Xi Shui thought to himself, this was really going all out. He had spent half a month's living expenses and pocket money to buy a gift for Zhou Zeqi.
Zhou Zeqi looked at the large paper bag, similar to one used for storing quilts, and bent down to catch Xi Shui's downcast gaze. "Tell me, what were you thinking?"
"What do you mean, what was I thinking?" Xi Shui frowned, his beautiful almond-shaped eyes showing a hint of dissatisfaction.
What did Zhou Zeqi mean?
Did he not like it?
How could he not like this?
"You said you needed these."
"Do you want them or not?"
Zhou Zeqi took the paper bag from his hands and pulled out the receipt from inside.
Xi Shui reached out to grab it, "You can't look at that!"
"Why can't I look?"
"My mom always says to remember to remove the receipt when giving gifts to others," Xi Shui stared intently at the receipt between Zhou Zeqi's fingers. "Give it to me, I forgot."
Xi Shui was always very serious about everything, whether it was dancing or other aspects of life. His earnest demeanor always made Zhou Zeqi want to tease him, either with his hands or his teeth itching to do so.
Zhou Zeqi looked at the numbers on the receipt in the room's light and was stunned, "Eighteen thousand?"
Xi Shui slowly lowered his hand, seeing the shock on Zhou Zeqi's face, feeling pleased inside. Now he must be happy.
After looking at the amount on the receipt, when Zhou Zeqi lowered his head to look at Xi Shui again, he found a hint of pride in the other's expression. "......"
"Listen, Xi Shui," Zhou Zeqi was unusually serious. When he wasn't joking around with Xi Shui, his features suddenly became sharp, making one's heart tighten. "In the future, when you buy things for me, remember to tell me first."
"First, this is not how you buy underwear. This is like wholesale shopping."
"Second, you don't need to buy such expensive ones. Keep the money to buy yourself good food and fun things."
Xi Shui was a bit scared by Zhou Zeqi's seriousness, "Oh... should we return them then?"
"......"
"You've already given them to me."
"Alright, I'll tell you in advance next time I buy you something."
Xi Shui's face still had a tooth mark from where Zhou Zeqi had bitten him earlier, with a bit of blood visible. Zhou Zeqi had bitten too hard.
"Do you have any medicine?"
Xi Shui touched his face, "Yes, lots."
Dancers and athletes had similar chances of getting injured, so both Xi Shui and Zhou Zeqi always kept medicines for bruises, cuts, and sprains at home.
Xi Shui led Zhou Zeqi inside and pulled out a first aid kit from a low cabinet in the practice room.
Zhou Zeqi beckoned to him.
He obediently sat down nearby.
Zhou Zeqi squatted in front of Xi Shui, took out a tube of ointment from the first aid kit, but didn't open it immediately. Instead, he suddenly reached out to touch Xi Shui's stomach, "How much did you eat today?"
Zhou Zeqi's palm was large and warm, making Xi Shui's abdomen contract, "Not much. Oh right, the boss gave me two portions of iced jelly, I'll give you a bowl later."
"Why not both bowls to me?" Zhou Zeqi withdrew his hand and slowly unscrewed the cap of the ointment. "You go out to eat with others and still keep half of what you bring back for yourself?"
Xi Shui saw that Zhou Zeqi was about to start nitpicking again.
He reached out to touch Zhou Zeqi's face, "Alright, I'll give you both bowls then."
His touch was very light, reminiscent of how he moved the air when dancing, unlike Zhou Zeqi who always pinched, grabbed, or bit.
"Was I asking for iced jelly?"
"......"
"Your face." Zhou Zeqi said concisely.
Xi Shui immediately moved his face closer, letting Zhou Zeqi apply the medicine. He blinked, looking at Zhou Zeqi's eyelashes, "Your eyelashes are so long."
"Before you answer my question," Zhou Zeqi snorted softly, "don't try to change the subject."
"Oh, okay," Xi Shui said.
After applying the medicine, Xi Shui had also figured out how to explain why he went out to eat with Yun Chu.
"I told Lin Xiaojin before that I wanted to date......" Xi Shui spoke slowly, his mind racing to find reasons that could convince Zhou Zeqi, "Then, Lin Xiaojin went to find his childhood friend and asked him to introduce someone to me."
Xi Shui sensitively noticed that after he finished speaking, Zhou Zeqi's face suddenly turned cold.
The low pressure around him made Xi Shui swallow nervously.
He continued: "Actually, I wanted to date you, not someone else, so I explained it clearly to Yun Chu, and promised to treat him to a meal. Today I just happened to be buying you a gift, so I took the opportunity to treat him to a meal."
Xi Shui finished speaking and waited for Zhou Zeqi's response.
He waited so long that the flowers could have wilted.
After a few minutes, Zhou Zeqi slightly raised his eyelashes. His eyes weren't large, with a narrow shape, and his double eyelids weren't very prominent. When he wasn't smiling, he looked quite unapproachable.
Zhou Zeqi circled Xi Shui's exposed ankle with his hand, smiling faintly, "Xi Shui, you'd better make sure you're not lying to me."
Xi Shui avoided Zhou Zeqi's gaze for a moment, then met it again, feeling extremely guilty.
"Of course, I promise."
He definitely wouldn't let Zhou Zeqi know his original intentions.
As long as he didn't know.
It didn't exist.
Xi Shui thought, giving Zhou Zeqi a big smile.
"......"
-
They agreed to go to school together the next day.
The weather was beautiful. Just after six in the morning, sunlight was already streaming down from the high clouds, coating the shrubs and tall cypress trees in the park with a layer of gold.
Xi Shui got up and weighed himself.
60.3kg.
Well, that's normal, right? He had eaten hotpot yesterday, such salty food.
Today he'd just have to kiss Zhou Zeqi again and it would be fine.
It was Xi Shui's first time going to school with Zhou Zeqi, and for some reason, he was super excited.
For the first time in his life, Xi Shui felt that the clothes in his wardrobe were a bit monotonous. T-shirts for summer, shirts and sweaters for autumn.
Xi Shui picked out a cream-colored short-sleeved shirt. After all, his family bought all his clothes, so he didn't have to worry about it. He'd mention it to his mom later.
Zhou Zeqi was yawning, waiting for Xi Shui in the corridor.
After dawdling for a long time, Xi Shui finally came out of his house.
Zhou Zeqi handed him the breakfast he was holding, "You're so slow."
"I was looking for clothes," Xi Shui defended himself, while taking out the sandwich from the bag.
"Why are you holding an egg?"
Zhou Zeqi didn't say anything, raised his hand to tap the egg on his forehead, peeled it in a few moves, and stuffed it into Xi Shui's hand, "For you."
He also separated the yolk and popped it into his own mouth.
Seeing Xi Shui still looking at him expectantly, Zhou Zeqi raised an eyebrow, "What, you want it?"
Xi Shui shook his head, "No, I usually feed the yolk to Little Master."
Little Master?
Who's Little Master?
"Little Master is that cat."
Zhou Zeqi: "......"
"It must weigh at least fifteen pounds, it needs to lose some weight." Zhou Zeqi thought of that big orange cat that walked with a waddle. Sometimes it would appear at school too, smart enough to be almost human, rubbing against whoever gave it food.
Xi Shui paused, "Zhou Zeqi, why don't you ever get fat? You eat so much every day, like a rice bucket......"
"Rice bucket?" Zhou Zeqi grabbed Xi Shui into his arms, pinching the back of his neck, "I burn twice as many calories as you, do you think I'm just playing around all day?"
In Zhou Zeqi's arms, Xi Shui looked up at him, "But your rice bowl is really big, like my dog's food bowl."
After Xi Shui finished speaking, he saw Zhou Zeqi's eyes darken, clearly contemplating how to deal with him. He quickly wriggled free and changed the subject, "Zhou Zeqi, you can call me Little Stream from now on, it's my nickname."
"What about you? Is your nickname Little Zhou?"
"I don't have a nickname," Zhou Zeqi said.
"Then let me give you one." Xi Shui finished his sandwich, threw the trash into the corridor's garbage bin, and while wiping his hands with a tissue, he said: "How about Qiqi? I think it's cute."
Xi Shui actually talked a lot, but most of it was trivial topics, and his thoughts jumped around. Sometimes even Lin Xiaojin couldn't be bothered to respond to him.
But Zhou Zeqi was very patient with him. Whatever Xi Shui said, Zhou Zeqi would always respond.
"Not good."
"Why?"
"You're the cute one."
"I am cute, that's why I'm called Little Stream."
"Qi, Qi..." Xi Shui chased after Zhou Zeqi, reaching out to grab his hand from behind. "Slow down, I can't keep up!"
The two playfully bickered all the way until they reached Locust Shade Avenue, where they were supposed to part ways for their respective colleges.
Zhou Zeqi caught Xi Shui, who was about to turn and leave swiftly, pulling him back face-to-face. "Kiss me before you go."
Xi Shui clutched the strap of his shoulder bag, his face instantly flushing a bright red, his fair skin tinged with a delectable pink.
Xi Shui glanced around, then took a step forward. "Should you kiss me, or should I kiss you?"
Zhou Zeqi brushed aside a few stray hairs from Xi Shui's forehead. "It's up to you."
"I don't know how," Xi Shui said nervously. "My heart's racing."
"I can hear it."
"Is it that loud?"
"Not too bad."
A breeze wafted down the widest avenue of their school, Locust Shade Avenue, carrying with it the fresh scent of blooming locust flowers. Xi Shui wasn't sure if it was the wind making him dizzy or if it was Zhou Zeqi's effect on him. He lifted his head and planted a quick peck on Zhou Zeqi's lips, pulling away immediately.
After the kiss, Xi Shui stepped back, gazing at Zhou Zeqi from a distance. "I feel like I could fly away."
Zhou Zeqi tilted his head slightly. "That's all?"
"That's the only way I know how to kiss."
"Didn't I teach you before?"
Zhou Zeqi's gaze was too intense, making Xi Shui's scalp tingle. He began to back away step by step. "I need to get to class. Bye, see you tonight."
"See you at lunch," Zhou Zeqi corrected him.
"Why?"
"I'll come pick you up after your class. We'll eat at the cafeteria on our side."
Zhou Zeqi put down his backpack and pulled out a few pieces of chocolate, tossing them towards Xi Shui.
Xi Shui failed to catch them, and they all fell to the ground. He crouched down to pick them up, stuffing them into his pockets. "They're probably all broken now. You're so annoying. How am I supposed to catch them? I'm not on the basketball team, you know."
"Why do we have to eat at your cafeteria?" Xi Shui asked belatedly, looking up at Zhou Zeqi in confusion.
Zhou Zeqi walked over and crouched down as well, picking up the last piece of chocolate from the ground. He casually unwrapped it and popped it into Xi Shui's mouth.
"Too many people have their eyes on you. I'm taking you around to show them off, so they'll stop trying to make moves on you, openly or secretly."
Xi Shui didn't notice the possessiveness about to break free in Zhou Zeqi's eyes. He just smiled, his eyes crinkling. "Okay!"
*
Little Stream: The chocolate is bitter, but I'm sweet.