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    Loves Balance

    The countdown on the blackboard was shrinking day by day. Huo Xingzhou was running back and forth between school and the hospital, and the exhaustion was real—anyone could see he had lost a noticeable amount of weight.

    Luo Xing tried to convince him not to come so often, assuring him that he was being well taken care of. Wu Suyan was always by his side at the hospital, so there was no need to worry.

    But Huo Xingzhou wouldn’t listen. No matter what, he had to come over and sleep beside him—otherwise, he wouldn’t feel at ease.

    Luo Xing could actually hear again now.

    It had been so long that he had forgotten what it was like to hear. When the sounds returned, even the rustling of grass seemed to have its own voice.

    He remembered the exact moment when his hearing fully returned.

    Huo Xingzhou was more nervous than he was, gripping the edge of the table so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

    He was anxious—afraid that Luo Xing still wouldn’t be able to hear, yet also worried that if he spoke too loudly, it would hurt his ears. In the end, he only managed to squeeze out a breathy whisper,
    “Can you… can you hear me?”

    As soon as Luo Xing nodded, Huo Xingzhou immediately pulled him into his arms, hugging him tightly without a care for the doctors and nurses around them. He held on as if he would never let go.

    “Have some dignity, you’re embarrassing yourself,”
    the doctor, who had long found Huo Xingzhou annoying, seized the chance to mock him.

    But Huo Xingzhou was too overjoyed to care. Even if the doctor punched him right then, he would’ve taken it with a smile.

    “What are you thinking about?”
    Huo Xingzhou asked with a smile, noticing Luo Xing had zoned out.

    “Thinking about how useful you are.”
    Luo Xing replied.

    “Are you comparing me to a tool?”
    Huo Xingzhou shot him a look.
    “You planning to rebel?”

    “No, no! You’re the smartest! I like you.”

    The sudden confession caught Huo Xingzhou off guard, making his heart soften. He let out a small huff, trying to save face, before saying,
    “Spring may be here, but the nights are still chilly. Let’s head back inside.”

    He held Luo Xing’s hand, which was a bit cold. Just had surgery, still recovering—can’t afford to get sick again.

    Every evening after dinner, they took a walk downstairs. The early spring breeze was cool against their skin but not too cold, carrying the soft scent of fresh grass.

    The sky was caught between dusk and nightfall.

    Huo Xingzhou held Luo Xing’s wrist as they strolled leisurely through the hospital grounds. Time seemed to speed up, slipping past them like sand through fingers.

    For a brief moment, it felt as though they had been walking together for decades.

    And perhaps, one day, when they were old and gray, unsteady on their feet, they would still be holding hands like this—watching the clouds drift by, watching the sky darken.

    “I’m not that fragile. I want to walk a little longer,”
    Luo Xing said, tugging at Huo Xingzhou’s hand in a rare moment of childlike defiance.
    “The hospital room smells like disinfectant. It’s awful.”

    He hesitated before adding,
    “In a few days, I want to go back to school. Can I?”

    “No.” Huo Xingzhou rejected the idea without hesitation.
    “Until you’re fully recovered, you’re not going anywhere.”

    Luo Xing pursed his lips, gripping his fingers and giving them a little shake. Blinking up at him, he pouted softly,
    “But if I can’t see you during the day… I’ll miss you.”

    “Pouting won’t work on me.” Huo Xingzhou raised a hand to cover Luo Xing’s slightly teary eyes, forcing himself to stay firm.
    “I already told you—it’s not tiring. I like running back and forth. Besides, when I’m here, we can be alone. Back in the dorm, there’s a giant third wheel, remember?”

    Luo Xing, caught red-handed, wilted slightly. He reached up to touch Huo Xingzhou’s face.
    “You keep saying you’re not tired, but you’ve lost so much weight.”

    Huo Xingzhou took the opportunity to press a kiss into his palm, grinning.
    “Not thinner—just more muscle. Don’t believe me? Feel for yourself. I’m solid.”

    He took Luo Xing’s hand and placed it against his chest. The spring clothes were already thinner, and through the dark knit fabric, his body felt warm and firm.

    Then, as if to tease him, Huo Xingzhou slid his own hand under Luo Xing’s coat, pressing his palm lightly against his stomach. His voice softened.

    “Baby, you’re so soft.”

    Right at that moment, two girls passed by, carrying something—probably here to visit a patient.

    They glanced at the two of them, then whispered excitedly.

    “Oh my god, did they just kiss?!”

    “I think so! Oh my god, that guy is so handsome, and the one in his arms is adorable. They’re way too cute together!”

    Huo Xingzhou deliberately lowered his voice, chuckling. “Oops, looks like we got caught.”

    Luo Xing, completely flustered, turned red and instinctively burrowed into Huo Xingzhou’s embrace like an ostrich, waiting for the two girls to leave.

    After a moment, he whispered, “Are they gone?”

    His voice was naturally soft, but now, with his shyness making him hesitant to speak loudly, he was like a steamed marshmallow—warm, sweet, and capable of melting someone’s heart.

    Huo Xingzhou watched the two girls walk away, then pulled Luo Xing slightly out of his embrace, smiling.
    “They’re gone now. But if you keep being this soft, what are you going to do in the future?”

    “I’m not soft!”
    Luo Xing protested.

    “Alright, alright, not soft,”
    Huo Xingzhou said, leaning in close to his ear and lowering his voice.
    “Our little cutie is actually quite tough.”

    “You’re still talking about it!”

    “Okay, okay, I won’t say it anymore. Let’s go up and sleep.”

    Huo Xingzhou stifled his laughter and casually took Luo Xing’s hand, leading him through the hospital’s large flower bed and back to the inpatient ward.

    Luo Xing took off his thick coat and walked into the bathroom. He saw Huo Xingzhou standing with his back to him, carefully adjusting the temperature of the water, and his heart swelled with warmth.

    Throughout his hospitalization, Huo Xingzhou had tirelessly shuttled between school and the hospital every day, insisting on personally helping him wash up, afraid that getting water in his ears would affect his recovery.

    On one hand, Luo Xing found it amusing how Huo Xingzhou treated him like a child. But on the other hand, the feeling of being cherished like this—being held in someone’s hands like a treasure—was so overwhelming that he nearly teared up.

    He walked over and wrapped his arms around Huo Xingzhou’s waist.

    Huo Xingzhou stiffened, immediately sensing the warmth behind him. He turned around in a hurry.
    “What’s wrong?”

    “Don’t turn around!”
    Luo Xing held onto his waist tightly, sniffled, and said softly,
    “Thank you, hubby.”

    !!

    A thunderous explosion seemed to go off in Huo Xingzhou’s brain—like a thousand volcanoes erupting at once, pouring scorching lava over him, leaving him completely stunned.

    What… did that soft little voice just call him?!

    Huo Xingzhou turned around, for once looking utterly dumbfounded. He swallowed hard twice, then cupped Luo Xing’s face with both hands and asked,
    “Baby, what did you just call me? Say it again.”

    Luo Xing bit his lip, utterly flustered under his burning gaze. Just that one word had already taken all the courage he had—there was no way he could say it again.

    So instead, he hooked his arms around Huo Xingzhou’s neck, stood on his tiptoes, and pressed a kiss to his eye.

    Huo Xingzhou caught his wrist, preventing him from escaping. “Be good. Say it again.”

    “I-I need to wash my face!”
    Luo Xing hurriedly sidestepped him, running to the sink and splashing water on his face.

    Huo Xingzhou, however, grabbed him back in an instant, lifted him by the waist, and pinned him against the wall. Then, without giving him a chance to resist, he kissed him deeply—relentlessly, almost punishingly—until Luo Xing, breathless and weak, had no choice but to give in and call him that word again and again.

    Only after hearing it more than a dozen times did he finally let go. The moment Luo Xing was freed, he ran off in a huff, fuming.

    “Wife, don’t be mad. I know I was wrong.”
    Huo Xingzhou, having gotten what he wanted, shamelessly pleaded for mercy.

    “Go away.”

    “I won’t. Even if you hit me, I won’t leave. Wife, should I kneel on a washboard tonight? Just don’t ignore me.”

    Huo Xingzhou put on his best pitiful look, patting Luo Xing’s shoulder as if trying to make amends.
    “Please, wife, forgive your husband, okay?”

    “No.”

    “Alright then, let’s sleep first. You can stay mad at me in the morning.”

    Huo Xingzhou poured warm water again for Luo Xing to wash his face and hands, then carried him to bed, teasing him the whole way.

    “I’m going to sleep,”
    Luo Xing muttered, turning his back to him.

    Huo Xingzhou sighed.
    “Alright, then.”

    He tucked him in properly, turned off the bright overhead light, and walked over to the desk by the window, sitting under the soft glow of a dim lamp to start writing.

    For a while, the room was silent except for the sound of Luo Xing’s quiet breathing and the scratch of a pen against paper.

    Luo Xing secretly turned over, watching him concentrate under the warm light.

    The bedside lamp wasn’t very bright, but it cast a long shadow of him, stretching across the floor and onto the wall.

    Luo Xing pressed his lips together. He wasn’t actually angry at Huo Xingzhou—he was angry at himself.

    Every time Huo Xingzhou treated him like that, he felt uncomfortable, yet he also longed for it. He even wanted him to be rougher, to push him to the point where he couldn’t take it anymore and ended up crying.

    He always felt that having such thoughts was too shameless, so he pretended to be angry—just to cover up his own feelings.

    But Huo Xingzhou was still there, coaxing him, thinking it was his fault, holding him so carefully and apologizing so tenderly.

    Luo Xing bit his lip, reached under his pillow, tore off a small piece of paper, scribbled a few words, and tossed it over.

    A tiny paper ball landed near Huo Xingzhou’s hand. He froze for a moment, then looked up toward the bed. All he saw was Luo Xing burying himself under the covers, not even showing his eyes.

    Shy, huh?

    Huo Xingzhou unfolded the note under the dim light of the lamp. The moment he read it, he was stunned.

    —Actually, I like it when you do that to me.

    Huo Xingzhou stiffly looked at the curled-up figure under the blanket, letting out a silent laugh in his heart.

    This little brat was getting better and better at lighting fires.

    A little tease who only knew how to start the fire but never put it out!

    Huo Xingzhou, feeling a bit vengeful, tore off a piece of paper and wrote a reply before tossing it back.

    —What if I make you cry? What if I break you?

    Luo Xing’s face instantly turned bright red. His whole body burned, the heat pooling low in his stomach. He squirmed uneasily, instinctively clutching the paper shut. He blinked, hesitated, then slowly reopened it, reading it over and over again.

    Huo Xingzhou caught the paper ball Luo Xing tossed back, guessing that he was probably telling him to stop. He smiled as he unfolded it—

    But this time, it wasn’t just a volcanic eruption. It was as if he had been thrown straight into an endless sea of molten lava, engulfed by waves of scorching heat, completely consumed by emotion.

    —I… will listen to you.

    Huo Xingzhou tilted his head back and sighed deeply.

    What had he done in his past life to deserve such a precious treasure in this one?

    “Huo Xingzhou.”

    “Mm?”

    Luo Xing peeked his head out from under the blanket, his voice barely above a whisper. “In my backpack, there’s the glass jar you gave me. I made a wish. You have to help me fulfill it.”

    “Alright.”

    Huo Xingzhou walked over, took out the jar from the bag, and poured its contents onto the bed. Luo Xing sat up, carefully arranging them in order from one to eighteen.

    Huo Xingzhou sat behind him, pulling him into his arms as they opened each note one by one.

    At the end of every single letter, there was always a space left for Luo Xing to write his wish.

    Huo Xingzhou unfolded the first one. In the wish section, three characters were written:

    Huo Xingzhou.

    He froze and looked down at the person in his arms, only to see Luo Xing blushing, blinking at him with shy embarrassment, waving him off as if telling him not to look, urging him to continue.

    Huo Xingzhou felt like something was stuck in his chest, making his hands tremble.

    He opened letter after letter, all eighteen of them.

    And every single one carried the same wish.

    As if unchanging for all eternity, as if there was only one wish in this entire world—

    His only wish in this lifetime was a Huo Xingzhou.

    Huo Xingzhou had never cried in his life—not when he broke his arm, not when he fractured his leg—but at this moment, he felt an unbearable ache in his chest.

    He tilted his head back, took a deep breath, and swallowed down the tears. Then, he lowered his head, pressed a solemn kiss to the top of Luo Xing’s head, and made a promise, word by word:

    “As long as I am alive, I will belong only to you.”

    Luo Xing let out a soft “Mm.”
    He nestled deeper into Huo Xingzhou’s embrace, unrestrainedly basking in the warmth of his chest—as if he were resting against the whole world.

    He reached out, lacing their fingers together tightly, and silently whispered in his heart:

    The whole world.

    ———-

    Time flew by, and the countdown to the college entrance exams was nearing its end. Cheng Limin no longer pushed them to study as relentlessly as before. Instead, he told them to rest well, stop thinking about studying, and recharge for the upcoming exams.

    Huo Xingzhou took this advice to heart—thoroughly. He clung to Luo Xing, indulging in sweets with him for days, and even insisted that Luo Xing accompany his parents to see him off to the exam.

    Wu Suyan scoffed at him,
    “Oh, come on. Your dad can take you. Why should my precious Luoluo have to stand under the sun for you?”

    Huo Xingzhou let out an “Oh” in protest, disgruntled.
    “Isn’t it standard practice to have your significant other see you off? You and my dad can go have fun—my wife will take care of me.”

    Luo Xing, embarrassed, told him to stop talking. After a while, he hesitated, then turned to Wu Suyan with a shy expression and softly asked,
    “Mom, can I go with Huo Xingzhou?”

    Wu Suyan’s face immediately brightened, and she beamed. “Of course, of course! Whatever my baby wants, my baby gets. Daddy and Mommy will go with you.”

    Huo Xingzhou fell silent for a few seconds before voicing a long-standing doubt weighing on his heart.
    “Mom, tell me the truth—what’s my status in this family?”

    Wu Suyan seriously pondered for a moment, glanced around, then casually pointed with her well-manicured fingers.
    “A bit lower than that.”

    Huo Xingzhou turned his head in confusion—only to see a piece of calligraphy hanging on the wall, written jointly by Huo Yansheng and Luo Xing.

    Alright.

    “I see. I’ll just pack up and leave now.”

    Luo Xing stifled a laugh and secretly held his hand under the couch, tracing a few letters in his palm to silently soothe him.

    On the day of the exam, Luo Xing double-checked all of Huo Xingzhou’s belongings. When they arrived at the exam venue, he suddenly refused to let him go inside without a blessing.

    Luo Xing was caught off guard. Wu Suyan, on the other hand, immediately understood and turned away, pulling Huo Yansheng with her. She waved a hand dismissively.
    “Hurry up, baby, give him a kiss and send him on his way.”

    Luo Xing froze. They had done much more intimate things before, but in front of his parents… how could he possibly do that?!

    Huo Xingzhou was relentless, staring at him expectantly.
    “Are you really going to let me fail my exam?”

    Luo Xing’s biggest fear was exactly that. Startled, he quickly shook his head. After a long pause, he took a deep breath and, in a flash, pecked his cheek.
    “Good luck on your exam!”


    The moment the college entrance exam ended, the students erupted in celebration. Standing on the stairwells, they threw their towering piles of exam papers into the air like snowfall, covering the entire senior building.

    After three years of stress, even the principal and teachers had come to accept this ritual as a form of catharsis.

    They let the students enjoy themselves—after all, it was their last day.

    Even though the teachers had been driven to the brink of madness during lessons, the thought that graduation might mean never seeing these students again made their eyes sting with unshed tears.

    In Class 9’s homeroom, the blackboard was covered in exaggerated graffiti. The students gathered in front of it for group photos, pulling Luo Xing along to take several snapshots together.

    “Hey, hey, hey! Luo Xing, Luo Xing!”

    Feng Jia burst into the room, panting heavily. Luo Xing turned around, puzzled. Seeing him out of breath, he chuckled.
    “What’s wrong?”

    Feng Jia clutched his knee, struggling to speak. He pointed outside.
    “Huo Xingzhou… Huo Xingzhou is singing under the flagpole!”

    Luo Xing froze.

    In an instant, all the Class 9 students swarmed around him, dragging him downstairs.

    By the time they reached the field, Lu Qinghe had nearly finished setting up the borrowed broadcasting equipment from the school radio station. He gave Huo Xingzhou an “OK” sign.

    Huo Xingzhou grabbed the microphone, cleared his throat theatrically, and said,
    “At the beginning of our senior year, I said that if I ever got into a relationship, I’d sing Conquer under the flagpole.”

    As he spoke, he turned to look at Luo Xing in the crowd, tilting his head slightly with a smirk.

    “I never sang it before because back then, he couldn’t hear it. I didn’t want him to miss out. But now, he can hear me. So, everyone, please bear witness—for me and my boyfriend.”

    The crowd erupted into cheers, their voices echoing like waves. Luo Xing’s ears burned hot, and even his heart felt like it was trembling.

    Then, Huo Xingzhou’s low, slightly distorted voice poured through the cheap microphone, filling the space with his declaration:

    On the outside, you seem fine, but inside, you’re covered in wounds…

    And I, so stubborn, have become a prisoner of this battle…

    Just like that, I’ve been conquered by you…

    Huo Xingzhou’s voice was deep and earnest. It wasn’t just a song—it was an announcement.

    He had a boyfriend now. He belonged to this person.

    Luo Xing’s eyes misted over as he gazed up at him.

    He thought back to the first day he transferred here, timidly following behind Huo Xingzhou, watching his back from afar. He never imagined that this day would come.

    But it did.

    When he least dared to hope, Huo Xingzhou came into his life—bringing him luck, time and time again.

    When the song ended, Huo Xingzhou put down the microphone and stepped off the stage. The students instinctively parted, making a path.

    At the end of that path stood Luo Xing.

    Huo Xingzhou walked forward, slow and steady, as if moving against the currents of time itself—returning to the boy from ten years ago, the one who had stubbornly waited for him.

    And then, he opened his arms.

    “Hi, I’m Huo Xingzhou. Will you come with me?”

    Luo Xing froze. Then, he gently nodded, placing a piece of candy in Huo Xingzhou’s palm.

    He looked up and said,
    “Hi, I’m Luo Xing.”

    Time may never turn back. The roads we’ve walked, the rivers we’ve crossed—they can never be retraced.

    But as long as there is a belief in our hearts, no matter where we go, we will always find our guiding star.

    It may only illuminate a small corner of the world, but it shines for one person alone.

    Luo Xing thought—he had already grasped his star, holding onto it tightly.

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