Yang Kaikai glanced at Fei Cheng as he entered the bathroom but said nothing. Keeping his head down, he walked straight to his bunk to change his shoes.
Liu Yucong, leaning against the inner side of the bed, looked at Yang Kaikai’s bruised and swollen face. He asked incredulously, "He did that?"
Yang Kaikai’s eyes flickered. He wondered if Fei Cheng knew something—otherwise, why would he have said that Yang Kaikai had deceived Liu Yucong? To be safe, he shook his head and said, "No."
Liu Yucong wasn't a fool. Frustrated by his friend's perceived weakness, he grumbled, "You couldn't even beat him? You wasted all that height and muscle for nothing."
Yang Kaikai had been avoiding Liu Yucong’s gaze, but he had endured enough frustration tonight. He snapped instantly. "I couldn't beat him? At least I had the guts to lay a hand on him. What about you? You didn't even dare to move!"
"Fuck you! Who are you calling a coward?"
The atmosphere suddenly turned tense. The surrounding students, always eager for a spectacle, began to jeer. "Quick, quick! Fight! Fight!"
The dorm monitor crawled out from his covers, looking like a tired dog. "It’s so late. Can you guys wait until tomorrow to fight?"
Yang Kaikai knew he had been impulsive, but he couldn't control himself. He was too agitated to calm down. Ignoring Liu Yucong, he silently climbed up to his own bunk.
Fei Cheng came out after changing his clothes. Without a word, he hopped onto Cheng Yifei’s bed, lifted the quilt, and burrowed inside. "Freezing!" he muttered.
Cheng Yifei glanced at him and shared more of the quilt. Staring at the bruise on the corner of Fei Cheng's mouth, he asked calmly, "Where else did you get hit?"
"..." Fei Cheng looked up, meeting Cheng Yifei’s dark eyes. Feeling as though he had been seen through, he confessed honestly, "I got kicked in the stomach a few times, but it’s nothing serious."
Cheng Yifei reached out, intending to check his stomach. Fei Cheng, being ticklish, blocked him. "Brother Cheng, don't. I'll start laughing."
Cheng Yifei pulled his hand back. Feeling a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, he yanked the quilt up, covering Fei Cheng’s head. "Go to sleep!"
Fei Cheng was indeed exhausted. He adjusted his position, lying on his side close to Cheng Yifei and curling up slightly. He fell asleep in no time. Perhaps because his stomach was uncomfortable, his brow remained slightly furrowed.
The lights went out, but some people in the dormitory were still whispering. Listening to the steady breathing beside him, Cheng Yifei pulled the quilt down a bit so Fei Cheng’s head was uncovered and he wouldn't feel stifled.
He slid down a little, turning his back to the room to face Fei Cheng. His fingers moved slightly, brushing against the corner of Fei Cheng’s mouth—right where the bruise was. He had noticed it earlier.
Was he angry? A little, yes. How could Fei Cheng go off to fight without saying a word? But seeing the state Yang Kaikai was in, his anger had softened. Fei Cheng was finally standing up for himself instead of being submissive like before. That was good. He just wished the boy wasn't so stubborn, trying to handle everything alone.
He repeatedly traced the corner of Fei Cheng’s mouth. Fei Cheng, feeling a twinge of pain, half-consciously swatted Cheng Yifei’s hand away and burrowed deeper into his arms, instinctively seeking warmth.
Cheng Yifei thought he had woken up and stayed still for a long time. After a moment, he looked down and realized the boy was still asleep. Only then did he wrap an arm around him, and they slept huddled together for warmth.
The next day, Yang Kaikai didn't cross paths with Fei Cheng. He got a leave of absence from Teacher Li Xiuxiu early in the morning and went home.
The matter with Yang Kaikai had no real resolution, but if he stopped bothering Qiu Minmin, Fei Cheng was willing to turn the page. He didn't care for an apology, but if there was a next time, he would grab Yang Kaikai by the jaw and make him spit out the words "I'm sorry" one by one.
After Yang Kaikai went on leave, Liu Yucong was left on his own, but he soon started hanging out with students from other classes.
Peace returned to the classroom. With two weeks left, the teachers began reminding them about final exams, urging them to focus on revision so they could get good grades and have a happy New Year at home.
Fei Cheng followed his revision plan steadily, remaining calm.
He didn't particularly look forward to the New Year; his heart wasn't in the festive spirit. However, for now, he just needed to do well on the finals.
"Finals start next Wednesday and end at ten o'clock on Friday morning. Don't play too much when you go home this weekend. Even if it's just last-minute cramming, make sure you read your books," Li Xiuxiu said, her back to the students as she wiped the blackboard.
Someone in the back row let out a snicker, which was quickly suppressed.
Without turning around, Li Xiuxiu said, "Zhang Yifeng, you’re still laughing? If you had scored one more point last time, you would have been second to last. You hog the last place spot every day—why are you being so nice to the guy in second to last?"
"Hahaha!" The other students couldn't help but burst into laughter, though it wasn't malicious.
Zhang Yifeng uncovered his mouth. Not feeling insulted in the least, he joked along, "Teacher, Zhang Wu and I are brothers. If something happens, he goes first and I cover the rear—there's nothing wrong with that. Someone has to be in last place. Since none of you like it, I’ll just have to reluctantly accept the position."
Zhang Wu was the student in second to last place. He turned around and cupped his hands toward Zhang Yifeng in a mock salute. "I am grateful for Brother Zhang’s care. This time, I’ll cover the rear. You take the chance to charge forward; don't hold back on my account!"
Li Xiuxiu was so exasperated she threw pieces of chalk at them. "Look at you two, acting all capable."
"Hehehe..." Yu Qing’s unique laughter rang out. "Teacher, don't look down on the bottom-rankers. Cheng-cheng came up from the bottom too!"
Li Xiuxiu huffed and glanced at Fei Cheng, who was focused on solving a problem. She looked satisfied. Before she could speak, the back row grew rowdy again, shouting:
"That doesn't count! Cheng-cheng is a mutant!"
"He was a spy lurking among us bottom-rankers! Now that he’s 'gone clean,' our Bottom-Rank Family doesn't recognize him anymore!"
"Wrong! He was infected by the Top-Student Virus, which is why he’s so addicted to studying that he can't stop!"
Li Haoran raised his hand. "Teacher, I want the Top-Student Virus!"
"Teacher, I want it too!"
Li Xiuxiu could barely keep a straight face. These boys... she wanted to laugh but couldn't. She coughed a few times to hide it. "What are you making a fuss for? Even if there were such a virus, it wouldn't work on you. You’ve all been vaccinated with antibodies."
"Ah..."
"Teacher, that was harsh."
"Mom! Why did you make me immune to everything? See? Now I can't study well!"
"Hahahahahaha!"
Amidst the laughter and joy, the bell for the end of school rang. Li Xiuxiu picked up her textbook. "Everyone, go home. Be safe on the road, and don't forget to revise."
"Ohhh~ Going home~!"
"Goodbye, Teacher!"
Many students rushed out like birds released from a cage, while others slowly packed their things and said their goodbyes to the teacher.
Fei Cheng was taking a lot of books back to lighten his load for the following week.
His backpack was already stuffed full, yet he was still holding a dictionary, trying to squeeze it in.
Cheng Yifei couldn't watch any longer. He took the dictionary from his hand. "You’re even taking a dictionary back to read?"
Fei Cheng zipped up his bag, lifted it to gauge the weight, and then dropped it back onto the desk with a thud. "If I take it back now, I won't have to carry it next week."
Yu Qing, who was organizing his own books, looked up. "Wow, Cheng-cheng, you’re taking your books back already? There are still two days next week. Aren't you going to revise?"
"There’s nothing left to revise." Realizing that sounded a bit arrogant, he corrected himself, "You should relax before an exam. Don't push yourself too hard."
Cheng Yifei placed the dictionary on top of Fei Cheng's head as a reminder. "Don't get overconfident."
"I'm not." Fei Cheng took the dictionary down and looked at Cheng Yifei seriously. Seeing it was getting late, he put on his backpack. "See you Sunday. I'm heading back; I'm a bit hungry."
Cheng Yifei nodded, and Yu Qing waved at him.
Fei Cheng took out his keys to unlock his bike. As luck would have it, he ran into Yang Kaikai. The other boy glanced at him, said nothing, and quickly pushed his bicycle away.
Fei Cheng shrugged. He knelt down to squeeze his tires—still had air, good.
He pedaled out of the school gate. The cold wind made him gasp. Looking left and right, he unexpectedly saw Qiu Minmin walking ahead. She had a large backpack on her back and was carrying two large bags in her hands. It seemed she had the same idea of lightening her load before the holiday next week.
Fei Cheng caught up, braked slightly, and called out, "Minmin."
Qiu Minmin felt a bike approaching and instinctively moved to the side of the road. When she heard the voice and realized it was Fei Cheng, her expression shifted from surprise to joy. "Fei Cheng, what a coincidence."
"Yeah. You’re taking a motorcycle taxi home from the bridge, right?" Fei Cheng asked, not entirely sure.
"Mhm."
"Hop on. I'll give you a ride; it's on my way."
The current school uniforms didn't include skirts; they were all identical red and blue tracksuits, so there was no inconvenience.
"That might not be a good idea." Qiu Minmin looked at his back seat, hesitated for two seconds, and then firmly declined. "No, it's fine. It's so close, only a ten-minute walk. I'll walk."
Fei Cheng smiled, quickly took the bags from her hands, and hung them on his handlebars. "Don't worry. You're so thin, I could carry three of you."
Qiu Minmin looked at the bags hanging on the bike, then at Fei Cheng’s expectant gaze. She pursed her lips and sat sideways on the back, her hands gripping the seat frame.
"Sit tight. Here we go."
Fei Cheng pushed the pedals and rang his bell to warn people in the middle of the road to move. He didn't ride fast, but he was very steady. He wove through the streets and alleys, delivering her safely to the bridge without any mishaps.
There were many students waiting there to be picked up.
Qiu Minmin got off the bike. Sensing the eyes on them, she felt a bit embarrassed but tried to act composed.
Fei Cheng handed her the bags. With the corners of his mouth turned up and his eyes bright, he asked, "Very safe, right?"
Qiu Minmin nodded and smiled. "Very safe. Thank you."
"You're welcome. When is your motorcycle taxi driver coming?" Fei Cheng looked around to help her find him.
Qiu Minmin held her things in both hands, her brown eyes fixed on Fei Cheng. After a moment, she laughed. "You've never seen what my driver looks like, so how can you find him? Don't worry, he'll be here soon. You go on ahead. Good luck with your finals~"
Fei Cheng paused, thinking to himself, *I actually do know him, but I have to pretend I don't.*
He said to Qiu Minmin, "Good luck to both of us then. I'm off. Be safe on your way home. Bye-bye."
"Mhm, bye-bye."
Fei Cheng checked for traffic, then pedaled across the bridge much faster than before. Halfway across, he looked back at Qiu Minmin.
Watching his carefree figure as he rode away, Qiu Minmin suddenly felt a tingling, sour sensation in her heart.
She withdrew her gaze and looked down at the pebbles by her feet. From the time they met until now, Fei Cheng had always been very kind to her. It was as if he could see through her true thoughts and knew what she was worried about. He never made things difficult for her, never made her unhappy, and always helped when asked.
Her classmates and friends all said Fei Cheng liked her.
She had never liked anyone before, so she couldn't be sure.
In the past, people who confessed to her only ever used words; they never actually did anything.
If Fei Cheng really liked her, what should she do? *Eek! Don't be so conceited!*
A motorcycle taxi passed by Qiu Minmin. A moment later, she heard Yu Qing’s voice shouting from ahead, "Cheng-cheng baby, goodbye~!"
Qiu Minmin looked up and saw Yu Qing sitting on the back of a motorcycle, giving Fei Cheng a thumbs-up. Fei Cheng shouted back a laughing curse. They were a bit far away and the surroundings were noisy, so she couldn't hear clearly, but she could faintly see the smile on Fei Cheng’s face. She smiled along, thinking to herself how good their relationship was.
"Cheng-cheng, goodbye~!"
"Cheng-cheng, goodbye~!"
Lai Xinhui and his gang, who were behind Fei Cheng, joined in the fun with Yu Qing. They pedaled their bikes to overtake Fei Cheng one by one, turning back to shout "goodbye" at him.
It was truly nice.
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