The pain in his stomach was temporarily suppressed, but the mental torment brought by the shredded carrots and scallions had yet to fade.
[“The little prince finished an entire rice ball! How amazing!”]
Amid the blind, doting shouts of the “gentleman,” Wen Ying collapsed onto his chair in despair, staring blankly at the ceiling with lifeless eyes.
He looked fine.
But he’d actually been gone for a while.
If Qu Huo’s knife had trembled just a little more, adding two extra slices of scallion, he probably would have drowned completely in the scallion shreds.
This lifetime no, the next lifetime.
He would never make peace with carrots.
Wen Ying folded his hands together, thinking calmly.
Qu Huo had taken the entire day off.
He had left without a sound, and returned just as quietly at noon the next day.
There was no one else in the classroom at midday. Wen Ying, right in front of Qu Huo, placed several pages of copied notes on Qu Huo’s desk.
“Notes from yesterday and this morning.”
The notes already had key points highlighted in different colors, with each subject neatly categorized.
Unlike his prickly personality, Wen Ying’s handwriting was neat and orderly, with smooth strokes that were very pleasant to look at.
“Thanks.”
Qu Huo took the papers and tucked them into his notebook.
It was a very plain kraft-paper notebook.
Wen Ying was silent for a moment, then looked away and said awkwardly, “Your rice ball was delicious.”
Even though he hated carrots, he owed Qu Huo a thank-you.
“Mm.”
Qu Huo nodded, whether acknowledging that the rice ball was good or accepting his gratitude was unclear.
Wen Ying guessed it was the latter.
He didn’t mention those few worthless little candies wrapped in shiny cellophane, turning to leave instead.
They were too trivial to mention. Wen Ying wouldn’t bring them up on his own, and Qu Huo had no reason to speak of them either.
“Thank you.”
A voice came from behind Wen Ying very low, but definitely there.
He had already thanked him for the notes earlier; this was a separate expression of gratitude.
Wen Ying’s footsteps didn’t pause, and his expression didn’t change in the slightest.
He just felt a little better.
The next few days were barely peaceful.
Having learned from past experience, Wen Ying always packed some backup rations in his schoolbag. Maybe his luck had improved for three consecutive days, the sandwiches he ate at noon didn’t contain too many ingredients he hated.
Of course, the sandwich with red bell peppers went on his shopping blacklist.
If there was anything that didn’t go smoothly, it was that Huo Jueyue had cornered him once, insisting on treating him to a meal.
“I heard you can’t afford to eat. How can that be?”
At the stairwell corner the perfect spot for a romantic drama scene Huo Jueyue blocked his path, trying to look down at him from above.
Unfortunately, the height difference between them wasn’t enough for Huo Jueyue to actually look down on him, which only made his actions look ridiculous.
Wen Ying was already used to this self-absorbed act of his. He calmly kept his hands in his pockets, waiting for Huo Jueyue to make his move.
He had just gotten first place on the pop quiz, so he was in a good mood.
“What does Young Master Huo mean?”
The little guy called me Young Master Huo.
Huo Jueyue was secretly thrilled, licking his lips.
Ignoring Wen Ying’s look of disdain, he mysteriously pulled a card out of his pocket.
The card was plated in gold, refracting a strange light in the sun.
“Take it. Spend it however you want.”
Huo Jueyue smiled confidently.
This was the highest-limit stored-value card in Ying Lane. With this money, he could swipe through every restaurant in Ying Lane and become the most honored guest.
Oh.
Wen Ying glanced at the “gold card” clutched in Huo Jueyue’s hand.
It was just a meal card. Outside of Ying Lane, it was useless anywhere.
But for Young Master Huo, whose bank cards had mostly been frozen, this was already a generous gesture.
Wen Ying rarely had the interest to respond to him.
“If I take the card, how will Young Master Huo eat?”
He finally cares about me.
Huo Jueyue was delighted: “Obviously, we’ll eat together”
Before he could finish, Wen Ying, who had never intended to take the card in the first place, pulled his hand back even further.
“Not interested.”
Wen Ying suppressed the urge to say something cutting, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes: “Keep such good fortune for yourself, Young Master Huo.”
With that, he nimbly dodged Huo Jueyue’s attempt to block him and disappeared around the stairwell corner.
“Hey, you little shorty”
Huo Jueyue’s furious voice echoed through the hallway.
“You just wait, we’re not done!!”
Wen Ying heard it and was indeed waiting for Huo Jueyue’s next move.
After all, when it came to “next moves,” it wasn’t him who ended up embarrassed in the end.
But Huo Jueyue had no next move for now.
The luxury car blocking the gate, the goose-egg colored diamonds, and the card-that-could-swipe-anything this triple combo had already used up all of Huo Jueyue’s energy for this lifetime.
He could only occasionally cast his mournful gaze at Wen Ying, looking like someone who had a big move ready but had been silenced by his opponent.
Whenever that happened, Wen Ying treated him like air.
His interactions with the Four Young Masters of Mingying didn’t increase, and the plot points didn’t progress either.
But Wen Ying’s life had returned to its normal track.
This comfortable state gave him brief satisfaction.
Until Friday’s PE class.
Fridays, alternating between workdays and rest days, always came with good news and bad news.
The good news was that Mingying’s teachers and class monitors had no interest in taking over PE classes, letting the PE teacher be “sick” for half the semester.
The bad news was that PE was the last class on Friday, and four classes had it together, making the entire track field a noisy mess.
Most of the students weren’t paying attention in class, and Wen Ying was no exception.
He wanted to go home and sleep.
Class was about to start, but still no teacher had shown up.
Wen Ying blinked, sensing something was off.
“Attention, everyone. No leather boots or leather pants in PE class.”
Gu Xiche, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, squeezed through the crowd with difficulty to reach the front.
He pushed up his glasses and began reading the PE class rules in a slow, unhurried manner.
“Huh?”
At the news that leather pants and boots were banned, Huo Jueyue and the delinquents at the front let out cries of dismay.
“How can this be!”
Wen Ying:
He knew it!
This crappy school couldn’t even get the homeroom teacher to do their job properly, how could there possibly be a PE teacher?
The teacher for this class was, once again, Gu Xiche.
[They couldn’t pick someone else to torment? They just keep targeting this kid.]
Even the “gentleman” couldn’t stand to watch anymore.
[Looking at him, he might get heatstroke in a bit.]
Gu Xiche was the shortest and skinniest of the Four Young Masters. Standing in the sun reading the rules for so long was taking a toll on him.
“That’s everything.” He caught his breath, folded the rules sheet into quarters, and carefully tucked it into his pocket.
“For this class, please grab a basketball from the rack and find a spot to play freely.”
“Dismissed.”
That was exactly what the students had been waiting for. They scattered in a rush toward the ball rack.
Basketball held an irresistible appeal for teenage boys.
“Hey, man.”
Huo Jueyue, his brows furrowed so tightly they could crush a fly, patted Gu Xiche on the shoulder. “You doing okay?”
The Huo and Gu families had a good relationship, so the two of them got along well enough.
Huo Jueyue had been standing in the front row, and even as oblivious as he was, he could tell something was off with Gu Xiche.
Gu Xiche nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Here.”
Wen Ying passed by, pulled out a bottle of water, and handed it to the weary silver-haired boy.
“If you feel unwell, go to the infirmary.”
Gu Xiche was just too unlucky. Wen Ying genuinely felt sorry for him.
“Thanks.”
Gu Xiche hesitated for a moment before tentatively accepting the water.
He had lost his usual composed and graceful demeanor, looking a bit flustered and at a loss.
“Hey, Xiao Ying”
Richard, holding a basketball, waved at Wen Ying from a distance.
“Wanna play ball together!”
He had only met Wen Ying once on the rooftop, yet he was already casually using a nickname.
Behind Richard trailed Si Haoxing, looking like a puddle.
He had lost all interest in fussing over his alternative hairstyle, staring blankly while holding up an umbrella. The only decent thing about him was his face he looked like a melted male ghost.
Perhaps more than “mystic” or “chuunibyou,” a better word for Si Haoxing would be
Homebody.
Being called Xiao Ying made Wen Ying a bit uncomfortable.
He didn’t really like strangers giving him nicknames, but arguing with Richard, who couldn’t even speak Chinese properly, wasn’t worth the effort.
“No thanks.”
Wen Ying was lazy by nature. He didn’t like sports, and he especially didn’t like playing ball.
Because playing ball inevitably involved physical contact.
“Alright then.”
Richard looked disappointed but didn’t push it.
Behind him, Si Haoxing poked his head out, lowering his umbrella even further as he covertly observed Wen Ying.
“Not going with them? Then come with me?”
Huo Jueyue’s booming voice arrived right on cue.
He confidently spun a basketball on his fingertip, drawing gasps of admiration from the nearby boys.
“Oh my god, Young Master Huo is so manly!!”
“Yeah, I want to play ball with Young Master Huo too!”
Listening to the flattery around him, Huo Jueyue grew even more confident.
Turning down his good buddy that little thing definitely wanted to play with him and him alone!
Besides, who else could Wen Ying play with if not him?
The red-haired and yellow-haired lackeys behind him seized the opportunity, popping out from either side and winking frantically.
“…”
Wen Ying didn’t say a word. He just pulled a ball from the rack beside him and casually tossed it toward Huo Jueyue.
The basketball traced a graceful arc before bouncing to a perfect stop in front of Huo Jueyue.
Like a light, weightless warning meant for him.
Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Wen Ying smiled innocently. “Since Young Master Huo wants to play basketball so badly, why not go with Young Master Si and the others?”
“I’ll sit this one out, so I don’t spoil the fun for you young masters.”
His words carried a subtle edge of sarcasm, but because his tone was so normal and sincere, and Wen Ying looked like someone with no ill intentions, the bystanders didn’t catch on right away.
“Sure.”
Richard didn’t understand the polite formalities he only understood that Huo Jueyue was going to play ball with them.
The silly mixed-race golden retriever was completely oblivious. While regretting that Wen Ying couldn’t join, he cheerfully called out to Huo Jueyue: “Yueyue, let’s go together.”
Richard loved giving people nicknames. His casual “Yueyue” made Huo Jueyue’s face cycle through shades of red and green, so embarrassed he wished he could crawl into a hole.
“Richard, cut it out!”
He warned through gritted teeth.
“Pfft.”
A student watching couldn’t hold back a laugh.
Who would’ve thought that the formidable Young Master Huo was secretly called Yueyue by his own buddy?
This was big news he needed to post this on the forum right away.
Laughter was contagious.
In the midst of the jovial atmosphere, Si Haoxing’s lips twitched upward. He clearly wanted to laugh but held it in, mindful of his cold, aloof persona.
Wen Ying grabbed his schoolbag and slipped away cleanly amid the chaos.
“Hey!!”
Humiliated and furious, Huo Jueyue only then realized he had lost track of his target.
He looked toward Wen Ying, who was about to be swallowed up by the vast sea of people.
Amid the noise, Wen Ying turned around, a faint smile playing on her lips as she flashed him a victory sign, her eyes and brows brimming with teasing.
It was an unguarded, not particularly malicious, but dazzlingly bright playfulness.
Then she turned and walked away, vanishing into the crowd without a trace.
Huo Jueyue froze, slowly pressing a hand to his chest.
His heart skipped a beat.
That little thing damn, she was sweet.