The two girls’ approach was cut short by the sharp whistle of the PE teacher. They could only watch in disappointment as Xu Huai’an walked off to gather for roll call.
Xie Wenxing noticed that along the way, many people, both girls and boys, were stealing glances at Xu Huai’an, some obvious, others subtle.
Wherever he was, he always became the center of attention.
Watching Zhou Yuan jog over to chat with Xu Huai’an, even if most of the time it was Zhou Yuan doing the talking, Xie Wenxing felt a pang of sourness in his heart, as if he had just bitten into a lemon.
During evening self-study, Xie Wenxing held his pen and carefully worked on the day’s assignments.
His foundation was relatively weak, so he worked slowly, often furrowing his brow. Whenever he encountered a difficult problem, he would bite his lower lip. At times like that, his lips would redden from the rush of blood, and his small, delicate nose would scrunch up adorably.
His pen hovered over the paper for a long time without moving. Song Yuan thought his friend had indeed changed his attitude, but in the end, he was still stuck with the reality of being an academic slacker.
Struggling with homework was just too relatable.
He probably wouldn’t last much longer anyway. Song Yuan had recently gotten a few new manga, and they were really good.
He sneaked a glance outside, the teacher wasn’t paying attention, and quickly hid the manga under his textbook, completely absorbed in it in no time.
Song Yuan thought Xie Wenxing was diligently working on his problems, but only Xie Wenxing himself knew how conflicted he truly was.
This problem is so hard. Ugh, I really want to hear Xu Huai’an’s voice.
What does X stand for again? Xu Huai’an doesn’t hate me, does he? Please no!
Substitute it in, then what?
If only I could be friends with Xu Huai’an. Just being able to see him every day and chat with him, that would be enough.
Ugh, math is so hard. I’ll do English first.
Xie Wenxing’s foundation in the sciences was poor. Among all his subjects, only English and Chinese were slightly above average, barely presentable.
But his thoughts were too scattered, and in the end, he barely managed to finish his work before evening self-study ended.
Xie Wenxing said to Song Yuan, who had already packed up and was waiting for him, “You go ahead to the dorm. I still have something to do.”
Song Yuan assumed he wanted to keep working. “Alright, I’ll head off then. Don’t stay too late. It’ll be trouble if the dormitory gets locked. I really don’t want to deal with the dorm supervisor, his yellow teeth are so ugly and stinky.”
Xie Wenxing drew out his words in a casual tone. “Got it~”
Once he felt enough time had passed, he looked around the empty classroom, then suddenly stood up and turned toward Xu Huai’an’s seat.
He didn’t know when Xu Huai’an had left. He hadn’t seen him in his seat since the last evening study session.
Xie Wenxing stared for a long while, then was struck by a sudden impulse. The thought startled him so much that a shiver ran down his spine.
Even as he was shocked by his own thoughts, he couldn’t help but feel drawn to the idea.
Like a little thief secretly doing something wrong, he cautiously looked around. If he were a rabbit, his ears would have been standing straight up, alert to every sound around him.
His red rabbit eyes would have been wide open, just like they were now, so adorable it would stir anyone’s heart.
But unfortunately, no one was there to see it.
Xie Wenxing realized the entire floor was silent, it seemed he was the only one left.
Good.
Dozens of seconds later, Xie Wenxing was sitting steadily in Xu Huai’an’s seat.
His mind scolded him for doing something so perverted, but his body couldn’t resist leaning over the desk, his fingers slowly tracing the surface. It was as if, through this, he could somehow touch Xu Huai’an across time and space.
Guilt, shame, and an undeniable sense of satisfaction all tangled together, leaving his chest feeling tight and full.
Xie Wenxing buried his face against the desk, his cheek pressed flat against it. His breathing grew quicker. In the air, he seemed to catch a faint, subtle scent.
He had noticed it before, when brushing past Xu Huai’an.
Overwhelming embarrassment enveloped him. His cheeks and ears flushed a deep red, even more brilliant and captivating than the sunset.
He trembled with excitement, his whole body burning hot. A thin layer of sweat formed on his palms.
Xie Wenxing was so lost in his indulgence that he almost didn’t notice the footsteps echoing down the hallway.
Startled like a child caught doing something wrong, he shot up and dashed out of the classroom. He had barely taken a few steps when he remembered the lights were still on. His face burning, he scurried back, turned them off, locked the door, and finally left.
Xie Wenxing didn’t go straight back to the dorm. If he returned with a face as red as a tomato, Song Yuan would definitely start asking curious questions.
Right now, Xie Wenxing didn’t have the energy to deal with his friend. His mind was a mess, and just thinking about what he had done left him feeling restless and upset.
Oh my god! How could I do something like that?!
He was completely immersed in self-reproach, condemning himself for behaving in such an improper, unnatural way.
How could I be like this? How could I do something like that? If someone saw me, if Xu Huai’an saw me, he would definitely think I’m a creep and be disgusted with me.
Ahhh! I’m going crazy!
But he had to admit, the thrill of crossing a line, of doing something forbidden, had been a little intoxicating for Xie Wenxing, who had always been seen as a good child by his parents and elders.
Thump, thump, thump!
Xie Wenxing suddenly heard the dull sound of a bouncing ball. He looked up and realized he had wandered to the edge of the basketball court.
Someone was playing on the court.
He was about to turn and leave when an ultra-long shot from beyond half-court caught his attention.
Unable to resist, he walked over under the streetlight and followed the arc of the ball with his eyes, watching as it landed cleanly into the hoop.
A perfect, nothing-but-net three-pointer!
“That was amazing!”
The words slipped out in a whisper. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Xie Wenxing wouldn’t have believed anyone could make such an incredible shot.
Who was it?
Was it someone he knew?
Unable to stop himself, Xie Wenxing looked toward the lone figure on the court, and froze.
The streetlights around the court illuminated the entire basketball court as bright as day.
In an instant, Xie Wenxing recognized who it was.
It was Xu Huai’an.
He didn’t expect Xu Huai’an to skip self-study just to play basketball.
Seeing how uninterested he had seemed during the day, Xie Wenxing had assumed he didn’t like playing basketball.
There were only the two of them here. Should he go up and say hello? Tell him he played really well?
Then he could naturally introduce himself.
Xie Wenxing was lost in thought and didn’t notice Xu Huai’an glance in his direction.
When he looked back again, the first thing that caught his eye was the boy lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe sweat off his face with his arm, strong and firm. The smooth, defined lines of his abdomen radiated a wild, captivating charm.
Xu Huai’an picked up a bottle of water from the ground. There were about seven or eight meters between them.
Xie Wenxing could clearly see his long, straight fingers, jointed but not overly thick, well-proportioned, beautiful like a work of art.
He watched as Xu Huai’an slowly unscrewed the bottle cap, pressed his lips to the rim, and let the water flow in, his Adam’s apple bobbing with each swallow.
Xie Wenxing felt a little parched himself and couldn’t help but swallow.
His gaze was fixed firmly on the rising and falling Adam’s apple. His heart raced as he hugged the lamppost.
Inside, he was gushing with excitement.
Ahhh, he’s so handsome! His fingers are amazing!
He’s insanely good at basketball!
No wonder so many girls like him, he’s this outstanding!
His abs are incredible too! I want to touch them! Unlike mine, all soft and squishy.
How can someone be this perfect?!
At that moment, Xie Wenxing had fully transformed into Xu Huai’an’s devoted fan. Discovering yet another admirable quality about him made Xie Wenxing so happy.
He couldn’t help but smile, the corners of his mouth almost reaching his ears.
And Xu Huai’an played basketball at night, when almost no one was around. Probably only a handful of people even knew how good he was.
And he was one of them.
Xie Wenxing cradled his cheeks, his face blossoming into a radiant smile.
A string of effusive praise reached Xu Huai’an’s ears. After drinking half the bottle of water, perhaps driven by some unspoken impulse, he picked up the basketball and, as if showing off, suddenly leaped high with lightning speed.
As if walking on air, he slammed the ball through the hoop with one hand.
Bang!
The ball hit the ground, bouncing back with tremendous force and flying diagonally, straight into Zhou Yuan, who was returning from the vending machine with drinks.
“What the hell! That nearly hit me.”
Zhou Yuan walked over with two bottles, handing one to Xu Huai’an. “What’s up with you? Going so hard tonight. In a bad mood?”
Xu Huai’an ignored him and turned his gaze toward the lamppost. Xie Wenxing unexpectedly met his eyes, didn’t utter another word of praise, and like a startled rabbit, bolted upright and fled.
By the time Zhou Yuan turned to look, the figure was already gone, so he didn’t see anyone.
Scratching the back of his head, Zhou Yuan looked back at Xu Huai’an. “Brother Huai, what are you looking at?”
Xu Huai’an quietly unscrewed the bottle cap, glanced at him, and squeezed his hand, click.
For some reason, Zhou Yuan felt a chill at the back of his neck.
Only then did Xu Huai’an softly utter a few words. “A rabbit.”
Zhou Yuan eagerly craned his neck. “What? A rabbit? Where, where?”
Xu Huai’an said in an ambiguous tone, “You scared it off.”
Zhou Yuan: “Haha, animals love me, okay. Brother Huai, I think you’re messing with me. How could there be a rabbit at school?”
Xu Huai’an thought quietly to himself: Of course there’s a rabbit. It’s just that this rabbit is more timid than most, and also more audacious.
Zhou Yuan glanced at his phone. “It’s getting late. We should head back. The dorm’s closing in ten minutes.”
The dormitory locked its doors at 11 PM. If they were late, they’d have to wake the dorm supervisor, get their names recorded, and have it reported to the homeroom teacher. That would mean a trip to the office, a real hassle.
Xu Huai’an tossed the empty bottle into the trash, picked up the basketball, and strode toward the dorm.
Brother Huai, those guys from the sports class keep saying that aside from being handsome and good at studying, you’re completely useless.”
Zhou Yuan’s voice was filled with indignation as he spoke. He waved his fist angrily. “They’re such arrogant pricks. Brother Huai, aren’t you going to show them a thing or two and shut them up?”
High school was a time of youthful vigor, saturated with the energy of adolescence. It was understandable that young hearts would be drawn to beauty.
Many boys who confessed to girls were met with rejections along the lines of: If you were as handsome as Xu Huai’an, I’d say yes.
It was just an excuse, but the boys took it to heart and made Xu Huai’an their public enemy.
Unable to compete or win, they could only run their mouths behind his back.
Zhou Yuan had overheard them and was naturally outraged.
Xu Huai’an said calmly, “No need.”
His world was small; there was no reason to spare a single glance for those who didn’t matter.
In the past, when Xu Huai’an played basketball, it was mostly to vent the frustration pent up inside him.
Tonight, perhaps because something else had been added to the mix, his mood shifted slightly.
Like a single drop of rain falling on parched, cracked earth.
Something was changing.
Author’s Note:
Well, this is just how Xingxing’s personality is, okay? Don’t worry, there won’t be any angst. Remember, this is a sweet story. One of them does all the squealing, the other does all the doting (chin propped on hand).