Chapter 86
At this moment, Lou Xiao started to suspect that he’d gone completely blind!
He didn’t reply to Wei Jiayu. He simply held his phone far, far away, like there was a virus in it and he would be infected if he got too close.
Wei Jiayu wasn’t surprised when he didn’t receive any reply. He pondered for a while and ultimately decided to just follow his mother to quietly go down the mountain.
What he wanted to remind them of was something he simply couldn’t. If he reminded them of this, he would surely be killed. Wei Jiayu understood this much.
Qiao Shao hesitated at the temple door …
He Shen said, “Let’s go back?”
A lot of people were coming and going in the temple. Eighty percent of them were women. The rest were men but they hadn’t come by themselves. Basically, they were there to accompany a woman. There was no one there like Qiao Shao and He Shen.
However, no one paid any attention to them. First, there were a lot of people, and no one knew if they had accompanied their mother here. Second, it was obvious that they were students, and there were a lot of kids who came to climb the mountain during summer vacation.
But once Qiao Shao prays on the prayer mat, he’s sure to attract everyone’s looks!
Qiao Shao looked at him. “What did I come here for!”
He Shen coaxed him, “The scenery here’s great, so this could just be morning exercise.”
Who would go exercise by taking a bus for half an hour and then climbing up the mountain for an hour?
Qiao Shao ignored him and remained earnestly conflicted.
He Shen said, “You don’t have to take it so seriously. We’re together now.”
After speaking, he used his little finger to b.u.mp into his little finger.
Qiao Shao’s little finger curled up. “Without this wooden fortune, I might not have had the courage to confess to you.”
He Shen was dazed.
Qiao Shao looked at the stone steps under his feet. He looked at it for a long time and said, “I did so badly on my exams, how could I have had the face to go to you and…”
He Shen chose a discreet angle and held his hand tightly without anyone noticing.
Qiao Shao was afraid of being seen, but he was reluctant to pull out his hand. He looked down and said, “But I saw this wooden fortune, and it told me I could.” Then he looked up to He Shen, “So how can I not take this seriously?”
After saying this, he took a deep breath and said, “I’ll go pay my respects!”
Qiao Shao didn’t believe in supernatural beings, but he believed in the power of the spirit. It was this wooden fortune that gave him courage.
He Shen followed, “I’ll go with you.”
Qiao Shao laughed. “You’re not the one who asked for anything so what do you have to thank the temple for?”
He Shen said seriously, “But it fulfilled my wish.”
If Qiao Shao hadn’t come to look for him, if Qiao Shao hadn’t said that he liked him, He Shen never could have confessed.
Even if he has loved Qiao Shao for a long time, even if he regarded Qiao Shao as the last and only person he wanted to remember in this life, he wouldn’t dare disturb his life.
Under that kind of circ.u.mstances, how long would they have missed each other?
And it might not even be a question of how long. They might have missed each other entirely.
Thinking of this, He Shen experienced a burst of fear.
Qiao Shao looked up at him. “That’s why it’s very important, right?”
He Shen warmly said, “En.”
Qiao Shao readily answered, “Then let’s go together!”
He Shen took his hand and they stepped past the threshold together.
If you want to look, then look. Think what you want to think. In the future, they will have to face more people’s gazes, face more strange looks, and endure more people calling them into question. But it’s fine, they will face it together because they can hold onto their courage.
Qiao Shao finally managed to pay his respects. Although his face was scalding hot and he couldn’t dare raise his head, his heart was warm.
This corners of He Shen’s lips also ticked up.
There suddenly came a strange sound from behind them. “You two are so proactive.”
Qiao Shao’s back tensed, and he didn’t dare turn around to look!
The aunt behind them was very enthusiastic and she said, “Coming to ask for a child as soon as you get married? If only my son and daughter-in-law had you young couple’s self-awareness, I …”
Qiao Shao: “……………………”
He Shen returned to his senses.
Seeing that the aunt was about to eagerly reach out to hold ‘little sister’ Qiao’s hand and lecture him on this major life event known as pregnancy … He Shen and Qiao Shao quickly ran out without looking back.
Aunt held out her hand, erkang style. “Hey, wait … don’t be shy …”
The wind blowing against Qiao Shao’s face was so hot, he was almost burned to death!
The two ran out of the Temple of the Child-bearing G.o.ddess and went all the way to a quiet little pavilion on the mountainside.
Qiao Shao was exhausted, panting, with his hands on his knees.
He Shen laughed. Qiao Shao was shamed into anger and he turned to glare at him, but what he saw wasn’t laughter from ridicule, but laughter as bright as the noon sun shining through the canopy of leaves.
Qiao Shao looked away and said, “Which part of me looks like a girl!”
He never would have expected it! Not in a million years!
The two boys gathered their courage to worship the Child-bearing G.o.ddess, not only did they receive some strange looks but they also received some inexplicable praise!
He Shen wouldn’t use this to make fun of him. He only said, “Nothing. Nothing at all.”
Qiao Shao still wasn’t reconciled. “Wait til I eat well, I’ll grow tall and strong, then I’ll …”
He paused suddenly and looked at He Shen. “That …”
He Shen: “Huh?”
Qiao Shao suddenly felt a sour sensation in his heart. It was very unpleasant. “It couldn’t be that you see me as a girl …”
He Shen understood, and he said helplessly, “What are you thinking?”
Qiao Shao really felt a little awkward. “You sold me women’s clothing when we first met.”
He Shen said, “I just saw that you wanted to buy cheap clothes, and I didn’t have the heart to let you return empty-handed.”
Qiao Shao wasn’t convinced. “So you sold me women’s clothes?”
He Shen asked, “Does it even look like women’s clothes without the label?”
Qiao Shao: “…”
Actually, there wasn’t really a lot of differences in the basic type of T-shirts.
They were in a small pavilion hidden behind a huge pine tree.
He Shen pulled Qiao Shao into a blind corner, and kissed him gently on the forehead.
Qiao Shao’s heart was about to jump out. “We might be seen …”
Behind the tree, people were coming and going. They could see their shoes.
He Shen lowered his voice and said, “They won’t.” Saying so, he pecked his lips.
Qiao Shao didn’t dare move, he didn’t even dare speak.
He Shen didn’t do anything, he just whispered, “Of course, I don’t see you as a girl …” Hearing this, Qiao Shao’s heart grew comfortable, but then He Shen said, “and not as a boy either.”
Qiao Shao wanted to push him away!
“Qiao Shao is Qiao Shao,” He Shen embraced him, “it is Qiao Shao who I like.”
How could Qiao Shao push him away now? He grabbed tightly onto his clothes, making obvious creases. “He Shen tongxue…”
He Shen: “En?”
Qiao Shao suppressed the sweetness in his heart and accused, “Are you saying that I’m neither male nor female?”
He Shen laughed. He released him and then gazed into his eyes. “If I were neither a boy nor a girl, would you still like me?”
Qiao Shao’s heart trembled from being seen through. “…”
He Shen leaned in closer. “I didn’t hear it.”
Qiao Shao said it again.
He Shen got closer to him. “I didn’t quite catch that.”
When they were nose to nose and he was about to kiss him, Qiao Shao pushed him away and said, “I’d still like you!”
He Shen placed a forceful kiss on his soft, fair cheek. He said, “Me too.”
Qiao Shao left the pavilion, cheeks completely red.
It was already over ten o’clock by the time they made their way down.
Contrary to what one might expect, there were more people than before. After all, it was summer vacation. Many students were out travelling in groups. Despite the scorching sun, they will still go exploring in the mountains, even if there was only the Child-bearing G.o.ddess’ temple to be found at the top.
Amidst the crowd, He Shen was very well-behaved. Not to mention kissing, their fingers weren’t even touching.
Qiao Shao also looked at him as little as possible. He felt that he looked at the other strangely, and that by looking at him he would be announcing to the world that he liked him.
Since he couldn’t hide it, the only thing he could do was to not look.
Near the foot of the mountain, they ran into another acquaintance.
To be more precise, it was one of their schoolmates. Qiao Shao has never met him and he also doesn’t recognize Qiao Shao, but he called out to He Shen.
He Shen knew the other as well, but he took on a very exhausted look, unwilling to say more than a few paltry sentences.
This person wore East High’s school uniform. His hair was a mess, and he had on black-rimmed gla.s.ses. His complexion was quite white, but it appeared dirty. As soon as he opened his mouth, people just knew that he was a loudmouth. “He Shen, I didn’t expect to see you here. Are you here to climb the mountain? Exercise is really good for your health … ”
He Shen said, “En.” It was a response that couldn’t be more perfunctory.
The person though was completely indifferent. Looks like he was the type of person who could hold a conversation by himself. “… I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I think a person’s moods shouldn’t affect their test results. Each test is sacred. Yes, you mustn’t give up on any problem, no matter how simple … ”
As soon as he spoke, Qiao Shao felt a strange sense of familiarity.
President of Mathematics Society—Brother Pillar.
He was evidently questioning He Shen’s decision to abandon the composition question and tossing out a full fifty points.
Qiao Shao was a little unwilling to listen. Criticizing someone when he didn’t even know all the details, it was too …
He hasn’t finished his thought yet, when this chatterbug already changed the flow of the conversation, saying, “If you lower your guard like this, sooner or later, you’re going to have the tables turned on you. Although I’m still lower than you by a point this time, I can tell you that our grade level contains a crouching tiger, hidden dragon. There is a dark horse in hiding. The day when he emerges will be the day East High overturns the sky!”
Qiao Shao was now sure that this Top Pillar. What’s more, what he didn’t want to verify was that the dark horse this blabbermouth was talking about was probably him!
He Shen originally wanted to leave but stopped when he heard this. “Oh?”
It’s still monosyllabic, but the tone had changed a little.
Top Pillar was also an academic G.o.d to some extent. “Do you really think you will always be first? You think no one can beat you? Do you think you are the only genius in the world? No! I tell you! True masters are hidden within the common folk. True G.o.ds of learning disdain to show off their abilities! The true divinely favored ones are hidden in the market!”
Qiao Shao: “………………”
Stop, stop boasting! He’s almost going to be blown into the sky.
He Shen looked at Qiao Shao and said a few more words to this nutjob. “Is there someone like this?”
Top Pillar sneered. “Of course, his IQ is absolutely not inferior to yours. I can guarantee that his ability to understand mathematics is that of a rare genius’. What is even more shocking is his carefulness and patience, and his ability to give equal weight to every problem no matter it’s level of challenge…”
Qiao Shao wished he could cover his ears!
The smile in He Shen’s eyes turned more p.r.o.nounced and he listened patiently to Top Pillar blowing rainbow farts.
“I see. Then, I look forward to playing against him.” He Shen said.
Top Pillar said, “Just wait! This opportunity will come soon!”
He then waxed on for three hundred more words and Qiao Shao simply couldn’t listen to him anymore. He tugged several times before he managed to drag He Shen away.
When they reached the foot of the mountain, He Shen said, “Liang Zhu is quite the interesting character.”
Qiao Shao: “………………”
He Shen said, “He’s the president of your math society.”
How could Qiao Shao not know!
He blushed and said, “What were you doing talking nonsense with him!”
He Shen muttered, “He used to talk a lot of nonsense, but this time, I have to admit that each word was a gem …”
Qiao Shao couldn’t bear to hear it. “How could I ever win over you!”
One was first in the entire school, one was first from the last in the entire school. Brother Pillar, you’ve chosen the wrong thigh!
He Shen gave him a sideways glance. “Except for you, no one else has won me over.”