A Masochist’s Obsession

Qiyu, suddenly imbued with the spirit of a long-distance runner, reached the car in mere minutes.

Wiping away the tears clinging to his eyelashes, he sniffled. As soon as he was inside, he pulled the door shut, swallowing the sobs that threatened to escape. “Uncle Wang, let’s go,” he told the driver.

Uncle Wang sensed that something was amiss with Qiyu, yet he refrained from asking too many questions. He simply inquired, “And the eldest young master?”

At the mention of Lu Xingye, Qiyu’s temper flared. “He said he wants to participate in the school’s three-thousand-meter race and needs to train,” he explained, a hint of irritation in his voice.

“He’s planning to run all the way home from school, so he doesn’t need a ride.”

Elementary schools certainly didn’t have three-thousand-meter races. This was purely Qiyu’s deliberate retaliation, though he hadn’t expected Uncle Wang to actually believe it. Not only did he believe it, but he was also profoundly impressed.

‘From Experimental Primary School to the Lu family residence is about ten kilometers. The eldest young master truly lives up to the Lu family name; his spirit is extraordinary. After running this distance, participating in the half-marathon held in Haishi in a few days won’t be a problem. The first elementary school student to complete a half-marathon… truly remarkable…’

Highly satisfied with his own fanciful interpretation, Uncle Wang nodded. “Alright, then, young master, please buckle up. We’ll depart immediately.”

Qiyu had no idea that his casual remarks could spark such elaborate imaginings. At that moment, however, he cared for nothing, consumed only by annoyance.

****

Consider this: if someone has poured their heart out to you since the moment you met, diligently caring for you in every matter, big or small—from helping you put on your socks to tutoring you in your studies—what kind of emotion would you attribute to them?

Love? Affection? Family? Friendship?

No, none of the above.

Instead, it would be: ‘I detest this kind of person.’

The sixth-grade Qiyu couldn’t fathom why someone would do all these things for him if they disliked him. Now, the current Qiyu understood: Lu Xingye was, in essence, a masochist.

During the drive back, his frustration didn’t dissipate; in fact, the more he thought about it, the more agitated he became.

‘Lu Xingye is truly a detestable nuisance.’

‘As if I cared for him all that much.’

‘I’m so good-looking; I don’t lack his affection.’

Qiyu walked with a spring in his step, muttering to himself, almost as if defending his earlier self. “Starting today, if I, Qiyu, speak another word to him,” he declared emphatically.

“I’m a dog.”

Unable to mask the injustice he felt, Qiyu reached the third floor and slammed his room door shut with a force that echoed through the hallway.

So absorbed was he in his own thoughts and hurried steps that he remained utterly oblivious to the fact that the very person occupying his mind had already caught up to him as he reached his door.

Lu Xingye stood with his backpack slung loosely over one shoulder, his body half-bent, hands resting on his knees as he gasped for breath. His gaze was fixed intently on the third floor.

Of course, he hadn’t actually run; otherwise, such speed would surely have seen him whisked away to an alien base for study.

The moment his eyes found Qiyu, his body reacted first. Perhaps it was his pride acting up, compelling him to utter those hurtful words.

From the instant he returned to the Lu family, he had told himself: ‘I can’t possibly like Qiyu, I can’t possibly like that fussy idiot.’

More accurately, he was simply unwilling to admit it.

Lu Xingye had always envisioned living a perfectly ordinary life, meeting his ideal partner in college, falling into a long and stable relationship, and then marrying when the time was right.

Yet, despite knowing his feelings for Qiyu were anything but ordinary, he still chose to speak cruelly and push him away.

He wondered when he would finally dare to confront his own heart. Must he wait until Qiyu called someone else ‘Brother’? Must he wait until Qiyu showered affection on another?

If that indeed happened, he would have only himself to blame.

****

They soon reached their destination, and Uncle Wang parked the car in the garage.

Qiyu crumpled the item he had originally intended to show Lu Xingye, stuffed it into his pocket, and strode quickly towards his room.

With a resounding *bang*, Qiyu pulled open the display cabinet in his room, retrieving the birthday gift he had spent a long time preparing: a Lego set he had assembled for Lu Xingye.

It was neither particularly large nor small, yet it represented a month of his dedicated effort.

He gazed at the toy for a moment, then, without the slightest hesitation, tossed it, along with all his hard work, into the trash can.

Qiyu was spoiled, acting completely without regard for consequences.

Lu Xingye’s hand, poised on the doorknob, froze. His feet felt as if they were filled with lead, each step agonizingly difficult.

“I’m sorry…” That was the last thing Lu Xingye said.

He only remembered that day, reaching out to pick up the birthday gift meant for him. Qiyu, seeing him, snatched it back and violently smashed it onto the floor.

Qiyu burst into tears upon seeing him. “Do you think you’re the only one who dislikes me?” he cried.

“I don’t like you either.”

“I dislike you ten, a hundred, a thousand times more than you dislike me.”

“If I’m a drama queen, then you’re an annoying busybody.”

“You’re so meddlesome! You interfere with every friend I make. Am I going to have to report to you which foot I step out with every time I leave the house?”

Lu Xingye remained silent, his dark eyes unfathomable. “…….I understand.”

Qiyu, still softly sobbing, didn’t grasp his meaning. “What do you understand?”

Lu Xingye picked up a tissue, stepped closer, and gently wiped away Qiyu’s tears. He spoke calmly, “I’ll move out.”

It turned out he had taken Qiyu’s angry words seriously, internalizing every declaration of Qiyu’s dislike for him.

As he wiped Qiyu’s tears, he quietly added, “It’s time to cut my losses.”

True to his word, Lu Xingye acted swiftly. Immediately after graduation, he severed all contact with Qiyu, moved away from the Lu family, and spent his entire middle school life alone.

During this period, even when the Lu parents pressured him to return, he refused.

For three years of middle school, Qiyu’s emotions towards Lu Xingye were complex. Initially, it was hatred, then guilt—guilt over whether he had forced Lu Xingye away. Finally, by high school, he began to hate Lu Xingye once more.

This renewed hatred stemmed from discovering that Lu Xingye treated him like a complete stranger whenever they saw each other at school. This solidified Qiyu’s resolve to maintain his distance.

Yet, unexpectedly, minor changes occurred, leading to their renewed contact. And to Qiyu’s annoyance, Lu Xingye’s attitude towards him was utterly insufferable.

It seemed Lu Xingye had indeed followed through on his parting words: “cut my losses.”

****

“Lu Xingye, you stinking idiot.” Qiyu’s mumbled utterance pulled him back from his reverie. But was it truly just a mumble?

Lu Xingye rested his head on his hand, observing Qiyu, who was now enveloped in darkness. He extended his index finger and gently poked Qiyu’s forehead.

‘Forget it, I’ll let you off this once.’

****

In the past few days, Qiyu had been feeling increasingly uneasy. His deskmate, Xia Qinghe, was simply too enthusiastic for him to handle.

Even a blockhead like him should have realized something was amiss. His initial awareness of the abnormality stemmed from a particular observation:

Xia Qinghe would boisterously bring him a pile of snacks every day, despite him having mentioned that he didn’t particularly enjoy eating them.

One day during class, Qiyu was hunched over his desk, playing on his phone. Since breaking free from Lu Xingye’s control, playing on his phone during class had become his refuge.

On his phone, Su Heng’s live stream was playing. The young master still hadn’t given up on his entrepreneurial venture and was currently live-streaming himself writing a novel.

The content he was writing was becoming increasingly unsatisfactory, even dozens of times worse than the initial version. How could someone regress so dramatically?

The bullet comments, which had initially been kindly deceptive, instantly flared with anger once they realized the individual completely ignored their advice.

The comments, which had been mild for a few days, turned venomous again, albeit a blend of venom and mildness.

For example:

[A handsome pig. What kind of one-meter-eighty-nine male lead falls into the heroine’s arms like a delicate bird? That’s not a delicate bird; that’s a roc spreading its wings, thank you.]

[Can you please stop using that face to create a pile of trash?]

[These words look like they were just scooped out of a septic tank; they stink.]

[But I have to say, your face is quite striking. It makes even a man like me drool.]

[Does anyone actually call themselves ‘a man’?]

Qiyu chuckled as he read the bullet comments. He had to admit, Su Heng’s resilience was far from ordinary; a normal person would have long been overcome with shame and indignation.

Thinking of this, he recalled Su Heng mentioning a while ago that he would transfer here, but so far, there had been no sign of it.

He wanted to satisfy his curiosity but didn’t want to disturb Su Heng, the entrepreneur. The best method was to find an intermediary: Wen Nuo.

[Xiao Yu: When is Su Heng transferring?]

[Xiao Yu: Wasn’t he clamoring to come to our school a while ago?]

Wen Nuo replied instantly.

[Nuo Nuo: About that… he only told me he wants to pick a good day and make a grand entrance under the whole school’s gaze.]

Qiyu stared at the message on his screen. “……”

“Yuyu, today I brought you the loving bento I made!” Xia Qinghe often took mornings off, only leisurely arriving at noon.

This had been especially noticeable these past few days. Even when the homeroom teacher sarcastically called her out multiple times during class, she acted as if she hadn’t heard.

“Thank you… but I’ve already eaten,” Qiyu said cautiously, carefully choosing his words.

He hadn’t interacted much with girls, but he could still understand the situation. It was likely that Xia Qinghe liked him.

“This is really delicious! I researched recipes for days,” Xia Qinghe insisted, pushing the lunchbox into Qiyu’s arms. “If you don’t want to eat it now, you can have it for afternoon lunch, right?”

“Please?” Xia Qinghe set the lunchbox down, clasped her hands together, and looked at him with pleading eyes.

Two tiny figures waged a fierce battle within Qiyu’s mind. Ultimately, he surrendered upon noticing a one-centimeter scar on Xia Qinghe’s wrist, possibly a burn mark.

He took the lunchbox, opened the lid with both hands, and repeated his thanks several times.

“Thank you for such a thoughtful lunch, but you don’t have to make one tomorrow,” he said softly.

“You can come to the cafeteria with me instead. At least then you won’t get hurt.”

He was referring to the small scar on Xia Qinghe’s wrist, attempting to be as subtle as possible. Xia Qinghe, seeing that Qiyu had not only accepted her handmade lunch but was also concerned for her, couldn’t stop smiling. “Mhm! Okay!”

To express his gratitude for the lunches, Qiyu specifically bought a large assortment of snacks and gave them to Xia Qinghe.

However, it seemed everything had been misunderstood.

Rumors about him and Xia Qinghe began circulating throughout the class. Even when they spoke, many eyes would stare at them without any pretense.

Qiyu hadn’t initially known about these rumors, as he wasn’t familiar with anyone in the class and rarely logged onto the forum, especially after being