Some time had passed since the military training. Ke Bu tapped his pen lightly against the desk, glancing between the textbook in front of him, the teacher on the podium, and the notifications popping up on his phone. Not long ago, Chu Hao Yu had dragged him into a group chat with only seven members. The simple era of passing notes had quietly faded away, replaced by a rapidly advancing age, rushing forward like an ignorant being eagerly heading toward destruction.
Ke Bu scrolled through the meaningless chatter. At that moment, a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties appeared outside the classroom. Her hair was dyed light red, and she wore a black lace dress with red high heels—gorgeous and captivating, naturally drawing the attention of the boys in the class. She stood outside as the teacher walked over, and after exchanging a few quiet words, the teacher nodded and said to the class, “Ke Bu, someone is here for you.”
Ke Bu didn’t look surprised. He stood up and walked outside. He knew this woman—the kind of beauty that could make any man’s heart stir, the woman who had suddenly appeared in his life one day, irresistible.
“What are you doing here?” Ke Bu didn’t know what expression to wear, feeling a little uneasy.
“I was a bit worried about how you’re doing at your new school, so I came to take a look.”
“Oh, really? I’m doing fine.”
The woman handed him a paper bag. “I picked up a few clothes for you on the way. Don’t say no—unless you think using my money is embarrassing. I can’t stay long; I only took half a day off. I just came to see you, and then I’ll leave.”
Ke Bu took the bag. “Thanks.”
The woman smiled gently, reaching out her slender fingers to straighten his wrinkled collar. The intimate gesture, done so openly, made Ke Bu a little uncomfortable, yet he didn’t move away.
“I’ll be going now. Remember to eat properly. And whether you have something to say or not, call me once in a while.”
“Got it.” Ke Bu watched her leave with a complicated expression. After hesitating for a moment, he suddenly called out, “Be careful on your way.”
Her red lips parted slightly as she smiled with satisfaction. “Should I be happy that you care about me this much?”
Teased like that, Ke Bu flushed like a child.
Carrying the bag, he stepped back into the classroom, only to be met with a number of suggestive looks. He glanced, intentionally or not, toward Zhi Li, who was resting his chin on one hand, listening to the lesson without any expression. When Zhi Li noticed his gaze and turned his head to meet it, Ke Bu quickly looked away.
The phone in his desk drawer vibrated so much it was about to fall. In the group chat, Gong Zhu and Chu Hao Yu had already started bombarding him with messages.
【Ke Bu, who was that just now?】
To make sure the others in different classes saw it, Chu Hao Yu had even sent a secretly taken photo to the group.
【That’s so sneaky—hiding such a beautiful girlfriend!】
【Huh? You didn’t know either?】
【I only shared one year of high school with Ke Bu. Someone like me, constantly basking in the radiance of goddesses’ chests, doesn’t have the time to care about someone as dark as him.】
【So Ke Bu likes this kind of mature woman.】
【That’s a surprisingly heavy taste.】
【I thought Ke Bu had already seen through worldly affairs, someone who held no positive expectations for the world. Didn’t expect this side of him. That’s too much—you didn’t even tell me.】
“He’s not someone who has seen through worldly affairs at all—he’s simply cynical and resentful.”
Ke Bu’s hand trembled as he held his phone. What was with this barrage of comments? He had no desire to talk about women, nor did he want others discussing them. “What’s with all of you ganging up on me? What exactly is there in life that I need to face positively? As long as I don’t die, that’s enough.”
“You’re way too unromantic. Don’t you ever think about the feeling of holding a woman’s soft chest in both hands?”
“One day it’ll sag anyway.”
“Stop it—don’t make me imagine that. I can’t handle it.”
The teacher on the podium coughed lightly. “Ke Bu, if you don’t want to pay attention in class, that’s your choice—but don’t disturb the people around you. I can’t control what you do in other classes, but in mine, please try not to use your phone.” Ke Bu awkwardly put his hand back into the drawer. As if not using my phone will suddenly make my grades skyrocket.
As class was about to end, the teacher clapped his hands and began giving instructions. “National Day is in ten days. Although our school is strict about academics, we also value festive atmosphere. Your homeroom teacher asked for some decorative boards and ornaments to be set up in the classroom. Does anyone want to volunteer?”
The class exchanged glances. No one stepped forward—only a fool would volunteer.
“Since no one is volunteering, Ke Bu, you’ll do it.”
This was clearly deliberate retaliation. Ke Bu stiffly nodded, then pressed his face against the desk, squishing it out of shape. When the bell rang, students grabbed their books and poured out of the classroom. Ke Bu stood at the podium and saw Chu Hao Yu wearing a smug, gloating expression. Zhi Li stood behind him. As Zhi Li passed by, Ke Bu reached out and grabbed the corner of his clothes. Zhi Li turned back.
Ke Bu lowered his head. “You’re helping too.”
Zhi Li said nothing. Soon, only the two of them remained in the classroom. Ke Bu let go of his grip and spoke hesitantly. “So… what’s the exchange condition this time?”
Zhi Li walked over, picked up a decorative board, dragged a chair over, stood on it, and stuck the first piece above the blackboard. “No need.”
Ke Bu looked up at Zhi Li’s back—clean canvas shoes, sleeves rolled up to his wrists, strands of hair at his neck.
“Rare of you to help without demanding something in return. Do you know how hard it used to be for me to repay the debts I owed you? Even after paying them off, I somehow ended up owing you again.”
“Next one.” Zhi Li extended his hand. Ke Bu handed him the second board.
“You have no idea how badly those idiots in the group chat talked about me. You saw it too, right?” Ke Bu spoke, trying to find something to say.
“I didn’t. I muted the group.”
“Then what’s the point of you even joining the group?!”
After that, neither of them spoke. When they were almost finished, Ke Bu said, “I’ll handle the smaller decorations. If I let you do everything, even someone like me would feel bad. It’s getting late—you should go back first.”
He didn’t even look at Zhi Li. The room fell silent behind him. When Ke Bu turned back, Zhi Li was already gone. A faint sense of disappointment gripped his chest, but he shook his head and continued working.
After finally finishing everything, Ke Bu let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and walked back to his seat to grab his books before returning to the dormitory.
Then he froze.
Zhi Li was asleep at a desk in the back corner. The breeze from the window lifted the curtains, brushing lightly against his body. A soft smile curved at the corner of Ke Bu’s lips. He walked over, sat in the seat in front of him, and rested his head on the desk, propping his chin on his hand as he looked at Zhi Li.
Half an hour later, Zhi Li woke up. As he opened his eyes and lifted his head, he saw Ke Bu staring at him.
“Why haven’t you left yet?” Ke Bu asked lightly.
Zhi Li reached out toward Ke Bu’s forehead, flicking it with his fingers. “Because you looked like you wanted me to comfort you.”
Ke Bu wrinkled his nose, rubbing his forehead where it stung. “I didn’t.”
Zhi Li stood up and gently pressed down on Ke Bu’s hair. “With that kind of expression, how could I just leave you behind?”
His fingers withdrew, but the warmth remained. He was still the same—his straightforward words soothed all the unease.
“If you keep saying things like that, even if you don’t mean it, I’ll make you take responsibility for the feelings you stir up in me.” Ke Bu murmured jokingly, too softly for anyone else to hear.
“Hm?”
“Nothing. Let’s go. Since you helped me, I’ll return the favor and carry your books back to the dorm.” Ke Bu snatched the books from Zhi Li’s hands and held them in his arms.
“Your repayment is minimal.”
“You should be grateful there’s any repayment at all!”
Between us, there has always been a kind of warm feeling quietly stirring.
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