NASAY CH 20

When Luo Xing returned, Xue Jian was already gone.

Huo Xingzhou was sitting with his legs propped on the desk beam, playing with his phone. He seemed in a good mood, not like someone who had just argued with anyone.

There were three dishes and a soup on the desk, along with a small dessert in a chilled box, spread all over the desk.

Luo Xing was a little surprised. 

“Why did you buy so much? It’ll be a waste if we can’t finish it.”

Huo Xingzhou didn’t seem to care. 

“If you think it’s a waste, eat more.”

Looking at Huo Xingzhou’s expression, Luo Xing suddenly recalled their last barbecue meal and still felt a lingering fear. 

“I’ll try, but you’re not allowed to feed me again.”

“Why? Don’t like me feeding you?”

“No…”

 Luo Xing suddenly felt flustered, an inexplicable sense of vulnerability washing over him, as if all his secrets were laid bare in front of Huo Xingzhou. He cautiously tried to guard his feelings.

“Then what is it?”

“Nothing… Nothing.” 

Luo Xing quickly picked up his chopsticks and pointed at the food. 

“Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

After eating, Luo Xing was about to clean up when Huo Xingzhou pressed down on his hand and said, 

“Don’t move.”

Luo Xing’s heart pounded wildly. His fingertips felt like they had been magnified a hundredfold in sensitivity, and just one touch made them feel burning hot. He quickly withdrew his hand.

Huo Xingzhou opened the chilled box, handed the cold dessert to Luo Xing, and started cleaning up the meal containers himself. He threw the containers into the trash outside, washed his hands, and came back to sit down, watching Luo Xing eat. 

Tilting his head, he wondered why something so sweet could taste good.

Ye Qiaoqiao said this dessert shop was famous for its delicious sweets.

Huo Xingzhou rested his chin on his hand. He wasn’t into sweet things, and he had only found out about this shop that morning. 

“Try it. If it’s good, I’ll get it again next time.”

Luo Xing paused. Suddenly, the dessert in his hand no longer tasted sweet but had turned bitter and sour, making it hard to swallow.

“What’s wrong?”

 Noticing his reaction, Huo Xingzhou frowned slightly. 

“Does it taste bad?” 

He reached out to take it. 

“If it’s bad, toss it.”

“No, it’s delicious,”

 Luo Xing blurted out. He held onto the dessert tightly, almost unable to contain his emotions. He wanted to say it so badly—that Ye Qiaoqiao didn’t like him. She liked that boy from the basketball court that day.

Could you not… Could you stop liking her?

But if he said that, Huo Xingzhou would probably feel terrible after learning the person he liked had feelings for someone else.

He understood that feeling all too well.

He didn’t want Huo Xingzhou to experience that same sadness.

He hoped Huo Xingzhou would always be happy, always remain like he was on the basketball court—carefree, full of wild energy, radiating confidence and unrestrained charm.

He never wanted him to be sad for anyone.

But Luo Xing… really liked him.

He had liked him for ten years.

Luo Xing lowered his eyes and looked at the slowly melting dessert, suddenly recalling his childhood. Back then, he was always buried in endless knowledge, constantly on the verge of exhaustion, yet he still managed to carve out a little bit of “free time.”

Zhao Jiulan never gave him pocket money. He secretly collected empty drink bottles from his classmates and sold them for two yuan, just enough to buy a tiny notebook.

It had thirty-five pages, including the cover. He filled every page with the name “Huo Xingzhou,” hiding it in the hidden compartment of his backpack, along with a candy wrapper.

Whenever he felt like he couldn’t hold on any longer, he’d take it out and look at it.

In some not-so-distant place, perhaps someone still remembered him.

That person had spoken to him, told him his name, and treated him kindly.

Later, Luo Xing found out which school Huo Xingzhou attended. He even picked up something Huo Xingzhou accidentally dropped and kept it with that little notebook as a treasure.

It was his secret.

A secret that tasted like strawberries.

On Wednesday afternoon, there was a small test. Cheng Limin collected the exam papers, stood on the podium, and glanced toward the back of the classroom. He was pleased to find that Huo Xingzhou hadn’t skipped class recently to go play basketball.

The recently submitted test papers were done seriously, and Luo Xing’s contribution was no small part of it.

Cheng Limin had always been impartial. After praising Huo Xingzhou a little, he subtly shifted the praise to Luo Xing as well.

Huo Xingzhou stretched his long legs and smiled. 

“Teacher, why do you have to be so roundabout when praising someone?”

Cheng Limin snorted. 

“Taking a roundabout way will have you running into a tree?”

Huo Xingzhou responded with an exaggerated seriousness, 

“Of course not. But your way of complimenting people is so subtle that it feels like we need to do a reading comprehension exercise to figure it out. It’s exhausting.”

Cheng Limin looked at him. 

“So, what kind of praise do you think would do you justice?”

Huo Xingzhou really thought about it and said shamelessly in the quiet classroom, 

“You should just say, ‘Classmates, you should all take Huo Xingzhou and Luo Xing as role models and study hard.'”

Cheng Limin sneered and almost threw the blackboard eraser at him. 

“Take you as a role model for sarcasm? If you corrupt Luo Xing, you’ll see how I deal with you!”

After saying that, Cheng Limin left the classroom.

Huo Xingzhou, shameless as always, rounded up everything Cheng Limin had said into a version where it sounded like the teacher had praised him in front of the whole class. Without blushing or flinching, he turned to Luo Xing.

 “Luo teacher, since Cheng teacher praised me just now, shouldn’t I get a reward?”

“W-what reward do you want?” 

Luo Xing stammered.

Seeing Luo Xing unconsciously swallow nervously with such a tense expression, Huo Xingzhou’s heart softened. He thought carefully—he needed to ask for something not too light that it wouldn’t satisfy him, but not too bold that it might scare Luo Xing.

Holding Luo Xing’s hand, he felt his soft palm, like a kitten’s paw pad, and couldn’t help but give it a few more squeezes.

After some thought, he said,

 “If I ask for something, will you give it to me?”

Luo Xing wasn’t sure what Huo Xingzhou wanted, but he trusted that it wouldn’t be anything illegal or intentionally difficult. So, he nodded.

Feeling that he had dug the hole deep enough, Huo Xingzhou leaned in close to Luo Xing’s ear. 

“I want you to…”

Luo Xing’s ears instantly turned red. He looked up in shock, staring at Huo Xingzhou for several seconds, not daring to believe what he had just heard.

Huo Xingzhou finished the sentence, 

“… call me ‘gege’.”

Luo Xing froze for two seconds before realizing what had just happened. He saw Huo Xingzhou’s playful smile, as if trying to see right through him.

His eyes were deep and dark, like ink, always making Luo Xing’s heart race uncontrollably when they locked onto him.

Luo Xing couldn’t escape his gaze and suddenly recalled that moment in bed when he had quietly whispered “Xingzhou gege” while holding that little box. His face turned even redder.

Not letting him avoid it, Huo Xingzhou rubbed Luo Xing’s wrist gently and whispered in a low, deliberate voice,

 “teacher Luo.”

The deep, intentional tone of “Luo teacher” sent shivers down Luo Xing’s spine. Since they were so close, Luo Xing even heard a faint breathy chuckle that struck his heart with each beat.

Luo Xing clenched his fingers, his blush spreading from his earlobes all the way down to the back of his neck.

Amused, Huo Xingzhou reached out and pinched Luo Xing’s earlobe, causing him to bite his lip in a fluster. 

“D-don’t pinch me.”

“Don’t pinch you where?” 

Huo Xingzhou teased.

Luo Xing pressed his lips together. Since it was break time, the other students were chatting. 

Some were sitting toward the back, and if they turned their heads slightly, they could easily see him. This made him even more nervous.

“…It’s so ticklish.”

Huo Xingzhou continued lightly pinching his ear, his movements neither heavy nor light, making Luo Xing’s legs go weak. If he hadn’t been sitting, he would’ve collapsed by now.

“Where does it tickle?” 

Huo Xingzhou teased, refusing to let go. Instead, he applied more pressure, his fingertips rubbing Luo Xing’s ear until he could barely hold on.

Luo Xing’s breath grew heavier. Unable to endure it, he grabbed Huo Xingzhou’s wrist and leaned closer, whispering urgently, 

“Xing… Xingzhou gege.”

Huo Xingzhou’s fingers froze for a second, and he instinctively squeezed Luo Xing’s earlobe harder. 

Luo Xing lost all strength and fell into his arms.

His voice was naturally soft, sticky like freshly steamed sugar cakes. When he called him “Xingzhou gege” in such a pleading tone, it was like detonating a depth charge deep in Huo Xingzhou’s heart.

A muffled explosion sent waves rippling through his soul, shattering the last defenses of his heart completely.

This kid was just too endearing.

Luo Xing’s nose bumped into Huo Xingzhou’s chest. Embarrassed, he quickly pushed him away, sat upright, and lowered his head. 

No matter what Huo Xingzhou said, he refused to look up again, focusing solely on his homework.

Huo Xingzhou, in a great mood, opened his test paper and started writing as well. After all, good grades meant rewards, and he was already looking forward to his next one.

He wondered if the kid would agree next time. 

He had to—there was no choice.

Huo Xingzhou realized he’d run out of scratch paper. He tapped Luo Xing’s elbow.

 “Teacher Luo, I’m out of scratch paper. Can you—”

Before he could finish, a figure pounced over. Huo Xingzhou didn’t even have time to dodge before a thick “Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Mock Tests” book slammed onto his desk.

“…” 

Huo Xingzhou glanced up and down at Feng Jia. 

“Reenacting Tarzan, are we?”

Feng Jia spat twice, just about to speak when he noticed Hu Jiawen entering through the back door. He called out, 

“Hu Jiawen, your family runs an inn near Canghua, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

Feng Jia put an arm around his shoulder, calling him “brother” with exaggerated friendliness. 

“I heard your family’s eco-tourism business is doing well. My birthday’s next week, and it’d be boring to celebrate at a hotel. How about setting up a meal at your place?”

“Uh… sure,” 

Hu Jiawen, who had few friends in class, felt flattered and nodded repeatedly. His grades and social standing were only average, so he was surprised to be called “brother” out of nowhere.

Feng Jia kept talking, and Hu Jiawen stammered,

 “Then for… for your birthday, should we start preparing the menu and everything?”

“No rush. We’ll head over during the long weekend next week—Friday,” 

Feng Jia said before turning to Huo Xingzhou. 

“I was thinking of opening a few bottles of wine and having a proper meal. If I go back to the dorm reeking of alcohol, Old Cheng and my dad will kill me together.”

“Deal,” 

Huo Xingzhou agreed.

Feng Jia leaned on Huo Xingzhou’s desk, ignoring his expression.

 “So, bro, you’re coming, right? You’re of age now.”

“Move. You’re pressing on my test paper,”

 Huo Xingzhou said.

“What are you even doing? Come on, Huo gege. Those model students are monsters. We’re not joining them, right?” 

Feng Jia grabbed the test paper, ready to crumple it.

“Go ahead,” 

Huo Xingzhou smiled. 

“Wherever you throw it, your head will be right there next.”

“I was just joking!” 

Feng Jia quickly put the test paper back down, then asked, 

“Seriously though, it’ll be my birthday during the long weekend. Let’s go out and have some fun. It’s been ages since we hung out.”

Huo Xingzhou nodded, signaling his agreement.

Feng Jia glanced at Luo Xing, contemplating something. He slapped Luo Xing’s desk and said, 

“What are you writing? What’s so great about that? Next week during the long weekend, you should join us for my birthday.”

Luo Xing looked up.

Huo Xingzhou also turned his head, and their gazes collided in the air.

Luo Xing suddenly remembered calling him “Xingzhou gege” earlier. Thinking he was being laughed at, he panicked a little. 

His hands fidgeted under the desk, and the redness on his face, which had just faded, started to return.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be free, so I won’t go. But I’ll prepare a gift. Happy birthday in advance.”

Feng Jia thought it was lame. Since they shared a dorm room and had at least a month of friendship, he figured it was only right for Luo Xing to join in, especially since they’d be roommates for the rest of the year.

“Bro, that’s no fun at all…” 

Feng Jia reached for the test paper again.

Huo Xingzhou raised his eyes.

 “Didn’t you hear him say he’s busy? You need him there to drink you under the table?”

Feng Jia got excited. 

“Oh please, everyone knows you’re a lightweight, Xing ge. One cup and you’re out. When that happens, I’ll draw a turtle on your face!”

Huo Xingzhou lifted his foot slightly, and Feng Jia instinctively jumped back, only to realize it was a feint.

“You scared me again!” 

Feng Jia protested.

Li Lefan laughed and joined in. Everyone in their group knew that while Huo Xingzhou was good at many things, drinking was not one of them. Even a sip of sparkling fruit wine could knock him out.

Feng Jia and Li Lefan put their arms around each other and called out to Ye Qiaoqiao. 

“Hey, class president, join us for the long weekend! You can drink, right? When Xingzhou passes out, we’ll count on you to get him home.”

Luo Xing froze.

Ye Qiaoqiao… was that close to him?

Biting his lip, Luo Xing sneaked a glance at Huo Xingzhou. But the moment their eyes met, he was caught. Panicking, Luo Xing quickly lowered his head again.

A tipsy Huo Xingzhou…