NASAY CH 26

Cheng Limin had just left not long ago, and the classroom was still very quiet.

The students collectively turned to look at the door, then turned back to look at Huo Xingzhou. He obediently stood up. 

Luo Xing gently tugged at his hand under the desk and whispered, 

“Who is she?”

Huo Xingzhou bent down, leaned close to his ear, and lowered his voice. 

“My mom.”

Luo Xing’s fingers immediately loosened, and he quickly pulled his hand back. His eyes discreetly studied Wu Suyan. 

Her outfit was sharp and elegant, her expression unreadable—not exactly angry, but certainly not friendly either—which made Luo Xing feel a little uneasy.

“Is Auntie very angry?”

 Luo Xing could barely hear his own voice and controlled the volume based on intuition.

 “Is it because of the class monitor incident? Did Teacher Cheng ask her to come to school? Should I explain it to Teacher Cheng?”

Huo Xingzhou had been in countless fights since childhood. The amount of trouble he had caused could probably outweigh all of Luo Xing’s academic awards. 

Although he had turned over a new leaf recently, hearing this still made him want to laugh.

“What’s the matter? You want to talk to my mom?”

Luo Xing didn’t catch the teasing undertone and nodded.

 “You didn’t hit him, and it was because of me…”

“I hit him. What does it have to do with you? Why would you take the blame? What if my mom comes after you instead?”

“If Auntie doesn’t blame you, then… I… I don’t mind being hit once,” 

Luo Xing said softly, glancing at Wu Suyan before quickly lowering his head again.

Huo Xingzhou looked down at him, his delicate and fair face filled with nervousness, clearly worried about him being blamed. His heart softened instantly.

He mouthed,

 “Silly boy, I wouldn’t even dream of hitting you.”

“Don’t joke around,” 

Luo Xing said, holding his hand again. He looked up and whispered,

 “You promised we’d take the college entrance exam together. You can’t go back on your word.”

“I know,” 

Huo Xingzhou replied gently.

***

Wu Suyan’s car was parked at the school gate. Huo Xingzhou opened the door and got in. He had barely sat down when Wu Suyan sneered, 

“Tell me, why did you fight?”

Huo Xingzhou crossed his long legs, tugged at his school uniform collar, and sighed.

 “He accused my deskmate and Qiaoqiao of cheating. Don’t you think he deserved it?”

Wu Suyan remained silent for a few seconds before saying, 

“And who decides if he deserves a beating? Should I teach you a lesson for that?”

“I know I was wrong.”

“Will you do it again?”

Huo Xingzhou thought for a moment and left himself a way out. 

“Depends on the situation.”

Wu Suyan hit the gas, and the car shot forward. Huo Xingzhou almost flew out the window. He scrambled to fasten his seatbelt, pleading, 

“Mom! Calm down! I haven’t gotten married yet—I can’t die!”

They soon arrived at the hospital. The principal and Teacher Cheng arrived shortly after and followed them into Ding Chao’s hospital room.

Ding Chao’s mother sat by the bed, feeding him porridge. Her slightly thinning hair was tied into a small bundle. 

Deep wrinkles etched her weathered face, and her skin was dark from years of working under the sun.

Hearing the noise, Ding’s mother raised her head and saw the four standing at the door. She immediately stood up and rushed toward them, raising her hand to slap Wu Suyan.

“You dare to come here!”

Huo Xingzhou sidestepped and grabbed her wrist, but to his surprise, it was just a feint. Ding’s mother reversed her hand and slapped him hard on his right cheek.

The loud slap stunned everyone in the room. A passing nurse glanced in indifferently, thinking it was just another family dispute before turning back to her duties.

Huo Xingzhou froze for a second.

Ding Chao was also taken aback but lowered his eyes after glancing at Wu Suyan.

In Ding Chao’s eyes, Huo Xingzhou was nothing more than a pampered rich kid, living a life of luxury despite being good for nothing. 

In contrast, Ding Chao studied until past 1 a.m. every day and woke up at 5:30 a.m., yet no matter how hard he worked, he couldn’t earn the annual scholarship.

Ye Qiaoqiao had a well-off family, and Lu Qinghe’s family was even more different from his—a world apart. He overheard the principal talking to Lu Qinghe’s father on the phone once. His family could even afford to donate a building to the school.

Why would they need a scholarship? Even if they got it, they’d probably just buy a pair of shoes or have a nice meal. Why did they have to compete with him for it?

These rich kids would never understand how hard life was.

“Hey, hey, hey!” 

Cheng Limin finally snapped out of his shock and quickly pulled Huo Xingzhou aside. He turned to Ding’s mother and said,

 “Ms. Ding, I understand you’re very upset. We’re here today to find a satisfactory resolution for you…”

“Satisfactory? How could I possibly be satisfied? My son was beaten so badly he had to stay in the hospital for two days. Neither his father nor I can work. How are we supposed to eat? And who knows if there will be any lasting effects?” 

Ding’s mother glared at Wu Suyan with hatred, as if her very presence was an insult.

Cheng Limin hurriedly said, 

“I know, I know. That’s why Huo Xingzhou’s parent came today specifically to apologize and even suggested letting the doctor give Ding Chao a full check-up.”

Mother Ding sneered,

 “A full check-up? Are you implying that I’m trying to scam you? Let’s not talk about that—just the fact that my son is a senior in high school. Do you know how much this incident has affected his studies? My husband and I have spent our whole lives working hard just to support him through school, hoping he can get into a good university so he won’t have to suffer like us—living a life of back-breaking labor. If he doesn’t get into college because of this, will you take responsibility?”

Cheng Limin was momentarily speechless.

The principal took over, saying,

 “You don’t need to worry about that. We’ll have all the subject teachers personally help Ding Chao catch up on his missed lessons. How about that?”

Mother Ding turned to look at her son on the hospital bed and then glanced at Huo Xingzhou.

Even if she wasn’t well-versed in luxury brands, she could tell how expensive Huo Xingzhou’s sneakers were and how much the bag in Wu Suyan’s hand must have cost.

“My son is now scared to go back to school and feels disillusioned with studying. You think tutoring will solve everything?” 

Her eyes turned red, and she said hoarsely, 

“You must pay us mental distress compensation.”

“Disillusioned with studying?” 

Huo Xingzhou raised an eyebrow and looked at Ding Chao on the bed. His face was glowing with health, and he had a stack of exam papers on his lap, looking so diligent it could bring tears to one’s eyes.

Studying hard despite adversity—how could Tsinghua or Peking University refuse such determination?

The principal, sensing an opportunity for reconciliation, thought that compensation was a better option than letting the situation escalate and affect the school’s ranking.

“How much compensation do you think would be reasonable? We’ll do our best to meet your request.”

Mother Ding glared at Wu Suyan and then at Huo Xingzhou, her expression filled with hatred.

“100,000 yuan.”

The principal froze. That…

Before Huo Xingzhou could speak, Wu Suyan raised her hand to stop him and said calmly, 

“Tell me exactly what happened that day, word for word. If you leave out a single detail, I’ll twist your head off.”

“Okay.” 

Huo Xingzhou obediently began, 

“A new student named Luo Xing transferred to our class in late September—”

“No need to start from the dawn of time. Get to the point,” 

Wu Suyan said, her eyes warning him not to mess around.

Huo Xingzhou licked his lips, feeling a stinging sensation from a scratch on his face.

Just then, his phone vibrated. He pulled it out and saw a WeChat message from Luo Xing.

—Are you at the hospital?

Huo Xingzhou casually replied: Yes.

Luo Xing hesitated, typing and deleting his message several times, while Ye Qiaoqiao, sitting next to him, couldn’t stand it anymore.

After three full minutes, only two words finally appeared on the screen: Oh, okay.

…?

Huo Xingzhou knew that Luo Xing must be worried about him causing more trouble but couldn’t bring himself to tell him to back down, so he had to express his concern in this roundabout way.

Apologize? Fine.

Putting his phone away, Huo Xingzhou stood up straight and politely bowed to Mother Ding.

 “Auntie Ding, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have fought with Ding Chao. But I only pinned him down on the ground and made him eat a bit of dirt—I didn’t actually hit him.”

Mother Ding’s pride collided with her long-suppressed resentment. Her son being pinned down and humiliated by a wealthy kid made her explode with emotion. She rushed at Wu Suyan, screaming, 

“You raised your son to trample on our dignity! You rich people think you can just bully us however you like!”

Standing much taller than her, Huo Xingzhou calmly looked down and said, 

“Ding Chao stole our class monitor’s test papers and falsely accused him and my desk mate, Luo Xing, of cheating during the monthly and mid-term exams.”

Ding Chao clenched his fists, not daring to lift his head.

The principal was at a loss for words.

Technically, Ding Chao was in the wrong from the start, but the moment the tables turned, he suddenly became the victim. The principal just hoped both sides could resolve this peacefully.

But asking for 100,000 yuan in compensation… That was far too much. Even if Huo Xingzhou’s family was wealthy, they couldn’t just agree to any random demand.

“Mrs. Ding, about that…”

Mother Ding sat on the floor, crying and wailing while slapping the ground. 

“Chaochao is my precious boy. He’s my only son! You hit him, you almost killed him—what are we old folks supposed to do if something happens to him?”

The principal finally understood—this was clearly an attempt to extort money. He glanced at Cheng Limin, who was also frowning deeply, and sighed helplessly.

Wu Suyan, who had been silent, suddenly coughed and crouched down slightly to help Mother Ding up.

“Mrs. Ding, I’m truly sorry that Huo Xingzhou hurt your son. That’s why I rushed back immediately to take responsibility. I’ve already booked an appointment with the best doctor in the city. They’ll give him a full check-up, down to every strand of hair. If there’s any injury, I’ll compensate you triple the medical expenses.”

Mother Ding sneered, 

“Now that’s more like it. At least you’re finally speaking like a human being. But look at your son—”

Wu Suyan locked eyes with her, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. 

“But if your son wasn’t injured by Huo Xingzhou, then I hope the principal will handle the false accusation of cheating and exchanging answers seriously. Agreed?”

Mother Ding’s hand froze, her lips trembling. She turned to look at her son on the hospital bed, who kept his head down and refused to meet her gaze. Flustered, she shook off Wu Suyan’s hand and continued her tirade.

“You rich people! Isn’t it easy for you to bribe a few doctors? Even if there’s an injury, they’ll say there isn’t one. I don’t care! If you don’t compensate us, I’ll report this to the education bureau! Don’t think you can—”

“Mrs. Ding, please calm down,”

 the principal interrupted hastily. 

“Let’s discuss this…”

“There’s nothing to discuss!”

Suddenly, Huo Xingzhou laughed. From a distance, he called out to Ding Chao, 

“I don’t mind being expelled. Do you?”

Ding Chao wiped his hands nervously. If he got expelled, No. 1 High School definitely wouldn’t accept him, and other schools…

“Mom, forget it,” 

Ding Chao said, his eyes red. He glanced to the side and added, 

“I don’t blame Huo Xing. He already apologized, and I forgive him.”

Huo Xingzhou raised an eyebrow. 

“Wow, thank you, Vice Class President, for your generosity.”

Mother Ding’s face turned red and then white. Her teeth clenched so hard they made a grinding noise. She rushed at Ding Chao, hitting him.

“You said it was you who told me he hit you, made you feel sick and want to vomit! Do you know how hard your father and I work for you? We’ve toiled endlessly for you… and now you just forgive him?”

Huo Xingzhou didn’t want to watch the farce any longer. With a sneer, he turned and walked out, leaning against the hallway wall. He pulled out his phone and sent a message to Luo Xing.

At the same time, a bus full of students was on its way to a competition. This time, the team from Class 11 was led by Teacher Qiao. No. 2 High School had five students participating, while No. 1 High School sent seven. With students from various other schools, the bus was packed.

There were many girls chatting away. Luo Xing sat on the aisle seat of a row for three people, while Lu Qinghe protected Ye Qiaoqiao in the window seat.

The three of them weren’t talkative by nature. Only when Ye Qiaoqiao occasionally asked a question did Lu Qinghe answer briefly.

Luo Xing held his phone, feeling increasingly anxious.

It had been several hours since Huo Xingzhou had said, I’ll talk to you later, but not a single message or call had come. His world was eerily quiet now, and for the first time, he truly understood what it meant for silence to be deafening.

 He kept unlocking his phone and opening their chat window, only to find nothing.

Luo Xing tapped his name with his finger, then locked the screen again.

Usually, when they were in class, Huo Xingzhou would constantly mess with him—tugging his wrist one moment, asking strange questions the next.

Even when Luo Xing tried to ignore him, he’d still steal glances at him, afraid to miss what he was saying. In the end, Huo Xingzhou would always make him so flustered that he didn’t know how to react.

Luo Xing opened Weibo and, after a quick glance at Lu Qinghe, who was busy talking to Ye Qiaoqiao, let out a sigh of relief.

His fingers hesitated for a moment before he typed: hxz, I miss you so much.

As he posted it, Luo Xing finally exhaled the breath he’d been holding. Weibo was his little sanctuary, where he could express his longing for Huo Xingzhou without fear of being seen or judged.

“Luo Xing.”

“Huh?”

Ye Qiaoqiao called out, but Luo Xing didn’t respond. Lu Qinghe raised his hand and tapped on Luo Xing’s phone screen, making him look up.

“Class President.”

“Don’t call me Class President, just call me by my name.”

 Ye Qiaoqiao smiled, squinting her eyes. Her gray-blue eyes made her fair skin look even whiter, like an elf from a foreign movie.

“Here, have some.” 

Ye Qiaoqiao reached past Lu Qinghe and handed him several small packs of snacks and candies. She smiled mischievously and asked,

 “Why didn’t you respond just now? Were you thinking about someone?”

Luo Xing’s fingers froze for a second, then he shook his head.

 “I wasn’t thinking about anyone.”

Ye Qiaoqiao’s eyes sparkled, and she lowered her voice with a playful smile. 

“I thought you might be thinking about Huo Xingzhou.”

“No, no!” 

Luo Xing’s heart skipped a beat. He nervously squeezed the candy in his hand and denied it hurriedly.

 “I wasn’t thinking about him. Why would I think about him?”

Ding!

Luo Xing immediately lowered his head and saw a notification pop up on the screen. His heart skipped again as he quickly opened it. It was a voice message from Huo Xingzhou. He pulled out his earphones, put them in, and turned the volume up to the maximum.

“It’s all settled. Nothing to worry about anymore.”

“When you’re not here, I don’t want to attend class at all. I can’t understand what the teacher is saying, and I don’t want to ask him for help. Why are these questions so hard?”

“Teacher Luo, I kind of miss you.”

Luo Xing listened to the voice message. Huo Xingzhou’s voice sounded slightly different through WeChat—lower, every word striking straight at his heart, making his hand holding the phone go weak.

“Do you miss me… this student?” 

Huo Xingzhou dragged out the words deliberately, saving the last four for the end.

Luo Xing’s heart jumped at the first part of the sentence. He was afraid the sound would leak from his earphones for others to hear. His cheeks flushed as he typed a reply: “I do.”

When Huo Xingzhou saw those two words pop up, he could almost picture Luo Xing’s face. He glanced at the empty seat next to him, then lowered his voice again. 

“Say it with a voice message. Do you miss me or not?”

“Huo Xingzhou!”

 Teacher Zhou suddenly slammed the podium. 

“If you want to play with your phone, get out!”

Startled, Huo Xingzhou’s hand shook, and he accidentally recorded the teacher’s words along with his message.

 Luo Xing heard the message and realized he was in class while saying all that. Embarrassed, he wished he could hide under his desk.

“Focus on your class. Don’t play with your phone.”

Huo Xingzhou bargained,

 “Then tell me you miss me. If you don’t say it quickly, I’ll really get kicked out and have to stand in the hallway.”

Luo Xing panicked. He couldn’t hear it himself, but Lu Qinghe and Ye Qiaoqiao’s ears worked just fine! Through his earphones, Huo Xingzhou’s voice rang out slowly. 

Biting his lip, Luo Xing brought the earphone mic close to his mouth and whispered softly, 

“I miss you… but we’ll be apart for three days… If only we could see each other at night.”

Huo Xingzhou fell silent. Was Luo Xing trying to kill him?

“Teacher…”

“What now?”

“I don’t feel well. I need to go to the nurse’s office.”

“If you need to go, go. Don’t disrupt your classmates.”