Childhood Sweethearts (ABO) - Chapter 9

The High-Popularity Transfer Student

After returning home, Xi Zhiyu walked the dog and fed the cat as usual, spending the rest of his time grinding through practice problems.

Without him noticing, the sky outside the window had turned pitch black. Occasionally, the light and shadow of a passing car would flicker, the headlights glowing and fading.

He had no one to talk to about the things on his mind, and pretending to escape them was proving futile. He walked downstairs, sat cross-legged on the living room rug, and gathered the cat and dog for a “meeting.”

“Yun-zai is usually very busy. Even when he goes out to play, there’s a risk of being recognized by fans.”

A trace of self-blame appeared in the depths of Xi Zhiyu’s eyes. “Because of my physical condition, his experience today must have been very bad.”

The meeting was a disaster; even he couldn’t help but think so.

The cat and dog stood with their ears perked up obediently, as if they could understand his language. One rested its fluffy chin on his knee, while the other let out a pitiful whimper, its tail drooping.

Both little fellows liked Xie Yun exceptionally well, but for a long time now, they could only see him once every few months.

His heart felt like a wall with no air getting through.

After eating, Xi Zhiyu went upstairs to wash up and rest.

The night was deep.

The youth lay in bed. Though his schedule was usually disciplined, he had recently been plagued by a gland disease, making his sleep restless. He even needed to start settling down two hours early just for drowsiness to emerge.

Ding.

His phone popped up a notification showing the surveillance feed for the downstairs garden.

Did someone come over?

Xi Zhiyu switched on the desk lamp. Looking at the screen, he sat bolt upright.

The full-length mirror reflected his image wearing deep brown plaid pajamas, his pupils trembling slightly in his handsome face.

He picked up his water glass, and a drop of water slid onto the screen, landing right on the visitor. The boy on screen, wearing a duck-tongue cap, placed an item into the parcel delivery box and turned to leave.

That person was exactly Xie Yun.

The two were childhood friends who knew each other’s entry codes by heart, yet even meeting once was difficult.

Buzz.

A message from Xie Yun popped up: Ge, is your allergy better?

It was accompanied by an emoji of “Peanut,” the little tiger, poking its head out.

Xi Zhiyu froze.

He had very few emojis saved. He clicked search, found an emoji from the same series, and successfully sent it.

xzy: I’m fine now, don’t worry.

The reply from the other side came in seconds.

Yun-zai: That’s good.

Yun-zai: Just went out with my cousin to take care of some things.

Yun-zai: Only just now had time to message you.

Although he wasn’t clear on the specific private matters, Xi Zhiyu never liked prying into others’ privacy, nor did he let his curiosity run wild.

But now, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was related to that Omega.

His emotions were like a drifting balloon; only the string was held firmly in his palm. He was inexplicably concerned and wanted to grip it tighter.

xzy: Yun-zai, did you come to the house?

Yun-zai: Yeah.

Yun-zai: The autograph has been delivered. Ge, you can pick it up from the delivery box when you have time.

xzy: …Okay. xzy: Thank you.

Yun-zai: You’re welcome ^^

Yun-zai: About half an hour ago, I saw the light was on in the upstairs study, so I didn’t want to disturb you.

Xi Zhiyu mistakenly thought the meeting had been so bad that Xie Yun was unwilling to even enter the house as a guest.

xzy: It’s not like that.

Yun-zai: Hmm? Ge, were you not upstairs?

xzy: No. The allergy was my own problem.

Actually, this was his own private business. Suffering from an A-level gland disease had affected their long-awaited reunion. But this topic absolutely couldn’t be discussed further; it was better to change the subject as quickly as possible.

xzy: Next time you can come straight into the house. It’s still the same password.

xzy: The cat and dog at home miss you very much.

Yun-zai: Okay!

Yun-zai: I especially miss White Sugar and Pudding too.

His heavy internal world felt as if a beam of light had shone in, more or less dispelling the dampness in the corners.

xzy: Are you free next weekend?

xzy: If you stay in Nancheng for a few more days, we can meet again.

xzy: I didn’t accompany you properly today.

He dazed out for a moment, staring at the endless “typing…” status, yet he didn’t see the other party’s reply for the longest time.

Xi Zhiyu couldn’t help but feel regret, worrying that those words might have caused trouble for his busy childhood friend’s schedule.

Yun-zai: No problem.

Yun-zai: Actually, I’ve prepared another surprise. Ge, you can look forward to it .

Xi Zhiyu felt a weight lift off his chest and forced his thin lips into a slight curve.

xzy: Okay.

xzy: Thank you,

Yun-zai. I will prepare a return gift as well.

The two didn’t chat much longer.

After saying goodnight, Xi Zhiyu set aside his phone, closed his eyes, and sank into a groggy sleep.

He had a long-overdue dream.

In the dream, the childhood Xie Yun came to his house as a guest and habitually brought him gifts.

The little kid, with his head like a little tiger, would always ask expectantly, “Does Brother have a gift for me too?”

From childhood to now, Xi Zhiyu’s personality hadn’t changed much. Although he looked well-behaved, his politeness was tinged with a “strangers keep away” coldness.

Whether it was his appearance or his personality, he was exceptionally attractive to his peers. From kindergarten onwards, nearly half the children in every class liked him.

But at that time, how could children know the meaning of “like”?

Even a high-achieving cub like Xi Zhiyu only thought that liking someone meant wanting to stick to them and play. Xie Yun was undoubtedly the one who stuck to him the most.

This time, Xie Yun had prepared an expensive gift for him: a small meteorite lamp designed by an overseas engineer.

As usual, Xi Zhiyu prepared to go upstairs to find a newly bought, unopened book from the study to give in return.

Xie Yun followed behind him, puffing out his cheeks and muttering in a suppressed, milky voice, “I want Brother to give me a different gift.”

A flash of confusion appeared on Xi Zhiyu’s well-behaved and gentle face.

He loved reading, so he naturally assumed other children would like it too and would be happy for days upon receiving a book. But Yun-zai indeed didn’t like reading; he preferred running and playing under the sun.

“What gift does Yun-zai want?”

Although he was an Omega, little Xi Zhiyu, as the older brother, always spoke with an irrepressible air of tolerance. “As long as it isn’t too hard to buy, I’ll use my allowance to get it for you.”

Xie Yun suddenly became bashful. “It doesn’t cost money.”

“Huh?”

Xi Zhiyu couldn’t quite hear him. He tilted his ear and leaned closer. “Can Yun-zai Didi say it a bit louder?”

Usually, Xie Yun spoke very loudly, like he’d eaten ten bulls. This time, for some reason, he only nodded with embarrassment.

Then, the handsome and cute cub took a deep breath, holding it until he couldn’t anymore before saying loudly: “I want Brother to kiss me!”

Xi Zhiyu tilted his head in a daze. “Kiss?”

He had countless experiences with other kindergarten kids wanting to kiss him, but they were always stopped on the spot by teachers or parents, the reason being that one cannot kiss people randomly.

Xi Zhiyu didn’t like being kissed by others, but Xie Yun seemed to be an exception. The black-haired cub asked proactively, “Why do you want a kiss?”

He just wanted to know why, just like the reasons those other kids had for wanting to kiss him.

“The other kids all want Brother’s kisses.”

Xie Yun’s chubby face turned into a steamed bun, flushed red as if stained with paint. Then, he dominantly pushed his face forward, his voice carrying a hint of pitifulness: “You can’t give them to them. You can only give them to me…”

Xi Zhiyu didn’t hesitate. “Alright then.”

He closed his eyes and gently pressed his lips against the cheek, leaving a kiss as light as a feather, and felt a temperature like a surging fire.

However, the moment he opened his eyes, a world-shaking change occurred.

The Xie Yun in the dream had turned into his grown-up self.

The youth’s face was no longer chubby; it carried a vibrant handsomeness. But in Xi Zhiyu’s eyes, he still looked like a little sun radiant and cute.

In the place where he had dropped the kiss, the skin flushed red, no different from when he had “stuck” to him as a child.

Except, the youth’s expression was more dominant, even carrying a hint of obsessive aggression.

“Ge, you can’t let others kiss you. You can only kiss me.”

His brow even betrayed a sense of grievance as he said fiercely, “I’m going to transfer to Nanling First High.”

“No one is allowed to get close to you. Not even an Omega…!”

Xi Zhiyu was startled awake, drenched in a hot sweat.

He lay in bed, wondering if the gland disease was driving him crazy to make him have such a strange dream.

Getting up to wash and change into his school uniform, he was absent-minded. A button snapped off, and he spent quite a while rummaging for another uniform.

When he got into the car, the driver uncle’s gaze was filled with shock.

Though they interacted as usual, Xi Zhiyu could read the subtext: To think there would be a day when even he might be late for school.

The morning rush hour was terrifying; vehicles crawled along the road.

The Xi family driver had superb skills, so he wasn’t exactly worried about being late, but since the current situation was entirely caused by himself, Xi Zhiyu felt an extreme sense of shame regarding everything in the dream.

He took two deep breaths, clutching his phone. When a message suddenly popped up without warning, his heart skipped a beat.

It was a “Good morning” from Xie Yun.

Xi Zhiyu’s palms felt warm as he typed a reply: Why is Yun-zai up so early? Do you have work?

Yun-zai: It’s not work.

Yun-zai: Today I’m going to meet a very special person.

Xi Zhiyu froze. “…”

A special person.

Is it that Omega everyone online is talking about?

His expression was dazed, drawing concern from the driver. He had no choice but to long-press the mute button and stop staring at his phone.

But Xie Yun’s messages still popped up like bubbles.

Yun-zai: What about you, Ge? On the way to school?

Yun-zai: What time do you usually arrive at school?

Xi Zhiyu was never usually this late. He quickly changed the subject, saying he was almost there and that it wouldn’t be convenient to chat on the phone.

Yun-zai: Mm. Yun-zai: Ge will receive my gift today. We’ll talk then.

xzy: Okay.

Xi Zhiyu was still somewhat groggy, assuming the gift was that red scarf. Usually, he would already be sitting in the classroom reading, not struggling to digest a few simple messages.

Getting out of the car at the school gate and walking quickly toward the teaching building, he could hear people whispering everywhere, as if they were all talking about the same thing.

Xi Zhiyu couldn’t muster any energy; his mind was a mess. He didn’t even know how he managed to walk to the Grade 3 teaching building.

Taking the elevator up, his steps were hurried. His school tie was a bit messy. Facing the mirror, he took a moment to arrange it slowly.

Class Teacher Zhang wasn’t at school; he, as the class monitor, should have arrived earlier to welcome the new transfer student.

Transfer student…

How could he dream that the transfer student was Xie Yun?

Walking into the classroom, the students of Class S usually didn’t care for gossip, but now they all looked at him in unison, their voices excited: “Does the Monitor know yet?”

“I heard the transfer student is…”

Before the sentence could be finished, Yuan Zhoulu stood up from his seat, stepped in the middle, and pushed the people out toward the corridor.

Xi Zhiyu didn’t understand what was happening, clearly sensing many students in the class looking over. The situation was definitely out of the ordinary. “What’s wrong? Is that new classmate very special?”

“Oh, you.”

Yuan Zhoulu was agile, reaching back to snag his backpack and waving his hand while standing in place. “You’ll know when you see him!”

Xi Zhiyu: “…”

How strange.

Having been pulled and hugged by him, his clothes were a bit untidy. Xi Zhiyu lowered his head to check again, adjusting his tie as he walked toward the office.

In the season where late summer turns to autumn, leaves slipped from the branches beside the teaching building, spinning down and striking the youth’s shoulder.

He instinctively reached out and caught that leaf.

Just then, Xi Zhiyu stopped in his tracks. Standing outside the faculty office, he looked inside.

His dark pupils widened; his whole body seemed frozen in place.

A tall and upright figure entered his vision.

The youth was wearing the same school uniform. His golden hair had been dyed deep brown—the color of a leaf falling from a straight banyan tree.

He was looking down slightly, his expression cold and proud, focused on adjusting his wristband.

Xi Zhiyu stood there in a daze, unconsciously gripping the leaf tightly. In a moment of trance, it felt as if he had received a special gift for the onset of autumn.

As if sensing something, the youth looked up and was also stunned for a moment.

But soon.

Xie Yun smiled, like a tiger cub whose wildness hadn’t yet faded, patrolling his own exclusive territory, hiding that obsessive admiration deep away.

“Zhiyu-ge.”

He showed his white teeth, acting spoiled. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

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