Chapter 32
"No, I'm really fine."
Lu Bai had been busy as soon as he entered the room. Now, seeing him bring in a basin of hot water, Zhang Xiaotian hid his feet under the quilt and said, "It doesn't hurt that much anymore."
"It's swollen like a steamed bun, who are you kidding?" Lu Bai lifted the quilt and wanted to grab it directly, but when he saw his ankle, he didn't really do it. He soaked a towel in hot water, wrung it dry, and handed it to Zhang Xiaotian: "You do it yourself!"
Zhang Xiaotian took it and applied it. As the hot towel was applied, a throbbing pain came from his ankle. Zhang Xiaotian endured it without saying a word and turned to look at Lu Bai, who was looking down at his phone to send a message.
He really wanted to ask Lu Bai why he'd come. Just because he was worried about his friend who had sprained an ankle wasn't a valid reason, but what else could it be? Zhang Xiaotian couldn't ask, and couldn't get an answer from his expression, so he returned his gaze to his ankle.
"I was in such a hurry to get out that I didn't have time to tell them." Lu Bai finished sending the message and walked over to sit across from Zhang Xiaotian. He pressed Zhang Xiaotian's ankle through the towel and then reached out to squeeze it, his face not looking good. "It's so swollen, it seems to be even bigger than when I took you back."
"You must have seen it wrong." Zhang Xiaotian said, "It's only been a few hours."
Lu Bai lowered his head and didn't react after listening to him.
Zhang Xiaotian continued, "It just looks scary, maybe it will be better tomorrow."
Lu Bai then glanced at him, his eyes filled with the words "I don't believe it." He said nothing, but stayed by Zhang Xiaotian's side, touching the towel and quickly replacing it when it got cold. Zhang Xiaotian sat quietly and watched him busy, but his mind was still racing.
Why exactly? Could it be... because he was tutoring Lu Bai and Lu Bai wanted to return the favor, that's why he showed so much concern? But offering him sex in the middle of the night was a bit too proactive.
Lu Bai didn't notice Zhang Xiaotian's burning gaze. He kept busy while muttering to himself, "You said you didn't take it seriously. What if it gets serious? We have exams next week."
It turns out he was worried about affecting my studies! Zhang Xiaotian felt that he had finally found the reason. He sighed in his heart that Lu Bai really cared about his friends, so he cheered up and promised Lu Bai:
"It definitely won't delay my classes. I can take a taxi to school. If I walk slowly, I can leave early. If I can't run, I can study in class..." As he spoke, seeing that Lu Bai's brows were almost knitted together, he thought for a moment and added, "I don't have to worry about going home after school, because I have you."
Hearing this, Lu Bai smiled again. He wrung out a hot towel and applied it to Zhang Xiaotian, then picked up the basin and said, "I'll take care of your schooling, so you don't have to worry."
"You don't need to go to school." Zhang Xiaotian followed him into the bathroom. "Even if you ride a bike, running back and forth is tiring enough."
"No need for me to run back and forth." Lu Bai put the basin back and wiped the floor where it had been placed. He then pointed to the backpack he had brought with him and was now leaning against the door. "I brought this week's worth of clothes. I'm worried about you being alone at home anyway, so I might as well stay with you for a few days."
"Ah?" Zhang Xiaotian was stunned.
"What?" Lu Bai opened his backpack and took off his shirt right in front of Zhang Xiaotian without even carrying him. "Don't thank me too much. I'm also worried that if I worry about you and you can't sleep well at night, it might affect your studies. If you don't do well on the test, you'll get scolded by Old Zhang again."
"..."Then there's no need to live together!
"Why are you looking at me like that? Do you have any other questions?" Lu Bai, wearing the puppy pajamas, looked at him with his hands on his hips, "What should I cover myself with later?"
"There's a quilt on the top shelf of the wardrobe." Zhang Xiaotian shook his head and said, "What about uncle and auntie..."
"I just finished talking to them." Lu Bai put his hands on the waistband of his pants and was about to take them off when he remembered that Zhang Xiaotian was still watching.
"Okay, handsome guy, if you continue watching, you will have to pay." He cast a coquettish glance at Zhang Xiaotian.
Zhang Xiaotian rolled his eyes at him, then turned around and lay down.
Behind him, he heard the rustling sound of someone getting dressed, and then with a snap, the light above his head went out. Zhang Xiaotian couldn't help but hold his breath and wait, but after waiting for a long time, he didn't feel anyone getting into bed. He turned over and found that the door of his room was ajar. Lu Bai was not in his room.
Lu Bai put the cushions on the sofa aside to make a space for him to lie down. Just as he spread out the quilt and lay down, he heard the door of Zhang Xiaotian's room open. He looked up and saw the hem of Zhang Xiaotian's clothes flash by.
"Go to sleep and raise that foot!"
He looked up and waited for a while, but when he didn't get any response from Zhang Xiaotian, he didn't ask any more questions and just lay down.
After being caught peeping, Zhang Xiaotian had been hiding in bed. He remained motionless, lying on his side, and deliberately slept on the inside of the bed with his back facing the door. He tried hard to fall asleep quickly, but he couldn't help but pay attention to the sounds coming from the living room. Only when the noise stopped did he stretch his stiff body and lie down flat on his back.
He couldn't quite understand why he couldn't sleep. If it was because someone else was there, that obviously didn't make sense, because last time at the hotel, he and Lu Bai had shared a room, and he'd slept well then. Even on the train, he'd only stayed up a little later than usual, and he'd never been so sleepless as he was this time. He turned over again, and couldn't help but move towards the door, getting out of bed and opening it a little wider.
Even if the door was fully opened, Zhang Xiaotian could only see a corner of the living room from his bed. He couldn't even see the edge of the sofa, but he felt much more at ease. He could barely see in the darkness and saw the table where they had eaten at noon. They had a quick lunch there, then he washed the dishes and waited for Lu Bai to pick up the car and join him. As Zhang Xiaotian looked at it, he began to construct a three-dimensional picture of the living room in his mind, using the table as a starting point.
Six or seven steps from the table, there's a tall vase against the wall. Next to the vase is the TV cabinet, opposite the TV cabinet is the coffee table, and across from that is...
Was I too reserved today? Would his parents think I was too quiet and incompetent?
Is it always so lively when other people have dinner at their homes?
Suddenly a sigh was heard in the living room. Zhang Xiaotian listened attentively and heard the sound of bedding rubbing against each other, followed by faint breathing sounds.
It seemed that Lu Bai turned over.
He fell asleep so quickly, doesn't he recognize his bed at all?
The sofa is so narrow, can he lie down?
Zhang Xiaotian muttered to himself, listened, and thought, his consciousness gradually becoming blurred. He finally fell asleep, but it was not a peaceful sleep, and he began to dream. In the dream, Lu Bai took him on a bike ride, Lu Bai in front, and he was behind. At first, Guan Yue and the others were around, but gradually everyone around them disappeared. Lu Bai said he would take him home, and then he rode faster and faster, but he couldn't catch up no matter how hard he tried. He wanted to call Lu Bai's name, to ask him to slow down, but the next moment he was sitting at his desk at home, his mother standing next to him.
How can you be so obsessed with things!
He couldn't see his mother's face clearly, he could only see her lips moving. There was no sound, but he knew what she was going to say.
Zhang Xiaotian passed through his mother's blurred face and cast his gaze onto the familiar yet unfamiliar setting behind him. It was his home, as delicate as a child's toy, yet fake at first glance. He had once imagined that his life would be very different from that of others his age, but only now did he have a direct sense of it.
He suddenly felt very cold. He wanted to say that he was not wasting his time on pleasure, but his mouth seemed frozen and no sound came out.
In the dream, my mother was still hysterical. She spoke very quickly, and the words appeared as fast as arrows, leaving a pit wherever they landed.
I had plenty of work to do abroad, and I came back to China just to raise you. You knew I had no other choice, so why did you treat me like this? How can I justify all I've done for you?
I have taken the responsibility to give you a better life, so shouldn't you also be a good child to your mother?
All you have to do is listen to my arrangements and go abroad with me. You must figure out in your mind what is right.
Zhang Xiaotian struggled to stand up, but the invisible restraints prevented him from moving.
The face of the person at the table became even more blurred. The person raised his hand. Zhang Xiaotian seemed to know what he was going to do. He tried to cover his ears with his hands, but he couldn't lift them. He watched as the hand got closer and closer to the table...
"Bang!"
Lu Bai was half asleep, and when he turned over, he forgot he was sleeping on the sofa and fell down. He lay on the ground, unable to open his eyes for a long time, until the coolness of the ground penetrated the quilt, and he barely regained consciousness. He struggled to open his eyes a crack, vaguely seeing someone standing next to him, and was startled awake.
Zhang Xiaotian had a faint bruise under his eyes. He looked at Lu Bai expressionlessly and squeezed out a word from between his teeth: "Go to bed tonight."
"Ah?" Lu Bai looked confused.
Han Chengcheng wanted to ask Lu Bai and the others when she saw them this morning, but because her class teacher was in the room, and now that morning self-study had finally ended, she quickly turned around and said,
"What's wrong with Xiaotian? Why did you help him in this morning?"
"I twisted my ankle." Lu Bai explained, "I took Tian'er out for a bike ride yesterday."
Han Chengcheng asked quickly when she heard this: "Ah, is it serious?"
"It's okay." said Zhang Xiaotian.
"It's okay." Lu Bai said with a sigh, "If it were okay, would you still need me to help you go to school?"
"If you don't help me, I will find a way." Zhang Xiaotian's tone was also very firm.
"...You two..." Han Chengcheng's eyes moved back and forth between the two of them, "Are you having a fight?"
"Then you have to ask him." Lu Bai said unhappily, "I stayed with him overnight out of kindness. I slept on the sofa to avoid bumping into his feet, but he woke up in such a bad mood this morning."
"You stayed at Xiaotian's house last night and took care of him?" Han Chengcheng's focus was obviously different from Lu Bai's.
"That's right." Lu Bai continued, "This kid twisted his ankle, and he was the only one at home. I was worried about him, so I took him home for dinner and then went to his house again in the evening. But he didn't even say thank you and was sulking with me. It's inexplicable!"
"...You brought him home for dinner?" Han Chengcheng took a deep breath.
"Yes, what's wrong? You want to go too?" Lu Bai asked her.
"No, no." Han Chengcheng quickly shook his head.
Zhang Xiaotian listened silently from the side. He had no reason to be angry, but he couldn't explain it to Lu Bai. He couldn't say he woke up upset because he'd been thinking about Lu Bai all night and couldn't sleep, and when he finally did fall asleep, he had a nightmare that happened to include Lu Bai. It was a small matter, but Lu Bai didn't think it was right. He kept joking around on the way to school, which finally pissed Zhang Xiaotian off. Lu Bai felt a bit unhappy after being treated coldly all the way.
"What are you talking about?" Yin Li left for self-study and just returned. "I just passed by the entrance of Class 2 and heard from Lu Yibo that Xiaotian twisted his ankle?"
When Han Chengcheng saw Yin Li coming over, she straightened her back and looked at her with bright eyes, as if she wanted to say something, but she said nothing.
"What's wrong with you?" Yin Li asked her.
"Nothing." Han Chengcheng shook her head and said, "Lu Bai said he stayed at Xiaotian's house last night!"
"What's the matter?" Yin Li asked again.
"Nothing..."
"You haven't answered me yet." Yin Li turned her head to Lu Bai and Zhang Xiaotian again. "How did Xiaotian twist his ankle? Lu Yibo said they ran into Wen Zhongyin yesterday. Didn't you say last week that you would take Xiaotian for a bike ride with them? Could it be because of that encounter with him?"
"No, we weren't together that day." Lu Bai waved his hand. "Lv Yibo was just trying to scare you. Actually, it was just Wen who was looking for trouble."
"I'm learning to ride a bike by myself," Zhang Xiaotian also said.
"Hey, that's what I thought." Yin Li breathed a sigh of relief. "Lu Yibo's words were so scary, I thought I needed to stay away for a while."
"After all, he's just a student. He won't eat people, so why is he hiding?" Lu Bai said, "Besides, you didn't provoke him."
"I'm scared too." Yin Li curled her lips. "Last time, he took advantage of the teacher's absence and stood at the door of our class with his girlfriend. Oh, I was scared to death."
"You call that fear?" Lu Bai's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he heard that. "I remember that day, if Guan Yue hadn't held you back, you were about to fight him."
Yin Li was displeased when she heard this: "You're making me sound tough. If it weren't for him being so excessive, do you think I'd be willing to take the lead?"
"Okay, you are the backbone of the class. Please accept my respect, lady." Lu Bai clasped his fists to her.
"I really need to mind my own business in the future. Just look at the image of me in your hearts." Yin Li shook her head and sighed.
Zhang Xiaotian saw Yin Li and Zhang Xiaotian chatting happily, so he gently patted Han Chengcheng's shoulder and asked, "Why did this gangster come to the first team last time?"
Han Chengcheng replied, "He said a classmate of ours said something bad about his girlfriend, and he came to defend her. But his girlfriend didn't say who said it, and just stood behind him, putting on makeup in the mirror. He tried to enter our class, and Li An didn't stop him. He wanted to find the class teacher, but he couldn't get away. Later, Yin Li and Guan Yue stopped him, and Li An was able to get away."
Zhang Xiaotian frowned after hearing this: "This is a bit..."
"He's a bit retarded." Han Chengcheng couldn't help but laugh as she recalled the scene of that day. "It's normal that you didn't know before. He doesn't pick on every class. His dad is a teacher at our school. He used his connections to get him into our class before, but he just slacked off and didn't study, so he dropped out. When he first came here, Li An also gave him a lecture. I guess he was embarrassed and resented being in our class."
"Then why did he bother Lu Yibo? Lu Yibo is not from Class 1."
"Lu Yi Bo always comes to our class to look for Guan Yue and Lu Bai. I guess he just happened to come by." Han Chengcheng said.
This guy is quite boring. Zhang Xiaotian nodded after listening to it. He caught a glimpse of the Chinese teacher coming in from the front door and motioned for Han Chengcheng and the others to turn back. Class was about to start, and the students who were walking around gradually returned to their seats. Lu Bai also cleaned up the table, but still didn't speak to Zhang Xiaotian.
Zhang Xiaotian was flipping through the book on the table, but he was actually observing Lu Bai's actions with his peripheral vision. He saw Lu Bai flipping through something on the table, opening his mouth as if he wanted to say something to him, but in the end he said nothing.
It seems that he is still unhappy about what happened in the morning.
Zhang Xiaotian felt guilty, but he didn't think it was all his fault. Seeing Lu Bai stay silent, he didn't say anything either. The two of them spent most of the class without chatting or making small movements. They looked like they were deeply immersed in their studies, but Zhang Xiaotian knew they weren't. He tried hard to focus on the textbook, but his mind would still wander from time to time. The more he did, the less he wanted to listen.
Zhang Xiaotian closed the book in frustration. Just as he was about to say something to Lu Bai to save face, he turned around and saw Lu Bai quietly stretching his ears forward. When his eyes met Zhang Xiaotian's, he put a finger between his lips and pointed forward.
Seeing this, Zhang Xiaotian also listened carefully and vaguely heard Han Chengcheng whispering something to Yin Li, and seemed to hear the names of Lu Bai and the others.
"What are they talking about?" Zhang Xiaotian couldn't help but ask.
"Shh." Lu Bai waved his hand, and Zhang Xiaotian had to continue listening.
"...Have you read too many novels?" Yin Li looked quite surprised.
"But it really looks like..." Han Chengcheng explained to her, "Look at last time..."
The two whispered for a while, and then heard Yin Li say: "Why don't I feel anything..."
"...It's also possible that I'm misinterpreting it, and Xiaotian... But Lu Bai..."
"I don't think Xiaotian looks like..."
"What? What bad things did you say about me?" Hearing this, Lu Bai couldn't help but interrupt, "What's the difference between Tian'er and me?"
The two people in front of them shuddered. Han Chengcheng froze. Yin Li glanced at her and turned her head away first.
"You're not paying attention in class, but eavesdropping on other people's conversations." She pointed her finger at Lu Bai from a distance, "You're morally corrupt."
Lu Bai hissed, "I haven't even told you two about talking about me behind my back. Talking bad about classmates behind their backs, you...you're destroying class unity!"
"Who talked about you, and who heard it?" Yin Li raised her eyebrows.
"Tian'er and I heard it!" Lu Bai said, pulling Zhang Xiaotian again, "You heard it, didn't you, Tian'er?"
Yin Li also looked at Zhang Xiaotian, "Xiaotian, did you hear that?"
"I..." Zhang Xiaotian had originally just wanted to watch the fun, but now the question was suddenly directed at him. He glanced at Lu Bai, but saw that Lu Bai didn't even look at him. He seemed certain that he would speak for him. Zhang Xiaotian paused deliberately, then shook his head, "I didn't quite hear it."
"Impossible." Lu Bai's face was filled with disbelief. "I specifically asked you to listen too!"
"I really didn't hear that clearly."
"You two, go ahead and talk. We're in class." Yin Li shrugged, turning her head and muttering, "Still talking about you? How can you be so narcissistic..."
"Hey, what did you say to me? Wait a minute! I'll deal with you after class!" Lu Bai stretched out his hand, but failed to stop Yin Li from turning around. He let out a long breath, turned around and looked at Zhang Xiaotian again, and added, "You wait for me too."
Zhang Xiaotian propped up his head: "What am I waiting for?"
Lu Bai tapped Zhang Xiaotian's desk with his index finger. "Wait for me to deal with you. You've been rude all morning, and now you're helping Yin Li make up lies. Do you even know who you're in league with?"
"With whom?"
Zhang Xiaotian saw Lu Bai's furrowed brows, looking like he was accusing someone of something, and he found his anger particularly amusing. He couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth. He imitated Lu Bai's movements and knocked on the table a few times. After Lu Bai grabbed his left hand, he switched to his right hand.
"Who am I in the same group with, tell me?" Zhang Xiaotian said.
Seeing him smile, Lu Bai's tone was still hard, but a smile gradually appeared on his face. He tied Zhang Xiaotian's hands tightly in his palms and said with a bit of awkwardness: "Of course it's me, is there anyone else?"
Zhang Xiaotian felt a thud, and the sound surged like a tide along Lu Bai's arm, flowing through his grasped wrist, surging along the radial artery, and finally slamming heavily into his heart. He couldn't help but pull his arm back, fearing Lu Bai would misunderstand him, and in his panic, he forced a smile.
Lu Bai didn't notice any of this. He let go of Zhang Xiaotian, and seeing Zhang Xiaotian's smile as a sign of reconciliation, he continued, "Besides, don't forget that you have to take my car to and from school now. If I'm unhappy, I'll deliberately walk on the wrong side of the road after school and bump you."
After saying this, he looked at Zhang Xiaotian provocatively. Zhang Xiaotian's heart was still numb and trembling with aftershocks, and he couldn't say anything else. He could only mumble, "Ah, that won't do..."
"Hmph..." Lu Bai smiled and turned back to his book. Zhang Xiaotian rubbed his chest in a daze and said nothing more. Chinese class returned to silence, with only Yin Li and Han Chengcheng quietly passing notes under the table.
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