him onto his side with another nudge.

Hou Mo moved to the other side and pressed down on Sui Houyu, who could only grab at Hou Mo’s clothes, hoping for some help.

But Hou Mo didn’t catch on. Instead, he held Sui Houyu’s hand and said: “Brother Yu, hang in there. If it hurts, just scream…”

For a moment, it was like Sui Houyu was giving birth.

Furious, Sui Houyu tried to struggle, only to feel Ouyang Ge press down on him again, making him cry out: “Mmph—!”

At that point, he gave up, lying limp on the bed like a salted fish that had lost all hope, letting Ouyang Ge flip him around to continue setting his bones.

When it was time for Ouyang Ge to adjust his leg, Hou Mo pressed down on his back and even took the chance to massage Sui Houyu’s shoulder gently and whispered. “Brother Yu, I’ll give you a proper massage later. You’ll be fine.” 

As he leaned close, Hou Mo was so near that he could see Sui Houyu’s eyelashes trembling with effort.

This time, as Ouyang Ge adjusted his bones, Sui Houyu let out a faint groan—Hou Mo heard it clearly.

Perhaps Sui Houyu was trying to hold back this time. The sound was soft, accompanied by labored breaths. It was almost a whimper, or a low m*an. The usually tough Sui Houyu rarely made such soft noises.

Hou Mo thought something was wrong with him. Just from that sound, he… well… he got hard.

After setting both their bones, Ouyang Ge grabbed a folder in the room, pocketed his car keys, and headed out: “Behave in class from now on, got it? Or I’ll bring you here regularly for more bone-setting sessions. Oh, and clean the training room before you leave. Lock the door when you’re done.”

With that, he strode out, clearly planning to clock out for the day.

After Ouyang Ge left, Hou Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Sui Houyu remained sprawled on the small bed, as if completely drained.

Hou Mo approached cautiously and said: “Rest a bit. I’ll handle the cleaning.”

“Help me out here—it hurts so much.” Sui Houyu pointed at his shoulder.

Hou Mo reached out and started massaging his shoulder.

He really was thin.

Given his body fat percentage and muscle mass, Sui Houyu’s weight was remarkably low.

Muscle weighs more than fat, so the same amount of muscle takes up far less space than fat.

Sui Houyu’s back was almost devoid of excess fat—massaging him, Hou Mo felt he was absurdly lean.

Lying on the bed, Sui Houyu asked in a muffled voice: “Does Gege often set your bones like this?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought my bones were fine. I’ve been learning dance ever since I can remember,” Sui Houyu said, frustrated, embarrassed by how he had struggled earlier.

“You’ve got good flexibility, so it won’t be as painful when Coach Wang stretches you later.” 

Sui Houyu let out a breath, then said: “You don’t need to keep staring me. Next time, I’ll definitely surpass you in the exam. Just wait and see.”

In the past, Sui Houyu had been puzzled by how Hou Mo studied and had even watched him for a while.

Now, with Hou Mo watching him every day, Sui Houyu figured this was what Hou Mo had been focused on all along.

Hou Mo paused for a moment, then smiled lightly and responded: “Alright.”

Just moments ago, he had been hard—now, that feeling was gone in an instant.

It seemed… he had fallen for a dumb little straight guy who couldn’t pick up on any signals.

He would suffer in the future.

For some reason, his teeth started hurting.

A dull, throbbing pain deep in the nerves.

Omake:

Q: Any regrets?

Hou Mo: I’ve told Brother Yu I’m straight—twice—and I said it with full confidence.

Q: Any personal triumphs?

Hou Mo: I’ve rejected Brother Yu and haven’t gotten beaten for it.

Don’t be fooled by Hou Mo’s untrustworthy face—he’s got a trustworthy mouth.