CH 11

Yu Cheng spent the entire winter break with Qin He, and he was even more vigilant towards Lu Ran, treating her like a thief even though they had cleared up the misunderstanding. However, Yu Cheng had an inexplicable hostility towards Lu Ran, who was like a childhood friend to him.

When he found out that Qin He was going to tutor Lu Ran, Yu Cheng almost shouted and protested crazily, but his protests were ineffective. Under Qin He’s absolute pressure, he could only bring his textbooks every day to look for Qin He.

Just as Yu Cheng went out to pour water, Lu Ran ran over to chat with Qin He.

“Xiao He, does your friend have some issues in his head?” Although Lu Ran did not ask directly, her expression was hard to describe as she pointed to her head, wanting to say something but unable to.

“He’s a bit silly, but he’s not a bad person. You don’t have to worry about him.” Qin He thought of Yu Cheng’s stingy appearance and couldn’t help but want to laugh. Could Lu Ran steal him away?

“But you two are really good together, Xia Hege. The first time I hear you mention someone, you smile.” Lu Ran was lying on the table with her chin resting on her hand. “He is different with you.”

Qin He’s writing hand paused slightly, and then he continued to correct the papers as if nothing had happened.

“What’s different? Haven’t I always been like this?” Qin He asked

“No, you didn’t used to smile before, as if there was nothing in this world worth making you happy. You seemed to lack this kind of emotion, Xiao He, but now you seem to have become more popular, and that’s good.” Lu Ran felt sincerely happy about Qin He’s change. In her heart, Qin He had always been a very good and kind brother. Such a person should not be trapped in the past or be melancholic every day, as if there were an unbreakable knot in his heart.

“And he’s also very different with you, haven’t you noticed?”

“Hmm, maybe,” Qin He replied, his hand pausing briefly before continuing to grade the two papers in front of him.

“Despite his temper, I’ve noticed that he listens to pretty much everything you say. He also cares about whether you’re thirsty or hungry,” Lu Ran listed off with pride. “But the most important thing is that I think he’s jealous. He always seems to think that I’m trying to steal you away from him. So I think he’s blind and foolish. And like he said before, he always calls and messages you. I don’t think he can be this way with just anyone.”

Lu Ran didn’t mention the most important point, though. Yu Cheng’s gaze towards Qin He was strange, almost like he was looking at a lover rather than a friend. But two boys being in a relationship—was that even possible?

“Go, go, go study over there. What are you talking about?” Yu Cheng came back with water for Qin He and saw the two of them whispering together. “The water just boiled; wait a bit before drinking it; it’s hot.”

Lu Ran conscientiously moved to the other side to do her homework, and she said that Yu Cheng’s behaviour towards Qin He was strange. Qin He wasn’t a fool and could see the steam rising from the cup, yet Yu Cheng still reminded him repeatedly.

Qin He had brought his own cup and didn’t want to take another one and trouble someone else to wash it, so he used his own thermos. After speaking for the whole morning, his mouth was dry.

After a while, Qin He saw that the water wasn’t very hot anymore, so he took it and drank it directly. As soon as it entered his mouth, he spat it out into the nearby trash can, but it was still inevitable that a blister would form from the burn. He stuck out his tongue and sucked in some cool air, hoping it would alleviate the pain.

The commotion wasn’t small, and it immediately caught the attention of two people, especially Yu Cheng.

As soon as Qin He moved, Yu Cheng noticed him.

He hurried over to Qin He, pinching his chin. Their breaths intertwined, and Qin He was momentarily stunned, thinking that Yu Cheng was too close. He felt a bit uncomfortable and tried to turn his head away, but Yu Cheng forcibly held him in place.

“Don’t move. Open your mouth; let me see. Didn’t I tell you to wait a bit before drinking?”

Qin He reluctantly opened his mouth, and his pink tongue was slightly swollen from being scalded. There was a blister inside his mouth, and his eyes were wandering while his ears turned red.

“Does your house have ice cubes, Lu Ran?” With his hand still holding onto Qin He’s chin, Yu Cheng looked at Lu Ran with a worried expression. Qin He’s chin was slightly lifted, and he wanted to say that he was fine and just needed to air it out, but he couldn’t speak properly while being held like that. “N-no…”

His opinion was ignored, and Lu Ran brought ice cubes. Yu Cheng directly stuffed them into Qin He’s mouth, his fingers inevitably touching Qin He’s lips, which were dry and warm. That was Yu Cheng’s only thought. He released his hand and subconsciously pinched his fingers, as if savouring the feeling, yet also trying to drive away the hot temperature that made him restless.

“Hold it for a while; I’ll go buy you some medicine.” He said and was about to leave.

“I don’t need it; I’ll be fine in a while,” Qin He shouted at the ice, but Yu Cheng understood what he meant.

“What do you mean you don’t need it? You’re treating yourself like this.” Yu Cheng looked angry, as if he was upset that this person wasn’t taking care of himself.

Then he ran out.

“Spray; it’s a bit bitter, but you have to spray it properly, and this is candy; you can have some after you spray.” Yu Cheng was afraid that the person wouldn’t properly use the medicine, so he bought a bag of candy to coax him.

“You’re treating me like a child,” Qin He laughed. Qin He looked very handsome when he laughed; his whole person was very lively, and the dark coat set off his fair skin, making his smile even more bright.

Like candy, thought Yu Cheng; looking at it made him happy.

“Come on, let me spray it for you.” Yu Cheng’s hands were big with prominent joints, which made Qin He’s face appear small. The palm of his hand was warm, and it heated up Qin He’s face. Perhaps because of malnutrition in childhood, Qin He was very afraid of the cold. Even though he was wrapped in layer after layer of clothing, it didn’t seem to help. His hands were cold, and his face was cold too.

“No need; I can do it myself,” Qin He’s chilly hand touched Yu Cheng, and he felt like he had been burned, so he quickly withdrew his hand and stopped talking.

The two faced each other, but Qin He didn’t want to look at Yu Cheng and had no choice but to draw his gaze to the young man who was earnestly giving him medicine. The young man’s appearance matched his personality; when he wasn’t smiling, he always had an impatient look on his face, and he rarely showed a serious expression. When he did smile, there was a bit of a rogue quality to it that made people instinctively want to stay away.

But this seemingly rebellious young man was actually just a kid—incredibly immature. A single word could easily sway his emotions, and he often got into trouble due to misunderstandings, unable to explain himself. He was so arrogant that no one could control him.

Yet he was just a kid who loved candy; a few compliments could make him happy, and he would wag his tail in response. He was also attentive and gentle, avoiding others in the alleyways and always able to find those who went missing. Perhaps it was people like him that made Qin He’s heart soften, willing him to open up and get closer.

“Three times a day, you know that, right? Don’t be afraid of trouble.” Yu Cheng packed up his things. “Your hands are still so cold. Tomorrow, I’ll bring you a hot water bottle, and I’ll find you a cup to warm your hands in a bit.”

On the side, Lu Ran had a black line on her face. They really ignored her. The atmosphere between the two of them just now wasn’t right, was it…

That night, when Yu Cheng returned home, he kept messaging Qin He, reminding him not to eat hot food and to wait until it cooled down. Lately, Yu Cheng’s frequency of going out and holding his phone has increased rapidly, and he always has a silly smile on his face.

“Cheng Cheng, are you in love lately or pursuing someone?” Lin Zhengying was concerned about Yu Cheng’s love life.

“No, what are you thinking? It’s just Qin He; I’m chatting with him.”

“Oh,” Lin Ying sneaked a glance at Yu Cheng. This doesn’t seem like a relationship with a girl. They chat happily every day, but it’s not like he’s chasing after someone.

Yu Cheng took a minute to explain to his mother and then went back to chatting.

Before going to bed, Yu Cheng didn’t know what happened, but suddenly he had an image of Qin He with slightly parted lips, his tongue red, and his demeanour honest. It was a completely different Qin He from when he was being punished; he looked very obedient, with a soft and warm mouth. Yu Cheng bit his lip and thought about that image, getting himself worked up. In his dreams, Qin He was still that soft and obedient person who everyone bullied…

Xian Nan Zhi

Lu Ran is the supporting role, and the next chapter will continue to deliver sweetness~

Today we have a very obedient and soft Hehe~