CH 60

Chapter 60 Collide

Jian Chi had never been hugged in such a position before, by the same-sex, by Shao Hang, whom he hated.

Before breaking free, Shao Hang had already let go of his arm, as if he anticipated his next move. He raised his eyebrows with a smile, “Exciting enough?”

The thumping heart finally fell back to its original position. When Jian Chi stood firm, he almost gritted his teeth and dismissed him word by word: “I hope you can remember in the future that I hate stimulation.”

Deliberately emphasizing the ‘hate’, Shao Hang’s smile got bigger. He pinched Jian Chi’s earlobe, with an annoying frivolity, “You held me so tightly just now that you almost couldn’t let go, it seems that this is also one kind of annoying?”

He also emphasized ‘annoying’, but the ending tone was mixed with deep meaning.

Jian Chi couldn’t win against Shao Hang in words, and he didn’t want to debate this logic with him. Looking at the campus building behind him, he felt a sense of powerlessness, “How are we going to get out?”

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Shao Hang held Jian Chi’s hand without care and led him forward, “It’s perfect right now, they’re all in class, we can go anywhere we want.”

Caught off guard, Jian Chi stumbled and tried to keep up with Shao Hang’s pace. There was a burst of temperature from his tightly held left hand, he couldn’t budge no matter how much he struggled. Jian Chi gave up and stopped, at least there were only the two of them here, and he wouldn’t lose a piece of meat if they held hands.

The layout of the campus was very simple. There were a few sycamore trees that almost withered on the main road, and two double horizontal bars were placed in the rectangular sand pile ahead, connecting a long corridor with a bend. There were several idiom boards hanging on the top of the corridor, very positive statements. The branches and leaves wrapped around the stone pillars were bare, and the only thing that could be seen was dull and monotonous lime-grey.

Jian Chi looked carefully for a few seconds, and his heart missed a beat because of something unexpected. It was a withered branch of a wisteria flower, entangled in every stone pillar and roof of the corridor.

Noticing Jian Chi’s pause, Shao Hang followed his line of sight and said casually, “The flowers are all withered, what’s so nice to look at?”

Jian Chi quickly glanced away, “It’s nothing.”

Wisteria flowers in school are very common, such a common coincidence reminded him of some less coincidental things that have not yet been determined.

Next to the bluestone steps, one could vaguely see a few purple petals that were about to be buried in the soil. Shao Hang swept over them inadvertently and stared at them for a few seconds, his eyes darkening slightly.

Jian Chi had never done such an immoral thing in his life, overturning the walls of another school, and visiting them openly. He used to look outside and miss the old days, but now that he broke in, he started to worry after walking a few steps.

As the instigator, Shao Hang didn’t think anything was wrong at all. He would comment on the leisurely walk from time to time. Of course, he didn’t say anything good. “Your previous school only had these few buildings? It’s really shabby.”

Jian Chi didn’t understand why Shao Hang was so interested in his former school. He didn’t know how many times he mentioned, “I want to go back.”

Shao Hang didn’t answer, and when he lost interest in strolling, he finally responded lazily. Of course, he still couldn’t escape climbing the wall.

This time, Jian Chi specially warned Shao Hang who seemed to be a lot more disciplined, and was the first to go over. When Jian Chi climbed up, he didn’t have time to stand firm, and a security guard who came out of nowhere roared from afar. Jian Chi slipped his foot and fell towards Shao Hang below.

With a ‘boom’ sound, his eyes darkened for a moment, and the man below groaned, with a slight tremor in his chest.

Jian Chi’s mind was blank. He wanted to stand up first, but Shao Hang also raised his neck at this time, pressing the back of his head, which was hurt by the hit. With a ‘hiss’, he hit Jian Chi’s lips and scraped his chin. The soft touch flashed past, and Shao Hang breathed a little and settled there.

“Which class are you two from? It’s class time, do you know? Come back to class quickly.”

The security guard’s shout came from behind the wall. Before Jian Chi had recovered from the situation just now, Shao Hang had already stood up, grabbed his wrist and ran towards the direction they came from.

Everything happened too fast, too suddenly. Jian Chi’s legs gradually became heavier as he ran, his throat sore. Until he was almost unable to hold it, something flashed through his mind, and he said with difficulty, “We’re not students from there, what are we running for?”

The voice was hurried, and Shao Hang in front of him stopped. He seemed to realize just like Jian Chi then pulled a taut face, insisting: “I was just scaring you.”

Jian Chi didn’t say a word, it’s been too long since he ran. The heart in his chest was still beating unstoppably, then it gradually subsided after a long time.

Shao Hang should not have noticed the accidental brushing just now.

Jian Chi was hoping and the facts seemed to be the same as what he thought. Shao Hang didn’t mention it, nor did he show any strangeness. After walking a few steps, Jian Chi realized something was wrong. He scanned the surrounding street scene then hesitantly asked: “Did you go the wrong way?”

The answer to Jian Chi was a moment of silence, and then Shao Hang, turned his head and walked back.

The truth…might not quite be what he thought.

Daylight in winter is short, so the orange light can be seen ten minutes ago, then the street lights on both sides would be lit ten minutes later. On the way back, he was more silent than when they set off. Jian Chi knew that he was also half responsible for this accident. Instead of being as irritable as the previous one, Jian Chi was more embarrassed.

It shouldn’t be a big deal to touch lightly, but once he thought that the other party was Shao Hang, there was an uncomfortable pinching feeling, something not feeling right.

Walking into the corridor, the footsteps turned on the sound-activated lights, then after a few steps up the stairs, Jian Chengchao’s laughter was faintly heard. Jian Chi paused for a while and continued to walk forward. The door opened a crack, and it could even be opened without a key. Before he could reach out, Jing Jing’s figure appeared from behind the door.

“I heard your footsteps.” Jing Jing raised her head to say.

Jian Chi opened the door, and there were no surprises. After Wen Chuan brought Jing Jing over for a meal last time, he occasionally allowed Jing Jing to come over to play alone, so that he could go to work with more confidence. Jian Chengchao didn’t know about Wen Chuan’s situation, but he liked Jing Jing very much, and wished she could come over and chat with him every day. Judging from Jing Jing’s positive reaction, Jian Chengchao’s cooking skills should have left Wen Chuan several blocks behind. She has also learned to bring books and run over by herself. Once she came over, she would stay for an afternoon, and go home with Wen Chuan when it was dark.

“When did you come here?” Jian Chi rubbed her head lightly and asked.

Jing Jing said, “I came at four o’clock. My brother said that he doesn’t have to go to work at night, so he wanted to come and see you.”

Jian Chi was startled, “Wen Chuan is here too?”

“Wen Chuan?”

Shao Hang, who followed up, uttered a long-sounding rhetorical question. The simple two words contained a deep and thoughtful meaning, causing a shudder on his back for a moment.

It was only then that Jian Chi remembered the existence of Shao Hang, and his heart tightened. The ball and the swimming pool, Shao Hang and Wen Chuan were always tense when they met. Although he was not at school now, Jian Chi still had lingering fears when he remembered the scene of the fight that day, and he couldn’t calm down for a long time.

Chaotic words were organized in his mind. When Jian Chi was about to speak, Wen Chuan’s cold voice came from the room: “Jian Chi, who is the person behind you?”

At this moment, Jian Chi completely forgot the words he had organized just now.

“Jian Chi, where did you and Little Shao go for so long?” Jian Chengchao, who did not know the situation, came out of the room, holding Jing Jing’s phonetic book in his hand, “Little Wen bought a lot of dishes, give me a second and I’ll set up the table to eat together. By the way, since you are classmates, you should all know each other, right?”

Jian Chi didn’t know how to introduce them.

Jing Jing stood beside Wen Chuan, staring vigilantly at Shao Hang as an outsider.

Inside and outside the house, Wen Chuan and Shao Hang’s gazes rubbed in the air, a subtle stalemate. For a long time, Shao Hang squinted his eyes and hooked his lips, showing an incomprehensible smile, then he responded to Jian Chengchao’s words, “Of course we know each other, classmates.”

Wen Chuan’s brows twitched coldly, but he didn’t answer. Jian Chi read the sizzling hostility in his eyes, and broke the deadlock by saying, “Go in first, the door is open and the cold wind is pouring in.”

“Yes, yes, come in.”

Jian Chengchao greeted him, and Shao Hang and Wen Chuan who were standing in their original spots finally moved. Before entering, Shao Hang glanced at Jian Chi, a short glance covering a deep smile that made one’s heart feel cold, as if saying ‘remember to explain it to me well’. Jian Chi pretended not to see it.

The neglected Jian Chengchao touched his head, puzzled by the suddenly strange atmosphere. He asked Jian Chi, who had left the door closed, “Did I say something wrong just now?”

“No,” Jian Chi’s mood was as heavy as this door now, “it doesn’t matter what you say now.”

Jian Chengchao still didn’t quite understand, but he didn’t bother, and quickly and cheerfully pulled Jing Jing to the kitchen to ask her what she wanted to eat. Jian Chi turned to look at the living room. There was a man sitting on each end of the small sofa. Shao Hang folded his long legs, leaned on the armrest on the right with one hand, supported his chin, and looked at Jian Chi with a light smile. Wen Chuan sat up straight and upright, with long black hair draped over his shoulders, and there was a faint cloud in his eyes as he looked over, as if waiting for his explanation.

In a trance, Jian Chi couldn’t help but wonder, whose home is this place?