Class 1’s classroom was located near the stairs. As Zhou Ai ascended, he could hear the intermittent noise coming from the classroom. However, the moment he appeared at the front door, the commotion vanished instantly.
Few in the class dared to openly look at him, but Zhou Ai could perceive the lingering atmosphere revolving around him; this was the norm.
Zhou Ai walked through the aisles and returned to his seat calmly. His desk-mate, Jiang Wenyi, had one arm in a sling and was writing with his free hand. Jiang Wenyi showed no reaction to his return. Ever since missing the monthly exam and sustaining an injury, Jiang Wenyi had become much quieter, even reducing the frequency of his watchful gaze toward Zhou Ai.
The beating that occurred in the restroom, which no one had witnessed, seemed to have extinguished all of Jiang Wenyi’s arrogance. He had become deeply subdued. Aside from the hostile threats he leveled at Zhou Ai after the incident where Zhou Ai choked Hu Cheng in the classroom, Jiang Wenyi had not initiated any “interaction” with him in the days that followed.
It wasn’t just toward Zhou Ai; Jiang Wenyi’s interactions with others had also diminished. Zhou Ai had always been quiet, and Jiang Wenyi’s expression had begun to cast a shadow as the days passed in silence.
However, Zhou Ai did not know this, nor did he care about Jiang Wenyi’s existence. Jiang Wenyi’s silence, clamor, and mockery left no mark on Zhou Ai’s heart. The only thing he felt was that the medicinal scent lingering around him had gradually faded.
Upon returning to his seat, Zhou Ai was just taking his books out of his desk when the girl in front of him suddenly turned around and handed him a note. The girl pursed her lips, glanced at Zhou Ai, and turned back around without saying a word.
Zhou Ai looked at the square sticky note on his desk. It had two simple sentences written on it: “The girl taking the promotional photos with you might be Chen Xunfeng’s girlfriend. You should… be a little careful.”
The content on the note was likely what they had been discussing before he entered the classroom. Zhou Ai glanced at the back of the girl sitting in front of him, lowered his eyes, and put the note away.
The rain had cleared, and the sunset that day was exceptionally beautiful. Not long after Zhou Ai left the school gate, he felt Chen Xunfeng trailing behind him again.
Whenever he passed the rear-view mirrors of occasional cars parked by the side of the road, Zhou Ai could catch a glimpse of the boy following behind.
Chen Xunfeng was not carrying a school bag. The zipper of his school jacket was undone, revealing a flamboyant printed black T-shirt underneath. He did not walk fast, maintaining a distance neither too far nor too close from Zhou Ai, his gaze resting calmly and steadily on Zhou Ai’s back. He was “stalking” Zhou Ai in broad daylight.
Waiting at the traffic lights while cars sped by in front of him, Zhou Ai lowered his eyes. Through the windows of the passing cars, he saw the silver-grey sneakers on Chen Xunfeng’s feet the same brand, style, and color as the ones he had worn last week.
Zhou Ai’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. This pair of shoes triggered memories for him. Back then, Chen Xunfeng had acted as the “protector” between the two of them, strong enough to block all malice directed at them, though Chen Xunfeng never knew how to take care of himself.
At that time, it was as if Chen Xunfeng had no one to look after him; he was the dirtiest child in the entire kindergarten. Because of this, Zhou Ai would prepare two of everything he had: two identical pencils, two identical school bags, two identical outfits. For those few years, the two of them ate and dressed exactly the same… At that time, Zhou Ai was still a little mute, but he was the “caretaker” in their relationship.
The light turned green, and with no more cars passing, Zhou Ai breathed a soft sigh. He did not stop or turn around, continuing to walk toward home.
As usual, Chen Xunfeng stopped only when he reached Zhou Ai’s door. When Zhou Ai arrived home, the house was empty. He went to his room on the second floor and pulled back the curtain slightly, only to discover that Chen Xunfeng had not yet left.
Chen Xunfeng was leaning slightly against the front gate downstairs. The wind tousled his hair and clothes. He stood in the wind, gazing into the distance as if lost in thought.
For some reason, Zhou Ai wanted to feel that wind as well. He opened the window on the second floor, and the curtains immediately billowed in the breeze. Zhou Ai reached for the cigarettes in his drawer. He lowered his head to light one, and when he looked up after exhaling, he found that Chen Xunfeng below was looking directly at him as he leaned against the window.
Zhou Ai looked down at him from above. This time, he did not look away from Chen Xunfeng’s gaze. They stared at each other from across the two-story distance. Zhou Ai’s gaze was cold and faint. His smoking motion was skilled but highly unhealthy; he was accustomed to drawing the taste of tobacco deep into his lungs to suppress everything else, leaving very little smoke when he exhaled.
Zhou Ai remembered what he looked like as a child, so he knew that the person he was now was completely different from the one back then. Time could make a person unrecognizable. Chen Xunfeng seemed to be trying to find that person again, but he was no longer the little mute who hid behind his protection.
Zhou Ai stood by the window, and Chen Xunfeng stayed downstairs, accompanying him until he finished the cigarette. Chen Xunfeng kept his head tilted upward, his eyes still earnest, mixed with anticipation. Beyond that, there was nothing else; there was no surprise, disappointment, or irritability in his eyes.
As the sunset faded on the horizon, Zhou Ai saw the nanny pulling Zhou Youbao home in the distance. He took one last look at Chen Xunfeng downstairs and frowned this was the first time since their reunion that he had displayed emotion in front of Chen Xunfeng. But quickly, he turned his face away and closed the window.
His parents were away on business again today, so only he and Zhou Youbao were at the dinner table. The nanny was patiently feeding Zhou Youbao, but the boy wasn’t paying much attention, his gaze constantly fixed on Zhou Ai across the table.
Zhou Youbao was Zhou Ai’s biological younger brother, but from the moment Zhou Youbao was born until now, Zhou Ai had hardly ever held him. As brothers, their interaction was minimal, and Zhou Ai rarely initiated contact with Zhou Youbao. He left the table as soon as he finished, washed his hands, and headed upstairs.
As he reached the middle of the spiral staircase leading to the second floor, Zhou Ai suddenly felt an itch on his calf. He had already showered and was wearing pajama pants, and the soft fabric of the trousers exacerbated the irritation caused by the friction.
Zhou Ai subconsciously jerked his leg, but then he realized something was wrong. Zhou Youbao had actually followed him all the way here. The little boy was currently gripping Zhou Ai’s leg with both hands. When Zhou Ai pulled his leg away, the boy couldn’t steady himself and began to fall backward down the stairs.
In that instant, Zhou Ai didn’t think much; his only thought was that a child’s head was fragile and must not suffer a heavy impact.
So, as Zhou Youbao began to roll down the stairs, Zhou Ai lunged forward, grabbing his arm. Zhou Youbao was four years old, healthy, and not light. Standing on a step, Zhou Ai held him with one hand, twisting his ankle heavily as he turned. Zhou Youbao was crying and struggling, his weight dragging Zhou Ai down.
His slippers could not grip the smooth tiles, and Zhou Ai missed his step. With no hand free to grab the railing, as they tumbled down together, Zhou Ai held Zhou Youbao tightly, shielding the boy’s back and head with his own body.
By the time they rolled to the bottom, the nanny, who had been washing dishes in the kitchen, heard the crying and ran out.
Zhou Youbao was lying on top of Zhou Ai, crying. The nanny hurried to pick him up and check for injuries. With the weight off him, Zhou Ai still couldn’t get up; he felt a sharp, dull ache radiating through his lower back, chest, and the back of his head.
After checking Zhou Youbao and finding no obvious external wounds, the nanny finally breathed a sigh of relief. But when she lowered her head to look at Zhou Ai, she let out a sharp cry.
Zhou Ai struggled to lift his upper body. Hearing the nanny’s shrill scream, he turned his head and saw red blood soaking his pant leg. He slowly took a breath and raised his hand to gesture a “call me” sign to the nanny.
The weather on Saturday was indeed beautiful. The school uniform photo shoot was held on campus, starting at 9:00 AM, when the sunlight was at its best.
At 8:00 AM, Chen Xunfeng stood on the path Zhou Ai usually took to school, carrying breakfast. But after nearly an hour passed, he didn’t see that quiet shadow pass by on the other side of the street.
Barring an accident, Zhou Ai was not the type of person to be late. Chen Xunfeng glanced at the time on his phone, then turned and headed toward the school.
When he arrived at the shooting location, Zhao Yue, who had just finished her makeup, spotted him at once. Her eyes lit up as she ran toward him: “Chen Xunfeng, you really came to watch me shoot? Wow… and you even brought me something to eat?”
Chen Xunfeng’s gaze bypassed her, looking toward the boy in a school uniform sitting over there. The boy was having his hair styled by a makeup artist, but from just the side profile, Chen Xunfeng knew it wasn’t Zhou Ai.
Zhao Yue followed Chen Xunfeng’s gaze, observing his less-than-pleasant expression, and explained in a low voice: “That person is a senior from the second year.”
Chen Xunfeng withdrew his gaze from that direction and asked her: “They changed people?”
Zhao Yue nodded and whispered: “The original person was indeed… Zhou Ai, but I heard from the teachers that he refused. He didn’t want to do it.”
Chen Xunfeng gave a soft “Hm,” dropped a single sentence, and said: “I’m leaving.”
Zhao Yue was disappointed and caught off guard. She had been excited and pleasantly surprised that Chen Xunfeng had come all the way from home to the school on a weekend.
But Chen Xunfeng had come in a hurry, not even glancing at the delicate makeup on her face. The breakfast in his hand wasn’t for her, and he was leaving after only two sentences. It seemed that Chen Xunfeng had only come to target that “Zhou Ai.” With Zhou Ai absent, he had lost all interest in an instant.
So, Zhao Yue reached out subconsciously, grabbing the arm holding the bag: “You haven’t even watched me take the photos yet. Stay and hang out for a while. Let’s have lunch together my treat.”
Chen Xunfeng turned his head to look at her. The sunlight came from behind him, casting his face in shadow and pressing his gaze beneath his lashes. His response was his habitual indifferent and weary tone: “Are you worried there aren’t enough people in school spreading rumors that we’re dating?”
Under his gaze, Zhao Yue let go. There were many girls in school chasing after Chen Xunfeng; Zhao Yue wasn’t the most unique among them, but she was the most persistent and the best at finding alternative paths. She had put in the effort, first building relationships with Chen Xunfeng’s friends, then naturally becoming one of Chen Xunfeng’s “friends.”
Chen Xunfeng seemed like a flirtatious, bad-boy type, but there were very few women around him. She was the first person to consistently appear by Chen Xunfeng’s side and was rumored throughout the grade to be his girlfriend. For now, Zhao Yue was content. She watched Chen Xunfeng’s figure gradually disappear and let out a long sigh. Fortunately, she still had plenty of time to become Chen Xunfeng’s true girlfriend.
Carrying the items, Chen Xunfeng did not head directly out of the school. Instead, he detoured to the back of the teaching building, climbed over a dilapidated wall, and went to the secluded back garden of the school.
The weather was fine, and the cats and dogs in the back garden had all come out, lying on the grass to bask in the sun. Sensing Chen Xunfeng land, they all gathered around him.
Chen Xunfeng squatted down, shared the breakfast he was carrying with them, and gently stroked the head of a small kitten. He asked the cat: “What did Zhou Ai feed you yesterday?”
The kitten lowered its head, eating earnestly, only giving him a few perfunctory “meows.”
A breeze blew across his face, and the leaves overhead rustled. Chen Xunfeng’s gaze deepened as he remembered Zhou Ai standing on the windowsill the previous afternoon.
Zhou Ai’s frame was thin, and standing in the wind, he appeared even more fragile, as if he would disappear with the blink of an eye.
Yesterday afternoon was not the first time he had seen Zhou Ai on the windowsill, but it was the first time he had made eye contact with him there.