OHD Chapter 33: Distance

Chapter 33: Distance

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Red-eyed and swollen, Zhou Kai returned home, opened the door, and walked inside. As soon as he stepped in, his shoulders slumped, his whole body felt numb with pain, and his head was heavy. He stood in the living room, looking at his cozy home, thinking about He Ye’s house that he had just left. The pain made him clutch his temple.

He retreated to his bedroom and lay on the bed. His eyes were fixed on the photo on the nightstand, but he couldn’t help thinking of the one on He Ye’s desk, the one He Ye had pressed with a book.

After a difficult breath, Zhou Kai crawled off the bed and took out the little black snake pup. The pup curled up, motionless, lying in his palm. Zhou Kai sat on the floor, his knees drawn up, staring at the pup’s posture, and he thought of He Ye curled up on the narrow bench.

He Ye had told him not to like him, but he still thought about He Ye, no matter what he saw, he couldn’t stop thinking.

What should he do now?

Sighing, Zhou Kai poked the pup with his finger, his nose still stuffy from crying. “You…”

He had barely started speaking when he choked up again, unsure of what to say.

He covered his forehead and sat there for a long time. Then he looked up at the wardrobe. An idea flashed in his mind, and he grabbed it impulsively, standing up and placing the pup on the bed. He went to the desk, grabbed the keys, and opened the wardrobe.

Holding his bank card in his hand, Zhou Kai turned around and ran out of the room, out of the house.

He didn’t need to run far—there was an ATM at the east entrance of his neighborhood. Luckily, no one was there at the moment.

Panting, Zhou Kai opened the door and walked in. As he inserted the card and entered the PIN, his heart raced. When the screen changed to show his bank balance, his heart, which had been racing, froze.

“Huh?”

His sore eyes were fixed on the number, less than five hundred. Zhou Kai stood dazed for a while before remembering that he had spent the money. Last year, he had used the money to buy a new phone.

Honestly, even if he hadn’t spent it, what could he do with less than two thousand?

He didn’t know how much debt He Ye’s father had left him, but from the things he had heard, from the tone of the debt collectors, he could guess it wasn’t a small amount—at least tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands.

A drop in the ocean.

Two thousand yuan was really not enough.

And even if he withdrew the money, what could he do? Give it to He Ye? Would He Ye accept it?

The answer pressed painfully against Zhou Kai’s chest, making him ache.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and Zhou Kai, confused, pulled it out. He saw the caller ID display “Mom,” and his eyes started to well up.

Zhou Kai’s mom had been joking with his dad, but the moment she heard something off in his voice, she immediately asked, “Xiao Kai, what’s wrong? Why does your voice sound hoarse?”

Zhou Kai touched his neck, trying to smile to reassure his parents, but he couldn’t force it, and instead, he gasped and coughed a few times.

His mom immediately guessed, “Son, are you sick?”

Zhou Kai wiped his eyes, sniffed, and heard his dad talking to his mom about using video calls. He quickly laughed awkwardly a couple of times. “No, I’m not sick. I just finished my exam, stayed up late playing games last night, forgot to drink water, and woke up coughing this morning.”

His mom didn’t buy it, but his dad, believing the lie, started lecturing him. “You think you can relax after exams? Your mom and I aren’t home, and you just—”

Zhou Kai listened, his eyes blankly staring at the ATM screen showing his balance. His head was heavy, and his mind felt hot. As he heard his dad’s words, he suddenly blurted out, “Dad, how can I make money?”

His dad paused for a long time after hearing this, before saying, “You’re still studying, what’s with thinking about making money? Your mom and I will earn money. Just focus on your studies. Once you finish college, you’ll make money on your own.”

Zhou Kai bit his lip and shook his head.

That was too far away—going to college, finishing college, so many years to come…

He listened to his parents talk, telling him he had them, and he should just focus on his studies. Zhou Kai covered his eyes and choked out a sound of acknowledgment.

He had parents who loved and cared for him, with no worries about food and clothing, his life was smooth sailing, never knowing the struggles of bills and life’s hardships. Money was never something to worry about because there was no need to think about how to live without it.

He Ye wasn’t like him. He Ye didn’t have parents… He Ye had no one… All He Ye had were unrepaid debts.

It was so hard for him, so hard, and yet no one allowed him to be loved. What a fool, really, such a fool.

Wiping his eyes, Zhou Kai took his bank card out, put it back in his pocket, and slowly walked back home, feeling drained.

The next day, during morning self-study, the midterm exam results were handed out.

The class president handed out the midterm results. When he got to Zhou Kai, he was startled by his pale face and swollen eyes, which had turned into single eyelids. “What happened to you?”

Zhou Kai took the score sheet from the class president and looked at his rank—first in the class, within the top hundred in the grade. He didn’t feel excited or happy, for the first time, he felt indifferent to his grades.

The more the class president looked at Zhou Kai, the more something felt off, but since he still had to distribute the score sheets, he didn’t ask Zhou Kai any further.

When the class president reached He Ye, he was lying on the desk. The class president made an annoyed sound and casually placed the score sheet on the corner of He Ye’s desk, not caring whether it would be blown away by the wind.

The class president had turned around but suddenly had a thought and turned back to glance at He Ye. He looked at Zhou Kai again and mentally cursed, wondering if Zhou Kai had been beaten by He Ye when he and the PE committee member didn’t know about it.

During the break, Zhou Kai heard the class president’s words, opened his mouth but coughed before he could say anything. Once he stopped coughing, he looked at the class president with a complex expression, feeling down as he said, “I just have a cold.”

The class president, noticing Zhou Kai’s symptoms, realized he had misunderstood. He chuckled, not really concerned, and quickly changed the subject to talk about the midterm exams and a possible parent-teacher meeting next week.

When Zhou Kai heard the words “parent-teacher meeting,” his heart sank. He wanted to turn and look at He Ye but held back, covering his mouth to cough quietly.

He Ye’s ears were always sharp enough to catch the sound of Zhou Kai’s cough, no matter how noisy the classroom or the entire building was, even if Zhou Kai tried his best to stifle it.

It was sharp and hurtful.

He Ye had more than once found himself unable to resist glancing at Zhou Kai, then regretted it and looked away, telling himself not to care, not to listen.

But no matter how many times he told himself, his feet didn’t obey. After class, he walked straight into the school’s infirmary.

The school nurse, playing with her phone, looked up when she saw He Ye and asked, “Are you sick again?”

He Ye walked up to the desk and stood still, answering, “Mm.”

The nurse asked, “What’s bothering you?”

He Ye opened his mouth, saying, “Coughing, cold, runny nose.”

The nurse scribbled a couple of notes, then looked up at He Ye. Hearing him speak clearly, she noticed he wasn’t coughing and didn’t seem to have a runny nose.

He Ye ignored her scrutinizing gaze and added, “I think I might have a slight fever.”

The nurse dropped her pen, glaring at him, and said harshly, “You’re sick? You look fine to me.”

He Ye forced a cold smile, looking at the rows of medicine behind the nurse and said, “I’m not fine. I’m sick. Please, give me some medicine.”

Restless and lost in thought the entire day, Zhou Kai finally made it through to the end of school.

After a day off, the class president and the PE committee member didn’t mention walking together anymore. Zhou Kai packed up, head down, lacking the usual energy and pride, and silently walked toward the classroom door with his bag on his back.

He Ye’s gaze followed Zhou Kai. When Zhou Kai stepped out the door, He Ye stood up and walked out the back door of the classroom.

They walked down the stairs one after the other, out of the teaching building and through the gate, maintaining a distance of about ten meters between them.

He Ye reached into his pocket and grabbed the plastic bag filled with medicine. Several times, he wanted to approach but lost his courage when people walked by.

By the time they reached the long flight of stairs, Zhou Kai’s steps didn’t slow, nor did he glance back. He Ye slowed his pace, his feet resting on the last step, and he stared at Zhou Kai’s retreating figure. He stopped moving, watching as Zhou Kai walked across the playground, growing smaller and smaller until he disappeared around the corner at the far end.

He Ye slowly withdrew his hand from his pocket and let it hang by his side. His dry eyes shifted, and he pulled a wry smile, then turned to head toward the library.

It was fine this way, he thought.

He Ye smiled to himself as he walked, and by the time he entered the library, he was almost laughing madly, startling the people who passed by, making them avoid him.

He tilted his head back and swallowed, trying to keep the tears at bay. He pulled up his collar and wiped his eyes, exhaling deeply to regain his usual cold demeanor.

But anyone who looked at him would have to wonder if he had been crying, because his eyes were so red, as if stained with blood, and it was a frightening sight.