Su Jingming was momentarily stunned. He turned his head to look at Wen Yan, their faces very close.
"What’s in it for me?" Su Jingming nearly bit his tongue.
"The benefit..." Wen Yan chuckled softly. "I’ll let you stay on top for once during the exams."
Su Jingming frowned. "I need you to go easy on me? Are you looking down on me?"
The slightly romantic atmosphere dissipated instantly under Su Jingming’s questioning.
Wen Yan was speechless. *Am I not being romantic enough?*
The more Su Jingming thought about it, the angrier he got. Was being able to control one's scores that impressive? He stood up abruptly, making quite a bit of noise. Wen Yan looked up at him, a brow arching slightly.
Without a word, Su Jingming turned and headed toward the teaching building.
Wen Yan immediately followed. "What’s wrong?"
"Studying!" Su Jingming said, practically through gritted teeth. The thought of Wen Yan "going easy" on him in such a way made him feel incredibly frustrated.
*So what if you can control your scores? I just haven't been studying seriously.*
The school sports meet lasted for three whole days. Su Jingming spent those days holed up in the teaching building, studying with even more passion than he had during the intensive training camp.
Before Wen Yan could figure out what was going on, the final night of the sports meet arrived. Zhou Hong organized a class outing to a hot pot restaurant near the school.
Su Jingming was still mentally calculating problems while Ren Wei ordered a few dishes. Ren Wei poked Su Jingming’s arm with a pen. "Ming-ge, what do you want to eat?"
Su Jingming replied, "Whatever."
Ren Wei raised an eyebrow. For a moment, he really couldn't remember what Su Jingming liked to eat. Just as he was about to order the cilantro beef, Wen Yan said indifferently, "He doesn't eat cilantro."
Ren Wei was surprised. He gave an "oh" and ordered the celery beef instead.
He passed the menu around to the others, his heart full of confusion. *Su Jingming doesn't eat cilantro? How did I not know that?* But thinking back, Su Jingming really had never eaten cilantro in front of him.
*How did Wen Yan know?*
Ren Wei looked toward Wen Yan with suspicion. Wen Yan was speaking in a low voice to Li Yang. Ren Wei wanted to ask Su Jingming about it, but Su Jingming looked like his soul had left his body.
Ren Wei felt that over the past month or so, he had experienced a lot, yet also not much at all.
It was very strange, though he couldn't put his finger on why.
Everyone at the table was an acquaintance. Halfway through the meal, Li Yang suggested they get some drinks.
"Teacher Zhou just spoke to the owner; they won't serve us alcohol," Ren Wei said, picking up a piece of meat.
Li Yang replied, "Then how about we go to a lounge for a bit after we finish eating?"
Ren Wei finished chewing. "That’s a good idea. Right, Ming-ge?"
Su Jingming, who had been eating in silence, looked up in confusion. Ren Wei continued, "You don't have anything to do tonight. Let's go hang out at a lounge for a while."
"I..."
Before Su Jingming could refuse, Ren Wei agreed on his behalf.
Su Jingming looked bewildered. Ren Wei leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Don't you want to bond with your classmates? You're so quiet all day; you don't have any of the energy a young high schooler should have."
Ren Wei had lost count of how many times he had said this to him.
After dinner, Su Jingming was half-pushed and half-pulled along as he followed Ren Wei’s group to a lounge.
Wen Yan had been chatting with Li Yang the whole time, and Su Jingming walked behind them. Their voices were low, and he couldn't hear exactly what they were talking about.
During the sports meet, Su Jingming had kept his distance from Wen Yan under the pretext of: *I need to study hard.*
Thinking about it now, Su Jingming felt he must have been out of his mind. Whether or not he hung out with Wen Yan didn't have much to do with his studies.
He couldn't even grasp the source of this sudden pettiness.
Maybe he was just being difficult, though he didn't know what he was being difficult about.
Su Jingming was wallowing in his low mood when Zhang Jia walked up beside him.
Zhang Jia was dressed warmly, wearing a fluffy scarf, and her face was flushed. She had finally found an opportunity to speak to him. "Su Jingming..."
Su Jingming looked at her lazily.
With just that one look, Zhang Jia fell even deeper.
Every time she met Su Jingming’s eyes, it felt like a test of her courage.
"I saw you studying in the classroom these past few days. Are you trying to beat Wen Yan?" Zhang Jia asked bluntly, without any hesitation.
Su Jingming gave a hum of affirmation, the emotion in his eyes unreadable.
Zhang Jia continued, "Then can I join you? Studying with two people is more efficient."
"No need. I prefer being alone," Su Jingming’s tone was icy, matching the weather.
The smile on Zhang Jia’s face faltered. She didn't think she was bad; she was in the top ten of the class and the top fifty of the grade, after all. But compared to Su Jingming and Wen Yan, there was still a significant gap.
Zhang Jia bit her lip, refusing to give up. "Then can't you guide me in my studies? I've always wanted to know how top students like you study. There’s so much content in class every day; how do you manage to grasp all the key points?"
Ever since the training camp, Su Jingming had developed a bit of a shadow when it came to tutoring others. In the past, Zhang Jia had only asked him questions; she had never made a request like this.
He looked closely and saw a spark in Zhang Jia’s eyes. He felt like he had seen that look somewhere before.
Su Jingming remained silent for a moment. Seeing that they were about to reach their destination and unsure if she’d get another chance to talk to him, Zhang Jia gritted her teeth, steeled her resolve, and reached out to grab Su Jingming’s sleeve.
Su Jingming instinctively jerked away, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes.
Zhang Jia froze on the spot. Wen Yan and Li Yang, who were walking ahead, stopped and looked back.
Su Jingming looked taken aback. "Sorry, I..."
He didn't know how to explain it. The moment Zhang Jia touched him, a surge of intense aversion had bubbled up in his heart. He had always thought his upbringing had given him good manners, but in that moment, Su Jingming felt like a complete jerk.
Zhang Jia’s hand was still hanging in mid-air. No one had ever rejected her like Su Jingming just did. The corners of her eyes gradually turned red; she bit her lip as tears welled up.
No matter how anyone else looked at it, it appeared as though Su Jingming was bullying Zhang Jia.
Li Yang instinctively wanted to ask what happened, but Wen Yan asked coldly from the side, "Aren't we going?"
His tone was clearly not very pleasant.
Su Jingming looked toward him. Ren Wei, who had been leading the way, ran back. Seeing the group standing still, he asked, "What’s going on with you guys? Everyone else is already inside."
Ren Wei turned and saw Zhang Jia looking at Su Jingming with red eyes. "Zhang Jia, what’s wrong? Did Su Jingming bully you...?"
Ren Wei wasn't sure; Su Jingming didn't seem like the type to bully girls.
Yet the current situation looked exactly like that.
Li Yang also sensed the awkward atmosphere. He pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket and handed them to Zhang Jia.
Zhang Jia hesitated for a few seconds before taking the tissues and whispering a thank you. Before she could even open the pack, a large tear fell.
"..."
Su Jingming ran his hand through his hair helplessly. "Just now..." He really didn't know what to say. His dislike of Zhang Jia’s touch was real, but his inability to explain it was also real.
Was he supposed to say he wasn't used to physical contact with others?
Or was it just that he didn't like *Zhang Jia’s* touch, but with Wen Yan... Su Jingming slowly looked toward Wen Yan. Wen Yan’s lips were pressed into a thin line, and a rare look of impatience flickered in his eyes.
It was the first time he had seen Wen Yan like this.
Li Yang let out a soft sigh. "We’re all classmates; let's just have a good time. Su Jingming isn't very good at interacting with girls. If he did something wrong, Zhang Jia, please don't take it to heart."
Li Yang’s words were well-rounded, and Su Jingming felt a sense of relief.
Zhang Jia nodded, wiped the tears from her eyes, and took a few deep breaths. "Sorry, I just thought of something unpleasant. It has nothing to do with Su Jingming." She paused slightly. "Right, Su Jingming?"
Su Jingming narrowed his eyes unconsciously and gave a soft hum.
Ren Wei quickly smoothed things over. "Let's go, let's go. If we waste any more time, we won't be able to stay long."
This was Su Jingming’s first time in a place like this. As soon as he sat down, Zhang Jia naturally sat beside him. Su Jingming wanted to move over a bit, but Wen Yan sat down on his other side.
Sandwiched between the two of them, Su Jingming felt completely uneasy, and his head even began to feel a bit dizzy.
The night hadn't even started, yet he already felt somewhat intoxicated.
Li Yang clearly frequented such places. He took charge and ordered drinks for everyone, saying with a smile, "I ordered cocktails for everyone. The alcohol content isn't high; just have a taste."
Ren Wei got excited. "I'm still a few months away from eighteen, and I'm already enjoying an adult night out?"
"Why does that sound so wrong coming from you?"
"Damn, damn, damn! I didn't realize Ren Wei had those kinds of thoughts!"
"Shit, I misjudged you. I used to think you were a pure little cutie."
Su Jingming listened quietly to the banter on Ren Wei’s side. Their words were full of double meanings, but Su Jingming couldn't be bothered to figure out what they meant.
Zhang Jia, however, seemed to understand a bit. Her face flushed as she grabbed the water glass on the table and drank.
Su Jingming was slightly stunned. After she finished, he said, "You drank my water..."
Zhang Jia gripped the glass tightly and gave an embarrassed smile. "It’s a bit dark; I couldn't see clearly."
Su Jingming didn't press the matter. He shifted slightly toward Wen Yan’s side. Wen Yan, who was looking at his phone, was momentarily startled by the small contact. He lowered his gaze, his fingers tapping an irregular rhythm on his knee. He still couldn't help but ask, "What happened earlier?"
The lighting in the lounge was dim, and the music and atmosphere were just right. Su Jingming and Wen Yan were shoulder to shoulder. Upon entering, both had taken off their coats. Su Jingming was wearing a thin sweater, and he instinctively leaned his weight against Wen Yan’s shoulder.
"She... is a bit strange." Su Jingming didn't know how to describe it, but he said honestly, "I don't really like it."
Wen Yan rarely heard Su Jingming say he disliked something, whether it was a person or an object. He usually maintained an air of indifference. His social circle was small and clean, and he had never really interacted with the opposite sex.
In Su Jingming’s eyes, Zhang Jia’s initiative could be summed up in two words: *Incomprehensible.*
How could Wen Yan not see what Zhang Jia’s intentions were? He leaned back slightly. "If you don't like it, then don't interact with her."
When Wen Yan said this, he was practically whispering into Su Jingming’s ear, causing Su Jingming’s ear to flush with heat.
"But she’s a girl. You should be gentle with girls."
"And if she has designs on you, do you still want to be gentle?"
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 清吧 | Lounge / Quiet bar | A type of bar that focuses on a relaxed atmosphere and music rather than dancing or loud parties. |
| 压一次 | Stay on top / Rank higher | In an academic context, it means to get a higher score. In a BL context, it's a double entendre for being the "top" (seme). |
| 放水 | Go easy on / Water down | To intentionally underperform so someone else can win. |
| 图谋不轨 | Have designs on / Ulterior motives | Literally "to plot something illegal," but often used colloquially to mean someone has romantic or "shady" intentions. |
