Xie Lanzhi accepted the juice, even smiled at him—he must not be angry anymore. Qin Shu couldn’t help admiring his own cleverness. If this reading comprehension question were scored out of a hundred, he’d get ninety-nine, leaving one point so he wouldn’t get arrogant later.
“Senior, want to try?” Qin Shu said. “They say it’s 100% pure juice, I think it’s good.”
It was bottled. Xie Lanzhi unscrewed the cap and took a sip. “Pretty sweet.”
“Is it?” Qin Shu shook his own bottle. “Mine’s actually kind of sour.”
“Want to switch?”
They’d already both drunk, so how could they. It wasn’t that Qin Shu disliked Xie Lanzhi, he just felt it unnecessary. “No need, sour is more refreshing anyway.” Mission complete, it was about time to go. “Then Senior, I’ll head back?”
Xie Lanzhi called after him, “Qin Shu.”
“Yeah?”
Xie Lanzhi tapped the bottle he was holding against the juice in Qin Shu’s hand. “Thanks for helping me get rid of the grease—do you have any plans for National Day?”
After this week’s classes they would have a seven-day holiday. Qin Shu’s parents had originally wanted to take him abroad, but the professor for one of his major classes wouldn’t allow students to play too freely. With a smile on his face in class, he had announced that right after the holiday there would be a small exam worth thirty percent of the total grade. Thinking of this made Qin Shu’s heart ache. “I have to study. Studying makes me happy.”
“So you’ll be at school all seven days?”
“Looks like it,” Qin Shu said gloomily. “Does senior have something planned?”
Xie Lanzhi said, “Nothing. Go back now, be careful on the way.”
Chu Cheng had gone home once during Mid-Autumn, but for National Day he also planned to stay on campus. During the routine cleaning before the holiday, Qin Shu asked, “What about Ning Ning?”
Chu Cheng, head down mopping the floor, said, “He’s going home.”
Qin Shu was battling a stubborn stain on the desk. “If he’s going back, then Squid King probably will too. Aren’t they childhood friends?”
Chu Cheng’s face darkened. “What childhood friends, they’re just neighbors. Do you call your neighbor a childhood sweetheart?”
Qin Shu said leisurely, “What’s the use of snapping at me here. Seven days of National Day, Squid King can see Ning Ning every day. He might even invite him out to eat or see a movie or something. And you… no, I… will be stuck in 419, staring at your big eyes.”
Chu Cheng was provoked. “He’d still go out to eat and watch movies with Squid King? Isn’t he afraid of getting caught again?”
“If you’re that worried, you could go back with him.” Qin Shu sighed. “Honestly, if I didn’t have to study, I’d definitely go with him to play bodyguard.”
“He didn’t invite me. How could I shamelessly tag along?” Chu Cheng said, then shoved the mop into the bucket. With a loud clang, the bucket toppled, dirty water splashing everywhere.
Chu Cheng, furious, attacked the puddles with the mop. “Trash trash trash!”
Qin Shu: “…”
Before they even finished cleaning, the classmates doing the hygiene inspection arrived. Seeing the messy state of the dorm, they wrote something gravely in their little notebook. That night, 419 was gloriously featured on the counselor’s “special commendation” list.
On the first day of the holiday, Qin Shu wanted to sleep until he woke naturally. Unfortunately, at seven in the morning his bursting bladder woke him. Bleary-eyed, he climbed down from bed, and through his haze he saw Chu Cheng—already dressed, looking refreshed—coming back from the balcony, carrying a faint scent of mint toothpaste.
Qin Shu rubbed his eyes.
Baby, like Qin Shu, had the most precious quality of all college students—sleeping in. For an 8:30 class he wouldn’t get up before 8:15, and on free weekends he slept straight till noon. Qin Shu was sure he had no plans today, so was he still dreaming? Otherwise, why would he see Baby up early on a holiday morning?
Qin Shu stared blankly. “What are you doing?”
“I’m getting ready to go exercise.” Chu Cheng was stretching. “Don’t you know, the day’s plan starts in the morning?”
Qin Shu’s legs went weak and he collapsed into a chair. This wasn’t normal—there had to be a catch!
Chu Cheng picked up his keys and phone, his expression calm. “I’m off.”
Qin Shu sat there for a long time, unable to figure out what had happened, then crawled back into bed. By the time he woke again, Chu Cheng was already back.
Qin Shu, sitting on the bed, looked at Chu Cheng seated at the desk. His voice trembled. “Don’t tell me you’re doing homework.”
“No, I’m reviewing.” Chu Cheng’s tone was even. “Aren’t there exams after the break?”
Th-this wasn’t Baby! His Baby would rather go bald than study on the very first day of a holiday!
Fear crept over Qin Shu. He carefully got down from the bed, tiptoed to the door, and while Chu Cheng wasn’t paying attention, he darted across the hall. He banged on the opposite door. “Brother Lu, open up! Don’t pretend you’re not inside, I know you’re in there!”
Lu Rulu opened the door with a yawn. “Little Love-letter, it’s the crack of dawn, can’t you let a guy sleep?”
“It’s already noon, okay? But that’s not the point!” Qin Shu said in terror. “Brother Lu, today Chu Cheng went out at seven for morning exercise. Now he’s in the dorm studying. Can you believe it?”
“Holy cr*p?” Lu Rulu instantly woke up. “Are you sure that was Chu Cheng?”
Qin Shu nodded frantically. “Scared me to death! Don’t tell me he’s been soul-swapped too?”
Lu Rulu laughed so hard his teeth almost fell out. “Were you and Chu Cheng father and son in a past life? When you first moved back into the dorm he was just like you, jumping at shadows and swearing you wanted to murder him, hahaha.”
Qin Shu: “…Huh?”
Lu Rulu comforted him. “Relax, relax. He probably just listened to some motivational chicken-soup and got temporarily fired up. Watch him for a bit—I bet he’ll last at most until tomorrow. Otherwise, my Brother Lan will never find a girlfriend.”
Betting your roommate’s happiness—yet another fine quality of college students. Qin Shu was torn between laughter and tears. “Careful, or senior will beat you up.”
Lu Rulu grinned. “As long as you don’t snitch.”
Qin Shu didn’t get a thing done all day, secretly observing Baby’s every move. Baby’s behavior could be summed up in two words: self-discipline. Everything he did seemed meaningful, his life busy and full; he hardly even looked at his phone.
That evening, Lu Rulu came by. “Chu Cheng, Little Love-letter, let’s go—time for late-night eats.”
Qin Shu perked up. “Yes yes, what are we eating?”
“Crawfish?”
“Brother Lu, you really know my heart.” Qin Shu asked, “Will Senior come?”
“I’ll ask in the group later. Brother Lan doesn’t usually eat late-night snacks.”
Chu Cheng said calmly, “Good-looking people don’t eat supper at night. Only you guys and Guo Degang do.”
Qin Shu choked. “I feel offended, thanks.”
Lu Rulu said, “My treat, you coming or not?”
Chu Cheng closed his book. “Let’s go.”
The three of them headed to a food stall near campus. Xie Lianzhi said he wasn’t at school and needed an hour to get back, told them to start without him. Lu Rulu ordered five pounds of spicy crayfish, a plate of stir-fried clams, three dozen oysters, and a big bucket of draft beer—enough to eat and drink their fill.
Lu Rulu and Qin Shu were about to dig in when Chu Cheng stopped them: “Hold up, let me take a picture for Moments first.”
The two exchanged looks. Qin Shu finally couldn’t hold it in. “Chu Cheng.”
Chu Cheng lowered his head, typing. “What?”
Qin Shu tapped his temple. “Is there something wrong in here?”
Chu Cheng slanted a glance at him, his tone cool: “I just want certain people to know that even without him, my holiday is still fulfilling. He can go spend the festival with his childhood sweetheart all he likes!”
Lu Rulu was baffled. “Certain people—who?”
Qin Shu suddenly got it and nearly laughed himself to death. To stop himself from grinning too wide, he grabbed a crayfish to calm down, but he still couldn’t hold back and burst out: “Pffft—hahaha yes yes, you’re so fulfilled—morning workouts, studying, why don’t you just rename yourself Chu Fulfilled—hahaha—cough cough cough…”
Too pleased with himself, Qin Shu choked on the chili from the crayfish he’d just swallowed and coughed violently. Lu Rulu patted his back, chuckling. “What’s with you two, did you both take the wrong medicine today?”
Qin Shu’s eyes watered from coughing. He gulped down beer to kill the burn, then grabbed his phone and checked Chu Cheng’s Moments post from a minute ago:
[Only just now having time for dinner, the holiday’s just too busy. (photo)]
Qin Shu: “You’re only just eating dinner? What about those two packs of instant noodles you had this afternoon?”
Chu Cheng threatened darkly: “Shut up. Eat your crayfish.”
Qin Shu peeled one, muttering under his breath: “So this is what a living tsundere looks like.”
After posting, Chu Cheng couldn’t keep his daytime calm. Every so often he’d sneak a glance at WeChat. Qin Shu, even more curious about how Xu Ning would respond, practically set up camp in his Moments feed. Lu Rulu watched the two of them glued to their phones and sighed from the heart: “I thought crayfish would finally save us from phone-at-the-table syndrome. Turns out I was too naïve.”
The first day of break, the food stall was packed. The boss kept adding tables outside, so close together that Qin Shu could hear people two tables away. Serving dishes was a high school–looking girl, probably a part-timer, clearly inexperienced. When she brought food to the table next to theirs, her hand slipped—fresh-from-the-pot pork tripe chicken spilled all over Qin Shu’s thigh and Chu Cheng’s arm. Only Lu Rulu, sitting across, escaped unscathed.
Qin Shu and Chu Cheng shot up instantly.
Qin Shu: “Ahhh hot hot hot hot—”
Chu Cheng: “F*ck—”
The girl froze, panicked. Lu Rulu was also startled. “You guys okay?”
Luckily the weather had cooled recently, and they were both wearing autumn clothes, otherwise their skin would have been scalded raw. The boss rushed over and immediately started cursing the girl, vicious words. The girl, eyes red, bowed repeatedly to the two of them, choked out apologies, saying she’d go buy medicine. The boss wanted to comp the meal—but dock it from her pay.
Qin Shu had no time to argue with the boss, grabbed Chu Cheng and went to do a quick rinse. Lu Rulu stayed to negotiate. Chu Cheng’s arm was bright red. Qin Shu’s thigh was hit, but he couldn’t exactly take his pants off in the stall, so he cooled it with water instead.
Even after that, the burns stung fiercely. Chu Cheng kept hissing in pain, clearly suffering. The girl still stood there crying and apologizing nonstop. Lu Rulu looked torn; when they came back, he hurried to ask, “How bad is it?”
Qin Shu forced a smile. “It’s fine, doesn’t really hurt.”
“Doesn’t hurt?” Chu Cheng glared at him. “Hurts like h*ll, okay? Feels like my arm’s roasting over a fire!”
The girl’s guilt deepened. “I’m so sorry, I’m really, really sorry…”
“Enough talk,” Lu Rulu cut in decisively. “Hospital. Now. Taxi.”
“That’s not necessary, right?” Qin Shu said. “It’s just red, medicine should be fine. Really, it doesn’t hurt. Chu Cheng, you’re just too delicate.”
Chu Cheng: “The f*ck?! Are your pain nerves broken?”
The girl bit her lip. “Better to go to the hospital. I’ll—I’ll cover the cost.”
Lu Rulu didn’t want to make the call himself. “We’ll see.”
“Then… let’s add WeChat. You can reach me anytime.”
“Alright.”
The three of them went out to hail a cab. Qin Shu was already unsteady on his feet. Several taxis passed, all occupied.
“Rush hour, hard to get one,” Lu Rulu said. “I’ll order through the app.”
Just then, a silver SUV pulled up. The door opened, long legs touched down. Xie Lianzhi stepped out, spotting pale-faced Qin Shu immediately.
Qin Shu blurted out: “Senior!”
Xie Lianzhi strode over. “What happened?”
Lu Rulu explained: “Qin Shu and Chu Cheng got scalded by hot soup. Perfect timing, take them to the hospital.”
Xie Lianzhi’s brows furrowed. “Does it hurt?”
Qin Shu had been holding it in all along. But at the sight of Xie Lianzhi’s face, he couldn’t anymore. His nose stung, voice breaking: “It hurts, senior, it hurts so much, I’m dying, wuwuwu…”
Lu Rulu & Chu Cheng: “???”
Who was it just now saying it didn’t hurt?
Author’s note:
Qin Shu in front of bros: “Doesn’t hurt, not at all, seriously, this is nothing.”
Qin Shu in front of senior: “It hurts so bad wuwuwu I need hugs and kisses QAQ”
Don’t worry—nothing serious, just a blow-and-it’s-better kind of injury. 🐶
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