OHD Chapter 15: Was it You?

Chapter 15: Was it You?

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

After feeding Little Black some meat and watching it finish eating before it went still again, Zhou Kai tidied up the box and put it back under the bed. Only then did he go to change his clothes.

The class president and the physical education committee member kept messaging him in the class group chat, and his phone kept buzzing nonstop. After Zhou Kai changed, he privately messaged them back, telling them to go to school without coming to pick him up.

It was quite a coincidence that his father had gone on a business trip again, and his mother, thinking about visiting his grandfather who had just recovered from illness, decided to go back to the countryside. Zhou Kai was finally on break that day, with no one around to supervise his studies, so he could go out without any pressure.

When he arrived at the school basketball court, the physical education committee member really took out a bottle of sunscreen from his bag and tossed it to Zhou Kai. Zhou Kai’s mouth twitched as he caught it, and looked at the label. It was a Japanese brand, and he couldn’t read it at all.

The physical education committee member said, “My sister said this stuff is really effective. Even in the middle of the day, if you stand under the sun for an hour, you won’t even get dark.”

“…Oh.”

Zhou Kai heard him talk so confidently and was skeptical. He twisted the cap, squeezed out a little, and rubbed it onto his hands just to try it, then tossed it back to him.

The class president, who had finished warming up, walked over, holding the ball. When he saw Zhou Kai wearing a long-sleeve white shirt, straight-leg casual pants, and white sneakers, he almost spit out a mouthful of blood. “I mean, Zhou Kai, did you come here to play basketball or for a date?”

Zhou Kai looked down at his clothes, feeling guilty for a moment, then raised his head and raised an eyebrow at the class president. “I’m just a substitute, not like I’m definitely going to play.”

The physical education committee member then noticed Zhou Kai’s outfit. Hearing what he said, he looked confused. “You’re being too casual for a substitute.”

Zhou Kai smiled and shrugged confidently. “It’s fine. If I need to go in, I’ll go in. Doesn’t matter what I wear.”

The class president and physical education committee member exchanged a look, suddenly recalling the gossip circulating about Zhou Kai in class, and they both laughed. Zhou Kai felt goosebumps from their smiles, waved his hand, and walked over to sit under the basketball hoop. The others from the other classes were still on their way, so he had to wait for a while.

Zhou Kai took out his phone, tapped the screen a few times, felt a bit bored, then put it away, leaning back against the hoop, squinting his eyes as he stared at the office building ahead.

In the back row by the window of the lecture hall, He Ye looked up at the words “2020XX Funding Conference” on the projection screen, his face indifferent, almost numb. When others clapped, he clapped too. When someone held up a camera and asked everyone to sit properly, he obediently sat down.

After the student representative finished speaking, the money distribution began.

When it was his turn to go up and get the money, He Ye flashed a brief smile. As the flashbulbs hit his eyes, he thought about how terrifying his face must look in the photos. Could such a picture even be used for publicity?

The photographer seemed to have thought about this too, as he clicked the shutter a few more times.

When the flash went off again, He Ye had already returned to his usual indifferent expression, the bright white light before him blinding his vision.

The conference lasted for over an hour before it finally ended. He Ye followed the crowd out of the lecture hall but didn’t go downstairs with them. He stood by the window in the hallway, took out his phone, and sent a message to his homeroom teacher.

“Done, got the five thousand, thanks.”

His homeroom teacher, seeing this message that was just like the ones from the past couple of years, felt a bit frustrated, sighed, and replied, “Got it, be careful on the way back and get some rest.”

He Ye looked at the message, didn’t reply, and deleted it. He then squeezed the envelope in his hand, feeling the thickness of the five thousand yuan inside, opened his backpack zipper, and tossed the envelope in.

By now, everyone had already left, and the doors to the lecture hall were closed. He Ye was the only one left on the fourth floor.

He Ye had planned to leave. He needed to find new work and shouldn’t waste time here. But before he left, he glanced out the window, and when his eyes lowered, he saw a group of about ten people on the basketball court, both men and women, and it looked like they were still playing.

He Ye had good eyesight, and if it weren’t for his cold, he could have seen more clearly. He stared at a person outside the three-point line, wearing a long-sleeve white shirt, surrounded by a few girls, like a hungry beast eyeing a fresh, juicy piece of meat.

Zhou Kai regretted coming. He felt he shouldn’t have shown up. He didn’t get to see the one person he had hoped to, and instead, a few girls from other classes had caught him and started chatting about everything under the sun. This celebrity, that makeup brand… Zhou Kai didn’t follow celebrities, and the only skincare product he used in winter was some moisturizer, so he really couldn’t relate to the conversation. Unfortunately, his previous gentle and considerate persona meant he had to keep smiling and chatting with them, even though he was irritated and kept glancing at the doors of the office building.

How could he not be here? He had been watching! He Ye definitely hadn’t left!

Wait, could it be that he never came?

This thought popped into Zhou Kai’s head, and he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to go into the building to check. Just as the first half of the game ended, the class president came over to grab some water. Zhou Kai took the opportunity to say, “I’m going to the bathroom, want to come with me?”

The class president, sweating and not yet having a drink, didn’t need to use the restroom. He waved his hand, saying, “No, you go ahead.”

Zhou Kai didn’t care. He was actually hoping the class president wouldn’t come with him. He turned and walked quickly, afraid someone else might stop him and want to join.

As he entered the main door of the office building, Zhou Kai turned around to check, and when he saw no one following, he sighed in relief and walked inside, heading for the stairs.

He Ye, who had been watching from above, saw the person disappear beneath the stairs. Then he heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, the faint noise of a hand brushing against the railing.

His vision grew blurry, and his chest tightened as he listened to the footsteps getting closer. He Ye quickly hid behind a pillar where the wall and pillar met, holding his breath.

Zhou Kai ran up the stairs, panting. When he saw the doors to the lecture hall were closed, he turned and looked around, finding the place completely empty.

“Damn!” He held his aching side from running too fast, glaring at the lecture hall door, frustrated. “That bastard… he really didn’t come?”

He Ye, hiding in the corner, clenched his fists, his forehead veins bulging with anger.

Zhou Kai stood there for a while, then walked to the door of the lecture hall and peeked through the crack. But the curtains were drawn, and everything inside was pitch dark.

Realizing he was just doing something pointless and unnecessary, Zhou Kai dropped his head, grabbed his hair in frustration, sighed in defeat, and turned to leave.

But as soon as he turned, he couldn’t leave.

There was no way He Ye, pushed to his limit, was going to let him go.

Such a good opportunity, practically delivered to him on a silver platter—there was no way he would let it slip away.

Earlier, when Zhou Kai had turned, He Ye had been hidden in the corner, but now, Zhou Kai’s movement exposed him. Zhou Kai was truly startled. When he saw He Ye, lurking in the corner, glaring at him with a dangerous intensity, his whole body shivered, and his back went numb. He was too scared to make a sound.

He knew?!

Looking into He Ye’s eyes, Zhou Kai realized the terrifying possibility. He could no longer care about anything else. The only thought running through his mind was to run.

But He Ye wasn’t going to let him escape. As Zhou Kai tried to flee, He Ye lunged forward from the corner, throwing his backpack full of money to the ground, and grabbed Zhou Kai with such force that he nearly crushed his hand.

The force was so brutal.

Zhou Kai felt like the bones in his right hand might snap under He Ye’s grip. He pushed with his left hand and pulled with his right, desperately trying to break free. But his strength was no match for He Ye’s, especially with all the pent-up frustration and rage He Ye had been holding in.

Zhou Kai couldn’t scream—there were still people upstairs in the offices. He Ye knew this, and taking advantage of the grip on his wrist, he pulled Zhou Kai into a tight embrace around his waist, lifting him off the ground and carrying him toward the boys’ restroom, which was about ten meters away.

Zhou Kai was done for. He was terrified by He Ye’s brutal actions, begging in a small, desperate voice for him to let go, trying to struggle free from his grip, but he couldn’t. His mind was in chaos, and he was incoherently saying he was sorry and wouldn’t do it again. Upon hearing this, He Ye only tightened his grip, squeezing his hand and waist harder, growling with determination as he thought:

“You have no idea. If you had known, you would’ve listened to my warning and never provoked me. Now that you have, this is what you get. You’ll have to bear it.”

Once they were inside the boys’ restroom, He Ye finally released Zhou Kai and shoved him forward a little. Zhou Kai, now free to move, immediately turned to run, but the door had already been slammed shut behind him, and He Ye locked it.

The sound of the lock clicking made Zhou Kai feel like his fate for the day was sealed. He had considered many possibilities—what would happen if He Ye found out he was Z—but he had never imagined that He Ye would react like this.

So fierce, so ruthless, dragging him here as if he were about to kill him and cover it up.

Shaking, Zhou Kai forced himself to calm down, but even speaking felt difficult. He looked at He Ye, standing before him with red eyes and a dark expression, squeezing his bruised wrist. He managed to say, “I’m sorry,” then took a half-step back, avoiding He Ye’s gaze and asking, “What… what do you want to do?”

He Ye’s gaze was dark and ominous. Zhou Kai couldn’t bear the intense look and, after a while, his eyes started to redden from shame and regret. He felt completely exposed, like he was standing naked in front of He Ye.

They stood there, locked in a tense standoff. Zhou Kai, seeing that He Ye didn’t move, impulsively decided to try and escape. He rushed to the door, hoping to get downstairs, run home, and hide with the little black snake, avoiding reality.

But as soon as he moved, He Ye, provoked and on edge, acted swiftly.

Zhou Kai had just reached He Ye when He Ye grabbed his shoulder and pressed him against the tile wall before his hand could touch the door.

His back slammed against the cold wall, causing a momentary pain. Zhou Kai, who had initially thought he deserved it, was now angered. Glaring at He Ye with red eyes, he thought that even if He Ye wanted to hit him, he wouldn’t just let him. He would fight back.

But He Ye didn’t hit him. After pressing him against the wall, He Ye used one hand to clamp down on his neck and the other to unbutton his shirt, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on his right chest.

Following He Ye’s gaze, Zhou Kai immediately knew what he was going to do. He didn’t want to and refused to let He Ye see. Biting his lip, he used the hands that had been pulling at He Ye’s neck to block He Ye’s hand from unbuttoning his shirt.

He Ye had only undone one button when he was met with resistance. Frowning, he released his grip on Zhou Kai’s neck and grabbed Zhou Kai’s two interfering hands, raising them above his head and pressing them against the wall, finding a position to control them so that Zhou Kai couldn’t break free.

Without the use of his hands, Zhou Kai raised his right leg to kick He Ye. He Ye was unprepared and was kicked on the thigh, his face darkening. He leaned forward and used his own lower body to suppress Zhou Kai.

Regardless of their lower bodies rubbing against each other, Zhou Kai was anxious. His lips were bitten until they bled, and he twisted his waist to prevent He Ye from continuing, his voice choking with tears, “He Ye! He Ye… don’t… I beg you! He Ye!”

He Ye was numbed by his pleas and stopped, looking at his eyes and then at his lips. His voice was hoarse and sinister as he asked, “Won’t let me see?”

Zhou Kai gasped in response to his question, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his lips trembling as he shook his head, “No… no…” He was still avoiding it, unwilling to accept the reality that had already been exposed.

Seeing him shake his head, the fire in He Ye’s chest burned away his reason. When Zhou Kai was panting and moaning about how it couldn’t be done and couldn’t be seen, he violently tore off the few remaining buttons on his shirt.

“Ah!”

Closing his eyes and trembling all over, Zhou Kai’s exposed chest made him feel so embarrassed that he burst into tears.

The snake-and-peony tattoo finally caught He Ye’s eye in reality.

So vibrant, so provocative, so decadent, it was right there on Zhou Kai’s right chest.

The good student who always looked down on him and had a double personality.

The gay guy who always sent him provocative photos in the middle of the night.

Fuck him!

He Ye looked up at Zhou Kai whose eyelashes were trembling with tears, took a rough breath, but smiled like a devil and asked, “Was it you?”

He increased his grip, asking again, “Was it you?”

Zhou Kai shuddered and bit his lip until it turned white.

He Ye leaned in closer, their noses almost touching, and continued to ask, “Was it you? Was it you, huh?”

Choking back a sob, Zhou Kai knew he couldn’t avoid it under this naked exposure of the truth. Even if he denied it, he couldn’t escape.

Slightly opening his eyes, his pupils clouded with tears, Zhou Kai loosened his grip on his lip and gave in. He no longer struggled.

Looking at He Ye’s eyes that were filled with a fiery glint, he whimpered softly and admitted, “It was…”

With that answer, the fire in He Ye’s heart was instantly extinguished.

He looked closely at Zhou Kai’s eyes again, for a long time. Then he looked down at his right chest, at the tattoo, and at the nipple that Zhou Kai often played with until it was hard and red…

Zhou Kai couldn’t move and could only let him look, shivering uncontrollably, biting his lip without making a sound, his mind racing.

Until the class president’s voice suddenly came from downstairs, He Ye let out a rough breath and released the hand that had been controlling Zhou Kai.

Without the restraint, Zhou Kai almost collapsed to the ground. He buried his head, his face turning red and then white, and pulled together the shirt that had been widely open, his fingers fumbling with the buttons.

He Ye stood in front of him, a step away, watching him pull his clothes together to hide the tattoo.

Zhou Kai, having tidied his clothes, didn’t dare stay for a moment, and without even glancing at He Ye, he opened the bathroom door and ran out.

He Ye watched him leave, with the marks he had left on his neck and wrists, and those red eyes and nose. It was obvious he had been bullied.

Turning to look at himself in the mirror, a beast who had made someone cry, He Ye curled his lips into a smile, feeling as good as if he had earned millions and paid off all his debts.

It’s fine if he admits it.

He Ye thought, it’s good that Zhou Kai admitted it.

He Ye thought again, after exposing Zhou Kai, he should feel relieved, without anger, and able to sleep well.