NASAY CH 12

Luo Xing’s voice was light but firm, without backing down because of that slap.

“Our class monitor is the top student in the grade, and several other classmates are also in the top twenty. Being in Class Nine won’t affect me.”

“Fine, then don’t go,” 

Zhao Jiulan sneered coldly. 

“Get out!”

Luo Xing turned around, grabbed the umbrella by the door, only to realize it had already cleared up. 

For the first time, he took the initiative to walk toward the small room across the hall.

He stood at the door, staring at the heavily rusted lock. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and walked in.

As she watched him leave, Zhao Jiulan clenched her fists tightly at the sight of his expression.

That look instantly dragged her back seventeen years ago—cold, determined, with no trace of hesitation. 

It was the same look as before, like a burning red awl piercing her heart.

The searing pain burned her to the bone. She grabbed a teacup and smashed it to pieces.

No! 

She couldn’t let Luo Xing leave her like that person did. If she disciplined him properly, Luo Xing would never turn out like that man. 

He wouldn’t!

Luo Xing didn’t sleep the entire night, hugging his knees while sitting on the floor. His clothes dried and dampened repeatedly until finally, a faint light of dawn appeared.

He opened the door, shivering as the morning wind blew over him.

Today was the day Huo Xingzhou had his match. The venue was at Jiangcheng Sports Center in the city center, far from school.

Zhao Jiulan hadn’t gotten up yet.

 Luo Xing picked up a broom and cleaned up the broken porcelain pieces on the floor. Then, he went to the kitchen, cleaned the dusty clay pot, and cooked porridge on the stove.

He took a preserved vegetable ball from the jar, washed it clean, chopped it into small pieces, and soaked it in seasoning. 

Once the porridge was almost done, he turned off the stove, left a note on the table, and carried his luggage out the door.

He didn’t look back.

“Little darling, why don’t you stay another day? Leaving so soon?” 

Grandma Zhou called out, then noticed something. 

“Hey, what happened to your face?”

Luo Xing paused, not answering her question. 

“The schoolwork is heavy, so I won’t stay. Goodbye, Grandma Zhou.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

Because he had spent some time cooking, it was already close to eight o’clock. Luo Xing walked quickly to the bus stop. 

It was the same driver from yesterday. The driver recognized him and smiled.

 “Hey, kid, catching an early bus again?”

Luo Xing nodded.

It wasn’t rush hour, and the roads were clear. The bus arrived quickly. He dropped off his things at the dorm, checked the time, and decided to take a quick shower. 

Changing into fresh clothes, he looked at himself in the mirror—his left cheek was slightly swollen, with a half-inch-long scratch.

He hesitated about going but remembered it was Huo Xingzhou’s game, and he didn’t have his phone number to inform him. 

Besides… Huo Xingzhou seemed eager for him to come.

After struggling with the decision for a while, Luo Xing soaked a towel in cold water and pressed it against his face until his skin felt numb. 

The swelling subsided a bit, but there was no way to hide the scratch.

He would have to think of an excuse.

At the stadium, Huo Xingzhou wore his jersey, holding a basketball. He casually tossed the ball forward, and it swished into the hoop perfectly, igniting a round of excited screams.

He kept glancing at the entrance, frowning. Twenty minutes had already passed. Why hadn’t that little brat arrived yet?

Did he forget? Or was he just playing him for a fool?

If Luo Xing dared to not show up today…

Huo Xingzhou thought for a moment, but no punishment came to mind that he could bear to give. His frown deepened further.

“Huo Xingzhou, what are you looking at?” 

Feng Jia called out when she saw Lu Qinghe steal the ball from him.

“Nothing…”

 Huo Xingzhou replied absentmindedly.

A child sneaked into the gym, bending down slightly, his cheeks flushed, and sweat beading on the tip of his nose. 

Huo Xingzhou couldn’t help but smile and withdrew his gaze.

He glanced at Lu Qinghe.

 “Stealing my ball, huh? Watch how Daddy teaches you a lesson.”

Lu Qinghe ignored him, dribbling the ball coldly toward Shengshi, clearly aiming to win.

There were quite a lot of spectators—many from their own class and quite a few from other classes. The boys and girls sat separately, cheering and shouting loudly.

Luo Xing found a spot in the corner and sat down. When he turned his head, he unexpectedly saw Ye Qiaoqiao.

She was sitting in the middle of the row, surrounded by a group of girls. She smiled gently as she listened to their chatter, looking very much at ease.

Some of the girls cupped their hands around their mouths and screamed loudly. 

Upon closer listening, Luo Xing realized they were cheering for Huo Xingzhou.

Ye Qiaoqiao pressed her lips together without speaking, smiling as she looked toward the court.

For some reason, Luo Xing felt a sudden stab in his chest—sour and bitter at the same time.

Ye Qiaoqiao was the class monitor, always ranked first in exams, with a good personality and a gentle demeanor. 

She was also beautiful. She would lend him her meal card or water card without hesitation and never said anything when she saw him using the classroom computer.

Although Luo Xing was very clear about his own orientation, he sincerely believed no one could dislike a girl like her. More importantly, Huo Xingzhou was straight.

Ye Qiaoqiao seemed to notice his gaze and turned her head slightly, giving him a friendly smile.

Luo Xing froze, panicking as he realized something had changed inside him.

He had developed possessiveness toward Huo Xingzhou.

A unique, exclusive possessiveness.

“Ah.”

Luo Xing stared blankly for a long time, no longer in the mood to watch the game. He had no idea how much time had passed when a book suddenly landed on the chair beside him.

Startled, he instinctively glanced at it—

“The Wind in the Blood”.

!!

“Stunned?”

Huo Xingzhou was leaning on the back of his chair with one hand, bending slightly as he grabbed the phone on Luo Xing’s lap.

“Are you here to watch me play or to chat?”

Luo Xing stared at him, dazed. Huo Xingzhou’s slender neck and smooth arms were very close. With his slight bend, Luo Xing could see all the way down from the neckline of his basketball jersey to his waist.

His abs and waistline were firm and defined. Luo Xing unconsciously swallowed, turning his blushing face away.

“Why are you late?” 

Huo Xingzhou asked.

“There was some traffic on the way.”

Huo Xingzhou nudged his foot lightly against Luo Xing’s. 

“Move your legs, let me sit.”

Luo Xing quickly pulled back his legs to give him space. Huo Xingzhou sat down and glanced around. 

“Did you bring any water?”

Luo Xing shook his head. He had rushed out so quickly that he didn’t have time. Huo Xingzhou tilted his head toward the girls’ side. 

“Qiaoqiao, toss us two bottles of water.”

Luo Xing was a bit stunned. …Are they that close?

“You two never bring anything. If I don’t bring some, you won’t drink anything.”

 Ye Qiaoqiao smiled, pulling out two bottles and handing them to a girl next to her to pass over.

The girl, blushing, handed the bottles to Huo Xingzhou and quickly returned to her seat, whispering excitedly,

 “Qiaoqiao, Qiaoqiao, Huo Xingzhou from your class is so handsome!”

Ye Qiaoqiao chuckled.

 “Then go confess to him.”

“I wouldn’t dare! He doesn’t seem easy to approach. I’m afraid he’ll snap at me.”

Huo Xingzhou twisted open one bottle and handed it to Luo Xing, then opened his own and took a few sips. 

Noticing that the kid beside him was zoning out, he raised a hand to ruffle his hair.

 “What are you thinking about?”

“Wait, what happened to your face?”

 Huo Xingzhou’s smile disappeared, replaced by a frown. He grabbed Luo Xing’s chin and turned his face toward him. 

“Did someone hit you?”

Luo Xing tensed up, instinctively covering his face. 

“N-no one hit me. I accidentally scratched it on a flower branch this morning.”

“Don’t move. Let me see.” 

Huo Xingzhou lowered his head, holding Luo Xing’s face, his voice softening. 

“Does it hurt?”

Luo Xing blinked, his heart pounding from Huo Xingzhou’s gentle tone and caring eyes. He dodged his gaze awkwardly. 

“N-no, it doesn’t hurt.”

He always says it doesn’t hurt. The scratch on his face, the time his hand was bruised—that one was pretty bad too—he still said it didn’t hurt.

How much pain can this kid endure?!

“I’ll cut it off later.”

“Don’t chop it. Teacher Cheng will scold you if he finds out.”

Huo Xingzhou snorted.

 “It’s just a stupid branch. Letting it grow inside the house for six months is already generous. And it even dared to hurt you? Does it want to become a demon?”

Luo Xing smiled without saying anything. He just didn’t want to tell Huo Xingzhou the truth. Seeing that he had successfully brushed it off, he felt relieved.

“Is… is this for me?”

“Huh?”

“The Wind in the Blood.”

Huo Xingzhou twisted the cap back onto his water bottle, leaned over, picked up the book, and placed it on Luo Xing’s lap. 

He tapped him lightly on the forehead with a smile.

 “You ungrateful little wolf. You only ask me for things, and once you get them, you act all indifferent and heartless.”

Luo Xing blinked blankly, not understanding. 

“What?”

“Nothing.”

 Huo Xingzhou tilted his head, his gaze lingering on Luo Xing’s soft white skin from his cheek down to his neck, where faint blue veins traced gently beneath the surface.

Holding the worn book in his arms, Luo Xing’s eyelashes quivered with excitement, making Huo Xingzhou’s palms feel warm.

Huo Xingzhou raised his head and took a gulp of cold water.

“Thank you.”

 Luo Xing carefully cradled the book in his arms like a fragile treasure, afraid it might get damaged.

 It wasn’t just any book—it was Huo Xingzhou’s book, and more importantly, it was a gift from him.

This little gesture, combined with that smile, made Huo Xingzhou a bit jealous.

This damn book.

That morning, while going downstairs, he happened to remember it and went to the study. 

After searching through a shelf full of his dad’s books, he finally found one. He carried it over and placed it in front of his dad.

“Dad, sign it.”

“Why?” 

Huo Yanshan glanced at him without moving.

“I’m giving it to a classmate. Just sign it. Why ask so many questions when you don’t even know him?”

After his dad signed it, Huo Xingzhou quickly drank his porridge, grabbed the book, and left.

“Alright, you should be grateful someone actually likes your book, Dad. Only that little fool would.”

Luo Xing noticed his expression wasn’t great and hurriedly added,

 “Do you have anything you like? I’ll give it to you next time.”

Huo Xingzhou had initially wanted to say, 

“There are dozens of copies at home. I wouldn’t even use them as table leg props. What do I need a gift from you for?”

But the words took a turn in his mind. Instead, he said, 

“As long as you like it, it’s fine.”

“But what do you like?” 

Luo Xing asked again, seeing him lost in thought.

“What do I like…” 

Huo Xingzhou chuckled. 

“If I tell you, will you give it to me?”

Luo Xing pressed his lips together and nodded.

 “As long as it’s something I can do, you can ask for anything.”

That hit a soft spot in Huo Xingzhou’s heart. He twisted the cap back onto his bottle, tossed it onto Luo Xing’s lap, and leaned on the seat in front of him, turning to look at him.

His sudden approach startled Luo Xing. 

“W-what’s wrong?”

“Didn’t we agree earlier that if I gave you the book, you’d call me ‘big brother’? Go ahead, say it.”

“I… I…”

Huo Xingzhou reached out, his hand slowly approaching Luo Xing’s cheek. Luo Xing thought he was about to tap his forehead again, so he instinctively closed his eyes. His long eyelashes fluttered lightly.

“Oh.”

 Huo Xingzhou chuckled and gently scratched his nose, wiping away a tiny bead of sweat hanging there.

“Still haven’t thought it through? Fine, let’s leave it for later.” 

Huo Xingzhou stood up and casually wiped the sweat on his hand onto his sweaty jersey. He ruffled Luo Xing’s hair messily.

 “Watch the game properly. I’m confiscating your phone.”

Luo Xing watched as Huo Xingzhou stepped over his legs with those long strides, snatched his phone, and tossed it into the sports bag beside him.

When Luo Xing instinctively reached out to retrieve it, Huo Xingzhou’s gaze pressed down on him. 

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Luo Xing immediately pulled his hand back and shook his head.

“Don’t even think about sneaking away. After the game, I’m taking you somewhere.”

 With that, Huo Xingzhou walked off without looking back. After stepping onto the court, he didn’t glance at Luo Xing again, except for the occasional fleeting glance.

Luo Xing didn’t dare touch his phone, nor did he dare look at the book. He sat up straight, eyes fixed on Huo Xingzhou.

On the court, Huo Xingzhou stood tall and dazzling.