Chapter 13
Editor: Princess
Yu Pei stood in the back of the classroom, just watching as Luo Changzhou swept the floor by himself. Luo Changzhou wasn’t putting much force into it, so the dust barely rose, just an occasional, quiet swishing sound of the broom brushing across the floor breaking the silence of the empty classroom in the evening light.
As Luo Changzhou had mentioned, he really was familiar with these chores, because in no time, he’d swept the whole room until it was spotless.
Yu Pei was already waiting by the trash can, ready to take it out once Luo Changzhou emptied the dustpan into it. However just as he picked up the handle on the right side, Luo Changzhou walked over, and grabbed the left handle— it looked like he intended to help him carry it out.
He opened his mouth to say something, however he couldn’t quite get the words out, while Luo Changzhou just gave him a soft smile.
After returning the trash can to its place, the two of them left the classroom together.
And on the way back, Yu Pei slowed down a little, walking a few steps behind Luo Changzhou. The red-flowered flame trees were in bloom along the school path, their vibrant red blossoms like little sunsets clinging to the branches, burning even more vividly in the warm glow of the evening light. And when the wind blew, a few blossoms fluttered down, landing by their feet, on their shoulders, and even in their hair.
Yu Pei even watched as one red phoenix flower drifted down gracefully and settle right on top of Luo Changzhou’s head. He lifted his hand, wanting to call out to him, but just then, Luo Changzhou stopped, turned around, and asked him, “Why are you walking behind me?”
“Um… your legs are longer, so you walk faster.”
Luo Changzhou had stopped so suddenly that he had almost bumped into him, causing him to blurt this out without thinking. However the truth was, it wasn’t exactly like that. He just sometimes felt that someone as exceptional as Luo Changzhou should be walking alongside someone equally exceptional.
Hearing this, Luo Changzhou raised an eyebrow and asked, “Then what were you trying to do just now?”
It turned out he had noticed his earlier gesture. Standing there, Yu Pei had to look up at him because Luo Changzhou was so much taller. He pointed at Luo Changzhou’s head and said, “There was a phoenix flower on your head—I was going to get it off for you.”
“On my head?” Luo Changzhou lowered his head a little, then raised his left hand to feel for the flower, but as he touched it, the blossom fell, landed gently on Yu Pei’s face, brushed against his lips, then slipped down.
Luo Changzhou looked at him, and then reached his right hand out quickly, caught the flower, closed his fingers around it, and, without missing a beat, slipped it into his pants pocket before Yu Pei even had a chance to really see what he’d done.
“I’ll walk slower then.” He said softly.
It took Yu Pei a few seconds to realize that Luo Changzhou was responding to what he’d said just a moment ago.
He had always been alone ever since he was a child. Back in school, all the other kids avoided him because he was weak and fragile, not wanting to play with him. Even their parents had been afraid that he might be carrying some disease, and so kept their kids away from him—except for Gu Zheng.
However in the end, even his only friend, Gu Zheng, moved away.
So, it had been a long time since anyone had been willing to seriously listen and respond to everything he said. For some reason, he felt a little sting in his eyes. He took a few steps forward hurriedly, caught up to Luo Changzhou, then walked by his side.
While Luo Changzhou only resumed walking once he was by his side, his pace noticeably slow.
**
It was that time after school when most people were rushing to get home as fast as possible, yet here the two of them were, walking along as if on a leisurely after dinner evening stroll.
However even though it felt a bit like an after dinner evening stroll, it didn’t quite feel the same. Both of them secretly hoped this stretch of the path would last a bit longer.
“These flowers are really beautiful.” Luo Changzhou said, glancing up at the red phoenix flowers above them, flowers that were almost the same shade as the evening clouds. “I remember these trees look completely dead when they’re not in bloom.”
The flame trees, also known as phoenix trees, looked dead when they weren’t in bloom—no green leaves, just bare, dark branches. However when they flowered, they would burst into a fiery blaze, their blossoms bright and magnificent on the branches.
It was just like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, rising from fire.
“Yes.” Yu Pei sighed softly. “I was really surprised the first time I saw them bloom. It felt kind of magical.”
Luo Changzhou continued, “Actually, there are a lot of trees that look dead in the winter in the north. They’re ugly, however they start budding and sprouting leaves in spring. But most of them don’t really flower though, and even if they do, it’s nothing like these trees that bloom all over, covering themselves with flowers and no leaves.”
“The north?” Yu Pei looked at him curiously—this was the first time he’d heard Luo Changzhou speak out such a long string of sentences. “Changzhou, did you live in the north before?”
“En, I just moved to South City recently.” Luo Changzhou replied. “It was too cold where I used to live. It would snow in the winter, and these trees wouldn’t survive.”
Yu Pei glanced up at the height difference between them and said, “So you used to live in the north. No wonder you’re so tall.”
The place Yu Pei lived, South City, was a southern coastal town where summers didn’t get too unbearably hot, and winters didn’t get too cold. What’s more it hardly ever snowed, maybe once every several years.
“You’ll also become tall.” Luo Changzhou looked down at him, then waved. “See you next week.”
Yu Pei stopped walking, then realized that they were close to the bike parking area—they’d have to part ways here. And since it was the weekend, it’d be two days before he’d be able to see Luo Changzhou again. Yu Pei felt a bit reluctant and even a bit disappointed, but maybe it was because they’d just gotten a bit closer today, but were now about to separate. He said in a small voice, “See you next week……”
After saying goodbye, he turned and headed toward where Zhang Geng had parked the car, so he didn’t see that after walking a few steps, Luo Changzhou turned to look back at him for a moment.
*
On the way home, Zhang Geng asked Yu Pei if he wanted to get a haircut since his bangs were getting pretty long, almost covering his eyes.
Yu Pei brushed his hair out of his eyes with his fingers, realized it was starting to block his view, and so agreed without a second thought. However not long after they left the school, he asked Zhang Geng to stop the car. Then hopping off, he ran over to the sugar shop to buy a bottle of green-wood soda—the kind some girl had given Luo Changzhou before.
Almost all of Nan Hua High’s students loved drinking this soda.
Usually, Yu Pei would go straight home after school and never lingered around the school gate. So even though he’d been in high school for two years, he hadn’t tried any of the famous snacks on the “food street” just outside the school.
But today, he suddenly felt like trying this soda that Luo Changzhou had called “bad-luck colored” and was curious about its taste. He took a sip and found that it was quite nice, the fizzy drink with a hint of cedar refreshing his throat and settling in his stomach. He couldn’t help but squint in pleasure.
But when he finally got back into the car with the drink, Zhang Geng told him, “Little Young Master, I ran into that mixed-race classmate of yours while you were getting your drink. I even said hello to him.”
He froze on the spot.
Right, today was Friday, which meant all the students had already left school ages ago, and that the road that was usually packed with people would be almost empty today. If he hadn’t gone off to buy a drink, maybe he could’ve asked Zhang Geng to drive a bit slower, and that way he could have walked alongside Luo Changzhou a little longer!
Looking down at the green drink in his hand, he felt that Luo Changzhou was right—this color really was unlucky!
Zhang Geng took Yu Pei to the place where Yu Qing usually got his hair cut. The place was quite pricey for a haircut, however the stylist’s skill was top-notch.
—After losing some weight, Yu Pei already looked quite attractive, and with a new hairstyle that suited him, he looked even better. When he got home, Uncle Zhuang was momentarily taken aback at first glance, and then, recovering, he smiled and said, “Little Young Master looks even more handsome now.”
Yu Pei, a little embarrassed, touched the back of his head. Yu Qing wasn’t coming home for dinner tonight, and when he heard this, the eagerness to show his new haircut to his big brother faded instantly.
*
After finishing dinner alone, Yu Pei went to the art studio—it was almost a reflex.
However the moment he entered, he just stood there, staring blankly at the neatly arranged art supplies. Then after a while, he left the studio as if fleeing and headed to the music room to practice for a bit before going back to his room, taking a shower, and climbing into bed.
This was his life: a dreadfully monotonous and dull existence. Besides studying, painting, and practicing the piano, he had almost no other activities. Even his psychiatrist, after understanding his previous life, said it was only a matter of time before he developed psychological issues. That he hadn’t resorted to s**cide due to his depression but instead felt as though he was already “dead” could be considered fortunate in some sense, the psychiatrist had said.
However although things were different now, with no one forcing him to paint or practice piano every day, and he had plenty of free time to use as he pleased—he still didn’t know what to do with himself. He even realized he couldn’t find it in himself to focus on painting anymore, as if the act of painting had turned into a shadow he dared not touch. It was fine when he casually sketched with a pencil, but the moment he picked up a brush for detailed painting, he’d start trembling all over.
However he hadn’t told his therapist about this because he didn’t know how to put it into words.
Art had once been a part of his life, but he had already “died” once.
Lying flat on his bed, he stared at the ceiling with empty eyes. He knew his current state wasn’t quite right, so he got out of bed hurriedly, took a tablet of paroxetine from his pillbox shakily, swallowed it with water, then wrapped himself in his blanket, telling himself repeatedly that it was okay, and that he should think of something happy. But soon, he was pressing his face into his pillow, sobbing quietly.
He knew he shouldn’t cry, but he couldn’t control himself. He didn’t want to cry, and he was trying so hard to remember something happy, however his happy memories were so pitifully scarce, and whatever little fragments he had were quickly overwhelmed by anxiety and unease. All he could think about was when the medication would start working and whether his condition was getting worse. These chaotic thoughts swirled in his head, turning it into a tangled mess.
He picked his phone up desperately, planning to call Yu Qing or Gu Zheng, as his therapist had advised him to reach out to family or friends if he felt overwhelmed during a depressive episode. But his eyes were so blurred with tears that he couldn’t see clearly and so he wasn’t sure which contact he’d tapped. The next moment, however, he heard a calming voice in his ear: “Ah Pei?”
It was Luo Changzhou.
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