OHD Chapter 46: I will always be by your side, no matter the storm

Chapter 46: I will always be by your side, no matter the storm

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

At the moment the bell rang, Zhou Kai looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. For a brief moment, he felt a sense of confusion, followed by a sharp ache in his chest.

When he stood up, Zhou Kai sniffled and let out a long breath. After waiting for the teacher to collect the test papers and listening to the sudden commotion inside and outside the exam room, he slowly packed his pens and identification into his pencil case.

After getting his phone, Zhou Kai leaned against the railing in front of the exam room and answered a call from his dad.

Zhou Kai’s dad, trying to contain his excitement, asked Zhou Kai a few questions—whether he was nervous, if he could understand the listening part, and if he finished writing the essay.

Zhou Kai responded, saying, “Not nervous, understood it, finished it.”

Sensing the low mood in Zhou Kai’s voice, his dad paused for a moment and cautiously asked, “Son, did the test not go well?”

Zhou Kai forced a smile and said, “No… it should’ve gone okay.”

In reality, Zhou Kai thought he might have performed exceptionally well. Yet, he felt neither excitement nor exhilaration. Instead, his heart was filled with sadness over the end of his high school life.

Zhou Kai didn’t know what others were feeling at this moment; he only knew that in two months, he would have to face separation.

Hearing Zhou Kai’s words, his dad laughed out loud, genuinely relieved after being startled by his son’s downcast tone. After a brief exchange with Zhou Kai’s mom, he told Zhou Kai, “Should I come to the school to pick you up? Tonight, let’s go out for dinner as a family. Son, what would you like to eat?”

Zhou Kai didn’t want to leave yet; he had to wait for He Ye. They had agreed on it.

His dad didn’t insist on picking him up but was adamant about eating out. Zhou Kai named a few dishes, and his dad happily ended the call.

Clutching his phone, Zhou Kai exhaled and looked down, spotting He Ye already standing at the bottom of the building, looking up at him. Zhou Kai waved, his eyes inexplicably welling up, and quickly pointed toward the stairs before turning to head in that direction.

He Ye took the stairs three steps at a time. Zhou Kai had just descended one flight when He Ye had already climbed two.

Standing at the landing between the third-floor stairs, they looked at each other for a moment. He Ye reached out, grabbed Zhou Kai’s wrist, pulled him into the nearest exam room, and shut the door behind them. Glancing up at the already turned-off surveillance camera in the classroom, He Ye pressed Zhou Kai against the wall, cradling his face and carefully examining it. He ran his fingers under Zhou Kai’s eyes and frowned, asking, “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Kai bit his lip as he looked at He Ye. His eyes were red, tears welling up but not falling—he was holding them back.

He Ye kissed him and pulled him into a hug, gently asking, “Did the test not go well?” He comforted him, “It’s okay. It’s over now. You did your best.”

“No…” Sobbing softly, Zhou Kai shook his head, not wanting to speak. He raised his hand, resting it on He Ye’s shoulder, and leaned in to kiss him.

He Ye held him and kissed him back, the kiss gentle and soothing.

After a while, Zhou Kai’s emotions started to settle. He stopped, stuck out his tongue to lick the saliva off He Ye’s lips, and sighed lightly. He asked He Ye, who was patting his back, “Hey, I’ll be in college for four years, which means we’ll be apart for four years and can only be together after that. Can you… can you endure it? Can you handle a long-distance relationship?”

He Ye stopped patting his back, stunned. He pushed Zhou Kai back a bit, looked down into his anxious, flickering eyes, and breathed a sigh of relief before laughing, “Is that why you were crying?”

Zhou Kai said, “I wasn’t crying.”

He Ye stopped smiling and gently touched his eyes, saying seriously, “Zhou Kai, I can absolutely handle it. You know what? You going to college is a huge deal for me.”

Zhou Kai blinked, confused, “How is that a huge deal?”

He Ye hugged him tighter, sighed, and said, “If you were always hanging around me, how could I focus on work or earn money peacefully? You going to college, where I can’t see you, is perfect. I can focus completely, with no distractions.”

Zhou Kai listened, pondering it, and found He Ye’s words made perfect sense. His mood brightened immediately, and he felt relieved.

He Ye added, “Besides, we can still call and video chat. Missing each other is just a matter of connecting online.”

Zhou Kai blinked and smiled, “Damn, I feel like I was being a bit stupid just now.”

He Ye pinched his earlobe and shook his head, “Not stupid, just lovable.”

Zhou Kai tilted his head up, eyes twinkling, “There’s no one else here, so spoil me then.”

He Ye stared at him, watching the light dancing in his eyes, and leaned in to kiss him again, but this time not gently—it was fierce.

One day, during the second week after the college entrance exams, the class president organized a gathering. Typically, these gatherings happened after the results were released, but the class president said, “Let’s not wait. By the time the results are out, those who did well will be happy, and those who didn’t will be upset. How will we gather then? Better to do it early.”

As soon as the message was posted in the group chat, it sparked an intense discussion, with most people enthusiastically agreeing to the gathering.

Zhou Kai finished entering the last bit of data into the computer, grabbed his phone, and walked out of the small shop, standing at the entrance to send a private message to He Ye.

He still used the WeChat account signed as “he,” not his main account.

Zhou Kai felt this was like the secret relationship he and He Ye were sneaking behind their classmates’ backs. This WeChat account was a private secret between him and He Ye.

Before the college entrance exams, He Ye had found a job selling drinks and running sales routes. There was a commission, but running back and forth in the scorching heat was exhausting.

He Ye never complained about being tired. He never mentioned the word “tired.”

Zhou Kai felt sorry for He Ye, though he didn’t know exactly how to comfort him. The best he could do was visit He Ye whenever he had free time. He would bring the supplements his parents bought for He Ye, kiss him, give him massages, and if He Ye wasn’t too tired and felt like it, they would relax in other ways.

And so, the days slipped by, one after another.

There was a bit of bitterness, but it was still sweet.

Zhou Kai asked He Ye if he would attend the class graduation party that evening. He Ye replied that he wouldn’t because he had to work at the roast chicken shop.

Zhou Kai acknowledged with a hum and didn’t say anything more.

In truth, Zhou Kai knew that He Ye didn’t have much attachment to their class. Even if he didn’t have work that night, He Ye probably wouldn’t have gone.

Sighing, Zhou Kai decided to go alone. He would attend for both of them and put a proper end to their high school life.

During the holidays, business at the roast chicken shop picked up. Bei Bei came to work for his uncle again. Watching He Ye busying himself, Bei Bei no longer had any thoughts about him. He knew that He Ye was taken.

Seeing He Ye so lively, unlike before, Bei Bei realized that He Ye and Zhou Kai were most likely together now. He had become a complete outsider. Before they got together, he couldn’t get involved, and now that they were, there was even less of a chance.

Bei Bei felt a bit envious and a little jealous. Like now, with no customers around, He Ye was squatting at the shop’s entrance, phone in hand, clearly chatting with Zhou Kai and occasionally smiling.

Someone who never smiled now had a smile on his face because of someone else. There was no need to say more about his feelings for that person.

He Ye held his phone, the corners of his mouth lifted. Zhou Kai had messaged saying he wanted to sing for him, but they both waited and waited, until Zhou Kai, frustrated, sent a voice message saying, “Damn, these people are all mic hogs, one song after another, they just can’t stop.”

He Ye chuckled and typed back, “If you can’t get a turn, it’s okay. You can sing for me anytime.”

Finally managing to sit in front of the karaoke machine, Zhou Kai secured his spot, preventing anyone else from taking it. Seeing He Ye’s message saying it was okay, he caught his breath and replied, “No, it’s not the same. I want to sing for you now. Just wait.”

As He Ye listened to the voice message, Zhou Kai sent him a voice call. He Ye accepted it, and the bustling, noisy atmosphere on the other end poured through the phone.

He couldn’t hear what Zhou Kai was saying anymore. Resting his chin on his hand, He Ye stared at the phone in the voice call, waiting to hear Zhou Kai.

Fortunately, no customers showed up during that time.

After a while, He Ye heard the physical education committee member’s loud voice through the phone, shouting, “Okay, okay, everyone quiet down, quiet down! Now, let’s welcome our class’s most handsome, most charming, most considerate, and most enthusiastic class representative to sing a song for us! A big round of applause, please!”

He Ye heard the applause and raised an eyebrow, amused.

“Is that for you guys? That’s for me, sung just for me alone.”

Holding the microphone in one hand and his phone in the other, Zhou Kai walked to the center position, coughed to clear his throat, not at all stage-frightened or nervous.

He glanced down at his phone, then looked up at the image on the big screen. Listening to the prelude of the song slowly flowing out of the speakers, he said softly, “This song is very well written. Everything I want to say is in the song. Listen carefully, I’ll only sing it once.”

He Ye lowered his hand from under his chin and listened to Zhou Kai’s slightly low voice swaying out of the phone, hitting his heart one by one, gradually causing pain, and the pain stung his eyes.

Zhou Kai was singing “Sunshine Always Comes After the Rain”. This song had always been his dad’s ringtone when Zhou Kai was in elementary school. At that time, Zhou Kai didn’t feel anything when he listened to it. After getting to know He Ye and falling in love with him, Zhou Kai realized that this song was really good.

He wanted to give it to He Ye, he wanted to sing it for He Ye.

Just like the lyrics said: “The joys and sorrows of life’s journey 

I want to share everything with you 

It’s inevitable that we’ll stumble and wait 

We must bravely look up…”

“…I want to be the lighthouse in your heart 

To help you see through the fog…”

“…Sunshine always comes after the rain 

There’s a clear sky above the clouds 

Cherish all the emotions 

Every hope is in your hands…”

“Sunshine always comes after the rain 

Please believe in rainbows 

I’m willing to accept any storm 

I’ll always be by your side.”

Zhou Kai wanted to be a lighthouse for He Ye, he wanted to face all storms with He Ye, and walk with him through it all. He would accompany He Ye, always by his side.

Ten years? He and He Ye wouldn’t just have ten years together.

Wiping his eyes, He Ye took a breath, stood up, and walked back into the shop.

The shop owner and Beibei both looked at him. He Ye smiled lightly and said, “Boss, I’m sorry, I need to take a leave of absence.”

Out of the roast chicken shop, He Ye got on his bike. He listened to Zhou Kai singing the chorus part on his phone, and his classmates were all very excited and sang along with him.

The solo turned into a chorus.

There were also people shouting confessions, saying they liked Zhou Kai and wanted to be his girlfriend.

Pedaling the bike as fast as he could, He Ye laughed and punched the handlebar, shouting, “Like my ass, he’s mine!”

People passing by were startled by his sudden shout and avoided him, thinking he was crazy.

He Ye was willing to be crazy, for Zhou Kai, he was happy to be considered crazy!

The bike came to an abrupt stop at the door of the KTV. He Ye panted heavily. He held his phone in front of him and clearly heard Zhou Kai say, “Hey, hey, hey, did you hear that? I sang this song for you?”

Taking a long breath, He Ye held the phone to his mouth and said, “I heard it.”

He said, “Come down, don’t sing anymore, your boyfriend is here to pick you up.”

Staring at the door of the karaoke room with a stunned expression, Zhou Kai pushed the door open the next second and went back to get his clothes.

The class president and several female classmates all came to grab him, wanting to drink with him, but Zhou Kai dodged and didn’t explain, and ran out of the karaoke room door with his clothes on.

His boyfriend was here to pick him up, why drink and sing? Maybe another day!

With his heart pounding excitedly, He Ye took several deep breaths in succession, but it had no effect, he was still excited. The corners of his mouth kept rising, and he couldn’t suppress it no matter how hard he tried.

“He Ye?!”

He Ye turned around and saw his homeroom teacher.

The homeroom teacher had also received the news and had just come over from home to see the students he had taught for several years. When he first saw He Ye, the homeroom teacher thought he was seeing things. When he walked closer and saw clearly, he was very surprised.

He could never have imagined that He Ye would come. But seeing He Ye, the homeroom teacher was still delighted. Waving his hand, he smiled and said, “Why don’t you come in? Let’s go up together!”

He Ye looked at the homeroom teacher, smiled lightly, and said, “No, you go up by yourself. I’ll wait for someone before I leave.”

The homeroom teacher had seen He Ye smile a lot in the past few months, so he didn’t find it strange. He asked, “Who are you waiting for?”

He Ye looked over and saw Zhou Kai pushing the door open. He grinned and said, “Waiting for my boyfriend, he’s here.”

The homeroom teacher was stunned.

Zhou Kai skipped down the steps and ran over. When he saw the homeroom teacher, he quickly retracted his gesture to hug He Ye and stood up straight to greet him.

The homeroom teacher looked at Zhou Kai, then at He Ye, his eyes filled with a complex expression.

Zhou Kai felt a tingle down his spine as he was being watched by the homeroom teacher. Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, He Ye reached out and pulled him, tilting his head towards the back seat of the bicycle and saying, “Let’s go.”

Zhou Kai hesitated, but he really couldn’t wait. He just wanted to be with He Ye, so he waved goodbye to the homeroom teacher and told him the room number of the karaoke room, asking him to go up because everyone was waiting for him.

The homeroom teacher opened his mouth to speak, looked at Zhou Kai who was already sitting on the back seat, and at He Ye who was about to turn the handlebars. He raised his hand, then lowered it again.

Turning around and walking up the steps, he couldn’t help but look back at his two students who had somehow gotten together, shook his head and sighed, and then smiled with a sense of relief.

As they rode on the street, Zhou Kai asked He Ye, “Don’t you think the homeroom teacher looked at me strangely just now?”

He Ye laughed, coughed, and told him why the homeroom teacher looked at him that way.

Zhou Kai was stunned, and when he came back to his senses, he pinched He Ye’s waist and shouted, “Can you be more careful? We agreed to keep it a secret! You didn’t even tell me, you betrayed the organization, do you know that?”

He Ye let Zhou Kai pinch the flesh on his waist, and when he was done, he said, “With the way the homeroom teacher thinks, he wouldn’t think of that, don’t worry.”

Zhou Kai hummed, pressed his hot face against his back, and mumbled, “Why worry, I’m not afraid.”

He knew that even if the homeroom teacher found out, it wouldn’t matter much. They had graduated, and the homeroom teacher wouldn’t be able to control them anymore.

He Ye hummed in agreement, grabbed Zhou Kai’s hand and squeezed it, feeling a bit embarrassed. “That song just now… you…”

Hearing the song, Zhou Kai smiled and hugged He Ye’s waist, asking, “How was it? Did you like it?”

He Ye smiled and nodded.

“It sounds great. He was so touched, so touched he almost wanted to drag Zhou Kai to a nearby love hotel right now to spoil him.”

He Ye said, “It sounds great. Do you… want to sing it again?”

Zhou Kai rubbed his head against He Ye’s back, saying proudly, “No, I said from the beginning, I’ll only sing it once, so you can listen carefully.”

He Ye smiled and nodded, “Alright.”

But Zhou Kai, who said he wouldn’t sing, started humming the tune as soon as He Ye turned the corner.

Humming and humming, the song slipped out of his mouth.

He Ye listened, twitched his ears, and sang along with a smile.

…

After the wind and rain, the sun always shines 

Please believe in the rainbow 

I will always be by your side, no matter the storm 

I will always be by your side, no matter the storm

The song was soft and melodious, carried by the evening breeze, and drifted away.

Zhou Kai said, “Hey, aren’t you off-key?”

He Ye laughed, “No, am I?”

What does it matter if he’s off-key or not? Their feelings certainly won’t go away.

That’s good enough.

As long as they keep working hard, things will get better.

(The End)