Flirt First, Run Later [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 12

Stepping out into the courtyard from the hall, Liang Chu took a deep breath of the morning air, and the tightness in his chest finally eased a little. Clutching the steamed bun in his hand, he gazed into the distance and absentmindedly took a bite before realizing it wasn’t his.

Liang Chu sighed softly, feeling a bit embarrassed. Since he had already taken a bite, he couldn’t very well spit it out and return it.

He placed the other bun in his palm and handed it to Xie Shenxing. “There’s only one left, you can have it.”

Xie Shenxing’s pupils darkened, a flicker of possessiveness in his eyes. He took the half-eaten bun from Liang Chu and said, “This one is fine.”

Liang Chu feigned politeness. “How can I let you have this? It’s your bun, after all.”

Xie Shenxing smiled without responding.

The courtyard was spacious, and the large tree where they used to set up a mosquito net for shade in the summer was now lush with foliage again, delicate buds perched gracefully on its branches. Liang Chu swallowed the food in his mouth and suddenly felt foolish standing there eating. He shifted to the side and crouched on the ground to continue.

Banya Xiong poked half of its body out of his pocket, its tiny claws gripping his clothes. To the little creature, Liang Chu was like a massive cliff. Clinging to this “cliff,” Banya Xiong asked, “Is the bun tasty?”

Liang Chu replied, “Yeah, it is.”

Banya Xiong said, “I don’t believe you. I’ll only believe it if you let me try some.”

While Xie Shenxing wasn’t looking, Liang Chu tore off a small piece of the bun’s skin and handed it over. Banya Xiong clutched the morsel with its claws, stuffed it into its mouth, and then stretched out a paw, mumbling with its mouth full, “Can I have some of the filling too?”

Liang Chu gave it a bit of the filling, which Banya Xiong promptly shoved into its mouth. Only then did it start chewing noisily, its cheeks bulging.

“Yummy, yummy!”

Liang Chu nodded. “Mm-hmm!”

As he ate, a pair of large sneakers appeared in front of him. Liang Chu looked up, first noticing a pair of long legs, then the suggestive bulge at the crotch, followed by the chest and abdomen, and finally, Xie Shenxing’s face.

Quietly, Liang Chu turned ninety degrees to the side. How could he eat while facing someone’s feet?

He stuffed the last bite of the bun into his mouth. Xie Shenxing half-crouched and wiped his hands for him, his eyes downcast in a casual manner. “Jing Hongjie is your brother. Don’t hold a grudge against him.”

Liang Chu was taken aback, instantly feeling tense. Why was Xie Shenxing suddenly saying something like this? Had he noticed something? Was he being too obvious?

He quickly asked Banya Xiong, “Did I break character? I thought I acted pretty well just now.”

Banya Xiong, delighted with the bun, chirped cheerfully, “Not at all!”

Relieved, Liang Chu looked at Xie Shenxing, pondering how to respond. After a moment, he cautiously said, “Don’t flatter yourself. It wasn’t for you.”

Xie Shenxing chuckled. “Protesting too much,” he retorted. “Did I say it was for me?”

Liang Chu was left speechless, feeling that talking to Xie Shenxing was exhausting. He was always setting traps. Annoyed, he shook his hand, stood up, and decided to ignore him.

He had woken up a bit earlier than usual today and finished eating quickly. Xie Shenxing let him off the hook and didn’t press further, saying instead, “I’ll bike you to school today.”

Liang Chu hesitated. “No need! We might not have enough time.”

Early summer was actually quite pleasant—cool and comfortable, neither too hot nor too cold. Riding a bike and feeling the breeze was rather enjoyable. But he couldn’t keep mistreating Xie Shenxing… The Jing family home was far from the school; even driving took over twenty minutes, though that was just an objective reason. Liang Chu thought to himself, I won’t give you the chance to take advantage of me—to use my weight to build your physique. After all, I weigh over a hundred jin. You’ve built solid muscles from cycling, while I’ve just grown a soft butt from sitting…

Better to ride together and gain weight together.

Xie Shenxing glanced at his watch and replied, “We still have time.”

Without waiting for Liang Chu to come up with another excuse to refuse, Xie Shenxing had already gone to get the bicycle. Liang Chu sighed softly. Where did Xie Shenxing get all this energy, cycling such a long way to school? Why was he so lazy and unmotivated?

The morning sunlight was pleasantly warm, and Liang Chu felt like squatting down again. Just then, Jing Wenwu appeared from behind the gate, half-hidden, frantically waving at him. Liang Chu knew Jing Wenwu was afraid of his father. Jing Hongjie was strict with his son—though he himself didn’t care for studying and often mocked Xie Shenxing, he held high hopes for Jing Wenwu. Ever since Jing Wenwu was admitted to the same high school as Xie Shenxing last year, Jing Hongjie had been walking with a spring in his step, brimming with pride.

But the good times didn’t last. Jing Wenwu was placed in an ordinary class, and his grades were mediocre, hovering around the 200th rank. His father’s expression grew stern again, scolding him every time they met. Jing Wenwu, thoroughly intimidated, began avoiding him at every turn.

Liang Chu ambled over slowly. Jing Wenwu, munching on a slice of bread, was also pushing a bicycle. He grinned and said, “Finally caught you! Today, I’m going to school with you two!”

Jing Wenwu shook the handlebars. These two were so inconsiderate—they lived in the same house and attended neighboring schools, so they should have been commuting together. But Xie Shenxing always took Liang Chu on detours, ditching him to ride to school, leaving Jing Wenwu to travel alone every time.

Today, he had managed to get his hands on a bicycle and finally caught up with his “uncle.”

Jing Wenwu had shot up in height over the past two years. For boys, being tall added a lot of points—as long as their faces weren’t too frightening. At sixteen or seventeen, with one foot on the pedal and the other on the ground, he radiated youthful confidence and vitality.

Jing Wenwu said enthusiastically, “Jing Ke! Ride with me today. I’ll take you!”

Liang Chu thought that sounded perfect and replied, “Sure.”

By the time Xie Shenxing returned, the two were already ready to set off. Xie Shenxing was pushing a dark-colored mountain bike—a simple, stylish model he had bought himself. In fact, since starting high school, Xie Shenxing hadn’t needed the Jing family to cover his tuition. He earned plenty from various competition prizes and was even rumored to be dabbling in stocks. Liang Chu didn’t know if that was true, but he certainly seemed financially comfortable.

Liang Chu had just eaten steamed buns and could still taste them, so he unwrapped a piece of hard fruit candy and popped it into his mouth. Turning to Xie Shenxing, he said, “I don’t feel like riding with you today. I’ll go with Jing Wenwu. You go on your own.”

Xie Shenxing studied the two of them for a moment, his expression unreadable. Jing Wenwu felt a chill under his gaze. After a long silence, Xie Shenxing said nothing, merely tilting his chin slightly to signal Jing Wenwu to lead the way, then followed behind.

Jing Wenwu inwardly groaned. On the rare occasions he went out with Xie Shenxing, he was used to following from behind. Now, riding in front felt incredibly awkward. He had no strong opinions of his own and was afraid of making mistakes whether riding too fast or too slow.

Fortunately, Uncle Xie didn’t complain or nitpick. Whether Jing Wenwu sped up or slowed down, he remained calmly two meters behind him. Sometimes, Jing Wenwu would wonder to himself—Xie Shenxing rarely paid him any attention, and in his memory, it was almost as if he never had. Yet every time they met, Jing Wenwu felt like a young child in the presence of an elder, needing to be cautious and respectful.

Could it be a lingering effect from childhood? He had been quite afraid of him back then.

Jing Wenwu indulged in a moment of blissful, random thoughts, but soon his mind went blank, unable to think of anything at all. He only felt sore and weak all over, worried that the person behind him would think he was riding too slowly. He tried hard to keep up the pace, but he was just too exhausted. At the start of the journey, he could still breathe steadily through his nose, but now he was panting heavily with his mouth wide open. “Oh my god, Jing Ke, were you born in the year of the pig? How are you so heavy!”

Liang Chu retorted, “Stop talking nonsense. Xie Shenxing used to carry me all the way and never said I was heavy. We’re not even halfway there, and you’re already giving up?”

Jing Wenwu wailed, “I thought we were almost there!”

Jing Wenwu couldn’t take it anymore. After riding another hundred meters, he leaned forward, pressing down on the handlebars with all his might, but it didn’t help much. The bicycle began to wobble and zigzag across the road.

Liang Chu, holding onto the front handlebar, sat steadily without being affected in the slightest. Jing Wenwu said, “Let’s switch. You carry me for a while, and then we’ll switch back.”

Liang Chu replied, “No way, I refuse.”

Jing Wenwu: “…”

Liang Chu said, “How are you so useless? And you’re even on the basketball team.”

Jing Wenwu snapped angrily, “When I play basketball, I’m not carrying a hundred-plus-pound you!”

Liang Chu pressed a piece of candy under his tongue and said, “Keep pedaling, hurry up. I’m doing this for your own good. Look at Xie Shenxing. His physique is way better than yours, and it’s all from carrying me. By the time you ride to school, you’ll have a better figure too.”

Jing Wenwu said, “How can you be so shameless? Aren’t you embarrassed to just sit there the whole time? Let’s switch!”

“Riding a bike makes you sweat and stink. I’m not doing it. You’re too slow! Can’t you go faster? We’re going to be late.”

Jing Wenwu closed his eyes for a moment, squeezed the brakes to stop, turned around, and pushed Liang Chu off the bike. Liang Chu stumbled forward a couple of steps, and Xie Shenxing, who was following closely behind, grabbed the handlebars with one hand and seized Liang Chu’s arm with the other, pulling him close to avoid the pedestrians passing by.

Jing Wenwu quickly said, “Lazy, heavy, and talks too much. He’s all yours now.”

With that, he decisively pushed off on the pedals and sped away, as if afraid someone might chase after him.

Liang Chu watched the traitor Jing Wenwu rapidly disappearing into the distance, then glanced at Xie Shenxing and said obediently, “Hello.”

Xie Shenxing looked at him with a faint, teasing smile.

Afraid that Xie Shenxing might bring up how he hadn’t wanted to ride with him earlier, Liang Chu quickly added, “How could Jing Wenwu be like that? I said I didn’t want to ride with him, but he insisted.”

Xie Shenxing suppressed a laugh, patted his head, and said, “Get on.”

The summer breeze was gentle, and the morning wind felt cool. Xie Shenxing’s speed wasn’t too fast, but it was steady, and they soon caught up with Jing Wenwu. Having shed his burden, Jing Wenwu had started off riding lightly, but now, halfway through the journey, he had run out of energy again. This time, though, it wasn’t too embarrassing. He was still slowly pedaling along.

As Liang Chu passed by him, sitting on the back seat, he waved goodbye and said, “Take your time riding. I’ll be waiting for you at the school in the distance.”

Jing Wenwu ignored him.

The two bicycles were already far apart, but Liang Chu was still looking back and saying, “How did I get so lucky? You must be really jealous.”

Jing Wenwu was so furious that he pedaled wildly.

Xie Shenxing shook his head and silently mouthed two words: “Showing off.”

They soon arrived at the school. Xie Shenxing’s breathing was steady, with only a thin layer of sweat on his forearms, while Liang Chu was fresh and cool as he jumped off the bike.

Jing Wenwu, left behind, arrived ten minutes later, panting like a dead dog.

Xie Shenxing carried Liang Chu’s backpack as the two walked into the middle school section. Although Yunxin Middle School’s middle school and high school sections were adjacent, they were essentially separate schools. Middle school students couldn’t advance directly to the high school section; like other schools, admission was based on high school entrance exam scores.

Just as they stepped through the school gate, the preparatory bell rang. Liang Chu had only eaten half of the candy in his mouth. He patted his pockets but found no tissues. In fact, he never carried any. Liang Chu turned to Xie Shenxing and asked if he had any, as he needed to wrap the candy and throw it away.

Xie Shenxing nodded and asked, “You’ve been eating candy?”

Liang Chu replied, “Yeah.”

Xie Shenxing asked, “What flavor?”

Liang Chu opened his mouth, clamping the candy between his teeth to show him. Xie Shenxing pinched his cheeks, forcing his mouth to stay open, and reached in to pluck the candy out.

Liang Chu frowned and asked, “What are you doing?”

Xie Shenxing smiled and replied, “Didn’t you want to throw it away?”

But you can’t just pinch someone’s face like that… And the candy was covered in saliva—it’s gross. He would never touch something from someone else’s mouth, unless it was his own kid.

Liang Chu gave Xie Shenxing a strange look. How could he not be disgusted?

Xie Shenxing fell a step behind him. Far from being disgusted, he held the candy and slowly brought it to his lips, sucking hard to savor the taste.

It was indeed delicious.

Liang Chu’s classroom was on the third floor. Even though the class bell was about to ring, small groups of students still lingered outside. Inside the classroom, reserved and shy girls pretended to chat with friends while their eyes repeatedly glanced toward the window.

Xie Shenxing was practically legendary at Yunxin No. 1 High School. This extraordinary figure was quiet and reserved, rarely speaking or participating in social activities, appearing aloof and difficult to approach. Even though he seemed uninteresting, he was still very popular, especially among female students. They imagined that being his partner would be enviable, and winning his heart would be a great achievement.

But over the years, no one had seen him show any particular interest in any girl. Instead, he was very good to the Jing family’s uncle and nephew, especially Jing Ke, whom he accompanied to and from school without fail for three whole years. As for why his frequent visits still drew curious onlookers, it was because this guy was usually stern and unapproachable. Many people had feelings for him, but only a handful dared to confess. It was only at times like these that people could see another side of him.

So, he could be this gentle. So, he could smile too.

It was another boring morning. Liang Chu was good at English, and middle school English was child’s play to him, so he only half-listened. Chinese was a subject where scoring high wasn’t easy, but scoring low wasn’t easy either, so it didn’t require much effort. Math was also a piece of cake, as were all the other subjects. Banya Xiong had told him that Jing Ke’s grades were only average, and standing out too much would break character. Liang Chu had no need to study what he’d already learned all over again.

Even if you don’t like it, you still have to come to school—otherwise, it would break character.

Liang Chu sighed, “Ah, life is so tough. Always on the verge of breaking character.”

Banya Bear said, “It’s fine. We’d just be sitting at home anyway. Should we continue reading yesterday’s comic?”

“Alright,” Liang Chu replied. “Where did we leave off yesterday?”

Banya Bear said, “You didn’t use a bookmark, so I don’t remember either.”

Liang Chu pulled out the small book, flipped through it, and found the page they had been reading. He then placed Banya Bear on the table, and the two of them began reading together. The book was much larger than Banya Bear, with font sizes almost as big as its eyes. But Banya Bear read quickly and could easily keep up with Liang Chu’s pace. After all, the two of them had been reading together for years.

When the class bell rang, shy girls would come up with flushed faces to hand over love letters. Of course, the letters weren’t for Liang Chu. Xie Shenxing never accepted love letters from anyone, so the girls had no choice but to indirectly pass them to Liang Chu, hoping he would deliver them.

Liang Chu said helplessly, “He won’t even read them.”

A cute girl insisted, “Nothing is absolute. You have to help me give it to him.”

Every girl believed she was the lucky one, the one who stood out.

“Alright,” Liang Chu said, “but I can’t promise anything.”

He received such letters from time to time, but the number surged dramatically during the final semester of their senior year. With graduation approaching, and the possibility of never seeing each other again, more and more girls wanted to express their feelings. Some were particularly persistent, writing every day and insisting that Liang Chu pass the letters to Xie Shenxing. By then, perhaps they no longer expected a reply but simply found joy in the act of writing love letters—sharing their daily lives and emotions with the one they loved, even if he never heard them.

The day passed quickly. When school ended, Xie Shenxing came to pick him up, and the two of them walked leisurely. Jing Wenwu had long since taken the bus home, instructing the driver to load his bicycle into the car and declaring that he never wanted to see a bicycle again in his life.

As they walked to get the car, Xie Shenxing slipped a few apple-flavored candies into Liang Chu’s mouth. Liang Chu had developed a habit of eating whatever was given to him. When they got home, he handed the love letters to Xie Shenxing and noticed that Xie Shenxing was eating candies too.

Liang Chu perked up. He remembered that Xie Shenxing didn’t like sweets, often saying that candies were for kids who couldn’t resist snacking. Was he contradicting himself now?

Seizing the opportunity, Liang Chu teased him, “I thought you didn’t eat sweets.”

Xie Shenxing replied calmly, “People change.”

Liang Chu snorted and took the love letters out of his backpack to hand them over. This was one of Xie Shenxing’s most infuriating habits: he would always accept the letters but only glance at the covers, never opening them to read the contents. It was as if he were merely inspecting them before casually setting them aside, completely indifferent. Liang Chu found it maddening. “You’ve already received the letters,” he thought. “What harm would it do to open and read them?”

Each time, Liang Chu would carefully hide the love letters that Xie Shenxing discarded—not to snoop on their contents. Banya Bear had once warned him that doing so was inappropriate and could break character. Liang Chu replied with concern, “Each letter represents a young girl’s heart. How can I just throw them in the trash? Even if they aren’t loved back, they shouldn’t be treated so carelessly.”

Banya Bear cautioned, “Then you must hide them well and make sure Xie Shenxing doesn’t find out. Otherwise, your character will definitely break.”

And so, these letters would never be opened by anyone, yet they were still carefully preserved.

There were three letters today. Xie Shenxing, as usual, skimmed through the envelopes. Liang Chu watched him with a hint of envy. Why did no one ever write him love letters? He was quite handsome too.

But then he reconsidered—it was probably for the best. After all, he couldn’t offer anything in return even if someone did.

Suddenly, Xie Shenxing’s gaze froze. Liang Chu, who had been staring intently at him, immediately noticed the change. Xie Shenxing had looked through so many envelopes, yet this was the first time his expression shifted from its usual indifference.

Is it from a girl he likes? Liang Chu sprang to his feet. He had almost believed Xie Shenxing was so detached from worldly desires that he might as well join a monastery yet here he was, showing signs of a budding crush?

Liang Chu grinned, clasping his hands behind his back. “Who’s it from?”

He made a sudden grab for the letters, but Xie Shenxing was faster, raising his arm high above his head. With Xie Shenxing being so much taller, Liang Chu stood on tiptoe but still couldn’t reach. “Let me see! I promise I won’t read the inside—just the name! Can’t I at least see who it’s from?”

Xie Shenxing pressed down on his shoulder, preventing him from jumping up. “There’s nothing worth seeing,” he said calmly.

“Why are you so shy?”

Xie Shenxing kept his arm raised, his expression unyielding. Liang Chu sighed regretfully and glanced upward.

The three envelopes were face down. The top one was addressed to Xie Shenxing, but the one beneath it was slightly askew, revealing a corner. In the lower right corner, written in a delicate and elegant script unmistakably belonging to a young woman, were the characters for Jing Ke.

Liang Chu froze. “Isn’t that my name?”