Chapter 53 The Evolution of a Class Flower

Chapter 53 The Evolution of a Class Flower

On Monday morning, Qiao Qiao rushed to Ning Song's dormitory early.

He had to scream, he had to vent. He was kissed for two and a half hours by Deng Xun yesterday!

"Ah?" Ning Song was shocked. "Just kissing?"

Qiao Qiao blushed. "His hands weren't exactly well-behaved. But mostly just kissing."

"Really?..."

This broke Ning Song's understanding. What was so good about kissing that it could last this long?

"My lips went numb," Qiao Qiao said, "Aaaaaah."

Then he slumped onto the table. "What should I do? What should I do?"

"What do you mean what should you do?"

"Does this mean I'm defaulting to dating him?"

"Otherwise, do you need to go to bed to count?"

At the mention of "go to bed," Qiao Qiao's face turned even redder. "But he hasn't officially confessed to me yet."

Ning Song teased him while rinsing his mouth. "Now willing to admit you like him? Weren't you the one who hated him the most?"

Qiao Qiao leaned on the chair back, smiling foolishly without saying a word.

Have these bickering lovers finally stopped being awkward?

Ning Song asked, "Really kissed for two hours?"

Qiao Qiao: "Two and a half."

"That's too long."

"Time passed without me noticing... Oh, when you fall in love, you'll understand the dizzy feeling where time flies!"

Ning Song laughed, thinking he wouldn't kiss for that long even if he fell in love.

After Ning Song finished washing up, they went to the cafeteria together. Upon arriving at the cafeteria, they saw Pu Yu sitting not far from the entrance, with no meal tray in front of him, engrossed in a book.

Before Qiao Qiao could greet him, Pu Yu stood up, looking at them.

Qiao Qiao waved. "Brother Yu!"

Pu Yu nodded, his gaze shifting to Ning Song.

Qiao Qiao planned to advise Ning Song, but Ning Song had already gone to get food.

Qiao Qiao decided to talk to him during breakfast.

After he and Ning Song got their breakfast and sat down, he didn't start eating immediately. Instead, he looked around for Pu Yu and saw him approaching with a meal tray.

For some reason, in front of Qiao Qiao, Ning Song felt a bit uneasy and started drinking his porridge frantically.

Qiao Qiao was surprised to see Pu Yu sit down opposite them, turning to look at Ning Song, wondering how these two strangers yesterday suddenly ended up sitting together today.

How much did he miss?!

He always told Ning Song everything, but Ning Song wasn't being fair!

Pu Yu seemed less sullen than yesterday and asked Ning Song, "Are you going to the student council later?"

Ning Song responded with an "Oh" and continued drinking his porridge.

"Did you two make up?" Qiao Qiao asked tactlessly.

Ning Song said, "No."

Qiao Qiao finally caught on and stopped asking.

Sheng Yan and Li Qingyuan arrived later; they had just finished training. When they arrived, Ning Song and the others were almost done eating.

Sheng Yan was in a great mood until Li Qingyuan nudged him, pointing out Pu Yu sitting opposite Ning Song.

It had been a long time since they'd seen this scene.

His sixth sense was right.

He didn't know why Pu Yu and Ning Song became distant or why they made up again.

Not knowing made him more fearful.

Li Qingyuan walked over first, smiling. "We haven't seen Pu Yu eating with us in a while."

Ning Song looked up and felt a bit relieved, smiling at Sheng Yan. "How many laps did you run today?"

"Today we practiced on the field, played a few matches." Sheng Yan sat down, glancing at Pu Yu opposite him, losing most of his appetite.

What made him even more disappointed was that Ning Song didn't offer to finish his breakfast.

Ning Song used to finish Pu Yu's leftovers!

Only then did he realize that despite getting along better with him, Ning Song was still closer to Pu Yu!

Or maybe it was because Pu Yu knew how to act pitiful.

So he sighed and said, "I really can't eat anymore. I'm not hungry today. If I had known, I wouldn't have ordered so much."

"Not eating it?" Ning Song asked.

Sheng Yan nodded: "Can't eat anymore."

He was hesitant to ask Ning Song if he wanted to eat it, and even if he wasn't, he wouldn’t have asked because he just wanted to see the comparison!

Ning Song said, "Then give me the rice rolls."

Sheng Yan's eyes suddenly lit up.

His joy wasn't about Ning Song eating his food; it was that Ning Song didn't want to waste food and could eat, meaning he wasn't only eating Pu Yu's food.

Pu Yu wasn't that special!

Sure enough, when he glanced at Pu Yu, he saw Pu Yu watching Ning Song take the leftover rice roll.

Although Pu Yu always had an icy face, Sheng Yan could see displeasure in his eyes.

Sheng Yan suddenly felt alive again and became talkative.

It seemed like they were back to their previous state: the chatty Sheng Yan, the meddlesome Qiao Qiao, the agreeable Li Qingyuan, and the taciturn Pu Yu.

After finishing their meal and leaving the cafeteria, Qiao Qiao asked Ning Song, "Are you going straight to the office?"

"Going back to the classroom first," Ning Song said.

Sheng Yan said, "Then Qingyuan and I will head back to the dormitory."

Sheng Yan and the others had come directly from training, wearing basketball shorts that showed off their long, fair legs. Over their jerseys, they wore dark green jackets, looking incredibly fresh and handsome. Sheng Yan was in such a good mood that he even turned around with a smile after walking a few steps.

Ning Song said, "Brother Yan is really handsome."

Qiao Qiao said, "No kidding."

Pu Yu remained silent.

Actually, he suspected Ning Song was doing this on purpose.

But still, he felt jealous.

Yet he thought he shouldn't show it, so he just kept walking ahead.

Ning Song and Qiao Qiao caught up, and Ning Song stared at Pu Yu's legs.

Of course, the legs looked better when exposed.

After looking for a while, Ning Song realized he was feeling differently about male bodies.

Before, he mainly admired them, like when he saw Pu Yu’s long legs and couldn't help but look more, or when practicing Sanda with Li You and admiring his well-defined waist and muscles.

It was a kind of admiration for a more perfect and powerful peer, thinking how nice it would be to have such abs and legs himself.

But now, when he looked at these things, he found them sexy. He thought Pu Yu's physique had a youthful and robust charm.

Tall, well-proportioned, slender yet firm and full. After watching his competition, he no longer thought Pu Yu was thin. In fact, his buttocks were quite perky, strong, and tight, giving a sense of power.

The whole person had a slender yet robust feel.

When they got to the classroom, he put down his backpack and drank some water before preparing to go to the office. As he left through the back door, he noticed Pu Yu standing up. By the time he stepped out, Pu Yu had already followed him.

"You're just trying to annoy me," Pu Yu suddenly said.

He was taken aback and replied, "You can eat mine, but I can't eat others'? Do you think you're different from others?"

Pu Yu fell silent.

Ning Song wanted to say something but held back, taking a shortcut through the flower beds.

In the past, Pu Yu was the same as everyone else in his heart, but since Pu Yu sought to be different, he would comfort him by saying they were closest. Now that Pu Yu was different in his heart, he deliberately said there was nothing special about him.

After reaching the required score in swimming class, Ning Song stopped attending and focused on shooting. With more practice and Coach Zhou's meticulous guidance, his shooting skills improved dramatically, making him a potential candidate for the Federation Games in July. His greatest strength was stability, and Coach Zhou often praised his mental fortitude, wanting to test his performance under pressure in a competition.

Ning Song didn't think his mentality was that great.

While shooting, his mind was highly concentrated, almost empty, which helped him focus. But outside the shooting range, he felt particularly unstable these days.

For some reason, he felt restless, like when he woke up this morning with a strong morning reaction, as if he was experiencing a sudden growth spurt, and his teenage hormones finally kicked in at seventeen.

He never imagined he would personally participate in a relationship between two men.

Since Pu Yu confessed to him, he started thinking about it more.

Sometimes when he glimpsed Tang Zhenzhen in front, he would recall the scene on the bus, and that soft feeling would return.

Sometimes when Qiao Qiao talked on the phone with Deng Xun, the usually boisterous Qiao Qiao would transform into someone completely different, becoming sweet and affectionate. Deng Xun loved checking Qiao Qiao's homework and urging him to get into State University.

Ning Song also found them very sweet.

Pu Yu, however, no longer urged him, and they rarely spoke in the classroom. Pu Yu had moved to a corner, farther away from him.

But every time he passed through the back door, whether leaving or returning, he would see Pu Yu watching him.

Sometimes Pu Yu sat and watched him, sometimes lying on the desk seemingly resting but still watching him.

Ning Song used to not care about others watching him. When he first came to school, many people scrutinized him with various looks, but he didn't feel anything. Now, sitting in his seat, he would suddenly wonder if Pu Yu was watching him.

He didn't verify it and always slept facing away from Pu Yu when lying on the desk.

The weather was getting hotter. Even lying on the table for a while would make one sweat, feeling sticky and uncomfortable. From his angle, he could see a bit of the blue banner outside the window—it was time for the annual Spring Festival.

Once the Spring Festival was over, summer would arrive.

On Tuesday afternoon, they had an experimental class with a new topic, and the teacher assigned them into pairs. Usually, their trio consisted of Qiao Qiao, himself, and Pu Yu.

When it came to pairs, it was always him and Qiao Qiao.

This time, however, Qiao Qiao proactively found someone else and said to him, "Brother Yu said he wants to be in your group."

After saying that, he saw Pu Yu approaching.

Qiao Qiao smiled and left.

Ning Song felt completely used by Pu Yu.

Do you know Pu Yu's sinister intentions? You're sympathizing with him here, why don't you sympathize with your good friend!

Working on experiments with Pu Yu wasn't easy. Their class had several options for experimental topics, and Pu Yu usually chose the most complex ones. For this experiment, they needed a lot of intricate equipment. The experimental content at Upper East School far exceeded what Ning Song had encountered in high school. Some of the instruments were entirely new to him, so he had to learn from Pu Yu seriously. Pu Yu was always particularly patient and stable in his emotions, treating him like a one-on-one student. They also had to wear lab coats, and with his height, he looked even more charming than any idol drama doctor.

The experiment was too complex, and even after class, they hadn't finished. He went to the cafeteria to buy dinner and brought it back to eat with Pu Yu. However, he ran into Jin Yang outside the laboratory.

Jin Yang leaned against the wall; he had been absent for the past few days, and no one had seen him in class. It seemed he was genuinely heartbroken. Unlike Sheng Yan, Pu Yu might not be as gentle when rejecting him.

Jin Yang grabbed him and dragged him to a corner. "I remember you said you don't like guys. Can you explain that to Pu Yu? He probably doesn't know you don't like him, right?"

Jin Yang, with red eyes, spoke bluntly, his voice hoarse.

Ning Song, holding the food, didn't know how to respond.

"I really love him," Jin Yang said, almost crying again. Such a domineering person was now bent over by love. "Can you help me?"

Ning Song thought Jin Yang wasn't bad and was sincere. He decided to be honest, saying, "Sorry, I can't help you."

No matter what, knowing that Pu Yu liked him, he couldn't even encourage Jin Yang as he did before, let alone help him.

Jin Yang looked up at him, his expression changing, and asked, "You like him too, don't you?"

Jin Yang, disheartened, leaned against the wall and squatted down, grabbing his hair.

Ning Song had never seen such passionate love or experienced it himself, but seeing Jin Yang like this touched him. He admired such fierce love and empathized with others' pain, but he realized there was another emotion within him, almost base.

It was as if he was thinking that someone loved Pu Yu so intensely, yet Pu Yu only loved him, who didn't reciprocate.

The corridor lights flickered on and off, surrounding them in darkness. Jin Yang stood up, suddenly regaining his confidence: "You two aren't a match. There won't be a good outcome. I won't give up. Wait and see, you don't deserve him. If you know what's good for you, stay away from him!"

Ning Song: "..."

Putting aside his guilt, he replied, "Oh."

Suddenly, someone walked out from the corner, and the corridor lights turned on again. Seeing it was Pu Yu, both of them were startled. Pu Yu reached out and held Ning Song's hand, saying, "Aren't you hungry? Why waste time listening to nonsense?"

He led Ning Song past Jin Yang, then suddenly stopped, seemingly unable to hold back, and uncharacteristically looked at Jin Yang, saying, "How do you compare to him? You don't deserve to talk to him like that."

Ning Song: "..."

He was led away by Pu Yu, leaving a stunned Jin Yang behind.

Back in the laboratory, Pu Yu finally released his hand and said, "Usually you're quite articulate. Why were you so tongue-tied just now?"

Ning Song was still processing the shock and felt a bit awkward, saying, "He was just talking tough."

Then he added, "Wasn't what you said a bit harsh?"

"Are you going to speak up for him?"

Ning Song immediately shut up and shook his head.

So fierce, so...

He glanced at Pu Yu and pursed his lips.

Surprisingly, he felt a bit of affection, and his inner joy couldn't be contained.

Pu Yu washed his hands, and they sat down to eat. Everything he bought today was Pu Yu's favorite.

"How long were you eavesdropping?"

"I heard your footsteps stop and went out to check." Pu Yu didn't look up, then suddenly asked, "Why didn't you tell him you don't like me?"

Ning Song remained silent.

Pu Yu didn't press further.

The atmosphere suddenly became subtle.

They silently finished their meal and recorded the remaining experimental data. While he was packing his bag, Pu Yu suddenly turned off the laboratory lights.

With a click, the laboratory plunged into darkness. After a while, his eyes adjusted, and using the faint light from outside, he finally saw Pu Yu's blurry figure.

"You turned off the lights before I was done packing."

Pu Yu approached him.

Ning Song suddenly felt very nervous, leaning against the lab bench watching him. Pu Yu came close, almost touching his knees. Ning Song asked, "What are you doing?"

Pu Yu's tall stature made Ning Song feel covered whenever he was near.

Pu Yu remained silent, not emitting any danger signals, making his expression unreadable. Ning Song didn't want to look either.

"Feels like you'd behave if I scared you a bit." Pu Yu said as if he had an epiphany.

Ning Song immediately pushed Pu Yu with both hands upon hearing this. Not only did Pu Yu not budge, but he also grabbed Ning Song's hands and held them close to his chest, clearly having anticipated this move. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to remain so steady after such a sudden push. Indeed, Pu Yu said, "I knew you were going to lose it. You're always so gentle and considerate with others, yet so harsh with me alone."

In the darkness, Pu Yu seemed different, talking more and getting under people's skin. With nowhere to retreat, Ning Song climbed up and sat on the lab table.

"Was the rice noodle roll from the handsome guy good?" Pu Yu asked.

This was about yesterday morning; now he was seeking revenge!

"From now on, no eating from others, did you hear?"

"No." Ning Song used his leg to push Pu Yu away: "Move."

This push hit something unexpected, causing Ning Song to freeze: "Pervert."

Pu Yu released him. Ning Song jumped off the lab table, wondering what Pu Yu had been thinking just now!

Pu Yu tidied up the bag on the table, while Ning Song turned on the light. Seeing Pu Yu still wearing the white lab coat, his ears were very red, but his face remained calm, looking like a well-behaved student with his delicate features.

Ning Song didn't deliberately try to be strong anymore. If his feelings were clear, he might have gained the upper hand, but at that moment, his heart was uncertain and filled with insecurity. His confidence was lacking, and he thought Pu Yu might still be resisting. He felt a surge of emotions, stronger than when thinking about Tang Zhenzhen or Qiao Qiao, stronger than when being stared at by Pu Yu, or seeing Pu Yu's legs. The attraction towards someone of the same sex was particularly evident.

What truly awakens one's desire for another man is indeed another man's sexual organ.

After they finished tidying up the lab, they walked out together. The night wind blew gently, their uniforms almost blending into the darkness. Passing by the playground, Ning Song saw Li You playing basketball and stood by the court to watch for a while. Pu Yu stood beside him for a moment before leaving.

He watched Li You jump and land, covered in sweat. Liu Fang and the others displayed impressive skills, making slam dunks with a loud thud. Turning to look at Pu Yu's back, the wind blew his bangs, covering his eyes. He realized Pu Yu wasn't worth pitying at all; he wasn't the pitiful little dog he thought he was. In the dark, he stared at him, ready to pounce at any moment. Sheng Yan told him, don't be fooled by appearances; some dogs may look cute but can bite unexpectedly. Reflecting on this, he found it deeply true.

It's better to pity himself than pity others!

After all, Pu Yu isn't some weakling.

"Author's Note"

He isn't; he's quite big!