Chapter Twenty-Two

Lu Nan sat at the table, her face full of displeasure.

Cheng Xiangbei and Long Jiumo continued chatting, pretending not to see his fiery glare. Lu Nan, tired of glaring, decided to take a break. Turning his head, he froze. He'd been so focused on interrogating Long Jiumo when he entered that he hadn't noticed the entire room had changed. The bunk bed they'd shared for years was gone, and the Japanese-style table was nowhere to be found. What he found most unbearable was that the long-haired rug he used to roll around on the floor with was also gone!

In short, there wasn't a single thing he recognized in this room! Lu Nan felt a little flustered. He jumped off the chair and wandered around the room, touching this and that. He even sat on the floor, looking up at the sky. Cheng Xiangbei, while talking to Long Jiu Mo, secretly glanced at Lu Nan's little actions. The two seemed to be not interacting, but the cautious atmosphere didn't escape Long Jiu Mo's notice. He coldly looked at Lu Nan's silly appearance sitting on the floor and laughed, "What? Are there pigs flying in the sky?"

Hearing his ambiguous words, Lu Nan was taken aback, then replied, "Because you're blowing on the ground!"

Long Jiu Mo gritted his teeth and forced a smile. He said, "Xiao Lu, you're really funny."

"Hmph!" Lu Nan looked around but couldn't find his favorite long-haired carpet. He wanted to ask Cheng Xiangbei, but because of Cheng Xiangbei's attitude just now, he opened his mouth and then closed it again.

The atmosphere in the room was both tense and quiet.

Everyone had a smile on their face, but they all seemed a little distracted.

The atmosphere only lightened abruptly after Long Tiangang finished his business and took his leave with Long Jiumo. Cheng Xiangbei followed his father to see the guests off, and only stopped after Long Tiangang politely declined several times. Looking at the smiling Cheng family, Long Tiangang scolded his son: "Look at the Cheng family's way of treating guests, learn from them!" Long Jiumo nodded with a gloomy expression.

Lu Nan was dejected, even forgetting his order to take Cheng Xiangbei home for dinner. After Long Jiu Mo left, he also listlessly took his leave, not hearing Cheng Xiang Dong calling after him. Cheng Xiang Bei wanted to chase after him, but stopped in his tracks, as if remembering something. Cheng Xiang Dong saw his younger brother staring blankly at Lu Nan, chuckled to himself, and said, "Don't look anymore, they're already far away."

Cheng Xiangbei sighed and decided to go upstairs to study the correlation between "Indifference" and Long Jiu. Just as he reached the second floor, Cheng Xiangdong handed him a box and said with a smile, "Well, you need a reason to look for someone, right?"

Cheng Xiangbei took the box; it was Lu Nan's favorite chocolate brand. His eyes crinkled with laughter as he exclaimed to his brother, "Brother! You're like my own brother!"

Cheng Xiangdong kicked him. He laughed and cursed, "You brat, you can't expect anything good to come out of your mouth!"

After having dinner, Cheng Xiangbei nervously walked towards the Lu family's house, clutching the box of chocolates.

It was cold, and he wasn't wearing gloves; his hands were red and tingly, but his body felt hot, and sweat beaded on his nose. He'd been pondering Lu Nan's dejected expression all the way home, wondering if it was related to him. Taking a step with his left foot meant Lu Nan was interested in him; taking a step with his right foot meant she wasn't…

He walked all the way to Lu Nan's building, carefully calculating how many steps it would take to get to the building entrance. Then, just to be safe, he hopped onto the steps on one foot. That way, he was always on his left foot! Cheng Xiangbei was grinning foolishly when someone suddenly came out of the building. Seeing him on one foot, the person gave him a surprised look. Cheng Xiangbei blushed and quickly went back inside.

He ran all the way to Lu Nan's floor, took a breath, and pressed the doorbell.

"Who is it?" Aunt Lu opened the door.

“Auntie, it’s me,” Cheng Xiangbei said with a grin.

"Oh my, it's Tiger! Come in, come in!" As soon as Aunt Lu saw Cheng Xiangbei, her face lit up with a smile. She ushered him in and said, "I asked Nannan to invite your family over for dinner, but the child came back by himself! I wonder what's wrong with him!"

Cheng Xiangbei quickly apologized with a smile, "Auntie, it's not about Nannan. I couldn't come because we had guests. I came over to apologize as soon as I finished eating."

Aunt Lu nodded and said, "Oh, I see! I was wondering why Nannan hadn't mentioned it to you!"

Cheng Xiangbei secretly broke out in a cold sweat and laughed, "No, no, Nannan has said it several times! It's all my fault!" He held up the box in his hand and continued, "I brought chocolates for Nannan, but where is he?"

Lu's mother pouted and said, "You didn't look well as soon as you got back, and you went straight to your room after dinner. Also! Don't buy chocolate anymore! I heard it's very expensive! It's always making your family spend money... this..."

"It's nothing, it's nothing. These were all gifts from my brother's classmate." Cheng Xiangbei quickly protected the label on the box and went to knock on Lu Nan's door with a smile.

"Come in..." Lu Nan was lying on the bed thinking when she heard the knock on the door and answered weakly.

"Nannan." Cheng Xiangbei entered the room and saw Lu Nan lying face down on the bed, her face buried in the pillow. His heart tightened, and he walked to the bedside and squatted down. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Huh?" Lu Nan was startled by his voice. He sat up halfway and looked at Cheng Xiangbei in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Cheng Xiangbei felt a slight hurt in his pride. He lowered his eyes, pitifully raised the box, and said, "Nannan, I brought you chocolates."

"Hmph! What a joke!" Lu Nan hadn't forgotten the cold treatment he received at the Cheng family's house. His mood was still unsettled, and his voice unconsciously rose.

"Nannan, are you angry with me?" Cheng Xiangbei put the box on the bedside and tugged at Lu Nan's clothes.

Lu Nan slapped his hand away and snorted, "Why am I angry? Why would I be angry with you?"

Cheng Xiangbei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He said he wasn't angry, but it seemed he was quite furious! He looked up and carefully examined Lu Nan, whose face was turned to the side. Lu Nan wasn't wearing his clunky black-rimmed glasses that covered half his face; his eyelashes were long, his lips were rosy, and his fair skin, illuminated by the light, exuded a captivating, gentle beauty. Cheng Xiangbei stared at him, almost mesmerized.

Lu Nan, however, blushed under his blatant gaze. He knew he was angry and couldn't just turn his face away, but if he didn't, being stared at by that burning gaze would make anyone feel something, even a stone. He felt the heat almost reaching his ears! Unable to bear it any longer, he snapped angrily, "What are you looking at!"

His face flushed, and his bright eyes widened. A gentle beauty instantly shone through, making his face exceptionally vivid and radiant. Cheng Xiangbei stared at him blankly, murmuring, "Nannan, you're so beautiful."

Lu Nan's face flushed crimson, like a boiled shrimp. His heart pounded, and he stammered, "W-what are you saying?!"

Cheng Xiangbei suddenly came to his senses, realizing his involuntary words, and awkwardly said, "N-nothing."

Lu Nan waited anxiously for Cheng Xiangbei to continue, but to his surprise, Cheng Xiangbei said nothing more. He kicked Cheng Xiangbei away and spat, "Crazy!"

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat somber.

The two sat facing each other, wanting to say something, but unable to open their mouths.

The timer chimed, and Lu Nan scratched her head, gesturing with her lips, "You should go back now."

Cheng Xiangbei hesitated, glancing at the time; it wasn't early. He was reluctant to leave, but staying any longer might lead to him saying something foolish. Just as he was wavering, Lu Nan gave him a sidelong glance, and Cheng Xiangbei could only rub his nose and stand up. "Then...then I'll be going..."

Cheng Xiangbei opened the door, turned around and looked at Lu Nan. Lu Nan was in a state of confusion and said impatiently, "Aren't you leaving yet!"

"Nannan! How can you talk like that?!" Lu's mother jumped out immediately upon hearing her son's voice in the living room.

"Auntie, it's nothing." Cheng Xiangbei forced a smile. "Nannan and I were just playing around!"

"This child is getting more and more unruly! You've been too good to him before." Mrs. Lu shook her head and called out to Lu Nan, "Go see Tiger off! He's getting more and more undisciplined as he gets older!"

Lu Nan glared at Cheng Xiangbei, then reluctantly stood up. Seeing him start putting on his down jacket, Cheng Xiangbei quickly said to Lu's mother, "Auntie, no need to see me off, it's quite cold outside." But despite saying that, he didn't take a single step outside. Lu Nan slowly finished putting on his coat, then said in a muffled voice, "Let's go!"

Cheng Xiangbei chuckled to himself and hurried out the door.

It was very cold outside, and tiny snowflakes, no bigger than grains of rice, began to fall from the sky.

The wind felt cool and slightly stinging on my face.

Cheng Xiangbei tightened Lu Nan's collar and asked, "Nan Nan, are you cold?" Lu Nan snorted coldly. Cheng Xiangbei walked forward, and Lu Nan followed slowly behind. Seeing someone off, dropping them off at their building was already quite generous, but neither of them uttered the words "Go back" on this snowy night.

"Nannan, are you doing well at your new school?" Cheng Xiangbei took a step back, level with Lu Nan. He watched Lu Nan, his neck hunched, slowly follow his steps, and a warm feeling welled up inside him. Lu Nan didn't like being outdoors, especially with the weather so cold today. But no matter how unhappy he was, no matter how cold his expression was, he didn't slow down in following his steps.

Lu Nan hummed in agreement, walking while crushing the snowflakes that had fallen to the ground with her feet.

"I heard from Zhou Pu that someone at school is bullying you?" Cheng Xiangbei looked at him worriedly, trying to read something from his downcast face. However, Lu Nan raised his head, looking at him with a confused expression, and asked, "What do you mean by bullying?"

Cheng Xiangbei almost sighed in despair. He stopped, grabbed Lu Nan's shoulder, and said weakly, "Don't you know what bullying is? They tear up your homework and deliberately dirty your clothes and sheets, isn't that bullying?"

Lu Nan shrugged and said, "So what? What's there to care about?"

Cheng Xiangbei glared at him and said in a deep voice, "Then what do you care about?"

Lu Nan remained silent, pulling away from Cheng Xiangbei's hand and continuing to walk forward. What did he care about? What he cared about was actually very simple: to become independent, to become strong, to keep up with Cheng Xiangbei's pace, to... To put it bluntly, there was only one thing he cared about, and that was Cheng Xiangbei's concern.

But how could he possibly say it?

Cheng Xiangbei stood there stunned for a moment, then took two quick steps to catch up with Lu Nan.

"Nannan, you haven't answered me yet." He was a little anxious and grabbed Lu Nan's hand.

The moment his hand was grabbed, Lu Nan's heart skipped a beat. He struggled weakly, but couldn't break free. Turning his head, he saw Cheng Xiangbei staring straight at him, so anxious, so focused. He smiled slightly: "It's nothing!"

“Nan Nan…” Cheng Xiangbei held onto his hand tightly, his eyes pleading.

Lu Nan shook his head and continued walking. His hand was being held tightly, and he couldn't break free, nor did he want to. Sensing his struggle, Cheng Xiangbei chuckled dryly, "Nan Nan, your hands are so cold, why aren't you wearing gloves?" He then shoved Lu Nan's hands into his pocket. The fleece pocket was warm, and their hands intertwined in the enclosed space, slightly sweaty. Cheng Xiangbei grinned, saying, "Much warmer now, right?"

Lu Nan's face flushed slightly as she let him pull her forward. Cheng Xiangbei's large hand was warm; it had been so long since he had held her like this. It felt like they had returned to their childhood, walking hand in hand to school. Innocent and carefree, laughing and playing without a care in the world. How time has it all changed?

Cheng Xiangbei's heart pounded like a drum. He strained to keep his hand holding Lu Nan's from trembling. They had held hands countless times, but this was the first time they'd been in such a slightly ambiguous, slightly romantic situation. It wasn't just the affection between friends; there was an indescribable atmosphere mixed in. It was that light, airy feeling that made you want to fly.

He stole a glance at Lu Nan and found her obediently letting him lead her. From the initial pain of separation to the gradual adaptation, Cheng Xiangbei was slowly getting used to life without Lu Nan. The distance brought a flood of feelings he'd never experienced before. He found that many things he used to be used to were now unfamiliar because of Lu Nan's departure. Many things he used to find trivial, things he'd complained about, now felt nostalgic and beautiful because of Lu Nan's absence. Although his older brother always said Lu Nan needed to be independent for the two of them to go the distance, after half a year apart, he slowly realized that it didn't matter if Lu Nan never grew up, as long as he stayed by his side… spoiling him wasn't so bad.

Simply because he is Lu Nan! The only Lu Nan in my eyes and heart since I was a child!

The two of them walked around the community's walkway countless times.

Lu Nan's nose was red from the cold, but neither of them said they wanted to leave. The longing they felt after being apart for so long erupted on this snowy night, and the two of them just held hands and walked and walked. They wanted to say everything, yet felt they couldn't say anything at all.

Until Lu Nan couldn't hold it in and sneezed. Cheng Xiangbei looked at him apologetically and stammered, "I'm sorry, it's so late..."

Lu Nan glanced at him and withdrew her hand. She also felt a little embarrassed walking around the neighborhood so late. She quickened her pace and stood on the steps. Just as she was about to open the door, she heard Cheng Xiangbei say, "Nan Nan, go home and take a hot bath. Make sure your milk is warm too. Don't try to cut corners..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lu Nan rolled her eyes, muttered "What a busybody!", and slammed the door shut.

Cheng Xiangbei stood at the bottom of the steps, facing the swirling snowflakes, raised the hand that had once held Lu Nan's, and grinned foolishly for a long time.