Chapter 20: 20

Two grown men getting so touchy on the street didn’t look that great on either of us. I was also afraid of running into any acquaintances, so I wanted to let go after holding his hand for a bit. Yet, without even looking back, he tightened his grip and refused to let go. No matter how I pulled my hand back, I couldn’t shake him off. In the end, I just went with him.

Throughout the entire way there, I had my head hung low as if I was going to be caught red handed as a thief. Fortunately, I didn’t run into anyone I know in the neighbourhood. I pushed the door open and looked up, finally letting out the breath I was holding since earlier and took in another mouthful. It was too sudden that I ended up coughing a little.

Directly across our table was a girl with her head buried in her food, eating a bunch of crawfish to the point that her mouth is covered in oil. She would look up sometimes and chug down a few mouthfuls of cold beer. Her posture could be described as bold.

I felt my sight turn blurry a little. Who would have thought I would run into my childhood friend here?

I tugged on Shen Die who was beside me, trying to sneak out yet she seemed to share some kind of telepathic moment with me and looked at the door.

“…Xia Xia?”

I froze in place when I heard that. After fixing my expressions a little, I turned around and gave her an awkward yet polite smile, “Haha, long time no see.”

“Since when did you come back? Why didn’t you tell me!”

“Well…I just came back today. I didn’t have the time to tell you.”

“You came out to eat on your own…huh? This is…?”

I conversed with her while trying my best to block Shen Die out of her sight. Unfortunately, this guy was ridiculously tall and also had an outstanding aura that anyone would instantly be attracted to him when they looked up.

I watched as my childhood friend’s expression instantly turn dumbfounded, eyes widening more and more by the second. I let out a deep sigh and was about to introduce him to her, yet the person behind me suddenly spoke calmly, “Hello. I am his boyfriend, Shen Die.”

My childhood friend’s mouth fell as the half-eaten crawfish in her hand fell into the beer glass.

“…..”

I’m done for. I’ve really come out of the closet this time.

My childhood friend seemed to have suffered a really big blow, her eyes darting between the two of us nonstop, trembling even. When she met his gaze, she stilled and gulped, “P-P-P-P-P-President Shen…”

Huh? What? Did she get scared out of her wits or something? How can you casually call someone President…

Shen Die nodded, “Student Zheng, long time no see.”

My childhood friend’s eyes lit up, “You…You still remember me?”

This time, it was my turn to be dumbfounded.

What is all this? Why does it sound like these two share a really old connection or something? Why am I the only one out of the three of us who doesn’t know a single thing?

I stood there, stunned, like a log and was pulled over to my childhood friend’s table to sit in front of her. I continue to be dumbfounded as I watch him prepare the tableware, getting up to ask for some hot water from the kitchen up until I was pounced on by my childhood friend, having my shoulders shaken nonstop before I came back to my senses.

“I said his name sounded so familiar!! This Shen Die turned out to be that same Shen Die! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“W-Which Shen Die?”

My childhood friend froze and looked at me in disbelief, “Don’t tell me you haven’t recognized him yet?”

I grew nervous for some reason, “R-Recognize what?”

“He’s the student president in our high school! Although we weren’t from the same class, but you can’t possibly not remember that, right?”

…I really didn’t remember.

I was still in my rebellious phase back in junior high school, especially my first year. I hardly listened to any class every week and skipping school was even a normal thing to me. Not to mention all the tardiness and self-declared early dismissals. The student council was only seen during the morning assemblies on Mondays.  I really haven’t seen him that many times.

After all, it took me half a semester to remember even my own class president’s name.

“That can’t be,” My childhood friend frowned, “Even though he only stayed for a semester before transferring away, didn’t you say he was your elementary school classmate?”

“Ah?” I blinked, “What classmate?”

“Your seatmate! Your class monitor! The lead actor in my debut novel!”

Fuck, I remember now.

I really have no recollection of the name ‘Shen Die’, but I still vaguely remember that seatmate in fifth grade of elementary school.

My family often scolded me for being too much of a ‘goldfish’. There really was a reason for that. I could forget about anything and anyone completely cleanly. Aside from a few friends from elementary school that I still kept in touch with, I don’t remember anyone else’s face anymore.

But I still have a bit of an impression of this class monitor.

Because the very first time I had a fight in my life was with him.

The reason being – he poured half a bottle of milk into my dimple one day while I was having an afternoon nap.

Of course it was impossible to pour liquid into a dimple. So when I woke up, I found my face stuck to the table.

It almost made me cry.

When I came back from the toilet after washing my face, I pounced on the guy and punched him to the ground with red eyes.

“You even bit his hand till it bled. No one could pull you two apart. And you cried even louder than the person who was getting beaten. So embarrassing.” My childhood friend recalled.

I ignored her insults and instead fell into a huge shock.

That stupid annoyance of a child, my seatmate back then – was Shen Die?!

This Shen Die?!

I stammered and asked, “You…Are you mistaken…Shen Die graduated with a bachelor’s degree already, how could he be the same age and classmates with me?”

“This…Maybe he skipped a grade! Aiya, if you still don’t believe me, do you want me to bring my fanfic masterpiece tomorrow for you to revise the details?” After saying that, she started lamenting, “Holy shit, is this for fucking real now?”

The main character of this topic walked back with a kettle so my childhood friend immediately shut her mouth up. She turned to the boss and shouted, “Another pot of crawfishes!” Then she looked at me before saying, “Non-spicy ones!”

However, there was no such thing as a non-spicy crawfish. The waiter served a pot that was spicy to death to us. The two of them ate a bit and put down their chopsticks already. If it was the usual me, I would have easily breezed through half the pot. But the conversation earlier had threw my mind into a violent turmoil that I have yet to get out of.

I stole few glances at him while peeling one of the crawfishes, but I wasn’t paying enough attention and ended up getting my finger cut from the shell.

I haven’t even reacted yet he suddenly turned around to grab my wrist, picking up the wet towel next to me to wipe my hand clean from the spicy oil. He said, “Be careful, and don’t move.”

Then he turned away and started peeling the crawfishes for me.

I ate three of the crawfishes that he peeled for me and put into my bowl. But I couldn’t eat anymore as my childhood friend was staring straight at me across the table. I placed my chopsticks down and said, “I’m full. Let’s g-go back.”

My childhood friend understood immediately and got up too, “Ahaha, let me go and get the bill. You guys can go ahead first, we can meet up again next time!”

Shen Die nonchalantly said, “I’ve already paid for it. Thanks for the hospitality.”

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He glanced at my childhood friend with a neutral gaze, then nodded as acknowledgement before taking his leave, dragging me along as well.

On the way back, my head was still filled with the shocking information that was forcefully dumped on me. While digesting them with difficulty, I continued to sneak glanced at the guy next to me.

I still couldn’t believe that this Shen Die and I had actually crossed paths before.

Then why did he still acted like he didn’t know me? Did he forget about me as well?

Or…he’s pretending not to know me?

Why is he doing this then? Was he too bored and had too much free time? Was it fun to trick me?

An idea popped up in my heart but I was too scared to believe it.

I wouldn’t be able to come up with a conclusion no matter how much more I try to blindly think about it. It’s better to ask him directly. He wouldn’t think of lying to me still, right?

“That…” I pretended to be casual about it, “How old are you this year?”

If he’s the same age as me, then my childhood friend was probably right.

“Hm?” He turned around to look at me, his eyes narrowing slightly to reveal a little smile, “How old1 am I…don’t you know best?”

I was stunned for a bit before reacting, jumping up and kicking him, “ I wasn’t fucking asking you about that!”

Have some decency, okay?

He didn’t get annoyed at that. Instead, he held my hand and pulled me towards him, then he finally answered in a serious tone, “Five months older than you.”

Fuck, we really are the same age.

My thoughts started to run in all directions. Why? How could this be? I’m still struggling in my undergraduate studies, yet he has already graduated!

I was envious for a bit, so I gave his hand an angry squeeze. Then, I finally remembered the main topic, “Do you already know me from way before!”

“Yes.” He actually admitted to it without hiding anything.

I was even more furious hearing that. It felt like I was fooled for a really long time. “Then why did you lie to me! Why did you pretend not to know me!”

“When did I lie to you?” He asked me back, “I just didn’t mention it.”

He’s making sense!

I grew even more furious at that but I couldn’t refuse his words at all. Because I was the one who didn’t remember him, he didn’t have an obligation to remind me.

The cool night breeze blew over and cleared my overheated brain a little. I looked at the back of the guy walking in front of me and remembered that vague suspicion I had earlier.

After a long silence, I suddenly shook his hand a little, “Hey, why do you like me?”

Hearing that, his footsteps came to a stop as his lowered his head as if seriously thinking about it. After a while, he turned around and looked straight into my eyes, saying, “I don’t know.”

“Care to repeat that?”

He used to spout a bunch of sweet words and lies all the time! Even if he can’t think of an answer now, why can’t he make up one? It really is true that things change when you finally got someone in your hands.

He said, “Don’t you hate it the most when I lie to you? I really don’t know. How about you? Why do you like me?”

I didn’t even think about it and answered, “You just looked right to me!”

He laughed, “So it’s about looks. Then I sure am lucky.”

“…..”

Am I such a superficial person?!

I glared at him then, meeting his eyes that were clearly curving upwards. Then I came to a realization that he had diverted the topic yet again!

I’ll change the question if this one didn’t work. I refuse to believe I can’t pry an answer out of you.

I rolled my eyes and asked again, “Since when did you start liking me? Why didn’t I notice it?”

This time, the smirk that was on his face slowly faded. And he didn’t answer right away.

Hm? Did I strike the right question?

I immediately pressed on and asked, “Answer me! ‘fess up! No lying allowed!”

But then he said, “I’ll tell you when we get back.”

When this guy decided not to tell, he really wouldn’t no matter what. Even though I tried all kinds of tricks, gentle or aggressive, he remained firm throughout the way home. I had no choice but to brush aside my plan and continue interrogating him in the future.

""

After returning home and taking a shower, I pointed at the guest room but he insisted on following me back to my room, taking up half of my bed when he laid down.

Travelling home from afar today and then getting tortured by him afterwards, I was so exhausted that I could hardly stay awake anymore. I couldn’t bother to argue with him. It’s not like we have never slept before anyways and my parents aren’t home too.

He reached a hand out from behind him and wrapped it around my chest. My eyes swept across his wrist by accident and spotted the old teeth marks on it, suddenly remembering what my childhood friend told me today. My muddled brain woke up a little at that, so I couldn’t help but ask, “You…This scar…was it bitten by me?”

He rubbed against the spot behind my ear and answered vaguely, “Mhmm.”

…Fuck, my teeth sure were sharp back then.

I couldn’t resist grabbing his wrist and rubbing that spot a little. Then I carefully examined it and felt really amazed. I couldn’t help putting my mouth closer, grazing the scar to compare it. My tongue accidentally grazed the inside of his wrist as well when I licked those teeth marks.

His hand tensed up a little before he pinched my chin and turned my head over to face his. Then he leaned in for a kiss.

It didn’t take long before I was pinned underneath him, being kissed nonstop to the point that I was out of breath. The kisses slowly eased up after some time, but he continued to peck at my lips and chin from time to time. The intimacy and comfort from his touch lulled me to sleep even further and, in the end, I slowly closed my heavy eyelids.

Between the state of half-asleep and half-awake, I could feel a soft, moist touch coming from the dimple on the left side of my face. Shen Die’s low voice rang out in a blur, “…Sixteen.”

I mumbled unconsciously in my dream, “…Hm?”

“When I was sixteen,” He planted feathery-light kisses on my face, “I started liking you then.”

——END

T/N: That’s a wrap for the main story! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did translating it. I know it’s short and as some may point out, was too fast-paced or didn’t have much depth, but I think it had some cute parts that were enjoyable too.

There are 10 more chapters of side stories where the author dives into when they met in high school, how Shen Die fell for him, their experience/struggle with coming out to their parents and how they decided to move forward. It’s just as worthy of reading as the main story, so do stay around for it~

Footnotes

It could also mean “How big are you?” because in Chinese ‘old’ and ‘big’ can be asked in the same way. So he’s teasing him again.

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