KMYB | Chapter 8

Lin Xiaojin called Meng Kewen first thing the next morning. Come on, when it came to Xi Shui, he had to handle things properly.

Today was Saturday. Meng Kewen was still asleep. After answering Lin Xiaojin’s call, he still wasn’t fully awake. Listening to Lin Xiaojin count off conditions on his fingers, Meng Kewen said with his eyes closed, "Are you picking out a son-in-law or what?"

"Wrong, totally wrong!" Lin Xiaojin said. "It’s a son-in-law!"

Meng Kewen pulled the blanket over his head and said muffledly, "With these conditions, even your dream guy Wu Fengyi can’t meet them, okay? Wake up."

Meng Kewen thought his childhood friend would come to his senses and lower the bar, but after a long silence, Lin Xiaojin asked, "Then who can meet them?"

"Over 185 centimeters tall, eight-pack abs, amazing at academic subjects, amazing at major classes, family broke but doesn’t scam money, family rich but not stingy, no dating experience but strong learning ability, double eyelids, but the eyes can’t be too big, has to have a good temper…" Lin Xiaojin shouted at the phone, "Is that hard? Is that hard?!"

"There is one, but his temper is average. Not bad, but definitely not good either." Meng Kewen yawned and opened his eyes.

"Who?"

"Lao Zhou, Zhou Zeqi."

"Him?" Lin Xiaojin thought about that person and considered it. "Would he be too fierce? I’m afraid Xi Shui will be scared of him."

"Then there’s no one left," Meng Kewen said. "Lao Zhou’s family has money and he’s generous, he’s 192 centimeters tall, has a standard eight-pack, double eyelids, but not big eyes. He got into Jing University by transferring into the science track in high school and scoring 700, then transferred again to Jing Sports University as a sophomore just to have some fun. You didn’t forget that already, did you? His grades, his ability, of course there’s nothing to say about them."

"But this guy thinks too deeply. You can’t tell what he’s thinking. So many people confessed to him before, and he rejected all of them. Your childhood friend…" Meng Kewen sat up. He had only seen Xi Shui himself twice, once at Jing Dance’s end-of-semester showcase, and once a few days ago at the gym. He looked like a rather cold junior. "Your childhood friend is handsome, yeah, very handsome. He and Lao Zhou are even a rumored couple on the forum, but Lao Zhou, last semester, you know this too, right? A guy suddenly rushed out wanting to kiss him, and Lao Zhou grabbed him and tossed him into the lake like a chick. He really doesn’t like being bothered."

Lin Xiaojin frowned. "Who said we were choosing him?"

He made it sound as if Xi Shui was the same as those clingy, shameless people. Xi Shui was a proud little swan. He was nothing like them.

"Then we’ll take the next best option. I have someone in mind. I’ll ask him this afternoon, then send you his contact info."

"Conditions?" Lin Xiaojin asked.

"A law student at Jing University, same year as both of you, sophomore, 185.5 centimeters tall, eight-pack abs, and really good-tempered."

"Fine." Lin Xiaojin agreed.

–

After Xi Shui finished his morning practice and showered, Lin Xiaojin and the others called to say they would arrive at noon.

There were still a few hours left. Xi Shui stuffed his clothes into the washing machine, then went to bring in all the dry clothes, folding them one by one and putting them into the wardrobe.

The phone on the bedside table suddenly rang.

"Hello."

"Morning, have you done your morning practice?"

Xi Shui’s breathing hitched. He lowered his head and answered, "Good morning, Dad. I already did."

"How have classes been lately? I called your teacher. Your school is going to perform at the Grand Theater during summer break, so do your best. The director of the Newlo Ballet Company will also be invited to attend…"

Xi Shui took a deep breath and interrupted Xi Buyao, "I don’t want to go abroad."

The Newlo Ballet Company was one of the world’s six major ballet companies. It was based in F Country and had its own ballet academy, with members basically selected only from that academy.

Xi Shui had passed the entrance exam for the Newlo Ballet Academy back in middle school, but in the end he still stayed at a domestic school. He was thirteen then. First, he didn’t want to study alone in a foreign country. Second, he wanted to stay in China.

Chinese ballet had gradually gained some fame in recent years, but its standing internationally was still low and it wasn’t taken seriously.

He loved ballet, and he loved the land that had raised him.

Xi Buyao regretted raising Xi Shui together with the whole family so naively. Suppressing his temper, he said, "There’s no future here at home."

"I don’t want a future."

"Xi Shui!"

Xi Shui flinched at the shout, and the phone almost slipped from his hand.

After a long while, Xi Shui didn’t know how long had passed, when he heard Xi Buyao say on the other end of the line, "There’s a boy at the Jing Dance affiliated middle school. Both his parents are gone, and he lives on a stipend. He’s as talented in ballet as you are. I’m planning to sponsor him."

Xi Shui knew exactly what Xi Buyao’s sponsorship meant. It meant the big account was ruined, so he was going to train a small one instead.

"Okay," Xi Shui said softly.

The call ended, and tears immediately fell from Xi Shui’s eyes.

"Knock, knock!"

It wasn’t the doorbell ringing, but the door itself.

Someone was knocking.

Xi Shui wiped away his tears, only for two more to fall. He wiped them again and they kept falling. He pulled out two tissues, pressed them to his eyes, and ran to open the door.

It was his neighbor, Zhou Zeqi.

Zhou Zeqi was holding breakfast and his basin. The moment Xi Shui saw the basin, he knew Zhou Zeqi had come to borrow the bathroom. He stepped aside. "Come in." His voice was still thick with tears, and the tissues were already soaked through.

When Zhou Zeqi saw Xi Shui’s rabbit-red eyes, the lazy look on his face gradually faded. He didn’t come in. Standing at the doorway, he asked in a slightly cool voice, "Why are you crying?"

People were all like this. If no one asked and no one cared, nothing would happen.

You’d get over it on your own.

But as soon as someone asked, the grievance would burst through like a dam that couldn’t hold back a flood.

Xi Shui put down the tissue and started crying with his mouth wide open. Tears poured out as if they were free. Between sobs, he said, "I’m so sad. I’m really so sad. My dad and I aren’t the same kind of people."

If he said it to someone else, they’d really think he was making too much of a fuss. Those honors and disgrace, what did they have to do with him? Ordinary people just needed to live their own lives well.

"He even wants to find me a younger brother." That was enough to overturn Xi Shui’s entire worldview. Because he wasn’t obedient, because he wouldn’t follow arrangements, his biological father had given up on him.

Rationally, Xi Shui knew his dad wasn’t wrong. Emotionally, though, he couldn’t accept it.

Zhou Zeqi watched Xi Shui standing right in front of him, howling his eyes out, unable to make himself understood, and reached out to wipe the tears from his face.

His sudden movement startled Xi Shui. They were not yet at the kind of relationship where they could wipe each other’s tears.

He stepped back, covering his eyes. "Don’t touch me. That’s too intimate." His voice was hoarse.

"I don’t really know what happened, but if what you’re doing is right, then you don’t need anyone else’s permission." Zhou Zeqi raised a hand and poked Xi Shui with his index finger. "What kind of person you become is up to you. Since you’ve already done it, don’t worry about what other people think."

Xi Shui lowered his arm. His tears had already stopped. He looked at Zhou Zeqi with eyes shimmering with water. "Is that you standing there talking without your back hurting?"

"No," Zhou Zeqi wasn’t displeased by Xi Shui’s bluntness. He meant no harm. "It’s experience from someone who’s been through it."

"Oh… thanks." Xi Shui said.

"To express my thanks, I brought you breakfast." Zhou Zeqi stuffed the still-warm breakfast into Xi Shui’s hands.

With something to eat, Xi Shui instantly had no worries left at all.

He took the breakfast Zhou Zeqi handed over with a bright smile and said thank you twice in a row.

As Zhou Zeqi walked in, he said, "I remember you’re dieting, so I didn’t put sugar in the soy milk. The egg is boiled, and there’s purple sweet potato too."

Xi Shui was even more grateful to Zhou Zeqi now.

When Zhou Zeqi came out after brushing his teeth and washing his face, Xi Shui was holding an egg, blowing on it as he peeled the shell. His face was even whiter and more translucent than the peeled egg. He had just cried, so his lips and teeth looked even more vividly red and white than usual, even prettier.

"By the way, you said yesterday that I’d know in a few days. Know what?"

Zhou Zeqi suddenly spoke up, startling Xi Shui. If he hadn’t brought it up, Xi Shui would have almost forgotten. Xi Shui turned his head and patted the sofa. "Sit."

Zhou Zeqi went over and sat down, seeing Xi Shui sitting cross-legged on the sofa beside him. There wasn’t a trace of extra flesh on Xi Shui’s two calves. His toes were pale, but because he had danced for so many years, there were injuries from his toes all the way to the top of his foot. His little toe was a little deformed.

"I still need to prepare a bit before I tell you," Xi Shui separated the egg yolk from the white, and only then noticed Zhou Zeqi looking at his feet. The other man’s gaze was focused, his pupils pitch black, making Xi Shui’s scalp tingle. He hurriedly shoved his feet into his slippers and said softly, "My feet aren’t pretty. I broke one before."

"No." Zhou Zeqi looked up. The protective look in his eyes faded, and he smiled. The dimples beside his cheeks appeared faintly. "They’re pretty nice."

Xi Shui felt he was just comforting him. Who would think a pair of feet like that was pretty?

"You just said you needed to prepare. What are you preparing?" If Zhou Zeqi couldn’t tell what Xi Shui wanted to do, then he must be blind. Xi Shui’s thoughts were written all over his face.

Xi Shui also didn’t know what he needed to prepare.

But for something like this, he couldn’t be too perfunctory. He’d look it up on Baidu.

He still quite liked Zhou Zeqi. Although kissing could burn calories, you still had to kiss someone you wanted to kiss. He didn’t like the people Lin Xiaojin had sent over, let alone kiss them.

Kissing for one minute, ten minutes, an hour… if it were with someone he hated, that would be disgusting.

He had his eye on Zhou Zeqi.

"Don’t ask," Xi Shui stuffed the egg white into his mouth and chewed for a long time without swallowing. "It’s my business."

Zhou Zeqi nearly laughed out loud.

Fine, he wouldn’t ask.

"You don’t eat the yolk?" Zhou Zeqi pointed at the one thing he had set aside.

Xi Shui nodded. "It’s choking." He always fed the yolks to the big orange cat of the old lady at the junkyard.

"Give it to me. I’ll eat it." Zhou Zeqi held out his hand.

Xi Shui generously handed the yolk to Zhou Zeqi, then watched him toss it into his mouth. He didn’t even chew much before swallowing. Xi Shui frowned. "Chew slowly."

The doorbell rang.

It interrupted the two of them, who had been getting along rather naturally and lightly.

Xi Shui wore his slippers and pattered over to open the door.

"Xi Shui!!!! Surprise, right? We came early!" Lin Xiaojin’s face appeared in Xi Shui’s line of sight. Xi Shui choked, sidestepped, blocked Zhou Zeqi, and then shut the door.

He ran toward Zhou Zeqi and yanked him up. He was surprisingly strong. "Y-you-you, hurry up and hide."

Zhou Zeqi was dragged into the bedroom, then dragged back out, dragged into the kitchen, then dragged out again. Lin Xiaojin called Xi Shui, and Xi Shui became even more panicked. Zhou Zeqi said amusedly, "Why do I need to hide?"

Sweating all over, Xi Shui explained, "If you show up here now, Lin Xiaojin and the others are definitely going to make a fuss and misunderstand our relationship."

"Can’t they misunderstand it?"

"Of course not." Xi Shui said, "I’m not ready yet!"

Zhou Zeqi: "…"

Xi Shui dragged Zhou Zeqi into the practice room, opened the floor-to-ceiling window, and the two of them stood on the balcony. Xi Shui pointed at the neighboring unit. "You, climb over."

Seeing how panicked Xi Shui was, almost ready to bounce into the air, Zhou Zeqi lowered his head and said slowly, "Xi Shui, I’m scared. I’m afraid of heights."

"T-then what do we do?" Xi Shui subconsciously reached out and grabbed Zhou Zeqi’s hem. "I don’t want them to make a fuss about it. You, don’t be afraid of heights."

Zhou Zeqi looked at Xi Shui’s eyelashes, still not completely dry, wet and black, tangled together like damp feathers. He looked as pitiful as pitiful could be.

Not to mention a seventeen-story building.

Being looked at like that, he could jump from a hundred and seventy stories.

Zhou Zeqi turned around, lifted a leg, and stepped onto the balcony. He jumped back to his own balcony with ease. But he didn’t jump down right away. Crouching on the balcony, he looked at the innocent, beautiful Xi Shui as if he were a beast guarding its prey, then said with a half-smile, "In my life, Zhou Zeqi has never been this pathetic before."

"Xi Shui, just wait."

——————–

Author’s note:

Little Xi: You, jump