Don’t Pretend to be Poor with Me - Chapter 19

At the very least, I like you a lot

Due to the extremely quick brush of the skin, as well as the angle, the others didn’t know whether or not the two had actually kissed. They only saw the two hugging each other while falling, then began to jeer in all sorts of ways.

“Teacher! I want to report that there are people here who have abandoned all restraint!”

“Teacher! I have proof that they merely have the relationship of socialist brotherhood!”

“Teacher! I request an encore!”

“Teacher! I offer myself as a sacrifice to liven things up!”

Kong Xiaoxiao was also crafty, and even prompted the music band to play engagement music, and had even climbed up to the peak of the banisters to sprinkle rose petals.

The crowd was on the brink of disarray. The basic happenings of the plot, and whether the performance was good or not became completely irrelevant.

After Xia Zhiye realized he may have just kissed something, his silhouette slightly stiffened.

It wasn’t sweet, but it was slightly soft, and a bit cool, as if a green peach in April had been submerged in well water. Clean and raw, and slightly astringent, but able to cause one’s lips and tongue to heat up.

His heart beat quickly, thumping against the walls of his chest, making him only see the tips of Song Yan’s reddening ears.

Until Song Yan’s low voice coldly said: “Are you going to get the fuck up or not.”

Only then did he snap out of it, and nimbly stood up.

He one handedly pulled Song Yan up, then immediately clasped his hands: “Just now, this brother was inattentive and extremely rude. But I still have doubts in my heart. If Yingtai isn’t a woman, why are there scars on your ear.”

Song Yan knew he was trying to save the scene, then smoothly tidied his costume, then coldly replied: “There’s a reason for the scars on my ear, there is no need for brother Liang to doubt. During the temple fair in the village, every year I play as Guanyin. Brother Liang, you must be focused when writing essays, and you do not consider hairpins or skirts in your future.”

As he said this, he turned to the side, as if expressing a sense of alienation, and just happened to expose that small piercing on his right ear to Xia Zhiye.

His skin turned from a cold white to a slight redness, and Xia Zhiye thought of a gradually ripening peach.

He lowered his head, raising his folding fan: “From now on I don’t dare to look at Guanyin.”

.

Song Yan had no idea how he finished acting the remaining scenes, but it was most likely due to the muscle memory of the rehearsals these past several days.

Anyway, when the two finally wore the pair of butterfly wedding outfits, the whole audience went crazy, yet no one cried. There was only the foolish jeers of the audience, as well as the stunned exclamation from seeing Song Yan in women’s clothing.

A well known, classic tragedy unexpectedly turned into a small skit with a hint of love. Perhaps this was the inexplicable joy of high school students these days.

But this kind of happiness had nothing to do with Song Yan.

After the curtain closed, he exited the stage, ignored the group of people coming to congratulate him, picked up his clothes then directly walked into a booth in the dressing room.

It wasn’t until he took off the shabby synthetic fiber costume, and changed back into his comfortable T-shirt that Song Yan slowly sighed.

He turned around, faced the mirror, pulled off the wig, ruffled the hair of his forehead, then found that his ears were a bit red and lifted his hand to roughly tug at his ears.

Wasn’t it just two big boys accidentally touching each other, what’s there to blush about.

But even though this situation wasn’t major, even if it were small, it was still a bit awkward. It wasn’t that he had a guilty conscience, but it was embarrassing.

You also couldn’t keep quiet after seeing each other.

It would make it seem as if there really was something.

Song Yan was thinking, when someone knocked on the door.

Song Yan asked: “Who is it?”

Xia Zhiye: “Me.”

The atmosphere plunged into a brief period of subtle silence.

Xia Zhiye who stood outside lazily laughed: “What, you’re hiding and don’t dare to see me, are you scared I’ll ask you to take responsibility of me?”

Song Yan originally wanted to say if anyone was to take responsibility, it should be you, but also felt saying that would be strange, so he simply didn’t say anything.

Xia Zhiye was met with the other’s silence, then unhurriedly replied: “There’s no point in hiding, that was my first kiss, so whatever the case, you should compensate me. For example……”

He dragged out his sentence, his tone ambiguous and vague.

Song Yan’s fingers paused.

Xia Zhiye controlled his smiling expression, and seriously said: “For example, how about a large fruity grape tea, with less ice and cheese foam?”

Song Yan: “……”

He coldly cracked his knuckles.

Awkward my ass, what’s there to be awkward with with this kind of person.

Xia Zhiye stood outside the door, and continued discussing without fear of death: “Aiyah, Yan ge, just buy me a cup. Other people’s desk mates already received autumn’s first cup of milk tea, only I didn’t, how embarrassing is that. Also you saw how I sacrificed my body for you just before, so you just…… Ow, Yan ge, be gentle, it hurts.”

He hadn’t finished speaking yet, when the door to the dressing room was opened, and a pale and thin hand impatiently extended forward, grabbed the collar of his shirt, then pulled him into the dressing room for a firm beating.

After being beaten, the beater picked up his phone, then expressionlessly pushed open the door: “Do you want to pack the cheese foam separately.”

“Yeah.” The one who was beaten laughed and followed behind the other, placed his arm around Song Yan’s neck, then sloppily walked out.

As if their palpitating heartbeat from that kiss that wasn’t a kiss, and that vague and indistinct embarrassment had all dispersed cleanly.

As for where it finally dispersed, that was their own business.

In the end, no one was willing to impulsively and boldly touch a green peach that was completely unripe.

After all, young people only thought of immediate pleasure.

For example, Xia Zhiye had originally thought because Song Yan was thin-skinned, and would ignore him for a week, but now, the other was coaxed easily in a moment, and Xia Zhiye was very content.

So Song Yan, this person, was in actuality only just sharp-mouthed, but his ears were soft, his waist was soft, his face was soft, his heart was soft, even the fist he used to beat others was soft, just like a cat tickling you.

Though with regards to softness, his mouth was actually also soft.

He thought back to the moment their mouths touched, and the smile at the corner of Xia Zhiye’s mouth unconsciously deepened.

Song Yan thought this was baffling: “What are you laughing at.”

Xia Zhiye hooked the other’s neck, and pulled back: “Nothing, just feel that our class is probably winning first place.”

.

If it were the old evaluation committee determining the award winners, then with regards to Class 1’s roof raising performance, just getting a consolation prize would be not bad.

But as it turns out, this time, the audience voted, so they steamrolled the competition and won first place without a doubt.

Though to what extent was the steamrolling.

Just that clearly there were 812 people in the grade, but they received 931 votes, and 827 of those votes were for ‘The Butterfly Lovers.’

After handing out the awards and receiving the prize money, Ruan Tian kept her word and added 1,000 yuan to the total prize, and let Kong Xiaoxiao arrange a meal of barbecue skewers for everyone.

The next day was National Day1, so there was no class, and no need to get up early. Other than the students who lived far away, and the few who had to leave school the day after, most other students had signed up to participate.

Finally, the total number of students who were able to go was 21 students, but after counting, and counting, there ended up being 23 students at the dinner.

Kong Xiaoxiao stared at Shang Huai and Zhou Ziqiu who had inserted themselves in the group: “Are the two of you from Class 13 so shameless? Do you have no face? Are you unafraid of being beaten?”

“Aiyah, Xiao jie, you’re saying this as if we’re outsiders. But with our relationship with Xia Zhiye, can we be considered outsiders? Didn’t you see us two shouting the loudest when they were performing.” Shang Huai winked.

Kong Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows: “What kind of relationship do you have with Xia Zhiye? How come I don’t know.”

“Concubines.” Shang Huai didn’t have to think, then pointed at Zhou Ziqiu, “I’m the first concubine, he’s the second concubine.”

Xia Zhiye: “Do you want to die?”

Shang Huai immediately shut up: “Song Yan’s the first concubine, I’m the maid, and he’s the cart driver.”

Kong Xiaoxiao heard this, and grew cheerful: “When you say it like that, then it’s fine. Let’s go together.”

Song Yan, who suddenly became the first concubine: “……”

Xia Zhiye saw his little sour face, then laughed while asking: “What’s wrong, the mother of the house, suddenly gaining two servants, how do you feel?”

Song Yan reached peak apathy: “Feeling that I finally understand why the three of you are friends.”

“Why?”

“Because only idiots will like idiots.”

“……”

Xia Zhiye felt the other saying this wasn’t unreasonable.

.

FengKaoBiGuo was a barbecue shop that opened behind No.3 Middle High.

Because the food was inexpensive but good quality, it grew famous and business was booming. 20 or so students couldn’t fit in a room, so they placed a few tables on the sidewalk, and sat separately.

Before Song Yan sat down, his table and chair had already been wiped down by Xia Zhiye.

After wiping it down, Xia Zhiye smoothly took the menu, and asked: “Can you eat spicy food?”

Song Yan: “It’s okay.”

“Medium spice or heavy spice.”

“Medium spice.”

“Do you eat lamb?”

“No.”

“What about pork belly?”

“Sure.”

“What kind of vegetables do you like?”

“Anything’s fine.”

Shang Huai and Zhou Ziqiu who were sitting across from the two silently sat there with complicated emotions, then turned to ask little fatty and Zhao Ruiwen: “Do they usually act so arrogantly in class?”

The little fatty was used to it: “More or less, anyways my height of 175cm and weight of 175jin2 added together is about the same as an ant in their eyes, and they won’t even take me along to buy milk tea with them.”

After he said this, Xia Zhiye who had originally been ordering dishes lifted his head, then lifted his cup of fruity grape tea.

Everyone: “?”

Xia Zhiye: “Autumn’s first cup of milk tea.”

Everyone: “So?”

Xia Zhiye: “My desk mate bought it for me.”

Everyone: “……”

They had nothing to say.

Shang Huai patted little fatty’s shoulder: “It’s been hard on you.”

Little fatty patted Shang Huai’s thigh: “Same to you.”

Xia Zhiye drank his milk tea, and leaned back in his chair: “If I recall correctly, a certain someone’s guitar from tonight’s show seems to have been partly provided by me. If someone thinks it’s been hard, then trouble you to return the debt.”

Shang Huai replied directly: “Sorry dad, I was wrong.”

Once he said this, Song Yan then realized that in Class 13’s show tonight, it seems that Shang Huai and Zhou Ziqiu organized a band performance.

The singing was indeed pretty good, and they seemed to have received second place. Just that who would have thought Xia Zhiye contributed money to buy that guitar.

This person was foolishly generous.

Looking at Song Yan’s expression, Shang Huai seemed to have guessed something: “Yan ge, let me tell you, our Lord Xia is too loyal, and treats the people beside him really well. You definitely won’t lose out knowing him.”

Song Yan’s eyelashes lowered, and he remained silent.

Shang Huai believed the other didn’t believe him: “It’s true, take me for example, in middle school, Lord Xia was still at the neighboring ShiWai while I was at No.3 Middle High3. At that time, I was a late bloomer, was short and bullied everyday into giving others money. Lord Xia didn’t even know me then but coincidentally met me on the street once and defended me in a fight. Then after that he kept fighting for me and we became close.”

“Then when I was in third year of middle school, I wanted to start a band, but no one else cared about me. Only Lord Xia believed in me, then pulled in Zhou Ziqiu, then the three of us started a shady business all throughout summer and winter vacation until we finally pooled enough money to buy a guitar, keyboard and drum kit. Then we formed a band, and even participated in last year’s youth music festival. Don’t you think our Lord Xia is reliable?”

At that point, the barbecue restaurant’s boss brought the beer over4. Shang Huai casually opened a can, then glugged away an entire can in one breath. He tapped on the tab of the can: “Also, let me tell you. This time, Xia Zhiye was also unwilling to betray your class, or else he would’ve gotten on stage with us. You don’t know how handsome Xia Zhiye is playing the drums. In those days, he was popular all throughout school, and so many people liked him. I couldn’t even collect all the love letters those girls sent him.”

Xia Zhiye heard this sentence, then his fingers tapped lightly against the table twice, intending to interrupt the other.

Shang Huai thought he may have said something wrong: “What’s wrong.”

“Nothing.” Xia Zhiye lazily replied, “Just wanted to correct a factual mistake.”

Shang Huai: “?”

“It wasn’t just love letters from girls, I even got 5 letters from boys. The level of my attractiveness transcends gender, and transcends across all ages. Boys, girls, old, young, all are victims of my charm. So please don’t narrow-mindedly demarcate the extent of my audience, that would be too careless.”

Everyone else: “……”

Why was this person so shameless.

But they also didn’t dare to say this directly.

Only Song Yan coldly placed a can of snow white beer in front of Xia Zhiye, then directly said: “Trouble you to have some shame.”

Xia Zhiye one handedly took the can and his index finger lightly pulled the tab. With a hiss, the white foam fizzed out of the mouth of the tin metal can. He then pushed it back towards Song Yan, then with a smile as if he were coaxing a child: “Of course, definitely not as charming as our classmate Song Daxi.”

“Song fucking Da……”

He hadn’t finished speaking, when his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, and the ‘Xi’ that he was about to say fizzled out.

“I’m going to pick up the call.”

Song Yan stood up and left.

He had already been in Nan Wu for over a month and a half, yet this was Song Minghai’s first call.

When he picked up, there was no inquiries as to how he’s been or any concerned greetings, nor even any question as to why his entrance examination score only amounted to 500 points, or why he suddenly bought roses for over 1000 yuan. There was completely no concern at all.

He simply got to the point with one sentence: “The day after tomorrow is your mother’s memorial day, come home tomorrow.”

Song Yan’s tone didn’t fluctuate: “I don’t want to go back.”

The person’s tone on the other side had even less fluctuation: “It’s also fine if you don’t want to come back. Tomorrow we’re going to Lele’s grandparents’5 home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival and I have no time to go sweep your mother’s grave. If you have a good conscience, do it yourself.”

Song Yan’s eyes drooped down, and he stared at the ground. After a long moment, he coldly said: “I’ll go back tomorrow night.”

“Hm.”

Once he said this, the other line immediately became a cold dial tone, without any hint of hesitation.

Song Yan lowered his hand, and with his head down glanced at the little puddle on the ground. The puddle reflected his lonely silhouette, distorting his figure into an unsightly appearance, only leaving behind muddiness and filth.

He turned back, and the light behind his back shone down brightly. Everyone else surrounded Xia Zhiye, talking and laughing, the scene appeared as eye-catching and as lively as the stars surrounding the moon.

He suddenly envied Xia Zhiye.

How nice was it to be charming.

Unlike him, just a tiresome burden since he was a child.

.

When Song Yan returned to the table, the barbecue had already piled up.

Xia Zhiye picked up a skewer of pork belly and handed it to him: “Is something wrong?”

Song Yan smoothly grasped it: “No.”

When the meat entered his mouth, his wrist paused.

Xia Zhiye asked: “What’s wrong.”

Song Yan paused for a moment, but still chose to push the pork belly into his mouth: “Nothing’s wrong.”

Was this spice level really just medium spicy? Why was it spicier than the medium spice level in Beijing?

But if he directly said he was out-spiced by the medium spice he had ordered, it was also a bit embarrassing, so he forced his expression to remain the same, and continued to eat slowly.

The spice level really did exceed his tolerance level, and after showing off him eating an entire skewer, his lips had already begun to look abnormally red. He also couldn’t help but open his mouth, unconsciously breathing in air lightly.

With the sound of hissing, one glance and one could tell it was too spicy.

Xia Zhiye rarely saw Song Yan appear not as apathetic, and pushed over a can of cold beer, lightly laughing: “Slow down.”

Song Yan used all his willpower to respond: “It’s not spicy, I don’t need it.”

This dead duck was too hard-mouthed6.

Xia Zhiye held back his laughter: “If it’s not spicy, then do you want another skewer?”

“……”

A childish provocation, only an idiot would fall for it.

Then Song Yan picked up a skewer of potatoes covered in chili powder, then expressionlessly brought it to his mouth.

Xia Zhiye stared at this idiot who really continued eating, and was just about to grab it, when Song Yan had already taken his first bite, and couldn’t hold back a cough. The chili flakes just happened to get stuck in his throat.

Even if one was able to handle spicy food, getting a chili stuck in their throat was too unbearable, let alone the fact that Song Yan was originally unable to eat spicy food. In that moment, it was as if he had gone to heaven.

Song Yan fought to hold back his tears, waited until he turned around, bent over to cover his mouth, then with the greatest restraint possible, lowly coughed.

A young master would always be a young master. Even at this moment, he didn’t forget his table manners.

Xia Zhiye helped pat his back, while his other hand brought over the only cold beer, and said to Shang Huai: “Go ask the boss if they have cold water and candy. If he does, then bring it over, the more the better.”

Song Yan really could not bear the spice, and didn’t care what Xia Zhiye had handed over, and directly poured the drink down.

The cold liquid followed down along his tongue and throat, permeating the cells that had been burned by the chilies, pacifying the pain and comforting him a bit.

So when Shang Huai returned with the cold water, Song Yan had already drunk the three cans next to Xia Zhiye’s hand, then laid down on the table, seemingly trying to calm down.

Shang Huai stared at the empty cans, then looked at the pitcher of water in his hands, and hesitated a bit: “……Then, do you still need this.”

“Leave it here.” Xia Zhiye planned to use the water to help Song Yan rinse the barbecue, “What about the sugar?”

“Oh, it’s here. Preserved plum candy, mints, chocolates, which one do you want?”

“The mints.” Xia Zhiye smoothly grasped one, unwrapped it, then patted Song Yan, “Eat some candy.”

Song Yan raised his head, obediently opened his mouth, blinked and didn’t say anything.

Little fatty: “……”

Shang Huai: “……”

Zhou Ziqiu: “……”

They didn’t know why, but they thought this scene was a little scary.

Xia Zhiye also felt something was not right.

Although usually Song Yan was too lazy to unwrap the candy and Xia Zhiye usually helped unwrap it and place it in the other’s mouth, but the other usually didn’t even look at him and directly ate the candy. He wouldn’t be as……silly as he was now.

Xia Zhiye grasped the mint in his fingers, and tested the other by moving the candy left then right twice. Song Yan’s head obediently followed, and moved left then right twice.

Xia Zhiye then moved it up and down, and Song Yan once again followed up and down.

Xia Zhiye put the candy into his own mouth, but Song Yan just obediently stared at him, blinking his eyes.

Xia Zhiye: “……”

It’s over.

Little fatty and the others also reacted: “No way, it’s beer, with 8% alcohol, and he only drank 3 cans. But he’s drunk?”

Shang Huai also didn’t believe it, extended a finger and waved it in front of Song Yan: “What’s one plus one?”

Song Yan: “Two.”

Shang Huai exhaled: “Seems he’s not drunk.”

Zhou Ziqiu scorned him: “Isn’t your standard for normal intelligence a little too low?”

Shang Huai couldn’t accept it: “Then you ask.”

Zhou Ziqiu turned around: “How much is one times two times three times four times five times six times seven times eight times nine times ten? Answer within three seconds.”

Shang Huai and little fatty who were completely sober, so their level of intelligence was the same as usual: “? Zhou Ziqiu, isn’t your question a bit too difficult?”

They just finished saying this, when Song Yan replied: “3,628,800.”

Shang Huai and little fatty: “??”

Then brought out a calculator to do the math: “……”

“Sorry, we’re the ones who are inadequate.”

With Song Yan’s level of intelligence, if he were tossed into a math exam he might even be able to get a full score now, but such an obedient, soft, and docile appearance was really not in accordance with the Song Yan they knew.

Shang Huai: “So is he drunk or not?”

Xia Zhiye: “If he weren’t drunk, you think you would still be able to live here intact?”

“……”

You’re right.

Xia Zhiye was too lazy to care about them, unwrapped a mint for Song Yan to cool down the pain on his tongue, then picked up both their backpacks, and supported the other to stand from his seat: “Okay, you guys eat then, I’ll take Song Yan home first.”

“Don’t, lord Xia. The food just arrived, why go back?” Shang Huai promptly stopped him.

Xia Zhiye didn’t even glance at him, and zipped up Song Yan’s school uniform for him: “Don’t you see he’s already drunk.”

“Just let him be drunk.” Shang Huai couldn’t understand. When they had group meals before, who didn’t get drunk, it’s not like Xia Zhiye did anything then, “Also isn’t he fine, he can still do math.”

Xia Zhiye didn’t even want to reply.

Now that it was the beginning of autumn, the nights were already cold and Song Yan couldn’t eat spicy food, nor could he drink. Now he was like this, and Xia Zhiye was not at ease leaving him with this group of irresponsible people. It was better to just take him home earlier to sleep.

Zhou Ziqiu sat beside them, and glanced at the two, then single-handedly pulled down Shan Huan who had been ready to keep the pair from leaving: “If you want to keep living then just sit down and eat.”

Shang Huai: “?”

Why? He couldn’t understand.

But Zhou Ziqiu’s words weren’t wrong, and after thinking it over, didn’t stay.

Song Yan was also very cooperative, and was obediently brought to the curb by Xia Zhiye.

The night was dark, and there were very few cars about. Now they definitely wouldn’t be able to go back to the dorms, and Xia Zhiye lowly asked: “I’ll take you back to my house now, okay?”

Song Yan nodded: “Mm, okay.”

Then he stretched out his hand.

Xia Zhiye: “?”

Song Yan: “Hold hands.”

Xia Zhiye: “……”

At that moment he felt Song Yan was a bit cute.

He couldn’t hold back the corner of his lips from lifting, then held Song Yan’s hand: “Okay, gege will hold your hand.”

The two big boys over 180 cm tall wearing school uniforms held each other’s hands, then slowly walked in the cool autumn night.

The curtain of night was dense and thick, and the yellow twilight of the street lamps trembled slightly. The insects made their last feeble call, and the teenagers walked home.

Song Yan suddenly said: “I smell osmanthus flowers.”

Xia Zhiye explained: “Before, there were a lot of osmanthus trees planted on this street. Now, grandma’s courtyard and my courtyard still have one.”

Song Yan replied: “Oh.”

Xia Zhiye then said: “So the name of this street is actually Wine7 street.”

Song Yan tilted his head: “So we live on Wine street?”

Xia Zhiye felt that the pronoun Song Yan used was very funny, and also turned to look at Song Yan.

Song Yan’s head just happened to be tilted upward slightly.

His usually weakly drooping eyelashes were innocently raised at this point, exposing a pair of pitch-black, misty eyes. His lips were abnormally red due to the spicy food he had eaten earlier.

When he angled his head upward to look over he looked particularly obedient.

Xia Zhiye couldn’t hold back, pulled out his cell phone, took a photo, and then responded: “Yeah, we live on Wine street, just this courtyard, do you remember?”

Song Yan nodded his head in a well-behaved manner, and Xia Zhiye laughed again.

With one hand holding the other, while the other hand pulled out his keys, he then opened the door to the courtyard.

Once he opened the door, the neighboring courtyard door also opened, and little mahjong clamored over, then hugged Xia Zhiye’s knees with both arms: “Little mahjong hasn’t seen Ye gege for over a week! I really missed Ye gege!”

Immediately after, grandma Liu also ran out: “Little mahjong, I already told you, you can’t run around at night. Oh, Xiao Ye, how come you came back? Aiyah, what’s the matter with Xiao Song, how come he reeks of alcohol.”

Xia Zhiye: “He drank some beer, and accidentally got drunk.”

“Aiyah, you kids. How could you run around drinking beer on such a cold day? Have you eaten dinner yet? One look and I know you definitely haven’t. Wait here, grandma will cook some millet porridge. There’s some honey in the closet, first make a cup of honey water for Xiao Song to drink.”

After grandma Liu worriedly prattled on for a bit, she then anxiously picked up little mahjong and entered the kitchen.

Song Yan stood at his original spot, gazing at her retreating back, while blinking.

Xia Zhiye saw him like this, guessed that he probably couldn’t understand what grandma Liu was saying through her thick NanWu dialect, and was just about to explain.

Song Yan then opened his mouth: “She definitely really loves you.”

Xia Zhiye didn’t expect Song Yan to suddenly say this, and his eyebrows raised slightly.

Song Yan said: “She’ll scold you, and even cook for you.”

Xia Zhiye joked: “That’s called love?”

Song Yan seriously nodded his head: “Mhm, because no one has ever scolded me, and no one has ever cooked for me.”

He paused, then shook his head: “That’s not right, the aunty would cook for me, but that’s because we give her money, so she also can’t be considered as loving me.”

A usually cold and indifferent person, now with his head drooping down, seriously saying such childish words, made people feel an ache in their hearts.

Xia Zhiye thought of Song Yan saying the aunty told him that boys should get their ears pierced in order to be easily raised when he was younger, then finally determined that Song Yan, this little friend, really had no one to care about him when he was younger.

No wonder he was raised to be so difficult to get close to, and had such a poor temper.

But he only looked like he had a poor temper. In actuality he was very cute.

He couldn’t stand others getting bullied, nor could he stand when others were undergoing difficulties. He was sharp-mouthed, but his heart was soft, and he was duplicitous. So how could those people that didn’t love him restrain themselves.

While Xia Zhiye was thinking, Song Yan had already raised his head, looked at the other, his eyes reflecting the darkness of the night: “Do you think I’m a particularly annoying little friend?”

The tip of Xia Zhiye’s heart twisted, and he lowly asked: “Why would little friend Song Yan say such a thing?”

“Because if I wasn’t particularly annoying, then why does no one like me? My dad doesn’t like me, my mom also doesn’t like me and the aunty that raised me since I was a child also doesn’t like me.” Song Yan tilted his head, then slowly blinked.

The light mist in his eyes turned into an imperceptible moisture on his eyelashes with his slow blink, as if he were trying to hide some fragile emotion. There was only a deep, unknown night sky in his dark eyes.

He was reflecting very seriously.

Like a child who clearly didn’t do anything wrong, but wanted to be liked by the adults and wanted to work hard to change.

Both aggrieved and at a loss.

Xia Zhiye’s heart was suddenly stabbed.

The feeling of being stabbed was even more intense than the feeling of seeing Song Yan changing his clothes, or the palpitations of his heart when accidentally kissing the other’s face on stage.

Although he didn’t know what Song Yan experienced before, seeing Song Yan’s appearance at this moment, a certain emotion rose like a sudden surging tide. It couldn’t fade in his heart in an instant, instead bringing along a suffocating paralysis and pain.

Later, Xia Zhiye thought that although he didn’t understand the feelings he developed for Song Yan on that night, the ‘like’ he had for Song Yan wasn’t entirely like the feelings of love.

But he clearly knew that night, for the first time in his life, he had the impulse to let a certain someone know the incredible feeling of being loved dearly.

So he extended his hand to lightly rub Song Yan’s head, and the youth’s low voice permeated a sense of gloom and warmth in the osmanthus flower-scented air.

He said: “How could there be no one who likes you, at the very least, I like you a lot.”

.

The author has something to say:

Old Xia: The like I was referring to is that between two straight brothers

Everyone else: “Okay, we understand.”

.

TN: this chapter was twice as long as the others so it took awhile! will also now be updating every other day instead of daily to give myself a break, haha.