NASAY CH 16

Luo Xing looked at him in confusion, not understanding why he had suddenly become unhappy. He could only nod lightly and stop talking.

Huo Xingzhou quickly finished a round of the game, with the screen constantly flashing kill notifications. His teammates were startled.

“This is just a casual match, take it easy.”

“What casual match?” 

Huo Xingzhou scoffed.

 “I’m done. A bunch of noobs.”

His teammates hurriedly reminded him, “We’re live streaming.”

Huo Xingzhou’s hand, which was about to exit the interface, paused for a moment before he added, 

“So being on a livestream suddenly makes them not noobs?”

Luo Xing listened to his voice. By the time it reached his ears, it was already barely audible, but somehow, every word seemed to strike his heart, making it tingle and feel heavy.

If Huo Xingzhou were the one reading French aloud…

Luo Xing rubbed the spot over his heart, feeling inexplicably warm.

He withdrew his gaze, exhaled softly, and forced himself to focus on translating. He couldn’t let himself get distracted anymore.

Luo Xing was especially familiar with Huo Yansheng’s books, so translating them was quick. Plus, he rarely did things half-heartedly—once he got serious, he wouldn’t let himself lose focus. He kept working until he felt a bit tired. 

When he finally looked up, it was already past ten o’clock.

Huo Xingzhou had fallen asleep on the bed, his phone still in his hand, resting on the edge of the mattress. His dark eyelashes were long and distinct, and now that he was asleep, his usually bold and unruly demeanor had softened, making him look more refined and peaceful.

Luo Xing stood up, rubbed his sore waist, and walked over. He carefully took the phone from his hand and placed it beside his pillow.

From this angle, he could see the slight prominence of his Adam’s apple and his well-defined collarbones.

Luo Xing swallowed with difficulty, then gently grasped his wrist with his fingertips and tucked his hand under the blanket before quickly withdrawing his own hand like a thief caught in the act.

Luo Xing dazedly thought—if only he could remember who he was.

When he was a child, he didn’t like eating candy.

It was because, once, in that house, a child from next door had struggled to climb onto the wall and had handed him a piece of candy with great effort.

Strawberry-flavored.

That was the first time he had ever eaten candy. He had carefully kept the wrapper all these years because he wanted to remember what that child looked like and the taste of the candy they had given him.

Luo Xing believed that as long as he tasted something sweet, Huo Xingzhou would be there.

He had never really left.

***

Monday marked exactly one month since Luo Xing had transferred to Second High. Because the timing was close to the midterm exams, the school had decided to combine the two exams into one.

After the test, many classmates gathered around Luo Xing to compare answers.

Since Luo Xing had always performed well in class and rarely struggled with questions, the initial prejudice—where some assumed he had been “forced” into the school—had faded. Now, they genuinely saw him as a fellow student.

Although Class Nine was often called the “oddball class,” it still had many top students. Ye Qiaoqiao and Lu Qinghe were both ranked among the top ten in their grade.

Luo Xing felt a little overwhelmed by the sudden crowd, but he remained polite, responding to everyone and sharing his chosen answers.

Some classmates didn’t understand a few of his explanations right away, so he patiently picked up a pen, wrote out the steps on paper, and explained them in a gentle voice.

Lu Qinghe had been standing at the back, listening for a while. The more he listened, the more he felt something was off. He asked a question himself, but Luo Xing’s answer didn’t match his own.

Raising his voice, he called out, 

“Qiaoqiao, what did you pick for the second math multiple-choice question?”

Ye Qiaoqiao thought for a moment. 

“I think it was D.”

Luo Xing looked up and glanced at Ye Qiaoqiao, who was standing outside the crowd handing out assignments. His brows furrowed slightly.

Based on his observations over this period, this type of question was one of Ye Qiaoqiao weak points—her error rate was higher than in other areas.

If Ye Qiaoqiao neither performed exceptionally well nor had an off day, their scores for this subject should differ by about three to five points.

“Then what did you write for the first English fill-in-the-blank question?”

“And for English—”

Before the question could be finished, Hu Jiawen, who was standing at the very front, was suddenly pushed forward by someone from behind. He stumbled and nearly fell, stopping just two or three centimeters away from Luo Xing.

Hu Jiawen froze. Luo Xing also stiffened.

Just then, Huo Xingzhou jumped down from the desk, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with an icy chill. 

“What is this, a cotton-pressing factory?”

The students were afraid of Huo Xingzhou and immediately shrank back. Some of the more timid ones even retreated to their seats.

Luo Xing looked at his darkened expression and the way the students scattered like startled birds and couldn’t help but laugh.

Huo Xingzhou, however, grew even more irritated at the sight of everyone backing away. 

Squeezing together like this—are they blind? They were practically glued to Luo Xing’s face!

That close—did they even understand personal boundaries?

Did they not know what harassment was?

Had they never heard of keeping a safe distance?

Huo Xingzhou turned his head and saw Luo Xing’s profile—his brows slightly curved, lips tilted in a soft smile, speaking to others with a voice that was unhurried, polite, and gentle.

From this angle, his slightly curled lashes cast faint shadows, his double eyelids forming a delicate crease.

Huo Xingzhou noticed a small habit of his—whenever he didn’t know how to respond, he would purse his lips slightly, let out a barely audible hum, and then continue speaking.

Huo Xingzhou frowned.

He had just realized something.

This little ingrate never stammered when talking to others. He never got angry. He never ignored them. His conversations were smooth, natural, and easy-going.

Even when talking to Cheng Limin, he was calm, articulate, and composed.

So why was it that whenever it was him—Huo Xingzhou—he either ignored him, stammered, or told him to shut up and stay away?

Huo Xingzhou’s brows furrowed deeply.

He had saved him!

He had even specially brought him soup!

So why the hell did he have to suffer such unfair treatment?

“Ungrateful brat,” 

Huo Xingzhou sneered coldly before turning on his heel and walking out of the classroom.

Luo Xing’s smile stiffened. He had no idea why he was suddenly being accused of this, watching his retreating figure in confusion. Nervously, he twirled his pen between his fingers.

Had he talked too much and annoyed him?

Next time… next time, maybe he should talk less.

Huo Xingzhou’s chest felt stuffy, but he knew he couldn’t take it out on Luo Xing. 

As he passed the long corridor on the lower level, a girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere, clutching a pink envelope in her hands.

A few girls nearby pointed and laughed, but Huo Xingzhou didn’t even glance at them. Hands casually tucked into his pockets, he strode forward as if nothing had happened.

The girl, however, jogged after him, panting slightly but unwilling to give up. Huo Xingzhou’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper until he finally stopped, turning around.

“Miss, are you delivering a love letter or handing out flyers? I’ve already walked two miles, and you’re still chasing me?”

The girl’s nose was dotted with a thin layer of sweat—whether from nervousness or exhaustion from running, it was hard to tell. She took a few shallow breaths, exhaling slowly.

“I’ve already said, if I date before graduation, I’ll go sing ‘Conquer’ under the national flag.” 

Huo Xingzhou looked at her expressionlessly. 

“Do you think I’d embarrass myself like that, to the point my ancestors would be ashamed?”

The girl shook her head. 

“I’m not—”

“Not? Then that’s fine, move along.”

 Huo Xingzhou pulled his hands out of his pockets and turned to leave.

“Huo Xingzhou!” The girl called out.

He kept walking, showing no expression. Growing anxious, she called out again, 

“Can you do me a favor and give this letter to Luo Xing in your class?”

…?

Huo Xingzhou’s steps halted abruptly. He wondered if there was something wrong with his ears. He turned slightly, glancing at her.

“Who do you want me to give this to?”

The girl, undeterred by the way he referred to her heartfelt confession as “this thing,” blushed and jogged over, holding out the letter with a shy voice.

“I… I really like Luo Xing.” 

She averted her gaze in embarrassment. 

“Please help me out.”

Huo Xingzhou’s eyelids lifted slightly as he glanced down at her, then let out a cold sneer.

“And what does your liking Luo Xing have to do with me? Do I look like a courier?”

The girl flinched at his icy demeanor. It didn’t feel like he was just impatient—it felt like he was actually angry.

“I—I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that you’re his deskmate, and he rarely leaves the classroom. I was too embarrassed to go to your class myself, so I thought maybe…”

 Her voice grew softer and softer. By the end, she was completely intimidated by Huo Xingzhou’s expression, unable to say another word.

“Instead of focusing on love, why don’t you focus on your studies?” 

Huo Xingzhou frowned.

 “What class are you in?”

“C-Class 7…” 

The girl stammered, visibly shaking. If not for how terrifying he was, she would have fled already.

“What was your ranking in the last monthly exam?”

The girl bit her lip, nearly in tears. 

“Four hundred and something…”

“You haven’t even passed your exams, and you want to date? Do you think dating will magically make you rank first in the grade?”

 Huo Xingzhou scoffed, then sneered,

“As a student, you can’t even figure out your own responsibilities, yet you want to mess around with adult matters?”

The girl was dumbfounded by his logic.

Huo Xingzhou leaned lazily against a pillar in the hallway, one foot propped up. With a casual smirk, he continued,

“Do you even know how tall he is, how old he is, what he likes or dislikes?”

“He’s only been here for a month—do you actually know him?”

“Have you ever spoken to him? Been alone with him? Do you know what he likes to eat on his birthday or what he does in his free time?”

“You saw a pretty face and decided you ‘like’ him? Seriously—”

By the time he finished, the girl was already crying, covering her face in grievance. She just wanted to give him a letter—did he really have to be this angry about it?

***

The bell for class rang, playing the violin version of Butterfly Lovers—melancholic and beautiful.

Huo Xingzhou walked in through the back door just as it rang, carrying a bottle of Coke and a carton of milk. He pulled out his chair and sat down.

“You’re back! I thought you weren’t coming to class anymore.”

As soon as Luo Xing smiled at him, some of the irritation from earlier faded. 

Huo Xingzhou wordlessly set the milk down on Luo Xing’s desk and gestured for him to come closer with a curl of his fingers.

Luo Xing leaned in.

“How old are you?”

Luo Xing blinked, a bit dazed. 

“I’ll be seventeen soon.”

“?”

Huo Xingzhou studied him up and down, then placed his hands on Luo Xing’s shoulders, adjusting him slightly as if trying to get a better look.

Luo Xing, completely confused, stammered, 

“Wh-what’s wrong…?”

“These days, schools are strict about admission ages. Even being one day younger makes a difference. Why are you so much younger?”

“I skipped two grades.” Luo Xing added.

“…….”

Huo Xingzhou was silent for a few seconds, deciding to let that topic slide. Instead, he took on a righteous, serious tone and began lecturing, 

“You’re only seventeen. Do you know what your top priority should be?”

Luo Xing thought for a moment before cautiously replying, “Studying?”

Huo Xingzhou nodded approvingly, his expression reading finally, a kid who can be taught. 

He continued, “Exactly. At this age, your main focus should be studying. Stay away from all those unnecessary distractions—like dating.”

Luo Xing’s heart skipped a beat. Did he find out something…?

Seeing him remain silent, Huo Xingzhou hardened his expression and warned, 

“No dating, you hear me?”

Luo Xing bit his lip and nodded.

“If someone confesses to you, you’re not allowed to accept.” 

After a brief pause, Huo Xingzhou frowned as he recalled that sweet, adorable girl from earlier. He added firmly, “And you’re not allowed to confess to anyone either. If I find out you’re dating, I’ll break your legs.”

Luo Xing felt like something was off. It didn’t seem like Huo Xingzhou had figured out his feelings—it just felt like he was strictly against him dating in general.

“I won’t.” 

Luo Xing looked into his eyes, hesitating before finally speaking softly, “I never planned on dating anyone.”

Huo Xingzhou didn’t quite grasp the underlying meaning in that statement. But since Luo Xing had promised not to date, his mood suddenly lifted. He propped his foot up on the desk beam and smirked.

“Good. I’ll sit through this class with you as a reward.”

Luo Xing looked at his side profile, dazed.

He knew just how popular Huo Xingzhou was at school. 

Getting confessed to was a common occurrence for him—sometimes, after meals, Luo Xing would overhear girls whispering about him near the school garden.

Huo Xingzhou was ridiculously good-looking, great at basketball, and he didn’t even have to try—just standing there naturally drew everyone’s attention.

Luo Xing’s thoughts drifted in a tangled mess.

What if one day, Huo Xingzhou found out I liked him? Would he stop being my friend? Would he find me disgusting?

He fidgeted with his fingers, unconsciously biting his lip.

Huo Xingzhou could so casually tell him, You’re not allowed to date, yet Luo Xing couldn’t bring himself to say the same to him.

One day, whether it was Ye Qiaoqiao or another girl, Huo Xingzhou would eventually bring someone he liked in front of him and say,

“Hey, Luo Xing, this is my girlfriend.”

Luo Xing lowered his gaze, suddenly realizing—he was jealous.

He hated the thought of that girl appearing beside Huo Xingzhou.

He froze, startled by his own emotions.

So it was true.

Like his mother always said—no matter what, he could never change it. That selfishness ran deep in his bones.

That entire class, he barely absorbed a single word.