A marriage arranged when they were children?
The air at the end of the corridor seemed to have been sucked out.
Fang Chi was trapped between the wall and Xing Jiayan, those deep eyes so close, churning with an unfathomable yet terrifying undercurrent. The question, "Do you want me to be Yan, or Xing Jiayan?" hung like a final judgment over his head.
Who does he want to be?
Yan on the internet represents understanding, resonance, and an unspoken tacit understanding when ideas collide; it's a safe zone where he can shed some of his pretenses.
In reality, Xing Jiayan is competition, provocation, the source of his emotional breakdown, and also... those silent protectors and those who approach him and make his heart race.
How could he possibly separate them?
"I..." Fang Chi opened his mouth, his throat dry and painful, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible. He wanted to push him away, to deny it, to run away like before, but his body seemed nailed to the spot, unable to move. Xing Jiayan's arm, braced against his ear, was like an invisible barrier, sealing off all his escape routes.
Xing Jiayan didn't urge him, but simply watched him quietly, his gaze calm yet carrying a knowing patience. He was waiting, waiting for this stubborn and sensitive fool to personally break through that self-deceiving shell.
The noise of the parents' meeting in the distance sounded like it came from another world. Sunlight streamed through the high window, casting flickering shadows between the two of them.
Fang Chi's eyelashes trembled violently. He lowered his eyes, unable to meet those eyes any longer. His gaze wandered, finally settling on Xing Jiayan's chest, which was so close to his own. Beneath the school uniform fabric, he could vaguely feel the other's steady and powerful heartbeat.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
This contrasted sharply and chaotically with his own heart pounding as if it were about to explode.
"Answer me, Fang Chi." Xing Jiayan's voice rang out again, lower than before, carrying an undeniable insistence, and a hint of... almost imperceptible tension that he carefully concealed.
Fang Chi suddenly looked up.
In that instant, he caught it. He caught the fleeting glimpse of certainty and composure in Xing Jiayan's eyes. This man, who always appeared to be in control, was now also awaiting his verdict.
This realization struck Fang Chi like a weak electric current, catching him completely off guard.
It turns out he wasn't the only one who was panicking and at a loss.
It turns out that this interrogation, which seemed to be led by Xing Jiayan, also involved the other party's complete courage.
A string that had been taut and trying to resist quietly loosened.
He looked at Xing Jiayan, at this person whose name had been inextricably linked to his since the first year of high school, at this contradictory being who was both "opponent" and "confidant." The scenes of their arguments, the nights they fought side by side, the silent care they showed each other, the moments of unspoken understanding they shared online... all the fragmented memories rushed in at this moment, converging into a clear image that he could no longer escape.
What he couldn't escape was never Xing Jiayan, but his own heart, which had already fallen for her.
Fang Chi took a deep breath, as if using all his strength. He no longer avoided Xing Jiayan's gaze, but went straight to meet it. In those usually calm and collected eyes, a complex mix of emotions surged—struggle, embarrassment—but ultimately, what settled was a faint, desperate determination.
He slightly moved his arm, which was invisibly imprisoned between his body and the wall by Xing Jiayan. Instead of pushing him away forcefully, he... gently pressed it against Xing Jiayan's chest with an extremely slow, tentative movement.
Even through the thin fabric of the school uniform, he could clearly feel the other person's muscles tense up instantly and their heartbeat quicken.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
It gradually overlapped with the sound of his own heartbeat.
Fang Chi's ears turned bright red, almost as if they were about to bleed, but he didn't look away or withdraw his hand. He gazed at Xing Jiayan's eyes, which suddenly lit up as if filled with starlight, and in a voice as soft as a sigh yet incredibly clear, he gave his answer, word by word:
Is there a difference?
Yan, Xing Jiayan.
Is there a difference?
Regardless of your identity, aren't you still yourself?
And I...
He didn't say the rest. But the hand pressed against Xing Jiayan's chest, the no longer evasive gaze, and the flushed yet resolute cheeks said it all.
The last trace of uncertainty in Xing Jiayan's eyes completely vanished, replaced by an almost scorching, surging ecstasy and tenderness. His hand, which had been supporting him against the wall, slowly fell down and gently covered Fang Chi's hand that was pressed against his chest, pressing it even tighter against his heart so that he could feel the pounding of Fang Chi's heart like a drumbeat.
“No,” he answered in a low voice, hoarse with a sense of relief at surviving a disaster and an indescribable sense of cherishing the moment. “There has never been a difference.”
He leaned down, his forehead gently touching Fang Chi's forehead, their noses almost touching, their breaths mingling completely.
"From beginning to end, it was just me."
Fang Chi closed his eyes, not resisting this overly intimate closeness. He could feel Xing Jiayan's uncontrollable heartbeat beneath his fingertips, and his own equally chaotic pulse. He could hear Xing Jiayan's deep, resolute voice in his ear.
All the struggles and all the attempts to escape seemed so futile and ridiculous at this moment.
He lost.
She lost to Xing Jiayan, but even more so, she lost to her own heart.
Strangely, he didn't feel any resentment or loss. Instead, he felt a sense of relief and a kind of... peace that seemed to have settled.
In the shadows at the end of the corridor, two figures pressed tightly together, foreheads touching, sharing the same burning breath and uncontrollable heartbeat.
In the distance, the parent-teacher meeting seemed to be coming to an end, with faint applause and commotion coming from the air.
But that's none of their business anymore.
In this forgotten corner of the world, they finally found each other's one and only answer.
And this answer is written in the thunderous beating of our hearts.
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