Chapter 20 — Don’t Laugh
When Yu Fan dumped a tray of food on someone’s face his freshman year, he became famous in one hit. After yesterday’s 4×400 where he ran like a devil, the whole school was buzzing again.
Day two of the meet, he tossed his jacket over his head and walked into the stadium. Half the field looked his way. He never lifted his head, face blank, going straight to Seventh Class’s section.
They do roll calls every two hours, so even kids without events have to sit on the stands. Today was awards and photos, and even the seating was by height.
Wang Lu’an saw him and grinned. “Yu Fan, you playing thief? Not hot?”
“Sun’s harsh,” Yu Fan said. Simple as that.
He was not afraid of tanning. His eyes just stayed wired if they got too much light. The section was crowded today that even sitting felt cramped.
As soon as he sat, he caught a faint laundry-detergent smell from right beside him, with a minty coolness. It was oddly refreshing. He couldn’t help cutting a glance over.
Chen Jingshen was slouched against the back wall. Space was tight, so those long legs were folded up, half open. He was looking down at his phone.
Zuo Kuan had wedged himself in by Wang Lu’an, wearing a baseball cap. He leaned forward and blurted the question he’d held in all night. “Yu Fan, did you train before? Yesterday was too f***ing fierce. Holy sh**.”
Yu Fan gave a cool “Mm.”
Given the routes around his place, he had sprinted north, south, east, west more times than he could count. Two years of “if you get caught, you get beat,” and anyone would get fast.
“I knew it… our class’s track guys are all self-conscious now.”
Yu Fan frowned. “Why are you back in our section? Beat it. It’s crowded.”
“Shhh.” Zuo Kuan held a hand up. “My phone got confiscated. I’m using Wang Lu’an’s. You sleep, we won’t bug you.”
One more body, one less, you still had to nap squeezed in. Yu Fan swallowed the irritation, pulled the jacket over his face, leaned back, and closed his eyes.
Chen Jingshen was answering messages.
Mom: Auntie says you went to school today?
Mom: I told you, if you have no events, get a leave slip and study at home. Going is a waste of time.
Chen Jingshen stared at the screen, typed two characters, and then his shoulder suddenly sank.
He blinked, looked down at the rumpled jacket. The head inside it nudged around, found a comfortable spot, and then snuggled up a bit more.
Chen Jingshen watched that head for a second, then simply locked his phone and dropped it into his bag. He slid his shoulder down a touch to make it easier for the other person to sleep.
Wu Si turned with a problem set and froze at the scene. He’d been stuck on a question for ages. With Zhuang Fangqin off doing the teachers’ relay, he’d planned to ask the class genius.
Two boys were leaning together. Chen Jingshen, usually perfect posture, was a bit hunched, which weirdly made him look more casual. The other boy was almost slumped on him, jacket over his head.
For a second it looked like an old-time wedding, newlyweds on the bridal bed.
Wu Si stared and met Chen Jingshen’s eyes. The latter gave him a flat look, glanced at the problem set, and looked away again.
“…”
Right. Wu Si crept back to his seat. His sixth sense said the genius did not currently want to tutor anyone.
Yu Fan woke up to two sleazy chuckles. He shifted, and right as he felt himself tipping, a hand pressed his forehead and guided him back upright.
He pulled the jacket off and looked up at a razor-sharp jawline. He was still a little foggy.
Sensing the movement, the owner of the jawline lowered his head to meet his eyes.
“You laughing?” Yu Fan asked.
“No,” Chen Jingshen said.
Damn, how could someone’s voice have a little tremor like that.
“Why are you so close to me?”
“Maybe because,” Chen Jingshen said, “you’re leaning on my shoulder.”
“…”
Yu Fan’s eyelid twitched. His mind finally caught up. Damn. He yanked himself upright. He’d dragged the jacket too hard and messed up his hair. For once he looked a bit dopey.
“You couldn’t wake me?”
“I tried,” Chen Jingshen said, face calm. “You told me to shut up or you’d hit me.”
“…”
That did sound like him.
Guilty, Yu Fan leaned back against the wall and rubbed his eyes.
The two chuckles came again.
Yu Fan snapped, “What the f*** are you laughing at?”
Wang Lu’an jumped. “Oh, did we wake you?”
“Damn, it’s all Wang Lu’an,” Zuo Kuan said. “We’re watching a stream.”
They had their jackets tented over their hands, glued to the screen for ages.
Yu Fan ignored them and raked a hand through his hair. Out the corner of his eye he checked on the guy next to him. Chen Jingshen had returned to his usual posture and was playing Sudoku.
Seeing he was awake, Wang Lu’an shoved the phone toward Yu Fan. “This is too damn funny. I’m logged into Zuo Kuan’s streaming account. Dude, all his follows are lady streamers. I clicked one at random, check the, uh, scale…”
Yu Fan glanced once, frowned, and was about to tell him to put it away.
Zuo Kuan flushed. “Damn it, you two don’t watch lady streamers?”
“Not as much as you,” Wang Lu’an said. “And Yu Fan even less—”
Chen Jingshen looked up from Sudoku, blank face, eyes cutting over.
Yu Fan froze, remembering the big mouth he’d run earlier. He swerved mid-sentence.
“I watch,” Yu Fan said.
Wang Lu’an: “?”
“I like them a lot,” Yu Fan added, leaning back. “A hell of a lot.”
Wang Lu’an: “……”
Even Zuo Kuan was thrown. “R-really? Didn’t see that coming.”
“This one dances pretty well.” Yu Fan took out his own phone. “What’s her handle? I’ll follow.”
“Y-Yao Ni…” Zuo Kuan said.
Yu Fan hummed, typed, pulled her up. Then, deliberately, he sat up straight and lowered the phone a little. He tapped Follow.
A pop-up exploded on the screen.
Ding~ Followed successfully! Yao Ni is now your 132nd follow and your 2nd followed lady streamer! Click here to find more lady streamers! →
Yu Fan: “………………?”
Ah? The f*** is this? Last time it didn’t say that!
He froze, phone in hand.
Zuo Kuan craned his neck and gaped. “Bro, 132 follows and only two are lady streamers? You kidding me?”
“Who’s the other one?” Wang Lu’an said, thumb-happy, tapping into Yu Fan’s follow list.
The female gamer from the net café popped up.
“Come on, that barely counts,” Zuo Kuan said. “She only games. No dancing, no singing. She calls viewers ‘bros’ not ‘darlings’. Who watches her?”
Yu Fan: “.”
Wang Lu’an snapped his fingers. “Right? I said so. When we were at the net café, the guy at the next PC was watching a girl dance. Didn’t you switch seats on the spot?”
“I did n—” Yu Fan tried to say.
Wang Lu’an then said to Zuo Kuan, “Another time he went in the wrong stream. The girl read his ID and called him ‘gege’. He logged off immediately.”
“…”
Yu Fan was calculating the odds of booting both of them down a row when a short, barely audible laugh came from the side.
He turned. Chen Jingshen? Laughing?
“You—” He spun with a dozen lines loaded, but they all fizzled when he met Chen Jingshen’s gaze.
Thin lips, the lightest curl at the corner, a smile that was still cool. Like snowflakes on a sunny day. Those dark eyes swept over and rested on him, quiet and steady.
Fresh from a nap, Yu Fan’s brain stuttered. Chen Jingshen waited a beat. “Mm?”
“Don’t f***ing laugh,” Yu Fan muttered.
“Okay,” Chen Jingshen said.
Right then, Gao Shi called up from the stairs for Chen Jingshen to get his 3000-meter award. After he left, Yu Fan lay back down, silent.
“Yu Fan, while Fangqin’s gone, food court?” Wang Lu’an asked.
“No.”
“Still tired? You’re not in a mood.”
Yu Fan didn’t answer. Only when Chen Jingshen vanished from his angle did Yu Fan raise an arm and cover his eyes.
Tsk. He had not handled that well.
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