CH 77

Pei QianYue said those words easily but when put to practice in reality, Feng Ci finally realized how difficult it was.

The Municipal Key School lived up to its name and had an almost abnormal style of management. Under the strong academic pressure, don’t even talk about dating secretly, even getting extra time to rest outside of studying was difficult. 

After not even one month, Feng Ci already couldn’t take it anymore.

“If I knew this in advance, I might as well not test into this stupid school.” After the evening self-study class, Feng Ci cut Pei QianYue off in the tree grove and said indignantly.

This little tree grove was part of the path they needed to walk through to return to their dormitory. The grove was lush with trees and had dim lighting. It was hard to see what’s happening inside it from the outside. Feng Ci pressed Pei QianYue against a thick tree trunk that was not far from the small path. It was still vaguely possible to hear the noises outside.

Pei QianYue took the chance to wrap his arms around Feng Ci. He suppressed his voice extremely low: “What’s the matter?” 

Feng Ci didn’t answer.

What else could it be? Wasn’t it just that the workload was too heavy, even though the two of them lived under the same roof, they still had very little time to spend alone. In the dormroom, there were roommates. In the classroom, there were classmates. Feng Ci didn’t even have the chance to touch Pei QianYue.

The teenage years were a person’s most impulsive period.

For the entire summer break just recently, the two of them were stuck together affectionately. Now they had to suddenly pretend to be regular friends again. It was really very uncomfortable.

Not to mention, Pei QianYue still……

Feng Ci buried his head into the crook of Pei QianYue’s neck and took a deep breath of the other’s fresh soap scent before raising his head: “You only know to tease me.”

Yet Pei QianYue asked: “How was I?”

His expression even looked very innocent. 

“You didn’t?” Feng Ci grinded his teeth softly and feigned a smile: “Then today it must have been someone else who had touched my hand when passing out the English quiz, right?”

“Deliberately losing balance in gym class and leaning against me to stand steady, that must have been someone else too, right?”

He pulled open Pei QianYue’s jacket and grabbed the collar of the white t-shirt inside: “And what’s with this shirt? Did someone steal my clothes and give it to you? Then are they secretly in love with me or secretly in love with you?”

Pei QianYue finally couldn’t hold back anymore and lowered his head to cut off that relentlessly jabbering mouth. 

Pei QianYue’s kiss was completely different from how he usually behaved. At first, he actually starts very gentle and restrained, but in the end, his kisses always carry a slight viciousness. He always insisted on kissing Feng Ci until the other was out of breath before he could feel satisfied.

Yet strangely, Feng Ci also liked it very much like this.

Pei QianYue finally released Feng Ci once both of them had some trouble breathing.

Panting, Feng Ci asked with a smile: “Not pretending anymore?” 

“I was wrong.” Pei QianYue said quietly: “Don’t be angry.”

Of course Feng Ci wouldn’t get angry so easily.

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Because the little tree grove was often used for cover, and was a holy ground for school couples to rendezvous, teachers patrolled here regularly. Before selecting this place, Feng Ci had already figured out the available routes. Dragging Pei QianYue, he made a shortcut through a small road and cut through the forest. Very quickly, they merged into a crowd of students returning to the dormitory.

A moment later, the two people arrived downstairs of the dormitory. Using the wall as support, Pei QianYue gasped for breath. 

Unlike Feng Ci, who has always been mischievous and lively since young, Pei QianYue was still very poor in health even now. Although he got sick less frequently than when he was younger, he still couldn’t withstand any kind of high intensity activity.

Running such a short distance, Feng Ci didn’t even breathe fast, yet Pei QianYue’s lips were pale white.

As Feng Ci mocked him, he stroked Pei QianYue’s back to help him catch his breath: “Pei XiaoYue, your physical prowess is really not good enough.”

Pei QianYue was unable to answer and turned his head to cough softly twice. 

His glasses slipped down slightly on the bridge of his nose, revealing those beautifully shaped eyes, as well as his long, curved eyelashes.

Coupled with his somewhat pale-white face color, he gained a sense of fragility.

Heart itching at the sight, Feng Ci opened his mouth and teased: “No problem, gege will treat you more tenderly in the future.”

After the two families got to know each other, Feng Ci and Pei QianYue finally learned that back then, they were actually born in the same hospital. Feng Ci was born only 10 minutes before Pei QianYue. 

However, 10 minutes was still older. Feng Ci loved to find different ways to make Pei QianYue call him gege.

With a frown, Pei QianYue shot Feng Ci a look. The latter laughed even louder.

The boys of this age just reached sexual maturity. Verbally and nonverbally, they always love to mix in some inappropriate implications. Not to mention Feng Ci and Pei QianYue’s relationship, although there wasn’t any actual development yet, it didn’t stop Feng Ci from teasing him verbally here and there.

Feng Ci laughed his fill and then finally helped Pei QianYue upstairs. 

After a tough study session, it’s easy to get hungry. Their roommates were currently eating a late-night snack in the cafeteria so there was no one in the dormroom. Feng Ci sat with Pei QianYue for a while, drank a few sips of water, before finally recovering.

The next second, he was pressed onto the bed.

Then he received a kiss without any explanation at all.

Feng Ci hissed in pain and felt that most likely, his lips had been bitten by the other. Pei QianYue couldn’t win against Feng Ci verbally so he could only use this kind of method to express his displeasure. 

“Pei QianYue……” Feng Ci reached out to push him: “The door is unlocked.”

Pei QianYue grabbed his wrist in response. Those beautiful eyes looked at Feng Ci through the glasses: “Who’s not good enough?”

“Pfft.”

The other’s utterly serious expression was really very cute. Feng Ci couldn’t hold back a laugh. Naturally, he received a vicious bite for this. 

“Okay, okay.”

Feng Ci was really afraid that their roommates might come back and see them accidentally. He could only plead: “I’m the one who’s not good enough. Classmate Pei, please spare me. We can battle again next time.”

Pei QianYue refused to loosen his grip and pressed next to his lips: “What did you call me?”

Feng Ci fell silent. 

They’ve known each other for so many years that they were way too familiar with each other. One eye expression from Pei QianYue was enough for Feng Ci to know what he wanted to hear.

The dorm room wasn’t soundproof. Although the door was closed, the footsteps outside were extremely distinctive. It felt as if someone might come inside anytime.

Pei QianYue naturally couldn’t win against Feng Ci physically, but how could Feng Ci be willing to raise his hand against the other earnestly. Pei QianYue endured his flimsy acts of resistance and bit down on Feng Ci’s lips harder.

“Pei……Pei XiaoYue!” Feng Ci reached his last straw and yelled at him: “You’re going too far!” 

Halting what he’s doing, Pei QianYue actually looked towards Feng Ci with a hint of grievance: “You always called me that in the past.”

Feng Ci, flustered: “That was when we were 5 years old!”

Pei QianYue lowered his head and started to kiss him again. Feng Ci finally yielded and through gritted teeth, whispered the word Pei QianYue wanted to hear into his ear.

“Good boy.” Satisfied and content, Pei QianYue kissed him on the tip of his nose and let him go. 

Ears burning hot, Feng Ci glared at him in annoyance: “Juvenile.”

The two people stuck to each other affectionately for a while and very quickly, it was time for lights out. Feng Ci didn’t dare to tire Pei QianYue out anymore. Ignoring the objections, he took the responsibility of carrying two thermos pots to fetch hot water.

In the boiler room, he just happened to bump into one of his roommates.

Upon reaching high school, Feng Ci finally had no way of acquiring little followers everywhere he went. He could only settle for the next best thing, which was becoming the dorm leader. 

When the roommate saw him, he was surprised and asked: “Dorm leader, what did you eat at night that’s so spicy? Your lips are all red.”

Stunned briefly, Feng Ci touched his lips softly. It felt a bit hot, and seemed to also be slightly swollen.

He chuckled quietly: “It was pretty spicy.”

How could his little boyfriend… not be spicy? 

The heavy workload period of high school… didn’t seem so unbearable thanks to the underground romance with his little boyfriend.

Until the two of them advanced into the 2nd year of high school.

Feng Ci’s carefree days of youth also ended this year.

The day he received the news was coincidentally the last day of final exams. When Feng Ci entered the exam room, he was still mulling over where he was going to play with Pei QianYue during the two month break. After the exam, the teacher notified him of the bad news regarding his mother. 

His mother had a sudden heart attack. Two hours earlier, she fell unconscious at work.

Feng Ci had a complicated family structure. His grandparents divorced each other early and rebuilt their own families. His mother also left home and became independent early on. His relatives didn’t really interact with each other. His father also died early. During these years, it was only he and his mother relying on each other for survival.

Now that this has happened, a few relatives actually came to visit and check in. However, Feng Ci still had to manage most of the funeral affairs by himself.

Or perhaps it should be said that it was managed by Feng Ci and Pei QianYue together. 

The day after he finished dealing with the funeral, Feng Ci and Pei QianYue caught the last bus from the public cemetery and returned home.

It was already very late at night, however, the bus was still filled with people. Someone was calling on the phone loudly. Someone was talking enthusiastically with others. Feng Ci and Pei QianYue sat next to the window in the last row. The light and shadows outside the window alternated due to the street lights. There was a drizzle of raindrops hitting the window.

The weather of summer nights changed frequently. A second ago when they boarded the bus, it was still clear. Yet right now, it has started to rain.

Feng Ci leaned against Pei QianYue’s shoulder and didn’t speak for a long time. It’s unknown if he had fallen asleep. 

Since the mishap to now, so many days have passed; Feng Ci basically did not close his eyes to rest.

The air conditioning on the bus was turned on fully. Afraid that he’d get a cold, Pei QianYue took off his coat and laid it over Feng Ci. As soon as he put it on top of Feng Ci, he heard Feng Ci calling out to him softly: “Pei QianYue.”

“En?”

The majority of Feng Ci’s face was hidden in the shadows, the light in his eyes dark and obscured: “I don’t seem to have a home anymore.” 

His voice was very soft. No emotions could be discerned. Like he was suppressing something to the extreme.

“That won’t happen.” Pei QianYue helped him adjust the coat properly. He reached his hand under the coat and held Feng Ci’s hand: “I’m here.”

“……I will be with you always.”

“You’re the one who promised this.” Feng Ci buried his head into the crook of Pei QianYue’s neck and nuzzled, saying slowly: “If you don’t keep your words, I won’t let you off.” 

Pei QianYue: “Okay.”

Feng Ci didn’t speak anymore. He lowered his head and finally fell asleep.

The rain got heavier and heavier. The bus window turned fuzzy and unclear from the downpour of rainwater, the gloomy skies blurring the view outside.

Pei QianYue turned his head and quietly placed a kiss on Feng Ci’s forehead. 

“Sleep. When you wake up, you’ll be home.” Pei QianYue said: “Our home.”