Chapter 17: Some Nerve
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
He Ye leaned against the wall, his gaze fixed on Zhou Kai at the front of the class. His eyes traced Zhou Kai’s features—starting from his eyes, moving to his nose, then his lips, and eventually, to his exposed neck. His eyes dropped lower to Zhou Kai’s chest, but the paper he was holding obscured the view. So, He Ye’s attention returned to Zhou Kai’s face, narrowing his eyes as he focused.
It had been three days since He Ye had figured out Zhou Kai’s secret. In those three days, he realized a harsh truth: Zhou Kai was avoiding him. He avoided his gaze, avoided him altogether, yet still joked and laughed with everyone else in class like nothing had happened.
That made He Ye boil with frustration. He had thought that confronting Zhou Kai would bring him relief, but instead, it seemed like Zhou Kai was doing just fine. In fact, it felt like Zhou Kai was more at ease than he was.
Why? Why did Zhou Kai get to act so unaffected after everything that happened between them? After causing He Ye to feel so out of sorts, Zhou Kai could walk around like it was no big deal.
It was like now, as Zhou Kai stood there confidently reading out loud, a model student in front of the class, while He Ye was seething, unable to shake off the discomfort in his chest.
Damn it.
The fire He Ye had managed to put out three days ago flared up again. As Zhou Kai finished his reading, smiling smugly and basking in the applause from the class, He Ye’s anger spiked again when Zhou Kai’s eyes flicked past him without even lingering.
Forcing himself to look away, He Ye stared out the window at the trees swaying in the wind, his expression dark.
Meanwhile, Zhou Kai, still distracted, gazed at the brand new sunscreen spray sitting on his desk. The bottle still had its packaging intact. He blinked, confused, as he looked up at the sports committee member who was laughing beside him. “What did you just say?”
The sports committee member, sitting casually on Zhou Kai’s desk, grinned at him mischievously. “I said, this.” He pointed to the sunscreen, repeating, “It’s from Su Qi from Class 9, the gorgeous Su Qi.”
Su Qi? Who?
Zhou Kai tried to remember. He recalled meeting a girl named Su Qi last Sunday on the basketball court, but they barely knew each other. So why was she sending him sunscreen?
The sports committee member laughed, slapping Zhou Kai on the shoulder. “What do you think it means?”
The class president, grinning widely, added, “It’s obvious, isn’t it? A guy can see what this means.”
He then feigned sorrow, dramatically whining, “Am I being replaced? Left behind?”
The sports committee member pulled the class president into a side hug, smirking. “Don’t worry, there’s still a big brother here.”
Zhou Kai frowned, watching them act so over the top. He pushed the sunscreen back towards the sports committee member. “Take it back to her.”
The sports committee member froze, pushing the class president away. “Why send it back?”
Zhou Kai’s head was spinning. He was already caught up in his own mess, constantly trying to dodge He Ye’s attention. His mind was consumed with studying and how to avoid He Ye. He couldn’t afford to think about anything else.
Besides, he wasn’t interested in girls, so why would he accept a gift from one? It would only cause misunderstandings, and he didn’t need any more trouble.
He only said, “I don’t need this. You can return it for me.”
The sports committee member, however, refused to take it back. “I’m not returning it. I’m just the delivery man, not the return guy. If you want to return it, you do it yourself.”
Zhou Kai felt like hitting him. Did he really think he was a courier? Even delivery men don’t shirk their duties like this!
The class president, seeing that Zhou Kai was rejecting the gift, added, “Fine, I’ve already made plans with Su Qi and her friends to go for barbecue chicken tonight. Zhou Kai, you should come too. Then you can return the gift in person.”
Zhou Kai refused. He stood up and grabbed the bottle. “There’s no need for all that trouble. I’ll return it to her now.”
The sports committee member immediately stopped him, scolding, “I’m telling you, Zhou Kai, don’t be dumb. If you go now, with so many people around, won’t Su Qi get upset? She’s just a girl, she might even cry!”
The class president also chimed in, “Better wait until tonight. It’s easier to handle off-campus. You know how it is, we’re not allowed to date young in school. If a teacher finds out…”
Frustrated, Zhou Kai smacked their heads and shoved the sunscreen bottle into his bag. The sports committee member and class president continued their conversation about the barbecue chicken, laughing about some new place with discounts, making Zhou Kai even more irritated. He decided to escape and went out to the hallway to go to the bathroom.
He Ye, however, didn’t wait for him. The moment Zhou Kai left the classroom, He Ye stood up and slipped out through the back door.
Zhou Kai finished washing his hands and turned to leave the bathroom, only to find He Ye blocking his way. He didn’t think much of it at first, but when he moved to the right, He Ye mirrored him, and when he moved to the left, He Ye followed suit. It was becoming frustrating.
When He Ye blocked his path again, Zhou Kai realized this wasn’t an accident—it was deliberate. He frowned and looked up.
He Ye was staring down at him, his face unreadable. He was clearly suppressing his emotions, trying to avoid making a scene, but the tension in his body told Zhou Kai everything.
As soon as their eyes met, Zhou Kai’s heart rate quickened. He felt a wave of panic and instinctively took a step back. His gaze dropped, avoiding He Ye’s stare. His palms were sweaty as he clenched his fists, still too afraid to face He Ye directly.
He Ye, seeing Zhou Kai’s reaction, couldn’t help but feel the embers of his anger flare up again. The sight of Zhou Kai acting so vulnerable made He Ye want to torment him, to break through his composure. His body moved forward instinctively, closing the gap.
Just then, the bell rang for class to start.
Zhou Kai, in a split second, made a snap decision. As He Ye took a step forward, Zhou Kai seized the opportunity to dodge, slipping past him and sprinting out the bathroom door.
He Ye didn’t even have time to react before Zhou Kai was already in the hallway, feeling like he had narrowly escaped a dangerous situation. When he sat back at his desk, he couldn’t help but grin. His chest was pounding, and he felt a strange thrill from escaping He Ye.
Looking over at He Ye’s seat, Zhou Kai couldn’t help but feel smug. He had managed to outmaneuver him, at least for now.
But as his adrenaline wore off, Zhou Kai’s mind wandered. Why had He Ye blocked him? He hadn’t done anything to provoke him, so why was He Ye so determined to corner him?
Meanwhile, in the boys’ bathroom, He Ye stood frozen, processing what had just happened. His eyes flickered, and a small smile crept onto his face, though it was tinged with something darker. The fire inside him burned hotter, and despite himself, he chuckled, his shoulders shaking with the force of his amusement.
“If you think you can get away that easily… Zhou Kai, you’ve got some nerve.”
His laughter faded as he took a few deep breaths, steadying himself. His gaze sharpened, and his thoughts turned to the evening. If Zhou Kai saw him at the barbecue restaurant, would he react the same way—fleeing as soon as he saw He Ye?
