It was only on that first day that Lin Xigu had forgotten to inform Zhou-ayi of his plans ahead of time. He asked her not to come in the days after, making up a story about going away on holiday.
In truth, he didn’t go anywhere; instead, he spent all of it with She Xiao. They didn’t do anything; they didn’t have to, when even the sound of She Xiao’s breathing was music to Lin Xigu’s ears. Whenever mealtime came around, they had the choice of walking to a nearby restaurant or ordering in. As long as they were together, nothing else mattered to Lin Xigu.
She Xiao arrived early in the day and returned home late every evening. He appeared unscathed every morning. He seemed well, and they were dating. Those days seemed straight out of a fairy tale, the kind of life enjoyed by gods alone.
Time was fleeting for young gods and it quickly passed in the blink of an eye.
As the last day of their short-lived summer vacation drew near, Lin Xigu lamented, “We haven’t even started our homework yet.”
She Xiao couldn’t help but chuckle at his words, a small smile playing around his mouth as he replied, “You write, and I’ll… watch you write.”
“Why don’t you have to do the assignment?” Lin Xigu pursed his lips, not particularly happy at the prospect.
She Xiao arched an eyebrow in response, electing not to speak.
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Nkd Dktw pktble. “Wyka ldswtb… usw byhl vsr pvweldv rakhkzltl. Mbl vlynblap osd’v nyal kq usw esd’v qkdkpb vbl bsxlosaj.”
Tl alzwnvydvzu alvaklhle bkp cynjrynj, obknb bye clld nszzlnvkdt ewpv qsa vbl rypv vld eyup, yde vssj swv y pvynj sq bsxlosaj. Fkvvkdt esod yv bkp elpj okvb y pldpl sq elqlyv, bl cltyd vs oakvl.&dcpr;
Fbl Dkys pvasjle bkp byka, vbld rakle byzq vbl pvynj yoyu qasx bkx. “R’zz blzr.”
“Mbl bydeoakvkdt okzz zssj ekqqlaldv,” Nkd Dktw pyke. “Mbl vlynblap nyd yzz alnstdkgl uswa bydeoakvkdt.”
Fbl Dkys tzydnle yv Nkd Dktw’p esl lulp yde nswzed’v alpkpv zlydkdt shla yde jkppkdt vblx clqsal alyppwakdt bkx pzsozu, “Zsw osd’v… byhl vs byde kv kd.”
Nkd Dktw oyp nbllale cu vbl pwarakpl jkpp. Tl vbswtbv qsa y xsxldv. “R ytall vbyv vblu rascyczu osd’v nszzlnv vbl bsxlosaj. El’zz rascyczu fwpv ts shla vbl ydpolap kd nzypp.”
“Yd.”
“Mbld obu esd’v R fwpv dsv es kv lkvbla.” Nkd Dktw vspple bkp rld ypkel yde zssjle shla yv Fbl Dkys obs oyp pkvvkdt sd bkp cle. “R esd’v oydv vs oakvl yduxsal.”
She Xiao smiled again and placed the pen back into his hand. “Keep writing.”
Lin Xigu gripped the pen and heaved another long sigh. “Fine.”
She Xiao propped himself on his arms and observed Lin Xigu working on the assignment. He picked up a grape, peeled it, and held it up to Lin Xigu’s mouth.
Lin Xigu opened his mouth and accepted the grape, smiling at She Xiao. “It’s very sweet, thank you,” he said.
With She Xiao being so attentive, who could focus on homework? Lin Xigu was inwardly scratching at the walls; all he wanted was to sit face-to-face with She Xiao and talk about everything and anything. And if not that, well then… a kiss or two would be fine too!
He wore his discontent on his face, prompting a soft chuckle from She Xiao. He ruffled Lin Xigu’s hair gently and said, “Finish the math and physics at least. You can… leave the rest.”
Lin Xigu quickly nodded in agreement. “I can do that.”
Under the top student’s supervision, Lin Xigu continued his homework. Whenever he came across a question that he did not know how to do, he would ask She Xiao to write the solution on a spare piece of paper. After Lin Xigu had figured out the underlying logic, he would copy it back onto his homework. As he wrote, he was filled with a sense of pride; She Xiao was truly brilliant.
While writing, Lin Xigu suddenly remembered a question that he had been ruminating over for a while. “She Xiao, which university should we apply to?”
She Xiao did not answer him for a long time.
Lin Xigu lifted his head to find She Xiao gazing back at him. He asked again in a small voice, “Where should we go?”
She Xiao simply looked at him, then lifted his hand and lightly squeezed Lin Xigu’s earlobe.
Lin Xigu didn’t know why he felt suddenly uneasy. “Have you not thought about it?”
“Mn,” She Xiao said.
“Then now’s a good time to start.” Lin Xigu reached out and grabbed She Xiao’s hand, swinging it slightly back and forth. “I won’t test well enough to go to the same school as you but whichever city you end up in is bound to have a college that will have me.”
She Xiao nodded. “Mn.”
Lin Xigu smiled back. “In any case, you can count on me to be there every step of the way.”
She Xiao said he understood.
Lin Xigu did not finish all his homework in the end. He managed to muddle his way through math and physics but left the rest blank. Dating really was a stumbling block on the path to academic success, but it didn’t matter if he stumbled. He had never been particularly ambitious anyway, and his parents did not pressure him to be.
His only priority was She Xiao.
The next day, Lin Xigu showed up at school with a stack of unfinished homework. He also had a box of chocolates in his backpack that he had bought for Li Balei at the supermarket.
He used a moist towelette and a tissue to wipe down She Xiao’s desk and chair until they sparkled, then let She Xiao take the window seat like always.
When Li Balei arrived and saw the chocolates on her desk, she hurriedly stuffed it into her backpack, hollering quietly at Lin Xigu, “Don’t just leave chocolate out on my desk! You have to give it to me in private! If you leave it where people can see, I’ll be forced to share with everyone else!”
Lin Xigu laughed, nodding. “Okay, noted.”
“You’re killing me here.” Li Balei thumped Lin Xigu’s desk. “Don’t you know my other friendships are only skin-deep? I don’t want to have to share with them. The chocolates are for me!”
Lin Xigu nodded again. “They’re all yours, they’re all yours.”
“Everyone’s seen the chocolate already—” Li Balei suddenly stopped in the middle of her rant and stared at Lin Xigu’s shirt collar, her voice faltering until she stopped talking altogether.
Lin Xigu lifted his head and looked at her. “What is it?”
Li Balei looked at him, her mouth hanging open, then glanced at the ever-quiet She Xiao sitting by the window. “Ah,” she squeaked, beckoning Lin Xigu closer. When Lin Xigu leaned in, she whispered in his ear, “Do you have any bandages handy? You have a hickey on your neck.”
Lin Xigu paused and touched his neck instinctively.
“Do you need a mirror?” Li Balei asked.
Lin Xigu nodded, poker-faced. “Can I borrow it?”
Li Balei fumbled through her bag, the two of them holding the same position as though they were still whispering in each other’s ear.
She Xiao glanced over at them, his eyes resting on Lin Xigu before moving to Li Balei. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he turned his eyes away from the two of them, looking out the window instead.
Lin Xigu held up Li Balei’s compact mirror and indeed noticed the teeth marks on his neck. He wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t checked. He also had not realized that there were a lot more than just teeth marks visible on his neck. It was quite a spectacle…
When he and She Xiao had been making out yesterday afternoon, he recalled that She Xiao had indeed gotten a bite in, but Lin Xigu hadn’t exactly been in a state to think about it too hard and had completely forgotten that it might leave a mark.
Lin Xigu and Li Balei stared at each other, neither knowing how to break the silence.
Li Balei blinked and coughed. “Are there any… recent developments you’d like to share with me?”
Lin Xigu nodded impassively. “I’ll tell you after class.”
Li Balei nodded too. “Okay.”
She turned back around.
Lin Xigu hid his neck with his hand. What now? That was so awkward…
He looked at She Xiao and bumped his arm lightly.
She Xiao saw him guarding his neck and arched an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”
Facing him, Lin Xigu lifted his hand, looking simultaneously perplexed and also like he wanted to burst out laughing. Bemused, he asked, “What should I do?”
She Xiao’s eyelashes fluttered as the corners of his mouth lifted.
He found two bandages in Lin Xigu’s backpack and affixed them to Lin Xigu’s neck with a smile in his eyes.
If She Xiao could be this happy every day, it was worth getting bitten every now and again.
Seizing her opportunity when She Xiao went out for a smoke break, Li Balei turned and stared pointedly at Lin Xigu.
Lin Xigu covered his mouth with his hand as he whispered into Li Balei’s ear, “So She Xiao and I…”
Li Balei repeated his words at a nearly inaudible volume. “You and She Xiao…?”
Lin Xigu nodded. “Me and She Xiao.”
Li Balei sucked in a deep breath, then looked at Lin Xigu’s neck. In an even quieter voice, she asked, “…So you’ve already…”
“No!” Lin Xigu shook his head immediately. “We haven’t done it yet, whatever it is you’re thinking.”
Although Li Balei was a gossip, she wouldn’t go so far as to probe into other people’s private life where it mattered. But Lin Xigu was a special case, and to be perfectly honest, she had spent the entire class with her heart on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
She was blushing as she waved him off. “Forget it, you do you. Who cares what you do anyway!”
It was the truth. Other than a spot of worry, she did not think any less about Lin Xigu and did not think he was weird for dating a boy.
Even so, she was still awkward around him for the rest of the day, mainly because she had seen Lin Xigu’s neck that morning. It felt as though she had stumbled across something incredibly private and personal.
That being said, how had She Xiao, who didn’t even speak most of the time, manage to do all that?! It was impossible to imagine?! Wasn’t Lin Xigu the one who liked him?! She Xiao had always seemed like a cold and aloof wooden log of a person, but he had somehow been responsible for the state of Lin Xigu’s neck?!
When it came time to set their new seating plan that afternoon, she and Fang Xiaoshan used the same strategy they had used the previous term to remain together in the row ahead.
There were no other students sitting behind Lin Xigu, and the desks across the aisle were empty as well. With Li Balei and Fang Xiaoshan’s familiar faces shielding him from the front, Lin Xigu felt very safe and secure. This little corner of the universe was comfortable and freeing, and he didn’t have to be vigilant about what he said. Nothing bad would happen, even if the two sitting in front of him were to overhear their conversations.
But Lin Xigu had let his guard down too early.
After class ended, Zhou Cheng summoned Lin Xigu to his office. This time, he was accompanied by the dean.
Lin Xigu greeted them both with a smile, “Hello, Yi-shu.”
“Ah, xiao-Xigu,” the dean greeted him warmly and asked how he was doing.
Lin Xigu replied that everything was fine.
There wasn’t anything earth-shattering that Zhou Cheng wanted to discuss. Zhou Cheng’s only concern was that Lin Xigu was now in his senior year and he was worried that his sitting at the back might affect his grades.
Lin Xigu began, “Laoshi, I’m far-sight…”
“Far-sighted, my ass,” Zhou Cheng interrupted him. “Your vision is perfectly fine. Or are you forgetting that you had a health assessment when you first transferred here?1体检 (ti/jian) – Medical check-ups are conducted through the school to ensure the wellness of the students for early detection of health problems and for the preparation of health reports which are shared with the parents and the school. This is a comprehensive assessment which typically includes an eye exam, as well as other tests for hearing, cardiovascular health, blood pressure, dental exam, etc.“
Lin Xigu opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t find another excuse. He felt slightly awkward.
“You must keep your wits about you. Don’t just coast through your last year!” Zhou Cheng had always given Lin Xigu a lot of special attention, and in that moment, he looked as though he wished Lin Xigu would try a little harder to rise to his potential2恨铁不成钢 – Lit. to hate iron for not becoming steel. This phrase is used to describe Zhou Cheng’s attitude towards Lin Xigu several times throughout the novel and means to be dissatisfied or impatient with someone/something for failing to meet expectations, of which you believe them to be capable. Most commonly used to describe a “tough love” attitude. . “Are you sure you can hear the biology teacher all the way in the back, with that buzzy mosquito voice he has?”
“I can…” Lin Xigu rebutted tentatively. “And Lin-laoshi did just start using a mic recently…”
“The classrooms here are bigger than the one you had in the other building, Xigu. Why not just listen to your teacher?” The dean stepped in, trying to persuade him as well. “Don’t let your grades be affected by where you’re sitting.”
“There’s no need. Thank you though, Zhou-laoshi, Yi-shu…” Lin Xigu said. “She Xiao’s grades are top-notch… and he’s been helping me out a lot.”
Zhou Cheng still wanted to pursue the matter, but the dean suddenly spoke up, pointing at Lin Xi’s neck, “What happened there?”
Lin Xigu’s heart skipped a beat.
The hickey was mostly covered up by bandages, but there were still faint red marks left uncovered. Lin Xigu tried his best to appear composed as he touched his neck casually, ” I had an allergic reaction to the new body wash I bought. Been scratching at it too much.”
Zhou Cheng and the dean both looked at his neck, their expressions not indicating that they had noticed anything amiss. Lin Xi’s heart pounded. Technically, the marks weren’t that obvious, the skin was just a little redder than usual. They didn’t comment further and moved on from his explanation.
However, when faced with two adults who knew everything there was to know about that particular aspect of life, Lin Xigu couldn’t help but feel afraid of being found out.
“I’ve said this I don’t know how many times, and you just keep brushing it off,” Zhou Cheng rolled the papers in his hand into a tube and lightly smacked Lin Xigu’s arm with it. “Are you even listening?”3The word that Zhou Cheng uses is “傻” which the dictionary defines as “stupid” or “foolish” but in colloquial use, the connotations of the word can be very different than their English meanings. 傻子 or 傻瓜 are often used as terms of endearment, so the word itself does not inherently carry a negative meaning (although they can depending on the context). Of course, there are profane insults that also use 傻 as the root, so it again largely depends on context. It can also be used to indicate the senses being overwhelmed, e.g. “看傻了” (to be made stupid (i.e. to be dumbfounded) by what one is seeing). There is a sliding scale of 傻 which can range from affectionately calling someone naive and/or selfless to a meaning that is more similar to their English equivalents. If I had translated this literally and said that Zhou Cheng was asking Lin Xigu if he was stupid, that would come across as abusive, which is not what he is saying here.
Lin Xigu grinned and rubbed his arm, “Thank you, Zhou-laoshi! I know you mean well, but I’m fine sitting where I am. Don’t worry about me. I’m off to class now!”
After saying his piece, Lin Xigu didn’t forget to bid farewell to the dean before running off.
Lin Xigu rubbed his neck as he walked back to class. Although it was risky, he felt a little hot around the collar at the idea of She Xiao kissing his neck, which he found quite sexy.
When Lin Xigu shuffled sheepishly through the back door of the classroom, She Xiao was watching him with raised brows.
Lin Xigu shot him a smile, then took out a pad of sticky notes from his desk. With a few strokes of his pen, he drew a small figure, its mouth pouting and its eyes closed. He wrote:
— She Xiao-gege…
He unstuck the note from the others and placed it on She Xiao’s desk.
She Xiao read the note, the corners of his mouth curving up into a happy and gentle arc.
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