After Death, I Became My Childhood Friend’s Cat 94

Chapter 94: Side Story 4 (5/5)

Jiang Heng, sitting in the front row, watched as the professor droned on and on, from the history of foreign films to the history of domestic films. Amidst the endless stream of film titles he had never even heard of, he slumped onto the desk and fell asleep.

Lu Yichuan, sitting beside him, watched as the boy’s cheek, pressed against his arm, puffed out slightly, his breathing slow and even, his slightly longer hair falling softly around his face.

Jiang Heng didn’t move until the bell rang.

Lu Yichuan took off his black jacket, draped it over Jiang Heng, took his empty water bottle, and left his seat.

When he returned, Jiang Heng was awake, one hand clutching the jacket, the other rubbing his eyes sleepily, his face a picture of confusion amidst the bustling classroom.

Lu Yichuan placed the water bottle on the desk in front of him. “It’s warm, drink some.”

Jiang Heng’s hand left the jacket, the black fabric slipping slightly, revealing his pale neck and the collar of his T-shirt underneath.

He took the water bottle, a strange feeling nagging at him, but his sleep-addled mind couldn’t grasp it.

He took a sip, his dry throat finding some relief. “Thank you, Xuechang.”

The jacket was too big for him, practically engulfing him, and Jiang Heng felt like even his hair had absorbed that slightly bitter scent.

Something wasn’t right.

He took off the jacket and handed it back. “Thank you for the jacket, but I’m not that cold.”

Lu Yichuan took the jacket, his eyes lowered. “The temperature drops at night, be careful not to catch a cold from the change in temperature.”

“Impossible!” Jiang Heng declared. “I have a strong immune system! I rarely get sick!”

The short break ended, and the professor returned, water bottle in hand.

“Alright, class, let’s watch a movie.”

Jiang Heng’s eyes lit up. He knew a Film Appreciation class couldn’t possibly be without a movie!

The professor cleared his throat. “Before we start, let’s take attendance.”

“Open your app, I’ll send a code, and don’t move! Let’s see which unlucky souls are skipping class.”

Jiang Heng’s outdated phone took a while to load. He couldn’t help but ask Lu Yichuan, “What’s he doing?”

“Catching the truants.”

“…Huh?”

The professor looked at his phone. “Let me see… Some people are very eager to mark their attendance. Li Rui? Is Li Rui here?”

Silence filled the lecture hall.

“Student Li Rui, I’ll remember you.”

Jiang Heng finally understood. “Holy shit! That’s brutal!”

A chuckle came from beside him.

Jiang Heng turned sharply. “What are you laughing at?”

Lu Yichuan, his jacket draped over his lap, twirled a pen between his fingers. “Laughing at your…naiveté.”

Jiang Heng glared at him.

Lu Yichuan gently pushed his face back towards the screen. “Your movie is starting.”

The lights dimmed, and the title of the film slowly appeared on the small screen –

Forrest Gump

Jiang Heng: “…”

An old movie was still better than a lecture on the impact of film on society.

His snacks finally had a purpose.

Jiang Heng, like a little hamster, rummaged through his bag in the darkness. Lu Yichuan turned his head and saw the hamster holding a biscuit in its mouth.

The hamster paused and offered him the bag. “Want some?”

Lu Yichuan glanced at the assortment of snacks, a surprisingly decent selection for a movie night. He didn’t take any, but instead asked, “How much did all this cost you?”

Jiang Heng nibbled on a biscuit, crunch, crunch. “The supermarket is so expensive! And I bought a few things I’ve always wanted but couldn’t afford before. Almost a hundred yuan.”

A hundred yuan…

Lu Yichuan twirled his pen. “I’m suddenly in a much better mood.”

Jiang Heng looked at him, puzzled.

In the dim light, the man’s eyes curved into a smile. “Jiang Heng, didn’t you owe me 260 yuan? You can pay me back now.”

Wait…

Jiang Heng was stunned. He hadn’t asked for it before, and now, after he had spent his money on snacks, he wanted it back?

Even the loud movie couldn’t drown out Jiang Heng’s indignant whispers. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?!”

“How could you say that?” Lu Yichuan said innocently, “Didn’t we agree? You keep the money, and I’ll ask for it back when I’m in a good mood. I’m in a good mood now, so I’m asking for it back. What’s wrong with that?”

Jiang Heng: “…”

Lu Yichuan added, “How about a discount? 250?”

Jiang Heng stuffed the rest of the biscuit into his mouth, thinking Lu Yichuan was the real 250.

He thrust the bag of snacks into Lu Yichuan’s arms. “Here, take it! I’ll transfer you the rest of the money!”

Lu Yichuan looked through the snacks, picked out a few with the most additives, and handed the rest back to Jiang Heng. “I don’t want these.”

Jiang Heng glared at him. “You don’t want them?!”

This smooth, effortless move… there was definitely something wrong with him.

Compared to the money, he was more interested in…

Jiang Heng crinkled the snack bag. “These are the ones I bought with your money, and you don’t want them?!”

Lu Yichuan said, “Consider it payment for your debt. Now be quiet and watch your movie, or do you want me to confiscate these as well?”

Jiang Heng kicked him under the table in frustration.

Lu Yichuan, a shoe print on his black pants, wasn’t angry, but chuckled. “How about this, I’ll give you another option. You accompany me somewhere this weekend, and I’ll forget about you spending my money on snacks.”

Jiang Heng thought he was being completely unreasonable. “You were the one who didn’t want them!”

“I want them now. Give me the money.”

Jiang Heng: “…”

Jiang Heng said, “Then give me back the spicy sticks you took.”

“No.” Lu Yichuan said. “I like these.”

“…”

Lu Yichuan turned his face back towards the screen. “Pay attention, you’re going to miss the plot.”

Miss the plot my ass!

The class passed quickly. The movie wasn’t even halfway finished when it ended, and the professor turned on the microphone to assign homework.

“Alright, class, finish watching the movie and write a two-thousand-word essay on your thoughts and feelings about it. Due next class.”

A collective groan filled the lecture hall.

Jiang Heng, who hadn’t seen the movie, whose snacks had been partially confiscated, and who now had a two-thousand-word essay to write: “…”

His world was ending.

He swore, if he could do it again, he would never choose this elective course.

But worse was yet to come.

After sleeping through the entire class, Jiang Heng woke up the next day with a sore throat, and by the afternoon, he had a full-blown cold, complete with coughing and a runny nose.

He was very unlucky indeed.

Jiang Heng didn’t think it was because of his own weak constitution, it was definitely because of Lu Yichuan’s jacket. He must have caught a cold from the strange smell clinging to it.

That heartless man!

The weekend arrived quickly, and a car was parked in front of the café where Jiang Heng worked, right on time.

He sniffled, sneezed, looked at the windy weather outside, and put on a sweatshirt.

Before Lu Yichuan could even get out of the car, Jiang Heng jumped into the passenger seat.

He slapped two hundred yuan onto Lu Yichuan’s lap. “Two hundred! Here!”

Lu Yichuan glanced at the money. “I don’t want it.”

He didn’t want it…again?

Jiang Heng’s eyes widened.

Afraid he would die from exasperation, Lu Yichuan took the money. “Two days’ wages?”

Jiang Heng grumbled.

He buckled his seatbelt. “Let me make this clear, this is the last time. After this, we’re even.”

The car merged into the flow of traffic, the wind rustling the leaves of the trees. It was windy, but the weather was clear.

Jiang Heng wasn’t afraid of being kidnapped and sold; he was exhausted after a long day of work and dozed off in the passenger seat.

When he woke up, it was already dark, the seat reclined to a comfortable angle, a jacket draped over him, the familiar scent filling his senses.

He immediately sneezed.

He sat up, clutching the jacket, and saw Lu Yichuan on the phone, the light illuminating his handsome profile.

After a few months at university, Jiang Heng finally realized that his deskmate’s fantasy of a dashing, elegant senior had been just that, a fantasy. Most people were ordinary, unremarkable.

But he had to admit, Lu Yichuan was more handsome than anyone he had ever met.

They were clearly from different worlds. Thanks to Song Chengan, he knew that a single jacket of Lu Yichuan’s probably cost more than his entire semester’s living expenses.

Yet, strangely, there was no distance between them.

Sensing his gaze, Lu Yichuan turned to look at him, then ended his call and opened the car door, the night air rushing in. “Dizzy?”

Jiang Heng sniffled and shook his head, asking, “Where are we going?”

“Selling you.”

Jiang Heng: “…”

He got out of the car, returned the jacket to Lu Yichuan, and looked around, realizing they were at a shopping mall.

They followed the crowd inside.

Jiang Heng looked around curiously. “Are you buying something?”

The elevator doors opened, and Lu Yichuan, pulling his hoodie down over his head, led him inside. “No.”

He pressed the button for the fourth floor. “Taking you to see a movie.”

Jiang Heng froze. “…What?”

The man beside him lowered his eyes, the usual casual indifference in his narrow eyes, a hint of amusement playing on his lips. “An action movie, 3D, big screen, surround sound, much better than that old projector in the classroom.”

Ding!

They reached their floor.

Jiang Heng followed him out of the elevator. “Why are you…”

At the entrance of the cinema, the man turned to look at him. “A real movie, don’t you want to see it?”

At that moment, Jiang Heng’s heart raced inexplicably, like…excitement for a movie, but also…something else.

He swallowed.

“Yes!”

Lu Yichuan used the two hundred yuan Jiang Heng had given him to buy popcorn and drinks.

The money he had returned had transformed into snacks and was now back in his hands.

Jiang Heng rarely went to the cinema. Firstly, his finances didn’t allow for such luxuries, and secondly, he had been too busy studying. He had seen a few movies organized by the school and a few with his family during the holidays.

But his first time choosing a movie himself was with Lu Yichuan.

He finally chose the action movie Lu Yichuan had suggested.

He devoured half the popcorn, and by the time the movie ended, he was buzzing with excitement, practically bouncing off the walls as he circled Lu Yichuan.

“That was so cool! So awesome! I’m completely cured of my cold!”

Lu Yichuan, a smile in his eyes, held his hat to prevent him from bumping into anyone. “Hungry? Want to grab some dinner?”

Jiang Heng patted his stomach. “My treat!”

“Let’s…skip it this time,” Lu Yichuan said.

Jiang Heng looked at him, offended. “Are you looking down on me?”

“No.” Lu Yichuan tossed the empty popcorn bucket into the trash can, movie posters plastered on the wall behind him. “In my experience, the one who pays for the meal is usually the one…pursuing the other.”

Jiang Heng’s eyes widened slightly.

Lu Yichuan looked at him. “As you can see, I’m…pursuing you.”

He asked, “Jiang Heng, will you…let me?”

A deep blush crept up the teenager’s neck and ears, and Lu Yichuan, watching him, chuckled softly. “By your own rules, not refusing is the same as accepting. So can I assume that…you’re accepting my pursuit?”

Jiang Heng fidgeted with his jacket, then with his fingers, stammering, “I…I haven’t…agreed yet.”

“Then how can I…obtain your agreement?”

“Who pursues someone like this?! You’re always bullying me! It’s mean!”

“I’m afraid I can’t change that.”

Jiang Heng looked at him.

“You look too…easy to bully.”

“…”

Seriously…you…

He looked up, about to retort, when a warm kiss landed on his lips, light as a feather, tasting of caramel popcorn.

“But don’t worry, you can…string me along.”

“For as long as you want.”

[The End]