Editor: Sammy
Proofreader: Bubbles
When Chu Yu woke up, the sun shining outside the window was dazzling and he couldn't tell what time it was or where he was.
The burning sensation in his throat had subsided and his body had regained some strength. There was also an indescribably sweet taste within his mouth.
Staring at the infirmary's ceiling, he vaguely remembered that he had had a dream. He tried to recall what it was about, and it seemed that he'd dreamt of-
Damn, Chu Yu, your dreams are really hentai!
He dreamed of being in the ward. He had pushed Lu Shi down underneath himself and leaned in close to lick the corner of the other's mouth. Then, he sucked on the blood seeping from the cut at the corner, and the moment he swallowed, the parching heat in his body had vanished and the feeling of hunger had disappeared.
Having dreamed about Lu Shi for more than a few times, Chu Yu was basically used to it. But something like licking the corner of someone else's mouth- that dream was too fucking much!
Besides, could he really push down that gangster if he wanted to? That could only happen in a dream.
Someone knocked on the door three times before calling out, "Yu Shao, are you really still fucking hospitalized?"
Chu Yu's thoughts were interrupted, and he didn't have much energy to speak. "He Zhihao? Why are you here?"
"Of course I've come to visit the sick. I heard someone say that you had just barely reported at the start of class and that you've already landed yourself in the infirmary. Even the principal left his meeting and anxiously hurried over to check on you. As your loyal bro, I also have to come and take a look to show my sincerity."
"The principal? I guess I was asleep when he visited so I wasn't aware." Chu Yu was confused as he lifted his eyelids to glance at He Zhihao. On the other boy's left ear was a row of shiny studs and the four buttons on his school uniform's white shirt were unfastened; it was a bit spicy for the eyes. "Where's tonight's party?"
He Zhihao found himself a chair to sit on. "Did the sickness mush your brain? Lin-Jiejie is having a birthday party on her yacht just for tonight. Oh right, are you going? You know her."
"I'm not going." Chu Yu felt that parties were too noisy and didn't like attending. "When you go, pass on my gift to Lin-Jiejie. It's what she asked for before, George Rona's new jewelry set. I had someone buy it for her."
He Zhihao was young so he liked to play around, and although Chu Yu hung out with him, they differed in this aspect. He was used to it and instead felt that if Chu Yu readily agreed to go, it would only mean that ghosts could be seen during the day.
He Zhihao raised his eyebrows. "So attentive?"
He Zhihao had probably already twisted his words towards some unknown direction in his mind. Chu Yu easily threw a pillow at him. "Screw you, Lin-Jiejie takes good care of me."
Catching the pillow in his hands, He Zhihao laughed heartily and promptly said, "Okay, I'll help you deliver the gift since you're sick."
Chu Yu hummed. "Thanks. Now, have you finished gawking? If not then hurry up, this young master isn't doing repeated horizontal jumps while on the verge of death, sorry to disappoint you."
He Zhihao tossed the pillow back onto the bed. "I am a bit disappointed. Alright, I'll leave first, take care of yourself and wait until the driver arrives."
Chu Yu was too lazy to respond so he ushered him out with a wave.
Early the next morning, noises erupted from inside a shabby, residential building as Qingchuan Road slowly came to life.
Zhu Zhifei brought five steamed buns and a cup of soy milk for Lu Shi. "Don't you have to live at school from today on? My mother specially cooked buns yesterday, saying that what they sell at the canteen certainly won't be as delicious as what's home-made. She told me to give you some and make sure to supervise you until you finish eating them."
As Lu Shi took the steamed buns and soy milk, Zhu Zhifei pulled at his schoolbag straps. "By the way, Lu-Ge, I forgot to ask. Yesterday I went to your classroom to look for you but I couldn't find you. Your class monitor said you were taken away by the homeroom teacher. What happened?"
"Told me to go to the school infirmary."
Zhu Zhifei understood. Oh, the treatment of top students.
Recalling Lu Shi's injury, Zhu Zhifei's teeth itched. "That gang of asshole grandsons from the street over, if they have the guts, just fight one on one, what the hell is up with bringing a dozen people?"
A new auto repair shop had opened up on the next street, but those near Qingchuan Road were already accustomed to using Wei Guanglei's auto shop. The new auto shop had been open for almost a month, but the prices were dreadful, and it was a wonder if they could even cover the cost of rent.
The boss was a hoodlum and yesterday morning, he'd gathered about a dozen people and came over to disturb Wei Guanglei. He intended to beat him half to death in order to scare the Wei family into shutting down and moving shop.
Unexpectedly along the way, Lu Shi and Zhu Zhifei, who were walking with Wei Guanglei, also got caught up in it.
Recalling Lu Shi's words at the time - 'Just attack together. I have to get to school, make it quick' - Zhu Zhifei felt his blood boil again!
He turned his head to speak and saw that Lu Shi, who was holding the cup of soy milk with his hand that had smoothly trimmed fingernails, wasn't drinking yet. His eyes were downcast, concealing his thoughts, leaving Zhu Zhifei at a loss.
Zhu Zhifei spread his fingers and shook his hand up and down in front of Lu Shi's face. "Lu-Ge, what's wrong? Didn't sleep well last night? Why are you so out-of-it?"
Lu Shi recollected himself and shoved his hand into the pocket of his black school pants. His voice was low as he answered, "I'm fine."
Zhu Zhifei was skeptical, then his line of sight shifted down and fell upon the corner of Lu Shi's mouth. "That wound at the corner of your mouth looks... it seems to be a bit bigger than yesterday? Didn't you go to the infirmary to treat it, why did it get worse? It must hurt to eat and talk!"
The corner of his mouth did indeed hurt.
Lu Shi recalled yesterday. In a ward so quiet that he could clearly hear his heartbeat, he was caught off-guard and pinned down by Chu Yu.
The other party pressed him down and urgently licked and sucked on the wound on his lips. Entranced and greedily insistent, his eyes were out of focus and his desperate breathing seemed to carry with it a sweet scent of fruit candy.
When he finally passed out on top of him, there was still a tiny bit of blood moistening Chu Yu's lips.
His blood.
Lu Shi's eyes darkened.
Zhu Zhifei felt that Lu Shi seemed off, his mood seemed a bit like that time when he'd just arrived at Qingchuan Road, always carrying a gloom about him that even the sun couldn't overcome.
He inexplicably felt flustered. "Lu-Ge-"
"When I went, the doctor wasn't in so it was left untreated."
Somehow, after hearing Lu Shi's answer, Zhu Zhifei instantly let out a sigh of relief and his throat became dry. "Ah, I see, haha."
Lu Shi lowered his frail eyelids and took a sip of the soy milk, his expression could no longer be clearly seen. "Yeah."
Chu Yu arrived at school early.
He hadn't felt as comfortable and energetic as today in a long time. He walked with the wind and felt that the air was fresh and clean, the sunshine splendid.
The classroom was quiet and everyone was earnestly studying. Zhang Yueshan, who sat in front of him, had arrived even earlier. He wrote vigorously as he strived to finish the homework, the dark circles under his eyes were as heavy as black eyeshadow.
Chu Yu put down his schoolbag and glanced over. "Summer vacation homework?"
"Sure is!" Zhang Yueshan multitasked writing and complaining. "Obviously, our classes were rearranged, so hand over what summer homework? I didn't expect lady luck to not be on my side, now the study committee is going to collect all the summer homework this morning. The teacher wants to mark it, I'm going to die! No, we're going to die!"
Chu Yu now realized that everyone in the classroom was writing at a tremendous speed, all completing the homework.
Zhang Yueshan's pen paused for two seconds before he looked up at Chu Yu. "How about you, is your body still unwell? What about your homework, have you done it?"
Chu Yu nodded and felt very proud. "I slept well and have been resurrected to full HP! I finished the homework earlier, but I was too lazy to write the essay, so I just filled in the multiple choice."
There was a lot of homework to do throughout Jianing Private School's summer vacation. Major subjects distributed one paper to do per day, and stacked together, it would make a thick pile. The fun of summer vacation was nowhere to be found. Chu Yu had answered the papers a few days ago and he spent a long time doing the 'ABCD'.
More and more students entered the classroom, and from time to time one could hear: 'Darn it, it's too late', 'there's no time', 'quick, read your answers to me', 'I'll do the multiple choice for the maths paper first'!
There was a sudden moment of silence, and following it, the voices in the classroom became quieter by two levels. Chu Yu looked up from his manga book just in time to see Lu Shi walk from the door of the classroom to his desk at the back with his school bag hanging off his shoulder.
Chu Yu's gaze couldn't help but turn to the cut on the corner of the other's mouth. He lowered his head again and continued reading his manga, but his mind was now divided so he couldn't concentrate.
Lu Shi stopped beside Chu Yu's desk.
As if someone had pressed the mute button, the classroom abruptly turned silent. Everyone stopped doing their homework and ceased talking, instead they collectively held their breath and quietly followed the movements of Lu-Shen and School Flower Chu yonder.
Was the first day of school ever this exciting?
Out of the corner of his eyes, Chu Yu saw a pair of clean black sneakers, and the fresh scent of laundry detergent faintly hovered at the tip of his nose. Chu Yu looked up blankly to meet Lu Shi's downcast gaze.
Seeing the unmasked confusion in the other's eyes, Lu Shi didn't speak. He took two steps and dropped his black school bag on his desk.
How perplexing.
Chu Yu shook his head, trying to throw out the imagery of yesterday's hentai dream.
He felt a bit hungry once again so he reached into his desk's compartment and blindly searched for a long time before he touched a colorful candy wrapper. He pulled it out, peeled it open, and stuffed it into his mouth.
He licked the candy twice, then frowned- why didn't it taste sweet anymore?