Su Lian clenched his fist and said in a low voice, "Do you want to get punched?"
"I'm just not fully awake yet. You won't even grant this small request? How stingy." The voice that had just woken up was a bit hoarse, with a hint of laziness and amusement, making Su Lian feel quite embarrassed.
His lips were still pressed against Chi Wang's neck, skin touching, warm all over. Somehow this guy had the strength to firmly hold the back of Su Lian's head, preventing him from moving left or right.
Su Lian could only threaten, "Chi Wang, I'll say it one more time. Let me go, or I really will punch you."
"I won't. You haven't called me yet," Chi Wang casually kicked the tent fabric with his leg, lifting a corner, and said shamelessly, "There are people coming and going. If someone sees us hugging like this, what will we do?"
Su Lian: "..."
He felt that ever since this guy confessed last night, he had completely let loose, becoming utterly shameless.
"Put the fabric back down first," Su Lian had no choice but to compromise.
When the light filtering in dimmed, Su Lian slowly repeated the content against his ear, feeling more and more embarrassed as he spoke.
Who was he? Where was he? What was he doing?
Oh, he was being an emotionless wake-up call.
After finishing, before he could get up, he heard Chi Wang curse under his breath.
Having finally completed the process, Su Lian asked irritably, "Who are you cursing at?"
Chi Wang turned his face away, looking a bit awkward as he said, "Cursing myself for lacking male virtue. You know, it's that morning physiological reaction men get. You understand, right?"
Through the not-too-thick sleeping bag, their breathing grew heavier, and any bodily movements were impossible to hide. Su Lian's struggling motions froze as he processed these words in his mind, his cheeks quickly flushing red.
The air stagnated for a second, as if even the voices outside the tent had faded away, leaving only an awkward silence.
After several seconds passed, Su Lian really couldn't hold back anymore. From his position, he kicked him, "So early in the morning, what kind of pervert are you being?"
"You were whispering in my ear. I couldn't control it," Chi Wang released his arms, belatedly feeling how numb his hand was after being pressed all night.
He stretched his hand back and forth a few times to get the blood flowing in his fingers, then rolled to the side and lay there with a withdrawn expression: "Don't look at me. Let me recover for a bit."
Su Lian got up and half-crouched on the other side of the tent, afraid to make any more physical contact: "...We were freezing all night, yet you're still so vigorous and healthy."
Chi Wang closed his eyes slightly, struggling to suppress his reaction before saying, "Thanks, it's not the first time. No need to praise me so much."
"What's not the first time?" Su Lian was stunned, realizing his thoughts had gone in a questionable direction.
Chi Wang mumbled vaguely, "Well, remember that time I had that wet dream? Now I can tell you the truth - I dreamed about you. At the time I thought it was strange to randomly dream about a guy. Later I realized it might have been because I already liked you then. Isn't it normal to dream about someone you like at night?"
Su Lian was at a loss for words, but felt something wasn't quite right: "What exactly did you dream about me doing?"
The image of a neck arched back, begging to be bitten, flashed through Chi Wang's mind. He coughed lightly, "That's hard to say."
Seeing his expression of wanting to speak but holding back, it was surely some indescribable scene.
Su Lian wiped his face with his hand and said expressionlessly, "Forget it, don't give me the details."
How could he have ever thought Chi Wang was a straight-laced guy? He had even slept in the same bed with him a few times, feeling completely at ease, thinking this guy was so carefree he'd never think in that direction.
He had been too young, too naive, too inexperienced, and misjudged people.
Chi Wang recovered a bit, putting his hands behind his head and smiling, "Remember when I called you a nation-toppling, kingdom-destroying Su Daji before? I was talking about you."
"Excuse me, I'm a man," Su Lian coldly reminded him.
"It's just a metaphor, complimenting your good looks and ability to enchant people. Especially for an easily swayed high school boy like me. In the heat of the moment, I always want to be a foolish ruler," Chi Wang looked at him with a smile, spouting one pickup line after another.
Su Lian knew the teenage Chi Wang was quite shameless, but he never imagined he'd now be completely unbridled, galloping wildly, able to spout any nonsense.
To prevent this guy from opening his mouth to talk rubbish again, he bent down to put on his shoes and quickly left the scene of the crime.
Su Lian had woken up early. At this time, the sun hadn't fully risen yet. Through a layer of thin mist, a very faint golden light shone through.
The air at the mountaintop was quite fresh. Taking a few deep breaths made one feel refreshed and invigorated.
After the other person dawdled for a while before coming out, Su Lian turned to look at him: "We should be able to take the shuttle bus back now. Let's pack up and head down the mountain."
Chi Wang put away his frivolous manner and quickly squatted down to dismantle the tent. Lost in thought, he accidentally scraped the back of his hand on the edge of the frame.
Not paying much attention to it, he neatly folded the equipment and put it in the bag, swiftly swinging it onto his back: "Let's go."
Su Lian helped carry the remaining gift bags. His eyes fell slightly on the red mark on Chi Wang's hand, and he frowned lightly: "What happened to your hand?"
"Just a small injury, it's nothing," Chi Wang casually rubbed it with his thumb, wiping away the blood droplets, and grabbed Su Lian's wrist as they walked down the mountain.
Su Lian furrowed his brow, occasionally glancing down at his wound, wanting to say something but holding back.
Noticing the gaze on him, Chi Wang lazily glanced at him: "What? Worried about me?"
"It needs to be treated. The frame is very dirty, it could easily get infected," Su Lian said softly.
"I'll just rinse it with water later, it'll be fine," Chi Wang swung his wrist gently and said slowly, "Do you really want to go home? I won't be able to see you until evening self-study. I don't want to part with you."
A nearly 1.9-meter tall man, holding onto someone and whining clingily, yet somehow it didn't seem out of place.
Being pulled along, feeling the burning temperature on his wrist, Su Lian said helplessly, "How about we go to my place? I'll help treat your wound, and we can do some tutoring while we're at it. The monthly exam is coming up soon, you can start working through those materials I gave you."
As soon as the word "tutoring" came out, the ambiguous atmosphere instantly vanished.
Chi Wang was speechless: "...Didn't we just have a monthly exam?"
Su Lian pursed his lips and said, "The last one was already three weeks ago. It's not exactly recent."
During this time, he had been so focused on preparing for the birthday confession that he hadn't realized how quickly time had passed. Hearing about another exam, Chi Wang's entire face was filled with reluctance.
Although he wanted to study hard to get closer to Su Lian, ideals are plump while reality is cruel.
In fact, he still felt dizzy just looking at the questions, very much resisting them.
A perfectly good weekend had somehow been nailed down to studying, and he didn't dare voice his objections.
Chi Wang took out his phone and tried to call a car. After waiting for about ten minutes, the private car finally arrived tardily, and they set off on the road home.
Su Lian rested his arm on the car window, suddenly coming to a realization: "Oh no, I forgot to tell my dad I wouldn't be home last night."
"You were out all night and he didn't ask?" Chi Wang found it strange, thinking this dad was too carefree.
"No, when we get back, just say I stayed overnight at school. Don't let anything slip," Su Lian said in a low voice, attempting to coordinate their story.
Chi Wang made an "oh" sound, using a teasing tone: "Little Teacher Su, trying to deceive parents? You're being naughty."
Su Lian glanced at him sideways: "Do you want me to tell my dad that I watched a meteor shower with you and then slept on the mountain for a night? What do you think he would think?"
Not understanding, Chi Wang asked suspiciously: "What would he think?"
Suddenly remembering that because of the time reversal last time, Chi Wang didn't know about his dad signing for the wedding quilt, Su Lian immediately fell silent.
After thinking for a few seconds, he slowly explained: "Last time when you called him dad, he had all sorts of wild thoughts. What do you think?"
Chi Wang laughed: "True, your dad is quite amusing. But it wasn't a waste to call him that. Looking at it now, I'll have to use that term sooner or later."
"Shameless," Su Lian cursed under his breath, "Can you restrain yourself a bit?"
Hearing this, Chi Wang immediately perked up: "Look, the first time we met, I said you would be my downfall, and it's really come true. Just looking at our names, we were clearly meant to be a pair."
The driver glanced at the two young men in the rearview mirror and carefully spoke up: "You two..."
"He's just talking nonsense, don't misunderstand," Su Lian pinched his fingertips into Chi Wang's arm, successfully shutting him up.
The taxi stopped at the entrance of an alley in the old town. Su Lian stared at the equipment bag on Chi Wang's back and warned cautiously: "If my dad asks, just say you went on an outdoor adventure."
"Teacher Su, I'm not an idiot. You don't need to teach me word by word," Chi Wang laughed, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he walked the familiar path to Su Lian's house.
Su Huasheng was indeed at home. Seeing the visitor, he greeted him casually, "Little Chi, here for tutoring again?"
"Yes, the monthly exam is coming up soon. I'm helping him review," Su Lian nodded slightly, gesturing for Chi Wang to hurry inside.
"You stayed at school yesterday? I noticed you didn't come back but you didn't say anything," Su Huasheng's gaze lingered on Chi Wang, with a hint of curiosity.
"Mm, I was up late studying yesterday, so I didn't come back," Su Lian wasn't good at lying, so he made up a vague excuse and quickly ducked into his room.
As soon as the bedroom door closed, both of them inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.
The feeling was quite peculiar. Before, everything they did felt completely aboveboard, with nothing to hide.
Perhaps influenced by Chi Wang's ambiguous behavior, even though they weren't actually dating and were genuinely just studying, there was still a sense of guilt, as if they were having an affair.
Shaking off the strange thoughts in his head, likely brought on by Chi Wang's influence, Su Lian bent down to retrieve a first aid kit from a small drawer nearby.
He laid out cotton swabs and iodine on the desk, then nudged Chi Wang's hand. "Give me your hand. I'll disinfect it for you."
Obediently extending his hand, Chi Wang watched Su Lian's skilled movements and mused, "Sometimes I wonder if you were actually a doctor in a past life. Your movements are so practiced."
Su Lian's keen eyes caught this, and he paused for a moment before continuing to apply the medicine with a cotton swab. He said softly, "Where would I have been a doctor? Would they even accept me?"
"That's true. I just find it strange. We're high school students of about the same age, but I always feel like you've been through so much more," Chi Wang looked up, gazing intently into Su Lian's eyes. "If there's a chance in the future, will you tell me bit by bit about all those things you don't want to talk about?"
He didn't ask before out of respect for boundaries. Bringing it up now was because he wanted to share the burden.
He wanted Su Lian to be happy, rather than constantly shrouded in an invisible melancholy, always weighed down by worries.
Su Lian paused for a few seconds, tossing the cotton swab into the nearby trash can before saying, "Mm, there will be a chance."
"Good, I'll be waiting," Chi Wang smiled, taking the initiative to pull out a stack of review materials from his bag, spreading them out like a street vendor's wares.
His fingers skimmed over each one, his expression gradually turning pained. "Which subject shall we honor today? English the Noble One, Chinese the Imperial Consort, or Mathematics the Empress?"
Su Lian chuckled at the joke. "Let's do math. You can review Chinese and English on your own."
"Alright, you're the boss," Chi Wang resigned himself to his fate, opening up his birthday gift and casually picking up a pen to begin today's painful problem-solving session.
Just thinking that Su Lian was by his side made the time seem less unbearable.
As it neared noon, there was a knock on the door. Su Huasheng called through the door, "Lunch is ready. Come eat, then you can continue."
"Okay, we'll be right there," Su Lian responded.
Chi Wang put down his pen and stretched, working out the stiffness in his wrist. Looking at several pages of densely packed writing, he boasted, "I think I can improve by a hundred places this time."
Su Lian tapped the thick stack of practice problems and scoffed lightly, "You think improvement comes that easily? The higher you rank, the harder it is to surpass others."
"So is there a reward this time? If I improve by two hundred places, can I be your boyfriend?" Chi Wang tilted his head and asked with a smile.
Su Lian quickly moved to cover his mouth, glancing cautiously towards the door to make sure Su Huasheng wasn't there. Then he said, "Can you not have those three words constantly on your lips?"
"I can't even say it for fun?" Chi Wang's lips moved slightly, brushing against Su Lian's palm as he spoke.
Su Lian couldn't help but curl his fingers, pinching Chi Wang's cheek hard. "Say it again and you won't get lunch."
It had only been one night, but it seemed things had loosened up a bit more. Chi Wang watched Su Lian's rapidly retreating back and curved his lips into a slight smile.
With Su Lian's stubborn yet soft-hearted nature, it probably wouldn't be long before he was gradually caught by Chi Wang, bit by bit, with no escape.
Just thinking about it made the future seem quite wonderful.
At the dining table, Su Huasheng casually brought up a topic: "Little Chi, which month were you born in? You're older than our little Su, right?"
"Yes, as it happens, I just had my birthday yesterday," Chi Wang set aside his usual casual demeanor, sitting up straight and politely joining the conversation.
Su Huasheng nodded and said slowly, "So you're the older brother."
This title pleased Chi Wang greatly. "Mm, but he won't call me Brother Chi."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Su Lian pinched him under the table, warning him to watch what he said.
Enduring the pain, Chi Wang continued to ramble, "I'll take good care of little brother Su Lian at school, don't worry."
"Little Su never had friends before. It's rare for him to have someone he's close to. I'm quite happy about it, and it puts my mind at ease," Su Huasheng reached out to put a piece of meat in Chi Wang's bowl, gesturing for him to eat more.
These words made Chi Wang feel a bit guilty. He thought to himself that he not only wanted to take care of Su Lian, but also wanted to push things further and date him.
He accepted the bowl, nodding vaguely, "He has quite a few friends now. He gets along well with his roommates too."
Su Lian nodded in agreement, "That's right, and it's not just him. Everyone gets along well."
"But I'm the closest to him out of everyone," Chi Wang added, displeased and deliberately emphasizing his point.
The contemporary master of sketching had mercilessly struck again.
Su Lian felt that this meal was becoming impossible to finish properly. He shot Chi Wang a fierce look, silently telling him to shut up and eat quickly.
Receiving the warning, Chi Wang pressed his lips together, swallowing the rest of what he was going to say. He blinked at Su Lian somewhat submissively.
Su Huasheng observed the interaction between the two, slowly sinking into thought.
Was it because he was getting old and couldn't keep up with trends, or was this how high school boys interacted these days, with so many little gestures?
He was probably overthinking it. Surely it couldn't be that.
-
Autumn in Fog City was so brief it vanished in the blink of an eye. Though it was only the end of November, there was already a gradual sense of winter in the air.
The students collectively switched to their winter uniforms, bundled up in thick layers, their breath forming clouds of white mist that refused to dissipate.
Perhaps due to the years of enduring the cold in Beijing, Su Lian was somewhat sensitive to cold. He added an extra layer of thin sweater under his uniform, wrapping himself up thoroughly from head to toe.
Several days of intense revision flew by. Under Su Lian's supervision, Chi Wang had grudgingly completed several sets of mock exam papers.
On the day of the exam, Chi Wang and Su Lian parted ways outside the exam room. "Teacher Su, what's my reward if I do well on this exam?"
"Are you in elementary school? Asking for a reward every time? Should I give you a little red flower sticker?" With classmates bustling all around, Su Lian stepped back a bit, gesturing for Chi Wang to hurry into the exam room.
Chi Wang refused to budge, standing his ground with his hands in his pockets. "No way, you have to give me something to look forward to."
"Oh come on, you two... Can't this wait until after the exam?" Gu Anjiu, playing the role of a thousand-watt light bulb, squeezed between them without a care.
Chi Wang twisted Gu Anjiu's head and pushed him aside. "Quick, the exam bell is about to ring. Just say yes."
Su Lian suspected that Chi Wang had found a way to deal with him - he was helpless against his hardcore acts of clinginess.
Seeing time running out, Su Lian sighed slightly. "Except for that one thing I still need to think about, anything else is fine."
"Which thing?" Chi Wang suddenly leaned in closer, nearly bumping into Su Lian.
Su Lian looked up at him, hinting vaguely, "The one we talked about on the mountaintop."
Chi Wang pretended to have a sudden realization, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Anything is fine?"
"Don't push it," Su Lian pushed against his shoulder. "Do your best. Don't let all those tutoring sessions go to waste."
"I'll definitely make you proud," Chi Wang reached out to pull Su Lian's uniform zipper up a bit higher, brimming with confidence. "Wait for my good news."
Because everyone's scores had improved significantly in the last exam, the trio that had been grouped together in the exam room was now scattered across different floors.
It made no difference to Su Lian, who was still in the first exam room, though his seat had changed to the prime spot right by the entrance.
This time, no one made any snide comments. After two consecutive impressive performances, any further doubt would seem like nitpicking.
When more gazes fell on him now, they were filled with admiration and envy.
As he received his test paper, Su Lian quickly scanned through it, noting the essay question:
Everyone has their own life coordinates and expectations for the future. What is your understanding and thoughts about the future?
For the first time, Su Lian found himself in a predicament. He had returned from the future to the present, and the future everyone looked forward to was one he had personally experienced. The beautiful future he had once fantasized about in his youth had, in the end, turned out to be nothing but a bubble.
Now, his only hope for the future was that Chi Wang would be healthy and safe.
Of course, this answer couldn't be written on the exam paper, and as for anything else, he truly had no idea.
Su Lian finished all the questions at the beginning, then stared at the essay prompt for a long time, unable to put pen to paper. In the end, he submitted a blank sheet.
Time always seems to fly during exams, passing in a blur of frantic writing and last-minute revision.
Third High School's grading speed was as swift as ever. In just one day, most of the results were out.
While the detailed breakdown wasn't available yet, the news of Su Lian dropping more than ten places spread like wildfire. Everyone was curious about what had happened, but no one dared to ask.
As the bell rang for class, Li Guoqing entered with a large stack of papers. His gaze fell on the last two rows, and he let out a small sigh.
He first took out a blank test paper and called out, "Su Lian, can you explain why you didn't write the essay?"
The class erupted into chaos at these words.
"Damn, is this the genius's trick? He didn't write the essay and still ranked twentieth?"
"I always feel like he's trying to humiliate me. I'm sorry, I don't deserve to be a student."
"When you think about it, Su Lian is so impressive. He just threw away sixty points like that..."
"I feel like Teacher Li is about to explode. Nearly perfect scores in everything else, but tanking in Chinese. If this isn't provocation, what is?"
Seeing Li Guoqing's face turning blue, Su Lian thought he must be truly angry. He could only stand up and explain, "I have no expectations for the future, so I really didn't know what to write."
Probably encountering such a seemingly confrontational yet honest answer for the first time, Li Guoqing didn't know how to respond for a moment.
"Come to my office after class to get your paper back," he said, restraining the urge to scold in front of the whole class as he waved the paper.
Su Lian pushed back his chair and stood up, quickly walking over to retrieve his test paper, laying it flat on his desk.
Chi Wang turned his head, staring at the blank paper with confusion. "You really didn't write a single word. That's not like you."
"What I just said was the truth," Su Lian said, lowering his eyes and staring blankly.
He felt that the blank paper was quite ironic, much like his life - a blank slate with nowhere to begin writing.
Chi Wang carefully observed his expression and was about to inquire further when Li Guoqing called his name: "Chi Wang, your case is different this time. What you wrote is beyond my belief. To be precise, it shocked all of us Chinese teachers who graded the papers. We have some time today, so I'll read a few passages to everyone."
The classroom, which had just quieted down for a few seconds, erupted into chaos again.
"Here we go! No wonder Teacher Li looks upset today. It turns out both top students have stirred up trouble."
"I bet a milk tea that the content is definitely provocative."
"If it wasn't provocative, he wouldn't read it out loud to humiliate him. Front row here, ready for the show."
"I love these essay analysis sessions. Teacher, don't keep us in suspense, let us hear it!"
Gu Anjiu quickly turned around, craning his neck to whisper, "What kind of stunt did you pull this time? In all these exams, this is the first time you've been singled out for criticism."
"It's not really criticism," Chi Wang leaned back in his chair, looking up slightly. "I think he's going to praise me."
"Bro, I really admire your overflowing confidence. You're done for," Gu Anjiu mouthed silently before turning back around.
Su Lian put his own test paper aside and asked, "What did you write? This essay topic should have been simple."
"Simple, yet you turned in a blank paper," Chi Wang reached out from under the desk and pressed lightly on his wrist to comfort him. "Don't worry, I was serious. It all came from the heart."
Su Lian didn't say anything more, just slightly raised his head.
Li Guoqing had already started reading selected passages. With each additional sentence, everyone's expressions grew more surprised.
Unexpectedly, there were no tricks, and the content didn't stray from the topic. The language throughout the essay was quite plain, but it carried a kind of sincere honesty that easily drew people into its description of the future.
The class fell into a profound silence, with only the teacher's voice reading:
"My hopes for the future are simple: to open my own company and raise an adorable Shiba Inu. More importantly, to have someone I love deeply accompany me through life, spending our remaining years together."
"Perhaps talking about the future at such a naive age is something to be ridiculed. It might seem absurd, laughable, or meaningless. But for me, the future isn't a castle in the air. It's more like a promise to myself and the person I love, a driving force that makes me want to strive for that beautiful ending. With such expectations, we work tirelessly in our youth to reach that day."
"So, with these hopes for the future, I have enough confidence to smile in front of the person I like and say: I've made you the coordinate of my life, and I've shown you the future I want. May I have the honor of inviting you to be a part of it?"
Li Guoqing put down the paper and smiled at the youthful faces before him. "Although we don't encourage early romance, having someone you like during adolescence is a beautiful and hazy experience. This essay may not have flowery language, but it's valuable for its sincerity. So we unanimously decided to give Chi Wang 54 points, making it one of the exemplary essays in this month's exam."
The class erupted into cheers and teasing that seemed to last forever, the excitement nearly lifting the roof.
Su Lian thought to himself that this person was truly bold, yet also fearless, daring to write such words on an exam paper.
But after listening carefully, he felt it wasn't too surprising. This was probably the answer that should be written by that unrivaled youth.
Chi Wang turned his head, casting a casual glance at Su Lian, his gaze becoming meaningful.
The essay never mentioned Su Lian's name, but as he wrote, he hid subtle expressions of love throughout the text, with Su Lian's shadow present everywhere.
He had truly thought about walking into the future together.
Under the desk, Chi Wang very lightly hooked the hand hanging by the seat: "Su Lian, this is a love letter I wrote for you. Please sign for it."