Chapter 212.2
Editor: Jodi
Lin An Lan had grown up now, hence his hands weren’t soft like they used to be. What’s more he’d gotten taller and leaner during puberty, which made it so that when Cheng Yu squeezed his hand now, he could feel the bones under the thin layer of flesh.
Why was he so thin?
Cheng Yu wondered. He wasn’t eating poorly, so how come all he could feel was bones?
He kept squeezing slowly, not getting bored of it. While Lin An Lan just let him, until he had to write, then pulled his hand back.
After jotting down his notes, he didn’t put his hand back down. Instead, he looked at it with curiosity.
He could understand why Cheng Yu liked squeezing his hand when they were little, after all his hands had been soft and squishy, kind of like marshmallows. But now he’d grown up, and there was barely any flesh left on his hands, so what was there to like about it?
“Doesn’t it feel bony to you?” He asked Cheng Yu.
Cheng Yu leaned in close and whispered, “Are you kidding? How could I ever dislike you? You’re the best.”
Lin An Lan couldn’t help but laugh. This guy really knew how to sweet-talk.
He was in a good mood, so he put his hand back down again, letting Cheng Yu keep playing with it.
Cheng Yu took his hand again and kept squeezing it gently, with care.
The classroom was quiet, and Lin An Lan’s heart was quiet too.
Jiang Xu came back after class, still wanting to figure out that math problem.
Meanwhile Cheng Yu felt drowsy again, however to make things easier for Lin An Lan, he switched seats with him, so Lin An Lan could sit on the outside, while he on the inside, where he lay down to sleep.
Once Lin An Lan finished explaining the problem and turned back around, he saw that Cheng Yu had already fallen asleep.
It had gotten colder in the past two days, however Cheng Yu, thinking he was tough, was still wearing a short-sleeved shirt.
Lin An Lan sighed, reached into his desk drawer, and pulled out his school jacket to drape over him.
Jiang Xu happened to look up just at this moment and saw the whole scene. He was a bit surprised. He’d never seen a guy be this attentive before. Their class rep really was more delicate than he looked.
It was rare.
He remembered the bookmark Lin An Lan had tucked into his book earlier when he’d gone to his place to learn, and after rummaging through his bag, he found a free bookmark that came with some stationery he’d bought. He figured he didn’t need it, so he might as well give it to him as a thank-you.
So he put the bookmark on Lin An Lan’s desk.
Cheng Yu slept through the whole class and only woke up near the end.
He had good grades and a certain status, so the teachers usually turned a blind eye. Even when they saw him sleeping, they didn’t call him out.
When Cheng Yu woke up, he rubbed his eyes. And as he moved, a jacket slid halfway off his shoulder. That was when he realized someone had covered him up.
And it didn’t take a genius to figure out who it was.
He pulled the jacket back up and leaned over to whisper, “Why didn’t you wake me? Class is almost over.”
“You looked like you were sleeping well. What’s more this class isn’t that difficult, so I gave you a break.”
“You gave me the jacket?” Cheng Yu asked, although he already knew the answer.
“Who else?” Lin An Lan said, rolling his eyes. “Who do you think would bother?”
If it weren’t for the fact that they were still in class, Cheng Yu would’ve hugged him right then.
He lowered his voice. “Yeah, I’m not expecting anyone else. You’re the only one I count on.”
Lin An Lan snorted quietly, but there was a smile on his lips.
Cheng Yu felt a little flutter in his heart from that smile. He really wanted to hug him, but since they were in class, he whispered instead, “Hand.”
Lin An Lan: …
He gave Cheng Yu a helpless look, thinking to himself that his hand really shouldn’t be his own, because it belonged to Cheng Yu at this point, considering how obsessed he was with it.
But grumbling was one thing, he still put his hand down without a word.
Cheng Yu grabbed it again, gently swaying it, and slowly squeezed it like it was some kind of precious treasure.
He rested his head on the desk and stared at Lin An Lan, so much so that Xu Sheng, who was behind them, wanted to kick him. It was too much. If you didn’t know better, you’d think Cheng Yu was staring at his boyfriend, not his best brother.
This guy didn’t even bother listening in class. He was out here distracting Lin An Lan and messing with his mood.
Not studying was one thing, but dragging other people down with him? It was unacceptable!
Xu Sheng thought he was already way too kind for not having kicked Cheng Yu to death already.
Lin An Lan was used to Cheng Yu’s staring and didn’t say anything, instead listening to the lecture calmly. He figured they’d been too clingy as kids, and even though they’d grown up, Cheng Yu still acted a bit clingy around him—always touching or hugging or snuggling up.
He didn’t really mind. Because this kind of closeness felt childish, sure, but it also lifted his spirits. So as far as he was concerned, it wasn’t a big deal.
But not far away, Jiang Xu, who was waiting for class to end so he could give Lin An Lan that bookmark, was a little confused.
He knew Cheng Yu and Lin An Lan were close, but the way Cheng Yu was acting didn’t sit quite right with him.
What kind of guy looked at his best brother like that? And for that long?
He frowned. Something about Cheng Yu felt… off.
When the bell rang and the teacher left, he immediately went over to Lin An Lan’s desk.
Lin An Lan was about to go to the bathroom, and so was surprised to see him. Wasn’t the question already answered? What now? Don’t tell him he still didn’t get it? That couldn’t be. He felt that he’d explained it really clearly.
“This is for you.” Jiang Xu said, handing him the bookmark. “Thanks for explaining the problem earlier.”
“There’s no need.” Lin An Lan declined. “It was nothing.”
“Still, thank you.” Jiang Xu put the bookmark down on Cheng Yu’s desk.
It wasn’t on purpose. It was just that Lin An Lan had been sitting there earlier when Cheng Yu was asleep, so Jiang Xu naturally placed it there.
After that, he left without giving Lin An Lan a chance to reject it.
Cheng Yu picked the bookmark up from his desk. It was obviously new, as it was still in the plastic.
He glanced at it and asked Lin An Lan, “Do you want it?”
Lin An Lan didn’t really want it. He had way too many bookmarks—Cheng Yu bought him new ones all the time whenever he saw a nice one.
“Should I give it back to him?” Cheng Yu asked.
Lin An Lan took the bookmark from him. “I’ll return it.”
He walked over to Jiang Xu’s desk and placed it there. “I don’t need it, but thanks. Really, I don’t need it.”
Then he turned and walked out the back door to the bathroom.
He just didn’t like taking things from people he didn’t know well. It felt weird.
And he wouldn’t use it anyway. It’d just sit there collecting dust, so there was no point.
Jiang Xu stared at the returned bookmark and found it kind of funny. Just a bookmark, and he had returned it? Their class rep really was something else. He was more aloof than he had thought.
Translator’s Note:
If you’ve enjoyed this week’s chapter, I’d be deeply grateful if you could support the upkeep of the website. Your contribution helps us keep everything running smoothly and ensures I can continue bringing you translations every week. Even a small donation makes a real difference. Thank you for being here and reading.