Don't lie to me next time.
The setting sun dyed the western sky a warm orange. The wind blew sycamore leaves onto the cement floor outside the dormitory entrance, making a subtle "crunching" sound when stepped on. Li Huaizhou leaned against the balcony railing, watching his classmates packing their bags downstairs in groups of three or four. He held a half-eaten biscuit between his fingers—it was something Xie Mo had slipped to him at noon when no one was paying attention, and it was still a little warm.
"Brother Zhou! Come here!" Ji Jiancheng's voice came from the dormitory, full of excitement. "Let's discuss something. How about we all watch a horror movie together after lights out tonight?"
Li Huaizhou turned and walked into the dormitory. He saw Ji Jiancheng holding a tablet computer and huddled together with three other boys. They immediately clapped their hands and agreed, "Sure! We're going back tomorrow anyway, so let's have some fun!"
"What about you?" Ji Jiancheng turned to look at Li Huaizhou, and then glanced behind him - Xie Mo was sitting at the desk, folding his school uniform jacket with his head down, smoothing the wrinkles on the corners of his clothes with his fingers. "Xie Mo, why don't you come too? It will be more lively with more people." Li Huaizhou raised his eyebrows, but did not agree immediately. He took two steps towards Xie Mo, and saw his drooping eyelashes from the corner of his eyes, and suddenly remembered that they had gone to the amusement park together before.
"I don't mind," Li Huaizhou leaned against the desk and kicked the leg of Xie Mo's chair. "Anyway, I can sleep in the car tomorrow. What about you?" Xie Mo paused while folding clothes and looked up at him with just the right amount of hesitation in his eyes. Even his voice was a little softer: "I..." Li Huaizhou said "Oh" in his heart. He was really afraid. He was just about to make an excuse for Xie Mo not to watch, but Ji Jiancheng came over and hooked his arm around Xie Mo's shoulder: "What do you mean you can come along? We have to come together! There are six of us in the dormitory. It wouldn't be exciting if one was missing." Jiang Changnan and Ji Lu followed suit. Xie Mo was helpless and nodded. The corners of his mouth curved slightly, but he didn't look at Li Huaizhou.
Li Huaizhou curled his lips and said nothing more - but he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Anyway, if he really got scared at that time, he would just protect him as he said. He couldn't let this person shiver in the corner.
After dinner, everyone in the dormitory was busy packing their luggage. The sounds of suitcase zippers and clothes rubbing against each other mixed together, making it a lot more lively than usual. Xie Mo helped Li Huaizhou fold the clothes that he always made a mess of. Halfway through, he suddenly stopped, took out a lollipop from his pocket, and stuffed it into Li Huaizhou's palm: "Baby... I'm afraid of the night..."
"Then protect you?" Li Huaizhou held the candy in his palm, and his fingertips rubbed against the other person's slightly cool fingertips.
Xie Mo didn't refute, but just lowered his head to continue folding clothes, the tips of his ears quietly turning red, like the color of the setting sun. Li Huaizhou stared at his red ears and suddenly found it a little funny - this guy usually acted like a little adult, doing everything in an orderly manner, but he was afraid of these nonsense things, which made him look a little cute.
After finally making it to lights-out time, the lights in the dormitory went out with a click, leaving only the faint moonlight coming in through the window, stretching the shadows of the tables and chairs. Ji Jiancheng quickly turned the tablet computer to the lowest setting and turned on the flashlight to shine on the ceiling to create a "scary atmosphere". Jiang Changnan and Ji Lu moved their chairs to next to him and squeezed into the open space in the middle of the dormitory. Li Huaizhou moved a chair and sat on it backwards, resting his arms on the back of the chair and his chin on his arms. Xie Mo followed and sat on the chair next to him. Their knees were a fist apart, and they could feel the faint warmth coming from each other. Ji Jiancheng pressed the play button, and the gloomy background music instantly popped up on the screen. The protagonist in the picture was walking in the empty corridor, and the footsteps were particularly clear in the silent dormitory.
At first, Li Huaizhou could still stare at the screen, but then the camera suddenly cut to a pale face, accompanied by a sharp sound effect. Jiang Changnan screamed "Ah!" and several people hurriedly huddled together. Li Huaizhou had never been afraid of this thing since he was a child, but he subconsciously glanced to the side - Xie Mo was staring at the screen, his fingers tightly gripping the chair, his knuckles a little white, and even his breathing was a little lighter. At this moment, Li Huaizhou felt his little finger being gently hooked, the force was very light, like a feather brushing against his skin. He was moved and turned to look at Xie Mo. The other party didn't look at him, his eyes still fixed on the screen, but he whispered softly, his voice as soft as a mosquito's: "Baby..."
These two words struck Li Huaizhou's ears, like a small stone thrown into the water, causing ripples. His face felt a little hot, and he deliberately frowned and lowered his voice: "If you're afraid, don't stare." Although he said this, his fingers quietly reached out and hooked Xie Mo's hand - the other person's palm was a little cold and sweaty, and he immediately tightened his grip.
Li Huaizhou's hands were a little smaller than Xie Mo's, so the two of them simply interlocked their fingers. He gently pinched Xie Mo's knuckles, soothing him with small movements, but pretended to stare at the screen, while his ears pricked up high, listening to the breathing of the person next to him - from the rapid just now, it gradually became a little steady, and even the strength holding him loosened a little.
Ji Jiancheng and the other two in the front were completely oblivious to the subtle movements behind them, preoccupied with the plot on the screen, sometimes calling the protagonist "stupid" and sometimes startled by the sudden appearance of the camera. The light from the tablet reflected on their faces, flickering. Li Huaizhou held Xie Mo's hand, his fingers unconsciously stroking the back of the other's hand, feeling a little itchy inside - this was the first time the two of them had held hands so openly in the base, and even in the dark, even with people around, it felt warm.
Xie Mo leaned towards him quietly, her hair hanging down and sliding into Li Huaizhou's clothes from the forest entrance. She felt a little itchy and lowered her voice even more: "That just now... was so scary"
"Fake!" Li Huaizhou tilted his head, his lips close to Xie Mo's ear, and he could feel the other person tremble slightly because of his breath. "What's there to be afraid of?" He said these words of disdain, but his hands clenched a little tighter, like coaxing a child. Just as the two were whispering, the dormitory door suddenly slammed open, and the lights from the corridor instantly poured in, making it difficult to open your eyes. Then, Shen Jianhong's voice rang out, with a bit of suppressed anger: "What are you doing? It's lights out, but you're not sleeping, gathering together to make trouble!"
Ji Jiancheng's hands trembled with fear, and the tablet fell to the ground with a "bang". The screen was still on, just right on the pale face. Shen Jianhong walked over, bent down to pick up the tablet, and after seeing the contents on the screen clearly, his face darkened: "Okay, you're not sleeping so late at night! It's okay for you guys to make trouble normally, but why did Xie Mo get involved?" He stuffed the tablet into Ji Jiancheng's arms, his eyes fell on Xie Mo, and his tone was a little disappointed: "You have always been a good child, why are you joining in with them? You don't look like a good student at all!"
Xie Mo stood up, lowered his head, and quietly released Li Huaizhou's hand with his fingers. His voice was a little muffled: "I'm sorry, Director Shen."
"What's the use of saying sorry?" Shen Jianhong frowned, took two steps towards the door, turned back and glared at them, "Everyone, go to the gymnasium track now, and run ten laps as punishment! If you can't sleep, then exercise properly." Jiang Changnan and Ji Lu's faces instantly fell, and Ji Jiancheng lost his previous excitement. He picked up his coat with a bitter face: "Ten laps? Director Shen, can you do less?"
"Stop talking nonsense!" Shen Jianhong glared at him, "Go now, you can go back to the dormitory to sleep after running!" Several people did not dare to refute, put on their coats and walked out the door. Li Huaizhou walked beside Xie Mo, and while Shen Jianhong was not paying attention, he quietly touched his arm: "Are you okay? Were you scared just now?" Xie Mo shook his head and leaned closer to him, "Isn't this because you have a baby to care about you?"
The autumn night breeze was a bit chilly, and it felt like prickles on my face. The streetlights in the distance cast a dim light, illuminating the lawn beside the track. A few boys from the next door dormitory were already running. When they saw them coming, they waved and shouted, "Hurry up! Director Shen is watching over there!" Shen Jianhong was standing in the stands at the start of the track, holding a flashlight. When he saw them coming, he raised his chin and said, "Hurry up, we're in the Moji family circle!"
Ji Jiancheng wailed and rushed out first, followed by Zhou Yu and Zhao Lei, running very fast. Li Huaizhou was not in a hurry, and followed slowly behind, running side by side with Xie Mo, his eyes always falling on him - Xie Mo looked very relaxed when running, it was already the sixth lap, and his breathing was still very steady.
"Run slower," Li Huaizhou leaned towards him, his voice low, "Don't compete with them, let's just walk slowly, Director Shen will be gone soon."
Xie Mo hummed, and indeed his pace slowed down, the two of them falling to the back of the group. Ji Jiancheng and the others ahead had already run away, leaving only a few boys from the next door dormitory not far ahead, panting heavily. Shen Jianhong stood in the stands for a while, probably thinking there was nothing wrong, and turned around and walked away with a flashlight. Before leaving, he shouted, "Don't be lazy! You can't go back until you finish running!"
As soon as Shen Jianhong's footsteps disappeared, the people in front of him slowed down instantly. When he ran to the eighth lap, Ji Jiancheng suddenly stopped, lay on the ground, and spread his arms and legs. "I can't do it anymore, I can't run anymore! Director Shen has left, let's rest for a while!"
Jiang Changnan and Ji Lu also stopped and sat down on the lawn, rubbing their sore legs: "That's right, ten laps is too much. Anyway, no one is watching us, let's take a break before running again." Several boys from the dormitory next door also came over and lay on the grass beside the track.
Li Huaizhou and Xie Mo ran over slowly, and stopped when they saw them like this. Li Huaizhou leaned against the railing beside him, slightly bent over, with his hands on his knees, his chest heaving, and breathing heavily. Xie Mo walked over to him, stretched out his hand and patted his back, the movement was very light, and he slowly stroked down along the curve of his spine: "Breathe slowly, don't worry." Li Huaizhou raised his head and looked at Xie Mo, his eyes shining like amber soaked in water under the street light, his voice a little hoarse: "I'm a little tired."
"If you're tired, take a break." Xie Mo pulled his wrist and walked towards the lawn. "They're all lying down, let's take a break too."
Li Huaizhou let him pull him along, followed him to the lawn and lay down. The grass was a little cool, and still had a hint of earth and grass. He rested his head on his arms and looked at the stars in the sky. The base was in the suburbs, without the light pollution of the city. The stars were particularly clear, densely packed, like a handful of broken diamonds.
Xie Mo lay on his side, facing Li Huaizhou. He blinked, then suddenly reached out and gently touched Li Huaizhou's cheek, which was covered in a thin layer of sweat. Li Huaizhou almost jumped in fright. "What are you doing?" He lowered his voice and glanced to the side. Fortunately, the people in front were chatting and no one was paying attention to them.
"You see sweat on your face." Xie Mo didn't retract his fingers, but rubbed his cheek gently, with a hint of laughter in his voice, "Just now in the dormitory, my palms were very hot." Li Huaizhou's face instantly became hot, and he reached out and slapped his hand away: "What nonsense are you talking about? Who scared you to death? If I don't hold your hand, you will cry."
"I'm not afraid." Xie Mo suddenly came over, his lips only a few centimeters away from his ear, his voice as light as a whisper, "I just want you to protect me."
This sentence was like a small spark, instantly igniting the flame in Li Huaizhou's heart. He turned his head to look at Xie Mo. His eyes were sparkling, reflecting his own shadow. Even his breath had a hint of the sweetness of snow pear candy - he must have been holding that candy in his mouth just now. Li Huaizhou's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He reached out and grabbed Xie Mo's wrist, pulling it towards him: "Did you do this on purpose?"
Xie Mo didn't deny it. Instead, he hooked his fingers around his, palms pressed together, and wrapped his hand inside. "Yeah...thank you for protecting me, baby." Li Huaizhou stared at his flushed cheeks and those smiling eyes, and suddenly felt a little angry and a little sweet. He reached out and poked Xie Mo's face, very lightly: "Okay, you dare to lie to me?"
"I'm not lying to you," Xie Mo finally went to hug Li Huaizhou, "It's just a little trick of being a spoiled child with your boyfriend..."
Ji Jiancheng in the front suddenly shouted, "What are you two whispering about in the back? Come over and talk!"
Li Huaizhou pushed Xie Mo's hand away. There was no streetlight where they were standing. Ji Jiancheng was always carefree. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm coming!" He was about to sit up, but Xie Mo quietly pinched his palm, then slowly sat up and followed him towards Ji Jiancheng.
Walking into the crowd, Ji Jiancheng patted Li Huaizhou on the shoulder and said, "I saw you two were running so slowly just now. If I had known that Director Shen would come to check on you, I wouldn't have let you watch the horror movie and even punished you by running ten laps." Xie Mo smiled and said nothing, but just leaned closer to Li Huaizhou. Li Huaizhou rolled his eyes at him and said, "It's okay. I don't want to sleep anyway."
Ji Jiancheng said "Oh" and turned around to chat about games with some boys from the next dormitory. Li Huaizhou glanced at Xie Mo, who still had a little smile on his face. He quietly touched Xie Mo's hand from behind, and the other party immediately shook it in return. Their fingers were quietly intertwined behind their backs, and the warmth of their palms was transmitted through their skin.
About ten minutes later, Shen Jianhong's flashlight suddenly shone from a distance. Someone shouted, "Director Shen is here!" Everyone instantly got up from the ground and ran to the runway in a panic. Li Huaizhou pulled Xie Mo and started running too. The two of them fell behind, their steps slow and leisurely, not much faster than walking. The moonlight fell on them, stretching their shadows very long and overlapping.
Shen Jianhong looked at a group of boys who were panting with exhaustion, and felt that the punishment was almost over, so he said, "That's enough, go back and go to sleep." Li Huaizhuo leaned on the railing to catch his breath. Xie Mo stood beside him and handed him a bottle of water - it was brought out from the dormitory just now and was still unopened. "Drink some water," he unscrewed the bottle cap and handed the water to Li Huaizhuo. Li Huaizhuo took the water and drank two sips. The cold water slid down his throat and he felt much more comfortable. He looked at Xie Mo with a little arrogant expression on his face. "Don't lie to me next time, boyfriend." The last few words were deliberately dragged out.
Xie Mo nodded and said softly, "Okay."
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