Chapter 30
Editor: Princess
Nanhua High School was the best high school in the entire South City.
However Yu Pei didn’t enter this school through the normal entrance examination, he bought his way in. He was a tuition-paying student who could study at the school only by paying more tuition than regular students.
When he first entered this school, because of his appearance and grades, he was very self-conscious. He avoided everyone’s gaze, always shrinking in a corner of the classroom like an invisible person. Which was why he had never left the classroom during long breaks to go to the cafeteria with classmates to buy snacks.
But today, he was suddenly pulled out of the classroom by Luo Changzhou. And when he saw the sunlight outside, almost blindingly bright, he had to raise his hand to shield his face from the light. Only after adjusting to the brightness did he slowly lower his hand.
Nanhua High School’s teaching schedule wasn’t exactly relaxed, but it wasn’t excessively strict either. In the first semester of senior year, they implemented a “weekends but no summer vacation” system—meaning that as soon as junior year ended, students would directly enter senior year classes with only weekends off and no summer vacation.
Nearly three months had passed now. Spring had ended, and the hottest part of summer was approaching. Being in the southern region, there was a significant temperature difference between day and night. In the mornings, there was still a cool breeze, but once the sun came out, many students began removing their jackets and walking around campus in just short sleeves.
Yu Pei hadn’t felt hot earlier in the classroom, but once outside being baked by the sun, he finally realized that summer had arrived in South City.
He muttered softly, “Summer is here…”
“Yes.” Luo Changzhou walked beside him, and once they were under the sunlight, he released Yu Pei’s hand. And hearing his comment, he smiled and said, “Everyone’s wearing short sleeves now, yet I’m still bringing you hot water bottles every day.”
Yu Pei looked at their shadows on the ground that were partially intertwined, and said quietly, “But my hands are still cold.”
“Got it.” Luo Changzhou continued smiling. “I’ll bring one for you tomorrow too.”
Yu Pei lowered his head and smiled secretly when Luo Changzhou couldn’t see, looking just like a little mouse that had snuck out of its hole at night to find honey and was now rubbing its round belly with satisfaction.
“The cafeteria must be very crowded right now.” Luo Changzhou said, looking at the bustling crowd near the cafeteria’s small store entrance. “What would you like to eat?”
Yu Pei stood on tiptoe to look ahead and said, “Hmm… chocolate bread.”
Hearing this, Luo Changzhou glanced at him and smiled helplessly, “You really do love sweet things.”
For a boy to love sweets wasn’t something particularly admirable to announce publicly, so Yu Pei’s ears reddened slightly under Luo Changzhou’s gaze, but he still maintained his composure and met Luo Changzhou’s eyes, justifying boldly despite his uncertain reasoning: “Sweets can make people happy.”
However to his surprise, Luo Changzhou didn’t argue but nodded in agreement: “That’s true. I think I’ll have something sweet too.”
But when they actually entered the cafeteria’s small store, Yu Pei realized that it really was unusually crowded. This was his first time here, and he had no idea where to find the chocolate bread. The snack shelves were surrounded by many people, making it impossible for him to even peek over them.
But the crowd had its advantages too, because at this moment, he was squeezed almost right against Luo Changzhou’s chest. His heart pounded rapidly at such close proximity, and breathing became difficult. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the stuffy, hot air in the store or because of the faint woody soap fragrance emanating from Luo Changzhou.
“The chocolate bread is over there, I see it.” Luo Changzhou’s voice came from above. Yu Pei looked up in the direction he pointed and indeed saw the chocolate bread on the third shelf.
“You go get the bread.” Luo Changzhou patted his arm. “I’ll go over there to get an ice pop.”
“Okay.” Yu Pei nodded and began slowly making his way toward his chocolate bread through the crowd.
After finally reaching the snack shelf and grabbing the chocolate bread, he turned around to look for Luo Changzhou, wondering if he had gotten his ice pop yet. But as he turned, Yu Pei froze.
Because in his previous spot—in front of Luo Changzhou’s chest—stood another girl, and besides that girl, there were many other girls surrounding him.
Yu Pei knew these girls were deliberately getting close to him. The Luo Changzhou he loved was also loved by many others, all of whom, like him, wanted to get close to Luo Changzhou, even if just for a few seconds or a few centimeters.
But… but…
For the first time, he selfishly thought that he wanted Luo Changzhou all to himself… The space beside him, the person standing in his arms, should be him.
But now, the position that should “belong” to him was occupied by others. Even though he could see Luo Changzhou frowning tightly, clearly displeased with these people’s proximity, his heart still felt like an overturned jar of aged vinegar—sour and painfully bitter. Even the chocolate bread in his hand was unconsciously squeezed out of shape.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Luo Changzhou abruptly turned his head to look in his direction.
And afraid that Luo Changzhou would see the selfishness, jealousy, and sourness in his eyes, Yu Pei quickly lowered his head to avoid his gaze. However, not paying attention, he was bumped by someone nearby and hit hard against the corner of a cabinet. The pain made him inhale sharply, and the chocolate bread fell from his hand. He instinctively tried to pick up the bread, however before he could bend down, his arm was grabbed by someone. Then with a gentle pull, he crashed into an embrace that wasn’t soft but very warm.
When he had been bumped hard into the shelf, Yu Pei felt pain but didn’t want to cry. But now, although he wasn’t in pain, his eyes suddenly welled up with tears when he smelled that familiar woody scent.
“You bump into someone and don’t apologize?” Luo Changzhou’s voice contained suppressed anger as he grabbed the boy who had bumped into Yu Pei.
The boy realized his mistake and repeatedly apologized, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t see.”
Yu Pei didn’t want to make things difficult for him, so he quickly stepped in to smooth things over, tugging at Luo Changzhou’s sleeve while saying, “It’s okay, I’m fine.”
“I saw you hit the shelf. How can you say you’re fine?” Luo Changzhou persisted.
Yu Pei’s heart, which had been sour and bitter earlier, now didn’t even feel the pain in his waist with Luo Changzhou protecting him like this. He blinked away the tears in his eyes, looked up at Luo Changzhou with a smile, and said, “I really am fine.”
Unexpectedly, this smile made Luo Changzhou turn his attention to him instead: “I haven’t even mentioned you yet. There are so many people here. If the bread falls, just get a new one. How could you think of picking it up? What if someone knocked you down?”
Now Yu Pei, like the boy before him, could only apologize repeatedly, “I was wrong, I was wrong.”
Luo Changzhou frowned at him but said nothing more. Then he reached over and picked up a chocolate bread: “Let’s go.”
“Mm-hmm.” Yu Pei followed, tugging at the hem of his clothes and saying softly, “Let me carry the bread.”
“I’ll carry it.” Luo Changzhou’s voice still sounded displeased. “Walk in front of me and watch where you’re going. I don’t want you getting bumped again.”
“Oh.” Hearing this, Yu Pei moved in front of him, and when it came time to pay, he rushed to take out money first. However, after searching his pockets, he couldn’t find a single coin.
Luo Changzhou asked him, “What’s wrong?”
“I… I think I didn’t bring any money.” Yu Pei was very embarrassed. He clearly remembered putting a hundred yuan in his pocket this morning. Had he remembered wrong?
“I’ll pay.” Luo Changzhou said. “The money’s in my left pants pocket. You get it.”
Luo Changzhou was holding the ice pop in one hand and Yu Pei’s chocolate bread in the other, making it difficult for him to take out money. Yu Pei, not wanting to miss this opportunity to get close to Luo Changzhou, didn’t think too deeply about it and reached into Luo Changzhou’s pocket.
Anyone who has worn a school uniform knows that there was only a thin layer of fabric between the pants pocket and the body. With reddened ears, Yu Pei pulled out a fifty-yuan bill from Luo Changzhou’s pocket.
The bill was warm, carrying Luo Changzhou’s body heat.
When the cashier returned the change, Yu Pei put it back in Luo Changzhou’s pocket, then tucked his hands into his sleeves, secretly rubbing his fingers.
“Here’s your chocolate bread.” Once they finally left the crowded store, Luo Changzhou handed the chocolate bread to Yu Pei.
“Thank you.” After thanking him, Yu Pei took it and prepared to tear open the packaging to eat the bread.
However after trying for a while, the opening remained sealed by a thin layer of plastic film that he couldn’t break through.
“Here, let me open it for you.” Seeing this, Luo Changzhou held the ice pop bag in his mouth and took the chocolate bread from Yu Pei’s hands.
Yu Pei turned his head and watched him quietly.
In the sunlight, he could see the shadows cast by Luo Changzhou’s long eyelashes beneath his eyes, making his blue eyes look even deeper. Such a handsome person was now earnestly opening bread packaging for him.
Before even tasting the chocolate bread, Yu Pei’s heart was already coated with a rich, sweet honey-like feeling.
After removing the bread’s packaging, Luo Changzhou picked up the bread, and with the ice pop bag still in his mouth, mumbled to Yu Pei, “…Open your mouth…”
“Ah—” Without thinking, Yu Pei opened his mouth and bit into the bread that Luo Changzhou offered. Then he saw the corners of the lips of the man in front of him curve high, smiling until his eyes curved.
As the chocolate in his mouth melted along with the honey in his heart, Yu Pei also smiled, walking slowly back to the classroom with Luo Changzhou.
Luo Changzhou said to him, “I think the cafeteria food is pretty good.”
Yu Pei said, “But these snacks we’re eating aren’t made by the cafeteria.”
“…I guess that’s true. Pretend I didn’t say that just now.”
“Hahaha—”
Under the summer sun, Yu Pei laughed with absolute joy.
Actually, the bread was quite crudely made. The chef at home knew he loved sweets and had made him better bread, but because this was fed to him by Luo Changzhou, Yu Pei decided that this was the most delicious chocolate bread he had ever eaten.
He thought, perhaps this was what it meant to like someone.
You get jealous when they’re close to others, you feel touched when they protect you, and you feel incredibly sweet from their smallest gestures.
And all of this, probably stemmed from liking someone.