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Chapter 17
Editor: Princess
Yu Pei thanked him, “Thank you, Changzhou.”
“This soda really tastes good.” Luo Changzhou took a sip of the soda, smiling at him as he said, “Come on, I’ll take you to the intersection.”
Yu Pei responded, “Mhm, mhm.”
It was only when Yu Pei’s figure disappeared along with the black car that Luo Changzhou got on his bike and left. By the time he got home, the ice in the cup of Aoki soda had already melted.
Room-temperature soda never tasted as good as it did before, and without its icy chill, its sweetness would become way too obvious.
Luo Changzhou didn’t like sweet things. Hence if he’d thought that the soda was okay before, now that it was room temperature, he didn’t really want to drink it anymore—however he also couldn’t bring himself to throw it away like he would with sodas given to him by people he didn’t care about.
Because of Yu Pei, this super ordinary soda that couldn’t become anymore ordinary seemed to carry some special meaning.
He couldn’t decide whether to finish it or not for a moment, so he put it down on the coffee table and went outside with the hose to water the pear trees that his dad had planted.
He cared more about these pear trees now than he did about his orchids, wishing they’d bloom this year and bear fruit next year right after being planted.
After he finished taking care of all the pear trees, he went back, only to find his dad sitting on the couch playing Landlord on his phone, holding the Aoki soda he’d bought in his hand, drinking it.
“Dad?!” His voice changed instantly, scaring his dad. “Why are you drinking my soda?”
“Huh?” Father Luo almost choked because of the shout, looking surprised himself. “This is your soda?”
Walking up to him, Luo Changzhou snatched the soda out of his dad’s hand, retorting, “Who else’s could it be if not mine?“
“You never drink stuff like this, so I thought your mom bought it.” Father Luo felt a bit helpless. He’d seen the green soda sitting on the coffee table and assumed it was leftover from Mother Luo, so he’d just taken it without a second thought. How was he supposed to know it belonged to his son?
However seeing Luo Changzhou frowning, staring at the soda without saying a word, clearly disliking him, he raised an eyebrow, “Besides, so what if it’s yours? Can’t your dad have a sip of your drink? I’m even the one who gives you your allowance.”
Luo Changzhou didn’t say a word. His deep blue eyes like ice, just staring at Father Luo coldly.
Father Luo could only rub his nose awkwardly, muttering under his breath, “Fine, your mom gave it to me….”
Mother Luo, who just happened to be in the kitchen cutting fruit heard the commotion between the father and son and came out with a plate of fruit:
“You’re a grown man, yet you’re still fighting with your son over a drink.”
She doted on Luo Changzhou, so of course, she was going to side with him and help him scold Father Luo.
Father Luo, scolded by his wife, felt even more indignant: “He wasn’t this stingy before! It’s all because you spoil him too much. How’s he going to find a partner in the future if he’s this stingy?”
“Changzhou’s still young.” Mother Luo defended him again.
Hearing this, Luo Changzhou raised an eyebrow, threw out a quick “I’m going to do my homework”, and went upstairs.
Of course he didn’t end up drinking the soda, because by the time he snatched it back, Father Luo had almost finished it.
When he got it back, there was only a little bit left. No matter how frustrated he was, there was no way he could grab Father Luo by the neck and make him spit it back out.
That night, as usual, he took an early shower, planning to hop into bed to chat with Yu Pei.
He wanted to complain to him about how his dad had finished off his Aoki soda.
This kind of “telling on someone” feeling was a first for Luo Changzhou.
However he didn’t think there was anything wrong with it—in fact, complaining was a way of showing vulnerability.
It was about sharing your grievances with someone who cared about you and letting them comfort you— it was a really sweet process.
However when he came out of the bathroom and picked up his phone, he saw that Yu Pei had sent him a goodnight text early, saying he’d already gone to bed.
This wasn’t normal.
Yu Pei always had a very regular schedule, but today he’d gone to bed way too early.
His first thought was whether Yu Pei was sick—after all, his health never been that great.
After thinking about it, he sent him a text: [You went to bed pretty early today. Are you feeling unwell? Goodnight.]
Of course, after he sent the message, it was like throwing a stone into the sea— there was no reply at all.
Worried about Yu Pei, Luo Changzhou headed to school earlier than usual the next day. And holding a small hot water bottle in his right hand, he tucked it in his pocket and watched the students bustling around campus.
The early spring temperatures in the South were the most unpredictable—scorching hot at noon like midsummer, but then in the mornings, one’s breath would turn to visible white puffs in the cold air.
So most of the students rushed to the classrooms, heads down and necks tucked, unwilling to linger outside. However Luo Changzhou just stayed outside.
He was tall, had features that were sharper and more defined than most people’s, a deep-set eyes and a broad gaze, plus a pair of striking blue eyes, so he stood out like a crane in a flock of chickens among a crowd of dark-eyed students—so noticeable it was almost ridiculous.
Almost every girl who passed by glanced back at him a few times, however he acted as if he didn’t notice any of it, standing there straight and still, until the person he was waiting for appeared.
He took a deep breath, as if just approaching that person required him to practice his breathing, trying to sync it with theirs.
“Ah Pei, good morning.”
Hearing Luo Changzhou’s voice, Yu Pei looked up and immediately saw those deep blue eyes.
He smiled, however before he could even greet Luo Changzhou, something soft and warm was put into his hand.
He looked down and saw that it was a white cloud-shaped hot water bottle.
These hot water bottles were super popular among students because they were easy to carry, reusable, and one could just boil them in hot water to heat them up.
But how would someone like Luo Changzhou use something like this?
Yu Pei was a bit puzzled, however Luo Changzhou explained quickly, “My hands get cold when I ride my bike, so I use this. But my hands are warm now, so you can use it.”
“Changzhou, you’re so nice.” Yu Pei didn’t think much of it. This hot water bottle was really warm. He pressed the hot water bottle against his face and felt the cozy warmth spread from his cheeks to his whole body. “So warm…”
He sighed contentedly, while Luo Changzhou glanced down at him, his hands stuffed into his pockets, as he started casually: “You went to bed early yesterday. Were you feeling unwell?”
Hearing him mention this, Yu Pei immediately remembered the unread text from Luo Changzhou in his inbox this morning and said hurriedly, “Ah, I went to bed early yesterday, that’s why I didn’t reply to you.”
The corners of Luo Changzhou’s lips curved into a faint smile as he said, “You had already said goodnight, so what more reply do I need?”
Looking up, Yu Pei smiled back at him, then dropped his gaze to the ground and said, “I wasn’t feeling great. I took some medicine and became really drowsy, so I went to bed early.”
Just as he finished saying this, he let out a small yawn, his tired eyes welling up with a bit of moisture.
Luo Changzhou stared at him for a moment before shifting his gaze away and saying, “Then rest on your desk for a bit when we get to class.”
“En.” Yu Pei nodded, and the moment they got to the classroom, he put his bag down and rested his head on the desk.
Luo Changzhou brushed off all the girls who greeted him with a simple “Mm, morning” as he made his way through the crowd, carrying both his and Yu Pei’s cups back to make hot tea.
Unfortunately, since Yu Pei hadn’t arrived at school very early, he barely had any time to nap before class started.
**
As the tea leaves unfurled in the boiling water, Yu Pei, still with his eyes closed, caught the scent, “Changzhou, did you make tea for me?”
“Mm.” Luo Changzhou replied, watching his eyelids battling to stay open as he forcefully tried, while obviously not awake to keep them open while pretending to be awake. And unable to hold back, said, “Why don’t you nap on the desk for a bit? I’ll wake you when the teacher comes.”
“No.” Yu Pei pinched himself hard—so hard that his eyes turned red from the pain.
“Teacher Yang said yesterday that today’s two classes are really important. That we’re supposed to pay attention and take notes properly.” And saying this, he pulled the white notebook Luo Changzhou had given him out and placed it on the desk, putting on the perfect “model student” act.
However seeing his unfocused gaze, Luo Changzhou couldn’t help but chuckle. However he quickly composed himself and started taking notes along with the teacher at the podium.
However while he was writing, someone bumped his hand, and his pen slipped, causing him to leave a long black streak on the white paper.
He turned his head to the side and saw the culprit, Yu Pei, who had his eyes half-closed again, gripping his pen and poking at the notebook absentmindedly.
He leaned over to take a look. The notes started out neat and proper, but then toward the end, they had turned into messy illegible scribbles and doodles from someone who was half-asleep.
And seeming to realize he’d accidentally bumped into Luo Changzhou, Yu Pei opened his eyes groggily to apologize, “Did I bump into you? Changzhou, sorry.”
Of course, Luo Changzhou wasn’t going to hold it against him. “It’s fine.”
Yu Pei rubbed his eyes and pinched himself again. But maybe he felt it wasn’t hard enough, because the next second, he grabbed Luo Changzhou’s hand, put it on his leg, and said, “Changzhou, why don’t you pinch me instead? Pinch me really hard. I’m so sleepy.”
Luo Changzhou was stunned for a moment by his series of actions. The teenager’s leg under his hand felt slim and had that unique boyish flexibility. Then when he processed what Yu Pei said, he found it amusing. Pulling his hand back, he told him, “Just go to sleep. I’ll keep an eye on the teacher for you. After class, I’ll let you copy my notes.”
“I can’t understand just by looking at notes…” Yu Pei mumbled as his head drooped toward the desk.
Luo Changzhou said again, “I’ll teach you what you don’t understand.”
Yu Pei, still reluctant, said, “That would be such a hassle…”
However before he could finish his sentence, sleep overtook him, and he slumped onto the desk, fast asleep.
The teacher was lecturing at the podium passionately, and the students were busy writing furiously. The entire classroom was filled with the unique tension of senior year. However amidst this anxious atmosphere, Luo Changzhou’s gaze wasn’t fixed on the blackboard.