Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"Do you have a little too much confidence in me?" Hao Tu said modestly, though he was just like a male peacock at the zoo, spreading his beautiful tail feathers in hopes of receiving praise. "Even though I got first place in the last few interior design competitions, and I also have the highest GPA in the department for my major courses, that doesn't necessarily mean I can do it."

"Actually, I don't know either." Hui Jiang scratched his head, leaving Hao Tu speechless.

"I just... from the very beginning, I felt that you'd become a great architect." Hui Jiang held the mouse in his hand as he recalled their freshman year. "Ever since school started, you've always made me feel frustrated... Back then I kept thinking, how could there be someone so annoying and yet so amazing? I couldn't help but chase after your footsteps." After saying that, Hui Jiang froze first. He hadn't expected that, in a moment of loose lips, he would blurt out what had been buried in his heart.

But by the time those words reached Hao Tu's ears, they had taken on an entirely different meaning.

"You..."

"What?" Hui Jiang thought the guy was about to laugh at him, and his face instantly turned bright red.

"Don't stand so close to me." Hao Tu turned his face away, revealing slightly reddened earlobes.

"Huh? Why do you always suddenly..." lose your mind.

Hao Tu pressed, "Suddenly what?"

Hui Jiang didn't dare say it. "Nothing."

However, it was already too late. The surveying and site inspection would have to wait until tomorrow. The two of them searched for information online, while Hao Tu deliberately read newspapers from a few years ago to understand the progress of the municipal engineering project at the time.

The night passed quickly. Exhausted, the two climbed into bed. Hao Tu closed his eyes and reached beneath the blanket for Hui Jiang, clasped his hand, and pulled him over.

"It's so hot." Hui Jiang wasn't happy about it and twisted away.

"How is it hot?" Hao Tu frowned in displeasure. He thought Hui Jiang just loved putting on an act. Last night he had held him so tightly, but today he was acting as if nothing had happened.

Hui Jiang thought Hao Tu was losing his mind again, hugged the blanket, and retreated to the innermost side of the bed.

Hao Tu had a bad temper. Seeing that Hui Jiang really didn't seem to care about him anymore, he immediately felt dejected and refused to keep trying to stick himself onto Hui Jiang's cold shoulder.

The two spent the night in the same bed but with completely different thoughts, welcoming the fourth day of the National Day holiday.

Time was running short, and Hui Jiang and Hao Tu threw themselves completely into the work. Hao Tu no longer had time to be suspicious or throw tantrums. During the day they went out to take measurements, and at night they came back to draft and design. Sometimes inspiration struck, and they even worked through the night. Their daily sleep shrank to only three hours.

It made Hui Jiang feel as though he had returned to the grueling days of his final year of high school. To stay awake, he dug out all the coffee and green tea in the house and drank them as if they were plain water.

During that time, Shi Zeqing came to see Hui Jiang several more times. Unfortunately, Hui Jiang was simply too busy. They barely exchanged a few words before Hui Jiang had to hurry off again.

By chance, Hui Jiang came across Ling Yudong's social media posts. Seeing his classmates traveling outside the province made him regret it bitterly. Other people's Golden Week was for vacations and entertainment, while his was spent risking his life drawing design plans. If he'd known, he never would have agreed to Hao Tu's proposal in the first place.

Fortunately, Hao Tu really was incredibly capable. On the last day of the National Day holiday, the design was finally completed. After four days and four nights of working together, Hui Jiang felt as though his liver had basically been destroyed. Not only that, but he even felt unsteady while walking.

The moment he mentioned it to Hao Tu, the other man immediately said he had weak kidneys. When Hui Jiang looked in the mirror and touched his pale face, he felt he had stayed up far too much over the past few days.

The clock read 03:45. The desk lamp in the room was still on, and wisps of white steam rose from the strong tea on the desk. Dark circles surrounded Hao Tu's eyes as he moved the mouse, putting the finishing touches on the design.

Hui Jiang wanted to wait until the project was finished before sleeping, but his eyelids felt as though they weighed a thousand pounds. He couldn't stop yawning. After staying up for several nights in a row, even a body made of iron couldn't endure it.

"You sleep first," Hao Tu said, but his eyes never left the screen for even half a second.

Hui Jiang rubbed his eyes. "How can I? At the very least I have to see the finished product."

"..."

Hao Tu was also exhausted. He said nothing more, but only a few seconds later, he heard the sound of Hui Jiang collapsing face-first onto the desk behind him.

This guy...

After saving the file, Hao Tu leaned his head back wearily. He didn't want to move anymore. Even his fingers ached so much they no longer had the strength to bend.

He turned his head and quietly gazed at the sleeping person beside him. His breathing was steady and rhythmic, while the loose strands of hair hanging over his forehead covered the young man's eyes.

Hao Tu raised a hand and gently brushed aside the soft black hair, removed his glasses, tossed them aside, then reached out to touch his cheek, slowly stroking it with his fingertips.

In the dim room, only the desk lamp remained lit. Its warm orange glow illuminated Hao Tu's handsome profile, casting a black silhouette onto the wall.

"You're tired too."

Hao Tu pulled him into his arms and fell backward onto the large bed while holding him.

Hui Jiang was almost awakened by the movement and murmured in his sleep, "Mm... let go."

"Don't move."

The young man shifted slightly, but he was far too sleepy. The strength of his struggle grew weaker and weaker.

"Let me hold you."

...

...

The next day

"Ding-dong."

The clear, ethereal sound of the doorbell echoed through the living room.

Hui Heng was ordered by his mother to answer the door.

"Who is it?"

He opened the wooden door in confusion and saw Shi Zeqing standing outside.

"Hui Heng."

Shi Zeqing's voice was as pleasant as ever, yet for some reason it made Hui Heng feel afraid.

"Brother Zeqing, are you here to see my brother?"

He opened the security door.

"Yes. Today is the last day of the National Day holiday. I wanted to discuss returning to school with him."

Shi Zeqing walked straight inside, passing Hui Heng.

"He should have time today... Good morning, Uncle and Aunt."

"Good morning." Father Hui nodded to him. "Hui Jiang is probably still asleep. Why don't you wait a little while?"

"It's already nine o'clock. Why is he still sleeping this late?"

Shi Zeqing stared at Hui Jiang's bedroom door.

"He's really been busy lately. Every time I come to see him, he never has any free time."

Father Hui explained, "Hui Jiang and Xiao Tu have been busy working on their competition design. But they should have finished by now. Otherwise, how would he have the time to sleep in?"

"Really?"

His large cat-like eyes stared coldly at that door, as though they could see straight through it and glimpse the scene beyond.

That person was still lying on Hui Jiang's bed.

Shi Zeqing lowered his eyes and smiled.

"I actually have something else to do. After Hui Jiang gets up, I'll come back."

Father Hui tried to keep him there.

"Zeqing, I'll have Hui Heng go wake Hui Jiang up. Stay and have breakfast before you leave."

"No need."

Shi Zeqing shook his head.

"Hui Jiang must be very tired, so I shouldn't disturb his rest. Thank you, Uncle."

After saying that, he walked expressionlessly out of Hui Jiang's home.

The moment the door closed behind him, Shi Zeqing dropped the act. His expression became extremely unpleasant.

For the past few days, Hui Jiang had been inseparable from that guy. They had even been sleeping together every night.

He couldn't stand it.

Even though he knew Hui Jiang didn't like Hao Tu as a friend, it still made him unbearably miserable.

Shi Zeqing touched his lips, knowing that his cigarette craving had returned.

He glanced at the iron gate beside him, took a lighter from his pocket, pushed the door open, and walked inside.

Hmm? What's this?!

The blue box on the floor instantly stole his attention. Shi Zeqing froze for several seconds, unable to understand how the box had ended up here.

Could it have been his mother and Shi Zeyu?

No, that wasn't right. They had no reason to lie.

Shi Zeqing shook his head and quickly dismissed the idea. He lit a cigarette, and another possibility surfaced in his mind—

Could Hui Jiang have moved it here?

In the dim stairwell, the glowing tip of the cigarette at the young man's lips flickered on and off. He had an extremely deceptive face. Everyone who met him for the first time thought there was nothing wrong with him.

Shi Zeqing opened his mouth and exhaled a ring of white smoke, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile.

How would Hui Jiang deal with these toys next?

I hope you'll take good care of them.

Otherwise, he'll be very upset...

Shi Zeqing's mood improved somewhat. He stubbed out the cigarette and waited until the smell had dispersed before leaving the stairwell and returning to Hui Jiang's home.

In front of Hui Jiang's family, he had to appear absolutely perfect.

"Yawn..."

Fresh out of bed, Hui Jiang walked out of his room with messy bed hair and immediately spotted Shi Zeqing sitting in the living room.

"Shi Zeqing? What are you doing here?"

"I was thinking we'd be going back to school this afternoon, so I came to discuss it with you." Shi Zeqing smiled. "You've finished your competition design, right?"

"Yeah, it's finally done. This competition was absolutely life-threatening." Hui Jiang yawned and gulped down several mouthfuls of water. "From now on, I'm just going to be a lazy bum. Even if you beat me to death, I'm never entering another competition."

Shi Zeqing laughed at his words.

"That's because you two waited until the very end to start. Of course it was going to be exhausting."

"Mhm." Hui Jiang nodded in agreement.

"Have you packed your luggage yet? Why don't you have lunch at my place, then we can leave together?"

Shi Zeqing leaned close to his ear and whispered,

"I actually want you to come to my house."

Hui Jiang looked puzzled.

"Huh?"

"I want to eat the food you cook."

Shi Zeqing whispered into his ear.

At that moment, their posture was extremely intimate, but since they had grown up together, Hui Jiang didn't think there was anything strange about it.

"No."

Hui Jiang rejected him without hesitation.

"Look at my dark circles. I'm already this worn out, and you still want to order me around."

"I was only saying it." Shi Zeqing blinked.

"Since it was so exhausting, why did you agree to team up with him for the competition in the first place?"

There was no way Hui Jiang was going to admit it was because he wanted to copy homework. That would have been far too embarrassing.

"I didn't think that much about it back then. I just figured he was a master, so I could ride on his coattails."

Speak of the devil, and the devil arrives.

Just then, Hao Tu came out of the room. At a glance, he spotted Hui Jiang and Shi Zeqing sitting on the sofa. He said nothing, turned his head, and walked straight into the bathroom.

Just then, Mother Hui spoke.

"Hui Jiang, have something to eat after you finish your water. Remember to call Xiao Tu too."

"Okay, got it."

"Auntie, is there a portion for me too?"

Shi Zeqing was very good at winning people over. He walked into the kitchen, calling her "Auntie" over and over while making Mother Hui happy.

After Hao Tu came out, Hui Jiang called him over for breakfast.

Hao Tu glanced toward Shi Zeqing in the kitchen.

"Hui Jiang, have you looked at the final design yet?"

"Oh, right. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would've forgotten."

After pouring several days of hard work into it, how could he be satisfied without seeing the finished product?

"I'll go look after breakfast... Maybe we'll even win a prize this time."

"Brother, don't jinx it," Hui Heng mocked him.

"Not possible."

Hui Jiang immediately became smug.

"With Hao Tu's skills and my strategic guidance, we'll definitely get at least third place."

"Heh."

Hao Tu laughed at him.

"Yesterday you said we'd win first place."

"You have to stay humble."

Hui Jiang scratched his head awkwardly.

Shi Zeqing watched the two of them for quite a while before choosing the right moment to speak.

"Hui Jiang, I'd like to see your finished project too. Is that okay?"

Hui Jiang looked at Shi Zeqing suspiciously.

"Did you take the wrong medicine today? You're actually talking to me this politely."

Shi Zeqing found a seat and sat down.

"When have I ever been impolite to you?"

"All the time."

Seeing the conversation completely diverted by Shi Zeqing, Hao Tu became somewhat unhappy.

Could this Shi Zeqing actually be interested in Hui Jiang?

Heh.

Even if he really was interested, it was useless.

The one Hui Jiang liked was him.

Hao Tu mocked Shi Zeqing inwardly, with exactly the same attitude as the legal wife in ancient times looking down on a concubine.

"Hui Jiang, how are you planning to get back to school this afternoon?"

Hao Tu finally spoke.

Hui Jiang found the question rather strange.

"Obviously by coach bus."

Although he'd heard the train could also get there, it took much longer.

"I don't want to take the coach."

Hao Tu frowned, apparently recalling his last bout of motion sickness.

"Let's call a ride-share back to school."

"Sure."

Hui Jiang nodded.

"I don't mind. It'll be more comfortable anyway."

He still had tens of thousands of yuan in his bank account. Spending a few hundred wasn't a big deal.

Shi Zeqing said,

"I don't mind either."

Hao Tu froze for a moment before turning toward Hui Jiang.

"Shi Zeqing is going back to school with us?"

Shi Zeqing smiled faintly.

"Hao Tu, didn't I tell you last time that I'd be coming to your school as an exchange student? Don't tell me you've forgotten."

"No."

Hao Tu found that smile especially irritating.

After breakfast, Shi Zeqing was going home to get his luggage, while Hao Tu was going out to buy motion sickness medicine just in case.

But both of them wanted to bring Hui Jiang along.

Hui Jiang rejected them decisively.

"No. I have my own things to take care of too. You two go by yourselves."

After saying that, he chased the two clingy guys out the door.

Only after they had taken the elevator downstairs did Hui Jiang quietly sneak out of his home and head toward the stairwell.

He would be returning to school that afternoon, so no matter what, he had to move that box of toys away.

Taking advantage of the moment when his parents returned to their room, Hui Jiang carried the box into his own bedroom.

"Whew—"

Hui Jiang let out a breath as he set the box on the floor.

He lifted the bed sheet and shoved the box underneath the bed.

There wasn't any extra space in the room, so under the bed was the only place to put it. Besides, there was no need to worry about his mother discovering it there.

Fortunately, Mother Hui didn't like cleaning.

Ever since the children had grown up, she had entered her son's room even less often.

Not long afterward, Hao Tu and Shi Zeqing returned.

The three of them packed up their luggage and discovered that Hao Tu had by far the most belongings.

In comparison, Shi Zeqing's luggage looked pitifully sparse—

one computer and two changes of clothes.

Hui Jiang couldn't help worrying.

"You're not even bringing your blanket or pillow?"

"It's fine. I plan to buy them after I get there."

"Alright, you've got money." Hui Jiang joked with him. "I was already prepared to help you carry your luggage."

Shi Zeqing smiled.

"I couldn't bear to let you work that hard."

The two guys started joking with each other, making Hao Tu beside them green with envy.

Hui Jiang never said things like that to him.

Could it be because people become especially concerned about their image in front of someone they like?

What Hao Tu didn't know was that Shi Zeqing was observing him intentionally and unintentionally, even thinking about how to drive him away from Hui Jiang.

When they had returned earlier, Shi Zeqing noticed that the box in the stairwell had disappeared.

He guessed that Hui Jiang had moved it away, and that assumption put him in an even better mood.

To verify his guess, he secretly slipped into Hui Jiang's room while pretending to use the bathroom.

Shi Zeqing was extremely familiar with Hui Jiang's room.

He knew exactly where everything was kept.

There wasn't anything new in plain sight.

Hui Jiang had probably hidden it.

Shi Zeqing began searching every corner of the room.

Very quickly, he discovered the box underneath the bed.

Oh?

He had actually hidden it in exactly the same place.

Smiling, Shi Zeqing pulled the box out, lifted the lid, and looked at the familiar toys inside.

A feeling of recovering something that had been lost welled up in his heart.

Why did Hui Jiang pick up his toys?

Click.

The door happened to open.

The moment Hui Jiang walked in, he saw his childhood friend squatting beside his bed.

Next to him was the box of toys that Hui Jiang had just carried back that afternoon.

The two stared at each other with wide eyes, frozen in place.

Inside his head, Hui Jiang was screaming.

H-How am I supposed to explain this?!

And is Shi Zeqing a dog or something?

Even if those things belonged to him, did he really have to find them this quickly?

"I..."

Hui Jiang looked rather embarrassed.

"I thought it was kind of a waste, so I carried them back."

"It's fine."

Shi Zeqing looked delighted.

"I never planned to throw them away."

"It's a good thing you picked them back up."

He picked a "wine glass" out of the pile of toys.

"By the way, Hui Jiang, do you still remember this?"

The moment Hui Jiang saw that "wine glass," his eyes widened.

That unbearably embarrassing memory he had sealed away...

How could he possibly forget it?

...

...

It was probably during one summer vacation.

Hui Jiang had just entered elementary school.

After school let out, he often ran over to Shi Zeqing's house to play.

One day, Shi Zeqing somehow got hold of an adult comic.

The two of them were so young that they had absolutely no idea what sex was.

Back then, Shi Zeqing was still an adorable little bean.

Showing it off like a treasure, he handed the comic to Hui Jiang.

"Hui Jiang, do you want to read it?"

The little bean with cat-like eyes looked a little shy.

"I read it last time. I thought it was really good."

Although Hui Jiang didn't understand at the time, he knew it was an inappropriate book.

"I don't want to."

"My mom said I can't look at things that aren't suitable for children."

"You're really not going to read it?"

The little bean tempted his good friend.

Seeing that Hui Jiang genuinely ignored him, he said,

"Then I'll read it by myself."

When Hui Jiang saw Shi Zeqing open the pages, he couldn't stop himself from sneaking glances.

Mother Hui was always strict with him.

There was no way she would ever let him come into contact with books like that.

But children that age were naturally overflowing with curiosity.

He couldn't resist.

With a single glance, he saw the naked woman in the comic.

Unable to control himself, he looked several more times.

Shi Zeqing knew Hui Jiang was secretly peeking, but instead of exposing him, he calmly turned several more pages.

The comic wasn't just pornographic.

It was also extremely violent.

It told the story of a woman being gang-raped by several men, mixed together with a great deal of drug abuse and violence.

After reading it, Hui Jiang felt deeply uncomfortable.

Yet his body gradually began reacting.

He couldn't stop wanting to keep reading.

Then he noticed Shi Zeqing had stopped turning the pages.

"Turn the page already."

"Haven't you already read it?"

"Why are you reading so slowly?"

At that moment, Shi Zeqing smiled.

"Who was it that just said he wasn't going to read it?"

"Mind your own business."

Hui Jiang felt somewhat embarrassed, but he still urged his friend.

"Hurry up."

"Okay."

The comic wasn't very long.

It only took a few pages to finish.

But Hui Jiang was left wanting more.

When Shi Zeqing asked him whether it was good,

he nodded.

"Yeah."

"Let me read it one more time."

He hadn't seen the beginning clearly the first time and wanted to savor it again.

"No."

Shi Zeqing jumped away with the comic.

"You just said you didn't like it, but now you want to read it again..."

"I told you it was really good, but you didn't believe me at first."

Hui Jiang couldn't do anything about his friend.

"Fine, I admit I like it now."

"Let me read it one more time."

He got up to snatch it, but he wasn't as strong as Shi Zeqing.

"Stop pulling."

"It's going to tear."

Shi Zeqing frowned.

Afraid they might really damage the book, Hui Jiang quickly let go.

"I can lend you the book..."

Shi Zeqing put it back into the drawer.

"But..."

"You have to play a game with me."

Without thinking, Hui Jiang agreed.

"No problem."

"What are we playing?"

"Play house with me."

Shi Zeqing took out a "wine glass" and handed it to him.

"Alright."

"You tell me how we're playing."

Shi Zeqing leaned close to Hui Jiang's ear and explained today's version of the game.

"This..."

Hui Jiang scratched his head awkwardly.

"Why is it different from before?"

"It feels kind of strange."

"What's strange about it?"

Shi Zeqing excitedly pulled him onto the bed.

"Let's start already."

"No."

Hui Jiang frowned.

"Why do I have to play the rapist?"

At that age, children already knew right from wrong.

So when playing house, they generally refused to play the villain.

"Because you're the older brother."

"You have to give in to me."

Shi Zeqing spoke as though it were only natural.

"You said that yourself before."

"But..."

Hui Jiang still felt that something wasn't right.

"Hurry up, hurry up."

"If you keep acting like this, I won't lend you the book anymore."

I can't help translate or transform text that includes sexual content involving minors.

Shi Zeqing saw that Hui Jiang was already sitting in the front, so he could only shamelessly get into the car as well. The moment the two of them got in, Hui Jiang felt as though the temperature inside the car had instantly dropped several degrees. He could feel two pairs of eyes constantly staring at the back of his head, frightening him so much that he didn't dare turn around.

Hui Jiang pulled out his earphones from his bag and put them on. He had no time to worry about what the two gentlemen in the back seat were thinking. Closing his eyes, he listened to music and tried to lull himself to sleep.

In the back seat, Hao Tu and Shi Zeqing each occupied one side. Neither paid the slightest attention to the other. After all, once they reached the school, the two of them would definitely go their separate ways.

Taking a ride-share was more comfortable than taking the coach bus, and it was faster as well. Hui Jiang slept soundly the whole way, only slowly waking up after they arrived at the university. He yawned and put on his glasses.

Shi Zeqing got out of the car first and walked over to the front passenger seat to call Hui Jiang.

"Let's go."

"Go where?" Hui Jiang asked in confusion.

"I rented an apartment near the university. Come stay with me."

Shi Zeqing wrapped an arm around Hui Jiang's shoulders, intending to take him away.

But he hadn't expected Hui Jiang to refuse.

"I can't. I have to go back to the dormitory first. I'll come over to your place another time."

"Hui Jiang."

Hao Tu called out to him from behind the car.

"Come over here and help me with my luggage."

"Oh."

Hui Jiang answered him, then turned to Shi Zeqing.

"You go back first. If there's anything you don't understand, just message me on WeChat."

"Hui Jiang, hurry up."

Hao Tu urged him.

"Coming."

Hui Jiang walked over with his backpack on, leaving Shi Zeqing standing where he was.