OHD Chapter 45: The Future

Chapter 45: The Future

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

The afternoon before the first mock exam, school let out unusually early.

As the class representative, Zhou Kai, along with the class president and vice president, headed to the office to receive instructions from the homeroom teacher.

When they returned to the classroom, the desks had been rearranged, each with a name and exam number in the top left corner, scrambled so that no one was seated with their usual classmates. The room was almost empty, save for a couple of boarding students packing up their books.

The class president called out to Zhou Kai, inviting him to head back together. Zhou Kai, however, saw a message from He Ye on his phone and quickly made an excuse, “I have a bit of a stomach ache. I’ll use the restroom first, you go on ahead.”

The class president wanted to wait, but the vice president chimed in, “I’ll go with you. Zhou Kai, remember to lock the door when you leave.”

Zhou Kai immediately agreed, “Sure, no problem.”

Once the room was empty, Zhou Kai checked the time, slung his bag over his shoulder, locked the classroom door, and hurried down the stairs towards the library.

He Ye had mentioned in his message that he was on the fourth floor of the library, planning to stay until closing, and asked if Zhou Kai wanted to join him.

Of course, Zhou Kai did. He swiped his card and headed straight to the fourth floor.

The fourth floor was filled mostly with technical books, unlike the magazines, classics, and comics on the lower floors, which meant it rarely saw visitors.

Panting slightly, Zhou Kai tread softly and didn’t call out to He Ye, opting instead to search through the aisles. After a circuit around the floor, he returned to the staircase, puzzled by He Ye’s absence.

Frowning, Zhou Kai checked his phone again, confirming the message clearly said “library fourth floor.” Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he walked back in for another search.

Hiding in the last row of bookshelves, He Ye smirked. When Zhou Kai passed through the rows again, He Ye remained still. When Zhou Kai reached the final row, thinking He Ye wasn’t there, he leaned slightly forward to have one last look before leaving.

He Ye had been waiting. The moment Zhou Kai leaned in, He Ye stepped up and grabbed him, pressing him against the wall.

Zhou Kai was startled, opening his mouth to shout, but He Ye clapped a hand over it, leaning in to whisper in his ear, “Shh, it’s me.”

Zhou Kai’s wide eyes stared at him. Realizing who it was, he pulled He Ye’s hand away and bit it, holding it in his own and muttering angrily, “Damn, I thought you were lying. I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

He Ye chuckled, pinching Zhou Kai’s cheeks gently, and whispered in a husky voice, “I did it on purpose. Doesn’t this feel more like an affair? Isn’t it more thrilling?”

Zhou Kai blinked, a smile flickering at the corners of his mouth before he straightened his expression, giving He Ye a sidelong glance, “Addicted to this, are you? Who sneaks around a library for an affair?”

He Ye’s hand slid down, wrapping around Zhou Kai’s waist, as he leaned in to kiss him, eyes half-lidded. “Anywhere can be a place for a little mischief, as long as you’re here,” he murmured.

Zhou Kai tilted his head back against the wall, opening his mouth to let He Ye’s tongue entwine with his, happiness blooming inside him. What did He Ye mean by “anywhere could be a place for mischief as long as he was there”?

Damn, this cunning snake. How did he become like this?

It was one thing to smile more, but the sweet-talking was relentless now. Was this the same He Ye who used to glare coldly at everyone, exuding a “don’t come near me or I’ll beat you” vibe?

Their kiss, as if never-ending, left Zhou Kai breathless. He bit He Ye’s lip lightly and buried his head on He Ye’s shoulder, nuzzling. “Wait, wait… I ran too fast earlier, I can’t catch my breath.”

He Ye gently rubbed Zhou Kai’s head, tousling his hair, and sighed. “Alright, we’ll save the kissing for next time.”

Zhou Kai pushed him away, glancing down at He Ye’s pants before lifting his knee towards him. He Ye quickly blocked it, raising an eyebrow and pinching Zhou Kai’s thigh. “Don’t tease if you won’t follow through,” he muttered.

Zhou Kai lowered his leg and adjusted his rumpled clothes, muttering, “Who said I wouldn’t? But you have to find the time first…”

Hearing this, He Ye leaned against the bookshelf, laughing softly. “It’s really tough,” he said with a sigh. “Can’t even find time to indulge a little; this relationship is too pitiful.”

Zhou Kai tilted his head, looking at He Ye, but He Ye’s fiery gaze made him blush instead.

He raised a hand to block the view, stepping forward and grabbing He Ye’s hand to lead him to the shelves. “What are you looking for? I’ll help you find it,” he offered softly.

He Ye gripped Zhou Kai’s hand tightly, mentioning two book titles. “Not sure if they have them, but let’s check. If we can’t find them, that’s fine.”

Zhou Kai meticulously scanned the shelves He Ye had indicated, feeling uncertain. He asked hesitantly, “This morning, you told the homeroom teacher you wouldn’t be coming to class after this exam. Is that true?”

He Ye pulled out a book and flipped through it, answering, “Yes, it’s true.”

Zhou Kai hesitated, taking a while before walking over to He Ye. Leaning against the shelf with his hands behind his back, he watched He Ye carefully and asked, “You really don’t plan to go to college?”

Closing the book, He Ye looked at Zhou Kai seriously. “I’m not going. My grades aren’t good enough,” he said, a small smile playing on his lips. He shook the book in his hand and added, “Even if I get into a technical college, it’s a waste of time and money. I’ve thought about it; with that money, I can enroll in a training program or find a small company that doesn’t mind my lack of a degree and learn this.”

Zhou Kai’s eyes lit up. “Animation? You want to study animation?” Though he had seen He Ye reading animation design books before, hearing He Ye say it out loud was still surprising.

He Ye nodded. “Yeah, it’s the only thing I’m interested in.”

Zhou Kai glanced at He Ye, then at the worn book in his hands, his mind quickly calculating.

If He Ye wanted to learn this, he’d need textbooks, right? These old books were fine for now, but he’d need new ones, wouldn’t he? And to learn animation, it wouldn’t just be reading books; he’d need practical experience too, wouldn’t he?

And…

He Ye noticed Zhou Kai’s gaze becoming unfocused as he stared at him. He reached out to touch Zhou Kai’s lips but thought better of it, considering his hand might be dirty from handling books. Instead, he leaned in and kissed him, raising an eyebrow. “What are you thinking about while looking at me?”

Zhou Kai licked his lips and smiled brightly, shaking his head. “Nothing, just looking for books. Let’s continue.”

He Ye grabbed Zhou Kai’s arm as he turned to leave, resting his head on Zhou Kai’s shoulder and chuckling. In a low voice, he said, “Focus on your studies and don’t think about me. Once I’m done with my work, I’ll come back and help you study, alright?”

Zhou Kai’s face turned bright red. He tilted his head to escape He Ye’s breath tickling his ear, acting all tsundere. “Who’s thinking about you? Who needs you to help? I’m fully focused on studying.”

He Ye chuckled, grabbing Zhou Kai’s chin and letting his fingers trail along his neck, sparking a small flame. He raised an eyebrow and brought up something he had said during the New Year.

“Fine, I won’t think about you, and you won’t think about me either.”

Zhou Kai laughed in frustration, lunging forward to bite He Ye’s lips before he could embrace him. He pushed He Ye away, saying, “I’m not thinking about you! Let’s just find the books, you annoying snake egg!”

He Ye’s shoulders shook with laughter as he leaned against the bookshelf, watching Zhou Kai.

Forget the books. He just wanted to spoil Zhou Kai.

But alas, no time and no right place. How unfortunate.