The car drove smoothly toward the school.
“Young Master, the auntie put your medicine and breakfast in the thermal bag next to you. There’s also a clean school uniform in the other bag. Do you want to eat now or wait until you get to school?”
“…”
Receiving no reply, the driver glanced in the rearview mirror and saw his young master fast asleep, lying sideways across the back seat. He wondered if the boy hadn’t rested well last night; his face didn’t look great, appearing pale and translucent.
The driver looked away and slowed down, seeing they still had time.
He thought to himself that ever since that accident, the young master seemed like a completely different person. He used to be a little devil who caused nothing but headaches, but now he was so well-behaved it was almost heartbreaking. He wondered if something had happened between the boy and that Lu Beihuai kid.
Last night, the young master refused to be picked up after school. He didn’t know if staying with Lu Beihuai truly meant they were studying together.
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the school gate.
Song Qie vaguely sensed the car had stopped. He opened his eyes dizzily, yawned as he sat up, and stared blankly for a moment. Not sleeping well all night had indeed left him feeling a bit unwell.
“Young Master, your medicine and breakfast are here, and the uniform is in the other bag.” Seeing that Song Qie hadn’t moved, the driver—knowing his young master could be a bit grumpy upon waking—waited a moment before handing him the thermal bag and the paper bag from the passenger seat.
Hearing the word “medicine,” Song Qie suddenly remembered what Lu Beihuai had given him earlier. “Uncle Liu, I took some nitroglycerin earlier.”
The driver whipped his head around instantly, looking at Song Qie in a panic. “Did your heart hurt again?! Did Beihuai give it to you?”
Seeing the driver’s reaction, Song Qie finally realized what kind of medicine it was. “I’m fine. My chest just felt a bit tight and painful when I woke up this morning, so he gave it to me.”
That guy…
He even carries medicine with him.
“How are you now? Does it still hurt?”
Song Qie shook his head. “Much better. It’s nothing, don’t tell my parents.” After saying that, he took the two bags from the driver, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and prepared to get out.
Just as he was about to open the door, it was opened from the outside, and a tall shadow fell over him.
It was Ming Zhou.
“Why do you look so pale? Are you feeling sick?”
Seeing it was Ming Zhou, Song Qie wondered if it was because Lu Beihuai had left such a psychological shadow on him last night, but Ming Zhou didn’t seem scary at all now. Compared to that madman Lu Beihuai, what was Ming Zhou?
He stepped out of the car and shook his head slightly. “I’m fine.”
As soon as he spoke, the bags in his hand were taken away. He froze for a second and looked at Ming Zhou.
Ming Zhou didn’t say anything. He had his own backpack over one shoulder and held the two bags in his other hand. After closing the car door, he stuffed his free hand into his pocket with a neutral expression. Noticing Song Qie looking at him, he spoke calmly:
“What’s wrong?”
Song Qie hesitated, looking at his thermal bag. “I can carry it my—”
Before he could finish his sentence, the backpack on his shoulder was lifted away. He instinctively touched his shoulder and turned his head in surprise. He saw Jingchu Xie smiling wildly. Before he could react, an arm was thrown around his shoulders.
“Wuhu! That nuisance took a leave of absence and isn’t here.” Jingchu Xie pressed down on Song Qie’s shoulder and leaned close to his cheek with a grin. “Want to go to my brother’s racetrack after school today? A few new sports cars arrived, they’re incredibly cool.”
Song Qie instinctively dodged the intimate closeness. “…It’s a bit hot today.”
Jingchu Xie’s eyes widened. He clutched his chest with a wounded look. “No way, Song Qie, are you rejecting me again? Can’t I even give you a hug now?”
Song Qie noticed Jingchu Xie’s exaggerated behavior was drawing a lot of attention. He quickly grabbed the hem of Jingchu Xie’s shirt, lowered his head, and whispered: “Lots of people are watching. Don’t be so loud, it’s embarrassing.”
A flush of crimson appeared on the fair, beautiful boy’s cheeks, leaving the person carrying his bags staring blankly.
Jingchu Xie glanced at the hand tugging his shirt. A hint of amusement appeared in his eyes. He curled his lips, raised an eyebrow, and grabbed Song Qie’s wrist. “Are you shy?”
They had never seen Song Qie like this before.
“…No, it’s just that there are too many people.” Song Qie quickly pulled his hand back and took a step to the side, but he accidentally stepped on someone’s shoe and stumbled slightly.
Ming Zhou reached out quickly and steadied Song Qie’s shoulder so he wouldn’t fall. He frowned at Jingchu Xie. “That’s enough from you. Stop talking so much.”
Just as he said it, he felt Song Qie dodge his touch.
His arm remained suspended in the air for a moment as if he were surprised.
Song Qie stood to the side and noticed Ming Zhou’s hand and expression. He felt a bit awkward and apologetic. He frowned slightly, his eyes darting away. “…I—I don’t dislike you guys. I just think we don’t necessarily have to hug like that to be good friends or brothers.”
He pointed to the distance between them, looked at them cautiously, and asked tentatively: “From now on, can we keep this much distance?”
Perhaps it was because he looked too well-behaved making this request, his eyes tinted with bashfulness. He looked like a beautiful little puppy, gesturing with his fingers and looking up expectantly for a treat. His voice was very soft, no different from acting spoiled.
There was probably no one in the world who could resist this soft feeling.
It was a sweetness that instantly struck the heart.
It caused the two boys beside him to lose their composure.
“S-Sure.” Jingchu Xie raised a hand to rub his nose and looked away. “Whatever you say. We can hug when you want to… only when you say it’s okay.”
He finished and instinctively touched his lips, hiding a secret smile.
Ming Zhou was the same. He wiped all expression from his face, suddenly looking extremely cold as he stared straight ahead. “Mm, we’ll listen to you.”
The tips of his ears were a bit red.
Song Qie glanced left and right at the two of them. Hearing this, he breathed a sigh of relief. He swung his arms in small, relaxed arcs and smiled.
He didn’t realize that his expression of relief was fully taken in by the two. Their eyes were like wolves discovering meat, their hearts racing. A strong adjective jumped into both of their minds at the same time.
So cute. So cute it’s killing me.
How did this guy suddenly become so cute!
“What are you three doing standing here?”
Just then, Tingsi Shen walked over. He saw Song Qie’s flushed face and felt his hands itch. As he approached, he reached out to pinch the boy’s cheek, but his arms were pinned down by Ming Zhou and Jingchu Xie, who wouldn’t let him get a step closer to Song Qie.
Tingsi Shen: “What are you doing???”
“What’s with your hands? Behave yourself from now on.” Ming Zhou lowered his head, his tone carrying a warning.
Jingchu Xie locked Tingsi Shen’s arms, staring at him fiercely. “Our Song-Song doesn’t like that. Stop with the hugging and touching from now on, you hear me!”
With that, the two of them forcibly dragged Tingsi Shen away.
Tingsi Shen looked bewildered: “…Hey!!!!”
Walking behind the three of them, Song Qie suddenly felt a sense of relief and started laughing. Okay, they were all just younger brothers; they could be reasoned with after all.
As long as they didn’t just hug or touch him whenever they felt like it.
Everyone was just good friends, right?
…
“This Thursday, the day after tomorrow, we will have the April monthly exams. After the results are out, we will have Spring Break. This Spring Break will be one week, seven days.”
After the homeroom teacher finished speaking on the podium, the dozen or so students below cheered.
International school spring breaks usually last 7 to 10 days, with the specific dates set by the school. The reason the students were so excited was that after coming back from spring break for one more week, it would be Labor Day, which meant another five days off. How could a holiday like that not be great?
It’s just that after they returned, it would be the final sprint for the term.
“Song-Song, are we going out to play during spring break or wait until Labor Day?” Jingchu Xie turned to look at Song Qie.
Song Qie felt a bit sleepy. He yawned and looked up from his tablet. He held his pen and thought for a moment. “I’ll ask Beihuai.”
He didn’t know how Lu Beihuai’s body was doing, if he was resting well, or if he had eaten the lunch delivery. He decided he should pack some food from home later to bring to Lu Beihuai; eating delivery wasn’t healthy.
Sitting by the aisle, Ming Zhou couldn’t help but frown. “Why ask him? Can’t you just decide? You’re the one taking him out to play, why do you have to ask him?”
Tingsi Shen propped up his chin. “By the way, why isn’t he here today?”
“He’s sick.” Seeing the teacher dismiss the class, Song Qie waved goodbye to her as she left the room. He took out his phone and spoke while messaging Lu Beihuai: “He has a bit of a fever and isn’t feeling well, so he’s not hanging out with you guys today. I’m going to see him in a bit.”
“Song-Song,” Ming Zhou called out.
Song Qie looked up. “Yeah?”
“Why are you suddenly so nice to him?” Ming Zhou asked what was on his mind. “Didn’t you used to say you hated the way he tried to cling to you most? You knew he wanted something from you.”
Song Qie’s finger paused on the phone screen. He waited a moment before answering: “Because he saved me. If it wasn’t for him, I might be dead.”
He finished and looked up at the three of them. “If we can still be friends, then do me a favor and stop bullying Lu Beihuai, okay?”
This uncalled-for bullying had to end as soon as possible.
Now there were several key plot points that needed to be pushed forward quickly. One was to earn Lu Beihuai’s favor so he wouldn’t hold a grudge.
The other was to perform a bone marrow match after Lu Beihuai’s father’s condition stabilized. This match would definitely prove that he wasn’t the young master of the Song family. He would give the identity back to Lu Beihuai so he wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.
These things were very critical and had to be completed quickly.
The students in the classroom were gradually packing up and leaving.
In the back row, perhaps the boy’s pleading gaze was too sincere, making it impossible for anyone to refuse.
“Fine. For your sake, we’ll go with you to see Lu Beihuai.” Jingchu Xie stood up, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and looked down at Song Qie with an eyebrow raised. “Let’s go now.”
“Okay.” Ming Zhou also started packing his books.
Tingsi Shen raised his hand. “Agreed.”
Song Qie’s expression brightened. “Great.”
He would lead the way. If the three of them could follow him and give Lu Beihuai a formal apology, even if they didn’t get a response immediately, it would be a good start.
He was thinking about how to handle things tonight when he felt his phone vibrate. He looked down and saw a message from Lu Beihuai.
[Lu: Just woke up. Headache.]
He replied quickly: [Did you take your medicine? I’m coming to your house after school.]
[Lu: Didn’t take it. How can I eat if you don’t feed me?]
Song Qie: “…”
Is this guy acting this dramatic on purpose?
[Lu: Door isn’t locked. Just come in when you get here. Don’t order delivery, it tastes bad. I’ll cook.]
Song Qie hesitated for a few seconds: [Do you even know how to cook?]
[Lu: Then you do it?]
Song Qie: […I don’t know how.]
[Lu: Exactly, Young Master.]
Song Qie didn’t reply. He put his phone down, only to see the three of them standing in front of him, staring. It gave him a fright. “…W-What’s wrong?”
“Waiting for you.” Tingsi Shen smiled gently and helped Song Qie pick up his backpack.
“We need to learn from you and show some concern for our Lu Beihuai.” Jingchu Xie pulled Song Qie up from his seat. “Lu Beihuai is your savior, which makes him our savior too.”
Ming Zhou stood behind them with his hands in his pockets and said coldly: “Mm.”
Song Qie: “…”
Why do these younger brothers always have these strange trends?
He asked tentatively: “How about you guys bring a gift for him?”
There had to be some sincerity in this step. They needed to apologize to Lu Beihuai for the bullying by the former “Song Qie” and these three. If Lu Beihuai held a grudge forever, life in the future would be very difficult.
Since he had accidentally transmigrated here, he had to find a way to survive.
“No problem.” Jingchu Xie shrugged. “Doesn’t he like basketball? I can give him a basketball signed by Kobe.”
“I had the shop save a pair of the newest AJs for me last time. I’ll give them to him,” Tingsi Shen said.
Ming Zhou gave a cool “Mm.” “I got his clothes dirty before, so I’ll buy him a set of clothes.”
Hearing that the three of them were so decisive, Song Qie smiled with relief. “You guys are so well-behaved! Then it’s settled!”
—You guys are so well-behaved.
For some reason, this sentence struck the hearts of these three straight guys, leaving them feeling tingly all over.
In the end, each of them took their apology gifts and followed Song Qie, intending to give Lu Beihuai a formal apology.
The evening sunset was like silk wrapped around the edge of the sky. The bustling atmosphere of the old city district took shape as the roadside stalls began to set up, with various barbecue and snacks everywhere.
“Lu Beihuai lives in a place like this?”
“It’s too run-down.”
“It is a bit old.”
Song Qie stopped at the bottom of the building, turned to look at the three of them who were whispering, and frowned. “You can’t say that. Not everyone is as lucky as you guys are with their families. No one gets to choose their original home.”
Seeing how serious Song Qie was, Jingchu Xie didn’t want him to be angry. He shrugged. “Got it. I won’t say it.”
One of the other two looked away while the other looked down at his shoes; neither spoke again.
Only then did Song Qie lead them up the stairs.
To be honest, it was only five floors, but he was still panting for breath.
In the end, he was carried up by the arms by two of them.
“…Whew.” Song Qie lightly patted his chest to catch his breath. He looked left and right at Ming Zhou and Jingchu Xie, who had helped him, and his eyes crinkled in a smile. “Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.” Jingchu Xie rubbed his nose awkwardly. Seeing him smile like that made him feel a bit bashful. “Don’t be so polite all the time. Look at the relationship we have.”
Ming Zhou didn’t speak, but the tips of his ears were red.
Song Qie laughed. “We’re good friends.”
After saying that, he pointed to the door marked 504, signaled the three of them to wait, and then turned the handle and walked in first.
As soon as he entered, he saw Lu Beihuai sitting on the living room sofa, shirtless. He was wrapping bandages around his arm, appearing to be changing his own dressing.
The light of the sunset fell across his muscular build. His indifferent expression and movements carried a hint of coldness. That invisible sense of pressure rushed over him again as the bandages were wound.
Song Qie stopped in his tracks at the doorway.
He happened to meet Lu Beihuai’s eyes as the man stopped what he was doing and looked up. Those dark, cold eyes were like a predator discovering its prey, causing Song Qie’s back to tighten and a shiver to run through him.
“Why are you back again?” Lu Beihuai asked.
Song Qie: “…?” Didn’t I say I was coming tonight? Why are you asking now? “I—”
“Are you so worried that I won’t eat or sleep well alone?” Lu Beihuai asked again.
Song Qie was speechless. “…”
“No need to care about me this much.” Lu Beihuai lowered his head and continued wrapping the bandage, saying casually: “I’ve already bought the dress.”
In a moment, you’ll have to wear that pink, midriff-baring camisole dress for me.