The two people came down from the top bunk and knelt next to Zhong Chufeng.
“Chufeng, what happened? Aren’t you afraid of getting beaten up after saying all that to Yishu’s face?”
“If he had been afraid, he would not have said it. Didn’t he get hit just now? Does it hurt?”
One of them poked the corner of Zhong Chufeng’s lips but Zhong Chufeng just sat there and showed no reaction whatsoever.
“Chufeng?”
“Why aren’t you responding? Did you get hit too hard?”
The both of them poked at the corner of his lips again, but Zhong Chufeng still did not respond, so they continued poking.
Alas, Zhong Chufeng had enough. He clenched his jaw and scolded, “Don’t you think that’s enough, you two? Do you have to poke my wound? My heart might be hurting a bit more right now, but I’m still made of flesh and blood. Can you change to a different place to poke?”
Although Zhong Chufeng looked very depressed, for some reason, the two of them started laughing hysterically after he scolded them.
“Zhong Chufeng, can you be any less comical? In a situation like this, shouldn’t you say that your heart is already dead so other than your hurting heart, you don’t feel pain anywhere else?”
“Yeah, yeah. What do you mean your wound hurts?”
Zhong Chufeng looked at the both of them making fun of him and shouted, “Get out of my sight!”
But that ended up hurting the wound at the corner of his lips and made him grimace in pain.
The two other guys laughed even harder.
Zhong Chufeng was so agitated that he kicked the both of them.
“No one is allowed to talk about what happened tonight. I just got drunk and said some nonsense.”
“Since you know you were being nonsensical, why did you keep talking back to Yishu earlier? You made him so angry that he left.”
Zhong Chufeng became quiet and his eyes turned grim.
“I don’t regret what I said.”
Some things needed to be brought out into the open, especially when it came to feelings and relationships. They could not stay in the dark forever.
I’m fine with not telling Yuanyuan and just keeping her as a beautiful memory, but what reason does Yuchi Yishu have for not telling her? That’s what I want him to make clear.
…
Late at night, Yuchi Yishu was in a secluded area by the school gate. With his hands in his pockets, he was leaning against the wall and looking out into the distance.
He wanted to come out for some air and somehow ended up there.
The words were still fresh in his mind and he still felt deeply conflicted.
I never thought about it before, much less right now. But why do people keep misunderstanding?
That isn’t the first time Zhong Chufeng brought this up.
He stood by the school gate for a long time and eventually left.
When Zhong Chufeng woke up the next day, his mouth hurt at the slightest touch. When he looked in the mirror, his whole chin was swollen. He winced in pain several times then looked at Yuchi Yishu. “Yishu, can you hit lighter next time?”
Yuchi Yishu shot a cold glance at him but did not answer.
“Yishu? I’m serious.”
Finally, Yuchi Yishu looked up at him. “What are you trying to say? You’re not drinking today, are you? If you talk more nonsense again, I might beat you up so badly that you never get up again.”
“Sure. I wasn’t beaten up enough yesterday. You can hit me if you want. For Yuanyuan, I’m not going to hit back anyway, right?”
Yuchi Yishu glowered at him.
“I just need you to be honest now. Do you like Yuanyuan or not?”
Yuchi Yishu frowned; he was slightly unhappy.
“I know you don’t like to hear this. But for Yuanyuan, I feel like I have to ask.”
“Does this have anything to do with Yuanyuan?”
“Of course it does.”
For the first time, Zhong Chufeng felt like he was annoying and selfish.
“I’m just saying; if Yuanyuan likes you, and if you don’t find a girlfriend, won’t she keep getting her hopes up?”
That took Yuchi Yishu slightly by surprise.
“What did you say?”
“Don’t say I’m being selfish. If you have her in mind, then you can keep being single. But if you don’t have any intentions, or if you are looking for a girlfriend, then at least stop letting her direct all her attention to you. It doesn’t matter if it’s a real girlfriend or a fake girlfriend, just let her know you’re taken.”
Yuchi Yishu looked at him dubiously. “Zhong Chufeng, are you crazy?”
“No. Didn’t you say yesterday that she relied on you? What if she can’t tell the difference between liking someone and feeling secure around them?” Zhong Chufeng looked at him with a stern expression. “So, you have to show her. If she only feels secure around you, then she will be able to differentiate her feelings after this.”
It fell silent around them. The both of them looked at each other, then Yuchi Yishu sneered, “So are you trying to force me to get a girlfriend?”
“Do you feel like I’m forcing you? If Yuanyuan does have feelings for you, will you be able to promise her anything? If you can’t, then shouldn’t you do something about it?”
Yuchi Yishu did not answer him.
“Hasn’t the school beauty been chasing you? Yuanyuan has also met her before. Perhaps you can ask her for some help. You don’t have to date her; you just have to tell Yuanyuan that she’s your girlfriend.”
Yuchi Yishu was speechless.
“That’s all I have to say. You figure out what you want to do.”
Zhong Chufeng stood up, then looked at Yuchi Yishu.
“I don’t have to be with Yuanyuan. It doesn’t matter that she never likes me either. But I can’t watch her face rejection. Yishu, if you feel even a little bit sorry for her then you should start changing some things.”
Once Zhong Chufeng left, Yuchi Yishu sat by himself for a long time until the other two roommates, who were pretending to sleep, could not bear it any longer and started fidgeting under their blankets.
“Okay, you can come out now.”
Yuchi Yishu ordered, “Don’t keep staying under there.”
The two roommates came out from underneath their blankets, looking slightly depressed. Why do they have to talk whenever we’re here? Can’t they pick a time when we’re not around?
“Yishu, we didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
“I know.”
“Yishu, I don’t know if I should tell you this.”
“Huh?”
“When your sister came over the other day, we actually thought she was your biological sister so we didn’t think much of it. But later, Chufeng told us that she wasn’t your biological sister.”
“And?”
“There is really something different about the way that little girl looks at you.”
“We’re just telling you what we think. We don’t mean anything else by it.”
“I had a neighbor who is about the same age as Yuanyuan is now. That little girl did not know the difference between feeling secure around someone and liking someone as well. She thought they were the same thing. She only understood her feelings after the guy she liked found a girlfriend and after she found a boyfriend herself.”
Yuchi Yishu fell silent.
“So, even though Chufeng is a bit selfish, he’s right.”
“Are you guys telling me to deceive her?”
Yuchi Yishu pursed his lips and felt like he could not do it.
