My Childhood Friend is Secretly in Love with Me - Chapter 5

Someone so outstanding, what does Zuo Yi have to offer?

Zuo Yi brushed past Li Zihao and scrambled off his bed, his steps unsteady and stumbling.

“Where are you going?” Li Zihao called out loudly as he saw Zuo Yi heading for the dormitory door.

Zuo Yi was deaf to the world. He could no longer stay in the cramped, crowded space of the dorm. He felt as if an invisible pair of hands was tightening around his throat, making it impossible for him to breathe.

Various voices echoed around him, but to Zuo Yi, they were nothing but noise. He looked back and saw Li Zihao following him. He immediately barked, “Stop following me!”

Startled by the shout, Li Zihao stopped in his tracks. Zuo Yi staggered out the door and slammed it shut with a loud thud.

Leaning against the door, Zuo Yi breathed in great gulps of air, yet the oxygen still felt insufficient. He rushed downstairs, desperate to find a place where no one else was around. But on a campus this large, there were people everywhere.

Clutching his aching chest, Zuo Yi struggled to hold back a scream. He hated his own late realization. If Li Zihao had not reminded him, he did not know how much longer he would have remained obsessed with the dream he had woven for himself.

Because of this, he also realized far too late that his feelings for Qi Yan far exceeded his imagination. If it were just a common crush, why would it cause him such agonizing pain? He felt like a drowning man, watching the remaining oxygen in his lungs being drawn away bit by bit while he remained powerless to stop it. This level of despair was unbearable.

Someone so outstanding, what right did Zuo Yi have to hold him back?

Zuo Yi’s vision blurred. He despised himself for being in this state. For a grown man to be unable to handle a setback like this was embarrassing. Yet, he could not seem to stop caring. His mind was a battleground between two voices. One urged him to give up, suggesting that choosing to offer his blessings would be easier. The other urged him to fight and get a clear answer.

He struggled between these voices, unsure of which to follow.

Zuo Yi wandered aimlessly to the school playground and sat down on a random set of steps. His head felt like it was about to explode. He had tried to mentally prepare himself for this, thinking he could accept it calmly and offer a smile and a blessing. But now that the day had come, he realized he could not do it. He was not kind enough to wish his unrequited love happiness with someone else. How could it be easy to let go of someone you love?

He sat there for an unknown amount of time. The night runners on the field had thinned out to just a few people, but he still did not want to return to the dorm. He missed the Moonlight Bay courtyard and the swing set dearly.

That was where he and Qi Yan often sat to watch the stars and the moon. He looked up at the night sky. The stars and the moon in Jingxi were different from those in the courtyard. He did not like them.

Suddenly, a bag was held out in front of him.

“Your calf needs to be bandaged.” The voice was slightly breathless, sounding as though the person had just finished a run.

Zuo Yi frowned and saw that the newcomer was Guo Jingjing. His gaze was unfriendly; he did not want anyone to see him in his current state.

Guo Jingjing disregarded the look and sat down beside Zuo Yi. He opened the plastic bag and took out iodine cotton swabs, gauze, and bandages.

“When you left, I saw that the wound on your leg was inflamed. If it is not treated, it might fester and affect your training.” Guo Jingjing handed over an iodine swab. “If you will not do it yourself, I will.”

Zuo Yi looked down at the burn on his leg. The blister had been rubbed raw by his camouflage pants, and the wound was red, swollen, and ulcerated.

“I will do it myself.” He took the swab and carefully disinfected the wound, then wrapped it in gauze to prevent it from worsening.

“Thank you,” Zuo Yi said sincerely. He had thought the wound would scab over naturally in a few days and had not planned to bother with it. He had not expected it to get this serious.

“Do not be so polite,” Guo Jingjing said. He noticed Zuo Yi’s bloodshot eyes and swollen eyelids. “Do you still need to be alone? It is almost curfew.”

Zuo Yi did not want to keep causing trouble for others. He had left in such a hurry that he had not even taken his phone. If he did not go back now, he would have nowhere to stay for the night. “No need. Let us go back together.”

The two shared a small smile and returned to the dorm.

In the middle of the night, Zuo Yi slept fitfully. He dreamed of the first time he met Qi Yan when he was six years old.

It was the third day after Qi Yan had moved into the courtyard. Only he and his mother were present during the move. A few naughty boys in the courtyard kept shouting that the new kid did not have a father, and Zuo Yi heard them too.

One afternoon, eight-year-old Qi Yan was arguing with those children. He desperately explained that his father was busy with work and would return during his vacation. One boy retorted, “I have not seen your father come home since you arrived. You are a liar! You are a big faker!”

Little Qi Yan shouted his father’s name, Qi Feng, but the children did not believe him and gave him the nickname “Big Faker.”

Zuo Yi and Ding Wenxiao were nearby. He heard the crying and followed the sound to find a helpless, weeping Qi Yan.

As the little terror of Moonlight Bay, even kids older than Zuo Yi did not dare provoke him. He never bullied others, so naturally, he could not stand people who did. Thus, the six-year-old Zuo Yi decided to rescue the eight-year-old Qi Yan.

With a lollipop in his mouth, Zuo Yi walked aggressively toward the center of the garden with Ding Wenxiao. “Fatty, you are bullying people again!” He pointed his lollipop at the boy. “Believe it or not, I will go to your house right now and tell Auntie Wu so she can give you a beating.”

The boy got scared and immediately tried to appease him. “Brother Yi, I was wrong. Please do not tell my mom.”

Ding Wenxiao burst out laughing. Her personality had been bold since childhood, no less so than Zuo Yi’s. She stood with her left hand on her hip and pointed her right hand at the still-sobbing Qi Yan. “From now on, he is with me and Xiao Yi. If any of you dare to bully him again, I will tell everyone about the bad things you did in kindergarten. Just you wait.”

After the children left, little Zuo Yi gently patted little Qi Yan’s back to comfort him. “Do not be afraid. I am the boss of Moonlight Bay. If you follow me, no one will dare bully you again.”

From that moment, the Moonlight Bay Iron Triangle was officially formed. They were inseparable until the year Qi Yan finished his college entrance exams.

Zuo Yi woke up from the dream with a start. It was already broad daylight. The following days proceeded routinely. During this time, Zuo Yi was so exhausted from military training that he had no energy for stray thoughts. His interactions with his roommates became more natural and harmonious.

Half a month passed in a flash, and the military training period was finally over. Li Zihao organized a dinner to celebrate. Ding Wenxiao happened to call, and Zuo Yi instinctively knew the purpose of the call. But what was meant to come could not be avoided. He took a deep breath and answered, “Sister Xiao, to what do I owe the honor?”

“I have good news! I got in touch with Brother Yan!” Ding Wenxiao’s excited voice blasted through the phone.

At the mention of Qi Yan’s name, Zuo Yi’s heart still skipped a beat. “Oh. And then?”

Ding Wenxiao was immersed in the joy of reconnecting and did not notice Zuo Yi’s tone. “I made an appointment to have dinner with him the night after tomorrow. I did not mention his birthday because I want to give him a surprise.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Ding Wenxiao laughed. “It is a deal then. Seven o’clock the night after tomorrow. I will find a restaurant and send you the location in a bit.”

As soon as he hung up, the guys in the dorm started teasing him. “That was a girl’s voice! Who is she?”

Zuo Yi rolled his eyes at them. “My childhood friend.”

They assumed Zuo Yi had secretly found a girlfriend during military training.

“Where are we eating tonight? Have you guys decided?” Zuo Yi asked.

“How about that small place Jingjing took us to last time? The environment is a bit simple, but the food is great!” Li Zihao replied.

“Agreed!” everyone shouted in unison.

Zuo Yi specifically asked Feng Sang, “Are you coming?”

Feng Sang shook his head. “You guys go ahead. I still have things to do.”

Even though they had been in school for a while, Feng Sang still found it hard to integrate into the dormitory group. His movements were mysterious, and he was almost never seen at night.

Zuo Yi remembered there was a cake shop near that restaurant. The group went to dinner, but halfway through the meal, Zuo Yi disappeared. He did not return until the meal was over. When the others asked where he had gone, he gave no answer.

The next day, after training, Zuo Yi looked at himself in the mirror. He felt awkward no matter how he looked at it, so he went to a barbershop to get a clean, sharp haircut.

Thinking about the upcoming meeting, he still could not bring himself to offer his blessings. Over the past few days, he kept brainwashing himself into believing that being childhood friends was their most stable connection. Everyone understands the logic, but Zuo Yi’s feelings were selfish; he could not let go.

On the night of the birthday, he and Ding Wenxiao arrived early to the restaurant to order. She had specifically chosen a famous roast duck restaurant.

Today, Zuo Yi learned that she had been in contact with Qi Yan during this time. Just a moment ago, Qi Yan had messaged her saying he would bring a friend to dinner.

Zuo Yi had already expected Sister Guanguan to come, so he did not have a huge reaction. In contrast, after Ding Wenxiao read the message, she slapped Zuo Yi hard on the back.

It was a painful hit. He frowned and said unhappily, “Are you crazy?”

“Holy crap! Did you predict this? Is Brother Yan really going to bring his partner?!” Ding Wenxiao said excitedly.

Zuo Yi was repulsed by the topic and replied perfunctorily, “How should I know?”

Dissatisfied with his lack of interest, Ding Wenxiao rolled her eyes. “I want to see what kind of person could actually capture Brother Yan.”

Heh.

A girl like Sister Guanguan—good family, good grades, and beautiful.

Zuo Yi answered Ding Wenxiao’s question in his heart.

Around seven o’clock, Qi Yan arrived, and he indeed brought Sister Guanguan with him.

“Brother Qi Yan, we are over here!” Ding Wenxiao waved her hand.

Zuo Yi looked up and happened to lock eyes with Qi Yan. He inconspicuously picked up his water glass and took a sip, trying to avoid the gaze, only to realize the glass was empty.

This would have been fine if no one had noticed, but the action happened to be seen by Ding Wenxiao.

Support My Childhood Friend is Secretly in Love with Me