He immediately retorted, "Have you forgotten about all the girls who go out of their way to talk to Brother Cheng?"
"No, why are you even trying to compare yourself to Cheng Yifei? The two of you are in completely different leagues."
"How are we in different leagues?"
"He’s taller than you, gets better grades, knows how to fight, and he’s got that cool, aloof 'poser' act down. He gives off a vibe that’s... ugh, what was that novel Luo Bingbing was reading the other day? Anyway, he’s very masculine. You’re more of the 'little brother' type, you get me?"
"Screw you, I don't want to get it."
Fei Cheng felt that if they kept talking, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from blowing a fuse. Who was a "little brother" type? He was clearly a top-tier handsome guy.
Yu Qing clicked his tongue, his eyes scanning the playground. Suddenly, he let out a "Whoa!"
"Cheng-cheng, your chance is here! Look who it is—Qiu Minmin, and she's all alone!"
Fei Cheng looked up and scanned the area. With Yu Qing’s guidance, he spotted Qiu Minmin walking toward the cafeteria. To get from the teaching building to the cafeteria, taking the shortcut meant passing right through the playground walkway.
"What are you dazing off for? Go up and introduce yourself!" Yu Qing gave him a shove, then stepped over to Cheng Yifei’s side, wearing the expression of someone settling in to watch a show.
Fei Cheng gave them a gloomy look, but Yu Qing immediately straightened his face and made a serious "fighting" gesture of encouragement.
This... was indeed a good opportunity for a formal introduction.
What was he afraid of? Did he really think he was hitting on a girl?
Not a chance.
Fei Cheng walked forward a few steps and stood by the path, watching Qiu Minmin approach step by step. Wait, why was she walking slower and slower? She wasn't thinking of turning around, was she?
She actually was!
Speechless, Fei Cheng hurried forward to intercept her. "Qiu Minmin, wait a second."
Qiu Minmin took a step back and looked at Fei Cheng. She recognized him; after all, he had given her a band-aid last time, and his team had beaten her class to win the championship.
She had watched the entire game. While she didn't dare say anything against her own class's behavior on the surface, she strongly disapproved of it in her heart. Therefore, she was genuinely impressed that Class 1 had won through sheer skill.
She also felt a bit of goodwill toward Fei Cheng, who had stepped in to save the day and turn the tide of the game.
"Is something the matter?" She gave Fei Cheng a polite smile.
Fei Cheng could sense the distance in that smile. Following her lead, he said, "Yes. My name is Fei Cheng. I forgot to introduce myself last time."
"I know who you are," Qiu Minmin nodded, her eyes silently asking if there was anything else.
Looking at Qiu Minmin, who was about the same height as him, and facing her at such close range, Fei Cheng felt a mix of novelty, absurdity, and a strange sense of kinship.
This was his past self—familiar yet a stranger.
"It's just... why do you always... walk away when you see me?" he asked.
Qiu Minmin let out an "Uh," clearly not expecting him to be so direct. Since he was being blunt, she didn't see the point in beating around the bush either. "Because I feel like if I don't walk away, you'll try to talk to me. And I don't know what to say to you. With so many classmates around, it just feels very awkward."
"So that's why." He had been overthinking it; at this age, Qiu Minmin really didn't have any complex ulterior motives. "Your intuition was right. I've been looking for a chance to talk to you."
"Uh, okay... Is there a reason?"
Just as she finished speaking, a gust of cold wind blew past. Fei Cheng, who was sensitive to the cold, tucked his neck into his collar. Coincidentally, Qiu Minmin did the exact same thing.
Both of them froze for a second, looked at each other, and laughed.
Qiu Minmin relaxed a little and said, "You're a bit strange. Every time you look at me, it's like you're searching for something on me."
Fei Cheng was stunned. "...Searching for something?"
Qiu Minmin nodded. "Yeah. It's like you're looking through me to see someone else. It's freezing out here and I still need to go eat, so if you have something to say, say it quickly?"
Fei Cheng was surprised by her sharp intuition. He was indeed looking for a familiar shadow in her, because the thirteen or fourteen-year-old Qiu Minmin was a distant memory to him.
He pointed toward the cafeteria. "Sorry, go ahead and eat. It's nothing important. I just saw you avoiding me every time and wondered if there was some kind of misunderstanding."
Qiu Minmin shook her head. "No misunderstanding. We're just not close."
Fei Cheng smiled. "Well, we aren't strangers anymore, are we? I'm Fei Cheng, Grade 8, Class 1. You're Qiu Minmin, Grade 8, Class 3. Let's consider this an exchange of class info as a sign of friendship!"
Qiu Minmin let out a snort of laughter. "Why are you so funny? Anyway, if that's all, I really have to go eat."
"Go ahead."
Qiu Minmin turned around, but suddenly spotted Cheng Yifei and Yu Qing not far away. Her heart tightened, and her eyes darted nervously. Then, she turned back to Fei Cheng and said with great solemnity, "Fei Cheng, you're really amazing at basketball. Also, thanks for the band-aid."
She finished by raising her hand and waving it slightly. "The wound is almost healed. I'm going to eat now. See ya."
Fei Cheng: "...See ya."
As soon as Qiu Minmin left, Yu Qing waved vigorously at Fei Cheng, signaling him to get over there.
"How was it? How was it?" Yu Qing’s ears were practically pricked up.
Fei Cheng shook his head. "Not much. You guys scared her just now."
"Whoa, are Cheng Yifei and I really that ugly?" Yu Qing cried out. "There must be something wrong with her taste! Out of the three of us, you're the ugliest one. She was clearly repulsed by your ugliness!"
Fei Cheng huffed and didn't bother continuing the topic with Yu Qing. Only after seeing Qiu Minmin’s figure disappear into the cafeteria did he withdraw his gaze. He mused that he needed to put in more effort; it would be even better if he could help her with her studies later on.
"Cheng-cheng, can you have some dignity? You're this happy just from talking to Qiu Minmin?" As Yu Qing spoke, he nudged Cheng Yifei with his shoulder, gesturing for him to look at the smile on Fei Cheng’s face.
"I was just thinking about the future... Never mind, it's freezing. Let's get back to the dorm." Fei Cheng shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, hunched his shoulders, and led the way back.
Cheng Yifei took a few quick steps to keep up with him. From the corner of his eye, he watched Fei Cheng’s profile. He saw the lingering smile on the boy's fair, smooth cheeks and the bright spark in his eyes. Even the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned. Every detail broadcasted Fei Cheng’s joyful mood.
"What did you say to her?" Cheng Yifei asked, his lips pressed thin.
Fei Cheng replied, "Nothing much. Just introduced ourselves and got to know each other."
Cheng Yifei: "..."
Yu Qing hooked his arm around Fei Cheng’s neck and let out a whistle. "Brother Cheng, why would he be willing to tell you? That’s a little secret between him and Qiu Minmin. Right, Cheng-cheng~?"
"Secret my foot. We really didn't talk about anything. Fish Head, don't go looking for trouble." Fei Cheng shook his shoulders, trying to shake off the other boy's "claw."
Yu Qing teased, "Aiyaya, fine, fine. You didn't talk about anything, okay? You should bring her a bottle of warm soy milk this afternoon. Once she receives it, her heart will surely feel all warm and fuzzy, and your relationship will leap forward!"
Fei Cheng countered, "Is 'giving stuff' the only thing in your head? How vulgar."
Yu Qing snapped back, "Damn, what expresses your love better than actual action? Don't be stupid, Cheng-cheng. Your Brother Qing is experienced; you won't go wrong listening to me."
Cheng Yifei listened to their bickering. The words he wanted to say—telling Fei Cheng not to get distracted by dating—stayed stuck in his throat. His brow furrowed slightly as he suppressed a sense of crisis rising in his heart. He had a faint feeling that something was about to be snatched away.
He was unhappy.
When they returned to the dorm, a classmate greeted them by waving a towel as soon as they entered. "The Three Musketeers are back! We thought you guys had some big event planned for lunch and were just about to go investigate."
Fei Cheng smiled and dodged the yellowed towel in the boy's hand. "What kind of event could we have?"
Yu Qing gave a wicked grin. "Doesn't chatting with a girl count as an event?"
The moment he said that, everyone else instantly perked up. They crowded around Yu Qing, talking over one another. "Which one? Which class? Holy crap, you didn't invite us when there was a girl around? You guys are shameless!"
Fei Cheng didn't bother with them; he knew Yu Qing wouldn't just blab about the details.
Yu Qing enjoyed being the center of attention. He threw out the names of a few pretty girls, successfully diverting the topic. Everyone began sharing their opinions, and when someone called a girl "average" whom another thought was beautiful, they immediately flared up. The dorm became as noisy as a wet market.
It only quieted down when the nap bell rang and the dorm supervisor came by to give them a warning.
Fei Cheng was in the bathroom splashing cold water on his face, marveling at the difference between how boys and girls perceived things.
He picked up a towel to dry his face and felt someone standing beside him, so he moved over to make room.
"Fei Cheng, did you really go play with a girl at noon?"
The sudden question made Fei Cheng lower his towel to look at a curious Yang Kaikai. How could this guy be so nosy about everything? It was truly strange; did he have a natural talent for being a reporter?
He hung up his towel and smiled. "No, don't listen to Yu Qing’s nonsense. We just ate too much and took a walk around the playground to digest."
Yang Kaikai stared at Fei Cheng for several seconds before suddenly lowering his voice. "Do you know that I like Qiu Minmin from Class 3?"
"Huh?" Fei Cheng was stunned. He glanced toward the bathroom door; no one was paying attention to them, and they likely couldn't hear.
He had heard Yu Qing mention that Yang Kaikai liked Qiu Minmin, but he didn't think he and Yang Kaikai were close enough to discuss their crushes.
Seeing that Yang Kaikai was still staring at him intently, Fei Cheng asked tentatively, "I've heard. What about it?"
"Nothing. As long as you know. I treat you as a friend, so you absolutely must not do anything to betray me."
Fei Cheng was completely bewildered. "..." What did he mean by "must not do anything to betray me"?
Yang Kaikai wanted to say more, but someone else walked in. He shot a look at Fei Cheng, went through the motions of washing his hands, and left.
Fei Cheng climbed into Cheng Yifei’s bunk. As soon as he turned his head, he was facing Yang Kaikai in the upper bunk across from them. He hadn't noticed before, but now that he did, he felt a bit uncomfortable.
He and Yang Kaikai locked eyes for a moment before Fei Cheng silently turned around to face the wall.
So passive-aggressive. Out of sight, out of mind.
Just as Fei Cheng turned away, Cheng Yifei looked toward Yang Kaikai. Yang Kaikai gave a dry laugh and quickly pulled his blanket over himself to lie down.
Ever since Fei Cheng took the initiative to speak with Qiu Minmin, the communication between them gradually increased. They talked about everything from their favorite anime to their most hated subjects.
Qiu Minmin discovered that Fei Cheng was the perfect confidant. Their likes and dislikes were exactly the same!
***
