Ke Bu in the tent took a long time to come back to his senses. He slapped his cheeks with both hands. He had to pull himself together—he couldn’t let this kind of prank leave him so disoriented. That was Zhi Li! If this continued, he would only become a laughingstock for the others. Being unable to regain his composure just because he was kissed by Zhi Li—this was far too unrealistic. If it had been someone else standing there at the time, Zhi Li would have done the same, right?
Ke Bu stepped out of the tent. The slightly reddened sky looked like a shy woman, staining the world with the lingering hues of dusk.
“Yo, Ke Bu, recovered already?”
“Please don’t continue this topic.” Ke Bu stopped Chu Hao Yu.
Chu Hao Yu feigned ignorance. “Which topic? The one about you being completely disoriented after being kissed by Zhi Li?”
Ying Xiu Jie also played dumb. “Oh, so Ke Bu really was completely disoriented after being kissed by Zhi Li? I thought he was just deeply shocked.”
Zhou Xin He added, “About Ke Bu being completely disoriented after being kissed by Zhi Li—I don’t think it’s that embarrassing. You guys shouldn’t say that about him.”
Su You Yan concluded, “As for Ke Bu being completely disoriented after being kissed by Zhi Li, his expression looked less like shock and more like he was immersed in it.”
“Why are you all repeating that so many times?!” Ke Bu was left flustered and embarrassed.
Gong Zhu looked at Ke Bu with a very complicated expression. Ke Bu avoided his gaze. What kind of look is that… as if I’ve intruded between him and Zhi Li? By time and logic, shouldn’t he be the one intruding? This is too strange.
“Su You Yan, fan me.” Zhi Li’s voice came from nearby. Yet Su You Yan really did take a book and sit beside Zhi Li, flipping it open with one hand while gently fanning him with the other.
“I thought Lord Zhi Li would treat someone specially, but it turns out it just depends on his mood. He can even make someone like Su You Yan approach him willingly. So that’s how it is… I guess I misunderstood. I feel like I’m starting to understand what kind of person Lord Zhi Li is—unconsciously, his actions make people around him fall for him.” Gong Zhu spoke with a faint sense of relief, smiling as he did so.
Gong Zhu’s words drilled into Ke Bu’s ears. He stared at Zhi Li and Su You Yan. This feels strange… why is it that seeing Gong Zhu with Zhi Li makes me feel faintly irritated, but seeing Su You Yan with him doesn’t? Is it because Zhi Li clearly denied liking Su You Yan that night? Or because I can’t see that restless feeling of being in love in her eyes? Is Zhi Li really someone who unconsciously scatters kindness and uses inscrutable words to entice others? No… that’s not it. Otherwise, why would he call Su You Yan instead of Gong Zhu? It’s just because Su You Yan poses no threat to him.
Ke Bu smiled faintly. Looks like I’ve chosen to trust my own judgment about Zhi Li. As for why I came to that conclusion… well, I’ve known him for many years.
Ke Bu picked up a roasted corn prepared by Zhou Xin He and walked over. “Zhi Li, isn’t it a bit inhumane to make a girl fan you? You’re still a guy, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Don’t start that again.”
“What?”
The conversation couldn’t continue. Ke Bu handed one roasted corn to Su You Yan. She looked at it warily. Ke Bu froze. That expression… it feels familiar. Where have I seen it before?
“What kind of look is that? I’m not twisted enough to poison you.”
Su You Yan reluctantly accepted the corn. Ke Bu noticed Zhi Li staring at him. Was he imagining it? Zhi Li was smiling—a faint, beautiful smile lingering at the corner of his lips. He reached out and took the other roasted corn from Ke Bu’s hand. “Is this for me?”
“It’s not. If you want one, go get it yourself.”
“Then I’ll reluctantly accept it.”
“Listen properly when people talk!”
“What?”
“….”
On the third day, Ke Bu had gradually grown accustomed to his position as group leader. That group of people was fairly willing to accept their loss in the bet, and they would follow whatever arrangements he made.
“Hey, leader, after the afternoon drill, do you want to check out the small grove to the east? I heard from another group there are orange trees there.” Ke Bu felt a small sense of vanity as he immersed himself in being called “leader,” waving his hand. “I’ll go ask the instructor later. If it’s allowed, we’ll all go together—there’s nothing else to do anyway.” After saying that, he turned to the key figure among the group members. “Zhi Li, everyone wants to go. Is that okay?” Zhi Li stopped his random scribbling in his sketchbook and nodded. Chu Hao Yu stroked his chin knowingly. “So this is what they call ruling from behind the curtain.”
“Don’t misuse idioms!” Ke Bu threw his cap at him.
After getting permission from the instructor, the group headed to the small grove in the east. Sure enough, there were many orange trees, heavy with bright golden fruit. It was the perfect season for them. Before Ke Bu could react, Ying Xiu Jie had already climbed up a tree—his agility was astonishing. Zhou Xin He spread out a cloth below, preparing to catch the falling oranges, flustered and busy. Let these physically demanding tasks be handled by those rough types—Ke Bu found a shady spot and sat down. Zhi Li stood in front of an orange tree, deep in thought.
“Hey, what are you thinking about?”
“I’m thinking about which tree’s oranges taste better.”
“Don’t think so seriously about something so pointless!!” Being around this guy made it impossible to stay calm. After a long while, when Ke Bu came back to his senses, Zhi Li was still standing there. “You’re still thinking about it?! Stop slacking off and go pick some oranges.”
“Do you really have the standing to speak to me like that?” There was no sarcasm in his tone—he was simply stating a fact, which only made it more embarrassing.
Chu Hao Yu slipped on a branch, and the loose crotch of his camouflage uniform got caught, leaving him dangling there. He shouted at the top of his lungs, “Quick, someone save me! I’m going to fall—Zhi Li, catch me!” Zhi Li walked over. Chu Hao Yu was already in a critical state—though it wasn’t actually that high. At the moment Chu Hao Yu fell, Zhi Li reached out his hand. Without any suspense, Chu Hao Yu hit the ground, baring his teeth in pain.
“Didn’t catch you.”
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you, Zhi Li? Standing that far away and reaching out your hand—any idiot can see that was just for show.”
“What?”
“Zhi Li!”
“What?”
It was clear he had never intended to catch him. Ke Bu took an orange tossed over by Zhou Xin He, carefully peeled it, and popped a slice into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully as he looked at Su You Yan. The thick book in her hands was almost finished after these few days. “You Yan, there’s something I’ve been curious about.”
Su You Yan didn’t respond. Ke Bu stuffed another slice of orange into his mouth, speaking with his cheeks full. “How exactly do you see Zhi Li?”
After a long silence, as if searching for the right words, she finally said, “My ideal partner is a man between thirty and forty years old.”
“No one asked you that!!” Ke Bu nearly choked on the orange.
Su You Yan continued, “In other words, the way I see you all is like how a college student looks at elementary school students. When you look at elementary school students, do you feel any strange impulses?”
Hearing this, Ke Bu felt a wave of sorrow. This clearly meant that in her eyes, he had absolutely no masculine charm at all. It was practically the greatest insult to a man.
Zhi Li casually picked up the conversation. “I didn’t realize I look that young.”
“That’s just a metaphor!!” Ke Bu reminded him.
Next
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment