Chapter 7 - Hui Xing’s Fallen Lover

Translator: humu

Their first encounter was long forgotten. The only vague and general memory was that there was such a person who existed. From junior high to senior year in high school, they spent a total of 6 years in the same school. Their only relationship was one of a passing acquaintance. Up until the day of the college admission, where the two formally introduced themselves.

“Hello, I’m Hui Xing, I’ll be in your care.” Dragging a suitcase, he had a knapsack on his back. The gold glasses frames made Hui Xing appear as if he was a good model student. However, the antisocial vibes coming from Hui Xing broke off the perfect image. This was Zhao Bin’s first impression of Hui Xing.

University A didn’t let down its name of being one of the top ten national universities. The dormitory environment made the surrounding schools go green with envy. The beds in the 4-person room were single bunks. Hui Xing’s bed was just adjacent to Zhao Bin. They could see each other without the need to raise their heads.

Hui Xing didn’t speak more than necessary. Yet, every word he uttered could hit the bullseye in their hearts. The roommates jokingly call him ‘Father Hui’, and Hui Xing unexpectedly reacted to such a term. However, Zhao Bin had ever once called him that. Zhao Bin would rather call Hui Xing with his full name, and wasn’t willing to use such a poor tasting name.

After they interacted long enough, Zhao Bin gradually didn’t sense that previous antisocial vibe. Hui Xing was a very amiable person. As long as it wasn’t a behavior that went against his morals, Hui Xing was willing to do it. Girls from their class and other schools fawned over Hui Xing. However, it was a good thing that none of these girls had ever confessed to him.

He couldn’t explain this feeling, but Zhao Bin was very satisfied upon seeing such a situation. He didn’t like seeing Hui Xing getting too close with those girls, even if they were both boys.

The days went on like this. In a split of an eye, it was already their second school year of university. In comparison to Hui Xing, Zhao Bin was an extrovert. Based on his talent in speaking and appearance, Zhao Bin was able to gather a large amount of support in a short while, smoothly becoming the school’s Student Council President. For such a position, it should be relatively busy, but Zhao Bin wasn’t swamped with work at all. Instead, most of his time was spent next to Hui Xing. Even if there was silence around them, Zhao Bin still found the time passing happily.

Hui Xing wasn’t used to it initially, but he didn’t find any problems with it over time. They were both men anyways, what could happen?

“Hui Xing, I have a basketball match this afternoon, come and cheer for me!” Zhao Bin stood in the toilet as he relieved himself, and shouted as he heard a familiar voice.

Hui Xing looked back, but frowned when he looked at the toilet. As if he was somewhat unhappy with a conversation taking place at such a venue.

After a year long of interaction, the roommates, Zheng Long and Zhu Qingcheng, knew that Hui Xing was somewhat of a clean freak. Seeing Hui Xing’s brows wrinkling, the two shared a look as they burst out in laughter. They both hollered in the direction of the toilet, “Just pee if you’re doing it. Why do you have to speak so much? Later if you pee your pants, be careful that Father Hui doesn’t just outright throw you out! HAHAHA…”

"

"

“How would I… Oh f*ck, the good doesn’t manifest, yet the bad does! You two damn misfortune bringers!” Just as Zhao Bin was finishing up, he was careless for just a moment and did a foolish deed. He entertained the two rascals, yet it made Hui Xing’s brows tightened.

“HAHA… You deserved it! Oh~ Zhao Bin you’re dead, Father Hui’s angry!” Actually, Hui Xing wasn’t angry. He merely felt that this behaviour wasn’t hygienic and a little disgusting. Just how old was Zhao Bin, yet he still peed his pants.

The sound of water running came from the bathroom. Just by listening, it was clear that someone was washing his pants. The person washing his pants used all of his might to scrub it, then put it under the hand dryer to blow dry it.

“Hui Xing, will you come to my match this afternoon?” The appearance of kissing up amused Zheng Long and Zhu Qingcheng. The two didn’t find Zhao Bin pitiful, merely chollering in laughter, taking pleasure in his situation.

“Zhao Bin, your little wifey look is really cute.” Zhu Qingcheng’s unique Northern accent bellowed together with that thick laughter, transmitting all the way downstairs.

“Oh please, Old Zhu. That is obviously a henpecked male’s look, okay? Don’t you find Father Hui looking more like a shou ?” Zheng Long was too severely poisoned by his girlfriend’s influence. He was already very used to, as well as well knowledgeable with the terms of Yaoi and Yuri. He didn’t find it inappropriate at all. In fact, as Zheng Long’s good brothers, Zhu Qingcheng was also somewhat dyed with the same colour as Zheng Long.

“Yup, yup, yup, a coquettish shou ! Yup, yup, yup, a loyal dog gong !”

A pillow was stuffed into their faces. Who would have thought that this bout of jokes preordained Zhao Bin and Hui Xing’s emotional entanglement.

Zhao Bin and Hui Xing took their roommate’s jokes to heart. From then on, no matter what he did, Zhao Bin became more inclined to seek Hui Xing’s help. Hui Xing on the other hand, would vigilantly find excuses to avoid Zhao Bin. Unless absolutely necessary, Hui Xing wasn’t willing to spend a moment more alone with Zhao Bin.

Lying on the bed, Zhao Bin pulled up the sheets over his head. He didn’t want to let anyone notice his tears. He had forgotten the last time he cried. This time, his cry went full out. Indeed, forbidden love wasn’t acceptable. Why was it so difficult to love another?

The tears silently flowed down, scalding warmth couldn’t beat the cold skin. Zhao Bin’s heart was long damaged, what was the point of his existence?

Just two hours ago, Zhao Bin bought Hui Xing’s favorite book and was on his way to show off his hard work. As a result, while he searched for Hui Xing, Zhao Bin caught Hui Xing locking lips with a girl. Zhao Bin knew that girl. She was the neighboring department’s flower and had been chasing Hui Xing for a long time. She was both pretty and sweet, completely opposite from himself, a hard, stiff person, a man to boot.

Hui Xing was such a perfect person. Once he became serious, it was for a lifetime. Hui Xing accepted her kiss, didn’t that mean that Zhao Bin didn’t have any more chances? Right, right……

“If you truly love another, do you pursue or release? …..If he’s happy, then all’s good.” Zhao Bin didn’t want to spoil Hui Xing’s happiness, nor did he want to face Hui Xing’s smile. Without giving any explanation to his roommates, Zhao Bin appealed for removal from the dormitory. As the President of the Student Council, the teacher didn’t make things hard and agreed.

It was a rainy night. The thin rain droplets jumped lively in the air. As it was Christmas Eve, everyone went out if they could. The empty dorm only had one person in it. With a bitter smile, Zhao Bin packed up his bag and sat on Hui Xing’s bed, caressing the only item that fully belonged to Hui Xing.

The beauty under his hands exclusively belonged to him at this moment.

The tears sliding down his face made Zhao Bin look ten times more vulnerable. Zhao Bin suddenly recalled something and climbed down from the bed. From Hui Xing’s book shelf, Zhao Bin pulled out a photo album. The album contained many photos, all of which were secretly taken for Hui Xing’s birthday present. Hui Xing wouldn’t notice if Zhao Bin took 1 or 2 photos away, right?

Running over to lock the door from the inside, Zhao Bin then pulled out 1 photo carefully from the album, and placed it against his chest. Then, Zhao Bin tucked it into the pocket closest to his heart. It was precious and he fully intended to cherish it.

The deep night was silent to the point of it being scary. Walking along the corridors of the dorm would incite fear, as if a zombie would jump out and attack.

Hui Xing sent his girlfriend back to her dorm. As Hui Xing walked back to his dorm, he met Zheng Long, a drunk from a failed romance, in the lobby, together with Zhu Qingcheng. The two reminded Hui Xing of his friendship with Zhao Bin from that year. Yet time had diminished everything. Their friendship had faded from Hui Xing’s own intentional action of putting distance between them.

“What does a girl even matter to me! Not even comparable to clothes, not even reliable! She could even make Lao Zi put on a green hat! Lao Zi would rather become bent than to find another woman! URGH–” Zhu Qingcheng silently supported Zheng Long, not being given much of a choice.

“Brothers are still the most reliable! I say, Old Zhu, how about getting together with me!” Puckering up his lips, Zheng Long kissed Zhu Qingcheng face.

A palm landed on the back of Zheng Long’s head. Then, Zhu Qingcheng’s loud voice hollered, “Aren’t you a man?! Isn’t it only getting dumped by a girl?! Did you have to be like this?! It’s not like you truly love her!”

“…… Ugh… Who said Lao Zi was dumped? It’s Lao Zi that dumped her, not that she dumped me! You better as heck remember this!”

“Are you okay?” Hui Xing went forward to help Zheng Long, but was pushed aside by Zheng Long.

“No problem, don’t mind him. He currently hates to see anyone with a partner. He’s not specifically targeting you. I’ll call Zhao Bin down to help settle him.”

But what they didn’t expect was to find a pitch black dorm and an empty bed……

This matter was the last straw, lighting up Hui Xing’s dissatisfaction. The two’s increasingly distant friendship had just announced its destruction. The explosion doused Zheng Long and Zhu Qingcheng in cold water.

.

.

.

.

The fourth year of university was at its tail’s end. Everyone was running all over the place for the sake of their future job. The easygoing university life had long left them. The cold cruel reality awaited their arrival.

Using work as a mask over his sorrow, Zhao Bin had performed this very thoroughly. Ever since Zhao Bin moved out, Hui Xing would very obviously turn a blind eye to him, even if they crossed paths. As if going back to the first 6 years of their acquaintanceship, just brushing past each other. However, this was clearly what Hui Xing wanted, so why was he still so sad?

Just as Zheng Long mentioned, once a woman was chased, they would become different. Once that pursuit overtook the happiness in her current romance, they would fly high, moving forward courageously. Witnessing his girlfriend kissing another man more than once, Hui Xing knew that this relationship was doomed to fail. But the woman was still a girl and as a man, he couldn’t let her suffer the torment of getting gossiped about. Hui Xing having to initiate the break up could be considered as compensation.

As Hui Xing accompanied his girlfriend to go shopping, he was used to being her personal atm. Who knew when it started, but the warm and gentle girl had started turning black from the world’s ways. At the intersection on the road, Hui Xing finally spoke up.

"

"

“Wu Yin, let’s break up.”

“…… What did you say? Repeat that again.” Wu Yin’s eyes widened. The thickly powered face turned fierce in a split second.

“Let’s break up.” Truthfully thinking that the girlfriend didn’t hear him clearly, Hui Xing repeated once more.

Wu Yin’s reaction was oddly intense. Swinging her bag towards Hui Xing’s head, she furiously and loudly scolded him. At that moment, everyone around moved back several steps, none willing to step into this murky water.

“Hui Xing, I had f*cking endured you for a long time now. You disgusting pervert. If you like him, then go like him. Why must you accept me? For 2 years, you’ve been calling me by my full name. Do you think we look like a couple? What you were f*cking doing was treating me like a shield. You ruined my youth, did you f*cking know that? If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have become like this. Now you actually dare to break up with me?! Do you think that you can brush me off completely like this?! You ruined me, so I won’t let you live. Go die–!”

With full force, she pushed Hui Xing towards the road. What Wu Yin did was truly unintentional. She merely wanted to vent her grievances from these past 2 years. She knew that Hui Xing wasn’t completely at fault. If she had initiated the break up early, Hui Xing definitely wouldn’t have made it difficult. It was just that she really didn’t want to let him go. She still liked Hui Xing. Even if she got together with others, she still wasn’t willing to release him. She felt that time would change everything, and could let one feel affection. If Hui Xing liked her, she would dump that spare tire in a heartbeat. However, if anything, Hui Xing shouldn’t have brought up the separation.

“No—-!”

The fast moving car hadn’t expected that someone would suddenly rush out in front of his car. At the moment where he braked, a person’s figure flew up into the air and slammed down to the ground.

“No—-!” Hui Xing quickly got back up and ran towards Zhao Bin’s side. Hui Xing would have never thought that Zhao Bin would suddenly dash forward and crash into him. Hui Xing was able to dodge the danger, but Zhao Bin’s condition was in a terrible state.

Zhao Bin was very glad to have gone out today. He was also very glad that he would be able to use himself in exchange for Hui Xing’s life. The life that was initially meaningless, had suddenly burst into colours and life. It was all thanks to this moment.

Hugging Zhao Bin’s body, Hui Xing’s hands couldn’t stop trembling. Hui Xing didn’t want this, he wasn’t willing. He would have rather laid in his own blood, and not Zhao Bin’s.

“Zhao Bin, stay with me……”

The driver didn’t escape and decisively called the ambulance.

“…… Xing.” Zhao Bin reached up to caress Hui Xing’s face. It had been more than 2 years since Hui Xing last called his name. Zhao Bin knew that it didn’t mean anything, but he still felt pretty happy.

How nice, really nice, that the person lying here was him, and not Hui Xing.

“Zhao Bin, don’t sleep, please don’t sleep. The ambulance is coming, I’m begging you, don’t sleep… Please……”

‘Don’t cry, I’m not sleeping, I still want to look at you. I won’t go to sleep so quickly. Xing… I love you.’ Zhao Bin looked at how his blood coated hand had stained Hui Xing’s face, and felt somewhat sad. Zhao Bin didn’t wish to leave so quickly either. He still wanted to stay a little longer.

“Xing, I love…… I…… Love you……” Why, why wasn’t this bit of time given to him? The hand fell slowly from Hui Xing’s face. Zhao Bin closed his eyes.

.

.

.

In the season of blooming stars, the night revealed speckles of light in plain sight. One star twinkled in the sky, as if it was that person gently saying, “I love you”.

[Xing, I love you.]

“I love you too, Bin.”

"

"

Support me on Ko-fi for bonus chapter~ Subscribe to patreon for more benefits~!💌(●’◡’●)

Ko-fi Here 💌

Edited by: Mochiusagi