CH 38

Chapter 38 Gift

When Jian Chi woke up, there was a faint afternoon light outside.

He slept in past his morning class for the first time, but fortunately, he had such an expectation and asked Wen Chuan to ask for leave in advance. His head didn’t hurt as much as it did before when he went to sleep, but his nose was still a little blocked. Jian Chi was about to get up to take a shower, but when he looked up, he saw a neater dorm room and his uniform ironed beside the bed without a single wrinkle, he was stunned on the bed.

The door was knocked, and Wen Chuan appeared at the door with a bag of lunch. Jian Chi had already changed into his uniform. He was a little surprised when he opened the door. He let him in and asked, “Don’t you have class now?”

“Lunch break.”

Wen Chuan’s answer was as succinct as ever and he put the lunch for the two on the table. This was the first time that Jian Chi saw him buying so much food. He was embarrassed and moved slightly, then said ‘thank you’, but Wen Chuan didn’t answer.

The small table only allowed them to sit face to face. Jian Chi suddenly remembered something, hesitated for a few seconds, then asked, “Have you been to my dormitory since you left last night?”

Wen Chuan replied lightly: “You didn’t come to class in the morning. I borrowed a spare key to come here once. You were still sleeping, so I cleaned the room.”

Jian Chi’s chopsticks hung in the air for a while, hesitating, “You also washed my clothes?”

“I asked for a new set from the student union,” Wen Chuan said, “I washed the original set for you.”

Jian Chi was speechless, his brain seemed to be blocked for a while, buzzing. He couldn’t tell whether he was more grateful, embarrassed or ashamed.

He had thought that the serious-looking text was just for ‘show’. Now it seems that Wen Chuan had a very clear idea of his own position.

“I thought you were just playing,” Jian Chi tried to organize his words, “I mean you don’t have to do this and I haven’t helped you much. The things you said could be done by others even without me. If you really want to reciprocate, maybe you can…. improve in next week’s chemistry test?”

The final sentence was casual talk by Jian Chi, and after finishing speaking, it seemed unexpectedly feasible. Wen Chuan lowered his eyes as if he was thinking seriously, then he slowly spat out a word: “Okay.”

Jian Chi breathed a sigh of relief. Rather than accepting Wen Chuan’s repayment, he still hoped that Wen Chuan could put all this energy on himself. Wen Chuan kept quiet until lunch was over, and consciously cleaned up the table, as if he had done this many times before, Jian Chi couldn’t even help when he wanted to.

“You don’t want me to do this?”

Wen Chuan raised his thick and slender eyelashes and pursed his lips tightly, it was unclear whether he was unhappy or disappointed. The eyes gleamed like gems on a cool light, leaving anger on this face that was too beautiful to be real.

It was hard for Jian Chi to bear such a direct gaze. A glance from a distance was enough to amaze you, let alone such a close look. He became stuck for a while, then heard Wen Chuan continue.

“I used to live in my adoptive parents’ house, and I would do these things every day, it’s not forced.”

Jian Chi understood what he meant. His heart was moved slightly when he heard the words ‘adoptive parents’, trying to recall the description of Wen Chuan’s life experience in the book, which was pitiful. Presumably those were not good memories.

He didn’t want to explore Wen Chuan’s past, and instead said, “I didn’t mean it that way, it’s because you did a great job, and I feel ashamed of it.”

“I don’t think so.”

Wen Chuan packed the sorted garbage, got up and pushed the chair back to its original position. He lowered his head to face Jian Chi, who hadn’t responded yet, and asked aloud, “Continue to rest, or should we go together?”

He said the last bit lightly, and Jian Chi had no reason to continue refusing. He got up and packed up the books and computers for the next class, and said to Wen Chuan, “Let’s go.”

In fact, since waking up in the morning, Jian Chi had an indescribable feeling. He asked Wen Chuan just now, but what he wanted to know more about was whether Wen Chuan had been here last night.

Although there was no evidence yet, Jian Chi inexplicably believed that someone must have been to his dorm room last night, covered him with a quilt, and wiped his forehead. This vague feeling accompanied him until he opened his eyes.

Was it an illusion?

“Jian Chi, what happened yesterday? Wen Chuan actually asked for a leave from Brother Zheng for you this morning.”

At the end of the afternoon class, he happened to meet Zhang Yang, who was also going to the library to review, and he immediately came up to gossip: “I heard people around me keep guessing, but after what happened last time, I don’t think anyone will mess around in HS. Just tell me what happened, I’ve been curious all morning!”

“Didn’t you ask Wen Chuan?” Jian Chi asked.

“I asked, of course I asked,” Zhang Yang whispered, “You know his stuffy gourd-like personality, how could he tell me?”

Jian Chi omitted some unnecessary content, and briefly narrated the matter. Zhang Yang’s expression became more and more unpredictable with Jian Chi’s words. After listening to everything, he spat out: “Is Shao Hang sick?”

This was said in a low voice, obviously still very cowardly.

The discomfort from hearing this name eased a little. Jian Chi didn’t have a lot of strong points, but reconciliation with oneself was one of them. Unless the sky was falling, he would never stay in a depressed mood for too long.

Compared with his innocence collapsing, yesterday was just a kiss against his will. Except for making him feel really disgusted, he didn’t feel anything, nor did he want to feel anything.

He turned on HS, and although it was unlikely to be scribbled like Zhang Yang said, it was still safer to take a look. Jian Chi’s eyes suddenly focused on the top line in the message column, and there was a bright red dot next to Ji Huaisi’s name.

Ji Huaisi: I heard Shuting say that you have already gone back. Do you feel any discomfort? Have a good night’s rest.

The latest one was sent this morning.

Ji Huaisi: Do you feel better?

Seeing these two pieces of messages, the memories of yesterday’s fragmentation flooded up.

After Shen Shuting appeared, the dizziness caused by the cold made Jian Chi forget that he had sent a message to Ji Huaisi. Looking at the chat records above, Jian Chi felt a subtle embarrassment towards Ji Huaisi.

He thought for a while then replied: Sorry, President Shen and I went to the student union yesterday and I forgot to wait for you there.

Ji Huaisi’s message came almost in the next second: it’s okay, is your cold still uncomfortable?

Jian Chi: It’s almost over.

Ji Huaisi: That’s good, I was worried that you won’t be able to come out tomorrow night.

Jian Chi swept the sentence twice, and replied with uncertainty: What’s going on tomorrow night?

Ji Huaisi: I have something to tell you.

Jian Chi asked suspiciously: Can’t you say it now?

Ji Huaisi replied: I have to wait until tomorrow night.

Followed by a familiar star smiley face.

This feeling of not having an answer can’t be said to be bad, Jian Chi paused for a while and replied with a ‘okay’.

He was undeniably curious about what the matter was that made it so he had to wait until tomorrow night. Jian Chi knew that no matter what the answer was, Ji Huaisi would definitely not let him down.

Before he knew it, he seemed to have placed his trust in Ji Huaisi.

Except for a few occasions in the library where he reviewed late into the night, Jian Chi rarely walked on the campus of Saintston at night. Just after finishing the homework at hand, he remembered the message from Ji Huaisi, and walked in the opposite direction from the dormitory after leaving the library.

The road to the student union was silent except for a few wisps of wind, wrapped in the chill of early December. Jian Chi quickened his pace, and when he walked up the stairs, he suddenly heard an indistinct musical sound, which became clear and pleasant as he got closer.

Jian Chi lightened his steps, walked over and pushed open the half-open door with Ji Huaisi’s room number on it. The window of the room was opened a small gap, and the white curtains fluttered slightly. Ji Huaisi’s figure stood in front of the window, with a violin on his shoulders. The tune stopped abruptly when Jian Chi walked in. He raised his eyes to look at Jian Chi, and there was a faint smile on his lips.

“Good evening.”

Jian Chi’s figure stood still, and for a moment, he suspected that he had strayed into an illusion, and his throat tightened: “What you said to tell me yesterday…”

“Happy birthday, Jian Chi.”

Ji Huaisi looked at him, his smile mixed with a hint of helplessness and connivance, “Did you even forget your birthday?”

In fact, Jian Chi didn’t forget about his birthday, it’s just that this day of the year was no different to him from the other three hundred and sixty-four days. He never thought that he would hear this sentence from Ji Huaisi’s mouth tonight.

Just four words, unfamiliar yet heart palpitating.

Ji Huaisi smiled slightly, raised his chin, put the bow in his right hand lightly on the string, and said solemnly and gently, “Tonight is a private concert that belongs to you.”

The moment the violin sounded, Jian Chi heard a sound in his ear getting clearer and clearer, his own heartbeat.