I Will Care About You

When Wang Cheng returned after smoking his cigarette and sat down at the very back of Class Three’s group, he instinctively wanted to strike up a conversation with Lu Huaizhi and Shi Sui in front of him.

However, the moment he raised his eyes, he noticed something was off.

“Top student, why is your shirt so wrinkled?”

The collar was completely crooked, a button was undone, and even the hem of the shirt was crumpled into a ball, looking as if it had been clutched tightly by someone for a long time.

Wang Cheng then glanced at Shi Sui. “Holy f*ck, Shi Sui, did your ears get bitten by mosquitoes?”

Both of his ears were bright red, and looking closely, even his neck was flushed.

“I don’t know,” Shi Sui replied, rubbing his ears, his voice rigid.

How could he know why this heat hadn’t dissipated even after leaving the multimedia classroom for so long?

He felt as if he had drunk fake alcohol.

Shi Sui originally thought he would be fine once they came back, but as long as he thought about Lu Huaizhi sitting right behind him, the heat on his face simply refused to go down.

He couldn’t even concentrate on playing Pop Star, failing to pass a single level.

Shi Sui turned around, looking past Lu Huaizhi toward Wang Cheng. “Swap seats with Lu Huaizhi.”

Wang Cheng shifted his butt. “Oh, sure!”

But Lu Huaizhi didn’t budge. “Not swapping.”

Ever since they returned, Shi Sui hadn’t looked him in the eye once.

It was the complete opposite of how he had stared straight at him back in the multimedia classroom.

He seemed very resistant, yet his face remained consistently red.

Shi Sui naturally noticed Lu Huaizhi’s gaze, turning around to let him look openly. “Have you looked enough?”

Were this guy’s eyeballs glued to his body?

“Wang Cheng, let’s go out to the internet cafe,” Shi Sui said, shoving his phone into his pocket.

Wang Cheng’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. “Let’s go!”

He very naturally extended the invitation to Lu Huaizhi, “Top student, you going? It doesn’t seem like we need to collect any awards after the recitation competition ends anyway.”

“Yes,” Lu Huaizhi said. “Wait for me to change my clothes back first.”

Wearing this outfit out was too conspicuous.

After Lu Huaizhi left, Shi Sui’s back, which had been tense all along, gradually relaxed, and the heat on his face began to decline as well.

“Shi Sui, were you together with the top student just now?” Wang Cheng nudged Shi Sui with his elbow. “The marks on his clothes were a bit too… you know…”

Shi Sui frowned. “Speak human language.”

“Tsk, you’re really pure-minded, my friend,” Wang Cheng gestured. “A crooked collar, a crumpled shirt hem—I can already visualize the posture. He must have been pulled by the collar by someone standing on their tiptoes. The other party seemed very dominant, yet was too nervous and shy, unable to stop clutching the shirt hem tightly.”

Wang Cheng stroke his chin. “The top student couldn’t have been aggressively harassed by someone just now, right? That’s pretty wild.”

Shi Sui’s face stiffened for a moment.

Back then behind the curtain, it was Lu Huaizhi who had grabbed his wrist first and pulled him into his arms.

His clutching of Lu Huaizhi’s collar was merely because the height happened to be perfect, and it was just a means to make Lu Huaizhi let go of him.

How did it sound so trashy coming out of Wang Cheng’s mouth?

As for the shirt hem, he didn’t even know when he had clutched it.

Shi Sui thought expressionlessly.

It must have only been to alleviate the embarrassment of hearing that little couple kissing.

Once Lu Huaizhi changed his clothes, the three of them sneakily slipped to the spot where they had climbed the wall last time.

Since the recitation competition hadn’t ended yet, the school gate was closed, so they could only climb out.

Wang Cheng reached the base of the wall and found that the bricks previously placed underneath were gone. “Holy f*ck, Shi Sui, has our wall-climbing spot been exposed?”

“Keep your voice down,” Shi Sui glanced toward the security booth near the main gate.

The student currently reciting happened to be another highly passionate contestant, which should be loud enough to cover the noise of their wall-climbing.

Wang Cheng looked miserable, lowering his voice, “How are we supposed to climb over without bricks?”

Before his words could completely fall, he saw Shi Sui take a few steps back, take a running leap, and clear the top of the wall with an easy and agile posture.

“No way…” Wang Cheng froze. “Brother, are you performing acrobatics?”

Then, he watched with his own eyes as Lu Huaizhi cleared it using the exact same posture, leaving him standing there all alone in an instant.

Wang Cheng: “?”

Between these two, had they not only tutored academic subjects but physical education as well?

“Can you hurry up?” Shi Sui urged from the other side. “This place was discovered by old man Deng, it’s not safe.”

Wang Cheng gritted his teeth, imitating their running start, gathering strength, and just as he sprang upward, he suddenly heard a loud, booming shout: “Who is climbing the wall there again!”

It was Deng Weiben.

Wang Cheng was already nervous about this height, and being startled so unexpectedly, he almost crashed directly into the wall.

Fortunately, his reactions were quick, and he scrambled up the top of the wall using both hands and feet in a disheveled manner.

Just as Wang Cheng was about to roll over to the other side using the momentum, his ankle was suddenly grabbed.

“Still running?” Deng Weiben held his foot with one hand while shining a flashlight directly onto his face with the other. Recognizing Wang Cheng, he let out a cold laugh, “Another familiar face.”

Wang Cheng was so scared that he kept kicking his legs, “Old man Deng, why are you like a ghost!”

Popping out so suddenly.

Deng Weiben pulled his leg downward, “Wang Cheng, get down here.”

“Not coming down!” Wang Cheng refused to submit even to death.

He held onto the wall with one hand while extending his other hand toward Shi Sui down below, attempting to have Shi Sui rescue him from old man Deng’s clutches.

Deng Weiben was an old fox, instantly seeing through it. “Oh, there are accomplices outside?”

He called out toward the security booth, and the security guard immediately ran out. He was a large man who ran incredibly fast.

The hand Shi Sui had originally extended immediately snapped back. He turned around and grabbed Lu Huaizhi’s wrist. “Run!”

And so, Wang Cheng was stuck on top of the wall, watching with his own eyes as his childhood friend ran away with another person without even turning his head once.

“F*ck!” Wang Cheng cursed.

Shi Sui, you are a total scumbag!

Shi Sui led Lu Huaizhi through a long distance, and only after ensuring the guard hadn’t pursued them did his pace slow down, panting as he said, “Old man Deng was lying in wait!”

No wonder that wall-climbing spot was still intact. Deng Weiben had likely figured out that someone would slip away during the recitation competition, otherwise it wouldn’t be such a coincidence.

Lu Huaizhi’s gaze lingered on their joined wrists for a brief moment before he replied, “When we came out from Class Three, the dean took a glance.”

“Then why didn’t you say so earlier?” Shi Sui completely forgot that he was still gripping Lu Huaizhi’s wrist, continuing to lead him forward. “Fortunately, I climbed fast.”

Lu Huaizhi must have known as well, otherwise how could he have climbed over right after Shi Sui landed.

The two unconsciously walked into the South Alley.

Lu Huaizhi asked, “Are we still going to the internet cafe?”

Shi Sui: “Not going.”

What would the two of them do at the internet cafe? Squeeze together to solve questions?

“Then should we go buy milk tea?” Lu Huaizhi pointed to the right. “The milk tea shop you took a photo of last time seems to be nearby.”

Hearing this, Shi Sui walked toward it without thinking much.

He had indeed promised to make it up to Lu Huaizhi with a cup of milk tea before.

Regrettably, the two arrived too late; the milk tea shop had just closed, and a few other young people who suffered the same fate stood nearby looking full of regret.

Among them was a couple, and the girl kept looking over toward their side, her eyes filled with curiosity along with a blatant grin.

The corners of her mouth were almost curling into the sky.

Shi Sui instinctively glanced at his own clothes.

A school uniform, without any stains on it—what was she looking at?

But the next moment, he froze right on the spot—

He saw his hand joined together with Lu Huaizhi’s.

Shi Sui let go of his hand swiftly with a force so large that it almost threw Lu Huaizhi’s hand away.

That girl suddenly burst into a laugh as if she had reached some sort of understanding with Shi Sui, winking at him before leaving with her boyfriend.

She even gripped her boyfriend’s wrist very happily.

Shi Sui: “?”

Who was she implying?

But weren’t his reactions today a bit too sluggish? He had actually held Lu Huaizhi’s hand for so long without even realizing it.

“Lu Huaizhi, you—” Shi Sui originally wanted to ask Lu Huaizhi why he didn’t remind him, but for some reason, his mind automatically simulated Lu Huaizhi’s response.

‘I held your hand all the way, why didn’t you say anything?’

‘Why should I say anything?’

Lu Huaizhi would definitely ask him back calmly with that poker face of his, ‘I don’t mind you holding it all the way.’

Shi Sui felt numb, choosing to shut his mouth.

At this moment, the phone in his pocket kept ringing incessantly. Shi Sui opened it to find Wang Cheng going crazy in the group chat.

[Wangwang: Shi Sui, you heartless man! Scumbag! You actually abandoned me to run away with your little lover like this?]

[Lu: Mm.]

[Wangwang: Do you know how old man Deng punished me? He made me write a five-thousand-word self-reflection and read it to him in his office! You ungrateful dog!]

[Wangwang: Wait a minute, top student, what are you ‘mm’-ing at?]

Shi Sui’s gaze instinctively fell on that term “little lover,” raising his eyes to look at Lu Huaizhi. “?”

Lu Huaizhi put his phone back into his pocket. “There’s a twenty-four-hour convenience store nearby, want to go get something to eat?”

Shi Sui frowned. “Don’t play dumb.”

Saying such words in the group chat—only a dense guy like Wang Cheng wouldn’t be able to see through it.

“Can you restrain yourself a bit—”

Lu Huaizhi: “I’m hungry.”

Shi Sui: “…”

There were many choices at the convenience store. Shi Sui instinctively prepared to pick a bowl of instant noodles when he heard Lu Huaizhi speak directly at the front counter, “Give me one of each item from the oden, two portions. Plus two chicken burgers, thank you.”

Xinxin had mentioned that Shi Sui ate everything purchased from the convenience store last time.

After ordering the food, Lu Huaizhi turned around to look at Shi Sui. “Is this enough?”

Shi Sui expressionlessly retracted the hand he had resting on the instant noodle cup.

The two sat by the window of the convenience store to eat.

Outside was a dim street, and a stray cat occasionally darted out from the bushes, looking curiously at the two eating by the window.

When Shi Sui raised his eyes to look over, the cat would run away alertly.

Before long, it would walk back again, staring blankly at Shi Sui through the glass window.

Shi Sui was too lazy to pay attention to it, taking a large bite of a sausage under its gaze.

The stray cat hissed at him fiercely.

Shi Sui ate even more enthusiastically.

Then, he heard a very low laugh from the side.

The slight smugness on Shi Sui’s face slowly faded away, tilting his head to look at Lu Huaizhi blankly, “No laughing.”

“Mm, I’m not laughing.” Lu Huaizhi pressed down the corners of his mouth, though his eyes still contained residual traces of amusement.

Shi Sui ignored him, continuing to lower his head to eat.

But very quickly, he heard the person beside him pull back his chair and stand up, purchasing a pack of ham sausages in the convenience store.

Shi Sui looked out the window to find Lu Huaizhi standing by the bushes with that pack of sausages, tearing open the packaging in an attempt to feed that cat.

However, stray cats were always extremely alert, having already run away the moment Lu Huaizhi walked out the door.

Shi Sui bit into a fish ball, leaning lazily against the back of his chair to watch Lu Huaizhi waste his efforts.

After waiting for at least three minutes, that cat hadn’t shown a single hair.

Shi Sui said lazily, “Don’t waste your efforts.”

Stray cats wouldn’t lower their guard to get close to people so easily.

But Lu Huaizhi was very patient, placing the peeled sausage on the ground while taking a step back himself.

Not long after, a white cat head popped out from the bushes. It sniffed alertly, glanced at Lu Huaizhi, then tilted its head to look at Shi Sui inside the store, before swiftly darting back with the sausage in its mouth.

Lu Huaizhi repeated the same trick to place down a second one, which was stolen by the cat again.

The third time, Lu Huaizhi held the sausage himself to wait.

This time the cat came too, approaching slowly step by step, before lowering its head to eat the one in Lu Huaizhi’s hand.

After finishing it, it even tilted its head up to rub against Lu Huaizhi’s finger before strolling back into the bushes leisurely.

Shi Sui: “…”

This scene made him feel quite uncomfortable watching it.

Why was that smelly cat so easily bought over? Hadn’t it just hissed at him fiercely earlier? Couldn’t it have a bit of spine?

Similarly, Shi Sui repeated these words to himself as well.

At this moment, the phone Lu Huaizhi had placed on the table vibrated several times.

Shi Sui originally thought it was Wang Cheng frantically mentioning people in the group chat again, but opening his own phone, it wasn’t.

When Lu Huaizhi returned after feeding the cat, Shi Sui pointed at his phone, “Your phone kept ringing, seems like someone is looking for you.”

Lu Huaizhi took a glance and placed the phone face down. “It’s nothing.”

Unknown if it was Shi Sui’s illusion, but the curvature of Lu Huaizhi’s lips, which had been in a good mood after feeding the cat, seemed to fade a lot.

His speed of eating slowed down as well, looking as if he had no appetite.

Shi Sui knocked his knuckles against the desk. “No wasting food.”

“Okay,” Lu Huaizhi paused. “Can you help me share a skewer of fish balls?”

Shi Sui glanced at the round, brightly colored fish balls in his bowl and didn’t speak.

Lu Huaizhi was very conscious, directly placing the fish balls into Shi Sui’s bowl.

Just as Shi Sui took a bite of a fish ball, Lu Huaizhi’s phone rang again—this time it was a call.

Shi Sui raised his eyes in confusion. Lu Huaizhi picked up the phone, then placed another skewer of kelp knots along with a grilled sausage into Shi Sui’s bowl, adding a lollipop purchased at some unknown point. “I’ll go outside to answer a call.”

Lu Huaizhi didn’t stand far away, so Shi Sui could vaguely hear his voice.

‘Mom, there was a recitation competition at school today, I participated, so I’m returning quite late.’

‘I’m having a late-night snack outside right now, I’ll head home shortly.’

‘Not alone.’

When Lu Huaizhi said these words, there wasn’t much expression on his face. It was different from his usual poker face; it was a genuine cold indifference, even carrying an undetectable trace of annoyance.

Shi Sui tilted his feet casually, thinking while munching on the grilled sausage—was it because Lu Huaizhi’s mother controlled him too strictly, creating a rebellious psychological response?

This term felt quite strange placed on Lu Huaizhi.

After finishing the call, Lu Huaizhi silently finished the remaining food, and the two walked out of the convenience store together.

It was already past eleven o’clock now, with very few pedestrians on the street. Occasionally passing one or two adults, they would take a few extra curious glances upon seeing the school uniforms on them.

Shi Sui couldn’t stand Lu Huaizhi’s sudden silence, chewing up the lollipop in his mouth before speaking, “Actually, it’s normal for someone to worry when you’re not home this late.”

He wanted to squeeze out a few words of comfort to counsel the person, but having never done this before, he gave up. “Isn’t it quite good to have someone care?”

Shi Sui pointed at himself, “Look at me, even if I fool around outside for an entire night, no one will notice, nor will anyone urge me to return home.”

In fact, for a brief moment just now, Shi Sui had been envious of Lu Huaizhi.

But that emotion quickly dissipated; everyone had a different family and lifestyle.

Hearing Shi Sui’s self-deprecating tone, Lu Huaizhi’s footsteps suddenly stopped.

Shi Sui tilted his head in confusion.

“Someone will notice, and someone will urge you to return home,” Lu Huaizhi looked into his eyes fixedly. “I will care about you.”

Shi Sui froze for a moment, lowering his head to kick a pebble beneath his foot, saying indistinctly, “Who wants you to care.”

But with this distraction, Lu Huaizhi’s emotions finally returned to normal.

When they reached the bus station and were preparing to part ways, Lu Huaizhi stopped him, “Go buy milk tea together after school tomorrow?”

Just as Shi Sui was preparing to agree, Lu Huaizhi added another sentence, “Can we not call Wang Cheng?”

Shi Sui: “…”

Lu Huaizhi: “I want to be alone with you.”

Shi Sui ground his teeth, “Can you please not display your scheming intentions so openly?”

Lu Huaizhi paused, “The milk tea shop has a buy-one-get-one-free offer. Adding Wang Cheng makes it hard to divide among three people.”

A very subtle phrasing.

Shi Sui chose to ignore him, turning around to leave.

Just as he entered his door, a message came from his phone.

[High School Grade Two Class Three Lu Huaizhi: Caught the bus.]

He even sent a screenshot of the bus route, resembling an itinerary report.

Shi Sui glanced at the driver’s license plate number, replying with a period to indicate he knew.

[High School Grade Two Class Three Lu Huaizhi: Arrived home.]

[ss: .]

[High School Grade Two Class Three Lu Huaizhi: So are you going to the milk tea shop with me tomorrow?]

[ss: …]

[High School Grade Two Class Three Lu Huaizhi: You promised me.]

[ss: Stop being annoying.]

Lu Huaizhi stopped speaking.

Five minutes later, Shi Sui sent a message to Wang Cheng.

[ss: I have to go to the internet cafe for my part-time job after school tomorrow. Very busy, don’t come to get in the way.]