Chapter 63

Nancheng City was famous for freezing winters and scorching summers — not exactly a livable place.

During the final exams, the heat was brutal. Hu Pang was patrolling the exam rooms and noticed the students all looked wilted and listless. Plus the exam was tough — a lot of them had sweat caked at their temples, grimacing.

That wouldn't do. As soon as finals were over, Hu Pang went straight to the principal to talk about it.

So on the day they came to school to pick up their report cards, the students saw a whole bunch of air conditioners waiting to be installed in the open-air lobby.

After picking up the results, they went to the School Playground to line up in the sun for the assembly. By the time Hu Pang finished going over the summer safety reminders from the shaded Presidium Platform, it was almost eleven in the morning.

There wasn't much fun to be had at that hour, and after roasting for so long, nobody felt like going home for a nap. So the group talked it over and headed to a cheap, tasty little restaurant near School.

Yu Fan had been out in the sun for over an hour before he was even fully awake, and his face was totally sour. After he sat down, he just pressed his arm against the person next to him and didn't say much.

It was weird. Even though they'd been in the same space the whole time, Chen Jingshen's arm was always a little cooler than his.

"Holy shit, did you guys see all those AC units downstairs? Since when did Hu Pang get so generous?!" Wang Luan'an exclaimed, his mouth full of braised pork.

Zuo Kuan: "Should've been installed ages ago. I keep getting woken up by the heat when I nap in the Classroom."

"Finish chewing before you talk," Zhang Xianjing said with disgust. "But did you notice all those little boxes next to the AC units? Know what they are?"

"What?" Wang Luan'an swallowed and asked.

Zhang Xianjing: "Cameras. Tingbao went to the teachers' office to hand in homework last time and overheard them saying the lower floors of the Experimental Building are being turned into offices, so all the cameras are getting replaced, and the classrooms that didn't have them will get them too. Don't say I didn't warn you — don't go smoke in the Experimental Building next semester."

The person who'd been eating with his head down suddenly paused and looked up.

Chen Jingshen glanced at him and filled his empty glass with water.

"Perfect timing — I want to quit smoking like Yu Fan too. My dad found a lighter in my backpack the other day and almost beat me to death..." Wang Luan'an said sympathetically. Then he thought of something and looked across the table. "But Zhu Xu, doesn't that mean you and your girlfriend have nowhere to make out now?"

Zhu Xu was usually pretty lively, but today he looked gloomy and barely spoke.

At Wang Luan'an's words, his mouth twisted. He suddenly raised his hand. "Waiter, two bottles of beer!"

Wang Luan'an: "?"

Wang Luan'an: "Who drinks at noon? Did you bomb the exam or something..."

"As if. He's a jock, why would he care about grades?" Zuo Kuan took a sip of Cola and said. "He broke up with his girlfriend."

Wang Luan'an was stunned. "Huh? Why?"

"The teacher found out," Zuo Kuan said.

"Didn't your homeroom teacher already know? They didn't break up then."

"The girl's been bombing major exams for a while now — this time she almost dropped below rank two hundred. Plus her parents... anyway, she called it off."

Zhu Xu had just been feeling down, but at this he lowered his head and covered his eyes.

"Damn." Zuo Kuan immediately put an arm around his shoulder. "Come on, it's just a breakup. You've still got your bros, right?"

"Yeah, you'll definitely find someone better," Wang Luan'an chimed in. "She's the one who's blind!"

Zhang Xianjing handed Zhu Xu a tissue. "Stop crying. If you really like her, go after her again after graduation."

"Thanks." Zhu Xu was wearing a sleeveless shirt today, showing off his athletic, muscular build. There was something a little funny about him wiping his tears like that.

He choked up. "Forget it. She's got such good grades, she'll definitely get into a great school and find a great job. I'm not even top in the sports team... it's my fault for being too mediocre. If I had grades like the study god, we could help each other out, and the teachers and parents wouldn't be so against it."

Everyone's gaze suddenly shifted.

Chen Jingshen looked up and met Wang Luan'an's "say something to comfort him" stare. After a moment of silence, he managed, "It's not too late to start studying now."

"Exactly!" Wang Luan'an slapped his thigh. "Besides, how many people in this world actually end up with their first love? Even the study god might break up with his girlfriend soon. What's that saying — first love is just for nostalgia — holy shit..."

The words had barely left his mouth when an unopened pack of tissues flew straight at his face. Wang Luan'an fumbled to catch it, then stared blankly at the person across from him. "What's up?"

Yu Fan: "Don't jinx it."

Wang Luan'an realized. "Oh, shit... sorry, study god. I talk too fast."

Then he added, puzzled, "But the study god isn't even mad. Why are you so pissed?"

"Am I?" Yu Fan asked, his eyelids tight, looking annoyed.

"I'll get you a mirror so you can see."

"Enough, you two," Zuo Kuan cut in casually. "The study god might not be on his first relationship either."

Wang Luan'an got a mirror from Zhang Xianjing and held it up to Yu Fan. "Come on, look how fierce you are—"

Yu Fan frowned, about to throw another pack of tissues, when he heard the person next to him say, "It is my first."

Yu Fan: "..."

"But I won't break up with him, and his first love isn't me either." Chen Jingshen leaned back in his chair and concluded coolly, "So we're going to get married."

"..."

"Cough, cough, cough!" Zhang Xianjing, who'd been watching them for a while, suddenly choked on her milk tea and started coughing violently.

Everyone else at the table was stunned by Chen Jingshen's words. Even Zhu Xu stopped crying, all of them staring blankly at Chen Jingshen.

Wang Luan'an snapped out of it first and reached over to pat Zhang Xianjing's back. "Jing-jie, you okay?"

Zhang Xianjing covered her mouth and coughed for a while before forcing out, "...I'm fine."

Wang Luan'an was about to hand her another tissue when he looked up and saw that the guy across from him had his head down, and his exposed ears were even redder than Zhang Xianjing's face after nearly coughing herself to death.

After they'd eaten their fill, everyone discussed taking Zhu Xu to get over his heartbreak by going to Summoner's Rift and wreaking havoc for 24 hours straight.

Yu Fan refused flatly. He watched them enter the Internet Café from the restaurant entrance, then reached out and tugged Chen Jingshen's sleeve. "Come home with me."

-

On the way home, Yu Fan didn't say a word. His mind was still hot, replaying the crap Chen Jingshen had said at the table.

Yu Fan had actually been a little scared back there — rare for him. Afraid of being found out, afraid someone would catch on, afraid people would know Chen Jingshen was gay. But mixed in with the fear was a subtle, unspoken thrill, sparked by those two words Chen Jingshen had said.

Basically, he was high on it.

Only when they got back to the familiar shantytown, and he pulled Chen Jingshen into his room and locked the door, did Yu Fan's tension slowly start to ease.

This summer's exam papers were so many that Yu Fan could barely hold them in one hand. He dumped them all on the desk and was about to draw the curtains.

"You called me over to do worksheets?" the person behind him said flatly. "I calculated — we'd have to do two a day to finish them all."

"..."

Yu Fan kicked the chair woodenly. "Write them yourself. I'm lending you the desk."

He started walking toward the Balcony, but someone grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

Yu Fan raised his hand to push away Chen Jingshen's leaning face, expressionless. "Chen Jingshen, don't get too cocky."

Chen Jingshen let out a low laugh and kissed his hand. Then Yu Fan grabbed his face and pulled him down into a kiss.

The yellow curtains didn't block much light; the midday sun filtered through the thin fabric, casting a warm glow over the old furniture. The freshly distributed exam papers lay scattered on the desk, and whenever the fan swung by, it rustled the pages, slowly pushing the two stacks together.

Chen Jingshen pressed Yu Fan against the edge of the bed. The wall at his back was ice-cold, and he kept tilting his head back as he was kissed.

Yu Fan was ticklish. When the hem of his shirt was lifted, he instinctively arched his back to dodge, only to realize how disadvantaged his position was.

They were sitting face to face, his feet resting comfortably on Chen Jingshen's thighs. The moment Chen Jingshen pressed a hand on his knee, he couldn't move at all.

"Chen Jingshen," he turned his face away and gritted out, "touch me again and I'll bite you."

Chen Jingshen laughed, his breath warm on Yu Fan's chin, then leaned down to kiss his Adam's apple. Yu Fan couldn't help swallowing, closed his eyes, and cursed in his head.

Afraid he'd catch cold, Chen Jingshen reached over and turned the fan down a notch. As the fan noise faded, other sounds became clearer.

They'd been buried in exam prep lately, the sea of problems drowning out any heat. They'd only kissed occasionally, and never too deeply. So when Yu Fan caught a glimpse of Chen Jingshen reaching for the elastic waistband of his sweatpants, his mind went numb.

His neck and hairline flushed red quickly. He still didn't dare look, just rested his head on Chen Jingshen's broad shoulder, hunched over like an ostrich.

After several times without reaching the final release, Yu Fan couldn't take it anymore. He lifted his head and cursed, "Chen Jingshen! What the fuck... if you don't want your thumb, I'll cut it off for you!"

Chen Jingshen let go, his lowered gaze carrying a faint smile.

Yu Fan opened his mouth to curse again, but was silenced. Chen Jingshen rubbed his nose against Yu Fan's and said hoarsely, "Mm. I like it when you curse at me."

"..."

Fucking pervert.

After they finished, Chen Jingshen tried to get up and wipe his hands. But he was pulled back by an arm around his neck.

They pressed tightly together. Yu Fan hugged him, bonelessly lying against his shoulder, and said, "Wait, Chen Jingshen."

"Wait for what?"

"Let me catch my breath for two minutes." Yu Fan's face was bright red, his voice rough as he closed his eyes. "...I'll help you too."

......

They fooled around all afternoon and didn't do a single worksheet.

But the homework wasn't urgent. They talked it over and decided to go out for dinner.

The old street outside Yu Fan's door was full of hole-in-the-wall eateries and stalls. They wandered around and picked a barbecue place whose aroma filled the whole street.

Chen Jingshen went to buy two bottles of water. The moment he sat down, his thigh got a hard knock.

Yu Fan pressed his knee against Chen Jingshen's thigh, holding a leftover skewer in his hand. "Talk. Which finger do you want me to cut off first?"

The next second, Chen Jingshen held his hand out in front of him, lazily spreading his fingers. "See which one you want."

"..." Yu Fan slapped his hand away expressionlessly.

The owner's wife came over with a metal tray piled high with barbecue. After setting it on their table, she gave them a once-over, then turned and called out, "Old man!"

The owner, who was prepping ingredients in the back, poked his head out. "What is it?!"

"Light the mosquito coils!" the owner's wife yelled. "The customer's neck is about to get eaten alive!"

After the owner's wife left, Chen Jingshen glanced sideways. His boyfriend had already pulled his collar up to the back of his neck, leaving only a very short stretch of skin exposed.

Yu Fan hadn't eaten much at lunch because of Chen Jingshen's bombshell, so he ate more than usual at dinner. Once he felt pleasantly full, he leaned back and was about to call the owner over to pay.

But the owner's wife walked over and set a few extra large chicken wings on their table.

"Wait," Yu Fan frowned, stopping her. "We didn't order these."

"Oh, right. A man ordered them for you a moment ago." The owner's wife rubbed her hands on her apron and smiled at Yu Fan. "He said he's your dad."