As the sun set, half of the sky had been dyed red. They spent the last night at Anyuan High School, and tomorrow morning they would drive back to Second High School. They would be able to arrive at school at noon and the next day was the two-and-a-half-day holiday that lasted this month. The students of Anyuan High School were already on vacation. There were only 60 or 70 male students from Second High School in the entire dormitory building. Not many people were in the dormitory now. Most of them took this opportunity to buy something near Anyuan High School. There was an apple orchard on the mountain near Anyuan High School. It was the season when apples were ripe. So students could go up the mountain and buy some.
"Let's go." Qi Cheng prepared some stuff before got out of the dormitory with Zhu Fan and Xia Li.
The mountain path had been cleaned up. It was said as a mountain, but it was actually a hill, which was not really high. There were large flat grounds on it, which were fertile and suitable for planting. In the process of climbing the mountain, the three of them saw that there were also students from Second High School who came to this place. "I don't know if it is expensive or not. If it is delicious, I want to ask for the contact information and ask if they can deliver it to my house."
Qi Cheng said, "A fruit garden of this size will supply the fruit to the fruit store. You don't need to ask them to deliver it to your house. Just go directly to the fruit store to ask."
He breathed very steadily, not as if he was climbing a mountain, but as if he was walking on flat ground.
"That's it," Xia Li and Zhu Fan said. "That's why this place is quite famous."
Qi Cheng nodded. "Well, the juice is rich and sweet."
Zhu Fan bumped his shoulder and whispered some gossip. "Qi Cheng, I think there was something wrong with Xueba after the riding activity back then. He had been lying on the table all day long to write something. As expected from Xueba, he never forgets to study anytime and anywhere. But I accidentally saw a line of words written in Xueba's notebook. I didn't see the rest, but I swear that I saw these two words."
Xia Li stood by. "I don't know if it is my illusion. I always feel that Xueba doesn't like Chang Yao very much."
"Really?" Zhu Fan answered. "But they are not familiar with each other."
Qi Cheng looked back at them. He stepped faster and left them behind in three or two steps. Zhu Fan and Xia Li looked at each other, feeling like they got a cold-shoulder.
Cough, a quidnunc.
When they finally arrived at the top, they had already smelled the delicate fragrance of apples. Zhu Fan and Xia Li picked up a large bag while Qi Cheng waited for them outside. The orchard owner’s son ran around holding a big apple. Every time he ran past him, he would raise his head and look at him curiously.
Qi Cheng who was smoking smiled back at him.
After more than half an hour, the group went down the mountain again. When they returned to the dormitory, it was already half past six in the afternoon.
Both Chang Yao and Chi Yan stayed in the dormitory. When Qi Cheng returned, they were sitting at the table and smiled at them together. Although they were not very familiar, the atmosphere was at least harmonious.
"Is this crowded?" Chi Yan put down his pen and asked, "Many people go there today."
"Not too." Qi Cheng sat down, glanced at the book under his hand. Chi Yan closed the notes calmly and showed him a subtle smile. Qi Cheng smiled, and then said, "At least, we didn't bump each other."
He accompanied Xia Li and Zhu Fan out, mainly to climb mountains to relax. The clothes he wore were also for convenience. In this kind of weather, sweat would inevitably occur. So there were some sweat beads on his forehead rolling off the side of the face.
Chi Yan was fascinated by the look. The tips of his fingers on the table moved slightly, wanting to lift his hand to wipe off the sweat. But before he could do it, Chang Yao had already handed Qi Cheng a wet towel.
Qi Cheng took the towel. "Thank you."
Chang Yao shook his head, lowered his head, and continued to do the test paper.
Chi Yan's eyelids drooped and became silent.
"What kind of paper test are you doing?" Qi Cheng asked with a smile. "Which teacher sent it?"
"Mathematics," Chang Yao replied in a low voice. "We have to hand it in after the holidays. So I want to do it first since I am very good at this..."
They didn't know where he found a hairpin to clip the hair on his forehead, but it made his fresh and delicate face exposed. Although his eyes were still avoiding looking at people, compared with the gloomy look before, he now looked like a shy tortoise. Whoever looked at him, he immediately put his head in his shell, which made people think it's funny.
Qi Cheng found it interesting, but before he could say something, Chi Yan spoke a step ahead of him, looking directly at Chang Yao, "If you feel some difficulties about the task, you can ask me."
"Chang Yao tóngxué." Xueba pushed his glasses, releasing an aura "no strangers should enter". "Please don't be polite."
Qi Cheng paused, turned his head to look at Xia Li, and Xia Li spread his hands towards him, lip-synching, "You—see—right."
Qi Cheng raised his eyebrows. Then he stood up and took the things, was about to go to the bathroom to take a bath. Xia Li and Zhu Fan asked him to wait. The three of them were all already sweating, so each took their things and went to the bathroom together.
The door closed, Chi Yan's smile narrowed.
Chang Yao glanced at him, then lowered his head. The shyness on his face just now had disappeared.
In this room, two people were sitting at the table, one meter away, only the sound of a pin falling on the paper could be heard.
*
The bathroom was at the back of the dormitory building. Separating the individual rooms with a white tarp could only cut off the line of sight, but not the sound.
Qi Zhong was standing under the shower with his eyes closed. Suddenly he heard the conversation between Qi Cheng and Xia Li.
"Fortunately, we don't need to line up."
"This bathroom is simpler than our school."
Qi Cheng squinted at them. They could clearly hear his smile tone, and the voice through the water curtain was faint. "If the people of Second High School hear it, just wait to be beaten."
Qi Zhong wiped his face. He opened his eyes, but his gaze looked weird.
After waiting for half an hour, Qi Cheng and the others finally left the bathroom before Qi Zhong. His fingers were soaking up. Wu You, who had already come back from the supermarket said helplessly, "Dàgē, can you speak more clearly?"
Qi Zhong asked him, "Did you bump into Qi Cheng and others?"
"No," Wu You answered. "I just came back from the supermarket, and I didn't see anyone."
Qi Zhong nodded, took the ice water in Wu You's hand, and pasted it on his skin. "It's so hot."
"Then why didn't you come out quickly?" Wu You rolled his eyes, "Qi Zhong, you acted so strange today. Also in the afternoon, you didn't ride any horses, did you? You also kept hiding from the equestrian teacher. Didn't you obviously look forward to it before we came here?"
Qi Zhong obviously didn't want to say more. "I felt uncomfortable, so I couldn't get on the horse."
Wu You asked, "Where do you feel uncomfortable?"
Qi Zhong unscrewed the bottle cap. The strange emotions appeared in his eyes again. He raised his head and poured ice water into his mouth, which made his Adam's apple roll up and down. "Muscle strain."
"Besides," he said. "That Wu Yuan, and those in Class 3, did they all ride the horse?"
*
It was impossible to say that Qi Cheng didn't care about the person who had forcibly kissed him. But if it was said that he really cared about it, he actually didn't think too much about it. Qi Cheng's instinct told him that the person must be his acquaintance. So when he returned to the dormitory and found Wu Yuan waiting for him at the door, his eyes flashed.
Wu Yuan seldom waited for people. For some reason, he released flighty and rash breath today. He squinted his eyes, and his gaze became deep. "Would you like a cigarette?"
Under the bleak sky, he was playing with a lighter, with his other hand in his pocket, and he frowned.
Qi Cheng handed his things to Xia Li and Zhu Fan, then took the cigarette in his hand, and skillfully turned it around between his fingers, before saying, "Let's go."
Two people walked to the side of the dormitory building. There were a few large and leafy trees around it, the cool breeze seeped through the leaves.
Wu Yuan threw the lighter to Qi Cheng. While Qi Cheng leaned against the wall, tilted his head, and lit his cigarette. The flames turned bright and dark, Qi Cheng squinted his eyes and leaned against the wall, standing in line with Wu Yuan. The fragrance of dew on his body after taking a shower floated to Wu Yuan's nose. After accidentally smelling the clean fragrance of shampoo and shower gel, the words he wanted to say were blocked and began to reorganize his language.
"Which dormitory do you live in?" Qi Cheng asked with a smile, mixed with the smell of smoke.
"In the middle." Wu Yuan said concisely.
"Oh." Qi Cheng nodded, holding the cigarette between his index finger and middle finger, and put it into his mouth again. "Have you stayed up late at night? You look not very energetic today."
Wu Yuan snorted, but his mouth showed a slight arc. "You were concerned about me."
"Of course." Qi Cheng raised his left eyebrows and smiled again. "After all, we had ever slept together before."
Wu Yuan lifted his cheeks and looked unhappy, but he gave a deep hum.
In the middle of a cigarette, the two chatted a few words, then Wu Yuan spit out a puff of smoke. "I won't go back with the school bus tomorrow morning."
Qi Cheng turned to look at him.
Wu Yuan glanced at him, and a smile flashed under the dim light. "I have something to do."
There was an ambition hidden in his eyes, burning like a fire. Desire and greed were fuel for diesel engines.
Qi Cheng pinched out the cigarette.
"Great."
*
Watching Qi Cheng leave, Wu Yuan took out another cigarette and held it in his mouth. Halfway through the smoke, he burst into laughter. He took a puff of cigarettes, and the flames burned quickly, from the tail to the front. Then he squeezed out the cigarette, walked out from behind the dormitory, and walked out of the gate of Anyuan High School. There were already a few young people squatting on the ground waiting by the school gate. Watching him walk out, they rushed over toward him. "Yuan gē."
"Well." Wu Yuan strode towards the destination. "Hurry up."
"There are several companies in East China Street who have not repaid their debts. Today is the last day, so the money must be returned."
These young men spoke to him one by one, "Yuan gē, do you think you can get it today?"
"We can't back off," Wu Yuan said, "Or we won't have money to eat."
He said in a weak tone.
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