How would She Xiao respond? Lin Xigu’s mind was in turmoil, and he was too nervous to ponder hypotheticals. What should he say if he said yes? What if She Xiao denied it ever happened? What if it had all been a product of his imagination, and She Xiao never kissed him at all – then what was he to do? Lin Xigu did not waste a second on any of these scenarios.
All he did was cling to his phone while he waited for She Xiao’s reply.
The hours ticked by as Lin Xigu waited, going from standing to crouching, to finally sitting down cross-legged in front of the door. His heart sank deeper the longer he waited.
Like leaves in the bitter wind, his expectations flipped and turned, only to settle on the ground.
— She Xiao did not respond at all.
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Lin Xigu waited from 8 in the evening until 11 at night. At some point, the triplets dropped by and asked if he wanted to hangout, but Lin Xigu told them from behind the door that he was tired and wanted to sleep. Listening as their footsteps faded, Lin Xigu slumped over, disappointment slowly creeping across his face.
Why did he not reply?
Maybe he didn’t see the text? Maybe he left the house without his phone? Lin Xigu curled up where he was, his mouth set in a slight sulk. Maybe he shouldn’t have sent that text? Wouldn’t boys normally be repulsed by a text like that?
Uswze kv cl vbyv Fbl Dkys oyp yzalyeu alrwzple?
Fbl Dkys bye yzoyup clld iwknj vs alprsde obldlhla Nkd Dktw vlmvle bkx kd vbl rypv. Nkd Dktw pbssj bkp blye. Palye bye qasgld bkx kd rzynl esod vs vbl vkrp sq bkp qkdtlap. Tl bye xkpnyznwzyvle.
Rv oyp 1 kd vbl xsadkdt yp Nkd Dktw zyu kd cle, pvkzz nzwvnbkdt bkp rbsdl. Gv vbkp rskdv, ydu bsrl vbyv Fbl Dkys xktbv byhl tsdl swv okvbswv bkp rbsdl bye qzle. Ohld kq bl bye qsatsvvld bkp rbsdl, bl pbswze byhl clld bsxl cu vbld.
Fbl Dkys fwpv… eked’v oydv vs alrzu.
Nkd Dktw qzkrrle shla sdvs bkp pvsxynb yde awccle bkp qynl ytykdpv vbl rkzzso kd qawpvayvksd.
Tl pbswzed’v byhl pldv vbyv vlmv. Tkp clvvla fwetlxldv bye clld nzswele cu yzz vbl xkmle pktdyzp. Tl bye xyel y xkpvyjl obknb oyp xwnb vss zyvl vs wdes. Rq vblal bye clld ds dyxl yvvynble, bl xktbv byhl pldv y qszzsowr vlmv yde pyke “oasdt dwxcla”.
Jwv vblal bye clld y dyxl kd bkp xlppytl. Mbl xlppytl bye nzlyazu clld xlydv qsa Fbl Dkys’p lulp.
Nkd Dktw vwnjle bkp rbsdl wdela bkp rkzzso yde nzsple bkp sod.
There was still no reply from She Xiao when school resumed on Monday. Lin Xigu felt embarrassed when he saw She Xiao waiting for him downstairs on Monday morning. He walked up to him slowly and attempted a smile, “Good morning.”
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She Xiao looked at him. His gaze was still gentle. He replied, “Good morning.”
Lin Xigu nodded. As they walked, he kept a slight distance from She Xiao. He wanted to find a topic to chatter about, to make sure this morning was no different than any other, but he didn’t know what to say, and the words wouldn’t come out.
He was starting to blame himself for ruining their relationship.
Lin Xigu wallowed in remorse for most of the morning. Although he hid it well, the dejected look in his eyes was apparent when he zoned out. When he finally dozed off with his head on the desk, She Xiao glanced over at him.
There were faint shadows under Lin Xigu’s eyes; he hadn’t slept.
She Xiao pulled the curtain partially closed to shield Lin Xigu’s eyes from the sun. When Dong Xuan turned and tried to speak, She Xiao blocked him with a book.
They walked to Lin Xigu’s apartment together for lunch as usual, but there was silence around the kitchen table. She Xiao was characteristically quiet, but even Lin Xigu was silent that day. He kept his head down, eating his food without the nerve to lift his head.
When the alarm clock beeped at noon, Lin Xigu looked at it briefly. He retrieved his gaze where it then fell on She Xiao.
He blinked, pausing to observe She Xiao’s movements, his eyes unmoving for upwards of twenty seconds.
Suddenly, Lin Xigu put down his bowl and walked over to She Xiao. She Xiao looked up at him, asking, “What’s wrong?”
Lin Xigu didn’t answer; instead, he crouched down and grabbed She Xiao’s wrist. She Xiao was wearing a white button-down as was standard for their uniforms and the sleeves were loose on him. Lin Xigu unbuttoned the cuff and tried to roll up his sleeve.
She Xiao fidgeted and tried to pull his arm away.
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Lin Xigu stared into his eyes, refusing to let go. He kept a firm grip on She Xiao’s wrist, maintaining eye contact until She Xiao finally gave up struggling.
Lin Xigu pulled up She Xiao’s sleeve and closed his eyes.
She Xiao’s arm was wrapped in gauze. Some blood had seeped through between the bandages. It was not among the worst injuries he had seen but Lin Xigu’s eyes reddened anyway.
“How did it happen?” His voice was raspy, wavering.
She Xiao pulled his hand away and tugged his sleeve down over his arm.
Lin Xigu was still crouching, looking up at him. She Xiao said nothing from start to finish. At long last, he raised his hand and stroked Lin Xigu’s head.
Resting his hand there, he massaged the crease between Lin Xigu’s brows with his thumb. Although no words were said, his actions were filled with unspeakable gentleness.
The coolness of his thumb reminded Lin Xigu of their return trip on the bus. She Xiao had touched his face then too, tracing his features with his fingertips. Lin Xigu had thanked his lucky stars that he at least had nice skin.
He had been shy then.
He didn’t feel shy anymore. He was hurt.
Lin Xigu sniffed. He sat back in his seat and continued eating his lunch.
From that day on, a series of microscopic shifts changed the tenor of their relationship. Lin Xigu was cautious not to get too close to She Xiao. He was afraid of being ignored, afraid that She Xiao would find his twisted desires unacceptable. She Xiao had previously been starting to speak more, but he had become withdrawn again. He hardly spoke anymore.
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It was the day before their winter exams. Lin Xigu was walking home with She Xiao. He fingered the straps of his backpack as he said quietly, “Good luck on your exams.”
“Mn,” She Xiao said. After a while, he slowly added, “You too.”
“I’m leaving for my dad’s right after the exam is over,” Lin Xigu told him with a small smile. “It’s a month-long vacation. You’ll get plenty of rest.”
She Xiao nodded.
“About that cut on your arm…” Lin Xigu’s gaze fell on She Xiao’s arm hanging limply at his side. “Be careful with it. Don’t get it infected.”
“Okay,” She Xiao said.
Just before he went inside, Lin Xigu said, “I know you don’t want to talk about it so that’s why I rarely ask, but… you need to protect yourself. What if something worse happens one of these days? You’ve even hurt your neck – you would have died had that been a few centimetres deeper. Same with your wrist. It would have been catastrophic if that got your artery.”
“Mn.”
“I’m being a nag, aren’t I?” Lin Xigu trailed off and laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. “I’ll be gone after exams so I’m just a bit worried about you.”
“Don’t… worry. I’m fine,” She Xiao said.
Lin Xigu nodded. He wanted to say something else but he couldn’t think of how best to put words to his thoughts. He at last waved and walked into his compound.
They had been so close, but it was as if a transparent wall had been built up between them. Lin Xigu blamed himself, feeling that everything was due to him overstepping the bounds of their relationship.
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She Xiao stood at the gates of the compound for a while, until the lights in Lin Xigu’s window turned on in the distance.
Lin Xigu discovered the exam questions were more challenging than expected. He had studied hard but there were still too many questions that he couldn’t answer. Lin Xigu randomly bubbled in a few answers for the multiple-choice questions, thinking that She Xiao would have definitely known the real answers.
He’s good at everything. How did he get so smart?
He also had a habit of rolling the pen against his hand whenever he did get stuck on a challenging question. Lin Xigu had always found his hands captivating; the subtle, slow motion of his thumb kneading the pen was somewhat… sexy.
Stowing away his thoughts about She Xiao, Lin Xigu double-checked that he had written his name before handing in the exam.
Students were not grouped by class number for their finals; he and She Xiao were not even in the same building. It would be difficult for them to run into each other without having made plans to meet ahead of time.
After two days of back-to-back exams, the last test was upon him. Just before it ended, Lin Xigu sighed, thinking I haven’t even seen him once. I’ll have to pack up and leave soon; driver’s probably already at the door. They had each gone home separately the night before due to differing exam times and they didn’t get the chance to discuss their plans for the day. They hadn’t run into each other on that last day either, which meant that they likely would not see each other at all for the coming month.
Lin Xigu felt slightly disheartened.
Leaving the exam hall, Lin Xigu heard someone whistle at him in the corridor. He didn’t look back, until that person pulled on his backpack.
He turned to see one of the skinheads from Class 5.
Lin Xigu frowned, annoyed.
The gang from Class 5 were highly obnoxious. They never passed up an opportunity to get a mocking word in whenever their paths crossed. Lin Xigu didn’t bother with a response and kept walking.
“I’m talking to ya. What, you deaf?” He yanked on Lin Xigu’s ear.
Pulling on his backpack was one thing but touching his ear was another entirely. Lin Xigu glared at him and said icily, “Can you fuck off?”
“You think you’re such a badass,” he snorted as he grabbed Lin Xigu by his backpack and threw him backwards.
Lin Xigu was no match for him. As he was flung back, he stumbled over the stairs and nearly fell over. Steadying himself, he was about to retort when he heard gasps and screams erupt around him.
Lin Xigu whipped around to see She Xiao’s fist slamming into the boy’s right jaw. There was a sickening crunch as his fist connected with bone. Lin Xigu dashed forward, trying to restrain She Xiao’s arm but he wasn’t able to maintain his hold.
“She Xiao!” Lin Xigu was starting to panic. The exam had just ended and people were starting to pour out from the instructional building. The fight was taking place right by the main entrance, and a crowd had started to gather. He feared that the principal would walk by at any moment.
She Xiao already had a stain on his record; he couldn’t get caught again.
“She Xiao, please stop!” Lin Xigu hissed. “There are too many people watching!”
She Xiao was beyond hearing. His every blow rained down on that boy with frightening force. Lin Xigu’s heart crawled into his throat. He was not only afraid of the principal but also of the others from Class 5. If they joined in on the fight, they would surely make She Xiao suffer.
And if he kept hitting him like that… Lin Xigu glanced at the person on the ground. Something terrible was about to happen.
“She Xiao!” Lin Xigu wrapped both hands around She Xiao’s fist. His voice was urgent, “She Xiao, look at me!”
She Xiao kicked the boy in the gut, away from himself. Lin Xigu immediately launched himself into the space that had opened, wrapping his arms around She Xiao and holding him back.
“She Xiao, stop hitting him and let’s go! You can’t be written up again – you’ll be expelled!” Bloodlust had seeped into She Xiao’s eyes; Lin Xigu had no idea if She Xiao was able to hear him but the only thing he could do was repeat the same thing over and over into his ear. “You have to stop fighting, She Xiao… I’m scared.”
His voice quivered on the last sentence. He said he was scared.
She Xiao paused, turning his bloodshot eyes on Lin Xigu. Lin Xigu struggled to hold his gaze, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he locked eyes with him. “School’s almost out for the year. Don’t make it worse, She Xiao. Please stay out of trouble. Let’s go!”
Under his hands, Lin Xigu could feel the aggression draining from She Xiao’s arms.
Lin Xigu breathed a sigh of relief. He walked over and crouched down next to She Xiao’s target, speaking quietly at a volume that only the two of them could hear. “Hurry and go. I’ll wire you some money and we’ll leave it at that. If you don’t provoke me, he won’t come after you. But if he finds a reason to and there’s no one to hold him back, I don’t doubt he’ll beat you into a vegetable. And don’t even think about retaliating. Let me put it this way. If you hurt him, you hurt me. And if you hurt me, the school will expel you. My father will come after you with everything he’s got. Go send me your account number. I’ll pretend nothing happened. Go!”
Lin Xigu clapped him twice on the arm, then picked up She Xiao’s backpack and led She Xiao away.
Lin Xigu checked over his shoulder as they walked through the school gates. That person had indeed left and the crowd of onlookers was dispersing.
He relaxed completely. “Does your arm hurt?” He asked She Xiao. “Why would you do something like that when you’re clearly injured…?”
She Xiao looked down and didn’t speak.
Lin Xigu wanted to assess his arm but he couldn’t see it underneath his jacket. His dad’s driver had already pulled up in the car and stepped out, making his way towards him. Lin Xigu wanted to say more but he missed his chance. Taking his backpack from Lin Xigu’s hands, She Xiao pierced him with a deep, lingering look, and turned away.
Lin Xigu didn’t know why but his heart suddenly started to ache.
Perhaps it was because winter break was starting and he wouldn’t see She Xiao again for another month. Perhaps it was because She Xiao had gone on a rampage to defend him over a mere push, despite the rockiness in their current relationship.
Or perhaps it was because She Xiao’s retreating back, as he walked away, looked unbearably lonely.
How would She Xiao respond? Lin Xigu’s mind was in turmoil, and he was too nervous to ponder hypotheticals. What should he say if he said yes? What if She Xiao denied it ever happened? What if it had all been a product of his imagination, and She Xiao never kissed him at all – then what was he to do? Lin Xigu did not waste a second on any of these scenarios.
All he did was cling to his phone while he waited for She Xiao’s reply.
The hours ticked by as Lin Xigu waited, going from standing to crouching, to finally sitting down cross-legged in front of the door. His heart sank deeper the longer he waited.
Like leaves in the bitter wind, his expectations flipped and turned, only to settle on the ground.
— She Xiao did not respond at all.
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Lin Xigu waited from 8 in the evening until 11 at night. At some point, the triplets dropped by and asked if he wanted to hangout, but Lin Xigu told them from behind the door that he was tired and wanted to sleep. Listening as their footsteps faded, Lin Xigu slumped over, disappointment slowly creeping across his face.
Why did he not reply?
Maybe he didn’t see the text? Maybe he left the house without his phone? Lin Xigu curled up where he was, his mouth set in a slight sulk. Maybe he shouldn’t have sent that text? Wouldn’t boys normally be repulsed by a text like that?
Uswze kv cl vbyv Fbl Dkys oyp yzalyeu alrwzple?
Fbl Dkys bye yzoyup clld iwknj vs alprsde obldlhla Nkd Dktw vlmvle bkx kd vbl rypv. Nkd Dktw pbssj bkp blye. Palye bye qasgld bkx kd rzynl esod vs vbl vkrp sq bkp qkdtlap. Tl bye xkpnyznwzyvle.
Rv oyp 1 kd vbl xsadkdt yp Nkd Dktw zyu kd cle, pvkzz nzwvnbkdt bkp rbsdl. Gv vbkp rskdv, ydu bsrl vbyv Fbl Dkys xktbv byhl tsdl swv okvbswv bkp rbsdl bye qzle. Ohld kq bl bye qsatsvvld bkp rbsdl, bl pbswze byhl clld bsxl cu vbld.
Fbl Dkys fwpv… eked’v oydv vs alrzu.
Nkd Dktw qzkrrle shla sdvs bkp pvsxynb yde awccle bkp qynl ytykdpv vbl rkzzso kd qawpvayvksd.
Tl pbswzed’v byhl pldv vbyv vlmv. Tkp clvvla fwetlxldv bye clld nzswele cu yzz vbl xkmle pktdyzp. Tl bye xyel y xkpvyjl obknb oyp xwnb vss zyvl vs wdes. Rq vblal bye clld ds dyxl yvvynble, bl xktbv byhl pldv y qszzsowr vlmv yde pyke “oasdt dwxcla”.
Jwv vblal bye clld y dyxl kd bkp xlppytl. Mbl xlppytl bye nzlyazu clld xlydv qsa Fbl Dkys’p lulp.
Nkd Dktw vwnjle bkp rbsdl wdela bkp rkzzso yde nzsple bkp sod.
There was still no reply from She Xiao when school resumed on Monday. Lin Xigu felt embarrassed when he saw She Xiao waiting for him downstairs on Monday morning. He walked up to him slowly and attempted a smile, “Good morning.”
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She Xiao looked at him. His gaze was still gentle. He replied, “Good morning.”
Lin Xigu nodded. As they walked, he kept a slight distance from She Xiao. He wanted to find a topic to chatter about, to make sure this morning was no different than any other, but he didn’t know what to say, and the words wouldn’t come out.
He was starting to blame himself for ruining their relationship.
Lin Xigu wallowed in remorse for most of the morning. Although he hid it well, the dejected look in his eyes was apparent when he zoned out. When he finally dozed off with his head on the desk, She Xiao glanced over at him.
There were faint shadows under Lin Xigu’s eyes; he hadn’t slept.
She Xiao pulled the curtain partially closed to shield Lin Xigu’s eyes from the sun. When Dong Xuan turned and tried to speak, She Xiao blocked him with a book.
They walked to Lin Xigu’s apartment together for lunch as usual, but there was silence around the kitchen table. She Xiao was characteristically quiet, but even Lin Xigu was silent that day. He kept his head down, eating his food without the nerve to lift his head.
When the alarm clock beeped at noon, Lin Xigu looked at it briefly. He retrieved his gaze where it then fell on She Xiao.
He blinked, pausing to observe She Xiao’s movements, his eyes unmoving for upwards of twenty seconds.
Suddenly, Lin Xigu put down his bowl and walked over to She Xiao. She Xiao looked up at him, asking, “What’s wrong?”
Lin Xigu didn’t answer; instead, he crouched down and grabbed She Xiao’s wrist. She Xiao was wearing a white button-down as was standard for their uniforms and the sleeves were loose on him. Lin Xigu unbuttoned the cuff and tried to roll up his sleeve.
She Xiao fidgeted and tried to pull his arm away.
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Lin Xigu stared into his eyes, refusing to let go. He kept a firm grip on She Xiao’s wrist, maintaining eye contact until She Xiao finally gave up struggling.
Lin Xigu pulled up She Xiao’s sleeve and closed his eyes.
She Xiao’s arm was wrapped in gauze. Some blood had seeped through between the bandages. It was not among the worst injuries he had seen but Lin Xigu’s eyes reddened anyway.
“How did it happen?” His voice was raspy, wavering.
She Xiao pulled his hand away and tugged his sleeve down over his arm.
Lin Xigu was still crouching, looking up at him. She Xiao said nothing from start to finish. At long last, he raised his hand and stroked Lin Xigu’s head.
Resting his hand there, he massaged the crease between Lin Xigu’s brows with his thumb. Although no words were said, his actions were filled with unspeakable gentleness.
The coolness of his thumb reminded Lin Xigu of their return trip on the bus. She Xiao had touched his face then too, tracing his features with his fingertips. Lin Xigu had thanked his lucky stars that he at least had nice skin.
He had been shy then.
He didn’t feel shy anymore. He was hurt.
Lin Xigu sniffed. He sat back in his seat and continued eating his lunch.
From that day on, a series of microscopic shifts changed the tenor of their relationship. Lin Xigu was cautious not to get too close to She Xiao. He was afraid of being ignored, afraid that She Xiao would find his twisted desires unacceptable. She Xiao had previously been starting to speak more, but he had become withdrawn again. He hardly spoke anymore.
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It was the day before their winter exams. Lin Xigu was walking home with She Xiao. He fingered the straps of his backpack as he said quietly, “Good luck on your exams.”
“Mn,” She Xiao said. After a while, he slowly added, “You too.”
“I’m leaving for my dad’s right after the exam is over,” Lin Xigu told him with a small smile. “It’s a month-long vacation. You’ll get plenty of rest.”
She Xiao nodded.
“About that cut on your arm…” Lin Xigu’s gaze fell on She Xiao’s arm hanging limply at his side. “Be careful with it. Don’t get it infected.”
“Okay,” She Xiao said.
Just before he went inside, Lin Xigu said, “I know you don’t want to talk about it so that’s why I rarely ask, but… you need to protect yourself. What if something worse happens one of these days? You’ve even hurt your neck – you would have died had that been a few centimetres deeper. Same with your wrist. It would have been catastrophic if that got your artery.”
“Mn.”
“I’m being a nag, aren’t I?” Lin Xigu trailed off and laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. “I’ll be gone after exams so I’m just a bit worried about you.”
“Don’t… worry. I’m fine,” She Xiao said.
Lin Xigu nodded. He wanted to say something else but he couldn’t think of how best to put words to his thoughts. He at last waved and walked into his compound.
They had been so close, but it was as if a transparent wall had been built up between them. Lin Xigu blamed himself, feeling that everything was due to him overstepping the bounds of their relationship.
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She Xiao stood at the gates of the compound for a while, until the lights in Lin Xigu’s window turned on in the distance.
Lin Xigu discovered the exam questions were more challenging than expected. He had studied hard but there were still too many questions that he couldn’t answer. Lin Xigu randomly bubbled in a few answers for the multiple-choice questions, thinking that She Xiao would have definitely known the real answers.
He’s good at everything. How did he get so smart?
He also had a habit of rolling the pen against his hand whenever he did get stuck on a challenging question. Lin Xigu had always found his hands captivating; the subtle, slow motion of his thumb kneading the pen was somewhat… sexy.
Stowing away his thoughts about She Xiao, Lin Xigu double-checked that he had written his name before handing in the exam.
Students were not grouped by class number for their finals; he and She Xiao were not even in the same building. It would be difficult for them to run into each other without having made plans to meet ahead of time.
After two days of back-to-back exams, the last test was upon him. Just before it ended, Lin Xigu sighed, thinking I haven’t even seen him once. I’ll have to pack up and leave soon; driver’s probably already at the door. They had each gone home separately the night before due to differing exam times and they didn’t get the chance to discuss their plans for the day. They hadn’t run into each other on that last day either, which meant that they likely would not see each other at all for the coming month.
Lin Xigu felt slightly disheartened.
Leaving the exam hall, Lin Xigu heard someone whistle at him in the corridor. He didn’t look back, until that person pulled on his backpack.
He turned to see one of the skinheads from Class 5.
Lin Xigu frowned, annoyed.
The gang from Class 5 were highly obnoxious. They never passed up an opportunity to get a mocking word in whenever their paths crossed. Lin Xigu didn’t bother with a response and kept walking.
“I’m talking to ya. What, you deaf?” He yanked on Lin Xigu’s ear.
Pulling on his backpack was one thing but touching his ear was another entirely. Lin Xigu glared at him and said icily, “Can you fuck off?”
“You think you’re such a badass,” he snorted as he grabbed Lin Xigu by his backpack and threw him backwards.
Lin Xigu was no match for him. As he was flung back, he stumbled over the stairs and nearly fell over. Steadying himself, he was about to retort when he heard gasps and screams erupt around him.
Lin Xigu whipped around to see She Xiao’s fist slamming into the boy’s right jaw. There was a sickening crunch as his fist connected with bone. Lin Xigu dashed forward, trying to restrain She Xiao’s arm but he wasn’t able to maintain his hold.
“She Xiao!” Lin Xigu was starting to panic. The exam had just ended and people were starting to pour out from the instructional building. The fight was taking place right by the main entrance, and a crowd had started to gather. He feared that the principal would walk by at any moment.
She Xiao already had a stain on his record; he couldn’t get caught again.
“She Xiao, please stop!” Lin Xigu hissed. “There are too many people watching!”
She Xiao was beyond hearing. His every blow rained down on that boy with frightening force. Lin Xigu’s heart crawled into his throat. He was not only afraid of the principal but also of the others from Class 5. If they joined in on the fight, they would surely make She Xiao suffer.
And if he kept hitting him like that… Lin Xigu glanced at the person on the ground. Something terrible was about to happen.
“She Xiao!” Lin Xigu wrapped both hands around She Xiao’s fist. His voice was urgent, “She Xiao, look at me!”
She Xiao kicked the boy in the gut, away from himself. Lin Xigu immediately launched himself into the space that had opened, wrapping his arms around She Xiao and holding him back.
“She Xiao, stop hitting him and let’s go! You can’t be written up again – you’ll be expelled!” Bloodlust had seeped into She Xiao’s eyes; Lin Xigu had no idea if She Xiao was able to hear him but the only thing he could do was repeat the same thing over and over into his ear. “You have to stop fighting, She Xiao… I’m scared.”
His voice quivered on the last sentence. He said he was scared.
She Xiao paused, turning his bloodshot eyes on Lin Xigu. Lin Xigu struggled to hold his gaze, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he locked eyes with him. “School’s almost out for the year. Don’t make it worse, She Xiao. Please stay out of trouble. Let’s go!”
Under his hands, Lin Xigu could feel the aggression draining from She Xiao’s arms.
Lin Xigu breathed a sigh of relief. He walked over and crouched down next to She Xiao’s target, speaking quietly at a volume that only the two of them could hear. “Hurry and go. I’ll wire you some money and we’ll leave it at that. If you don’t provoke me, he won’t come after you. But if he finds a reason to and there’s no one to hold him back, I don’t doubt he’ll beat you into a vegetable. And don’t even think about retaliating. Let me put it this way. If you hurt him, you hurt me. And if you hurt me, the school will expel you. My father will come after you with everything he’s got. Go send me your account number. I’ll pretend nothing happened. Go!”
Lin Xigu clapped him twice on the arm, then picked up She Xiao’s backpack and led She Xiao away.
Lin Xigu checked over his shoulder as they walked through the school gates. That person had indeed left and the crowd of onlookers was dispersing.
He relaxed completely. “Does your arm hurt?” He asked She Xiao. “Why would you do something like that when you’re clearly injured…?”
She Xiao looked down and didn’t speak.
Lin Xigu wanted to assess his arm but he couldn’t see it underneath his jacket. His dad’s driver had already pulled up in the car and stepped out, making his way towards him. Lin Xigu wanted to say more but he missed his chance. Taking his backpack from Lin Xigu’s hands, She Xiao pierced him with a deep, lingering look, and turned away.
Lin Xigu didn’t know why but his heart suddenly started to ache.
Perhaps it was because winter break was starting and he wouldn’t see She Xiao again for another month. Perhaps it was because She Xiao had gone on a rampage to defend him over a mere push, despite the rockiness in their current relationship.
Or perhaps it was because She Xiao’s retreating back, as he walked away, looked unbearably lonely.
