Chapter 50: Sinking to His Destination
In the scorching heat of midsummer, after finishing his last exam and listening to his homeroom teacher's instructions about returning to school to get his grades, Sun Mingyuan immediately grabbed his schoolbag and ran to Xu Sirui's classroom next door. Like a gibbon released from its cage, he jumped up and down outside the classroom, waving his arms and shouting excitedly, "Let's go! I'm finally free, let's go to the internet cafe and have some fun!"
A passing teacher heard him and tapped him on the back of the head with a rolled-up piece of draft paper, scolding him, "Why are you going to an internet cafe? That's outrageous."
Sun Mingyuan covered the back of his head, pulled the corners of his mouth and said in a coquettish tone: "Oh, teacher, the high school entrance examination is over——"
"You can't go to those questionable places after the high school entrance exam."
"Okay, okay, I won't go! Absolutely not!" He nodded vigorously, swearing with a few raised fingers. Only after watching the teacher leave did he put on a sly smile again and said to Xu Sirui, who strolled out of the classroom leisurely with his schoolbag slung over one shoulder, "I've already told the internet cafe owner to reserve a private room for us. Go go go!"
Xu Sirui didn't say anything, just raised his chin, indicating that he should lead the way.
As the two reached the stairwell, they were stopped by a girl who rushed out from the corner. This girl was the student union president, Xia Jiayi, with her hair tied up in a big bun, looking very neat and tidy. Sun Mingyuan let out a teasing sound.
Xia Jiayi was very beautiful. Although their school wasn't so frivolous as to have no tradition of selecting campus beauties or class beauties, Sun Mingyuan had always felt that with Xia Jiayi's looks, she was at least somewhat capable of being the class or even grade beauty. Furthermore, she was competitive, frequently participating in various clubs and competitions, making her a well-known figure in their school. This figure had exceptionally high standards. Countless people confessed their love to her during her three years of junior high, yet she hadn't even a single scandal. However, soon after Xu Sirui transferred in, she was already attracted to his looks, which made Sun Mingyuan lament the decline of morals.
"Come to see Xu Sirui, President Xia?" He approached with a playful smile.
"Don't be so joking." Xia Jiayi pushed his face away and turned to face Sun Mingyuan, but she glanced at Xu Sirui out of the corner of her eye and asked, "Are you guys free in a week? Our student union is planning a class reunion in a week. Would you like to come?"
"Forget about inviting me. I'm a member of the student union after all. Xu Sirui isn't a member of the student union, so why did you invite him?"
Xia Jiayi blushed, gritted her teeth, and said angrily, "Sun Mingyuan, if you keep nagging me, I'll tear your head off."
"Oh my, I dare not dare to act rashly." Sun Mingyuan quickly raised his hands in surrender, imitating the tone of the eunuchs in TV dramas and responded rudely. Then he turned around and asked Xu Sirui, "How about you come?"
"All is fine." Xu Sirui replied indifferently, his expression looked like he hadn't woken up yet, and he couldn't tell how warm or cold he was.
"Then it's a deal, no regrets." Xia Jiayi smiled brightly, not caring about his attitude, because since the first day he transferred to their school, Xu Sirui has always been indifferent, as if he has no interest in anything.
"I will tell Sun Mingyuan the specific time and place on QQ. Sun Mingyuan, remember to go on QQ." She said worriedly.
"I know, I know." Sun Mingyuan waved at her.
They waited until Xia Jiayi jogged and disappeared around the corner before continuing forward.
There were huge crowds of people at the school gate, mostly parents coming to pick up their children who had just finished their exams. They struggled to squeeze out of the crowd and walked a long way before they got out of the traffic on the street and came to a relatively empty intersection to hail a taxi.
While waiting for the taxi, Sun Mingyuan couldn't help but lower his voice and ask, "By the way, are you really planning to live with me? Without telling your dad?"
Xu Sirui's eyelids lazily lifted up, revealing his dark pupils, and his tone was cold: "I said, he is not my father."
"Oh... okay." Sun Mingyuan knew his temper and was afraid of making him angry, so he had to change the subject. He smiled and put his elbow on Xu Sirui's shoulder, saying, "I'm just worried that my parents like you too much. Once you move in, they probably won't want to recognize me as their son anymore. My mom heard you were coming to live with us a few days ago, and she even took out all my sheets and pillowcases and washed them. She said she was worried that my bedding would smell too bad and make you feel uncomfortable. Do you think this is human language?"
**
Sun Mingyuan's family lives in an old alley that was said to be demolished but no work has started for many years. Xu Sirui's family was his neighbor before he became rich. Later, when Xu Zhengkang's company grew bigger and bigger, they moved out. The original house was renovated for rent and there are tenants living in it now.
Xu Sirui and Sun Mingyuan were childhood friends, so close they even knew the names of the folders they hid their pornographic films in. Sun Mingyuan's parents were similar in temperament to him: chatty and enthusiastic, they loved to gossip and chatter.
He and Sun Mingyuan played in the internet cafe all night. Sun Mingyuan's mother, Wang Xiaoqian, only caught Sun Mingyuan and scolded him. Then, she turned around and brought him a bowl of nourishing soup with a smile. She said kindly, "Si Rui, staying up late hurts your liver. Drink some licorice water. After that, go to my bastard's room and have a good sleep."
Seeing this, Sun Mingyuan jumped up and down, shouting that it was unfair: "Who is your biological child?"
"Get lost!" Wang Xiaoqian slapped him on the head with the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, nearly knocking his brains out. "How can you compare with others? Look at Sirui's academic performance, and then look at you!" After saying that, she turned her gaze to Xu Sirui and put on a kind smile again. "Auntie, you can stay as long as you want, and how you want to live! The high school entrance exam is over with great difficulty. If you want to go out and play, go ahead and relax. If you need anything, just tell me directly. Don't be polite with me."
Sun Mingyuan's father, Sun Guoqing, was lying on the sofa reading a newspaper. Hearing this, he also echoed a few words: "That's right, you have worked hard studying, so you should play more. Children should act like children."
"You two are so hypocritical. Why do you nag me like this just because I'm having fun?" Sun Mingyuan rolled his eyes, raised his orchid finger and twisted his hips, imitating his parents' speech in a weird tone, "If you want to go out and play, go ahead and relax~~~Kids should act like kids~~~"
Wang Xiaoqian slapped him again, and Sun Guoqing threw a slipper at him. The couple shouted in unison: "Shut up!"
**
Thanks to the warm hospitality of Sun Mingyuan and his family, Xu Sirui finally settled in. To avoid being harassed by Xu Zhengkang, he turned off his phone. But from time to time, he would still hear Wang Xiaoqian calling Xu Zhengkang, giving him real-time updates on his stay—his mood, his sleep schedule, his health, even his meals, detailing every detail. Unable to lose his temper with the elders who had taken him in, Xu Sirui played dumb and pretended not to hear.
Days passed, and soon it was the day for the class reunion.
Xia Jiayi had sent a message to inform Sun Mingyuan of the address the night before. The next morning, Sun Mingyuan, who was a habitual laziness, actually got up very early. When Xu Sirui went to the bathroom to flush the toilet, he saw him holding Sun Guoqing's hairspray in his left hand and a comb in his right hand, posing in front of the mirror.
This loser must have taken a fancy to another girl, he sneered with disdain.
Sun Mingyuan had the unassuming nickname "King of Secret Love," a reference to his ability to control his crushes, his countless crushes, and the fact that they often ended in failure. Xu Sirui didn't bother to find out who he had a crush on. When Sun Mingyuan angrily said, "What are you talking about? Don't be obsessed with me. I'm just a legend," he gave him a middle finger and a friendly "Get lost."
He didn't bring any clothes to Sun Mingyuan's house. He had been wearing his clothes these days, and now was no exception.
To be honest, Sun Mingyuan's fashion sense is hard to praise, and the only thing that can hold it up is Xu Sirui's face and figure. When he put on that tacky apricot work suit, it inexplicably had a bit of steampunk flavor, and he effortlessly made Sun Mingyuan, who had dressed up carefully for half a day, look like he was in the mud.
On the way to the party hall, Sun Mingyuan was puffing his beard and glaring, and kept comforting himself that "the body is nothing but an external thing."
There were twenty or thirty people at the party, almost all of them the school's most active socialites. Even those in different classes had heard of their deeds and gossip. Xia Jiayi had organized the party, so naturally, she was the centerpiece. Whether she was playing darts or billiards, she was always surrounded by a crowd, and her gaze drifted vaguely to Xu Sirui. Although Xu Sirui didn't say much, he had become the second most popular figure at the party, with people constantly approaching and chatting with him.
He always had a faint smile on his face. Whether someone invited him to play Switch, or challenged him to a game of tabletop football, or asked him to come over to fill in the gaps in the board game, he would accept everyone, regardless of gender, and was polite yet distant.
Sun Mingyuan finished playing billiards and got goose bumps when he saw his fake smile. He rubbed his arms and said, "Brother Xu, I still like you the way you were before."
"What was I like before?" Xu Sirui unscrewed the lid of the drink, leaned on the edge of the pool table, and asked casually with his long legs on the ground.
"He's the type who wants to tease anyone he wants." Sun Mingyuan gestured. "Anyway... you definitely wouldn't have attended such gatherings before."
He would not be moved by something he was not interested in even if a check of tens of millions was thrown in his face. Xu Sirui used to be such a selfish person.
Xu Sirui laughed when he heard this: "I'm mature now, isn't it okay?"
"Bullshit! You're not mature, you're... Hey, forget it, I don't want to talk about you." Sun Mingyuan waved his hand, knowing that if he continued, he would get into a sensitive topic, so he quickly stopped and put the club in Xu Sirui's hand, "Let's play a round?"
After a wild party at the party hall until after 7pm, they went to eat. The dinner was set at a famous Chinese restaurant. Xia Jiayi threatened to treat everyone, and everyone was very excited. They kept saying "Chairman Xia, you are my father" and "Chairman Xia, you are my mother" on the left, making a big noise like a large family reunion.
In a post-high school entrance exam indulgence, many people ordered cold beers. The kids drank like crazy, and by the time their meal was almost over, many had flushed cheeks. In these situations, someone was bound to suggest a game of truth or dare. Xu Sirui, bored, swung the empty can in front of him, his eyes scanning the faces of the people around him, half-heartedly wondering who would bring it up.
"Let's play Truth or Dare!" Sun Mingyuan, who was so drunk that he started to slur his words, suddenly slammed the table.
Xu Sirui: “…”
Xia Jiayi immediately said, "Okay, okay, otherwise it would be boring to just sit there."
Only after everyone started noisily throwing the dice did Xu Sirui's heart flicker with annoyance. He deeply hated Truth or Dare, the way it pried into people's private lives under the guise of a game. In the past, he would have probably just walked out with a slur of boredom. But Sun Mingyuan was right; he had indeed changed. Even when he felt annoyed, he would sit meekly with a sweet, fake smile on his face, so as not to upset anyone.
Fortunately, there aren't many crazy people in this school, and the honest answers everyone asks are all filled with a kind of innocent silliness.
When it was his turn to answer the truth, there was a subtle silence. Everyone looked at Xia Jiayi with a tacit smile. Xia Jiayi, who was being watched, blushed and stammered for a long time before asking, "Xu Sirui, which high school are you planning to go to?"
Xu Sirui couldn't help but smile.
Such a pure question...
However, such an innocent question happened to step on a landmine.
He closed his eyes, then opened them again and replied calmly, "It depends on the results."
Xia Jiayi was confused and replied with a sincere smile: "Your grades are so good, you can definitely go to Renmin University High School. If not, there are still No. 4 Middle School or something like that. Or, do your family plan to send you to an international high school?"
"Let's see the results." Xu Sirui repeated it again, and the smile on his face faded a little.
The atmosphere was awkward for a moment, and Sun Mingyuan quickly stepped out to smooth things over, saying, "Yes, yes, the results will be out in two or three days, and we'll know the outcome then. President, don't just talk about Xu Sirui. You must have done really well yourself. By then, you'll both be accepted into the High School Affiliated to Renmin University, and then..." He didn't say the second half of the sentence, as sometimes leaving blank spaces can provoke more speculation. The people around him started to boo, and Xia Jiayi blushed. She casually grabbed a pack of tissues and threw them at the slyly grinning Sun Mingyuan, "Are you going to die?"
The atmosphere became lively again and lasted until the second half. Xu Sirui left the private room on the pretext of going to the restroom and walked straight to the cashier.
"Hello, would you like to check out?" the cashier asked politely.
Xu Sirui nodded.
The bill came to 6,728 yuan. He paid it expressionlessly and was about to turn around and leave when Sun Mingyuan, who had followed him, grabbed his shoulder and said, "Where are you going? You're leaving already? They're still planning on going to KTV to continue their fun."
"You guys play, I'm tired."
"You're tired as hell, you're tired! Can you please stop acting like an old man when you're so young?" Sun Mingyuan tutted in displeasure, his eyes flicked to the cashier, then back again with a sly grin, "Didn't you say Xia Jiayi's treat? What are you doing, trying to save the damsel in distress?"
Xu Sirui was too lazy to correct him on the correct usage of the phrase "hero saves the beauty", and just said indifferently: "There is no reason to let a girl treat." Then he stopped looking at him and strode out of the restaurant.
"Fuck..." Sun Mingyuan stood there in a daze, and hurried a few steps to catch up. "Your words make me and the other men in the box look really wretched, you know?"
"You are already wretched, do you still need a foil?"
“…”
Outside the Chinese restaurant was an overpass. At ten o'clock in the evening, the lights were dazzling, and the lights of thousands of homes flowed like the Milky Way beneath their feet. The breeze blew gently, bringing a touch of coolness to the hot July night. Sun Mingyuan stretched lazily, raised his arms high, enjoying the refreshing breeze brushing against his armpits, and asked casually, "But why did you say that in the restaurant just now? You embarrassed the president, don't you know? You could have just said a few schools at random. She asked because she wanted to apply to the same school as you. But you said, 'It depends on the grades.' What kind of answer is that?"
Xu Sirui stopped in the middle of the overpass, looked back at him, his eyes calm: "Because we can't go to the same school."
Sun Mingyuan laughed: "Oh my god, you are such a person... I know you have good grades, but you don't have to be so pretentious, right? Xia Jiayi's grades are not that bad, right?"
Xu Sirui didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stared at him thoughtfully for a moment before suddenly blurting out, "You're dressed so flamboyantly today because you like her, right?"
"Fuck!" Sun Mingyuan's drunkenness had dissipated a lot, but after he said that, it immediately rose to his cheeks again and stubbornly lingered on his face.
Xu Sirui stopped teasing him and turned his gaze away, watching the cars passing by under the overpass. He said calmly, "I can't go to the same school as her, nor can I go to the same school as you. I won't go to the same school as anyone I've been to before."
"What do you mean?" Sun Mingyuan was stunned. "Are you planning to go abroad?"
"no."
Xu Sirui squinted at the passing traffic, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. After a long pause, he said softly in an eerily calm voice, "Didn't I tell you? I handed in three blank papers for the high school entrance exam."
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