NASAY CH 28
by Suxxi“Right!”
Luo Xing suddenly remembered—he was supposed to be in class right now. Why did he suddenly show up here?
“What’s wrong?”
Huo Xingzhou sat next to him and helped him up. Noticing that Luo Xing wasn’t wearing much, he grabbed the remote and turned up the air conditioning.
Luo Xing sat up quickly beside him and asked anxiously,
“Why are you here? Didn’t you promise me you’d stay at school and attend classes? Did you sneak out again?”
“I didn’t sneak out. I asked for leave from Teacher Cheng.”
Huo Xingzhou felt a bit tired after being “drifted” around by Wu Suyan in the morning, coupled with not having eaten all day and rushing to catch the afternoon bus.
“Are you lying to me?”
Luo Xing pressed him for answers. Usually, it’s hard for senior students to get leave unless it’s something serious, and even then, teachers are reluctant to let them go.
The last time he went to the hospital, Teacher Cheng barely agreed to let him leave.
“It’s true! If you don’t believe me, call him. I got scolded so badly that several teachers in the office heard it and almost laughed themselves silly.”
Huo Xingzhou chuckled and thought to himself: Isn’t it because you said you wanted to see me tonight? Otherwise, why would I act like a fool, bowing my head and letting Teacher Cheng lecture me for so long? I even had to promise not to skip classes, not to fight with classmates, and not to sleep during lessons.
“Alright, have you eaten?”
Luo Xing shook his head.
“No.”
“Then should we go out to eat or order takeout and eat in the room?”
Luo Xing looked at him and initially wanted to suggest staying in the room. But then he remembered that Ye Qiaoqiao and Lu Qinghe had gone out, too. He didn’t want to keep Huo Xingzhou cooped up with him all the time.
“It’s up to you… I’m fine with anything.”
Huo Xingzhou glanced at his phone. It was 6:20 PM, still early.
“Then let’s go out to eat and walk around a bit,”
Huo Xingzhou said as he pulled Luo Xing up from the bed. He grabbed a thick coat from the bed and helped Luo Xing put it on. When Luo Xing finished putting on his shoes and reached the door, Huo Xingzhou pulled out the room card and slipped it into his pocket.
It was still a little chilly outside. Luo Xing shivered and took a deep breath.
“Cold?”
Huo Xingzhou turned around, adjusted his collar, and pulled his zipper up a little higher.
“Not… not really. It’s just that I’m not used to it after coming out of a heated room,”
Luo Xing replied. Noticing that Huo Xingzhou wasn’t wearing much either, he asked worriedly,
“Aren’t you cold?”
“Nope, I’m full of energy. Want to feel for yourself?”
Huo Xingzhou winked, making Luo Xing’s face flush red again.
To change the subject, Luo Xing quickly asked,
“When are you leaving?”
“Why? I just got here, and you’re already trying to kick me out?”
“No, no! That’s not what I meant,”
Luo Xing hurriedly explained.
“I just think it’s bad for you to miss so many classes. You’ll fall behind a lot.”
“If you’re really worried I won’t keep up, then you’ll just have to tutor me,”
Huo Xingzhou said with a smile.
Just then, a taxi stopped in front of them. Huo Xingzhou opened the door for Luo Xing to get in first before following him inside.
“Where to?”
the driver asked.
Huo Xingzhou had already looked up popular places to eat and have fun before coming, so he gave the driver an address.
The place wasn’t far, and they arrived in less than ten minutes. It was a restaurant with exotic décor. Seeing how familiar Huo Xingzhou seemed with the place, Luo Xing couldn’t help but tug nervously at his sleeve, worried it might be like last time.
Huo Xingzhou turned around, held Luo Xing’s hand, and walked inside.
A server greeted them at the entrance.
“Hello, how many?”
“Just two,”
Huo Xingzhou replied.
The server led them to a window seat on the second floor and handed them menus.
Having eaten with Luo Xing several times, Huo Xingzhou had already figured out his food preferences. He quickly ordered a selection of dishes and handed the menu back to the server.
“Add a milk tea too, but don’t serve it now. We’ll take it to go when we pay,”
Huo Xingzhou added.
“Okay,” the server responded.
Luo Xing looked puzzled.
“Just one?”
Huo Xingzhou nodded.
“I’m not drinking.”
Luo Xing blinked. This was the second time. Every time they ate out, Huo Xingzhou wouldn’t order one for himself. He wanted to ask why Huo Xingzhou came all the way here—was it because of him? Or… was it because Ye Qiaoqiao was here too?
He didn’t dare ask. He was afraid that Huo Xingzhou would get angry, and he was also afraid that he’d find out Ye Qiaoqiao went out with Lu Qinghe.
The meal passed, but Luo Xing could hardly taste anything. It wasn’t until they left the restaurant that Huo Xingzhou adjusted his coat for him and knocked lightly on his forehead.
“Snap out of it.”
Luo Xing covered his forehead, blinking twice. Huo Xingzhou chuckled and handed him the milk tea they had packed earlier.
“If you go back to sleep right after eating, you’ll get indigestion. Let’s take a walk. I saw a small park with a lake on the way here.”
“Okay,”
Luo Xing agreed.
Just as he spoke, a flash of light came from behind. Huo Xingzhou reacted quickly, pulling him aside as a motorcycle sped past with a loud whoosh.
“Damn it! What kind of idiot races on a pedestrian path?”
Huo Xingzhou cursed. He quickly checked Luo Xing’s hands and legs.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Luo Xing let out a shaky breath, his fingers trembling as he held the milk tea tightly.
“…I’m fine.”
Huo Xingzhou moved him to the inner side of the sidewalk, holding his hand and stuffing it into the pocket of his coat.
The streetlights stretched their shadows long. It was quiet everywhere, with cold streetlights casting a frosty glow on the ground. White mist rose in the air with every breath.
Luo Xing sneaked a glance at him. His fingertips, now in Huo Xingzhou’s hand, felt itchy—he wanted to move, but didn’t dare.
Huo Xingzhou’s hand was so warm that it almost burned him, the heat traveling from his fingertips straight to his heart. Luo Xing swallowed nervously and suddenly remembered the day Huo Xingzhou got drunk.
When he was drunk, he was so unreasonable… yet incredibly sexy.
Luo Xing blinked. It would be so nice if we could be together, he thought. If only Huo Xingzhou liked me, even just a little… Not as much as I like him, just a little would be enough.
Huo Xingzhou tilted his head and looked at him.
“Hey, is the milk tea good?”
Luo Xing looked at the half-finished milk tea, unsure why Huo Xingzhou was asking. He nodded.
“It’s good.”
“Let me try it.”
Luo Xing looked confused.
“Didn’t you say you didn’t want any…?”
Without waiting for an answer, Huo Xingzhou grabbed the milk tea, taking a sip from the exact spot where Luo Xing had just drunk. He didn’t mind at all, drinking the sweet matcha milk cap with ease, then calmly handed it back.
“Not bad.”
Later, when Luo Xing invited him to stay overnight, it was an instinctive suggestion. But when he came out of the bathroom and saw Huo Xingzhou sitting on the bed with his phone, smiling faintly while replying to a message, Luo Xing’s heart skipped a beat.
He stood at the bathroom doorway, unsure whether to enter or retreat.
The last time they stayed together, he had fallen asleep without realizing it. This time, they were both wide awake. It made him nervous, and he gripped the hem of his shirt tightly.
Meanwhile, Huo Xingzhou was listening to a voice message from Feng Jia.
“Brother Zhou, didn’t you say you were going to the infirmary? Why haven’t you come back yet? Are you okay?”
Feng Jia asked in the voice message.
Huo Xingzhou chuckled and pressed the voice message button.
“I’m fine. I came to Beishi.”
There was a few seconds of silence from Feng Jia’s side before a surprised shout,
“What the hell?! You went to Beishi just to see a doctor? Wait… isn’t that where the class president’s competition is?”
Huo Xingzhou sneered.
“What does that have to do with you?”
“Of course it has something to do with me!”
Feng Jia protested loudly.
“My roasted skewers for a whole month depend on this! Hey, you skipped classes and meals just to run there. What’s the point?”
“I’ve never liked attending classes anyway.”
Huo Xingzhou unconsciously tapped on the book cover and cleared his throat.
“Can’t I go out for a walk?”
Feng Jia scoffed,
“Yeah, right. You walked all the way from Jiangcheng to Beishi? Be honest, what are you really up to?”
Huo Xingzhou glanced up and saw Luo Xing standing at the bathroom door, hesitating in his pajamas. He immediately smiled, put down his phone, and extended his hand.
“Cold? What are you standing there for? Come here.”
Luo Xing bit his lip and walked over, climbing onto the bed from the other side and slipping under the covers.
Huo Xingzhou tossed the book aside, but it missed the table and fell to the floor. Luo Xing instinctively bent down to pick it up, but before he could, Huo Xingzhou pulled him back.
“Stay still. What are you moving around for?”
Luo Xing picked up the book, blew the dust off it carefully, and wiped it with his hand before placing it on the table.
Watching him treat the book so delicately, Huo Xingzhou felt a little jealous. He pinched the back of Luo Xing’s neck.
“It’s just a book. Why are you so nervous about it? If you don’t sleep now, I’ll swap places with you.”
Startled, Luo Xing quickly burrowed into the blanket, unsure where to place his hands and feet in his nervousness. His mind was filled with the thought that they were lying on the same bed.
He was so close. His nose was filled with the warm, clean scent of laundry soap from Huo Xingzhou.
Luo Xing unconsciously swallowed and shifted back slightly, afraid of accidentally touching him. But seeing him nearly fall off the edge, Huo Xingzhou grabbed his hand and pulled him into his arms, growling,
“What are you fidgeting for? I told you to stay still, didn’t I?”
Luo Xing suddenly fell into his chest, his breath caught in his throat. His hands instinctively pressed against Huo Xingzhou’s chest, and his face flushed uncontrollably.
Huo Xingzhou’s breath was so close, and his body was so warm. Even through the thin fabric of their pajamas, the heat transferred to Luo Xing, like a cozy warmth that made him want to curl up closer.
Luo Xing struggled to control himself and whispered,
“I have a competition tomorrow. Since it’s still early, I want to review the test papers. Will you study with me?”
Huo Xingzhou immediately understood. Luo Xing didn’t really want company—he wanted to tutor him under the guise of studying.
Seeing that he didn’t respond, Luo Xing softly asked again,
“Is that okay?”
“No.”
Huo Xingzhou was wide awake. It was the first time they were lying on the same bed while both were completely conscious. With a slight movement, he could wrap Luo Xing in his arms. Study now?
“But…”
Luo Xing was pressed against him, his face red as he raised his head.
“Just for a bit… one hour, okay?”
Huo Xingzhou took a deep breath. His eyes fell on Luo Xing’s soft, rosy lips, and he felt himself heat up. If he didn’t find something to do, he might just lose control right in front of him.
Luo Xing, thinking he was angry, blinked nervously and lowered his voice even more.
“Fifty minutes?”
Huo Xingzhou sighed.
Luo Xing panicked even more, his heart pounding.
“If you get everything right… I’ll give you a reward. How about that?”
Huo Xingzhou turned on his side, resting a hand on Luo Xing’s waist while propping his head with the other.
“Fine. Go get it. But you’re staying on the bed to study.”
“Okay!”
Luo Xing smiled brightly, hopping off the bed and rummaging through his bag to pull out several test papers. He spread them on the pillow and also grabbed a pen and a notebook.
Huo Xingzhou lifted the blanket, letting him crawl back in and lie down properly. He tucked the blanket around him, adjusted the air conditioner’s temperature, and then turned on his side.
“Explain it to me.”