NASAY CH 10

As soon as Huo Xingzhou finished speaking, he realized his words had an ambiguous meaning. But seeing Luo Xing’s innocent expression, he figured he probably wouldn’t understand the hidden implication.

So he didn’t bother to explain, avoiding any suspicion.

Luo Xing pressed his lips together, his heart tingling from Huo Xingzhou’s playful tone. His hearing wasn’t sharp enough to catch very soft sounds, so sometimes he had to focus on Huo Xingzhou’s mouth to figure out what he was saying.

But this time, the words were spoken up close, accompanied by warm breath and a whisper-like kiss, as if a giant hand gripped his heart and squeezed it tight. 

Luo Xing instinctively took a step back. Seeing his flustered, retreating figure and flushed face, Huo Xingzhou’s playful side was stirred.

“Do you want it?”

Luo Xing struggled to understand the smile on Huo Xingzhou’s lips. He wasn’t sure what Huo Xingzhou meant. He wanted the signed copy of Wind in the Blood, even if it wasn’t a signed version, it would still make him happy. But…

“So, do you want it or not?” 

Huo Xingzhou teased deliberately, raising his hand to grab Luo Xing’s uninjured wrist, pressing lightly on his wrist bone.

“You keep it,” 

Luo Xing endured his pounding heart and repeated himself. 

“If you like it, just keep it.”

Huo Xingzhou raised his head and muttered, “…Like it, my ass.”

At that moment, the school bell suddenly rang. This class was taught by Teacher Cheng.

Luo Xing remembered Teacher Cheng’s warning and, seeing Huo Xingzhou turn to leave, panicked and grabbed his uniform.

Huo Xingzhou glanced at the fingers clutching his uniform and followed the thin arm with his eyes until he met Luo Xing’s sharp-angled face.

Luo Xing swallowed nervously and asked in a small voice, “Aren’t you going to class?”

“No.”

Luo Xing had prepared a response to persuade him, but Huo Xingzhou’s blunt refusal left him deflated.

Seeing his disappointed expression, Huo Xingzhou felt a strange soft spot being hit.

He suddenly sat back down, looked at Luo Xing, and asked, 

“Hey kid, I have a game this Saturday. Will you come watch?”

Luo Xing bit his lip. He wanted to go, but this week he had to return to his old school to pick up some things and visit the principal. He also needed to focus on translating.

“If you come watch my game, I won’t skip this class. Deal?”

Luo Xing noticed Teacher Cheng had already walked to the front of the classroom. Worried Huo Xingzhou might get scolded, he quickly nodded.

“Hurry, sit down!”

Standing at the podium, Teacher Cheng habitually glanced at the back of the classroom. He was surprised to see Huo Xingzhou not skipping or sleeping but instead reading a book.

Had he changed for the better?

Looking again, oh… It must be Luo Xing’s influence.

It seemed student-to-student conversations were more effective. Teacher Cheng felt pleased with his decision to assign Luo Xing to Huo Xingzhou’s dorm.

Mutual support, harmony, and cooperation.

Look how focused they were on studying!

Huo Xingzhou leaned over to observe Luo Xing’s side profile. After a while, he noticed that while others kept their heads down to take notes, occasionally looking up at the teacher and the blackboard, Luo Xing was different.

He stared at the teacher the whole time and only lowered his head to take notes when the teacher turned to write on the blackboard.

“Hey, let me see your notes,” 

Huo Xingzhou said, tapping Luo Xing’s elbow. “Let me see what you’ve written.”

Luo Xing froze for a second, then quickly filled in his notes before gently sliding the notebook over. 

Huo Xingzhou glanced at the page. The handwriting was neat and elegant, as if written effortlessly, but each stroke carried a subtle firmness.

Huo Xingzhou propped his chin on his hand, studying Luo Xing’s handwriting, then turned to look at him again.

Though he seemed soft on the outside, there was an inexplicable coldness and aloofness in him—a quiet rejection. 

Luo Xing’s poised and reserved demeanor reminded Huo Xingzhou of a green apple, perfectly hitting his soft spot.

“Here, take it back.”

Luo Xing took his notebook, but as he pulled it toward himself, Huo Xingzhou pressed it down again, lowering his voice.

“If you come to watch my game, will you cheer for me?”

Huo Xingzhou imagined Luo Xing wouldn’t scream and cheer like the girls, but if he stood within sight, silently rooting for him… The thought made Huo Xingzhou’s heart heat up. He reached out to lightly scratch Luo Xing’s palm, teasing him.

“Will you come?”

Luo Xing knew he wouldn’t be able to focus in class for the whole week if Huo Xingzhou kept distracting him. He glanced at Teacher Cheng on the podium, then quickly tore off a small corner of the last page of his notes. 

He wrote a sentence and pushed it toward Huo Xingzhou.

— If you listen to the lecture properly, I’ll come.

Huo Xingzhou glanced at the note, then fell silent for the rest of the class. He sat there quietly with his long legs stretched out, unusually well-behaved.

The class passed quickly.

Teacher Cheng nodded at Luo Xing with satisfaction and left the classroom smiling. Before leaving, he reminded everyone, 

“The schedule has been adjusted for the upcoming break. After the small class on the afternoon of the day after tomorrow, you can go home. Be safe on your way back and study hard at home.”

The afternoon small class would be just one hour long after the lunch break and cleaning session, meaning they could leave at around 2:30 p.m.

Hu Jiawen, who originally sat in front of Luo Xing, had changed seats, leaving an empty spot between them. Leaning forward, he tapped on Luo Xing’s desk.

“Luo Xing, are you going home?”

The classroom was noisy, and Hu Jiawen didn’t speak very loudly, so Luo Xing didn’t hear him.

Hu Jiawen walked around to the back and tapped on Luo Xing’s desk again.

“This weekend’s break—are you going home or not? It’s hard to get a taxi at the school gate, and the buses are packed. Where do you live? How about we share a ride?”

Luo Xing paused his writing, lowered his gaze, and said,

 “I’m not going home.”

Hu Jiawen was surprised. 

“We only get a full break once a month. Usually, it’s just a half-day off. Aren’t your parents home?”

For some reason, after Hu Jiawen’s seemingly casual question, Huo Xingzhou noticed that Luo Xing’s expression suddenly turned pale. He blinked unnaturally, and his lips pressed into a tight line as if trying to hold something back.

Huo Xingzhou frowned. He also felt annoyed at how naturally Luo Xing spoke with Hu Jiawen compared to the way he talked to him.

“Share a ride? Your house is in Canghua. Even birds would be too lazy to fly that far.”

Hu Jiawen realized he was right but still thought, Why such a big reaction? He just wanted to go with Luo Xing. He curled his lips and walked away.

The announcement about the adjusted schedule seemed to put everyone in a good mood. Even during the afternoon self-study session, no one felt like focusing.

Small groups formed, gossiping about their favorite idols’ new dramas and songs. 

Some students pulled out their phones to play games, while others openly chatted on WeChat or watched shows.

Class 9 was notoriously the worst class in the school—a mix of students from mining families who were there just to pass time. The school couldn’t control them anymore and eventually gave up.

Only Teacher Cheng still had hope for them, pouring all his energy into “nurturing” these students, trying to straighten each little sapling with care.

Luo Xing took out his phone and sent a message to a former roommate, saying he’d come by on Friday afternoon to pick up some things and asking if he’d be in the dorm.

The response came quickly.

— Huh? Your mom already took your stuff.

Luo Xing’s heart sank. He replied with a simple “Got it” and closed the chat interface. His fingertip hovered over a contact name for a long time, hesitating to click on it.

Eventually, he tapped it, and the chat window showed that the other person was typing…

A few minutes later, his phone vibrated with a new voice message.

When he didn’t reply, Zhao Jiulan sent another message, this time in text. It wasn’t long, but every word hit where it hurt the most.

Luo Xing read it with a blank expression and deleted the message. After all these years, he had become numb to such things.

“This weekend, I just want to go home to get some clothes and daily necessities.”

Huo Xingzhou leaned against the doorframe at the back of the classroom, watching Luo Xing with his head down. He didn’t know what came to mind, but he turned around and left without saying a word.

On Friday afternoon, Luo Xing, who usually stayed in the classroom the longest, left immediately after class.

When Huo Xingzhou finished his basketball game and returned to the classroom, all he saw was an empty seat.

The weather in Jiangcheng was unpredictable. It had been sunny in the morning, but by noon, dark clouds covered the sky.

Luo Xing stood under a rickety bus stop sign, watching the drizzle turn into steady rain. 

In no time, the ground was completely soaked.

He stepped back into the shelter, but half of his body was still wet.

The air conditioning on the bus was turned up high, making Luo Xing shiver. Because it was crowded and there was no way to reach the grab handles, he had to stand on tiptoe and carefully close the air vent above him.

When someone got off the bus, Luo Xing glanced around to make sure there were no elderly or disabled passengers needing a seat. 

Seeing none, he sat down by the window, watching the rain grow heavier. It was blown against the window, shattering into droplets and sliding down the glass.

The entrances of the shops along the road were crowded with people seeking shelter from the rain. In a passing bakery, he caught a glimpse of a mother and child sitting by the window. 

The child held up a spoon high and fed it to his mother, who smiled and affectionately ruffled his hair.

Luo Xing averted his gaze and took out his phone. 

The weather forecast said the rain would continue for another four hours.

He looked down at the cake box on his lap and wiped the water stains off with his sleeve. The pale-yellow packaging featured two cartoon bunnies—one standing on tiptoe to feed the other.

This cake was from a bakery Zhao Jiulan liked. She almost always bought a small slice every day. 

Luo Xing had tasted it once—on the day he was diagnosed as nearly deaf.

That day, a man had come to visit him in the hospital. Zhao Jiulan had been in a good mood and fed him a bite of the cake. It was sweet with a faint chestnut flavor.

Luo Xing tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling of the bus, his mind cluttered with messy thoughts. He had tried so hard to be obedient. Neighbors and teachers all said he was a good boy. 

Where exactly had he gone wrong?

It had been more than seven years since his ninth birthday, but he could still remember the taste of that chestnut-flavored cake on his tongue. 

What he couldn’t recall was whether Zhao Jiulan had ruffled his hair that day or said anything kind to him.

He vaguely remembered the fear and panic that had come with the loss of his hearing. He had wanted to cry but didn’t dare to show it—Zhao Jiulan didn’t like that.

The bus ride was long. 

As it approached the terminal stop, the sky darkened as if it were about to collapse.

 The driver turned on the interior lights and noticed someone still sitting quietly at the back.

 Thinking Luo Xing had fallen asleep, he called out,

“Hey, kid, where are you getting off?”

Luo Xing snapped back to reality.

 “The last stop.”