Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"Xing Shu, Xing Shu!"

"What’s wrong with him? Why is he sleeping so soundly? Xing Shu! Wake up, we need to go to the parent-teacher meeting!"

Lin Xingshu frowned uneasily in his sleep as someone vigorously pushed him. Groggily, he opened his eyes to see his mother’s face.

"Finally awake, huh? It’s already two in the afternoon. How can you sleep so much? Get ready, we’re heading to school for the parent-teacher meeting."

"Mmm…"

Lin Xingshu wearily pushed himself up, his head spinning and his mind a blur. He glanced at his watch—he had slept for nearly 20 hours. Was that even normal?!

Yet, despite the ample sleep, he still felt utterly exhausted, his limbs heavy and his entire body inexplicably uncomfortable.

"Mom, can I skip the parent-teacher meeting today? I think I’m feeling a bit unwell…"

"No way!"

Before he could finish, his mother cut him off. "The homeroom teacher said students must attend with their parents. No excuses."

Lin Xingshu sighed and rubbed his forehead, reluctantly getting up to prepare. Meanwhile, his mother sat in the living room, talking to someone on the phone.

"Yes, I know. His father and I have been busy lately. Maybe we can take Xing Shu at the beginning of next month."

"Alright, I understand. That’s all for now."

Lin Xingshu peeked out curiously. "Mom, who were you talking to? Where are we going?"

"Adults are talking, children shouldn’t listen. Never mind that, hurry up and get ready."

His mother didn’t directly answer Lin Xingshu’s question, instead shifting the focus back to him and urging him on. Lin Xingshu’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as he quickly washed up and changed.

The car drove steadily towards the school. Sitting in the back seat, Lin Xingshu tiredly watched the scenery outside, his mind still filled with last night’s dream.

"Mom, I want to ask you something."

His mother, driving intently, replied, "Go on."

"Do you remember the summer after I graduated middle school? Lately, I keep having recurring dreams about that time—my mind is full of bizarre, fantastical dreams… Ah!"

Before he could finish, his mother suddenly slammed on the brakes. Unprepared, Lin Xingshu lurched forward, his forehead hitting the back of the passenger seat with a painful cry.

"Mom? What happened?!"

Rubbing his forehead, Lin Xingshu looked up. Through the rearview mirror, he saw his mother’s eyes glazed over, her expression blank, her gaze empty, as if recalling something.

Not only that, Lin Xingshu also noticed that the moment he mentioned the dream, his mother’s grip on the steering wheel had tightened so much that her nails dug into the leather.

"Mom?"

His mother snapped back to reality, forcing a smile. She turned to Lin Xingshu and gave a slight smile: "It’s nothing, the car in front suddenly braked, and I didn’t react in time… By the way, what were you asking me earlier? I didn’t quite catch it."

"I was asking about the summer after middle school…"

"That was so many years ago, I don’t remember it very clearly. As for dreaming, maybe you’ve been too tired lately. Next month, Mom will take you to see someone."

His mother smiled, but her smile was somewhat stiff. Her usually composed brows were now filled with panic.

Lin Xingshu subtly lowered his gaze and quietly hummed in response.

Before, he had only suspected. Now, he was almost certain that his parents were hiding something from him. Although it sounded far-fetched, his memory had indeed been tampered with.

……

By the time Lin Xingshu and his mother arrived at the classroom, many students and parents were already seated. Xie Guan was also there, but he was alone, without his parents. Seeing Lin Xingshu arrive, he immediately stood up and politely greeted Lin’s mother:

"Hello, Auntie Lin. I’m Xie Guan, Xing Shu’s deskmate."

He smiled warmly, his uniform neatly buttoned—a stark contrast to the Xie Guan from yesterday, who had sat on his desk, his face full of desire.

He couldn’t help but recall yesterday’s scene: Xie Guan sitting on his desk, clothes disheveled, eyes red-rimmed and full of desire, a foolish smile on his lips, completely consumed by lust, muttering his name repeatedly.

Thinking about yesterday, Lin Xingshu’s ears immediately turned red, and his eyes glazed over. He didn’t even notice when his mother called him.

"Xing Shu? Xing Shu?"

Lin Xingshu snapped back to attention and quickly responded. His mother curiously touched his face, "Why is your face so red? Are you alright?"

Xie Guan’s gaze subtly swept across his face, the smile in his eyes deepening, his lips curving unconsciously.

"I—I’m just too hot! Mom, let’s sit down first!"

His mother waved her hand. "You sit first. I want to talk to Xie Guan for a bit. Xie Guan, did your parents not come?"

Lin Xingshu bit his lip, feeling a little uncomfortable. He sat down first, his gaze falling on Xie Guan, who lowered his eyes, his thick, long eyelashes trembling slightly. "Well… my parents were sent abroad for work. I’m home alone, so…"

"Is that so?"

His mother looked at Xie Guan, a hint of pity flashing in her eyes, and praised him: "Even without parental supervision, your grades are still so excellent. You’re truly a disciplined child, unlike our Xing Shu…"

His mother sighed, her gaze falling back on Lin Xingshu. "No matter how much his father and I do for him, he still can’t outperform you. Ultimately, it’s because he doesn’t work hard enough or put in enough effort."

"Mom!"

Listening to his mother praise Xie Guan, he was already displeased. And now, she was comparing him to Xie Guan, pushing his already sour mood to its peak.

"What’s wrong? Can’t I say it? You should learn from Xie Guan."

"Auntie, Xing Shu also works very hard. Our grades are neck and neck. This time, the total score was only off by one or two points. Please don’t blame him. I just got lucky."

Xie Guan defended him, but Lin Xingshu only grew more annoyed, even Xie Guan’s smile seemed increasingly irritating.

"Oh, you’re too humble, child. And the more I look at you, the more familiar you seem. I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before."

His mother covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes full of admiration for Xie Guan—a look Lin Xingshu had never seen before.

No matter how well he scored in the past, even if he was first in his class for several semesters, his mother had never been as happy as she was today.

Who was her son, anyway?

Lin Xingshu bit his lip, the unwillingness in his eyes almost overflowing, his hands on the desk already clenched into fists.

"Mom, can you please stop talking?"

He suddenly spoke coldly, and his mother’s smile froze, a little displeased. "I didn’t say anything wrong. It’s a fact that Xie Guan is excellent, isn’t it? You should also work hard and try to keep up with Xie Guan…"

Bang—

Lin Xingshu abruptly stood up, the sudden noise drawing everyone’s attention. He looked coldly at his mother, gritting his teeth:

"If you think Xie Guan is better than me in every way, then just let him be your son."

Under his mother’s astonished gaze, he violently pushed his desk aside and quickly left the classroom. His mother made to chase after him, but Xie Guan stopped her, his face full of guilt.

"Auntie, I’ll go find Xing Shu. He’s probably upset about his exam results, and you shouldn’t keep provoking him. It’s easy to attack a city, but hard to defend it. He’s under a lot of pressure. He’s been working really hard lately, I’ve seen it all. I just scored two points higher than him. I hope you won’t blame Xing Shu like this again next time."

His mother was stunned by Xie Guan’s words, frozen in place for a long time. By the time she came to her senses, Xie Guan had already disappeared. She wanted to follow, but the homeroom teacher entered the classroom at that moment.

His mother watched their retreating figures, frowning slightly, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

Why did she feel like there was something strange about these two kids…?

And that child named Xie Guan, he seemed so familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before. But where could it be…?

*

Lin Xingshu ran blindly, not knowing where he was going. His eyes and nose burned, tears uncontrollably welling up.

He had worked so hard lately, but no matter what he did, he could never surpass Xie Guan. Everyone’s attention was drawn to him, and even his mother couldn’t stop praising him, even denying his efforts.

It was painful and deeply unfair. He now felt that all his previous efforts were a joke. No matter how well he did, everyone would only see Xie Guan.

"Xing Shu—!"

It was Xie Guan’s voice. Lin Xingshu turned around and saw Xie Guan jogging towards him. He bit his lip, then abruptly turned back and ran upstairs.

He didn’t want to see Xie Guan right now.

"Xing Shu, wait, I have something to tell you!"

Lin Xingshu suddenly covered his ears, his eyes full of unwillingness and grievance.

After seeing that scene in the classroom yesterday, he had even wondered if Xie Guan liked him… But today, he understood. Xie Guan didn’t like him at all; he was just a pervert!

With that thought, he sped up his ascent. The next floor was the rooftop. He quickly reached the rooftop and was about to lock the door when a hand suddenly reached through the gap and firmly gripped the doorframe.

"Xing Shu, don’t close the door."

A faint voice came through the crack. A pair of dark, lifeless eyes stared intently at him through the gap. The person’s skin was pale, and there was a hint of a smile in their gaze, which sent a chill down his spine.

Lin Xingshu was startled and instinctively took a few steps back. The door creaked as it was violently pushed open, and Xie Guan’s figure appeared in his sight.

"Xing Shu, I finally caught up to you."

Xie Guan smiled as he approached him, his dark eyes fixed on him. Lin Xingshu abruptly turned his face away and said irritably, "What do you want? To gloat?!"

"Xing Shu, have you been crying?"

Xie Guan didn’t directly answer his question, his gaze falling on his reddened eyes. Lin Xingshu subconsciously wiped his eyes and pursed his lips: "No, I didn’t cry. A bug flew in because I was running too fast."

"So cute."

Xie Guan suddenly mumbled in a low voice. Lin Xingshu didn’t hear him clearly. "What did you say?"

"Ah, I just said… Xing Shu, you’re so fast, I almost couldn’t keep up."

Lin Xingshu sneered, crossing his arms: "Xie Guan, it’s just the two of us now. You don’t have to keep up the act."

"This past month, I’ve had enough of you. I just want to ask you, what exactly do you want?"

His eyes were already red from rubbing, and due to his anger, his fair face was flushed, the redness extending to the tear mole beneath his eye. His eyes, full of anger, were bright and sparkling, like an angry kitten.

Xie Guan stood before him, unfazed by Lin Xingshu’s anger. He simply watched Lin Xingshu quietly, his dark eyes swirling with complex emotions. Facing Lin Xingshu’s accusations, he slowly raised the corner of his mouth, the small mole beneath his lip enhancing his already beautiful features.

"What are you smiling at?"

Xie Guan loved to smile; he smiled most of the time. But this kind of smile made Lin Xingshu inexplicably annoyed.

Others might not know, but he did. Although Xie Guan liked to smile, his smile never reached his eyes. And recalling his previous perverse actions, he felt even more that Xie Guan was putting on an act.

"You must be feeling very smug right now! Not just the classmates and teachers, even my mother has sided with you. Xie Guan, what did I ever do to offend you? Why do you have to compete with me?!"

"Xing Shu, I never wanted to compete with you."

Xie Guan said calmly. He slowly approached Lin Xingshu, who felt an alarm bell go off in his heart and angrily snapped, "Stop pretending! Stay away from me!"

Lin Xingshu’s eyes were red with anger, his hands at his sides clenched tightly into fists. The night wind blew, disheveling his messy black hair.

Xie Guan didn’t speak. He reached out, and to Lin Xingshu’s surprise, gently tucked his black hair behind his ear, his fingertips ambiguously tracing the boy’s earlobe, even boldly pinching it. !!!

What was Xie Guan doing?! Was he crazy?!

Lin Xingshu’s eyes widened in shock, goosebumps rising all over his body. He immediately slapped Xie Guan’s hand away and cursed, "What are you doing?! Get lost! You’re disgusting!"

Facing Lin Xingshu’s curses, Xie Guan smiled even more brightly, a wild and unrestrained smile. Lin Xingshu stared in disbelief at the deranged person in front of him.

He could clearly feel that Xie Guan was genuinely happy.

"You’re insane—!"

Lin Xingshu looked at his deranged appearance, shaking his head in horror, and lifted his foot to leave. But just as he was about to reach the door, Xie Guan suddenly reached out and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

"Are you sick? Get lost, I want to go back!"

Lin Xingshu raised his hand and violently pushed him away, trying to open the rooftop door. But for some reason, the door seemed to be locked. No matter how hard he pushed, the door remained tightly shut.

Xie Guan watched Lin Xingshu quietly. Suddenly, he slowly approached Lin Xingshu from behind. Lin Xingshu was startled and abruptly turned around, instinctively backing away, but his back suddenly hit the cold wall. It was then that Xie Guan stopped his gradual approach.

They stood face to face, Xie Guan’s dark eyes staring intently at him, filled with a complex emotion he had never seen before. He felt an eerie chill.

"You… what exactly do you want?"

"Ah Shu, do you know how long I’ve waited for this day?"

Lin Xingshu looked up in surprise, his gaze meeting the boy’s dark eyes. The intense affection in the other’s eyes almost startled him.

"Xing Shu, I like you… I really, really like you. I truly never had any intention of competing with you. I just didn’t want their eyes to linger on you. Now, I’m finally close to achieving that…"

"I want only me by your side. You can only look at me, only look at me…"

Xie Guan suddenly chuckled foolishly, his laughter growing louder and louder. Lin Xingshu stared at him in shock, too terrified by his crazed appearance to say a word.

"Crazy, you’re really a lunatic, a psycho!"

Lin Xingshu muttered to himself, desperately trying to pull open the rooftop door. His hands trembled uncontrollably, his face already pale.

A lunatic, Xie Guan was a lunatic!

How could anyone be as terrifying as him? This wasn’t love! This was pathological possessiveness!

No wonder… no wonder Xie Guan’s gaze always made him uncomfortable.

Xie Guan’s gaze was too sticky and thick, like the spider silk in his dreams, tightly缠绕 around his body. No matter how much he struggled, those threads clung relentlessly, impossible to escape.

"Xing Shu, don’t go."

Xie Guan suddenly wrapped his arms around him from behind, his bony hands gripping his waist, fingers even slipping beneath his clothes, his fingertips ambiguously caressing his skin.

"Ahhh—!"

Lin Xingshu could no longer control himself and screamed. He struggled violently, but Xie Guan rested his chin on his shoulder and slowly uttered words that sent a chill down his spine.

"Xing Shu, you weren’t this cold in my dreams."

"Remember? You arched your back, wrapped your legs around my waist, and begged me again and again to be gentle. What did you call me in that dream… husband?"