OHD Chapter 16: Comfortable?

Chapter 16: Comfortable?

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Shaking, Zhou Kai inserted the key and unlocked the door, quickly heading to his bedroom without even changing his shoes. Even though his parents weren’t home and he was alone, he still closed the bedroom door and even locked it, as if out of a desire to hide.

He threw himself face-down onto the bed, clenched his fists, and hit the bed a few times before kicking the legs hanging off the edge. After a while, the frustration in his chest still hadn’t dissipated, so he gritted his teeth and hit the bed again.

“…Damn snake, damn snake egg… bastard, son of a bitch!”

Muttering curses at He Ye, Zhou Kai’s eyes started to sting with unshed tears, frustrated and embarrassed, unsure of how to vent.

He couldn’t believe that He Ye had hidden there, waiting like a predator lying in wait. Why would He Ye hide there? Zhou Kai suddenly realized, He Ye must have known all along. He must have known he was the one, Z. When had he figured it out? Zhou Kai thought back, and the only time it made sense was during that one-on-one game in gym class.

He must have already exposed himself then, but He Ye—this bastard—pretended like he didn’t know, acting as if nothing was wrong. Zhou Kai, being a fool, had sent him photos and videos, not realizing He Ye had already insulted him. What did it matter?

Shit…

Suddenly, Zhou Kai felt how stupid he had been, how terribly foolish. He had thought he was the hunter, but in the end, he had become the prey, toyed with by the other person.

It was infuriating.

He lay there sulking for a while, his chaotic thoughts spiraling. Then, out of nowhere, he remembered how He Ye had pinned him against the wall in the boys’ bathroom and ripped off his clothes. His face flushed instantly. After the redness faded, Zhou Kai became angry with himself for being so shameless, for still having the nerve to think about such things at a time like this.

He punched the bed, sat up, and pulled his phone from his pocket. He bit his lip and opened his secondary WeChat account, blocking the only contact in it. After blocking, he deleted it, then uninstalled the app.

After all the actions, Zhou Kai stared at his phone, but instead of feeling relieved, he became even more frustrated and irritated.

He tossed the phone aside and flopped back onto the bed, muttering to himself, trying to snap out of it.

“Stop it, really, he doesn’t like you. He told you not to bother him anymore, so why are you still bothering him? Isn’t that pathetic?”

“Zhou Kai, He Ye doesn’t like you. If he even liked you a little, he wouldn’t have reacted like that.”

“Wake up, be smart, don’t bother him anymore. He’s already had enough.”

Gripping his wrist, which He Ye had bruised, Zhou Kai let out a long sigh, feeling his nose tingle, but he held back his tears.

“What’s the point… If he doesn’t like you, then he doesn’t like you…”

Thinking of the little black snake under the bed, Zhou Kai sighed. He should have never adopted it if he’d known things would turn out like this. And the tattoo—he was sure it would leave a scar after he washed it off.

“Damn, why is this so fucked up?”

Zhou Kai turned his face and looked at the photo frame on the nightstand. He nearly forgot about it. Not just that, but there were also the things in the drawer of the wardrobe—all that stuff had to be thrown away.

Why was everything so complicated?

No, who said that after a breakup you had to erase everything? Wasn’t that just pointless?!

Fine, fine, let it be. He wouldn’t wash it off, what was the point? He wouldn’t throw anything out either. Why would he throw things away? He’d have to keep raising the little black snake pup—it had become a part of him, and he couldn’t bear to give it away.

After Zhou Kai was exposed, He Ye left school in a good mood, and he quickly found a new job—working as a waiter at a newly opened chicken restaurant. The pay wasn’t bad, and most importantly, the hours fit well with his schedule.

He Ye didn’t bother checking out other restaurants after talking to the boss. He tied on an apron and started working, treating it like a trial run.

The boss noticed that the young man was hardworking and didn’t slack off, so when He Ye finished his shift, the boss called him over and said, “I can’t offer you daily pay, but I can shorten the waiting period and pay you weekly. What do you think?”

He Ye nodded. “That works.”

By the time he got home, it was almost 2 AM. He took a shower, got into bed, and before closing his eyes, he glanced at his phone on the chair. The notification light wasn’t flashing.

He closed his eyes, and soon he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When he woke up, his eyes were swollen. As he crawled out of bed and into the bathroom, Zhou Kai looked at himself in the mirror and couldn’t help but curse.

He stared at his reflection, raised his hand to touch his neck, and cursed He Ye once more.

How much strength had He Ye used when he grabbed him yesterday? The finger marks were clearly visible on his neck, only slightly better than his wrist.

Not bothering to wash his face or brush his teeth, Zhou Kai went back to his bedroom, opened the wardrobe, and dug around until he found a thinner turtleneck shirt.

He put it on and went back to the mirror. Although it covered the marks, any big movements would still reveal them.

Tch, looks like he’d have to stay quiet today and do nothing. Luckily, the wind was strong, and the temperature had dropped a bit, so wearing a turtleneck wouldn’t look strange.

Grinding his teeth, Zhou Kai pouted and shoved the toothbrush into his mouth. As he brushed his teeth, he recalled what had happened yesterday, flushing as he spat out the foam and splashed his face with cold water.

As he was about to climb the stairs, the class president, holding a broom, stormed toward him with a fierce expression, questioning him, “What the hell was that yesterday? You ran off before the competition even ended? What happened to going to the bathroom?”

Zhou Kai kept his distance, wary that the class president might get too touchy. He lied, “I suddenly remembered something my mom asked me to do. Besides, didn’t I send you a message?”

The class president asked, “What did your mom want? Why the rush?”

Zhou Kai couldn’t think of a good excuse, so he changed the subject and asked, “How’d the competition go? Did you win or lose?”

“Of course we won,” the class president replied, proudly holding the broom. “We beat them and now we’re having a barbecue as promised this afternoon after school.”

Zhou Kai congratulated them, “That’s great.”

“Of course it is. You should come too. You had a part in it, even if you were just a substitute who ran off before even playing.”

Zhou Kai chuckled, pushing away the class president’s hand, which was reaching out to put his arm around his neck. “I’ll pass. Like you said, I didn’t even play. You guys go ahead.”

The class president nodded, “Suit yourself.”

As they reached the front door of the classroom, Zhou Kai stopped, his heartbeat quickening. The class president thought he was going to help him sweep the floor and blew him a kiss. Zhou Kai turned his head to avoid it, lowering his gaze as he stepped inside.

He Ye, who had been sitting at his desk, had noticed Zhou Kai as soon as he appeared at the door. Of course, he also saw the class president’s obnoxious kiss and the way Zhou Kai turned away, but with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.

He Ye lowered his hand from propping up his chin and placed it on the open English book in front of him, his gaze fixed on Zhou Kai. Usually, Zhou Kai would stare back with his usual haughty confidence, often even glancing at him sideways. But this time, he kept his head down, walking straight to his seat without daring to look in He Ye’s direction.

He Ye’s eyes lingered on the high collar around Zhou Kai’s neck for a moment before returning to his book. He looked at the long string of sentences, but his vision slowly blurred.

The bell rang, and He Ye suddenly shivered. His eyes focused on the textbook, but he lifted his hand to cover his mouth and nose, trying to calm his racing thoughts.

What was he thinking? What the hell was he thinking?!

He actually…

Fuck!

He took a deep breath and abruptly stood up, pushing his chair back with his foot. He shot Zhou Kai’s back with a complicated look before turning and heading toward the back door.

The class president, who was sweeping the trash into the dustpan, saw He Ye storming out through the back door, looking furious. When he looked up, he was startled by the sight of He Ye’s eyes, slightly red and terrifying, and froze in place.

When He Ye passed by him and turned into the hallway toward the bathroom, the class president exhaled sharply and clutched the broom, feeling a bit shaken.

How did I piss off He Ye, that god of death? Shit, he’s not planning to find a chance to beat me up, is he?

The class president, trembling with fear, rushed to Zhou Kai right after morning self-study, eagerly discussing the possibility of He Ye being angry with him.

Zhou Kai looked up in confusion, too nervous to turn and check if He Ye was really glaring at him like the class president said. He simply asked, “Did you provoke him?”

The class president pondered with a distressed look, “I don’t think so… Could it be because of that thing during PE? But that shouldn’t be it, right? He didn’t act like that with the sports committee, did he?”

Zhou Kai didn’t know what was going on. He was too scared to face He Ye himself and was in no mood to help analyze the situation.

Frustrated, the class president banged his head against Zhou Kai’s shoulder. Zhou Kai, surrounded by the teasing from others, pushed him away without mercy.

The class president stood up, laughing, and playfully rubbed Zhou Kai’s face. He then dramatically said, “You heartless guy.” But as soon as he turned around, he found himself staring into He Ye’s fierce gaze.

Tilting his head, the class president grabbed Zhou Kai’s hand and whispered in his ear, “Look, look! You have to see He Ye’s eyes! Damn, it’s exactly this kind of look!”

Zhou Kai was beyond annoyed. If he wanted to look, he would’ve already done so. He pushed the class president’s hand away, muttering, “Go back to your seat. I’m still studying vocabulary.”

Since Zhou Kai refused to cooperate, the class president had no choice but to look elsewhere, turning his attention back to the sports committee.

Zhou Kai, irritated, slumped over his book, frustrated. He wanted to sigh and complain, but he couldn’t bring himself to. The discomfort made him want to lose it entirely.

What was he going to do now? He had to face He Ye every day from now on.

Meanwhile, He Ye was even more frustrated. Since returning from the bathroom, he had been glaring at Zhou Kai, almost as if he were trying to burn a hole in him with his stare.

Furrowing his brows, He Ye slammed his English book shut and dropped his head onto the desk.

Comfortable?

Comfortable my ass!

He was completely off. Something wasn’t right with him.