CS - 35

Lin Zhe Xia waited at the train station for about half an hour.

She found a noodle shop and sat down. Although it was quite late, the safety level at the bustling train station was still relatively high due to the constant flow of people.

After finishing her noodles, she was sipping water from a glass when the glass door of the noodle shop was pushed open—

The weather in the north differed from that in the south; the temperature difference between day and night was significant. A rush of cool air swept in as the door opened.

The person who entered was tall, wearing a thin hoodie, holding a black jacket in his hand. His sharp features stood out like they were drawn by an artist, making him exceptionally noticeable in the crowd.

He didn’t linger at the entrance for long, quickly spotting the person he was looking for.

Lin Zhe Xia put down her glass and looked at Chi Yao as he approached her. Before he could sit down, she preemptively said: “Sorry, this seat is taken.”

Chi Yao’s hand rested on the back of the chair as he glanced at her.

“?”

Since she hadn’t informed anyone and had come alone, Lin Zhe Xia feared he might be upset. She quickly improvised a little act to lighten the mood: “This seat is reserved for a handsome guy named Chi Yao.”

“Is that so?” Chi Yao asked in a flat tone. “How handsome is he?”

Lin Zhe Xia: “He’s the most handsome person I’ve ever seen. From the day I was born until now, I haven’t met anyone more handsome than him.”

Chi Yao’s expression softened slightly.

Lin Zhe Xia pressed on: “Not only is he handsome, but he’s also intelligent and talented. Apart from having questionable morals, he’s practically perfect.”

Chi Yao pulled out the chair and sat down directly: “Forgot to mention, my morals aren’t great either. I just like taking other people’s seats.”

“...”

“You look unfamiliar,” Chi Yao continued with her script. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

Lin Zhe Xia played along: “I’m from Lianyun.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Touring.”

Chi Yao’s tone turned cold: “Touring alone?”

“Yes, I’m practicing independence,” Lin Zhe Xia said earnestly. “People need to learn how to grow up on their own.”

Chi Yao sneered: “Then stay here by yourself. I won’t hinder your growth. I’ll leave first.”

As he made a move to leave, Lin Zhe Xia, afraid he’d actually go, stood up and grabbed his clothes: “No, in just these few hours since I arrived, life has already worn me down—I’ve realized my mistake.”

Chi Yao reluctantly sat back down, pretending to humor her: “Explain.”

Lin Zhe Xia improvised: “First, I shouldn’t have come alone—it’s unsafe. Second, I should’ve informed you beforehand. Third… I can’t think of anything else. That’s about it.”

Chi Yao: “Hand over your phone.”

Lin Zhe Xia handed over her phone.

Chi Yao tilted his chin slightly, and Lin Zhe Xia immediately understood, unlocking the phone for him.

Chi Yao opened the contacts, found Lin He’s number, then handed the phone back to her.

“Third, call Aunt He.”

Lin Zhe Xia called Lin He and informed her that she was currently in Haicheng City.

Lin He thought she was dreaming: “You’re in Haicheng? What are you doing there? Is Chi Yao with you? Let me talk to him.”

It was too late now, and sending her back immediately wasn’t realistic. She had already come all this way.

Lin Zhe Xia, feeling like a runaway child caught red-handed, followed behind Chi Yao as they waited for a taxi.

She heard Chi Yao utter a few “Mm”s into the phone, and when the taxi arrived, Chi Yao opened the door, gesturing for her to get in.

After getting in, she couldn’t help but ask: “What did my mom say to you?”

Chi Yao: “To be careful, stay with me, and don’t wander off.”

Lin Zhe Xia seized on the key point: “So she didn’t tell me to return first thing tomorrow morning?”

Chi Yao gave an acknowledging “Mm.”

“Then I can stay for a day,” she calculated, “and leave with you.”

As soon as she said it, she realized how it sounded like she was eager to follow him.

It might even make him suspect she came specifically for him.

Hastily, Lin Zhe Xia added: “I originally planned to return tomorrow. I didn’t intend to stay this long. I just suddenly wanted to see the sea.”

Chi Yao: “You know how sudden that sounds.”

Lin Zhe Xia: “I’ve never seen the sea before. Be understanding.”

“...”

The city’s nights were quiet. Occasionally, the sound of waves hitting the shore could be heard when the car stopped.

In the car, Lin Zhe Xia secretly observed Chi Yao’s condition.

His legs were long, and even sitting in the car seemed cramped for him. The black hoodie he wore was loose, accentuating his pale complexion. There was a faint shadow under his eyes, and his half-lowered eyelids revealed a subtle exhaustion that was hard for others to notice. At that moment, he was looking down, replying to messages.

The journey back always seemed quicker. After about twenty minutes, they reached their destination.

The hotel that had only existed in their chat records yesterday now stood before her.

As Lin Zhe Xia waited in the hotel lobby while Chi Yao checked her in, she felt a sense of unreality.

“There’s one vacant room,” Chi Yao said. “Here’s the key card. I’ll take you upstairs.”

Lin Zhe Xia took the key card and asked: “Which room are you in?”

Chi Yao pressed the elevator button: “Room 802, diagonally across from yours.”

Lin Zhe Xia silently repeated the number “802” in her mind.

The two took the elevator up. Chi Yao asked: “Did you bring any clothes?”

After asking, he glanced at her again: “Never mind, forget I asked.”

Lin Zhe Xia had bought her ticket purely on impulse. She carried a small crossbody bag, which held only her phone and ID card.

This tiny bag clearly couldn’t hold any clothes.

She asked: “Are there any malls nearby? I can go buy something.”

Chi Yao: “The malls are closed by now.”

“...”

“So…”

Lin Zhe Xia trailed off with “so” for a long time, unable to finish her sentence even after the elevator reached their floor.

After exiting the elevator, Chi Yao stood at the doorway, looking down at her: “Then you’ll have to wear mine.”

…………

Wear, whose??

Lin Zhe Xia’s tongue immediately tied itself into knots: “I think… maybe… it’s not really…”

Not very appropriate.

Undergarments were different from outerwear.

Although she had once snatched his pants to wear when she was little. But now they were both in their second year of high school.

And if it had been before, she might not have thought much of it.

But now, now that she had started developing inexplicable feelings toward Chi Yao.

“New ones,” Chi Yao said. “Bought but unworn, washed only once. You wear them first, then change back tomorrow when your clothes dry.”

Finally, he added, “Lin Zhe Xia, what are you thinking?”

Lin Zhe Xia felt a bit awkward. She lowered her head and swiped the room card to enter: “I’m not thinking anything. I’m just a bit… repulsed by you.”

She quickly added: “It’s fine since they’re new. Otherwise, I’d really be repulsed.”

The hotel room was a single, fully equipped, even featuring a computer desk.

After showering and drying her hair, she changed into the T-shirt Chi Yao had given her.

Ignoring her discomfort, she kept telling herself: They’re new, they’re new, they’re new.

He hadn’t worn them.

So there was nothing special about this piece of clothing.

By the time she finished, it was almost midnight.

Lin Zhe Xia lay on the bed and sent a message to Lin He, informing her that she had safely reached the hotel. Then, pausing briefly, she returned to her chat with Chi Yao.

Their chat history stopped at the voice call from the train station.

Scrolling up, she saw his response: “Just woke up.”

Ten minutes later, she rang the doorbell of room 802.

When Chi Yao opened the door, just a crack, she heard a familiar voice from outside—the girl’s voice was crisp yet soft: “Surprise inspection.”

“Lord Lin is here to patrol, checking who hasn’t gone to sleep.”

The girl outside had her hair down, perhaps because of its fine texture, her natural hair color was slightly lighter. Her eyes were clear, with slightly upturned corners. Her facial features had matured, shedding their childishness, revealing a bright and youthful charm.

But she wasn’t very tall. His clothes were too big for her; the shirt nearly reached her knees, making it look like a dress.

Chi Yao averted his gaze, no longer looking at her: “If you keep patrolling like this, you’ll wake up anyone who’s asleep.”

Lin Zhe Xia glanced at his bed after entering the room: “Your blanket is perfectly neat. It’s obvious you haven’t slept. So I didn’t disturb you.”

Chi Yao: “I was about to sleep.”

“Then sleep,” Lin Zhe Xia sat cross-legged on a nearby chair, her eyes fixed on him. “I’ll leave after you fall asleep.”

“...”

Chi Yao lifted his eyelids, finding her words absurd: “What’s gotten into you?”

Lin Zhe Xia: “Well, I ate too much at the noodle shop earlier, and now I’m full.”

“...”

It was rare for Chi Yao to be at a loss for words.

He didn’t want her to linger. Casually, he said: “I’ll sleep once you leave.”

Perhaps it was too late, and after a day of traveling, Lin Zhe Xia felt a bit dizzy and inadvertently blurted out her thoughts: “You’re lying. After I leave, you won’t sleep.”

...

The atmosphere instantly became quieter.

Something akin to a truth being exposed, falling into abrupt silence.

Chi Yao’s Adam’s apple moved as he looked at her, his voice slow: “How do you know I won’t sleep?”

They had come this far in the conversation.

Lin Zhe Xia confessed: “There was a time when you came to my house to sleep. I noticed you seem to have insomnia before competitions.”

“And last night, I messaged you at three in the morning on purpose. I wanted to check if you were asleep. You almost replied. Though it was only for a second, I still saw it.”

After saying what she wanted to say, Lin Zhe Xia shifted uneasily, curling her legs and hugging her knees: “But don’t overthink it. The main reason I came was that I was bored staying home alone. Plus, I really wanted to see the sea.”

—Not for you.

At least, she couldn’t let him know it was for him.

Though she didn’t understand why she couldn’t reveal it, a voice inside told her so.

“Incidentally, I came to supervise you.”

She emphasized, “Very incidentally, extremely incidentally.”

She wasn’t good at comforting people, and since she wasn’t in Chi Yao’s position, she didn’t understand those indigestible pressures. But after some thought, she added: “Besides, competitions aren’t necessarily about winning.”

The girl’s eyes sparkled as she spoke: “Even if you don’t win, you’re still the best in my eyes.”

Chi Yao looked at her, momentarily speechless.

He hadn’t felt sleepy all night, not until just before leaving.

He just felt tired.

A string that couldn’t relax had been taut.

Many voices echoed in his ears—

“You’ll definitely be fine. I’m not worried at all. Among the six people in the team, the teacher has the most confidence in you.”

“Oh, a competition? You shouldn’t have any problems, right? Your dad and I have something to do. We’ll hang up now.”

“First place? I’ve already reserved it for you. I’ll settle for second.”

“...”

Even further back, earlier times—

“You’re alone in the hospital. Are you okay?”

“You’re not well. You definitely can’t. We don’t want to bring you.”

“He’s sick all the time.”

...

Always deemed “not capable,” he became especially strong, wrapping himself up, refusing to lower his head or show weakness, appearing invincible until everyone began to assume “you’ll definitely be fine.”

Until he was seventeen, seemingly no one had ever told him, “It’s okay if you’re not.”

And even if you’re not, you’re still the best.

But at the train station, when Lin Zhe Xia unexpectedly appeared, that string seemed to loosen.

And now, it felt like someone had gently touched it.

A very light touch, but it completely relaxed.

Chi Yao felt his throat a bit dry.

Some difficult, unspoken words gradually welled up uncontrollably from deep within.

But between him and Lin Zhe Xia, there was no need for so many words. Some things seemed to pass silently between them.

In the end, he suppressed those words.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his hand resting on the hotel’s soft, pure white blanket. All the fatigue he had suppressed earlier surfaced. His voice dragged slightly as he looked at her: “So, how do you plan to comfort me to sleep?”