CH 75

In the blink of an eye, it became junior high. Pei QianYue and Feng Ci continued to be assigned to the same class.

Upon entering middle school, the amount of schoolwork gradually increased. Pei QianYe was very studious. His grades remained ranked among the best per usual. Feng Ci wasn’t as hardworking as him, but still maintained a mid-upper rank. 

However, for a period of time right after entering middle school, Feng Ci’s grades suddenly plummeted almost overnight.

Inside the teacher’s office, Feng Ci stood sloppily in front of the wall, one hand stuffed inside his pocket and the other hand holding his schoolbag. He tilted his head, looked outside, and caught a flash of the edge of a dark blue uniform.

He lowered his eyes. The corners of his lips curved upwards slightly and immediately, he heard the teacher’s scolding voice.

“Still smiling? What’s there to smile about? Were you listening to my words at all?!” The homeroom teacher was a little old man over half a century old. When he started reprimanding people, he huffed and glared. A lot of people were afraid of him. 

But Feng Ci was not afraid.

“I got it.” Feng Ci dragged his syllables and said leisurely: “Next time I definitely won’t sleep in class or pass notes.”

This attitude of his, on the contrary, made the homeroom teacher even angrier. He said to the woman in front of him: “Feng Ci’s guardian, see what I mean. Even with you here, he behaves like this. How are we supposed to manage him?”

“It’s enough that he sleeps in class and doesn’t listen to his lessons. He even interferes with other people’s studying. I just don’t understand. Passing a dozen notes in one class alone, how do you guys have so many words to say?”

Feng Ci rubbed his nose.

Who let this old man suddenly lose it and switch people’s seats, moving Pei QianYue super far from him. What else can they do but pass notes to each other?

Not to mention, he wasn’t the only person passing notes. Occasionally Pei QianYue was actually the main culprit here.

“Please don’t be angry. When we return home, I will definitely discipline him.” Feng Ci’s mother gave a courteous smile and then turned her head to yell at Feng Ci: “Come over here and apologize to the teacher!” 

How could the homeroom teacher give up so easily? He continued to nag and admonish the mother and son for half an hour. Half an hour later, Feng Ci walked out of the office following his mother. Both of their faces had an extremely similar complicated and incredulous expression.  

“It’s alright.” Feng Ci patted his mother’s shoulder: “He’s always been like that. Just have to get used to it.”

As soon as he finished talking, he received a kick from the other.

“Oh screw you.” The woman cursed with a smile: “If this happens again, see if I don’t beat you up next time.” 

Feng Ci’s mother still looked very young, with pretty looks. She wore normal clothes but it was very appropriate for the setting. In front of her kid, she didn’t display any arrogance.

“Got it. You just don’t want to hear all the nagging, right?” Feng Ci thought briefly and said half-jokingly: “Next time I’ll say you’re working overtime and secretly find someone to pretend to be my uncle.”

“Stinkin’ brat. You dare—”

Before his mother scolded him, Feng Ci said preemptively: “I don’t dare, no way. I was just joking.” 

As the mother and son talked, they crossed the corridor outside of the office. At the end of the corridor, a figure stood in the shadow, waiting for them to come closer before walking out.

“Aunty, hello.” Pei QianYue greeted Feng Ci’s mother politely.

“Yt la’r Wljb Tef. Qjlalcu obg atlr ralcxlc’ ygja jujlc?”

Mfcu Jl jcv Ufl HljcTef ugfk eq abufatfg, ktlmt mjerfv atflg gfrqfmalnf qjgfcar ab tjnf j qgfaas ubbv gfijalbcrtlq jr kfii. Lbkfnfg, Ufl HljcTef’r qjgfcar kfgf jikjsr bea bo abkc bc yerlcfrr jcv vlvc’a gfaegc cbgwjiis. 

Ufl HljcTef jmxcbkifvufv tfg delfais. Mfcu Jl’r wbatfg atfc rjlv: “Cecas xcbkr atja sbe raevs nfgs kfii. Efwfwyfg ab jirb tfiq Mfcu Jl. Tbe uesr klii yf ajxlcu atf tlut rmtbbi fcagjcmf fzjw cfza sfjg. Po tf mbcalcefr ab tjnf agbeyif gjlrlcu tlr ugjvfr, sbe uesr kbc’a yf jyif ab jaafcv atf rjwf tlut rmtbbi gluta? Po sbe mjc’a fnfc afra lcab atf rjwf tlut rmtbbi, mbiifuf klii yf fnfc tjgvfg. Pc atf oeaegf, lo sbe uesr jgfc’a lc atf rjwf mlas, atfc kbgxlcu, ufaalcu wjgglfv, jcv tjnlcu xlvr……”

“Mom.” Feng Ci couldn’t take it anymore and interrupted her: “What inauspicious words are you saying?”

“How are these inauspicious words?” Feng Ci’s mother said: “Xiao Yue clearly plans to test into the Municipal Key School. In the future, he’ll definitely get into a top university. With your grades, you’re even dead last in the monthly exams. How are you going to pass the high school entrance exam?”

Feng Ci took a glance at Pei QianYue and grumbled: “I know how to answer all those questions. I was just sleeping.” 

“Don’t you feel any shame talking about it? How did you end up sleeping during the exams? What were you doing not sleeping in the middle of the night? You—”

Seeing his mother about to inherit the homeroom teacher’s footsteps and start nagging as well, Feng Ci hastily pushed her outside: “Mom, don’t you have work tonight? Hurry up and go home to get some rest. You’ve been picking up extra shifts for several days. Look at how terrible your complexion is, even make-up can’t cover it up.”

“Changing the topic again. So you also know my hardship, then why aren’t you studying properly, causing me to come here and listen to the homeroom teacher’s lecture after leaving the night shift.”

“So it’s true that you don’t want to listen to his nagging.” 

“You—”

The homeroom teacher had invited Feng Ci’s mother to school during the afternoon rest period. After the start of the 3rd year, two more self study classes were added later. Feng Ci and Pei QianYue couldn’t leave campus too far. Together, they walked Feng Ci’s mother outside of the school gates and watched the woman leave by car before Feng Ci finally withdrew his gaze.

Pei QianYue had started wearing glasses since the first year of middle school. The thin lens didn’t obstruct the increasingly striking features of that beautiful face, but on the contrary, added a slight cultured air to him.

Feng Ci’s gaze stopped on the other’s face for a moment before finally shifting downwards.  

Compared to Feng Ci, who never wore his school uniform properly, Pei QianYue was much more disciplined. His school jacket was zipped up in front of his chest in a bookish manner, exposing the black t-shirt inside, as well as a small section of his fair white collarbone.

Feng Ci shifted his gaze and clicked his tongue: “Pretending to behave so well in front of my mom.” 

Pei QianYue pushed his glasses up softly and asked him: “How am I pretending?”

Feng Ci didn’t answer. 

He picked up his foot and started walking out of the school. Pei QianYue grabbed him: “Not going to the cafeteria?”

“How can there be anything good to eat in that little cafeteria?” Feng Ci didn’t even look back: “This meal you’re inviting.”

On a street corner not too far from the school, there was a convenience store. At this time, it was still pretty lively. Feng Ci and Pei QianYue were pretty well known in school. As soon as they pushed the door open and entered, they attracted plenty of looks.

Feng Ci didn’t pay any attention and picked up two bento casually, leaning against the counter as he heated them up in the microwave. 

Pei QianYue went to grab two drinks. He also snatched a fresh snow-skin cake for Feng Ci as a snack to eat after self-study.

“Milk again……” At the registry, Feng Ci gave it a glance and said in disdain: “Strawberry flavor.”

Pei QianYue: “There’s also banana.”

Feng Ci: “……. Then I’ll stay with the strawberry.” 

Pei QianYue was probably the type of person that matured rather slowly, but only compared to Feng Ci. During the last few years, the two of them were practically racing each other for height. Around 12-13 years old, Feng Ci was still taller than Pei QianYue by 1 to 2 cm. At this point, the two people were pretty much the same height. Pei QianYue even seemed to be on the trend of surpassing Feng Ci.

This made Feng Ci behave as if he was facing a great adversary. Everyday, he chugged down two large bottles of milk.

After drinking like this for a semester, it’s unknown if he really grew taller or not, but right now, he wanted to throw up as soon as he smelled the flavor of milk. As a result, he could only settle for the next best thing, and start drinking milk with fruity flavors.

There weren’t actually a lot of people eating inside the convenience store. Feng Ci unscrewed the cap and took a sip of the milk. Pei QianYue carried the heated bentos and walked over. 

Feng Ci wasn’t in a rush to pick his bento up. He glanced at the chatty girls next to the shelves: “They seem to be looking at you.”

His voice was very soft. Only Pei QianYue could hear him.

The latter paused what he’s doing and then handed the bento to Feng Ci: “No, they’re looking at you.”

Feng Ci: “……Are they?” 

Compared to the unapproachable Pei QianYue, naturally the well-tempered and friendly Feng Ci was more popular.

Unfortunately, Feng Ci has never been aware of this himself.

The two people sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, eating bento. But strangely, Feng Ci didn’t have an appetite today. He looked at the reflection of Pei QianYue in the window and suddenly said: “Hey, old man Zhou said that I’m interfering with your studies and told me to stay far away from you.”

“En.” Pei QianYue passed a piece of chicken to Feng Ci: “He also told me that.” 

Feng Ci acknowledged with a hum, a light in his eyes flashing: “Then how did you reply to him?”

“The high school entrance exam is less than a year away. There’s a lot of competition for the number 1 high school in the district. Studying hard is indeed required.” Pei QianYue’s tone was flat.

Feng Ci’s smile faded.

He lowered his head and pushed his rice around, saying quietly: “Here I’m thinking that you’re actually the one affecting my studies. 

After middle school it’s already been a very long time since Feng Ci lived in Pei QianYue’s home.

The days before the monthly exams, he had gone to Pei QianYue’s house to review. During the night, he ended up staying over directly. 

Clearly, the two people had often slept in the same bed and shared the same pillow when they were younger, but that day, Feng Ci couldn’t stay asleep no matter what. Waking up drowsily, he discovered that Pei QianYue was holding him tightly inside his arms.

Instantly, he had even more trouble sleeping. 

Unable to get any sleep that entire night, Feng Ci successfully fell asleep during the exam the next day and ended up testing dead last in the class.

It’s also from that day onward that he started harboring a complicated and difficult to label intention in his heart.

The worries of a youth was like the proliferation of wild grass, uncontrollable once it started to spread.

Feng Ci didn’t care if he could test into the best school in the district, or if he’ll keep getting reprimanded like this if things continued; however, he didn’t want to cause trouble for Pei QianYue. 

He psyched himself up mentally several times before raising his head: “Then in the future, we—”

“In the future, I will be in charge of supervising your studies.” Pei QianYue was also looking at him through the window. Their gazes clashed on the glass: “You learn things faster than me, but you don’t put in a lot of effort normally. With someone supervising you, it will be much better.”

Feng Ci didn’t expect Pei QianYue to say this. The mental preparation he made instantly went to waste, his emotions having gone through a huge fluctuation just now.

However, simultaneously he felt a bit flabbergasted: “Will old man Zhou approve of you helping me?” 

“I don’t need his approval.” 

Pei QianYue normally looked like a well-behaved student, but in reality, he didn’t care about anyone. When he makes a decision about something, no one can convince him otherwise.

Already aware of his temper, Feng Ci couldn’t help but laugh: “Aren’t you afraid of being scolded by him?”

Pei QianYue: “It’s not like I can let you get scolded in my place every time.” 

Just like every time with the note exchange, clearly they were both passing it back and forth between each other, yet the teacher only reprimands Feng Ci alone.

Feng Ci’s mood got better again. He picked up the strawberry milk that Pei QianYue purchased and drank two gulps. The thick strawberry flavor spread inside his mouth, so cloyingly sweet.

He stared at Pei QianYue’s reflection inside the glass window and asked quietly: “You really want me to test into the Municipal Key School and continue attending the same class with you?”

Actually, testing into the Municipal Key School wasn’t too difficult for Feng Ci. 

Just like Pei QianYue had said, Feng Ci has been smart since young. He learned quickly and well. It’s just that lately, his thoughts haven’t been on studying that his grades slipped downwards again and again.

But he didn’t feel like there was anything wrong with being tutored by Pei QianYue at all and on the contrary, started to negotiate the terms with him: “You said it yourself. There are a lot of competition for the Municipal Key School. If I really pass the entrance exam, shouldn’t you give me a reward or something?”

Pei QianYue turned his head around.

Feng Ci drank the milk a bit hastily just now. There was still a faint pink, milk residue on top of his lips. Pei QianYue looked at him quietly for a while, raised his hand, and used his thumb to help Feng Ci wipe it away gently. 

“What do you want?” His voice was both soft and deep. Feng Ci felt a bit frisky and restless from hearing it.

Feng Ci glanced around briefly and made sure that no one in the vicinity was paying any attention to them before he finally leaned closer.

“At least you have to……” Feng Ci’s heart pounded rapidly. Every inhale was filled with the sweet smell of that strawberry milk. He leaned next to Pei QianYue’s ear and suppressed his voice so low that only breath sounds remained: “Let me kiss you.”