Chapter 9

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With only a week to go before the sports meet, Zhang Ganggang finally managed to pass the ball when trapped on both sides, rather than falling to the ground as he rolled and hugged the ball. Qi Fei felt that he had really completed a long and arduous task, and he no longer seek for anything more than that… Of course this was not the only improvement around.

For some reason, before the games, Ji Qinyang dyed his hair black.

When the boy appeared at the door of the classroom, he attracted most of the class’s attention. Xie Meng looked up to see Ji Qinyang watching him.

“Morning.” Ji Qinyang removed his earbuds. He seemed to conditioned his hair, it was not as shaggy as before, and dyed as dark as ink.

Xie Meng stared at him for quite some time. “Morning…”

Ji Qinyang smiled. His facial features were exquisite, and with his black hair, they looked even more prominent, looking as perfect as those male models on fashion magazines who had been photoshopped.

Qi Fei, “… Are you planning on going down the path of being an adonis?”

Ji Qinyang was very curious. “You mean, I’m not one?”

Zhang Ganggang thought about it, “Well, you’re the number one beauty in W High…”

Ji Qinyang was quite surprised. “How come I didn’t know about that?”

Qi Feig clapped his hands. “I remember it now! Last time, someone had post a ranking on the girls’ channel of the school intranet.”

Zhang Ganggang counted with his fingers. “Ji Qinyang, Xie Meng, Zhuo Xiaoyuan… We occupy 3 out of the top 5 ranks!”

“What we.” Qi Fei rolled his eyes. “Zhuo Xiaoyuan is from Class 6.”

Zhang Ganggang, “He knows Xie Meng. Xie Meng’s friend is our friend!”

Xie Meng, “…”

Ji Qinyang laughed. “That’s pretty interesting.”

Xie Meng glanced at him. Ji Qinyang also happened to turn his head. Their eyes met for some time, and only looked away when Maitreya arrived.

Qi Fei and Zhang Ganggang were still squabbling about Zhuo Xiaoyuan. Maitreya had to call out loudly to them to be silent a few times before they stopped.

Maitreya tousled Ji Qinyang’s hair. “Yo, you’ve finally dyed it back.”

“…” Ji Qinyang tidied up his messed up hair impatiently.

Maitreya chuckled, “It looks very good now, an obedient pretty boy.”

Xie Meng could not help laughing when he heard the words “obedient pretty boy.” Ji Qinyang stared at his laughing face, widening his eyes to make an innocent expression.

Xie Meng choked, and stopped laughing.

Zhang Ganggang and Qi Fei did not bother disguising their amusement. They laughed loudly non-stop.

Maitreya could not longer tolerate the noise, and they only stopped after he began scolding them.

As the next day was the sports meet, the students were all very inattentive in class. At the end of the school day, they even stayed back to practice their formation. The person holding the sign was changed to Ji Qinyang, and Qi Fei and Zhang Ganggang, standing by the side of the field, took turns to shout “W High’s No. 1 Beauty” and “obedient pretty boy”… Class Six was also lining up on the track. Zhuo Xiaoyuan, holding his class sign, collided head on with Ji Qinyang, and when they staggered apart, their fists even met for a bit.

The two classes practised their formations, and Xie Meng nodded at Zhuo Xiaoyuan when he walked past him.

As a result, Zhuo Xiaoyuan started shouting his class cheer. “Class 6 Class 6 we’re number one! Class 6 Class 6 we’ll kick some buns!”

Xie Meng, “…”

Qi Fei was about to die laughing. “This cheer is too funny! Hahahaha!”

Zhang Ganggang, “Hahahahahaha!”

Zhuo Xiaoyuan was angry. “If yours is better, then shout yours!”

Ji Qinyang supported the sign on his shoulder, and randomly said something. “Friendship first, competition second.”

“…” Zhuo Xiaoyuan, “You’re going to just shout this?”

Ji Qinyang shrugged, “As long as it’s not as dumb as yours.”

Zhuo Xiaoyuan, “…”

After the formation training, a few people still had to stay back and train. Chen Dong wanted to have a friendly match with Class Six. Zhuo Xiaoyuan had brought Zhuo Jinjin along, and the little girl sat obediently by the court.

“Qinyang-…”

Zhuo Xiaoyuan drew his face towards her. “What’s wrong?”

Zhuo Jinjin leaned onto him, and pointed a finger asking him to look at the school gate.

Ji Qinyang looked back, and the smile on his face cooled.

Zhuo Xiaoyuan’s brows pinched tightly. He picked Zhuo Jinjin up and handed her to Qi Fei, heading towards the school gate alone.

Xie Meng, “?”

He wanted to turn around, but his shoulder was held on to by Ji Qinyang, and Ji Qinyang looped his arm around his head with some force.

Lin Hengjing leaned against his car door, and Zhuo Xiaoyuan glared at him coldly. “What do you want?!”

In terms of appearance, Lin Hengjing was the type of man who looked soft-spoken, and could even be called elegant. His eyes turned to Xie Meng who had his back facing him in the distance.

“I just want to talk to him alone.” Lin Hengjing raised his hands. “I won’t do anything.”

Zhuo Xiaoyuan, “He has nothing to say to you.”

Lin Hengjing laughed, “You’re not him, how would you know?”

Zhuo Xiaoyuan did not want to continue such nonsense with him, and asked him to fuck off. Lin Hengjing felt that he had no other choice, and suddenly shouted, “Xie Meng!”

“… You!” Zhuo Xiaoyuan was about to fly into a rage. Lin Hengjing again shouted, “Xie Meng!”

Xie Meng finally turned his head. He looked towards them for a while, then slowly walked over.

Ji Qinyang followed with an insouciant smile.

Lin Hengjing studied Xie Meng with a friendly look on his face. “It’s been awhile.”

Xie Meng gave a nod. “Why are you looking for me.”

Lin Hengjing saw Ji Qinyang put his hand on Xie Meng’s shoulder, and his eyes were drawn to that hand for a few seconds before looking away.

“I just want to talk to you alone.” Lin Hengjing lowered his bearing. “I don’t even have a job now, I won’t pose any threat to you.”

Zhuo Xiaoyuan wanted to say something, but was held back by Ji Qinyang.

Xie Meng thought about it and agreed, “Fine.”

Lin Hengjing leaned over and motioned to go to another side to talk. Ji Qinyang let Zhuo Xiaoyuan walk off first. He looked coldly at Lin Hengjing, then walked over to Xie Meng with his hands in his pockets.

“Call me if there’s anything.” Ji Qinyang said.

Xie Meng smiled, “Sure… There won’t be anything though.”

Ji Qinyang observed him, then reached out a hand around Xie Meng’s neck and adjusted his collar at the back of his neck. Xie Meng was stunned for a few seconds, then cooperatively lowered his head.

“It was wrinkled.” Ji Qinyang smiled softly.

Xie Meng laughed, “Mn. Thank you.”

Lin Hengjing waited for Ji Qinyang to be a distance away before he looked back. He carefully watched Xie Meng’s expressionless face, and smiled wryly. “You haven’t smile like that at me in a very long time.”

Xie Meng knitted his brows silently.

Lin Hengjing muttered, “You used to be so serious in my class, and even looked for me after class to ask me about the work… You clearly have no interest in me, but still gave such a good looking smile. Has that boy also been attracted by you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Xie Meng said coldly. “Ji Qinyang is different from you.”

Lin Hengjing smiled strangely. “How are we different? Because he’s younger than me, better looking that me…”

Xie Meng interrupted. “If this is all you want to talk about, then we have nothing to say.” He turned around, about to walk off.

Lin Hengjing grabbed his arm agitatedly. “How do you know that he doesn’t share the same thoughts as I do?”

Xie Meng, “…”

Lin Hengjing spoke incoherently, “You seduced me, and now you’re seducing someone else… It’s all your fault…”

Xie Meng fiercely shook off Lin Hengjing’s hand that caught his. Raising his palm, he grabbed the other person’s neck and slammed him onto the trunk of the car. Lin Hengjing was caught off-guard, and he screamed painfully as he banged his back against the bumper.

Ji Qinyang ran over, but did not pull Xie Meng away. He only asked, “Are you alright?”

Xie Meng nooded. He looked down at Lin Hengjing’s painful expression and said dispassionately, “It’s your business if you like pretty little boys. However, you shouldn’t arrogantly force your feelings onto others. Other than your apology, I don’t want to hear anything else from you.”

Lin Hengjing was in so much pain that his tears flowed out. He whimpered as he kept apologising, until Xie Meng let go of him, and he knelt on the ground, coughing.

“Scum!” Zhuo Xiaoyuan spat. “Aren’t you fucking off yet?!”

Lin Hengjing staggered as he stood up. Finally, he glanced over at Xie Meng, then stared at Ji Qinyang, reluctant to leave.

Xie Meng, “…”

Ji Qinyang, “?”

Lin Hengjing did not give up. “He… Does he also like men…”

Xie Meng could neither laugh nor cry. With a cold face, he shielded Ji Qinyang with his body and warned, “If you don’t want to be sent to the hospital again, don’t even think about him.”

Lin Hengjing’s face had an obvious look of fear. He hesitated for moment, and eventually got into his car in wretchedness.

When Lin Hengjing’s car drove off, Ji Qinyang still had a bewildered look on his face. “What did he mean just now?”

Xie Meng did not want to reply. He bought another two cornettos, one for himself, and the other, he passed to Ji Qinyang after removing the wrapper.

“Hush money is useless.” Ji Qinyang bit into the cornetto and spoke with his mouth full. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll keep asking.”

Xie Meng glanced at him and calmly said. “I didn’t understand it either.”

Ji Qinyang cocked his brow and laughed. He pulled half his earphone wires around Xie Meng’s neck, and pushed the earbud into his ear as he increased the volume a little. Xie Meng’s head was almost resting on Ji Qinyang’s shoulder.

The melody he had heard the last time played from the earbud.

Xie Meng heard Ji Qinyang quietly adding the lyrics to the song. “The years move on without rest, the days pass by, tender and slow. Little by little, bit by bit, the times never linger.”

The afterglow of the setting sun outlined Ji Qinyang’s delicate features. He leaned his head over and sang by Xie Meng’s ear. “Your smile of fleeting snow, lights upon my heart. Little by little, bit by bit, hidden under the traces of our lives together.”