Chapter 49
Proofreader: Akimi
Although Zhen Yuanbai said that he didn’t believe Shi Bufan liked him, he basically believed it in his heart. After all, he had done many brazen things today such as splashing water on Shi Bufan’s face and using the mirror to b.u.mp into his nose. Even more, he purposely kicked him.
He wasn’t beaten up for any of this!
He didn’t believe in Shi Bufan’s words because he had bullied him in the past. Shi Bufan who recovered his memory shouldn’t be calmly saying that he liked him.
Zhen Yuanbai pushed him and raised his chin, saying, “I need to go home.”
Shi Bufan said, “You’re quite disobedient.”
Zhen Yuanbai thought about it and said, “I didn’t do anything to you, did I?”
His lips were bleeding from the bite. After all, he only kicked Shi Bufan once and he didn’t dare to kick him hard. Why did it seem like Shi Bufan was at a loss here?
“What do you want to do to me?”
“Nothing.” Zhen Yuanbai said, “I should be going home.”
Shi Bufan refused to let him go and he stood in front of Zhen Yuanbai, saying with a cold face, “How do you say I like you?”
Zhen Yuanbai gazed strangely and said, “Wo’xi’huan’ni. Saranghae..”
“Shut up.”
“…”
Shi Bufan said, “I said I like you. Do you believe me or not?”
“I do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I do.”
Zhen Yuanbai cooperated and corrected him. Shi Bufan became mute for a second before saying in a low voice, “What’s your response?”
It was rare to see him fl.u.s.tered and confused. Zhen Yuanbai felt refreshed and as if he was ascending heaven. The stain marks on his face were still there, but he clearly felt much better. “Didn’t you say you were going to keep dating?”
This was the final straw. Shi Bufan was considerably displeased with the response. “Don’t you understand what it means by returning politeness for politeness? I like you. How about you?”
Zhen Yuanbai said, “I will like you.”
“What do you mean by ‘will’? You think that you are being charitable?”
There were two modes and feelings Shi Bufan felt. The remote control was in Zhen Yuanbai’s hands. If he said that he liked him, Shi Bufan would feel youthful and happy, revived. But if Zhen Yuanbai said he didn’t like him and wanted to break up, he could switch to a cold and icy mode within a second, letting Zhen Yuanbai experience being in a snowstorm.
Zhen Yuanbai suddenly lit up and said, in a reserved manner, “I like you.”
As expected, Shi Bufan’s expression changed within a second and he curled his lips. Yet, he had to add on, “How much do you like me?”
Zhen Yuanbai looked around and pettily pinched his fingers, saying, “This much.”
A snowstorm was about to occur, but the moment Shi Bufan thought that Zhen Yuanbai might take away even the least bit of love from him, Shi Bufan endured this and said, “Go up.”
Zhen Yuanbai was confused that Shi Bufan wasn’t angry or anything, but this was good. He immediately went around him and ran up. He didn’t know about Shi Bufan’s thoughts. After he arrived at home, he glanced at his lips through the mirror. Annoying Shi, that annoying dude. He gave him such a big wound on his lips. He liked him, but he still bit him. Zhen Yuanbai, who originally believed that Shi Bufan liked him, felt even more uncertain now.
He found a bandaid and stuck it on his lips. He walked out to see Zhen Youxiu’s indifferent face, saying, “What happen to your lips?”
“I b.u.mped into something.” Zhen Yuanbai had a bandaid on his lips, so it was inconvenient for him to speak. “I’m going to sleep. Good night.”
“What do you think about Shi Bufan?”
The moment Zhen Yuanbai heard Zhen Youxiu mention Shi Bufan, he was afraid. Zhen Youxiu matured early on and Zhen Yuanbai scrunched his eyebrows, saying, “Don’t casually comment on my friends. It is impolite.”
“How did you b.u.mp your lips?”
On Shi Bufan’s teeth. But Zhen Yuanbai couldn’t say anything. He closed the door and placed an end to Zhen Youxiu’s questions. Zhen Youxiu knocked on the door and said, “I won’t care about you if you stir up any trouble in the future.”
“Who wants you to look after me?”
Their mother peeked out from inside the room and asked, “Youxiu, what’s the matter?”
Zhen Youxiu withdrew his hands and his face stiffened. “My elder brother is a fool.”
Qin Ying reprimanded in a low voice, “You can’t talk about your elder brother like that.”
“You’re blind.”
Qin Ying was speechless.
Zhen Pingjin disliked how rude Zhen Youxiu was to them and he reprimanded, “Do you want a beating?”
“You’re deaf.” Zhen Youxiu slammed the door. Zhen Pingjin was so furious that he was about to walk over in large strides to pull Zhen Youxiu out of the room, but Qin Ying hurriedly tugged him. “The last time he called his brother blind and deaf was when he was bullied by people in sixth grade. Did something happen this time?”
Zhen Pingjin knitted his eyebrows and siad, “Don’t be overly suspicious. That’s just how this boy acts. Congming likes to play with Shi Bufan, so no one dares to bully him.”
He glared at Zhen Youxiu’s room and then looked unhappily at Zhen Yuanbai’s door. While walking back, he complained, “If I had two daughters, I could enjoy myself. Yet, I got two stubborn sons instead. In the future, I still need to provide housing for them. Who knows how filial they will be to me…”
Qin Ying closed the door and delivered a cup of water to him. “Sons are good as well. We don’t need to worry so much.”
“Your big boy spared us any worry?” The moment Zhen Pingjin mentioned Zhen Yuanbai, he was angry. He thought that Zhen Youxiu was better. After that, he recalled how Zhen Youxiu called him deaf, and then he thought Congming was more obedient and well mannered. Congming was better. But once he thought of how he didn’t stir up any trouble, but troubles still found him… he felt as if he was conflicted by the two sides.
Qin Ying didn’t bother with his conflict. She knew that Zhen Youxiu was quite mature and thoughtful, having sharper senses than others. Something must’ve angered him, thus the att.i.tude. But she couldn’t think of why, so she got in bed and prepared to rest.
Suddenly, she thought of something. “Could it be that Shi Bufan had bullied Congming? Let me ask.”
Zhen Pingjin said, “Look at how old he is and he still allows others to bully him. Useless… go ask. If he got beaten up, I’ll go to Shi Bufan’s house tomorrow.”
The older Zhen Yuanbai was, the more he didn’t want to admit how useless he was in front of his parents. Not to mention how Shi Bufan didn’t bully him this time. There was no way he’ll stir up trouble for no reason. He promised many times before Qin Ying finally felt comforted. She patted Zhen Yuanbai’s head and the latter unnaturally avoided it.
He obviously knew how angry his parents would be if they found out he was bullied. Qin Ying was better in this situation. Although she would find him to be losing their face, she would tend to his feelings. It was different for Zhen Pingjin. Whenever Zhen Yuanbai was bullied, he had the heart to beat him up. He often said, “One day, I’m going to beat you up. I want to see when you’re nearing death, if you’ll just accept the beating as it is!”
Watching Qin Ying left, Zhen Yuanbai rolled over and buried his head in the blankets.
It was getting colder and colder and the blankets would bring him an indescribable warmth and safety.
After confessing to Shi Bufan, Zhen Yuanbai wasn’t scared of him anymore. At the beginning, once he didn’t find Shi Bufan to be scary, he felt as if there was nothing in the world to be scared of.
As usual, Shi Bufan brought him breakfast. Glancing at the eight treasures rice delivered to him, Zhen Yuanbai suddenly recalled the first time Shi Bufan treated him out for food.
It was December 12th. Right. Shi Bufan’s birthday.
Shi Bufan treated him out not to eat anything else, but a cake with his name written on it. He cut the cake into triangular shapes and it was in a little box tied by orange ribbons. Zhen Yuanbai frequently studied in the library since it was convenient for him to research. When it was gradually getting darker, Zhen Yuanbai prepared to pack his things up to go home when he saw Shi Bufan sitting across him with a cold face. “Eat it.”
The originally natural and comfortable atmosphere was ruined by Shi Bufan. Zhen Yuanbai stiffly glanced at the cake. Shi Bufan paused before untying the ribbons and then he pushed it forward. “It’s my birthday.”
Zhen Yuanbai thought: What does your birthday have to do with me? Why are you giving me a cake? But he didn’t dare to ask. Shi Bufan also delivered the spoon over, saying, “Eat it.”
“I need to go home and eat.” Zhen Yuanbai could tell how soft his voice was. He said to Shi Bufan, “I don’t really like sweets.”
Shi Bufan paid attention to Zhen Yuanbai every day, so he naturally knew what he liked and disliked. Hearing this, his face darkened and he said, “I’m trying to be nice and this is how you repay me, huh?”
Zhen Yuanbai was seriously suspicious of the cake being poisoned. Tears were lingering in his eyes and he didn’t understand how he offended Shi Bufan for him to hate him to this extent. ‘Retaliation’ didn’t exist in Zhen Yuanbai’s dictionary. He picked up the spoon and glanced at the cake the size of the palm, shoving it in his mouth as if antic.i.p.ating death.
For a moment, he felt as if he had never eaten such a disgusting cake in his life. As expected, someone that hated him will never give him tasty food.
Shi Bufan immediately asked, “Does it taste good?”
Zhen Yuanbai held in his tears and softly nodded, trying his best to laugh.
Shi Bufan curled his lips up and said, “You can only leave after finishing the food.”
It was better to get the pain over with. Zhen Yuanbai sped up and finished the cake in a few bites. He didn’t know whether it had to do with his mental state or what, but he felt his stomach rolling. He tried his best to control the urge to vomit in front of Shi Bufan and smiled, thanking him. “Happy birthday.”
Shi Bufan smiled happily and said in a low voice, “I made the cake myself.”
When Zhen Yuanbai heard this, he heard “I drugged the cake.’ He felt a stab of pain in his stomach from the fear and cold sweat appeared on his pale white face. He mustered the words with difficulty, holding in his tears and saying shyly, “Can I go home now?”
Shi Bufan’s smile froze on his face. When he glanced at Zhen Yuanbai, it felt like he was slashing his face with knives. Moments later, he faintly said, “As you wish.”
Zhen Yuanbai immediately tossed his books in his backpack, holding in the discomfort in his stomach and hurriedly ran out. He was running too quickly, so he didn’t notice Shi Bufan uncontrollably reaching over to stop Zhen Yuanbai and a soft voice, “Stay with me longer…”
Zhen Yuanbai felt extreme discomfort and he ran to a nearby public bathroom, vomiting his guts out. Tears and vomit landed in the toilet. For a moment, he couldn’t bear this. He hurriedly flushed the toilet and while doing so, he cried.
He really didn’t understand why Shi Bufan hated him that much. It’s one thing to bully him, but he even came to stir up trouble on his birthday, forcing him to eat this disgusting thing.
He didn’t know whether he was afraid or because he was angry, but Zhen Yuanbai had a high fever the night he came back home. After he woke up, he was almost certain that Shi Bufan added something to the cake.
Zhen Yunabai’s hands trembled and he withdrew his hands. Shi Bufan knitted his eyebrows and asked, “What’s the matter?”
Zhen Yuanbai stiffly said, “It’s hot.”
“It’s still hot?” Shi Bufan glanced at the plastic cup in his palm. Drinking at this temperature should be best. After all, it was cold outside. If it wasn’t warm at all, then he’d be drinking it cold.
He looked around and then slung the backpack on one side of his shoulder. He turned around and asked the breakfast store’s owner for a bowl. Then he opened the packaging and poured the drink inside. Shi Bufan delivered it back to Zhen Yuanbai and said, “Then drink with a spoon. It’ll get cold soon.”
Zhen Yuanbai trained his eyes on him, feeling like Shi Bufan who gained his memory back shouldn’t be so nice to him. The better he was, the more he felt like he harbored malicious intentions. He refused to take it, so Shi Bufan stirred it with a spoon and then scooped it, blowing and bringing it to Zhen Yuanbai’s mouth. “Drink it like this.”
Zhen Yuanbai intentionally went against Shi Bufan and didn’t even touch it. “It’s cold. I don’t want it.”
Shi Bufan tossed the spoon in the bowl and narrowed his eyes. “You’re…looking for trouble?”
“Why are you being so rude?” Zhen Yuanbai said, “I don’t want eight treasures rice today. I want little dumplings.”
Shi Bufan was allergic to beans, so he couldn’t eat it either. He tossed it into the garbage can and said, “Fine. Stand here and don’t move. I’ll go…”
“Nevermind.” Zhen Yuanbai interrupted and said, “I’ll eat the eight treasures rice.”
“…”
Shi Bufan glanced at him and Zhen Yuanbai glanced at. Right then, the young man softly chuckled and said, “I think you want a beating, right? Want to try it?”
Zhen Yuanbai’s eyes flickered and he said, “If you hit me, I won’t date you anymore.”
Shi Bufan suddenly flung his backpack to the side, frightening Zhen Yuanbai and making him take a step back. He heard him say, “I clearly owe you in my past life.”
His words made this little bad boy arrogant and prideful.
Zhen Yuanbai watched him walking towards the porridge store and his heart started pounding rapidly. As it turned out, that’s how it feels to be liked by Shi Bufan. Even if he provoked him, he won’t beat him. He didn’t need to be afraid of being bullied and Shi Bufan even listened to him. Zhen Yuanbai took the eight treasures rice Shi Bufan bought for him and enjoyed the feeling of bullying Shi Bufan. He suddenly turned around to say something truthful and sincere, “It’s nice to be liked by you.”
Shi Bufan was speechless.
It wasn’t that bad after all.