The first day’s strong performance gave the students of the Experimental Class a great start. Over the next two days, everyone competed as if they had been injected with adrenaline. Their overall ranking points were high, and by the end of the sports meet, their average score had actually climbed to second in the entire grade.
On the day the sports meet concluded, Shen Hao grinned from ear to ear as he held the award certificate. He suggested that everyone go out for teppanyaki together.
Most of the students in the two Experimental Classes had been classmates before the tracks were split. Even if they hadn't known each other before, they had become familiar faces after these three days of bonding. Consequently, many students happily signed up.
After the closing ceremony ended, the "Teppanyaki Squad" had grown to over a dozen people. After checking in with their teachers, the group of students, all dressed in their No. 1 Middle School uniforms, marched en masse into the subway station.
The commercial district was only five stops away from the school. The three consecutive days of the sports meet had kept everyone in a state of high excitement, and it was only after sitting down on the subway that Lin Murun felt a delayed wave of drowsiness wash over him. When they reached their stop, he squinted and let out a yawn, trailing at the back of the group as they exited the platform.
"Are you sleepy?" Si Bin intentionally slowed his pace, waiting for him to catch up.
"A little." Lin Murun took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "But more than sleeping, I really want to eat teppanyaki right now."
Si Bin let out a low chuckle and reached out to pat his soft hair.
"Brother Bin, Top Student Lin, why are you two falling behind?" the vice monitor of Class 1 turned back to ask.
Seeing that their classmates were looking over, Si Bin calmly withdrew his hand and switched to draping an arm naturally over Lin Murun’s shoulder. "We weren't sure which shop it was," he replied casually.
"It's on the fifth floor!" Shen Hao pointed upward. "I'll lead the way."
The group took the elevator to the fifth-floor dining area.
Unfortunately, because the weather was cold, a long queue had formed in front of the teppanyaki restaurant. Shen Hao took two queue numbers from the front desk and was instantly dumbfounded.
"Let me see!" Yu Qianyi took the numbers from him, looking troubled. "We have to wait another hour and a half..."
Someone suggested switching to another restaurant, but others disagreed.
"It's the peak dinner hour right now. Every place is going to be crowded. Besides, didn't we all come here specifically for teppanyaki?"
The group looked at one another, at a loss for what to do.
"How about this!" Yu Wenbo suggested. "There are too many of us, and some people might be hungry already. Waiting around is a waste of time. Why don't we wander around and grab a snack first?"
He pointed toward the main entrance. "As for those who aren't hungry—there’s an internet cafe and an escape room in the building across the street. Those who are of age can go to the internet cafe, and those who aren't can play the escape room or just walk around. Everyone can choose how to kill time. Let's meet back here at 7:10 PM. How does that sound?"
Everyone agreed and split into small groups.
"Runrun, do you want to play the escape room?" Si Bin asked.
Lin Murun shook his head. "I played one with Qingqing before. I didn't really like it."
"Then let's find a milk tea shop and sit for a while?" Si Bin proposed.
"Okay." Just as Lin Murun nodded, he was pulled aside by Yu Qianyi.
"We're short on people for the escape room. Lin Murun, do you and Si Bin want to join?" Yu Qianyi asked.
"Probably not. Lin is a bit hungry," Si Bin declined with a smile.
"I want to play!" The vice monitor of Class 1 raised his hand and happily joined Yu Qianyi’s group.
Shen Hao and Yu Wenbo were already of age, so they dragged Zhou Xuan along and rushed to the internet cafe, eager to satisfy their craving for a few rounds of PUBG.
Lin Murun and Si Bin took the elevator downstairs and found a popular chain milk tea shop.
"It's quite crowded." Si Bin looked at the long line, but he still scanned the QR code to get a number and led Lin Murun to the very end of the queue.
"Si Bin! Lin Murun!" Two girls standing in the middle of the line waved at them. "Are you here for milk tea too?"
"Yeah." Si Bin gave a polite smile. "Sorry, I didn't see you just now."
One of the girls blushed and hurriedly said, "It's fine, it's fine!"
The air conditioning in the mall was running high. A thin mist fogged up Lin Murun’s lenses, so he simply took his glasses off and tucked them into his uniform pocket.
The line moved slowly, and more people joined behind them. Lin Murun looked up toward the fifth floor, where the teppanyaki place also had a long queue, and let out another yawn.
"Should we just go back and sleep?" Si Bin asked softly.
Tiny physiological tears clung to Lin Murun’s long, thick lashes. He blinked and shook his head. "But I still want to eat teppanyaki."
"I'll bring you here after school tomorrow," Si Bin said, reaching out to tuck Lin Murun’s scarf tighter. "When it's just the two of us, we won't have to wait in line."
"Do you have special privileges?" Lin Murun looked up at him.
"In a way." Si Bin thought for a moment and smiled. "It works when there are fewer people. If I brought this many people to cut the line, it would cause a public outcry."
"I'd still rather..."
Before Lin Murun could finish, he was interrupted by the girl from Class 1 running over.
"We got ours." The blushing girl stole a glance at Si Bin and shyly held out her milk tea. "I'm not thirsty yet. Why don't... why don't you have mine first, Si Bin?"
Si Bin was momentarily stunned, but he quickly regained his usual expression. He shook his head slightly and said calmly, "No thank you. You're a girl; there's no reason for me to let you treat me. We're almost at the front anyway."
"Oh?" Before the girl could react, her companion nudged her.
"We'll head out first then." Her friend pulled her away, smiling at Si Bin and Lin Murun. "See you at the restaurant in a bit."
"Okay," Si Bin nodded. "See you there."
Lin Murun glanced at the girl, who kept looking back, and said to Si Bin, "She seems to like you."
"She's a classmate." Si Bin withdrew his gaze. His hand, hidden under the wide sleeve of his school jacket, tugged at Lin Murun’s sleeve. "Runrun, stop looking at her."
Lin Murun looked away.
Si Bin observed his expression, squeezed his fingers, and lowered his head to whisper with a chuckle, "But I only like you."
Lin Murun let out a soft "mm" and buried half his face in his scarf. The tips of his ears, hidden beneath his hair, turned a deep red.
Si Bin felt a tug at his heartstrings. He cleared his throat and stopped teasing him.
Once they got their milk tea, Si Bin led Lin Murun into a hallway toward the restrooms. Seeing that no one was around, and before Lin Murun could react, he quickly pressed a kiss onto Lin Murun’s cheek.
"You..." Lin Murun was dazed. He hadn't expected Si Bin to be so bold.
"It's okay, no one's here." Si Bin laughed and ruffled his hair.
"Why did you bring the milk tea into the restroom area?" Lin Murun muttered.
"Runrun..." Si Bin didn't know whether to laugh or cry and was about to say more when someone entered the restroom. Si Bin withdrew his hand. "Let's go. We'll walk around downstairs."
"Okay." Lin Murun nodded and followed Si Bin out.
After they left, one of the stall doors opened. Wu Yichen walked out with a look of confusion, watching Si Bin and Lin Murun’s retreating backs. As if suddenly realizing something, his expression shifted. He pulled out his phone and sent a WeChat message to Lin Qingqing.
"I saw Si Bin and your brother at the shopping plaza near school."
Seeing that Lin Qingqing didn't reply, he added: "I think they're acting very strange. Is it possible..."
Lin Qingqing didn't seem to be looking at her phone and didn't reply.
Wu Yichen thought for a moment, then found one of Si Bin’s former middle school classmates in his contact list. He asked: "Is Si Bin’s sexual orientation... not quite normal?"
The other side replied quickly: "I don't know. Why are you asking?"
"I saw him at the mall." Wu Yichen let out a breath and typed: "I think his relationship with that other guy isn't ordinary."
"Which guy?" the person asked.
"He's also from No. 1 Middle School, named Lin Murun." After sending this, Wu Yichen anxiously followed up with: "It's just a guess, I don't have proof."
The other side didn't reply for a long time.
Wu Yichen held his phone, waiting and waiting. He paced around anxiously, second-guessing himself. He regretted impulsively telling an unconfirmed rumor to someone he wasn't even close with. He quickly retracted the messages he had sent, but to the person on the other end, this action was practically a confession of guilt.
After a long while, a response finally came.
"Okay."
That single word finally allowed Wu Yichen’s heart to settle. He let out a long sigh of relief and put his phone back into his coat pocket.
Downstairs, Si Bin and Lin Murun were completely unaware. They had found a minimalist book bar to pass the time.
At 7:05 PM, the two put down their books and took the elevator back to the teppanyaki restaurant. They ran right into Yu Qianyi’s group at the entrance.
The girl excitedly recounted the details of their game, clutching her heart and saying how scary it was while insistently inviting Si Bin and Lin Murun to join them next time.
Lin Murun nodded, giving a vague agreement. With final exams approaching, "next time" seemed like a distant prospect.
Some arrived early, while others were late. The boys who went to the internet cafe didn't return to the mall until 7:21 PM. Fortunately, their reservation hadn't expired. After confirming the headcount, the waiter led them inside to their table.
White steam rose from the grill only to be sucked away by the exhaust hood. Young chefs in white hats flipped their spatulas, making the food sizzle on the iron plates. Over a dozen students sat around the chefs, eating with gusto.
Lin Murun and Si Bin sat together, eating the freshly grilled beef with refined movements.
"This is good too, try some." Si Bin placed a piece of chicken breast brushed with sauce into Lin Murun’s bowl.
Lin Murun nodded and shared some of his beef with Si Bin.
"Si Bin and Lin Murun from Class 2 are really close." The girl who had tried to give him milk tea sat in the corner, quietly observing Si Bin’s actions.
"Just eat your food." Her friend patted her leg and whispered, "Don't think about it. You know Si Bin only sees us as ordinary classmates."
The girl poked at the food on her plate, dejected. "I know... but can't I just look?"
"Did you forget what happened when Li Menglai confessed?" her companion reminded her. "If rumors started spreading about you liking Si Bin, it would be so awkward."
The girl pursed her lips, gave a soft "oh," and looked away.
This small interlude went unnoticed by the others. Everyone was starving and focused entirely on the plates of food, not stopping until they were completely full.
Yu Qianyi set down her drink and leaned smilingly against Li Menglai’s shoulder. "We got second place overall in the sports meet, and the teppanyaki is so delicious. I'm so happy!"
"You're happy too soon," Yu Wenbo dampened her spirits. "Monthly exams are coming up."
"And after the monthly exams are the finals," Zhou Xuan added. "The grades are tied to the City-level Honors."
Yu Qianyi’s good mood was shattered. She let out a long sigh. "But what do City-level Honors have to do with me? The ones who should be worried are Lin Murun and Si Bin, right?"
Everyone followed her gaze to Lin Murun, who had begun to drowse off in a daze.
"Hmm?" Lin Murun, hearing his name, sat up straight with a bewildered look.
The group erupted into good-natured laughter.
"Lin Murun and Si Bin don't need to worry about their grades," Li Menglai said, coming to his rescue. "On the other hand, Zhou Xuan might have a shot at third place in the grade."
Zhou Xuan shook his head. "Hard to say. Third place never stays with the same person for long."
Seeing the waiters continuously leading new customers into the shop, Yu Wenbo tapped Shen Hao. "Brother Hao, what time is it? My phone died."
Shen Hao checked his phone. "8:20. Man! We can really eat."
"It's getting late. Let's head home for today and meet up again during winter break," Si Bin suggested, looking at the sleepy Lin Murun beside him.
"Sure! When winter break comes, I'm dragging everyone out for an all-nighter!" Yu Qianyi said happily as she packed her bag.
After paying the bill, the dozen or so classmates said their goodbyes at the mall entrance.
The day had been sunny, but the night had brought a layer of white frost. Stepping out of the air-conditioned mall, the cold wind woke Lin Murun up significantly.
"Let's go, Runrun. We'll take the subway back," Si Bin said.
Lin Murun nodded and said goodbye to Shen Hao and Li Menglai, who were waiting for the bus, before entering the subway station with Si Bin.
They had school the next day. After returning to Si Bin’s house, Lin Murun took a shower and curled up under the covers. Before long, he fell into a light sleep.
Hearing the steady breathing coming from the guest room, Si Bin gently picked up Xiaobai, who was sprawled on Lin Murun’s chest, and carried the cat out of the room.
The phone on the desk vibrated slightly. Si Bin unlocked it to find a WeChat message from a middle school classmate.
Yang Qihang: "Brother Bin, did you get a boyfriend?"
Si Bin frowned as he looked at the message.
Yang Qihang was one of Si Bin’s friends from middle school. His family was wealthy, but his grades were at the bottom; he only managed to stay at the Experimental Middle School because his parents had donated a laboratory. Yang Qihang was a loyal person and didn't have many faults other than poor grades. He and Si Bin had stayed in touch, but they weren't best friends, so Si Bin had never mentioned his relationship with Lin Murun to him.
Si Bin didn't know where he had gotten the news. After thinking for a moment, he neither denied nor confirmed it, replying with an ambiguous question mark.
Si Bin: "?"
Yang Qihang predictably misunderstood and immediately replied: "I knew it. How could you possibly turn gay, Brother Bin?"
A moment later, he sent another message: "None of us in our close circle believed it."
He said they didn't believe it, yet he had still sent the message to test the waters.
Si Bin didn't explain. He followed the lead and asked: "Who started the rumor?"
"You probably know him. It's that Wu Yichen from the Liberal Arts class," Yang Qihang replied. "He said you have a boyfriend at No. 1 Middle School, and apparently he's a top student."
Seeing Wu Yichen’s name, Si Bin’s expression darkened.
When no reply came from Si Bin’s end, Yang Qihang guessed he had upset him and proactively asked: "Should I go talk to Wu Yichen? Tell him to stop spreading rumors."
Si Bin replied: "Yeah, thanks," and then locked his phone.
Xiaobai, having escaped Si Bin’s grasp, slipped back into the guest room and jumped onto Lin Murun’s duvet.
Lin Murun was woken by the movement. He rolled over and saw Si Bin still standing at the door. He rubbed his eyes and asked softly, "Si Bin?"
"Hmm?" Si Bin smoothed his expression and sat on the edge of the bed with a smile. "Sorry, did I wake you?"
Lin Murun closed his eyes and shook his head, unconsciously nuzzling the pillow. "No, it was Xiaobai."
Si Bin leaned down and kissed Lin Murun’s forehead. "Go to sleep. I'll take him out."
"Mm," Lin Murun murmured. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight." Si Bin gently stroked his warm cheek and left the room, carrying the cat.
***
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Everyone in School No. 1 Knows My Boyfriend | Chapter 59 | Rumors and Celebrations | Novela.app | Novela.app
