Spring finally melted the frost that covered the earth with its warm breeze, and He Nuo was finally released from wearing his masks and scarves. He was now free to interact intimately with the gentle winds. Shi Yan had also been stimulated by warm spring air to start a new romance; he wasn't the one to take the initiative of course, he no longer had the time nor energy to pursue people. It was the infatuated Li Mengting who arduously pursued him. Also, he only agreed to her proposition under the premise that his new girlfriend wouldn't affect his relationship with He Nuo. Because Li Mengtian was his classmate, and she had changed seats to be his deskmate, their relationship was confined within their classroom; the calls he made at home after classes and the trips he made back home everyday were still done with He Nuo without fail.
He Nuo appeared a few more times in Shi Yan's erotic dreams. Shi Yan was very curious about the secret in between those legs. Even if he had seen it in physiological hygiene books or on magazines, or even in books on medical anatomy, no illustration could compare to seeing the real thing with his own eyes no matter how clear the it was. After Shi Yan had kissed and fondled Li Mengting, he had removed her clothes once and forced her legs open to study that place without caring about her bashful reaction.
Shi Yan had already tasted women's breasts of all sizes on his previous girlfriends' bodies. He still liked them plump and round; when he held them in his hands, he would want to eat them and nibble on them. But Shi Yan had never committed a taboo before; he knew it clearly in his bones that these were all just games and dreams to him. Since he wouldn't be with them for a long time or be serious about them, he naturally wouldn't want to take them. Shi Yan actually had a very pure heart — he would only take the virginity of the one he loves to possess her everything.
He Nuo knew that Shi Yan had a girlfriend, but before he could ask himself how he felt about it, the other party had already declared war. How could a girl tolerate having someone else stand beside the boyfriend that she had worked so hard to obtain? So when Shi Yan went to the bike shed to get his bike after school while He Nuo waited for him outside, other girls would sprawl all over the windows and shout Shi Yan's name to pressure He Nuo; and once Shi Yan walks back, these girls would retreat. Shi Yan asked He Nuo in confusion, "Did someone call me?"
"I didn't hear anything?"
Shi Yan turned around to search for the source but didn't see anything, "Why did I hear someone call me?"
"I didn't hear anything."
Afterwards, the number of girls who gathered outside He Nuo's class obviously increased. They casually chatted, "He was the one who always sat there in the past, and now he even wants to butt in……"
"……they don't even have a chance to view flowers under the moon1. Li Mengting is quite pitiful actually, she can't even sit on her own boyfriend's bike."
Now He Nuo wasn't even willing to leave his classroom after class. As a girl, Yu Yao knew a long time ago that the girls in their grade had been instigated by Shi Yan's girlfriend to do all these. She had tried to dissuade He Nuo with good intentions from being friends with that bastard, so now she grabbed ahold of this opportunity to laugh at He Nuo, "Not bad, you're the best iron pellet he has ever had. Peach blossoms are in full bloom, you're going to drown in the spit of those bitches soon."
He Nuo didn't know whether to cry or laugh. With Shi Yan's kind of personality, it's not like he can just tell Shi Yan that he won't ride his bike anymore.
The school attached a lot of importance to the intervarsity soccer competition, so during the last few knockout matches, students in their third year who were good at soccer were all called out to compete. Shi Yan was one of them. The finals were in the afternoon, and because it started at 4pm at their school's field when all formal classes had ended for the day, the teachers asked the students to go to the field and cheer for their school's team for the sake of their collective honour.
For the first time ever, He Nuo was actually sitting by the field, because yesterday night Shi Yan had told him that he wanted to look up sliding tackle techniques after he got home because he hadn't done one of those in a long while. When He Nuo saw how Shi Yan defused their opponent's dangerous offence with a beautiful sliding tackle, he envied his naturally smooth actions, and admired how he had just said that he would take a look yesterday, then execute it so perfectly today. The guys all around him were cheering excitedly because of that beautiful sliding tackle; the girls didn't really understand what had happened, but when they saw the guys cheering, they certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity and began to shout out Shi Yan's name as well — it was actually quite a grand sight.
The halftime whistle sounded, and the players left the field in succession. Some students who carried cups of water had already rushed up to them a while ago, because the class leaders of classes with students who were competing had formed groups to prepare thermos flasks and cups. A lot of girls — not just the third years — had already taken some cups to welcome Shi Yan back as if they were welcoming a warrior on his triumphant return. One of Shi Yan's buddies called out to He Nuo, "Get Shi Yan a cup of water."
When he saw that there were no cups in front of He Nuo, he even passed the cup in his hand to He Nuo. But for some reason, He Nuo felt a little angry and spat out three words in a breezy manner, "Can't carry it."
Shi Yan's buddy thought that he had heard him wrongly at first, so he was still waiting for He Nuo to accept the cup in his hands. Yu Yao had already ruined her own image by bursting out in raucous laughter, this girl didn't care about her image at all as she laughed so hard she had to bend down and hold her stomach with her hands. As she pointed at He Nuo, she repeated, "Haha, hahaha, can't carry it, haha, I'm gonna laugh myself to death. He Nuo, you're going to make me die of laughter."
The students around them who heard it were also stunned as they thought that there was something wrong with their ears, but a burst of laughter soon erupted from the crowd. He Nuo saw Shi Yan's buddy's expression turn livid, while he himself didn't have much of an expression at all.
Shi Yan pushed away all the people who had sent him water. All the players had people who would send them water, but he had even pushed aside the water his girlfriend sent over before he walked straight towards He Nuo. He heard the laughter that travelled over from that side, and when he approached them, his buddy handed him a cup of water while he jerked his chin at He Nuo, "Un, I asked him to get you some water but he said he couldn't carry it!" Shi Yan's buddy was a bit angry; how well Shi Yan usually treated He Nuo was something his whole gang could see even if Shi Yan had never told them about it. Sometimes, when their gang skipped a night self-study session to go out and play, Shi Yan would rush back to pick He Nuo up after school. When everyone brought their girlfriends out on the weekends, he would also leave once in the middle of their gathering. Now it was just sending Shi Yan a small cup of water, and yet He Nuo wasn't even willing to do that for him?
When He Nuo saw Shi Yan walk towards him, he actually felt a bit uneasy. But now that he had heard Shi Yan's buddy lodge a complaint against him, he got angry instead and obstinately looked straight at Shi Yan's furrowed eyebrows and sharp gaze. Shi Yan kept silent, then held the cup and walked back to his class.
After school ended, the two didn't talk on their way home. During their night self-study session, Shi Yan brought He Nuo directly to the office, and once they entered, Shi Yan sat on the boss' chair, "Get me a cup of water."
He Nuo took a cup and poured hot water into it, then pushed it towards Shi Yan. Shi Yan picked it up and poured the water inside it onto the floor, "Water."
He Nuo refilled it with water again, then Shi Yan poured it away again. After this happened thrice, He Nuo put the cup at one side and went to sit on the sofa by himself. Don't blame He Nuo for his bad temper, this was really because Shi Yan and him were friends on equal grounds, and Shi Yan takes extraordinarily good care of him, so when would he have ever let He Nuo get bullied or feel wronged? It was the first time young He Nuo could do whatever he wanted without restraint in front of someone. Of course, you could also say that He Nuo had been spoiled by Shi Yan.
But Shi Yan was raging, "Water!" He Nuo looked out of the window, and his indifference completely infuriated Shi Yan, "Did you forget how Laozi fucking fed you when you were as good as dead?! Now I can't even get you to pour me a cup of water?!"
When Shi Yan said this, his anger got to his head and he raised the cup up before smashing it in front of He Nuo. He Nuo was actually being temperamental at first, and he was angry at himself for not sending water to Shi Yan, but what right does his buddy have to lodge a complaint against him? And why did Shi Yan have to shoot him such an unkind gaze? Is he obligated to send Shi Yan water? So He Nuo kept silent on their way back and on their way to school when he was on Shi Yan's bike. But, when Shi Yan mentioned the words "fed you", He Nuo had to admit that he was wrong. He owes Shi Yan too much. When he had the opportunity to do something as trivial as getting him a cup of water today, he actually refused? What's up with that?
When he saw how angry Shi Yan got, He Nuo felt a strong sense of self-reproach. He poured a cup of water and handed it to Shi Yan, "I'm sorry, I was at fault." Shi Yan glanced at him and didn't accept the cup. He Nuo put the cup on the table before he went to pick up the glass shards on the floor.
"Who are you trying to please? Don't you disdain to wait on Laozi?"
He Nuo brought a basin of water over and placed it next to Shi Yan's feet, then held the cup in his hands, "Here, I'd like to offer my apology. I'll pour another cup for you at school tomorrow."
When he saw this situation, Shi Yan felt much more comforted, "Would it kill you to send me some water this afternoon? Or do you think it's too humiliating to wait on Laozi? There were so many people revolving around Laozi, yet only you were so delicate that you couldn't carry it!" After hearing this tone and these words, He Nuo knew that he had softened.
"It's precisely because there were others revolving around you that I didn't go over."
"Un?"
"Weren't there a lot of people who had already sent you water? Even your girlfriend got you water, so I thought you wouldn't need mine."
Shi Yan thought about how thin his skin was, and how he wasn't someone who would join the crowd just to please others. If he wanted him to send him some water under the gazes of everyone, it really wouldn't suit his personality. But he wasn't willing to take He Nuo's provocative glance in the afternoon lying down, so he used his fingers to knock on the table, "Now there's no one around to fight with you, Daye wants to drink the water you send me."
He Nuo smiled as he sent his cup over, "Here, I'm waiting on you now."
The next day, Shi Yan eliminated Li Mengting from the fray. As he faced the inquiries of his buddies, he gave them a fully credible reason: the college entrance examination is approaching, he had to get into the frame of mind for studying and wouldn't stir up any peach blossoms anymore.
1. Ideal setting/date for a couple in love↩
T/N: Btw I think I should've mentioned this but the Chinese use peach blossoms to refer to affairs regarding love/relationships etc