KMYB | Chapter 23

"Reason."

Xi Shui withdrew his gaze from the car window. "Lin Xiaojin doesn’t know them that well, except for Meng Kewen, but if Meng Kewen gets caught up in having fun, he might forget about him. I’m afraid Lin Xiaojin won’t have a good time by then."

They had just reached an intersection.

The red light had been on for more than two minutes.

Zhou Zeqi cut the engine right away.

"Then what if I’m unhappy?"

"Why would you be unhappy?"

Zhou Zeqi turned to look at Xi Shui. He smiled, a little teasing, but his eyes were serious.

"I just want to sleep with you, is that not allowed?"

Xi Shui opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He panicked and avoided Zhou Zeqi’s protective gaze, realizing that the clearly spacious car somehow felt incomparably small and cramped at that moment.

"If it’s just sleeping, then yes." Xi Shui’s face was about to burn up.

Even if he didn’t fully understand, he was still an adult. Zhou Zeqi’s eyes were far too naked, almost without any disguise.

The depth in Zhou Zeqi’s eyes faded away, returning to his usual careless expression. Leaning back in the seat, he glanced at Xi Shui, who was practically bristling, and asked, "Yeah, I said sleep. What did you think I meant?"

Xi Shui was never going to answer that.

He sat properly, looked ahead, and pretended he hadn’t heard.

When the light changed, Zhou Zeqi started the car again, his flat voice carrying through the cabin.

"Xiao Xi, let me tell you in advance," his tone was a little wicked, "if you drag Lin Xiaojin into our tent, I’ll throw him out in the middle of the night."

!

Xi Shui stared at Zhou Zeqi. "Then what about Lin Xiaojin?"

"Doesn’t he like Wu Chibang? Let those two sleep together, and add Meng Kewen too."

Xi Shui thought about it and said, "He likes Wu Fengyi, so of course they can only sleep together. As for Meng Kewen, maybe he should be left out~"

"…"

Zhou Zeqi slammed on the gas, grinding his teeth. "I thought you didn’t understand?"

The car went quiet for a moment.

Xi Shui said softly, "I didn’t not understand. I just didn’t react in time."

Zhou Zeqi laughed.

His window was closed. Xi Shui looked over and saw sunlight pouring in from the front of the car, landing on Zhou Zeqi’s arm and front. The outline hidden in the shadows looked hazy, even his emotions becoming impossible to read.

During this time, Xi Shui hadn’t really felt guilty. He would be good to Zhou Zeqi, but at this moment, his guilt almost made him spill the main reason he’d confessed to Zhou Zeqi in the first place.

–

While Xi Shui and Zhou Zeqi were on their way home, Wu Fengyi and the others had also brought their cars over. Half of them had gotten driver’s licenses, and although they didn’t have their own cars, they could drive the family ones.

They also rented a full set of picnic gear, and bought all the ingredients they’d need for the outing.

More than a dozen people squatted at the school gate, all tall and broad-shouldered. If not for the fact that they still looked like students, they’d have looked exactly like they were there to cause trouble.

From far away, they saw Zhou Zeqi’s car coming down from the top of the hill.

The black off-road vehicle was brand new, and some parts had even been modified by a professional workshop. In the sunlight, it sped toward them in a wildly arrogant manner, almost twice the size of the sedans beside it.

It looked just like Zhou Zeqi’s personality.

Wu Fengyi bit on a lollipop. "Damn, Old Zhou is so damn flashy."

When the car pulled up in front of them, Zhou Zeqi didn’t get out. He only rolled down the window and leaned out. "Let’s go."

The moment Lin Xiaojin saw Xi Shui, he immediately ran over with his backpack in his arms. Standing beside the car door, he said, "I want to go with you."

Lin Xiaojin climbed into the back seat.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

From a little quail crouched among those student-athletes, he turned into a little crab waving its claws.

Lin Xiaojin took two eggs out of his bag and handed one to Xi Shui. "Do you want one?"

"I’ve already eaten."

"I’ll eat one."

Xi Shui and Zhou Zeqi spoke at the same time.

"Then you’re driving, and I’ll peel the shell and feed it to you." Xi Shui took the egg from Lin Xiaojin. It was still warm. He held it in a plastic bag and peeled it open.

In less than a minute, Xi Shui had peeled out a perfectly intact egg.

"Wow."

Xi Shui held up the egg and carefully fed it to Zhou Zeqi’s mouth. "Eat."

Zhou Zeqi bit off half of it in one go. Xi Shui looked at him. "Is it good?"

Lin Xiaojin: "…" It was just a plain boiled egg, it probably wasn’t necessary to discuss whether it was good or not.

"Good." Zhou Zeqi nodded.

Lin Xiaojin: "…" Hopeless. Even if Xi Shui handed a pile of shit to the King of Hell Zhou, the King of Hell would still say it tasted good.

Changpu County was a small county within the jurisdiction of the capital, and behind it was Jili Mountain.

Jili Mountain wasn’t very high. Halfway up the mountain was a local earth god temple, and every year the locals would bring fruit and meat to offer to the Earth God. Before they came, Meng Kewen had done some research. He said that temple seemed to be really effective, and they could go worship it when they passed by.

To reach the summit, they could either drive all the way up the winding mountain road, or hike there themselves. There was a shortcut for hiking, but the path was steep and not very safe.

Zhou Zeqi looked at the map. The earth god temple was still five kilometers away. He asked Xi Shui, who was dozing beside him, "Xiao Xi, do you want to go to the earth god temple?"

Xi Shui jolted awake. "What meow?"

"The earth god temple." Zhou Zeqi turned the air conditioning up a little. "Meng Kewen said it’s very effective. Do you want to go take a look?"

Xi Shui didn’t think about it for long before nodding immediately. "Okay!"

Anything he hadn’t been to, anything he hadn’t seen, Xi Shui wanted to see with his own eyes.

The car stopped in a special parking area by the roadside. On one side of the road was the mountain, and on the other side, looking out, was Changpu County surrounded by mountains. The not-so-affluent little county became the most distinctive and delicate dot among the mountains.

Wind brushed over from far away, carrying the scent of grass and wildflowers. Tomorrow was Children’s Day, and the capital had already entered summer, but up at this half-mountain point, when the wind blew over, Xi Shui got out of the car and felt that it was actually cooler outside than inside.

Zhou Zeqi glanced at Xi Shui, opened the back seat, and dug a white sun-protective jacket out of the bag on the seat. "Put it on." He handed it to Xi Shui.

"Okay…" Xi Shui put it on while looking around. "Why did we get out?"

Zhou Zeqi motioned for Xi Shui to look behind him.

Xi Shui turned around.

Behind them was a dense forest, but there was a narrow mountain path cutting through it. The shape of steps could be made out, but the path was covered in grass, and moss had grown over the stone slabs.

The mountain path stretched upward, disappearing into the depths of the woods, mysterious and unfathomable.

Xi Shui’s heartbeat suddenly sped up for no reason. "So exciting."

"What are you thinking about?" Zhou Zeqi ruffled his hair. "We’ll go up together once Wu Chibang and the others catch up."

"To make a wish?"

Zhou Zeqi asked Xi Shui.

Xi Shui nodded. "Of course, but I still haven’t decided what to wish for."

The broken bangs on Zhou Zeqi’s forehead were blown a little messy by the mountain wind, making him look even more unruly. "I’ve already thought of mine."

"What is it?" Xi Shui had both hands in the pockets of his sun-protective jacket. Zhou Zeqi’s clothes were much too big on him, making his figure look even thinner and more delicate, his long neck fragile like the stem of a newly sprouted spring grass.

For the first time, Zhou Zeqi refused to answer Xi Shui’s question. "If you say your wish out loud, it won’t come true."

Xi Shui thought Zhou Zeqi was right. He agreed.

"Aren’t there a meteor shower tonight? I’ll make my wish in two rounds, some here at the earth god temple and some at the mountaintop," Xi Shui said with hope in his eyes. "That’s fairer."

"…"

Less than ten minutes later, several cars behind them caught up and parked one after another.

Zhang Kan wasn’t skilled at driving. When he parked, he kept moving back and forth, taking forever.

Meng Kewen got out from Wu Fengyi’s car and almost got hit by Zhang Kan’s front bumper. "If you can’t drive, let someone else do it. On roads like this, aren’t you afraid of driving straight down the mountain?"

The boy in the front passenger seat of Zhang Kan’s car stuck his head out. "I used to be the one driving. Zhang Kan said he wanted to practice reversing into parking spaces."

"…"

"You’re insane."

Xi Shui looked at everyone, and for some reason, he suddenly had an idea. He walked around to the front passenger side and took the bag of cakes down.

Zhou Zeqi knew he was going to share them with everyone, so he told Wu Fengyi to take them. "My mom made these by hand. She made too many, and they won’t keep for long in this weather. Split them up and eat them."

"What?"

Xi Shui replied, "Mille crepes."

"What flavors?"

Xi Shui picked one up and realized Zhou Zeqi’s mother had thoughtfully put labels on them to make them easy to tell apart. The one he was holding was… strawberry.

Zhou Zeqi pushed Wu Fengyi aside and took a few from inside. "It’s already nice enough that there’s something to eat."

The second one he picked up was durian.

Lowering his eyes, he found Xi Shui staring at him eagerly.

"…"

Zhou Zeqi gave a low chuckle. "You like durian?"

Xi Shui nodded.

"Then kiss me."

In public, within the Earth God’s territory, Xi Shui’s face instantly turned red all the way through.

Xi Shui was thin-skinned, so Zhou Zeqi only teased him and stuffed the cake into his arms. "Go eat."

Xi Shui had just been about to say thank you when he heard Zhou Zeqi say again, "Eat it and don’t talk to me."

"Ah, why?" Xi Shui didn’t understand.

Wu Fengyi helped explain from the side, "Old Zhou doesn’t like durian."

Xi Shui held the cake and didn’t know what to do. Carefully, he said, "Okay, then I’ll sit in your car later." He said this to Wu Fengyi.

Wu Fengyi immediately refused. "No, don’t ride in my car."

Old Zhou would definitely smash the back of his car to pieces while driving behind them.

Xi Shui looked at the others, but everyone refused him one after another. To be exact, they weren’t refusing Xi Shui. They were refusing Old Zhou’s boyfriend.

So Xi Shui could only pin his hopes on Zhou Zeqi again.

"Did I say you couldn’t get in my car?" Zhou Zeqi asked, half-amused.

He didn’t.

Xi Shui held his cake and squatted by the roadside with Lin Xiaojin to eat it.

Lin Xiaojin was holding a piece of Oreo mille crepe.

"I’ll take a bite of yours." Lin Xiaojin offered himself over to Xi Shui too.

Xi Shui lowered his head and bit directly into the Oreo mille crepe.

Wu Fengyi watched from not far away. After watching for a while, he turned to Zhou Zeqi and said, "Old Zhou, those two look like idiots."

Zhou Zeqi almost nodded.

"Who are you calling idiots?"

After finishing the cake, they prepared to head to the earth god temple.

Xi Shui smelled like durian all over. He walked together with Lin Xiaojin, remembering every word Zhou Zeqi had told him.

Wu Fengyi watched the two of them for a while, then walked over, slung an arm around Lin Xiaojin’s shoulder, and led him forward. "Jinjin, come on, big brother will take you to see the wildflowers."

Just like that, Xi Shui was left alone.

The slope was very steep, and its end couldn’t be seen at a glance, as if it were leading them into another strange world.

Zhou Zeqi slowed his pace and walked beside Xi Shui.

Xi Shui carried his water bottle and stopped to take a big gulp. After swallowing, he couldn’t help asking Zhou Zeqi, "Aren’t you supposed to hate durian?"

Zhou Zeqi’s pupils reflected the dense forest behind Xi Shui. He smiled. "I do hate durian, but I like you."

They had fallen farther behind everyone else.

Xi Shui looked up at him, a little at a loss. "What do those two things have to do with each other?"

When Zhou Zeqi treated Xi Shui, it was as if he had endless patience. "Of course they do." He leaned in, the tip of his nose touching Xi Shui’s. "If I didn’t like you, and you talked to me this close after eating durian, I’d throw you from this mountaintop to the one across the way."

Even though he knew Zhou Zeqi was just scaring him, Xi Shui still looked a little flustered.

Zhou Zeqi didn’t miss a single expression on Xi Shui’s face.

Unhurriedly, he continued, "But since I like you, no matter what you eat, I still like you, and I’ll still do things that show I like you."

"Wha… what things?"

Zhou Zeqi tilted his head and suddenly kissed Xi Shui on the lips.

After the kiss, Zhou Zeqi took Xi Shui’s hand. "Let’s go."

Xi Shui followed him in a daze as they continued up the mountain. His mind was in chaos because Zhou Zeqi had said he liked him.

Zhou Zeqi likes him, does he?

What is liking?

A narrow mountain path split the forest in two, and the azure sky overhead was split in two as well.

Sunlight seeped down through the crack in the mountains and forest, broken apart by the branches and leaves of the towering trees, casting mottled patches of light and shadow across the narrow path.

Xi Shui followed Zhou Zeqi’s pace, and this question was harder to think about than dieting. He was tired.

Let’s make it simple.

If Zhou Zeqi liked him, then he would also try hard to like Zhou Zeqi.

Consider it mutual exchange.

–

Half an hour later, everyone arrived at the earth god temple, panting.

"Where’s the temple?"

Meng Kewen pointed at the shabby little shrine that wasn’t even as high as his knees. "Here."

Three planks of wood formed a doorway. Xi Shui bent down and looked inside, discovering a tiny Earth God statue within, with incense offerings and a table all properly arranged.

Behind the shrine, the bushes were lush and thick, almost burying the temple completely.

If you didn’t look carefully, it would be easy to miss.

The group gathered around the temple and looked it over carefully, but didn’t find anything particularly special.

Xi Shui squatted in front. "This looks like one of those little shrines in anime. On rainy days, Totoro would hide here from the rain, and there’d even be a bus…"

Meng Kewen flipped through the few guides he had saved and compared them for a while. "It’s this one. It’s definitely this one."

Lin Xiaojin, standing beside him, silently sang along, "Our hero, Little Nezha."

The air froze for a few seconds.

Meng Kewen said, "Are you trying to sound tacky or something?"

Xi Shui and Lin Xiaojin exchanged a glance. Clearly, the two of them were on the same wavelength.

"It’s this temple. The locals all say it’s very effective, and they come to make offerings every year. I heard that a few tourists came two years ago and scribbled graffiti all over the temple. When they went down the mountain, they all fell, but when the locals came to clean it up, there wasn’t any graffiti at all."

"That’s so spooky?"

"It’s divine!"

"Quick, quick, let’s bow."

"I want to win an Olympic championship!"

"I want to find a girlfriend in the second half of this year!"

Xi Shui knelt properly on the ground and pressed his hands together. "If you say your wish out loud, it won’t come true."

So the surroundings immediately fell silent.

A few white butterflies landed on the leaves of the bushes, gently fluttering their wings.

Xi Shui silently made a wish in his heart.

I hope I can dance ballet for my whole life.

This had been Xi Shui’s wish every year on his birthday since he was little, and it had never changed.

But now, he had one more wish.

I hope Zhou Zeqi falls for me a little slower. I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep up.

And also, I hope I won’t get fat!

Okay.

Xi Shui opened his eyes and stood up from the ground. But when he turned around, he saw Zhou Zeqi leaning against the trunk of a big tree behind him, looking at him with deep, unreadable eyes.

"What did you wish for?" Zhou Zeqi asked.

Xi Shui said, "If you say your wish out loud, it won’t come true." There was still a faint cream flavor on his tongue. Sweets were high in calories, so later he’d have to find a way to kiss Zhou Zeqi.

"…"

Wu Fengyi and the others were still making wishes, as if they had a full page of them prepared in their hearts, muttering nonstop.

Xi Shui walked over to Zhou Zeqi and asked softly, "Why aren’t you making a wish?"

Xi Shui: "Do you not believe in it?"

"I believe," Zhou Zeqi said, lowering his eyes to look at Xi Shui. He lifted a hand and pinched the other boy’s ice-cold earlobe. "But I believe in myself more."

Xi Shui looked at Zhou Zeqi in confusion.

Zhou Zeqi said slowly, "It’s just psychological. A lot of things have to be fought for by yourself."

After he said that, his tone paused slightly. "Whether it’s something you want to complete, or someone you want to get."

Xi Shui avoided Zhou Zeqi’s dark gaze and stared at the complex grain in the tree trunk.

After a few seconds, Xi Shui still couldn’t hold back. He asked softly and carefully, "The person you mean… is me?"

Zhou Zeqi didn’t hesitate. He laughed. "Yes, it’s you."

After Zhou Zeqi answered, Xi Shui stopped speaking again.

A long while passed.

"What are you thinking about?" Zhou Zeqi saw Xi Shui frowning with a very troubled expression.

Xi Shui knitted his beautiful brows and blurted out, "I just ate durian cake, but I’m planning to kiss you later. What should I do?"