Night was getting late, and the cold was heavy in the mountains. Zhou Chen didn’t let me look at the stars anymore and persuaded me to enter the tent.
“The stars are always in the sky, you’ll see them tomorrow,” he said.
“Will it still be mine tomorrow?” I asked.
“It will always be yours.”
Before going to bed, I thought I’d be able to avoid taking medicine today, but I saw Zhou Chen spread out a single folding bed, and then took out a small square medicine box from the case next to the bed. Pretending not to see my gloomy expression, he poured all the pills into the palm of my hand and spread them out in front of me.
“Doc…” I tried to beg for mercy.
He was unmoved. “No can do.”
“Oh.”
As soon as I finished drinking a glass of water, I really couldn’t take the medicine, so I sat cross-legged on the carpet, picking one by one from the palm of his hand, trying to fool myself that it was sugar.
I didn’t expect that when one of them entered my mouth, a sour and sweet strawberry flavor suddenly melted on my tongue-I didn’t remember any medicine with this flavor.
Just to be sure, I licked it again carefully and sure enough, it was real candy.
I looked up to ask Zhou Chen, only to see him smiling sheepishly. He said, “I thought if I added a few grains of sugar inside, would it make you feel that taking medicine is a bit likeable?”
Part of me thought so, but I was too embarrassed to admit it.
“I’m not a three-year-old.”
“Yes, when you wake up tomorrow, you will be twenty-three years old.”
That’s what he said, but his tone made me think that what he really wanted to say was “You are three years old.”
Finally after I finished the medicine, Zhou Chen let me go to bed. I looked at the ordinary-size single bed in front of me and hesitated, “What about you…”
“I have a sleeping bag.” He said in a natural tone.
I observed that there really was no room for a second bed, but was it bad of me to sleep in bed while I let him sleep on the ground…
“I can also sleep in a sleeping bag…”
“Patients should be conscientious and obedient.” He turned me down.
“Or you can come up and squeeze…”
After saying this, I felt like my head was the one that was squeezed.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“No, I-I mean…”
Itbe Jtfc uijcmfv ja wf klat j mbwqilmjafv fzqgfrrlbc, atfc mjiwfv vbkc jcv rjlv, “Pa’r bxjs.”
Coafg rqfjxlcu, klatbea ulnlcu wf j mtjcmf ab gfqfca, tf ijs vbkc jcv qjaafv tlr rlvf,“Jbwf bc.”
Pa kjr vloolmeia obg wf ab glvf j alufg. Mlcjiis, joafg rbwf qrsmtbibulmji rageuuif, P milwyfv eq ribkis.
It was a single bed, but the quilt was for a double bed. I felt like something was wrong.
The next second, before I could figure it out, Zhou Shen took me into his arms and covered me, “Go to sleep.”
It was such a small bed that I could fall off if I turned over. I didn’t dare to move, so I buried myself on his chest and pretended to be calm.
I hope he won’t hear my abnormally fast heartbeat.
I thought it was difficult to fall asleep in such a position but in the end, I unknowingly went to sleep. I even slept soundly and had no dream all night.
When I woke up in the morning, the first thing that caught my eye was Zhou Chen’s Adam’s apple and jaw. I blushed as I heard him say, “Good morning, Xiao Yu. Happy birthday.”
“Morning…thank you.”
The air outside was cold. Zhou Chen wrapped me in a thin blanket without explanation before letting me out. He was usually very talkative, but his words were always consistent.
Phoenix Mountain wasn’t in high altitude, and the mountain ladders were also gently cultivated. Going down the mountain was much easier than when climbing up. I walked in front, while Zhou Chen at the back said that I was like a fluttering butterfly.
“Then I’ll pounce on you first.” I turned my head and flew towards him with open arms.
He easily caught me, hugged my waist like a child, lifted me on his shoulder and said, “The stairs are dangerous, don’t make trouble.”
“Let me go, let me down…”
I don’t understand. I’m a grown man, yet he’s always handling me like a weightless ragdoll.
They walked lightly as they went down the mountain. When I went back, I found that the whole house had changed its layout, and there were flowers, ribbons and balloons everywhere.
As soon as we entered the door, accompanied by a “Happy Birthday” song one after another, Zhou Chen and I were sprayed with shiny ribbons.
For the first time, so many people celebrated my birthday. I was happy and a little overwhelmed.
What was even more unexpected was that Wen Yan and Xu Xingze are also here.
“Xiao Xiao, happy birthday.”
Wen Yan looked at Zhou Chen meaningfully and then at me, showing a mysterious and gratifying smile.
“Xiao Yu!” Xu Xingze also rushed over.
I prepared myself to a stumbling position, but he stopped, only hugged me lightly, and greeted, “Happy birthday!”
Their enthusiasm left me muddleheaded. I entered in a daze as people surrounded me on the sofa, urging me to sit down and open the gifts.
Everyone was noisy and had a smile on their faces. The kitchen was busy, and people would come in and out from time to time. Infected by this festive atmosphere, I gradually turned joyful.
Zhou Chen went to the kitchen to see how the lunch was being prepared. Xu Xingze pulled me aside and chatted about how busy and tired he was preparing for his first solo performance recently.
When Xu Xingze finished speaking, I found that Wen Yan was gone. I raised my eyes and looked around, and saw that he seemed to be calling someone in the courtyard.
I went out to find Wen Yan. He had just hung up and was about to go back. From his expression, I could tell who the caller was.
He smiled awkwardly. “Qi Shu asked me for a favor to deliver a happy birthday and that he missed you, although I don’t think you need it.”
I was noncommittal, and after thinking about it, I still didn’t hold back and asked, “Senior, are you… not going to start over now?”
“Me and Qi Shu?” Wen Yan’s eyes widened slightly. “How is that possible?”
“It’s unlucky to like him, but it’s even more unlucky to be liked by him. You’re the only one who’s a fool.”
“But I know that he has always had you in his heart for the past few years…”
“So what?” Wen Yan smiled. “He’s just used to missing what he has lost.”
“Don’t think too much.” He ruffled my hair. “The two of us were destined not to be together from the beginning. Us ending up like this had nothing to do with you.”
He tied his hair today, looking young and unbridled.
“For me, freedom is more important than anything. I can live without anyone, but I can’t lose my freedom,” he said.
I understood what his warm words meant.
There’s no freedom with Qi Shu.
If I think about myself again, I’d probably put love before freedom.
Even if I suffer for this, I’m willing to keep my yearning and longing for it.
“Xiao Xiao, you are different from me.” said Wen Yan. “You deserve to be liked, cherished, and loved. So go live your new life and don’t look back.”
After so many years, he still looked like the senior before who resembled a brother next door and said to me one sunny and warm afternoon, “You are so good, someone will love you very much.”
Wen Yan and I entered the house together, and when Zhou Chen came out of the kitchen, he saw us . He casually asked, “What are you whispering about?”
“Talking about why didn’t you go to make-up lessons for Xiao Xiao by yourself at that time?” Wen Yan replied with a smile. “If you had gone, there may be no middle-year gap.”
I hadn’t reacted to what this sentence meant, but Zhou Chen’s face suddenly flashed, and he stumbled a little bit when he said, “Y-You told him?”
“You didn’t tell him?” Wen Yan was also surprised.
“Tell me what?” I was even more confused.
The three people watched each other at a loss and in the end, under Zhou Chen’s gaze, Wen Yan’s expression cracked. He probably realized that he had said something wrong and asked me tentatively “Xiao Xiao, do you remember that there was another person with me when we first met…”
There was another person?
I was so dizzy doing the questions at the time that I didn’t notice it at all.
My expression answered Wen Yan’s question for me, and he sighed. “I went with Brother Chen that day. He first noticed that you couldn’t do the questions and asked me to help you. Later, he also told me to tutor you. I thought you knew each other, but he said you didn’t know him and didn’t let me mention his name…”
The more he said, the lower his voice got. Finally, he turned to Zhou Chen. “Did I talk too much?”
Zhou Chen’s expression was uncertain, “You’re done talking.”
I was stunned in the same place. I couldn’t digest these few words a little bit.
Zhou Chen and I met six years ago?
He even helped me indirectly?
Why didn’t he tell me again?
“What the hell is going on…” My gaze kept switching between them.
“No matter what happened,” Zhou Chen hugged me by the shoulder. “It’s only that you’ve been studying hard and it just so happened that Wen Yan was very free, so he helped you on the way.”
Turning his head, he saw Wen Yan’s “are you kidding me” expression, but he seemed to be afraid to refute it for some reason.
“Let’s go and see your cake.”
Zhou Chen refused to let me take another look, and forcibly took me away from the living room.
What else do I want to ask? The cook jiejie already pushed out the cake.
“Sir…” I grabbed Zhou Chen’s clothes
He stopped, bent over and looked at me. “I’ll tell you slowly another day, okay?”
His gaze was like a deep sea of tenderness, and I was easily bewitched.
“Okay.”
ZC is the best!
I’m just happy Xiao Yu is surrounded by loving people. uwu
So ZC liked him from long ago…
Thanks for the chapter~
Oh they already met each other years ago— and here I am just thinking a while ago, what if XY met ZC first and fall in love with him first… Now it makes sense why XY feels ZC is familiar… I love how this thing progress, yes! Many people loves him ahhh!!! Thank you
Ahhhhh. .. this part
“Y-You told him ?”…”you didn’t tell him?”… SWEET. !!.. thank you for the chapter.💖
Can i have qi shu then? I wont mind 🥹🥹
What?! Why would u want him? Don’t tell me u r masochist bruh..😄
Feel free to take him. 🤗
No wonder why Xiao Xiao felt he was somewhat familiar.