Chapter 43
Proofreader: Akimi
During the morning session next morning, Shi Bufan didn’t come. Up until the second cla.s.s in the afternoon, Zhen Yuanbai still didn’t see him in the cla.s.sroom.
He couldn’t help but take frequent glances at the other party’s seat. He wanted to take out his phone and ask about his whereabouts, but he ended up shoving the phone back into his desk.
Right now, Zhen Yuanbai disliked Shi Bufan a lot. It’s good that he isn’t here. It’s best if he transferred schools or changed cla.s.srooms. Zhen Yuanbai didn’t want to see him at all.
However, he didn’t get his wish as Qiu Jing specially came over to ask, “Cla.s.s monitor, did Brother Shi give you a call? How come he still isn’t here yet?”
Zhen Yuanbai looked down and said coldly, “How would I know?”
Ye Lian rested his chin in his hand, feeling in a daze. “I think he might’ve stayed up all night yesterday.”
“How do you know?”
“Yesterday night, we went out together.”
Zhen Yuanbai took out earbuds from his backpack and wringed it before shoving it into his ears, isolating himself from learning about Shi Bufan.
Sat.u.r.day afternoon, there was no cla.s.s. Once the bell rang, the teacher bid farewell with everyone and the students all bid farewell, saying that they’ll meet on Monday. Zhen Yuanbai sorted through his things in the drawer while Song Mo said, “I’m leaving first. I’m going to eat at my grandmother’s place today.”
“Ok.” Zhen Yuanbai smiled.
Quicky, he was the only one left in the cla.s.sroom. He quietly took out his notes and looked back, in a dilemma as to whether he should go to Shi Bufan’s house or not today. For the past two days, Shi Bufan hadn’t been in cla.s.s, so there is a huge possibility that his ranks might drop again at the next exam.
But why did he care if Shi Bufan scored a good grade or not?
Zhen Yuanbai placed all his notes in his backpack and walked out, closing the door along his way.
He was conflicted, wondering if he should give Shi Bufan his notes or just take some pictures and send it to him. While walking downstairs, he was suddenly pulled by the arm. “Are you blind? Can’t you see me?”
Zhen Yuanbai glanced up and his eyes brightened, “Shi Bufan!”
Shi Bufan restrained his fierce expression and loosened his grip on Zhen Yuanbai’s wrist, asking, “You’re that happy to see me?”
Zhe Yuanbai immediately kept a straight face. “I’m not happy. I just think that it’s strange that you’re here since cla.s.s is over.”
Who knows why he decided to come? Shi Bufan raised the item in his hand and said, “For you.”
It was matcha bubble tea. The label said less sugar and more tapioca.
“Why did you buy this?”
“To please you.”
Zhen Yuanbai’s eyes brightened and he almost couldn’t keep up with the facade. His voice softened and he said, “Then I’ll forgive you.”
“Did I do something wrong that you needed to forgive me?”
“Then why are you pleasing me?”
“Obviously so I cank2026;” Shi Bufan thought that if he was being too vulgar, he might scare his little cla.s.smate, so he corrected himself and said in a more considerate tone, “Kiss you.”
Zhen Yuanbai turned around and started walking down the stairs.
Shi Bufan shoved his hands in his pocket and followed him, saying, “Come to my house again today.”
“No.”
“Then I’ll go to your house.”
“I don’t want you to.”
Shi Bufan scolded behind Zhen Yuanbai again. “Are you looking for a beating?”
“Then hit me.”
There was no voice behind him all of a sudden and Zhen Yuanbai just realized that he was clearly looking for a beating. He was scared that Shi Bufan might really beat him, so he immediately sped up and ran down. But two steps in, Shi Bufan had caught him and he hurriedly explained, “That’s not what I meant!”
Shi Bufan couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “What don’t you mean?”
“No, it’s not that I think you don’t want to hit me… you, don’t hit me.”
Shi Bufan raised his eyebrows and said, “Indeed, it’s not that I don’t dare to hit you.”
Zhen Yuanbai nodded consecutively and said, “You dare, I know. I was wrong.”
Shi Bufan huffed. He knew that Zhen Yuanbai had been misunderstanding him, so he must explain to him. Otherwise, the latter won’t ever know. He controlled himself and said, “Can you not be afraid of me?”
“Then don’t be mean to me.”
Shi Bufan loosened his grip and his face flushed. He seemed to be having trouble talking, “You… if you like me, I won’t be mean to you.”
Zhen Yuanbai glanced at him, uncertain. Veins popped on Shi Bufan’s forehead and he said with a dark face, “What are you looking at? Do you not understand me?”
Zhen Yuanbai shrunk back and he said in a low voice, “You’re so mean, so why should I like you…”
“You…” This was basically a vicious cycle and Shi Bufan reached over, tugging him, saying, “I’m going to bring you home.”
While drinking milk tea, Zhen Yuanbai walked down with him. After leaving the school door, Shi Bufan said again, “Remember that I won’t hit you, ok?”
“…” Your expression and tone doesn’t seem and sound like you won’t hit me.
Zhen Yuanbai nodded, unhappy. Shi Bufan glanced at him and suddenly hugged him, saying, “Take a sip.”
Zhen Yuanbai took the milk tea and it didn’t seem like he was unwilling. Right now, Shi Bufan was in a much better mood and he said in a low voice, “I can’t beat to hit you. Do you understand?”
“Then, don’t force me to do something I don’t like.”
Shi Bufan said, “What does it mean by something you don’t like?”
“For example, don’t hug me in public places or… kiss me.”
Shi Bufan knitted his eyebrows and tightened his grip around Zhen Yuanbai’s waist, explaining earnestly, “Do you know what it means when I say I can’t control my feelings? Hm? Because I like you, so I can’t control my feelings, understand?”
“Can you restrain your feelings?”
“Can I not like you?” Shi Bufan fiercely said, “Why don’t you ask me if I can dislike you?”
“…” Zhen Yuanbai glanced at his faint teary eyes and was stunned for a second before murmuring, “But, but someone can see us…”
“Who saw it?” Shi Bufan glanced at him and said, “I agree. If someone sees this, I’ll dig their eyes out, ok?”
“…” Zhen Yuanbai was a little frightened by him and he hurriedly looked down and sipped the warm tea, comforting, “That’s not what I mean. I was thinking that we need to focus on our studies first. Don’t keep thinking about that. Plus, you haven’t been in cla.s.s for the last two days, so I think you’re not in the right mind…”
Shi Bufan slightly loosened his grip and said, “I am indeed not in the right mind.”
“What happened?”
“It might be because I haven’t been sleeping well these days and I suffer from insomnia.”
Zhen Yuanbai asked carefully, “Did you… really think of something?”
Shi Bufan’s eyes flickered and then he turned around to ask, “What do you think?”
“It seems like it, but, it doesn’t seem like it.”
“How does it seem like it? How doesn’t it seem like it?”
“Well, when you’re being mean and rude, it seems quite like it.” But he didn’t hit himself, so it didn’t seem too like it. If Shi Bufan recovered his memory, he would beat him up in the first moments before even saying that he likes him or wants to please him and such.
“Is that so?” Shi Bufan felt quite strange, uncertain. “Am I very rude in the past?”
“You’re rude.” Zhen Yuanbai said, “It seems like you’re about to beat someone up at any moment. You’re very very rude.”
“Have I hit you before?”
Zhen Yuanbai shook his head and nodded again. Shi Bufan’s eyelids twitched and he said, “Have I hit you before?”
“Well, you invited me to fight.” Zhen Yuanbai said, “But I ran away.”
“When…did I invite you to fight?”
Zhen Yuanbai thought about it before replying, “Not long after you came to the elite cla.s.s. It was during one of the gym cla.s.ses where you said that I need to wait for you after school if I can’t run past you. Thankfully, I won.”
Shi Bufan’s expression was strange and after a while, he asked, “Do you hate me in the past?”
“No.” Zhen Yuanbai said, “I don’t really hate you, but before you came, I thought you were very handsome. However, you seem to hate me a lot, so you keep on stirring up trouble…”
Saying this, Zhen Yuanbai felt unwell. He didn’t know how he had offended Shi Bufan in the past for him to be so rude to him when Shi Bufan suddenly punched a white birch. Zhen Yuanbai was quite startled. Seeing his expressionless look, they gazed at one another and they remained silent for a while.
It was Zhen Yuanbai who moved a step forward and asked, “Does it hurt?”
Shi Bufan showed Zhen Yuanbai his hand and the skin was badly bruised, bleeding. Zhen Yuanbai stared at it, stunned. Then he suddenly pressed on the wound, making Shi Bufan’s eyelids twitch. “What are you doing?”
“Does it hurt?”
“If you keep digging your nails into me, my injury will worsen.”
Zhen Yuanbai withdrew his hand and said, “I thought you didn’t feel anything.”
“Are you stupid?” Shi Bufan reached over and pinched his face, but Zhen Yuanbai delivered the milk tea over. He took out a napkin and wrapped it around his hand, saying, “What’s wrong with you? Go back and apply ointment on yourself.”
Shi Bufan nodded and finally couldn’t help but say, “So, you actually do like me?”
“Didn’t you say that it was a one-sided love? How come you suddenly asked this…” Zhen Yuanbai shivered and glanced at him, face paled. Right. Shi Bufan already said that it was an unrequited love, so why was in a dilemma over whether he liked him or not?
This thought popped up for two seconds before he shook it out due to Shi Bufan’s words. “Right, in the past, you said that it was one-sided love. You approached me while I lost my memory, which is why I dated you.”
He was suddenly in a great mood as he said, “But you had never done your role in the relationship. You didn’t take the time to appreciate me, so I ended up suffering from insomnia because of this. You liked me first, but you didn’t like me as much as I liked you. Don’t you think that’s being too excessive?”
“…”
“Talk.”
“You’re right.”
“Then what do you think you should do right now?”
Zhen Yuanbai was a bit confused and he asked, “I…what should I do?”
“Of course, be good. You need to try to understand my feelings and then like me some more.” Shi Bufan said, “Think about it. Ever since I lost my memory, how did I treat you? Could it be that I’m not worthy of your feelings?”
Shi Bufan was quite unreasonable. Zhen Yuanbai thought: how could he be so unreasonable? Glancing at Shi Bufan’s pitch-black eyes, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Mhm.”
Shi Bufan’s eyelashes flickered and he asked, “You promised to like me, right?”
“Mhm.” Zhen Yuanbai said and delivered the milk tea to him. Shi Bufan grabbed it and took a sip, watching him reaching for his backpack, smiling. “You don’t need to be so earnest to show off. Actually, I…”
Zhen Yuanbai grabbed a book, two, three, and four books… He carried it over and delivered it to Shi Bufan, saying, “These are the notes I took over the two days. I won’t be going to your house this weekend. I’ll be going to stay with my grandparents while you can spend the time to look over it. If you can be my seatmate, I will like you even more.”
Shi Bufan sucked on the straw and carried the books, asking, “That’s it?”
“This is a lot, enough for two days.” After pa.s.sing the books over to Shi Bufan, Zhen Yuanbai’s backpack became much lighter. He stood up straight and then suddenly reached for Shi Bufan’s head. The latter subconsciously looked down and allowed him to pat him. “Don’t you know that you can’t touch a man’s head?”
“I know.”
“You know, but you’re still patting me?”
“Are you going to hit me?”
A burst of silence.
“Nevermind. If I make you cry, I’m going to have to coax you.”