Chapter 54: Misunderstanding

Chapter 54: Misunderstanding

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm jealous of you," Ji Changyu said flatly, unable to even feign respect, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I'm jealous that you have to get slapped just to kiss someone."

"He should've slapped you harder; otherwise, how else would you feel his undying love?"

Xie Guiluan shot him a dark look, then silently lowered his head to drink. The blue-ish light of the bar cast deep shadows in his eye sockets, making them appear cold and brooding.

Ji Changyu wasn’t fazed by him and kept going, "You two are made for each other. If he doesn’t like you, who else could he like? Hey, go chase him. Maybe he’s been secretly crushing on you since his past life."

Xie Guiluan remained silent, and after finishing the last bottle of beer, he suddenly said, "I think you're right."

He hadn’t planned to give up anyway. It didn’t matter if Cen Wu didn’t like him. After all, Cen Wu didn’t like anyone else either. He could just keep pursuing him; it was no big deal.

In the worst case, even if Cen Wu liked someone else, he could wait for them to break up. If they got married, he could wait for them to divorce. He had been in the Xie family for ten years and was most adept at patience.

Ji Changyu: "........"

There's no saving him—just let him out of the hospital already!

He had always thought Xie Guiluan was emotionally cold, especially considering the number of men and women who pursued him at Blue Night. He had never seen Xie Guiluan give any of them a second glance, so he never expected Xie Guiluan to be so love-struck, and in an advanced stage at that.

After clearing his head with a few drinks, Xie Guiluan got ready to head home.

Ji Changyu, on the other hand, looked constipated, wondering if being brothers with Xie Guiluan was his blessing or his curse.

The three-day autumn trip at Huai Jing No.1 High School soon came to an end, and school would resume the day after tomorrow. Cen Wu spent two days at home doing homework, avoiding both Blue Night and Xie Guiluan.

Xie Guiluan occasionally sent him a message, and once he confirmed that Xie Guiluan was fine, he stopped worrying but belatedly felt awkward.

After such an intimate moment, how would they face each other at school? Just thinking about it made him want to crawl into a hole.

Cen Wu almost considered faking illness to skip school, but if he called in sick, he had no doubt that, given Xie Guiluan's shamelessness, he would show up at the Cen family's house that very evening.

Cen Wu was downcast, wearing a mask at home, claiming he had a cold. Luckily, Cen Junshan and Guan Xingxue were away at an exhibition overseas, or they’d have definitely noticed something was up.

Cen Xiao was home in the evening and didn’t believe Cen Wu's excuse. When they were alone, he pulled off Cen Wu's mask.

Cen Wu pressed his lips together, which were red as if overly kissed, making it hard not to jump to conclusions.

Cen Xiao was livid, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Look at your lips, all swollen."

"I..." Cen Wu knew any explanation would be pointless; Cen Xiao had already decided that he and Xie Guiluan were in a relationship.

With a numb expression, he simply admitted, "I feel weird if I don’t kiss him."

Whatever, it was Xie Guiluan who insisted on kissing him. Let Xie Guiluan explain it himself when he was gone.

Cen Xiao couldn’t accept Xie Guiluan unless Xie Guiluan was willing to sever ties with the Xie family, but he didn’t plan to forcibly separate them. After all, young love was often fleeting.

Maybe they’d break up on their own before he needed to step in, and meddling could just make things worse.

Cen Wu unexpectedly had a boyfriend, and he would return to school early in the morning the day after. He didn’t want to run into Xie Guiluan at the classroom door, but who knew Xie Guiluan would arrive even earlier.

It was October, and the days were getting shorter. It was still dark when he arrived at school.

Xie Guiluan sat at the back door of the classroom. Outside, it was almost night, dark and cold, but the classroom was brightly lit.

Xie Guiluan’s cold, deep-set peach blossom eyes lowered as he focused intently on his work. His nose was sharp, and his eye sockets were deep, separating the light and shadow. Half of his face was submerged in the thick darkness of the night.

Cen Wu stood there stiffly, clutching the breakfast as if he were a rusted robot. It felt wrong to give it to Xie Guiluan, but it also felt wrong not to.

Hearing Cen Wu’s footsteps, Xie Guiluan turned his head expectantly, already reaching out to take the food, and asked teasingly, "Is this for me, Young Master?"

Cen Wu: "……"

What else could it be?

"No," Cen Wu snatched it back, holding five or six buns and two large cups of soy milk as he walked to his seat, stubbornly saying, "I... I'm going to eat it myself."

"I see," Xie Guiluan lifted his eyelids, his thin lips curving slightly, saying, "I thought it was meant for me. I almost got the wrong idea."

Cen Wu’s ears turned slightly red. He lowered his head and bit the bun hard, even though he couldn’t eat much in the morning and would lose his appetite after just one. He wanted to give the rest to Xie Guiluan but couldn’t bring himself to do it.

These were specially made by the old butler—the pork buns with oil seeping through the soft white skin.

Damn it.

Why couldn’t he just make it easier for me?

Cen Wu waited another minute, and suddenly Xie Guiluan softly coughed. He turned his head to see Xie Guiluan’s pale fingers pressing on his stomach, dramatically saying, "It hurts."

Cen Wu found his excuse and stuffed all the buns into Xie Guiluan's hands, complaining, "You should’ve eaten breakfast. It’s your own fault."

"It’s all my fault," Xie Guiluan agreed.

Cen Wu was finally satisfied.

Lu Wang: "……"

Lu Wang watched from the side, looking bewildered, as if he’d just witnessed some strange new game.

Meng Liangping arrived unusually early today. As the morning self-study bell rang, he began urging them to recite their texts. After the short holiday, the midterm exams at the end of the month were approaching.

"Focus!" Meng Liangping called out, pacing the room with his hands behind his back. "Don’t get distracted by your break; otherwise, your midterms will suffer. Playing is over; don’t dwell on it, or your midterms will be ruined too. If the principal comes, I won’t be able to save you."

Zhang Yuanzhou sat in front of Cen Wu, painfully opening his book. When would he finally get to live that carefree life—staying up late playing cards with his buddies, never worrying about exams again?

Only Zhou Wenqing sat upright, always wearing glasses and fully engrossed in his studies.

Cen Wu’s long lashes fluttered. He remembered that in the original story, the entire Class 2 of the second year had a bad ending.

Class monitor Zhou Wenqing jumped off a building and committed suicide in his senior year; Xu Lingling encountered inappropriate advances while filming and, unable to swallow the insult, dropped out to focus on breaking into the entertainment industry. Zhang Yuanzhou failed his college entrance exam.

Lu Wang had always felt that everyone thought he was stupid, and after discovering he had been scammed by the original owner, he was so stimulated that he became even more foolish. The Lu family arranged for him to take a leave of absence.

The boys who had insulted Xie Guiluan ended up dead in an alley outside the school after he was taken back to the Cen family.

The original story didn’t specify whether it was Xie Guiluan or the Cen family who was responsible. The rest either left or scattered.

Meng Liangping, who had always struggled with heart issues, was worn down by the constant chaos in the class. In his senior year, he endured until his hair turned white, stubbornly supporting the students until he sent them to the college entrance examination hall before collapsing. It was unknown if he died or not.

But ten years later, at the end of the original story, Xie Guiluan drove past Huai Jing No.1 High School at night. By then, Meng Liangping had passed away, and the academic dean had long since resigned, leaving behind only the cold, empty school gates.

"What’s wrong?" Lu Wang, noticing Cen Wu had opened his book but hadn’t moved for a while, nudged his shoulder.

Zhang Yuanzhou still hadn't gotten over his playful mood. When Meng Liangping wasn't paying attention, he turned around and made faces at them. "Wanna hit up Whale Sea tonight?"

It had been a month since they got caught by the disciplinary director, so no gaming at Whale Sea.

Lu Wang was a bit tempted, but before he could say anything, Cen Wu interrupted, "No."

Cen Wu told Zhang Yuanzhou to turn back and study. Zhang Yuanzhou shrank his neck, confused, but obediently turned around.

Cen Wu quickly scribbled some addition and subtraction problems, looking grumpy as he made Lu Wang follow along. He was determined not to let Lu Wang get scammed again.

"Wu Wu, you're so fierce," Lu Wang scratched his face but obediently followed Cen Wu's lead.

Xie Guiluan’s cold, heavy eyelids lowered, masking the shadows in his eyes. Cen Wu was always good to everyone.

Cen Wu muttered as he taught Lu Wang, then suddenly remembered something. Without turning his head, he stretched his hand back and handed Xie Guiluan a tube of burn ointment.

Xie Guiluan took it and brushed his fingertips against Cen Wu’s, only to get his hand slapped away.

Xie Guiluan's lips curled up immediately.

But Cen Wu was still the best to him.

Cen Wu attended a few classes and felt like Xie Guiluan was always hovering nearby. He bought a bag of lychee candies and poured out half to share with Xie Guiluan but hadn’t given them to him yet.

Xie Guiluan already reached out.

Cen Wu's cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and he bared his teeth in frustration. "No… not for you."

"I see," Xie Guiluan wasn't disappointed. He dropped his hand, his peach blossom eyes slightly lowered, leaning back in his seat with a somewhat nonchalant air. "Almost misunderstood again."

Cen Wu: "..."

Misunderstand what?!

He started to miss Xie Guiluan’s cocky side. He wished Xie Guiluan would show it again. It felt different when Cen Wu took the initiative compared to waiting for Xie Guiluan to act.

It made it seem like he was longing for Xie Guiluan.

At lunch, he automatically ordered two servings of steamed pork ribs and froze when he turned around.

Xie Guiluan had already grabbed them but gave them back when he saw Cen Wu standing there, looking frustrated. "I misunderstood again, wasn’t it for me?"

Cen Wu: "..."

Cen Wu kicked his shoe tip and walked away.

After finishing the meal, the sky was gloomy outside, with a cold, wet rain falling. Xie Guiluan was still holding the black umbrella from the riding field. The umbrella’s ribs were broken, barely covering half of him.

Cen Wu hesitated, holding his umbrella, wanting Xie Guiluan to join him but reluctant to ask.

He had given Xie Guiluan an umbrella before and didn’t know why he was holding this broken one again.

Xie Guiluan met his hesitant gaze and walked over, ignoring Cen Wu’s protests. He crowded under the umbrella, practically pulling him close, shielding him from the rain.

Cen Wu, who had been feeling a bit cold, no longer felt the cold rain under Xie Guiluan’s embrace.

"Didn’t I get that right?" Xie Guiluan’s tone was lazy. He was half a head taller than Cen Wu, and his scorching breath brushed against his ear as he lowered his head. "The second young master was probably calling me over, right?"

Cen Wu instantly flushed with anger. "Why are you talking so much nonsense?"

Xie Guiluan knew when to stop and complied, holding the umbrella for him and leading him back to the classroom.

When Cen Wu reached the classroom, he still couldn't hold back and punched Xie Guiluan on the shoulder.

At first, the class was quite shocked to see Cen Wu hitting Xie Guiluan and didn't dare to speak loudly.

After seeing it happen more often, their shock turned from "Oh my god, school bullying," to "Oh my god, domestic abuse."

Although domestic abuse wasn't right either, Xie Guiluan's dark eyes held a suppressed smile. He didn't get angry when hit. Sometimes, when Cen Wu was extremely angry, Xie Guiluan would even go to the front to calm him down, making it seem like their interference was unnecessary.

No one bothered to get involved.

Cen Wu hated how weak-willed he was. This time, he held back and didn't give Xie Guiluan anything the entire day. During the quiz, he had Lu Wang pass the papers to Xie Guiluan.

It wasn't until before the evening self-study that he noticed Xie Guiluan hadn't removed the bandage on his hand and hadn't applied the medicine. He finally couldn't help but speak to Xie Guiluan. "That medicine needs to be applied... twice a day."

He had gotten the medicine from Dr. Lu last night, which was more effective than the one he had previously bought for Xie Guiluan.

"Hmm?" Xie Guiluan looked up from his chemistry practice test. There was a provincial chemistry competition final next weekend, and he had been practicing for it.

The second half of the year was always the busiest for Xie Guiluan. In addition to the provincial competition, the national math league began in early December. He would have to attend a week-long training camp.

Cen Wu was somewhat worried. Xie Guiluan had burned his right hand, and writing would definitely rub against the injured area. He wondered if it would get inflamed. In the past, he would have immediately checked.

It was all Xie Guiluan's fault for making everything so complicated.

Cen Wu tried to hold back but couldn't. Before class began, Cen Wu rushed to the back row, sat beside Xie Guiluan, and roughly grabbed his hand. He undid his bandage.

Cen Wu was fierce in demeanor, but his actions of removing the bandage were careful, afraid to cause pain.

"The second young master," Xie Guiluan's voice softened, though his eyes twinkled with mischief, "Are you going to make me misunderstand again..."

Cen Wu slammed the ointment down, red-faced and angry. "What are you misunderstanding?!"

Xie Guiluan: "That you like me."

Cen Wu: "..."

"I tend to overthink," Xie Guiluan said, tapping his fingers on the paper, "so it’s better to be clear."

Cen Wu stubbornly kept his neck straight and didn't speak.

"Bringing me breakfast every day, helping me pick out fish bones, even knowing my tastes better than I do—does that mean you like me?"

"..." Cen Wu's ears felt hot unexpectedly. He glared at Xie Guiluan angrily. "Don't flatter yourself."

Xie Guiluan asked again, "Chasing me up the mountain from the racetrack in the middle of the night, does this mean you like me?"

"I... it definitely doesn't."

Cen Wu thought it was better to feed sharks than to be interrogated by Xie Guiluan. He didn't want to talk to him anymore and pulled Xie Guiluan's hand over to apply the medicine. After applying it, he instinctively blew on it.

Cen Wu: "..."

Cen Wu realized what he was doing and his pale ears turned blood red, wishing he could just die on the spot.

"I understand," Xie Guiluan's thin red lips curled slightly, his tone filled with mock resentment, "That doesn’t mean you like me either."

Cen Wu felt numb, gripping the bandage tightly in his hand as he stammered, "Y-you... you know that."

Xie Guiluan had been retaliated against, almost having his hand bones crushed. He closed his eyes and didn't make a sound, then suddenly asked, "What's it like when you like someone?"

"..." Cen Wu froze for a moment at the question. He thought Xie Guiluan was genuinely asking, so he subconsciously began to think about it.

But then Xie Guiluan suddenly moved closer. Cen Wu was startled, scrambling to push him away. It was during the class break, and he was afraid the other classmates would see them. "W-what are you doing?"

But then he realized he didn't need to be so flustered. There was nothing between him and Xie Guiluan anyway.

"The second young master," Xie Guiluan whispered. If Cen Wu didn't lift his head, he wouldn't say anything. Cen Wu's entire body burned with embarrassment, his ears turning bright red. Xie Guiluan, half-smiling, finally said, "Your ears are red."