Chapter 33: Cornered
As soon as the bell rang, Wu Li’s phone received a new message.
The sender seemed to have timed it perfectly.
He discreetly took out his phone from under his desk, and a friendly greeting from his childhood friend appeared on the screen.
AAA.Vocabulary Wholesaler Xiao Luo: [How are you?]
Wu Li: “…”
Wu Li: [I’m fine. What’s up?]
AAA.Vocabulary Wholesaler Xiao Luo: [I’m not fine.]
Wu Li: [?]
AAA.Vocabulary Wholesaler Xiao Luo: [I think I might]
AAA.Vocabulary Wholesaler Xiao Luo: [Just]
AAA.Vocabulary Wholesaler Xiao Luo: [Maybe]
Wu Li put down his pen and patiently waited for his friend to finish.
But perhaps he had given him too much freedom, as Luo Jing remained silent for over a minute without sending any new messages.
Wu Li: […]
Wu Li: [Are you going to say it or not? I have class soon.]
AAA.Vocabulary Wholesaler Xiao Luo instantly replied: [I don’t know how to say it.]
Wu Li was almost speechless.
He felt like he could have solved two more math problems in the time he spent waiting for Luo Jing’s nonsense.
Wu Li frowned and said conspiratorially: [I suspect you’re just trying to show off that you don’t have to take the college entrance exam and can bring your phone to school, and then waste my time, right?]
AAA.Vocabulary Wholesaler Xiao Luo: [No, this is a complicated issue. I still need to think about how to tell you.]
Wu Li really wanted to call the police.
He took a deep breath, turned off his phone, and took out a practice book from his drawer.
If he responded to Luo Jing again, he was a dog.
Luo Jing turned off his phone and buried his head in his arms, troubled.
“Still not enough sleep after sleeping for a whole class?” his deskmate said, watching the drama unfold. “Such a big person sat next to you for half a class, and you didn’t even notice.”
Seeing Luo Jing silent, assuming he was also regretting it, he comforted him, “It’s not a big deal. At least it was your brother sitting next to you. Be grateful.”
He thought his comfort was very appropriate, but unexpectedly, Luo Jing, who had just lifted his head, buried it again.
“?” His deskmate was puzzled. “Did I say something wrong? If it were someone else, you might have to write a self-criticism essay, in English.”
“…I’d rather it were another school board member,” Luo Jing’s muffled voice came from his arms after a moment of silence. “Even if it were the principal sitting next to me watching me sleep, it would be better than him.”
His deskmate was completely puzzled: “Did your brother punish you or something? Isn’t it good that he just teased you lightly? You even got to sleep for a whole class. You have no idea how nervous I was during that class, I didn’t even dare to move.”
“You don’t understand,” Luo Jing said, feeling his heart in turmoil after calming down slightly.
His heart rate finally returned to normal on his watch, and he stared at the screen again, lost in thought.
Staring and staring, he suddenly remembered who had given him the watch. His eyelashes trembled, and he almost took it off right then and there.
From the moment he realized this, every second that followed, he felt the skin on his wrist burning.
His drowsiness completely vanished.
But his mind also seemed unable to hold anything else.
He didn’t know what he was thinking about, or if he was even thinking at all. He spent the afternoon in a daze, and after the last class, Luo Jing declined his roommate’s dinner invitation, planning to buy something to eat at the convenience store and then go sit by the lake behind the school.
Then, as soon as he stepped out of the classroom, he saw Huai Dan sitting on the sofa in the lounge area not far away, looking at his phone.
Facing their classroom directly, visible the moment he turned around.
Luo Jing almost retreated back inside.
Huai Dan noticed him coming out, put away his phone, stood up, and chuckled: “So surprised? Didn’t we agree to have dinner together? Did you forget?”
Luo Jing: “…”
…He was doomed.
That feeling of not being able to breathe returned.
Next, it seemed like he would…
Luo Jing stared at the watch on his wrist, praying it wouldn’t beep.
Fortunately, it didn’t this time.
“What’s wrong?” Seeing him staring at his wrist, Huai Dan also looked over and asked after seeing the watch, “Are you used to wearing it?”
“Quite… quite used to it,” Luo Jing lowered his head, not daring to look at him.
He felt like he was wearing a time bomb on his wrist… He didn’t know when it would explode.
“Good.” Huai Dan seemed to sense his unusual mood. “What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?”
“Mm,” Luo Jing paused, then admitted defeat.
He didn’t know how to explain his current feelings. They were clearly unusual and easily noticeable, but he couldn’t control them for now, so whatever Huai Dan thought, so be it.
“Did I scare you during the break?” Huai Dan thought for a moment, trying to find the reason within himself.
“…Actually, I’m not unhappy, I’m just a bit sleepy.” Using such a trivial matter as a reason for being angry was too absurd, so Luo Jing ultimately made an excuse. “I slept too late yesterday.”
Huai Dan found a restaurant outside the school. After they sat down, the waiter came over with the menu.
Only after seeing the menu did Luo Jing feel like he had calmed down a bit.
Although the food at school wasn’t bad, it wasn’t as good as outside food. Plus, the feeling of leaving the school during school days was novel, and the unusual fluttering in his heart finally subsided a bit.
“Brother, how did you suddenly become a member of our school board? You weren’t here last year,” Luo Jing asked curiously, sitting opposite Huai Dan.
“I’m in charge now,” Huai Dan thought about how to explain it to him, then simply said.
“Oh,” Luo Jing replied.
“Are you going to study abroad next year?” Huai Dan asked.
Luo Jing thought for a moment: “Mm.”
“If you need anything, or if you’re not used to anything, you can tell me,” Huai Dan said.
Luo Jing froze, then muttered, “I’m not a child anymore.”
Huai Dan chuckled: “Mm, you’re not.”
He said he wasn’t, but his tone implied that he was.
Luo Jing: “…”
“We’re only five years apart,” Luo Jing suddenly emphasized this point for some reason.
Huai Dan thought for a moment: “Mm, what’s wrong?”
…Luo Jing suddenly felt a bit defeated.
“Nothing,” he lowered his eyes again.
Even though Luo Jing didn’t want it to, the meal ended quickly, and Huai Dan had to leave again.
This time, the reluctance was much stronger, and it seemed to be mixed with something else.
In the car, although the weather hadn’t completely turned cold yet, remembering the child’s aversion to cold, Huai Dan turned on the heater early.
Luo Jing appreciated it.
“Brother, are you leaving today?” After a moment, Luo Jing looked at Huai Dan from the passenger seat.
It felt like he always asked this question every time they met.
“Mm,” Huai Dan replied while driving. “I still have a lot of things to deal with. I’ll come see you again when I have time.”
Hearing this, Luo Jing suddenly felt dissatisfied.
He felt like a little pet that Huai Dan would visit and then leave after a while.
“Don’t always appear so suddenly,” he said, but his protest was weak.
“Why?” Huai Dan, focusing on driving, turned his head slightly and replied.
He seemed casual, as if he wasn’t really listening.
“Because like this,” Luo Jing lowered his eyelashes and said softly, “I’ll keep wondering when you’ll suddenly appear again.”
The man was silent for a moment.
Unsure if Huai Dan had heard him, or if he had understood the underlying meaning, Luo Jing gradually felt guilty from the silence and wanted to explain.
“I…”
“Is that so?”
Luo Jing’s words were cut off, and he retreated back into his seat.
“So, do you want me to come, or not?” Huai Dan asked.
“…” Luo Jing also fell silent for a moment.
“I do,” he finally replied, his voice very soft.
“Then you can think about it more,” Huai Dan’s voice carried a hint of amusement. “Maybe sometime, I’ll suddenly appear again.”
Returning to the dormitory, Luo Jing still felt a bit dazed.
Seeing his absent-minded look, his roommate asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong? You seem distracted.”
“Do I?” Luo Jing sat down on his bed and replied absentmindedly.
“…Didn’t you just have dinner with your brother? Why do you look like your soul has been taken away?” His roommate had learned about Luo Jing leaving school in the afternoon and had been envious for a while.
It was the most crucial period of their second year. They had mock exams in the computer lab every night, countless vocabulary words to memorize, endless homework to do, and also had to prepare their application materials.
Plus, with the final exams approaching, many teachers required presentations in class, so they also had to prepare presentations and slides. This bit of free time was truly precious.
“Did your brother scold you for sleeping in class?” His roommate racked his brains, and this was the only reason he could think of that would explain Luo Jing’s current state.
“No,” Luo Jing replied. “I’d rather he scolded me.”
“…” His roommate was speechless. “Do you have a masochistic tendency?”
“You don’t understand.” Luo Jing wanted to lie down on the bed, looking distressed, but remembering he hadn’t showered yet, he stopped himself.
Finally, he took his phone and went to the balcony.
Wu Li, who was a day student, had already finished school and his homework, taken a shower, and was lying in bed, ready to enjoy a game under the beautiful full moon.
Just as he opened the game, an untimely call appeared on the screen.
Wu Li glanced at it and saw it was his wishy-washy childhood friend.
He answered the call.
“Hello.” No one was home today, so Wu Li put the call on speakerphone while leaning against the headboard with his legs crossed.
The game was in the hero selection phase. He scrolled through the options, thinking about which hero to choose for jungling, while listening to what his friend had to say.
“I’m doomed,” Luo Jing said, his voice carrying a hint of despair, and upon closer listening, also a subtle, indescribable emotion.
“I think I’m in love with my brother.”
“Clang!”
Wu Li’s phone dropped to the floor.
When he picked it up again, a cute and harmless support character had been locked in for him.
