Sharing a Bed

Seeing how defensively Shi Sui protected that milk tea, Li Lulu found it hilarious, “I already know you’re saving it for that kid Lu Huaizhi, so I won’t steal it from you.”

She pulled her small purse out from the counter drawer, “I’ll go out and buy one myself.” She couldn’t be bothered to wait for delivery.

After Li Lulu left, Shi Sui looked at the milk tea that was constantly radiating cold moisture. After thinking for a bit, he directly placed the milk tea inside the internet cafe’s freezer.

He even specifically stuck a small paper note on top of it— [Not for sale, do not touch.]

After completing this, Shi Sui sat back at the counter, only to see a message sent to him by Li Lulu.

[Sister Lulu: Shi Sui, that group of people who frequently came to the internet cafe before has appeared again, and one person is holding a stick in his hand.]

[Sister Lulu: Looking at their direction, they’re heading toward the internet cafe.]

Shi Sui’s gaze froze.

[ss: Don’t follow them, be careful not to get discovered.]

[ss: I’ll go out and intercept them. If a fight breaks out directly at the entrance, or if I haven’t returned after half an hour, you call the police.]

After all, Li Lulu’s internet cafe wasn’t considered fully regulated, and there were currently many minors inside. It would be very troublesome if the police came, so if it could be resolved with fists, he preferred not to call the police.

Shi Sui stepped out of the internet cafe, sweeping his gaze around, and very quickly discovered the targets.

Sure enough, a small group of people on the right side was currently walking toward the internet cafe.

Aided by the streetlamp, Shi Sui recognized the person leading them with the stick as Chen Niu from the neighboring Number Three High School.

Presumably, when Chen Niu was bullying Tao Lingwei previously, his head had been bashed by Shi Sui. Coupled with the fact that he hadn’t gained any advantage during the sports meet, he was currently unable to suppress his anger, so he had tracked him down to the internet cafe.

Shi Sui pulled out his phone, wanting to call Chi Qing and Wang Cheng. His finger had already pressed onto the numbers when he paused abruptly.

Wang Cheng had just shared the fried crispy fish his mother made in the group chat earlier, clearly eating dinner, while Chi Qing was currently accompanying his girlfriend.

Shi Sui hesitated for a moment, didn’t call anyone, but opened WeChat instead, sending a message to Lu Huaizhi. [ss: I have something to take care of temporarily and am heading out, don’t look for me.]

After sending the message, Shi Sui took a step forward, standing right under the streetlamp, lifting his eyes to look at Chen Niu and the others.

With such a conspicuous living person like Shi Sui standing at the entrance with a provocative gaze, Chen Niu naturally discovered him. His pace immediately grew faster, cursing out: “Finally caught you!”

He had heard news very early on saying Shi Sui worked a part-time shift at this internet cafe. He hadn’t cared before, but during the sports meet, Shi Sui had made him lose face completely. As a sports student running the three thousand meters, he had actually been left half a lap behind by Shi Sui. The key point was that the other party hadn’t even spared him a single glance.

It clearly showed he didn’t take him seriously.

What was even more disgusting was that a lackey came to tell him today that the girl he took a fancy to had ended up together with someone beside Shi Sui. He couldn’t swallow this anger no matter what.

At worst, he would cause a mess at this internet cafe, making it unable to continue operating.

Fortunately, his trip didn’t end up empty this time.

A cruel smile surfaced on Chen Niu’s face. Just as he wanted to lead his lackeys to rush over, he saw Shi Sui slightly raise his hand, giving them a middle finger. Then, he turned on his heels and ran.

In a flash, he vanished into the deep lanes of the night.

Chen Niu rushed over without even thinking, completely forgetting that he had actually come to cause trouble for the internet cafe today.

Utilizing his understanding of South Alley’s terrain, Shi Sui twisted and turned through the paths inside.

His speed wasn’t fast, because it wasn’t for the sake of escaping, but to find a suitable terrain— And then, counterattack.

This area was a street section of South Alley that had been gradually abandoned. Many walls had collapsed, making roads that originally weren’t connected passable. The light was dim, and Shi Sui liked this place very much when fighting.

Concealed, devoid of people, and he didn’t need to have a single scruple when striking out.

Shi Sui felt the muscles throughout his body tighten. That long-lost feeling of excitement rushed from his limbs and bones toward his brain, making one crave and grow addicted to it.

He circled behind Chen Niu and the others, utilizing the shadows of the walls as cover. Emerging soundlessly, he directly locked onto the neck of the last person, delivering a fist tightly onto his flank.

That spot was extremely fragile, and that person instantly hunched his body over, kneeling on the ground while rolling from the intense pain.

Shi Sui used this method to knock down several people beside Chen Niu, but the opposing side also gradually grew familiar with the terrain, raising their vigilance and preventing him from succeeding again.

Shi Sui didn’t hide anymore either, directly engaging in a brawl with them.

Bursts of insults, heavy panting after being hit, and wails echoed through the abandoned street.

Watching from the rear, Chen Niu felt his heart thumping with terror.

He saw Shi Sui get hit fiercely on the back once with a wooden board by someone from behind, to the point where the wooden board cracked apart, yet this guy had absolutely no reaction. Was he crazy?

Only Shi Sui knew what he felt right now. He was completely unable to feel pain, only wanting to beat this group of eyesores until they were flat on the ground.

He wiped the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth, approaching Chen Niu step by step, “Didn’t I tell you not to come to South Alley? You even tracked me down to the internet cafe?”

Chen Niu took a step backward, keeping a stubborn mouth: “Who do you think you are, does this lord really have to listen to you?”

“Fine.” Shi Sui swallowed the bloody saliva in his mouth, “Hit you one more time and you’ll be convinced.”

Chen Niu’s eyes widened, raising the baseball bat in his hand, pointing it forward, “Get him for me.” He was truly intimidated.

Shi Sui’s appearance like this instantly made him recall the suicidal ruthlessness from before.

Shi Sui glanced at the baseball bat, it was wooden, he could withstand it, then seize the opportunity to subdue Chen Niu.

He remembered the exit was right behind Chen Niu.

Thus, when Chen Niu smashed the baseball bat toward him, Shi Sui didn’t dodge, instead taking a step forward. Just as he was prepared to take this blow head-on, a powerful pull suddenly erupted from behind him.

Shi Sui crashed into a person’s chest. A clean scent instantly dispersed the bloody smell in his nasal cavity. Lifting his eyes blankly, he saw the person behind him stretch out his arm, blocking this stick for him.

With a bang.

The stick smashed directly onto Lu Huaizhi’s arm, and the baseball bat even recoiled backward once, showing just how much force Chen Niu had used.

Lu Huaizhi’s face turned completely white.

“Fck!” Shi Sui’s eyes turned red, snatching the baseball bat away with a single yank, intending to smash it fiercely onto Chen Niu, but just as he raised his hand, he was embraced by the person behind him.

“Don’t be impulsive.” Lu Huaizhi caught his breath, “They’re surrounding us.”

The lackeys who had been taught a lesson by Shi Sui just now were gradually recovering their strength, preparing to block them.

If Shi Sui and Chen Niu fought directly at this time, those people behind would spot the opening and leap forward.

Chen Niu’s waist straightened up again, speaking proudly: “You think you can win just because you have a helper?”

He spat on the ground, “Watch how I clean up you little cur—”

Before his words could fully fall, the pride on Chen Niu’s face was replaced by terror. Shi Sui directly swung the bat to smash it toward his face. He only had time to turn sideways and raise his arm to block, and the bat struck heavily on his arm.

A solid sound of impact rang out, accompanied by Chen Niu’s wretched scream, and the wooden baseball bat split right apart.

No one had anticipated this scene, looking in shock at Chen Niu who was clutching his arm and wailing.

Even Lu Huaizhi froze for a moment.

Chen Niu’s dodging caused the circle of encirclement to tear open an opening, and Shi Sui grabbed Lu Huaizhi’s hand, “Run!”

The footsteps of pursuit quickly echoed behind them. Shi Sui tightly yanked Lu Huaizhi’s wrist, twisting and turning through South Alley.

The speed of the two was very fast, and before long, they shook off Chen Niu’s people. Shi Sui looked at Lu Huaizhi’s left arm, which had been stiff all along, and brought the person back home with a cold face.

After returning home, he slammed the door shut with a loud bang, turning around to curse: “Are you an id*ot? Such a big stick and you use your hand to block it?”

He had long since grown accustomed to such scenes and was highly resistant to beatings, but where could a model student like Lu Huaizhi withstand such a blow.

Whenever Shi Sui thought of the scene of the stick landing on Lu Huaizhi’s arm, the hostility in his heart couldn’t be stopped no matter what.

Knowing Shi Sui was currently at the peak of his anger, Lu Huaizhi didn’t speak.

The lighting inside the room wasn’t as poor as outside. Lu Huaizhi clearly saw the injuries on Shi Sui’s face; the corner of his mouth was bruised, there were several deep bloody red marks on his neck, and his clothes were covered in dust and mud.

Yet Shi Sui didn’t care at all. After cursing at him, he roughly reached out his hand to pull his arm, looking toward the spot that had been smashed previously, “Is it broken?”

Lu Huaizhi shook his head: “No.” His arm had been tensed very tightly at the time, so it hadn’t injured the bone, it was just that the spot that was hit had swollen up directly.

Shi Sui: “Straighten your arm yourself, then raise it up.”

Lu Huaizhi did as told.

Seeing that there was nothing abnormal, Shi Sui found a clean towel, took out a bottle of mineral water from the fridge to wet the towel, “Apply it yourself.”

After saying that, he didn’t pay any more attention to the person, sitting on the sofa using alcohol cotton swabs to disinfect the wounds at the corner of his mouth and on his neck.

As the alcohol stimulated the wounds, Shi Sui didn’t utter a single groan, throwing the blood-stained cotton swabs into the trash can with a cold face.

Just then, the phone in Shi Sui’s pocket rang, it was Wang Cheng.

“Holy fck, someone looked for trouble with you and you didn’t say anything? Where are you? I’m currently putting on my shoes, coming over right away.” Wang Cheng’s voice was incomparably anxious, “Chi Qing said he isn’t far away and can rush over very quickly too, don’t charge in blindly.”

Shi Sui even heard Wang Cheng knock something over in his panic, being scolded several times by his parents.

He frowned: “I’m fine, don’t come.”

“Like hll you’re fine!” Wang Cheng said, “Sister Lulu said that side brought five or six people, they came specifically for you! She said the Top Student went over too, what hll of a use can the Top Student be!”

As Wang Cheng spoke, his voice even carried a bit of a choke: “You guys better not get beaten to death.”

Shi Sui: “…” “Under what kind of situation do you think I would be able to talk nonsense with you like this?”

“Huh?” Wang Cheng accidentally tied his shoelace into a dead knot, suddenly realizing Shi Sui’s side was too quiet, “You guys finished fighting?”

Shi Sui spoke with a taut face: “I ran.”

“Ah?” Wang Cheng was a bit unable to believe his own ears.

Shi Sui could actually escape during a fight? This was even more shocking to him than hearing Shi Sui had been beaten to death.

Shi Sui was too lazy to explain to him, “Go tell Chi Qing and Sister Lulu, I’m fine.”

“That group of people probably won’t come to cause trouble for the time being either.” The blow Chen Niu took wasn’t light.

“Hey wait, you really ran?” Wang Cheng was afraid Shi Sui was tricking him.

Shi Sui: “Hanging up.” After saying that, he hung up the phone without the slightest hesitation.

If he didn’t run, was he supposed to watch that fool Lu Huaizhi get beaten up?

At this moment, Lu Huaizhi went to the restroom to wring the water out of the towel, poured some ice water onto it again, and applied it to the injured spot himself.

Shi Sui cast a glance, ignoring the person.

The two took up the two ends of the sofa, one on the left and one on the right.

Lu Huaizhi suddenly frowned and gasped.

Shi Sui turned around immediately: “What’s wrong?”

“Pressed too hard just now, it hurts a bit.” Lu Huaizhi released his hand holding the towel, “Is it bleeding?”

Shi Sui sat beside him, flipping the towel open to take a look, it was merely red and swollen, “No bleeding.” However, the surface was scraped.

He brought the alcohol he had used just now over, using a cotton swab to disinfect the injury for the person.

Shi Sui’s lips were tightly pursed. When he touched Lu Huaizhi’s wound for the first time, he lifted his head to look at him.

Seeing Lu Huaizhi had no reaction, he lowered his head to continue.

The warm-colored light from above cast a small shadow across Shi Sui’s face. When his eyes were lowered, he looked a bit well-behaved, completely opposite to the person with the ruthless expression during the fight just now.

Looking at the injuries on Shi Sui’s body, Lu Huaizhi spoke up: “Don’t fight in the future, it hurts a lot.”

Shi Sui gave a casual response, but his action of disinfecting the injury for the person paused, and a moment later, he jabbed hard onto it again, “Bear with it even if it hurts.”

He had clearly sent a message telling Lu Huaizhi not to look for him, yet Lu Huaizhi directly treated it as a passing wind. Without eating a bit of a bitter lesson, he simply wouldn’t learn.

Lu Huaizhi drew in a breath of cold air, but didn’t cry out in pain again.

Glancing at Lu Huaizhi’s face which was white from the pain, Shi Sui frowned, “How can it hurt this much.” So delicate.

The next time, Shi Sui held the cotton swab deliberating over the force for a long time, and when he pressed down again, the alcohol didn’t even touch the wound.

After finishing the disinfection, Shi Sui glanced at the time, 11:00 PM.

Shi Sui asked: “You know how to walk from here to the bus station, right?” A blatant dismissal of the guest.

This time Lu Huaizhi came to his house, there was no cat, nor was it to tutor him with homework, making Shi Sui very unaccustomed to it. It gave him an illusion that Lu Huaizhi had already forcefully squeezed into his life.

Lu Huaizhi lifted his head to look out the window, the night was very thick, “Will that group of people lie in ambush?” This question stumped Shi Sui all at once.

The streetlamps around his community had always been poor, especially the ones toward the direction of the bus station. Many road sections were pitch black; if people were truly hiding, it would be impossible to discover them.

Lu Huaizhi: “Can I stay over?”

Shi Sui thought about the 1.5-meter bed in his bedroom, refusing decisively: “No.”

“I’ll sleep on the sofa.” Lu Huaizhi was very self-aware.

…

Lu Huaizhi ended up sleeping at Shi Sui’s house after all.

He hadn’t brought clothes to change into, wearing Shi Sui’s skeleton shirt.

An outfit that originally looked incomparably handsome and sharp on Shi Sui’s body became comical and funny on Lu Huaizhi.

Lu Huaizhi was currently washing his own clothes. Sensing the gaze thrown over by Shi Sui several times, he turned his head to look at him: “I can wear the school uniform you hung out to dry on the balcony.”

“I only washed it this afternoon, it’s still wet.” Shi Sui’s tone was sluggish, “If you find it distasteful, you can return to your own home.”

Lu Huaizhi indeed quieted down, no longer mentioning changing clothes.

Shi Sui observed for a while, discovering that Lu Huaizhi’s movements were quite smooth when washing clothes, so his arm should be fine.

However, that kid Chen Niu… Shi Sui’s gaze turned cold.

“Don’t think about going to look for that bastard.” Lu Huaizhi suddenly spoke up, “You already hit him back for me.”

Shi Sui hadn’t expected Lu Huaizhi to see through his thoughts even like this, swiping casually on his phone several times, “Who’s going to seek revenge for you? Thinking too much.”

Once Lu Huaizhi finished washing his clothes, the two sat facing each other on the sofa in the living room.

Both of them had just finished showering, and with Lu Huaizhi wearing Shi Sui’s clothes, the atmosphere was a bit strange. Shi Sui subconsciously moved to the very corner of the sofa.

However, as if completely failing to notice, Lu Huaizhi casually chatted with Shi Sui about random things.

“Did you finish your weekend homework? You can copy mine.”

Shi Sui recalled the homework Lu Huaizhi gave to Wang Cheng, speaking firmly: “Not copying.”

Lu Huaizhi: “Shall we have breakfast together tomorrow? Wang Cheng said there’s a breakfast shop downstairs from your house that tastes very good.”

Shi Sui spoke with a cold face: “Not eating.”

No matter what Lu Huaizhi said, Shi Sui refused.

It seemed that only in this way could he ignore that restlessness in the depths of his heart.

They had clearly just finished a fight today, it shouldn’t be like this.

Right now, he was merely sitting on the same sofa as Lu Huaizhi, maintaining a normal distance, yet he still felt he was too close to the person.

The scent of shampoo and body wash on Lu Huaizhi’s body drifted over bit by bit, minty, fresh and clean. It was clearly the brand he had been using all along, yet Shi Sui just felt the scent was different.

He sat as if on pins and needles, his ears beginning to heat up again, having an impulse to directly throw Lu Huaizhi out.

It just so happened that Lu Huaizhi still used excuses from time to time to edge toward his side, leaving him able only to press against the corner of the sofa, refusing the person with a taut face.

“Look, the bite mark on my arm is gone.”

“Not looking.”

Shi Sui spoke words of refusal, but his eyes still subconsciously glanced toward Lu Huaizhi’s forearm. Sure enough, not a single trace could be seen.

But upon lifting his eyes, he saw that highly swollen bruise above the arm.

That was today’s new injury.

… In debt again.

Shi Sui felt that if they continued chatting, Lu Huaizhi would pit him again, sitting up from the sofa, “It’s late, going to sleep.”

After saying that, he went into the bedroom himself, not forgetting to point out the switch for the living room light to Lu Huaizhi, “Remember to turn off the light.”

Very quickly, the living room light was turned off.

Shi Sui hadn’t slept well during the day, lying directly on the bed closing his eyes preparing to sleep.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly heard a burst of tooth-grating creaking sounds.

It was emitted by that old sofa in the living room.

The night was very quiet, and this sound was exceptionally piercing, scaring away all of Shi Sui’s sleepiness.

Shi Sui tossed over.

In less than a minute, the sofa let out another sound, looking like a cry for help under an unbearable burden.

Shi Sui endured it without opening his eyes.

Half a minute later, the creaking sound was accompanied by a crisp slap.

Shi Sui scrambled out of bed with a rustle, opening the bedroom door, shining the flashlight of his phone toward the sofa, speaking through gritted teeth: “Are you demolishing the house?”

But he didn’t shine it on the person, only seeing a small section of a leg extending out from the sofa— Pitifully resting by the edge of the sofa, with nowhere to be placed.

Shi Sui lost his voice all at once. When he slept on it, the size was clearly just right…

Shi Sui turned on the light in the living room, looking expressionlessly at Lu Huaizhi.

“Can’t fit on the sofa.” Lu Huaizhi sat properly on the sofa, pausing, “And there are mosquitoes.”

After saying that, he showed him the bites that had been inflicted on his leg.

Shi Sui swept a glance, freezing. Three or four swollen mosquito bites.

Usually, those mosquitoes weren’t this enthusiastic toward him, yet they caught onto Lu Huaizhi to bite?

Meanwhile, only the bedroom had been using the electric mosquito liquid all along, having the fewest mosquitoes. But with a 1.5-meter bed in the bedroom, if two people slept on it, their legs and arms would touch together.

Absolutely not allowed…

Just as he was prepared to harden his heart and ignore Lu Huaizhi, the other party spoke up softly.

“Did I disturb you?” Lu Huaizhi pursed his lips, “Then I’ll try my best not to move, and mosquito bites aren’t that unbearable either.”

After saying that, he reversed his direction, “I’ll switch sides to sleep, the sofa backrest pressed against my arm just now, it hurt a bit.”

Shi Sui couldn’t bear to look any longer, pulling the person up from the sofa, “Go sleep in the bedroom.” He would just make do for a night on the sofa himself.

Watching Shi Sui’s movement as he prepared to sit on the sofa, Lu Huaizhi asked a question: “You’re going to sleep in the living room?” “Are you afraid of staying together with me?”

Just as Shi Sui’s backside touched the sofa, he jumped up all at once, refuting without even thinking: “How is that possible?” What did he have to be afraid of.

“But I seemed to see you looking quite uncomfortable sitting on the sofa with me just now.” Lu Huaizhi’s tone paused, “You don’t need to force yourself.”

“You really talk too much nonsense.” This time, Shi Sui walked directly toward the bedroom, without even turning his head, “Get over here and sleep.”