Chapter 42: Not Lasting
The results of the HUP design competition came out before May. Two first prizes went to an Italian college and one to Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
As soon as the news came out, the scrolling screen at the entrance of the School of Architecture of Huazhong University of Science and Technology played the news for a full half month. Many public accounts and Weibo accounts related to architecture also reposted their drawings. At first, they were normal reviews of the works, but later they were completely using the faces of Li Zimai and Cheng Che to attract fans.
Cheng Che was unwilling and offended many people with his cold face. Li Zimai took on the task of rejecting people. Cheng Che said, "Don't push everyone to the squad leader and trouble others."
Li Zimai smiled and said, "The class monitor is very happy. He can get the money and be admitted to graduate school. He even asked us to go out to celebrate on May Day."
"I'm not going."
Cheng Che refused all social activities.
Li Zimai squatted in front of him, pinched his face, and sighed: "Brother Che, can you give me some face? I think this suggestion is good."
The main reason is that Li Zimai can't make an appointment with Cheng Che on his own now. The last date incident left a huge shadow in Cheng Che's heart.
Cheng Che said as he packed up his computer, "I have plans for May Day."
"What arrangements? I will cooperate with you to arrange myself."
Cheng Che listed: "Drawing. Working. Studying."
"What kind of drawings do you draw? What kind of work do you do? What kind of studies do you take?"
"The drawings for the museum course I took online are due after the holiday. I'm going to Brother Zhang's on the 1st and 2nd. I also have to prepare for the English exam."
Huazhong University of Science and Technology has a special English proficiency test, similar to the CET-4 and CET-6 exams with more difficult questions, which are set by the school. Cheng Che took the test once last time. Although he passed, he did not reach the score line for scholarship evaluation. He planned to take it again.
Li Zimai thought for a moment and came up with a solution: "I'll help you draw the picture for the next two days. You can go to Brother Zhang's place on the 1st and 2nd. We can go out and play on the 3rd. We can review together when we come back."
Cheng Che said coldly: "Don't think I don't know if you don't take this exam."
"Why didn't I participate? I accidentally missed it last time!"
Li Zimai tried to explain: "I really signed up this time. Let's review together after May Day."
Cheng Che repeated again: "I'm not going out."
Li Zimai reasoned with him, "Brother Che, didn't you know that a few days ago, a public account posted our work and even misspelled Lin Lin's name? I've been feeling really sorry for them lately. It was clearly a collaboration between four of us, so how did only the two of us get the spotlight? They didn't even mind and sincerely invited us out to celebrate..."
Cheng Che interrupted him and asked reluctantly, "...where to go?"
"Where do you want to go? I'll book a ticket right away!"
Li Zimai, fearing he might change his mind, opened the flight booking page on his phone. Cheng Che frowned and said, "Shouldn't we ask the squad leader and the others?"
"I asked, and they said it's all right."
"...not too far."
Li Zimai said dissatisfiedly, "Don't talk about staying near the school again. We want to go somewhere far away and stay overnight."
He especially emphasized the word "overnight". Cheng Che glared at him and said firmly, "Impossible, don't even think about it."
After that night, Cheng Che didn't let Li Zimai get close to him for a week, didn't kiss Li Zimai, let alone go to his apartment. Li Zimai felt very depressed. He didn't expect that Brother Che's way to destroy him was not only beating people but also abstinence.
Li Zimai tried to explain himself, but it only made things more obvious: "What are you thinking? What kind of trip is it if you can go back and forth in one day? Besides, the monitor and Lin Lin are a couple who definitely need some romance tonight."
"So what are we going to do?"
Li Zimai sighed and said, "Brother Che, you are too naive. Dating is a complicated matter. Sometimes outsiders need to intervene."
Cheng Che glanced at him, his mouth corners drooping slightly, looking unhappy, "Of course I don't understand as much as you do, you are so amazing."
"Why does this sound sour?"
Li Zimai couldn't help but curl his lips slightly. He raised his right hand and put his ring finger in front of Cheng Che. "I've already stamped my seal. They all know that I'm taken. Isn't that enough?"
Indeed, many people know that Li Zimai is taken. There is a new post in the forum specifically analyzing who Li Shen's partner is. The post about the gay male god is full of arguments because Li Zimai wore a ring and Cheng Che did not.
Cheng Che pushed his hand away and said awkwardly, "You wanted to do it yourself."
"Well, I am willing. I am very willing to be the man behind Brother Che."
Cheng Che suddenly blushed, and Li Zimai teased him, "What are you thinking about? I find that you are becoming more and more lewd, a little rascal."
Cheng Che: "You are lustful."
Li Zimai leaned against the desk across from him and asked seriously, "Are you really not going to consider spending the night with me?"
Cheng Che had thought about this matter, and he even went to the website to learn about it. Otherwise, he would not have thought of the wrong thing because of the phrase "the man behind you". Although it was very pleasant to kiss Li Zimai and it was also very pleasant to masturbate last time, he really couldn't accept sleeping with a man, both on top and below.
Li Zimai pressed on: "Really not considering it?"
Cheng Che said with difficulty: "...Can we...talk about it later..."
"Haha, Cheche, you're so cute. You're considering this so seriously."
After Cheng Che realized he had been tricked, he was extremely embarrassed and walked away angrily with his computer bag. Li Zimai caught up with him, helped him carry the bag, and said, "It's a deal, we'll leave on the 3rd."
The night before the 3rd, Duan Rui came to the school to find Cheng Che. He went straight to the downstairs of the dormitory to wait for Cheng Che and asked him to have a midnight snack at a small stall outside the school.
Cheng Che had few friends in high school and kept to himself. Duan Rui, who had just started college at that time, would come back to school from time to time to wait for Cheng Che, take him to eat at roadside stalls, and tell him about what happened in college. Cheng Che always thought that Duan Rui didn't have many friends either.
"I knew this street from the last time I came to see you. College life is really good. The food is cheap and the classmates are friendly."
Duan Rui ordered a lot of snacks, filling the entire table. The small dining chairs were greasy, as if they hadn't been wiped clean, but that didn't affect his appetite. "You went back to school early without telling me, and I even went to ask Grandma where you were going."
Cheng Che was in a bad mood at the time and didn't consider Duan Rui at all. He said apologetically, "I left too hastily."
"Yeah. I know."
Duan Rui sighed and said, "You can't stay in that house. If it weren't for grandma, you probably would never go back."
Cheng Che was silent.
Duan Rui asked again, "Have you ever thought about returning to Beibei to develop your career? There's a design institute there too, and with your education, you'll be able to develop very well there."
Cheng Che shook his head. He hadn't thought that far yet.
"That's right. The capital is so prosperous, who would want to go back to that second-tier city?"
"...Are you having any problems at work?"
Duan Rui smiled. "There must be some problems with the company I switched to, but they are all minor matters, just some social etiquette."
"Um."
After a while, Duan Rui said, "My mother arranged a blind date for me during the Chinese New Year."
He observed Cheng Che's expression, but didn't get any positive feedback he wanted, so he changed the question, "Xiao Che, you still don't want to fall in love or get married now?"
Cheng Che didn't want to hide it from him, so he confessed, "I did."
Duan Rui's hand paused invisibly, as if exerting a little force. After a while, he continued to pick up the food. "Is this a classmate from the class? How long have you been dating?"
"A professional one, for a while."
"That's good. Grandma will be very happy when she knows it."
Cheng Che said with difficulty: "Don't tell her yet."
"Well, it's right not to tell her. You're still young now. Tell grandma and me when you're settled. OK?"
The hidden meaning in his words was that Cheng Che's current partner was temporary, just a passer-by in his long life, and there was no need to tell his grandmother or him. Cheng Che originally thought so, but after hearing what Duan Rui said, he felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
Duan Rui warned again: "Don't let it affect your studies. Your main task now is to study well and don't play around."
Cheng Che, who was preparing to go out to play tomorrow, felt a little guilty, thinking that Li Zimai would lead him astray and take him everywhere to play. Just as he was thinking about Li Zimai, a message from him came on his phone -
【Li】: Haven't you finished work yet? Yang Mingxi said you haven't gone home yet. Are you working overtime? I'll pick you up.
[Baby Cheche]: I’m getting off school now. I’m outside the school and will be back later.
【Li】: What are you doing outside so late?
Cheng Che sent a nosy emoticon and stopped replying to his message checking up on him.
Duan Rui glanced at their chat box and saw Cheng Che sending emoticons. When he and Cheng Che were messaging, the other party always spoke directly. Duan Rui asked knowingly, "Girlfriend?"
Cheng Che nodded and didn't intend to explain anything.
"I still remember when you were in your third year of high school, I came to see you one day and saw a girl handing you a gift. You directly said that you wanted to study and not fall in love. At that time, I was wondering if Cheng Che was planning to never get married."
Duan Rui smiled and said, "I have also made up my mind. If Cheng Che doesn't get a wife, as his elder brother, I won't get one either. I will be single with my younger brother for the rest of my life."
Cheng Che was touched and was about to say something when he was interrupted. Duan Rui seemed to not want to hear his words of thanks. "Now that you're in a relationship, I'm relieved. The blind date my mother arranged for me last time was pretty good. I'm going to get to know her better. Maybe next time I can become your sister-in-law."
"Um."
They talked about the past, and it seemed that only the past could bring up topics. Their lives had gradually gone astray, Cheng Che was becoming more and more outstanding, but Duan Rui was deeply trapped in mediocrity.
"Clear!"
From a distance, Li Zimai waved at Cheng Che. He was wearing slippers and sweatpants, with a small bun on his head and his glasses on, as if he had just run out of the house.
Cheng Che stood up to stop him, subconsciously not wanting Li Zimai to sit on the not-so-clean bench, "Why are you here?"
Li Zimai was not polite at all, "Brother Rui, do you mind if I join in?"
Duan Rui said calmly, "I don't mind."
Cheng Che frowned and asked, "Why are you here?"
Li Zimai explained: "You didn't reply to my message, I was worried, so I came out to look for you. The school is about to close, and you still haven't gone back to sleep."
"There's still an hour until closing time, and I can get over the wall."
"Not abiding by school rules and regulations."
"Did you comply?"
"Why didn't I comply?"
Duan Rui rarely saw Cheng Che arguing with others about trivial matters. This passionate yet unfamiliar look seemed to truly belong to the eighteen-year-old Cheng Che.
"Xiao Che, can you help me buy a bottle of water from that supermarket? You know what I like to drink."
"good."
Cheng Che hadn't walked far when Duan Rui asked directly, "Did he promise you?"
Li Zimai admitted it frankly.
Duan Rui didn't show much emotion. He put a piece of meat into Li Zimai's bowl and said, "Eat. Don't just look at me."
Li Zimai didn't move. Except for Cheng Che, he never ate anything that had been touched by other people's chopsticks.
Duan Rui smiled and said, "That's really exquisite."
Li Zimai could understand the second half of the other party's unfinished sentence, and he didn't want to argue.
Duan Rui glanced at his ring finger and said earnestly, "Cheng Che can't stay with anyone for long. He needs friends and family more than a romantic relationship. So last time I advised you not to break this balance, but you obviously didn't listen to my advice."
Li Zimai had no expression on his face, looking across the street. "This is our own business, don't worry about it."
Duan Rui followed his gaze and looked over. It was Cheng Che helping a pregnant woman carry shopping bags. He seemed to remember something and continued to talk to himself, "The first time I saw him, he was fighting in the alley outside the school. Four people were fighting him alone. Even after being beaten black and blue, he refused to admit defeat. Later, I called the police and they left."
"He's very stubborn. Once he makes a decision, he never looks back. No matter how much you try to persuade him, it's useless. Just like when he decided to help that bullied classmate, even though he was surrounded many times afterwards, he never regretted helping others."
At the end, Duan Rui changed the subject, "But once he feels that this matter is not worth it, he can also withdraw without mercy, and no one can shake his decision."
Li Zimai remained silent. He didn't want to discuss Cheng Che with an outsider, even though he was very angry.
Duan Rui continued, "Cheng Che asked me not to tell grandma about his relationship, and he didn't tell me that you were the one he was dating. Are you unaware of his family's affairs?"
"Let me give you a heads-up. You don't look like an ordinary kid, so you might not understand the difficulties our family faces."
Li Zimai rarely behaved impolitely. Rationality allowed him to maintain his composure, but his emotions made him abandon his self-control. He stood up and looked down at the other person. "You're trying to tell me that Cheng Che and I are only together temporarily, and you're the one who'll be with him until the end, right?"
He didn't give Duan Rui a chance to argue, and said in a deep voice: "I don't care about the future, at least he likes me now."
Cheng Che just came back and noticed the strange atmosphere. "What are you talking about?"
Li Zimai didn't drink the Coke he handed over. He looked at Cheng Che and said he wanted to go back. Cheng Che noticed that his mood was not right and frowned, "What did you say?"
Duan Rui explained vaguely, "Nothing. Your classmate might have something to do. Let him go first. We'll eat for a while."
Cheng Che was hesitating whether to go with Li Zimai or stay to finish his meal before leaving. Li Zimai had already walked a long way with his hands in his pockets without looking back. His pace was several degrees faster than usual. It was obvious that he was angry.
Cheng Che was most afraid of him getting angry. The man who was usually so cheerful could be very scary when he got angry and could do anything.
Duan Rui looked at Cheng Che's back as he hurriedly followed him. The drink bottle he was holding gradually tightened, making an unpleasant squeaking sound. The liquid was clearly at room temperature, but it chilled his palms.
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