Fourth High seemed to treat its third-years as though their chance of getting into university was nil. The preparation for the sports festival began as soon as the school year started, and even the seniors were allowed to sign up and participate, while the ones who weren’t participating could go watch during class time.
At his old school, seniors would be dead to everyone else in school as soon as the summer before senior year began. In comparison, Jiang Cheng sincerely got the impression that academic accomplishment was essentially dirt to Principal Liu.
Under these circumstances, the only one he could rely on was himself. Even between classes, Jiang Cheng remained slumped over at his desk while practically everyone else in the classroom had gone to screw around outside in the corridor. Looking forward, he saw that he and Yi Jing were the only ones still studying—and, of course, Captain Wang Jiuri, who was quietly studying her from his seat one row behind.
Gu Fei was flopped over a textbook, head turned as he stared at Jiang Cheng. “I have to pee,” he said.
“M’kay,” Jiang Cheng answered.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” Gu Fei repeated.
“Go, then,” said Jiang Cheng.
Gu Fei sighed. “Come on. Let’s go together.”
Jiang Cheng glanced at him. “Huh?”
“Take a little walk. You haven’t moved from that spot all morning.”
Once Gu Fei dragged him out of the classroom, Jiang Cheng finally realized that his neck was a little stiff, and his arms were pretty sore. He sighed as he moved his joints. “See, I’ve never been this nervous before a test before. I’m not sure what’s going on this time. I keep feeling like one less glance at the books and I’m going to miss something important.”
“It’s not just any ordinary test this time, is it?” Gu Fei put one hand on the back of Jiang Cheng’s neck to massage it. “I got a little something for you that arrived today. You should come get it with me after school.”
“What is it?” Jiang Cheng blinked, then leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “Don’t tell me you fucking went and bought some kind of indecent sex toy?”
“…Cheng-ge.” Gu Fei blinked back at him, then sighed as he answered just as quietly, “Do your fangirls know that your head is filled with such depravity?”
Jiang Cheng laughed. “I wasn’t serious.”
“It’s a very normal present.” Gu Fei chuckled. “Really… I’m starting to realize how much more innocent I am than you, the way you always leap straight to the dirtiest conclusion.”
“Give me a break.” Jiang Cheng glanced around and added, even more quietly than before, “As if you’re short on tricks.”
“That’s different. I only have two modes,” Gu Fei said. “One is just thinking about it, and the other one is putting it into action. Unlike you.”
“…Right, of course. You’re so damn innocent.” Jiang Cheng nodded. “In that case, I only have one mode, and that’s talk.”
Gu Fei managed to keep it together for two whole seconds before he burst out laughing. Jiang Cheng giggled along with him all the way to the bathroom, where they ran into Lao-Xu coming out of the door just as they were walking in.
“You two seem happy.” Lao-Xu started laughing along with them, even though he had no idea what they were laughing about. “What’s the good news? Let me hear it too!”
“We’ve just been holding in piss for too long,” Gu Fei said as he rushed into the bathroom.
Jiang Cheng smiled at Lao-Xu. “Just got the giggles.”
“Hey, come by my office during the self-study period, okay?” said Lao-Xu. “I want to talk to you.”
“Okay,” Jiang Cheng replied. He figured Lao-Xu was going to ask him about the concert.
If Gu Fei didn’t want to join, then Jiang Cheng didn’t want to keep pushing him. He remembered how Gu Fei had skipped out on He Zhou’s basketball invitation, too. When Jiang Cheng had finally played a match with He Zhou and the others to let off some steam during the extra classes over the summer, Gu Fei didn’t even go watch.
That was why he didn’t want to say anything more this time, or to ask Gu Fei why. He’d always thought there was something off about Gu Fei that he couldn’t quite put a finger on, that he couldn’t figure out—not even now. And with the way Gu Fei always kept himself on the fringes of everything, Jiang Cheng didn’t actually have the courage to press the issue again.
Gu Fei had told him that he would be right there behind him, that he wasn’t going anywhere. That was all he needed.
Love was like that sometimes—just holding on to what you wanted was enough.
✦ ✦ ✦
Lao-Xu sighed from behind his desk. “But you two are such close friends! You even joined the basketball tournament together. I thought he’d say yes if you talked to him.”
“He probably has his own ideas,” Jiang Cheng said, leaning against the edge of the desk.
“Then what about you?” Lao-Xu looked at him.
If Gu Fei isn’t up for it, then I probably won’t be either, Jiang Cheng had thought initially. Nothing about these kinds of performances in and of themselves piqued his interest. If Gu Fei didn’t want to join in, then he honestly didn’t want to bother. After all, rehearsals took time.
But the expectation shining in Lao-Xu’s eyes made him swallow those words.
Lao-Xu was a good teacher with a tragic inability to read the room. He gave wholeheartedly to his students in his own fumbling way, even though the results were pretty negligible. Jiang Cheng couldn’t ignore the kindness and care Lao-Xu had shown him since he arrived here.
After a few moments of hesitation, Jiang Cheng said, “I…can do it, but it’s been a long time since I touched a piano, and there’s not much time to rehearse these days…”
“Oh, that’s quite all right,” Lao-Xu said ecstatically. “Honestly, you don’t need to feel any pressure. See, I have my own selfish reasons. In all the classes I’ve taught, I’ve never met as good a kid as you. I’m just kind of proud… Do you have any other ideas for the performance? Do you still need a partner?”
“A partner?” Jiang Cheng hadn’t even considered what he wanted to play, but if Lao-Xu had wanted him to partner with Gu Fei before… He considered it, then said easily, “Let’s get someone to play the guitar, then.”
“Okay!” Lao-Xu stood up, a little too excitedly, and paced back and forth in front of his desk. “Let me think who else there is, let me think… Go back to class and study, I’ll let you know when I think of someone.”
Jiang Cheng didn’t talk about the performance with Gu Fei again, and Gu Fei didn’t ask.