“Do you like it?” Xu Wangzhi paused, took out the yogurt again, and tasted it. Cheng Shuoning asked, “Is it good?”
The subtle strawberry flavor melted on his tongue, not too sweet, just right. Xu Wangzhi looked at the boy’s earnest expression and nodded.
“That’s good,” Cheng Shuoning said with a smile.
“Classmates, classmates, the scores from the recent exam are out. Can you guess who came first?” Li Xiaosa, with his uniform sleeves tied around his neck, clapped his hands and walked into the classroom, asking everyone with a mysterious air.
“Do we even need to guess? It’s definitely Xu Wangzhi.”
“Who else could it be? He always beats the second place by dozens of points.”
“Is there any need to guess? Even a toe could figure it out. Li Xiaosa, what’s with your outfit?”
“…”
“Correct!” Li Xiaosa snapped his fingers, making the uniform hanging behind him sway. “It’s Xu Wangzhi. I overheard the teacher calculating his total score when I came in. Guess how much it is this time? That’s right! Over 730 points again.”
He looked at Xu Wangzhi and said with a smile, “Genius, how does your brain work? Can you teach us mere mortals?”
Another silence followed. Everyone habitually turned their heads to see if Xu Wangzhi was still writing his test papers, only to find him sitting there calmly, holding a bottle of pink-packaged yogurt.
That pink seemed so out of place on Xu Wangzhi.
Li Xiaosa glanced at the yogurt in Xu Wangzhi’s hand. “Genius, did someone who has a crush on you give you that yogurt? Why did you accept it today?”
Many girls in the class had given Xu Wangzhi gifts and snacks, all of which ended up on the podium and were eventually taken back.
Li Xiaosa’s words once again drew the class’s attention to Xu Wangzhi.
Xu Wangzhi ignored them.
Cheng Shuoning, however, felt a bit nervous.
Explaining seemed unnecessary, but not explaining would lead to misunderstandings.
Just as he was torn, someone knocked on the classroom door.
A boy with sharp, slightly aggressive features poked his head in, his gaze instantly locking onto Cheng Shuoning. He waved the snacks in his hand, a smile washing away any trace of aggression.
“Ning Ning, I brought you some snacks.”
Han Tian had delivered snacks many times before, and each time Cheng Shuoning would share them with his classmates, so everyone was familiar with Han Tian.
But this time, Cheng Shuoning didn’t get up to take them as usual, acting as if he hadn’t heard Han Tian.
Standing at the door, Han Tian’s smile faded slightly. He stared at the boy sitting there with an indifferent expression, afraid he really hadn’t heard, and moved to the window to call again.
“I don’t want them. Take them back and eat them yourself,” Cheng Shuoning said, opening the window, his voice devoid of emotion.
There was no cheerful tone, no smile like before, only a clear coldness and distance.
Han Tian, who had come to cheer him up, felt his enthusiasm extinguished, forcing a gentle smile. “Why, Ning Ning?”
“No reason,” Cheng Shuoning said, about to close the window.
Han Tian quickly stopped him.
Perhaps genuinely upset, or maybe just wanting Cheng Shuoning to feel sorry for him, his face was full of grievance and pain, his voice hoarse. “Ning Ning, why have you been like this lately? I really don’t know what I did to upset you. Can you tell me?”
Cheng Shuoning didn’t look at him, only asked, “Are you hiding something from me?”
Han Tian froze, his expression momentarily unnatural, even withdrawing his hand from the window as he scrutinized Cheng Shuoning’s cold expression, unable to guess what he was thinking.
Could he really know something?
If he truly knew, he wouldn’t be acting like this; he would have caused a scene long ago. This must be a ploy to get attention.
Thinking this, Han Tian suppressed his impatience, reached out to touch his head, and smiled. “No, how could I hide anything from you? Did someone badmouth me? Was it Zhou Xundu?”
“Ning Ning, don’t believe Zhou Xundu’s nonsense. He’s the type to hide things from you, not me. I never would.”
“Really.”
That earnest tone made the last bit of hope Cheng Shuoning had for him vanish. He turned to Han Tian with a slight smile. “I see.”
Before Han Tian could feel happy at seeing his smile, Cheng Shuoning quickly closed the window, drawing the curtains as well, clearly not wanting to see him anymore.
Damn, playing me for a fool.
Han Tian’s face turned livid, his eyes dark with anger, nearly throwing the snacks at the window. He held back his fury, kicking the wall hard before leaving, leaving a noticeable footprint on the white wall.
*
After evening self-study, Cheng Shuoning called to inform the family driver to wait for him to go home together.
Since the two families lived close, Cheng Shuoning usually rode with Han Tian, but this time he didn’t wait for Han Tian to come find him and left the school gate directly.
The driver waited by the car, opening the door as soon as he saw him, a bit puzzled. “Young master, why aren’t you going back with Young Master Han today?”
Cheng Shuoning smiled. “I won’t be going back with him anymore.”
He had just put his backpack in the car and was about to get in when Cheng Meng suddenly squeezed in, saying “Move,” and sat in the car before him.
Cheng Shuoning changed his mind about sitting in the back and took the front passenger seat.
As the car door closed, Han Tian appeared, recognizing the car, and knocked on the window, wanting to get in and ride with them.
Cheng Shuoning instructed the driver, “Let’s go, head straight home.”
“Aren’t you letting Young Master Han in?” the driver asked.
“No need to wait,” Cheng Shuoning said calmly. “He has his own car, he can go back himself.”
Cheng Meng, who was looking at his phone in the back, glanced up at him and sneered. “Weren’t you inseparable before? Why aren’t you going together today? Brother, your heart changes fast.”
“If you want to go with him, you can,” Cheng Shuoning said, fastening his seatbelt. “Get out and ride with him, I don’t mind.”
Cheng Meng gripped his phone tightly, speaking coldly. “Not that I want to go, but even if I did, would I need your permission? Who do you think you are?”
Cheng Shuoning smiled faintly. “Han Tian doesn’t like you. I thought if you really wanted to go with him, I could talk to him to avoid you getting kicked out or left behind halfway.”
Cheng Meng fell silent, his expression as if he wanted to devour someone.
The atmosphere in the car was bizarre, the driver, who hadn’t seen the two bicker in a while, didn’t dare make a sound. Once it was over, he rolled down the window and apologized to Han Tian.
Before Han Tian could react, the car drove away from him.
He stood there, still in the motion of reaching for the car door, watching the car speed off, his smile replaced by anger, his face contorted with rage. He threw his backpack to the ground, yelling furiously, “Damn it, what the hell, I’m done with this!”
Footsteps sounded behind him, and Han Tian’s eyes turned sharp as he looked over, recognizing Xu Wangzhi and holding back his temper.
Xu Wangzhi glanced at him, a mocking smile on his face, and stepped over the backpack, leaving.
That smile nearly drove Han Tian to the brink, fearing Xu Wangzhi had overheard his earlier words and would tell Cheng Shuoning.
Then again, even if he did, what difference would it make? He could still fool Cheng Shuoning, but now it seemed Cheng Shuoning didn’t trust him anymore.
Frustrated, Han Tian ruffled his hair, unsure of what had gone wrong.
Since the incident at the cinema, Cheng Shuoning seemed like a different person, harder to please and more annoying than before.
He didn’t really dislike Cheng Shuoning.
Cheng Shuoning was obedient, his smile was especially cute, and he liked him, treating him well.
But after knowing him for a long time, he grew tired, and since he didn’t really like Cheng Shuoning, he accepted Cheng Meng’s advances.
He enjoyed the feeling of being treated well by Cheng Meng. In comparison, Cheng Shuoning’s words and actions became irritating, even annoying.
People change, don’t they? It’s only natural.
*
The villa was lit, and Mrs. Chen hadn’t left yet, unusually busy in the kitchen.
Cheng Shuoning quickened his pace, thinking of something, and when he reached the living room, he indeed saw a beautiful woman sitting on the sofa.
She looked to be in her thirties, well-maintained, with not a wrinkle on her face, her demeanor elegant and poised. Seeing Cheng Shuoning, she waved with a smile. “Ning Ning, you’re back. Come sit here.”
“Mom, it’s been so long since you came back,” Cheng Shuoning immediately sat next to her, his tone slightly coquettish from the long absence.
“The company has been incredibly busy lately. I finally found time to come back today.” Mother Cheng patted his head. “I haven’t seen Ning Ning in so long, still as cute as ever.”
Cheng Meng leisurely walked in then, sitting across from Cheng Shuoning without a word.
Mother Cheng glanced at him, saying nothing, only placing the gifts she brought on the table. “These are the gifts your father and I bought on a business trip abroad last week. This is for Cheng Meng, and this is for Ning Ning.”
The difference in her words was palpable.
Cheng Meng’s expression was disdainful, not even looking at the gift, standing up to leave.
Mother Cheng, unable to bear it, called him back. “Cheng Meng.”
Knowing they were going to talk, Cheng Shuoning picked up his gift. “Mom, I’m going to my room to sleep.”
Mother Cheng nodded. “Go ahead.”
In his room, Cheng Shuoning opened the gift.
Inside was a watch, very beautiful, with the letters csn engraved on the dial, his initials.
After carefully putting the gift away, Cheng Shuoning began his homework.
Downstairs was unusually quiet. Mother Cheng sipped her coffee. “Take the gift.”
“Who cares about that junk?” Cheng Meng sneered. “Every time, the gifts for Cheng Shuoning are better than mine. If that’s the case, why give me anything? What, afraid I’ll become twisted and target Cheng Shuoning because I didn’t get a gift?”
Having her own child always confront her like this, Mother Cheng felt helpless, looking at him for a long time before speaking. “Don’t always use your own thoughts to guess others. Cheng Meng, after all this time, why are you still like this?”
“Your parents’ care for you isn’t fake. Why can’t you understand that, Cheng Meng?”
“Not fake?” Cheng Meng said sarcastically. “If I were a child, you could fool me with that, but I’m not. If you really cared about me, you would have sent Cheng Shuoning away long ago.”
Hearing such absurd words, Mother Cheng’s face changed slightly, her voice cold. “What nonsense are you spouting again? The gift is yours, take it or leave it.”
She was tired, not wanting to argue after finally coming home, and went upstairs after speaking.
The living room was silent. Cheng Meng ground his teeth for a moment, then opened the gift.
It was a watch, a limited edition from this brand, hard to buy even with money.
If they gave him a limited edition watch, Cheng Shuoning’s must be even better.
Thinking this, Cheng Meng immediately knocked over the gift box, stomping on the watch a few times before kicking it away, his face dark as he went upstairs.
Everything should have been his, but Cheng Shuoning’s presence divided what was meant for him alone.
Why? Why?!
He should have strangled Cheng Shuoning when they were kids, saving himself from growing to loathe this so-called brother more and more.
Chapter 9: Han Tian, Don’t Lie.
The living room was dark, unlit.
Cheng Shuoning walked downstairs, intending to get a drink of water, when he suddenly stepped on something.
He picked it up, feeling it was a watch, and turned on the light to find it was the same brand as the one Mother Cheng had given him.
Beside the coffee table was an overturned gift box. Cheng Shuoning cleaned the watch, put it back in the box, and covered it, then paused, reopening it to stare at the watch inside.
He had seen a picture of this watch before, a limited edition, hard to obtain, unlike his own.
The living room was silent again as he stood still, until footsteps approached.
“Not asleep yet?” Mother Cheng, having come out of her room at some point, saw Cheng Shuoning standing downstairs in a daze and walked over with a smile. “Do you like the gift I gave you? Your father personally arranged to get it.”
Cheng Shuoning snapped out of it, nodding slightly. “Yes, I like it.”
“That’s good,” Mother Cheng said, her smile widening.
Cheng Shuoning closed the gift box, looking at Mother Cheng for a long time until her face showed confusion. He called out, “Mom.”
Sensing something was off, Mother Cheng asked gently, “What’s wrong, Ning Ning? You seem troubled. Is it because of Cheng Meng? Did he target you again?”
“No,” Cheng Shuoning shook his head, laughing lightly. “I just wanted to ask why you came back this time.”
The sudden question left Mother Cheng stunned, looking at Cheng Shuoning without speaking.
The boy’s flawless face appeared gentle and obedient under the light, his smile bright yet giving off a strange sense of fragility, as if he might shatter like delicate porcelain at the slightest touch.
Mother Cheng’s heart clenched slightly, looking away, afraid her inner thoughts would be completely seen through by the boy’s bright eyes.
She guessed the boy had keenly sensed something, prompting the question. Forcing a smile, she answered, “Why else would I come back, Ning Ning? Of course, it’s because I missed you and wanted to see you.”
Cheng Shuoning nodded, heading upstairs, forgetting even to drink water.
Mother Cheng’s gaze followed him, worriedly asking, “Ning Ning, did something happen? Can you tell Mom?”
Cheng Shuoning paused, turning back with a gentle smile in his eyes. “It’s nothing, Mom. I was just curious, really nothing happened.”
“That’s good.” Seeing he didn’t seem troubled, Mother Cheng sighed in relief. “Go to sleep.”
Closing the door, Cheng Shuoning lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, not the least bit sleepy.
He couldn’t resist checking his phone, finding that the watch his parents gave Cheng Meng was worth 180,000, while his was 60,000 and easily purchasable, not needing any special effort.
Cheng Shuoning put down his phone, looking through the darkness at the drawer holding the gift, recalling his earlier care, suddenly feeling a bit heartbroken.
Before the feeling could grow, he forced it down, closing his eyes to stop overthinking.
Many things that happened before he was six were already blurry to Cheng Shuoning. He vaguely remembered Cheng Meng disliking him, injuring him many times, and being severely scolded by their parents.
Innocent as a child, even when disliked, he would go and ask why, and when he got no answer, he would ask his parents.
His parents would gently tell him not to mind Cheng Meng, not to get too close, that Cheng Meng was just a bit odd, not malicious.
Growing up, he understood that sometimes dislike for a person doesn’t need a reason.
*
The next morning, the three of them sat together for breakfast, the atmosphere cold to the extreme, even Mrs. Chen couldn’t help but step outside the villa for some air.
“Doesn’t Han Tian usually pick you up for class at this time? Why didn’t he come today?” Mother Cheng asked, puzzled.
Cheng Shuoning paused. “He won’t be coming anymore.”
Mother Cheng gave him a curious look.
Previously, when Han Tian was mentioned, Cheng Shuoning would smile, clearly showing his fondness for Han Tian.
Now he was cold and indifferent, as if talking about a stranger.
After finishing his meal, Cheng Shuoning left early, leaving only Cheng Meng and Mother Cheng at the table.
The warmed milk was pushed in front of Cheng Meng, who didn’t even look at it, wiping his mouth clean and heading upstairs to change clothes before leaving. Mother Cheng called out to him, “Do you have enough pocket money?”
“Cheng Shuoning gets a card directly, and you ask me if it’s enough, what does that mean?” Cheng Meng retorted.
Mother Cheng frowned. “I’m asking if you have enough. If not, I’ll give you more.”
“No need, save your kindness for your precious little son, warm him up,” he said with a smile, deliberately emphasizing “little son.”
“Cheng Meng,” Mother Cheng slammed the table, thoroughly angry. “You better adjust your attitude.”
“My attitude is like this, if you don’t like it, don’t look.”
“Ning Ning is your brother…”
Cheng Meng’s face darkened, interrupting her, frowning with disgust. “Of course, I know he’s my brother, you don’t need to emphasize it. And no matter what you say, I won’t change my attitude towards him, rest assured.”
Mother Cheng rubbed her temples, sighing. “Alright, enough, go to class.”
Cheng Meng turned and left.
On Tuesday mornings, the school required everyone to gather on the field for a three-lap run before early reading. Cheng Shuoning changed into his sportswear, and by the time he reached the field, the other students had already started running.
He slowly joined the group, and by the third lap, he was struggling to breathe.
His heart pounded, his throat dry and painful, each breath felt like a stone pressing on his chest. After finishing the third lap, Cheng Shuoning, like most of his classmates, lay on the grass to rest.
Once he had rested enough, he got up to buy water from the snack shop, only to find a bottle of water handed to him.
Just by looking at the hand, Cheng Shuoning knew who it was, raising his eyes slightly. “For me?”
His face was still flushed from exercise, his eyes bright, lips smiling, looking like the rising sun, lifting one’s spirits.
Xu Wangzhi looked at him, “Yes,” he replied, opening the bottle and handing it to Cheng Shuoning again.
Cheng Shuoning thanked him, taking the cap off, but before he could drink, someone called him.
“—Ning Ning!” Li Shengfei ran over quickly, wrapping an arm around Cheng Shuoning’s neck, ruffling his hair. “Finished running? I bought you some milk.”
It was so sudden that the open water in Cheng Shuoning’s hand spilled quite a bit. As he struggled out of Li Shengfei’s grip, the water was snatched away and replaced with milk.
Li Shengfei casually tossed the water into the trash, too fast for Cheng Shuoning to react. “Why drink water? You should drink more milk to grow taller.”
He even compared their heights, grinning widely.
Xu Wangzhi glanced at the trash can, the water bottle already empty due to the missing cap.
Only then did Li Shengfei notice him, casting a glance filled with obvious hostility.
Xu Wangzhi turned away expressionlessly, saying nothing.
“Why did you throw away that bottle of water?” Cheng Shuoning frowned, handing the milk back to Li Shengfei and walking away.
Seeing him upset, Li Shengfei was taken aback, quickly catching up. “I thought milk was better than water… I’m sorry, Ning Ning, I was wrong, don’t be mad.”
“It’s too wasteful,” Cheng Shuoning said. “There’s no conflict between the two.”
Li Shengfei grabbed his wrist, apologizing repeatedly. “I’m sorry. Ning Ning, you’re right. I just realized how stupid I was. Ning Ning, hit me to vent your anger. As long as you’re happy, you can do whatever you want, just don’t ignore me.”
As he spoke, he used Cheng Shuoning’s hand to slap his face, hard enough to leave it red.
Cheng Shuoning was startled, immediately withdrawing his hand, pressing his lips together. “I didn’t mean that.”
“Ning Ning,” Li Shengfei looked at him pitifully. “I was wrong, I really know I was wrong. Will you forgive me?”
Cheng Shuoning looked at his face, nodding. “The one you should apologize to isn’t me. That water was given to me by someone else…”
Before he could finish, Li Shengfei placed the milk back in his hand, promising earnestly, “I’ll never do it again, Ning Ning, don’t worry, I swear! Next time I see your classmate, I’ll apologize to him too.”
‘Scared me to death, finally forgiven.’
The tone, as if surviving a disaster, made Cheng Shuoning chuckle. “Am I that scary?”
Li Shengfei didn’t understand what he meant, only saying, “Not scary, Ning Ning is the cutest.”
Cheng Shuoning asked, “Don’t you find me annoying?”
Li Shengfei shook his head. “No, how could I find Ning Ning annoying? Who thinks you’re annoying? Tell me, I’ll go beat them up!”
…
The two parted ways on the second floor of the teaching building, Li Shengfei heading to the third floor while Cheng Shuoning went to his classroom, unexpectedly finding Han Tian at the door.
He pretended not to see him, walking past Han Tian, nearly entering the classroom when Han Tian grabbed his wrist. “Ning Ning, let’s talk.”
“I hope you can give me a chance to clear up all the misunderstandings between us.”
Cheng Shuoning glanced at the time. “Only ten minutes.”
That was agreement enough.
Han Tian sighed in relief. “That’s enough.”
He walked to a less crowded end of the corridor and stopped.
Cheng Shuoning kept a two-meter distance, not moving closer. “Say what you need to.”
“You won’t even come closer to me now?” Han Tian smiled bitterly. “Ning Ning, I can feel you deliberately distancing yourself from me. I want to know why. Can you tell me?”
He frowned, his troubled expression seemingly genuine.
Cheng Shuoning didn’t answer, instead asking, “What’s your relationship with Cheng Meng now?”
“We have no relationship,” Han Tian said, genuinely confused. “You know I don’t like him. If I have to say, it’s just that I’ve talked to him because of you. If that upset you, I’ll stay far away from him and never speak to him again.”
“Ning Ning, did you misunderstand something between me and Cheng Meng, and that’s why you’re ignoring me?”
“There’s nothing between us. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Cheng Meng.”
“…”
The face before him, Cheng Shuoning had seen countless times, familiar to the point of being mundane, yet now it felt utterly foreign. He felt as if he had never truly known Han Tian.
The Han Tian he thought he knew and liked was merely a facade, easily peeled away.
If he couldn’t hear others’ thoughts, he wondered how long he would have been deceived by this facade.
Thinking this, Cheng Shuoning found it laughable, yet felt a sense of helplessness.
He looked at the boy still wearing a gentle mask, his tone cold. “Han Tian, don’t lie.”