Fei Cheng had already considered this question at home. Since his mission upon returning was to protect Qiu Minmin, his priority naturally lay with her. As for Brother Cheng, he was so capable that it wouldn't matter whether Fei Cheng followed him or not. Besides, he felt he had become far too dependent on the older boy. In the days following the high school entrance exams, he found himself constantly thinking of Cheng Yifei. Considering his current identity, this wasn't a good sign. It might be better to spend some time apart from Cheng Yifei.
In short, Qiu Minmin needed him more.
Fei Cheng shook his head and blurted out without much thought, "If you go to County No. 1 High, I’ll go there too."
His voice, slightly raspy from puberty, reached Qiu Minmin’s ears, making her heart skip a violent beat. *Why?*
Meanwhile, Cheng Yifei, who had just stepped out of the classroom, froze. He felt as if he had been nailed to the spot. Someone tell him—what exactly did "If you go to County No. 1 High, I’ll go there too" mean?
What. Did. That. Mean?!
Cheng Yifei felt utterly ridiculous. He had been obsessing over getting Fei Cheng into City No. 1 High, yet the boy had been revolving around Qiu Minmin from start to finish. What was City No. 1 High to him? He didn't care about it at all.
And here Cheng Yifei was, smugly assuming Fei Cheng would attend City No. 1 with him, thinking Fei Cheng and Qiu Minmin would be separated. He had made a complete fool of himself without even realizing it.
Enough was enough.
Cheng Yifei walked away with a cold wind trailing behind him, not even glancing at them as he headed out.
Fei Cheng turned his head and saw his retreating back. "Brother Cheng, where are you going?"
Who had upset Cheng Yifei?
"I'll go check on him," he told Qiu Minmin before taking off to chase the person who was already halfway down the stairs.
Qiu Minmin watched as Fei Cheng caught up to Cheng Yifei, slinging an arm over his shoulder and tilting his head to ask him something.
Hmm...
Suddenly... she felt... she felt... things were a bit subtle.
"Hey, Minmin, snap out of it! Fei Cheng is already far away and you're still staring. Haven't seen him for a few days—did you miss him to death?" Jun Ting came out and teased, hooking her arm through Qiu Minmin’s.
Qiu Minmin pushed her friend's face away and leaned against the corridor wall. "Stop it. You guys have been making that joke for a whole semester; aren't you tired of it yet?"
"Who said it’s a joke? He’s incredibly good to you. If that isn't 'liking' someone, what is?"
Qiu Minmin didn't think it was "liking." It was an indescribable feeling. She leaned her head on her friend's shoulder and said, "Just now, Fei Cheng said if I go to County No. 1 High, he’ll go there too. That’s not very good, is it?"
"How is that not good? It's strange! I should be able to get into County No. 1 too, and then we can all be at the same school again!" Jun Ting imagined the scene with a smile, quite looking forward to the start of high school.
Qiu Minmin felt conflicted. She glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before leaning into Jun Ting’s ear and whispering, "Jun Ting, why do you think Fei Cheng is doing this?"
"Because he likes you, obviously!" Jun Ting said without a second thought. "Why won't you believe he likes you? Yu Qing said Fei Cheng has liked you since seventh grade. That brat Yu Qing loves to joke, but he wouldn't talk nonsense about this. Can't you feel it? He’s done so much for you. For two years, he’s given you notes and gifts, spinning around you like a top. The first time you got your period and your pants were stained, he rushed over without a word and gave you his jacket so you could go home. Please, anyone with eyes can see he likes you, okay?!"
Qiu Minmin rested her chin in her hand and murmured, "But I always feel like something is missing."
Jun Ting asked, "Huh? Missing what?"
Qiu Minmin saw Cheng Yifei dragging Fei Cheng by the arm out of the building, striding toward the sports field. Her gaze followed them as she shook her head. "If I knew, I’d tell you. But tell me, if he likes me, why hasn't he confessed?"
Jun Ting hummed in thought. "True... why hasn't he confessed? Maybe he wanted to wait until after the entrance exams? He already said he’d go to the same high school as you; what’s the rush? He’s not the impatient type anyway. Wait, are Fei Cheng and Cheng Yifei fighting?"
Qiu Minmin had noticed it long ago. She watched them, her brow slightly furrowed.
Under the banyan tree by the sports field.
In a rare display of raw emotion, Cheng Yifei interrogated Fei Cheng. "You’re going to County No. 1 High for Qiu Minmin? Your scores are clearly high enough for City No. 1! Why?"
Fei Cheng raised his hand to soothe Cheng Yifei. "Brother Cheng, the results aren't even out yet. How can you be so sure I’ll pass the cutoff for City No. 1?"
Cheng Yifei wanted to brush the hand off his shoulder, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He pressed his lips together. "I just know. Answer me: if City No. 1 High accepts you, will you go?"
Perhaps because his gaze was too earnest, Fei Cheng found he couldn't answer with a joke. Under Cheng Yifei’s stare, he slowly shook his head. "No."
"You!" Cheng Yifei suddenly grabbed Fei Cheng by the collar, so angry he was speechless!
Over the past year or so, everyone had been growing. Fei Cheng had unknowingly broken past the 160cm mark, shooting up to 165cm, but he was still half a head shorter than the 178cm Cheng Yifei.
Even though he was being held by the collar by a furious Cheng Yifei, there wasn't a hint of fear on his face. He believed, subconsciously, that Cheng Yifei would never actually hit him.
Cheng Yifei tightened his grip slightly. "Is your word only good when it's for Qiu Minmin? Don't forget you promised to go to the same high school as me first! Fei Cheng, are you really not going to City No. 1?"
Fei Cheng frowned. He hadn't realized Cheng Yifei cared so much about which high school he attended. He felt conflicted, unsure of how to respond.
But his silence spoke volumes about his stance.
Cheng Yifei let go, stepping back two paces. He looked at Fei Cheng with an expressionless face. "I really am a total dumbass."
He turned to leave.
His heart felt miserable, as if squeezed by a giant hand, leaving him unable to even muster a self-deprecating laugh.
Fei Cheng’s body reacted faster than his brain. He grabbed Cheng Yifei, his voice sounding a bit weak. "Brother Cheng!"
Cheng Yifei stopped but didn't turn around. Still in the heat of his anger, he said heartlessly, "If you insist on going to County No. 1, then don't call me Brother Cheng. City No. 1 and County No. 1 won't have any overlap anyway."
If Fei Cheng remained unmoved even after hearing that, then Cheng Yifei would let it go. There was no point in pestering him; nothing could beat Qiu Minmin in the boy's heart.
Fei Cheng was stunned, his fingers tightening on Cheng Yifei’s arm.
He really wanted to ask why Cheng Yifei cared so much about him going to City No. 1, but he was a bit of a coward; whatever the answer was, he didn't want to hear it.
Shaken by Cheng Yifei’s reaction, Fei Cheng’s mind was a mess. His throat felt tight as countless words flashed through his head.
Finally, he took a deep breath, suppressed his agitation, and forced a smile. "Brother Cheng, can we not act like a couple going through a breakup? My choice of County No. 1 is partly because of Qiu Minmin, but also because of my family. City No. 1 is too far. I’d have to transfer buses three times just to get home. It’s a hassle even to come back once a month. My grandparents are getting old; I want to spend more time with them."
Cheng Yifei remained silent, thinking: *You have to hold my hand first before we can 'act like a couple breaking up.'*
His anger dissipated slightly. He turned around and asked, "What about university? You can't stay in this town or this county forever. Your grandparents definitely wouldn't want you to do that either."
"University... I'll worry about that after high school. It's just high school; I don't want to be too far from home," Fei Cheng said, frowning.
Just as Cheng Yifei said, he would certainly have fewer chances to go home after starting university. It was better to choose a closer high school so he could at least return once a month. The teaching quality at County No. 1 wasn't bad either; as long as he worked hard, it wouldn't affect his university prospects.
Cheng Yifei calmed down, his gaze lingering on Fei Cheng’s face. "Is the reason you're choosing County No. 1 really because you want to be close to home?"
"Really! Of course... part of it is because of Minmin. I see her as a younger sister. I figured if we're at the same school, I can look after her so she doesn't get bullied. Brother Cheng, I'm sorry. I really don't want to go to City No. 1. Besides, I might not even get in." Fei Cheng wasn't entirely confident.
Cheng Yifei felt like he was hallucinating.
He asked with a suspicious look, "Who did you say you see as... a younger sister?"
Fei Cheng met his eyes. "Minmin."
Cheng Yifei asked again, "Who?"
Fei Cheng answered again, "Minmin! Qiu Minmin!"
Cheng Yifei felt like he’d been hit by a bolt from the blue. "Are you sure you only see her as a sister?"
Fei Cheng let go of Cheng Yifei’s arm. "Yeah, I’ve always seen her as a sister. What else did you think it was?"
Cheng Yifei knit his brows. "Haven't you liked her since seventh grade? How did she suddenly become a sister?"
Fei Cheng scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, I was afraid you guys would laugh at me. I just really wanted a younger sister, nothing more. Besides, 'sworn' brothers and sisters can easily lead to misunderstandings, so I just didn't bother explaining."
After saying this, he patted Cheng Yifei’s shoulder and said hesitantly, "Brother Cheng, I... I can think about it some more. Don't be angry. I was wrong. Please don't be mad."
Fireworks were practically exploding in Cheng Yifei’s mind. He took a deep breath and turned away to flatten the corners of his mouth, which were trying to curl upward. He smoothed his expression once, then twice, before turning back to face Fei Cheng.
Fei Cheng saw that the corners of Cheng Yifei’s eyes were red and his cheeks were even redder. *Whoa, did I make him so angry that his blood pressure spiked? Is he having a fit of rage?!*
"Brother Cheng, stay calm! Wait until I see the report card from the homeroom teacher, then I'll really think it over! I promise!" Fei Cheng didn't care about anything else; he just wanted to soothe Cheng Yifei first.
Cheng Yifei cleared his throat and nodded.
He suddenly remembered what Yu Qing had said—that many men and women who couldn't be together would become "sworn" siblings to stay in touch.
Thinking of this, Cheng Yifei frowned.
He looked at Fei Cheng and said seriously, "Then you can't like Qiu Minmin in the future. If you do, it would be 'incestuous.' After all, you said you treat her like a real sister. Understand?"
*In... incestuous?!*
Fei Cheng was dumbfounded. *What the hell kind of 'incest' is that?!*
However, seeing as Cheng Yifei had just calmed down, he figured it was best to just go along with him.
"I understand. I didn't deny the 'crush' rumors before because I was afraid you guys would interrogate me—asking why I was so good to her if I didn't like her. Doesn't Yu Qing always say there’s no such thing as pure friendship between a boy and a girl? So I just didn't explain."
Cheng Yifei looked at him and said, "I haven't researched that. I don't know if pure friendship exists between men and women." *But I do know my 'friendship' with you isn't very pure.*
Fei Cheng smiled. "Anyway, I just see Qiu Minmin as a younger sister. I want to cherish her, protect her, and do my best for her. There’s no possibility of romantic feelings. It’s just that if I said that out loud, no one would believe me; they’d just tease me more."
"As long as I believe you, it's fine."
Even if it were a lie, he was willing to believe it.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
市一中 | City No. 1 High School | A prestigious high school in the city.
县一中 | County No. 1 High School | A high school located in the local county.
变声期 | Voice-changing period | The stage of puberty when a boy's voice breaks/deepens.
乱伦 | Incest | Used hyperbolically here to refer to dating someone one has claimed as a "sibling."
哔了狗 | Hit by a bolt from the blue / What the hell | Slang expressing shock, frustration, or disbelief.
干兄干妹 | Sworn siblings | A non-biological brother-sister relationship common in Chinese culture.
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