Cheng Shuoning couldn’t miss the subtle expressions on Zhou Xundu’s face, but unfortunately, his demeanor remained unchanged when facing him, still as gentle as ever. It was like a mask of gentleness crafted and worn for so long that it had fused with his original face. Cheng Meng was still criticizing him, trying to elevate himself in Zhou Xundu’s eyes by belittling Cheng Shuoning, but Zhou Xundu paid him no mind. Cheng Shuoning didn’t want to watch any longer and turned back to his room.
Throughout his life, the three people who had accompanied him had always maintained that they had nothing to do with Cheng Meng, speaking ill of him, yet they all had ambiguous relationships with him. Cheng Shuoning couldn’t understand their motives or what they stood to gain from such actions. He locked the door, leaned against it, and closed his eyes, only to see Zhou Xundu’s gentle face overlapping with the one he showed to Cheng Meng. It was like a fire, surging from his heart to his throat, tightening his voice as he clenched his fists tightly.
…
Zhou Xundu’s hand landed on Cheng Meng’s neck, gently caressing the fragile skin before lightly tightening his grip. Watching Cheng Meng’s pained expression, Zhou Xundu chuckled softly and released him, pushing him away. “Who told you to come here?” His gentle voice sounded as if he were speaking to a lover, leaving one in a daze.
Cheng Meng rubbed his neck, coughing a few times, and replied with some fear, “I… I wanted to see Brother Zhou. I couldn’t stand seeing Brother Zhou so close to Cheng Shuoning.”
“So you’ve been following me all along?” Zhou Xundu patted his coat, the spot where Cheng Meng had clung tightly, and said, “Recognize your place. You can’t compare to Ning Ning.”
Cheng Meng’s face turned pale, stubbornly saying, “But Brother Zhou, you never rejected me.”
“So you should thank Ning Ning,” Zhou Xundu smiled slightly, “Thank him for being your brother.”
Those words, like icy blades, pierced Cheng Meng’s pupils, almost bringing him to tears. The identity he always hated, the person he despised, was lightly spoken by Zhou Xundu, telling him he should be grateful. Zhou Xundu was someone he couldn’t understand or predict, and their relationship was like a moth to a flame. Even knowing it was impossible, he still wanted to try and reach for Zhou Xundu’s warmth.
“Am I really that much worse than him?” Cheng Meng asked, lowering his eyebrows in grievance, “Why can’t Brother Zhou fully accept me?”
The tall man didn’t answer, only looked up at the open window on the third floor, squinting slightly. Then he turned to go upstairs, only to be tightly embraced from behind by Cheng Meng. His tone turned cold, “Let go.”
This was the man’s truest form, shedding the gentle and caring big brother image he showed to Cheng Shuoning. Cheng Meng tightened his grip, unwilling to let go, but was soon forced to release his hold. He staggered slightly, watching Zhou Xundu’s retreating figure with infatuation, “Can’t you let me take Cheng Shuoning’s place?”
“Do you like Cheng Shuoning’s face or the person he is? No matter which you like, you can treat me as him. I’ll replace him well, Brother Zhou, give me a chance…”
His plea didn’t stop the man, who could only watch as Zhou Xundu entered the elevator. Cheng Meng looked up at the third floor, his gaze turning venomous and sinister. Was it true that only if Cheng Shuoning died could he get what he wanted?
In the dim corridor, Zhou Xundu closed the window again, turned to look at the closed door, and knocked gently, his voice low and soft, “Ning Ning, are you asleep?”
There was no sound from inside. Zhou Xundu withdrew his hand, guessing that Cheng Shuoning had seen what had just happened. But he wasn’t anxious or worried, leaving only a sentence, “I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow morning,” before leaving.
In the room, Cheng Shuoning sat on a chair, frowning as he listened to the man’s departing footsteps. Zhou Xundu was too calm, and Cheng Shuoning even felt that Zhou Xundu already knew he had seen Cheng Meng hugging him, which was why he came to ask if he was asleep. But why was he so calm? Did he think he was easy to manipulate…
The phone vibrated twice, indicating new messages. One was from Zhou Xundu, the other from Xu Wangzhi, both sent at the same time. Cheng Shuoning didn’t hesitate, opening the message from Xu Wangzhi.
“Have you moved in?”
“Yes,” Cheng Shuoning typed back.
Xu Wangzhi: “Go to bed early.”
Cheng Shuoning smiled. Strangely, the gloomy mood dissipated completely when chatting with Xu Wangzhi. He took out his test paper and sent Xu Wangzhi a message, “Have you finished your homework?”
Xu Wangzhi: “Yes.”
Cheng Shuoning: “I still have one test paper left. Once I finish it, I can sleep.”
Xu Wangzhi: “Is there anything you don’t understand?”
Cheng Shuoning quickly scanned the test paper, replying to Xu Wangzhi with a pained expression, “Math is too hard. I feel like I can’t do any of it. TAT.”
Xu Wangzhi didn’t reply again. Cheng Shuoning checked his phone every few minutes, feeling a bit troubled and disappointed. Was it because he exposed his stupidity, so Xu Wangzhi didn’t want to talk to him anymore? Or was it the emoticon he sent?
Just as he was staring at his message, making all sorts of guesses, Xu Wangzhi sent another message: “Sorry, I just went to take a shower.”
The words “take a shower” made Cheng Shuoning’s mind buzz, recalling the time Xu Wangzhi asked if he wanted to touch his abs. At that time, he didn’t refuse but instead touched them as if he had never seen them before. What was he thinking, how could he just touch them? So embarrassing…
The scene buried deep in his memory resurfaced at this moment, and the more Cheng Shuoning thought about it, the hotter his cheeks became. He couldn’t help but cover his face with his hands, trying to stop his wild thoughts.
Xu Wangzhi: “Are you asleep?”
Cheng Shuoning replied slowly, “No, just thinking about a few questions I can’t solve.”
He took a photo of the questions he couldn’t solve and sent them over.
Xu Wangzhi: “Want to voice chat?”
Cheng Shuoning hesitated, then called him. It was answered in just a second.
The boy’s cool voice was particularly captivating in the quiet surroundings, “Hello, can you hear me?”
“I can hear you,” Cheng Shuoning replied softly.
His heart was racing so fast that the hand holding the pen was trembling slightly. Cheng Shuoning couldn’t help but grab his own hand with the other, feeling a bit dry-mouthed.
“Then let’s begin,” Xu Wangzhi said, finding his already completed test paper and starting to explain to Cheng Shuoning.
He spoke slowly, afraid Cheng Shuoning wouldn’t understand, repeating the more difficult parts several times. In the end, Cheng Shuoning didn’t even know when he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already two in the morning, and Xu Wangzhi’s voice call was still connected.
“Awake?” The person on the other end seemed to hear the movement and spoke softly.
Cheng Shuoning, who almost fell asleep again, responded groggily, then suddenly woke up, seeing that only the last question on the test paper was left. He forced himself to finish the last question.
“Sorry for taking up so much of your time,” Cheng Shuoning picked up his phone, “You should sleep now, thank you for helping me with the questions.”
Xu Wangzhi said, “Good night.”
The call ended, and Cheng Shuoning went to the bathroom to wash up before collapsing onto the bed, unable to hold on any longer. He woke up at five-thirty in the morning, got ready, and went downstairs to have breakfast at a small shop. At six o’clock, when he got on the bus, he saw Zhou Xundu’s car parked at the entrance of the community.
He looked away, gripping the handrail tightly. The next moment, his phone’s message alert sounded.
Zhou Xundu: “Are you awake? Ning Ning? I’m waiting for you at the entrance of the community.”
Cheng Shuoning stared at the message for two minutes without replying. The bus suddenly braked sharply, and his phone almost flew out of his hand, so he put it back in his backpack.
Fifteen minutes later, the bus arrived at the school, and Cheng Shuoning got off. The phone in his backpack vibrated again, and Zhou Xundu, not getting a reply, called directly.
Cheng Shuoning took out his phone and found that Zhou Xundu had sent him many more messages.
“Are you not at home?”
“Did you go to school early?”
“Ning Ning? Why aren’t you responding to me?”
“…”
Cheng Shuoning answered the call, his tone cold, “Brother Zhou, I’m already at school.”
“Didn’t we agree that I would pick you up today?” Zhou Xundu chuckled, sounding a bit puzzled, “Why did you go to school early? It’s like you’re avoiding me.”
The familiar voice reminded Cheng Shuoning of last night’s scene, and Cheng Meng’s words kept echoing in his ears. Cheng Shuoning paused, feeling a bit disgusted.
He pressed his lips together, his good upbringing preventing him from saying anything harsh, only saying, “It’s nothing, I’m going to class now.”
He hung up the phone directly. There were only a few people at the school gate, and Cheng Shuoning walked into the classroom, unable to resist laying his head on the desk and falling asleep.
Until a sense of danger woke him up, Cheng Shuoning sat up at his desk, instinctively turning his head to look. A man wearing glasses stood outside the window, smiling gently, looking handsome and refined. He didn’t know how long he had been standing there watching him. Seeing him wake up, the man’s eyes behind the glasses curved slightly, and he reached out to pat his head, “Ning Ning, you’re awake?”
An indescribable sense of dread spread through his heart, making Cheng Shuoning’s scalp tingle, his hands and feet cold, feeling that gentle people were more terrifying than ghosts. When did he come? How long had he been watching him? What did he want with him?
Thinking of this, Cheng Shuoning pushed his hand away, “What are you here for?”
Zhou Xundu held up a breakfast, “I was worried you didn’t have breakfast, so I brought you some.”
The few people in the classroom looked over with some envy, all thinking that Cheng Shuoning was very fortunate to have several people around him who treated him so well.
Cheng Shuoning glanced at his watch, it was 6:40, and most of the students hadn’t arrived for class yet.
“I’ve already eaten, thank you.” He didn’t want to look at Zhou Xundu, turning his head to look elsewhere.
Zhou Xundu paused, withdrew the breakfast, his gaze falling on the boy’s fair neck, already sensing his resistance, “What’s wrong? Ning Ning, you seemed strange on the phone just now. I was worried about you, so I came to see you.”
“Do you not want to see me? It’s okay, since Ning Ning doesn’t want to see me, I’ll leave first.” He turned with the breakfast, taking a few steps before he couldn’t help but look back at Cheng Shuoning, a hint of worry in his eyes.
Finally, he sighed and left helplessly. Cheng Meng’s harsh words and the man’s gentleness intertwined in his mind, making Cheng Shuoning’s stomach churn. He couldn’t help but question himself: Can someone really disguise themselves so perfectly? For what?
Han Tian is like this, Li Shengfei is like this, even Zhou Xundu, whom he trusted the most, is like this.
“Are you okay? You look so pale,” Zhang Xiuli asked worriedly when she entered the classroom and saw Cheng Shuoning’s pale face.
Cheng Shuoning looked up, his expression cold and fierce, scaring Zhang Xiuli into silence for a long time.
She had never seen this side of Cheng Shuoning before.
The people in the classroom heard the noise and looked over, countless faces flashing before Cheng Shuoning’s eyes, making him feel breathless, his body cold, his hands and feet trembling slightly, starting to feel that everyone was fake.
Until a familiar face appeared in his line of sight, all the chaotic emotions were instantly held in check, and Cheng Shuoning pressed his lips together, staring straight at Xu Wangzhi.
For some reason, he only trusted Xu Wangzhi.
It was like being lost in a stormy desert, and Xu Wangzhi was the only safe haven, allowing him to let go of all his emotions.
“Not feeling well?” The expressionless boy quickly approached, his hand reaching to check his forehead.
The warm touch told Cheng Shuoning that the person in front of him was real.
“No,” he said hoarsely, regaining his composure, “It’s probably because I stayed up late yesterday.”
“Sorry, Zhang Xiuli, I didn’t hear you just now.”
“It’s okay,” Zhang Xiuli waved her hand, “As long as you’re okay, you looked really scary just now.”
In her impression, Cheng Shuoning had always been cheerful and loved to laugh, very gentle with his classmates, and she had never seen him like that before.
Feeling at ease, with still half an hour before class, Cheng Shuoning lay down on the desk again and fell asleep. Perhaps he was still frightened by Zhou Xundu, as he even had a nightmare.
In the dream, a man stared at him through a hazy fog, his gentle expression like vines, tightly entwining him.
He spoke softly, “Ning Ning, why don’t you trust me?”
Cold hands reached through the fog, grabbing Cheng Shuoning, those long eyes filled with a near-obsessive indifference.
“Just because Cheng Meng hugged me once, you don’t trust me? Is your trust in me really that little? Despite how well I’ve treated you over the years, always spoiling you, how can you do this to me?”
Facing those eyes, the oppressive emotions surged like a tide, enveloping Cheng Shuoning, making it hard for him to breathe.
He broke free from Zhou Xundu’s hand, and in the instant he turned, he saw Han Tian and Li Shengfei.
They were just like Zhou Xundu, constantly questioning why he didn’t trust them, their self-righteous tone irritating.
Cheng Shuoning opened his eyes, his expression frightened, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his back soaked with it as well.
A long hand reached over, handing him a tissue.
Cheng Shuoning took it, “Thank you.”
His voice was so weak that even he was startled.
“Did you have a nightmare?” Xu Wangzhi asked.
Cheng Shuoning wiped the sweat from his forehead, “Yes.”
Xu Wangzhi didn’t say anything more, placing a bottle of yogurt on his desk, the kind he liked to drink.
Cheng Shuoning picked it up and opened it, drinking it, and the feeling of disorientation was finally successfully suppressed.
All day he was a bit listless, even when Xu Wangzhi invited him to eat, and Han Tian and Li Shengfei sat beside him, he didn’t react much.
Until Li Shengfei saw that he hadn’t eaten much and picked up a piece of steak from his plate, placing it near his lips, “Ning Ning, try the steak, it’s really good.”
In the past, Cheng Shuoning might have accepted, but at this moment, looking at the smile on Li Shengfei’s face, an unprecedented anger began to grow.
He turned his head away, coldly saying, “What are you doing now? Do you think what I said that day was a joke?”
Li Shengfei froze, “No, Ning Ning, I just saw you didn’t eat and was worried about you.”
“I don’t need your concern right now, just stay away from me.”
“Don’t…” The tone of disgust made Li Shengfei unable to bear it.
“Don’t be ungrateful, right?” Cheng Shuoning put down his chopsticks, a faint smile on his lips, “You think I’m ungrateful just because I don’t appreciate your concern, you think I’m throwing a tantrum just because I’m upset with you. You think I’m a green tea just because you say so. Li Shengfei, have you ever respected me?”
“How have I not respected you?” Li Shengfei gritted his teeth, “If I didn’t respect you, would I be sitting here right now…”
“This isn’t respecting me, it’s just that you’re not used to me not being around you.” Cheng Shuoning didn’t want him to say any more nonsense, coldly finishing his sentence, he stood up with his plate.
“Here you go.” Cheng Shuoning looked at Han Tian, “Don’t hold out hope for me either. I really dislike you, it’s not an act.”
He left, Xu Wangzhi following closely behind.
Han Tian, who was originally gloating, was stunned when he heard the word “dislike” from Cheng Shuoning, and after realizing it, he gripped his chopsticks tightly, laughing in anger, “Dislike me? He dares to dislike me?”
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and Han Tian picked up his plate and left, leaving Li Shengfei alone, sitting there in a daze.
He was wondering if Cheng Shuoning really needed to react so strongly. After all, he and Cheng Meng had only said a few things about Cheng Shuoning together, hadn’t they?
He had apologized and hadn’t hurt Cheng Shuoning, yet Cheng Shuoning still refused to forgive him.
Why? Was it because he cared about being talked about behind his back, or was it because of Cheng Meng?
Could it be the latter? Jealous of Cheng Meng’s good relationship with them?
Thinking of this, Li Shengfei touched his chin, feeling it was a strong possibility.
Cheng Shuoning went straight back to the classroom.
His phone had been off all morning, and when he turned it on, he found that Zhou Xundu had sent him many more messages, most of them trying to appease him.
With a blank expression, he deleted the message thread with Zhou Xundu, and when he looked up, he saw Xu Wangzhi placing a rice ball on his desk.
Cheng Shuoning hadn’t eaten much at lunch, and seeing the rice ball made him instantly hungry.
He mentally calculated how much food he had taken from Xu Wangzhi, thanked him, and picked up the rice ball. When he tried to transfer money to Xu Wangzhi, he was refused.
“No,” the boy said, staring at his book, “As long as eating it makes you happy.”
Cheng Shuoning was stunned, lowering his gaze to the rice ball in his hand, taking a light bite.
The rice was fragrant and chewy, mixed with seaweed, very delicious.
He ate quietly, his mood slightly improved from being annoyed by Han Tian and Li Shengfei.
*
After evening self-study, the weather was a bit stuffy, and Cheng Shuoning and Xu Wangzhi walked to the bus stop together. Perhaps they walked quickly, as there weren’t many people at the stop when they arrived.
The bus arrived just in time, and there were quite a few seats available.
Cheng Shuoning sat by the window, took out his phone, plugged in his earphones, and started listening to music to distract himself, afraid he might get carsick.
The low, mellow voice flowed into his ears, and Cheng Shuoning closed his eyes, resting his head lightly against the window, not noticing the person beside him who had been watching him all along.
The light shone on Cheng Shuoning’s long black lashes, his expression relaxed, a smile on his lips, like a painting, making it hard to look away.
Xu Wangzhi felt a strong urge to listen to music with him, but in the end, he held back.
Before long, the bus stopped, and a crowd of people got on.
Cheng Shuoning opened his eyes and saw two elderly people standing in front of him. Almost immediately, Xu Wangzhi stood up and offered his seat.
“Thank you, thank you,” the elderly couple said with smiles, sitting down in their seats.
The crowd was a bit crowded, and Cheng Shuoning held onto the handrail tightly, afraid he might not stand steadily. Turning his head, he saw Xu Wangzhi, who was half a head taller than him, standing by his side, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief.
The bus suddenly braked sharply, causing everyone to lurch forward, and Cheng Shuoning, caught off guard, bumped into Xu Wangzhi’s chest.
He was stunned by the impact, smelling the faint scent on the boy, hearing his heart pounding wildly in an instant, unable to recover for a long time.
Until he heard people complaining about the driver’s driving, Cheng Shuoning stood up straight, his ears turning red.
The next moment, the driver braked sharply again, and he bumped back into Xu Wangzhi.
Even through the clothes, he could feel the scorching heat from Xu Wangzhi’s body, making Cheng Shuoning purse his lips, tense with nervousness.
Xu Wangzhi looked down at the person in his arms, seeing his flushed cheeks and evasive expression, unable to hold back a chuckle.
Cheng Shuoning heard the short laugh, realizing what had happened, and quickly stood up straight, “Sorry.”
The scorching gaze fell on him, making Cheng Shuoning feel at a loss, so he simply took off one of his earphones and handed it to Xu Wangzhi, watching his Adam’s apple bob as he said, “Do you want to listen to music? It’s really good!”
Amidst the noise around them, Xu Wangzhi’s silence made Cheng Shuoning even more nervous. He thought it was fine, maybe Xu Wangzhi didn’t want to listen to music, so he lowered his gaze, intending to withdraw his hand.
At that moment, Xu Wangzhi took the earphone, his fingers accidentally brushing against Cheng Shuoning’s hand.
He trembled slightly but didn’t pull away, withdrawing his hand only after confirming Xu Wangzhi had taken the earphone.
The music in the earphones gradually eased Cheng Shuoning’s tension.
Ten minutes later, the bus stopped at the neighborhood station, and Cheng Shuoning quickly got off, feeling the resistance and remembering that one earphone was still with Xu Wangzhi.
He stood by, waiting for Xu Wangzhi to get off the bus before walking together.
The two of them entered the elevator side by side, and at the moment of parting at their respective doors, Xu Wangzhi took off the earphone and placed it back in Cheng Shuoning’s ear, “Thank you, the music was really good.”
“Mm.” Cheng Shuoning took out his keys to open the door, but he couldn’t get it in no matter how hard he tried.
Why was he so clumsy at crucial moments?
He was a bit anxious, and just as he was about to take out his phone to use the flashlight, Xu Wangzhi came up behind him, holding his hand and accurately inserting the key into the lock.
Cheng Shuoning’s back stiffened, his mind blank.
He could feel Xu Wangzhi withdrawing his hand, opening his own door and going inside.
His hand seemed to retain the lingering warmth, Cheng Shuoning’s long lashes trembled, his breathing a bit rapid, even feeling a bit thirsty.
“Ding dong.” The elevator dinged, and Cheng Shuoning instinctively turned to look.
Zhou Xundu stepped out of the elevator, smiling at him from afar, “Ning Ning, I was waiting for you at the school gate, and when I didn’t see you, I came straight back.”
He slowly approached.
Cheng Shuoning opened the door and stepped inside, but as he was about to close it, Zhou Xundu stopped him.
His hand was caught in the door, and he let out a muffled groan. Cheng Shuoning, afraid of breaking his hand, frowned and opened the door.
“Did you see it yesterday?” Zhou Xundu didn’t withdraw his hand, just looked at Cheng Shuoning.
Cheng Shuoning looked at Zhou Xundu, his gaze calm, not answering directly, “What did your silence mean when Cheng Meng was talking about me?”
“I didn’t agree,” Zhou Xundu said softly.
‘I didn’t agree with Cheng Meng’s nonsense, so I didn’t speak.’
Cheng Shuoning chuckled lightly, not believing the words in his heart, “Silence is your agreement. If you didn’t agree, you wouldn’t have been so calm, so calm that you said nothing.”
“No,” Zhou Xundu explained softly, “I spoke to him afterward, Ning Ning.”
‘I didn’t speak because I didn’t want to engage with Cheng Meng, not because I agreed with his words.’
Seeing Cheng Shuoning remain silent, Zhou Xundu continued, “When he came to me yesterday, I was surprised. He hugged me like he was crazy and said he liked me. I rejected him. I’ve always said that if Ning Ning doesn’t like someone, I won’t like them either.”
‘I only like Ning Ning.’
“So Ning Ning, don’t misunderstand and get close to people I don’t know well. If you’re upset, you can come to me. I’ll never betray Ning Ning, I’ll always be by Ning Ning’s side.”
Zhou Xundu raised his hand, gently tidying Cheng Shuoning’s slightly messy hair.
His eyes were gentle, filled with countless indulgences, the kind of look that always made people subconsciously believe his words.
Cheng Shuoning couldn’t see through him, even finding Zhou Xundu a bit frightening, so frightening that even the voice in his heart might be fake, so he didn’t dare trust him.
Avoiding Zhou Xundu’s hand that wanted to take a step closer, Cheng Shuoning took a step back, saying lightly, “It’s late, I want to sleep. If there’s nothing else, please leave.”
Zhou Xundu pondered, “Is it because Cheng Meng hugged me once that Ning Ning wants to dislike me? But I didn’t say anything to him, I rejected him.”
He sighed inwardly, ‘Ning Ning, you’re being unfair to me.’
Cheng Shuoning: “Can I trust you?”
“Of course you can.”
“Liar,” Cheng Shuoning chuckled softly, enunciating each word, “I don’t trust you.”
The man with a smiling face was greatly affected, remaining silent for a long time, feeling lost, “I’m really not a liar, Ning Ning, if you don’t believe me, you can ask Cheng Meng.”
The door next to them suddenly opened, and Zhou Xundu turned to look.
Xu Wangzhi walked out.
The corridor was dim, with only a faint light from the room illuminating his vague, beautiful outline. The boy stood there, ignoring Zhou Xundu, his voice cold as he spoke, “Cheng Shuoning, come over. I have something to tell you.”
The surroundings fell into silence, even breathing too heavily seemed wrong.
Cheng Shuoning didn’t want to be entangled with Zhou Xundu any longer, closing the door and walking towards Xu Wangzhi.
As he passed Zhou Xundu, his wrist was suddenly grabbed.
The man with glasses stared intently at Cheng Shuoning, his expression still gentle, but his tone was somewhat low, “Ning Ning, don’t go over there, and don’t pay attention to him.”