Time Has Grown Dim, And Evening Has Already Fallen - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

“Bullshit,” Xie Qiubai countered vehemently. “There are plenty of girls who have secret crushes on me, alright? I’m just choosing not to date right now.”

“If you don’t want to, then why even mention it?”

“Hey, Cheng Xun, I’m already having such a rough time—if you won’t comfort me, fine, but why are you roasting me? Are we still best bros or what?” Xie Qiubai protested heartlessly.

Cheng Xun couldn’t be bothered to entertain him.

“Who told you to be at the very bottom of the liberal arts class?” Cheng Xun scooped up the basketball and tossed it toward Xie Qiubai’s face. “Learn from me, okay? Study hard for once.”

Xie Qiubai caught the ball with sharp reflexes. Something seemed to click in his mind, and he immediately began to complain: “It’s all because your grades shot up so fast! Even my dad knows about it now, and he uses you to mock me. Xun-ge, you’re partly to blame for my misery.”

Cheng Xun: “…Piss off.”

Lu Xingchu had been listening to their heated chatter with one ear, only to witness this drama of “brothers turning against each other.”

“But there’s something I need to tell you guys.” Xie Qiubai hugged the basketball and sat up straight, his playful expression fading into a serious one. “I heard that Wang Ke has been hanging out with some gang leader outside of school lately—apparently a guy who’s been to juvenile detention. It seems he’s still holding a grudge over what happened last time.”

Cheng Xun dropped his lazy posture. His brows furrowed slightly, and his gaze turned cold. “You mean he’s looking for a chance to get back at us?”

“Better safe than sorry,” Xie Qiubai muttered. “He’s latched onto some outside muscle. Even if that ‘muscle’ is just a crooked tree on the wrong path, it’ll be a huge pain if they actually come looking for trouble.”

Lu Xingchu’s eyes darkened for a moment. He nodded. “Got it.”

Delinquents at this age fear nothing. Their adolescent malice is like a sharpened blade.

Although Cheng Xun acted indifferent on the surface, he took Xie Qiubai’s warning to heart and stayed alert whenever he headed home at night.

It was true that people had followed him and Lu Xingchu after evening self-study, but their tracking skills were amateur at best; he shook them off easily. He also took the opportunity to report the presence of loitering punks near the school to the administration.

They both assumed that since the primary conflict was with them, any retaliation from Wang Ke would be aimed at them first.

On Saturdays, No. 9 Middle School scheduled four morning classes and two afternoon self-study sessions, letting out at 2:00 PM. By the time Cheng Xun got home, he was exhausted and collapsed into bed for a nap. He and Lu Xingchu had agreed to take turns watching the shop for Grandma.

He was eventually woken up by hunger. He’d had no appetite at noon and only ate a piece of bread, so by dinner time, he woke up naturally starving.

Sleeping too long in the afternoon usually leaves one feeling groggy and weak. He rubbed his face vigorously and skipped down the stairs in a few strides.

Checking the time on his phone, Cheng Xun paused. Why hasn’t Lu Xingchu come to wake me up for my shift yet?

Downstairs, he saw Lu Xingchu sitting at the counter, diligently working on a test paper.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Cheng Xun walked over. “Didn’t we agree to take turns?”

“I’m not sleepy.” Lu Xingchu glanced up at him, offering a brief explanation. “You were sleeping so soundly.”

Cheng Xun gave an awkward, sheepish laugh. He felt a bit guilty—it was only because he’d stayed up late the night before that he was so drained today.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed twice. It was a WeChat message from Xie Qiubai.

As it turned out, today was Xie Qiubai’s lunar birthday. The guy had booked a room at a nearby KTV and was planning to sing.

Without thinking much, Cheng Xun sent a voice note back.

“Unreal. Who even celebrates their lunar birthday? And singing? If you have too much money to spend, find somewhere else to waste it. I’m not going.”

Cold and ruthless.

Then, he heard Xie Qiubai’s loud voice blasting from Lu Xingchu’s phone.

“Is Lu-ge there? Lu-ge! You and Cheng-ge come over together! If you come, we’ll order fried chicken cutlets. How about it? Interested?”

Unbelievable, Cheng Xun thought. This guy has learned how to use food as bait.

“You’re not going to defect, are you?” Cheng Xun suddenly said to Lu Xingchu. “Grandma already bought groceries for dinner.”

Lu Xingchu: “?”

He hadn’t even planned on responding.

Instead, Grandma spoke up with a smile. “I haven’t bought the groceries yet. Since it’s Little Xie’s birthday, isn’t it perfect for you two to go? Making more friends is a good thing.”

Her last sentence was clearly directed at Lu Xingchu.

Cheng Xun hadn’t expected Grandma to “defect” too. He heard Xie Qiubai wailing on the phone about how he’d already ordered their portions and it would be a waste if they didn’t show up.

Driven by the noble virtue of never wasting food, Cheng Xun changed his clothes and headed out with Lu Xingchu to fulfill the invitation.

The KTV Xie Qiubai chose was a bit out of the way, but it was cheap, making it a popular choice for students. Most importantly, while small, it didn’t have any shady business going on.

Cheng Xun figured out the real reason Xie Qiubai picked this place: the other two major KTVs in town didn’t allow outside food, let alone food delivery.

Since it was far, they took the bus. The KTV was right across from the bus stop. After giving the room number to the receptionist, a staff member led them to the room.

As soon as they pushed the door open, Cheng Xun was hit by the rich aroma of fried chicken.

Perfect timing—the delivery of fried chicken cutlets and skewers had just arrived. Plus, a cream cake.

It seemed Xie Qiubai had received quite a bit of birthday money. He hadn’t invited too many people—just Cheng Xun, Lu Xingchu, and a few other friends. Some were familiar to Cheng Xun, others were likely Xie Qiubai’s classmates from the liberal arts track. There were about six or seven people in total.

Cheng Xun had already sent the guy a “Red Packet” (digital gift money) over WeChat. After getting a slice of cake, he didn’t forget to smear a bit of cream on Xie Qiubai’s cheek.

Compared to the others, Cheng Xun was being gentle.

While the group ate and sang, Cheng Xun focused entirely on the food. He had no choice—he was notoriously tone-deaf to the point of public nuisance.

Xie Qiubai was just an average singer, but he was still miles ahead of Cheng Xun.

“Does your Lu Xingchu know how to sing?”

Xie Qiubai, currently being bombarded by a friend who wouldn’t let go of the mic, looked at Lu Xingchu—who was indifferently playing on his phone—and suddenly asked Cheng Xun.

“Huh?” Cheng Xun looked equally confused. “How would I know?”

“For real?” Xie Qiubai rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t he hum a few tunes when he’s showering?”

Cheng Xun: “…”

“Am I supposed to stand outside the door and eavesdrop while he showers?” Cheng Xun looked at his best friend with utter disbelief. “I’m not a pervert.”

To this, Xie Qiubai nodded slowly. “Fair point. If you were going to be a pervert, why wouldn’t you just peek at him showering instead?”

“Xie Qiubai, I think you’re asking for a beating.”

Having heard the entire exchange, Lu Xingchu: “…”

He hadn’t intended to say anything until Cheng Xun handed a microphone to him.

“Since you’re here, sing something.”

Lu Xingchu looked from the microphone up to Cheng Xun’s pale wrist. “Why aren’t you singing?”

“I’m ‘incapable’.” Cheng Xun refused flatly.

“I guarantee you definitely do not want to hear Xun-ge’s voice,” Xie Qiubai added, egging them on.

Lu Xingchu looked down at the mic, showing no intention of taking it. Cheng Xun’s arm started to ache from holding it up, so he just shoved it into Lu’s lap.

“You want to hear it?” Lu Xingchu asked out of the blue, his eyes fixed on Cheng Xun’s face.

In the dim light of the KTV room, the boy’s features were soft, the curve of his lips distinct. His lips looked quite soft.

Cheng Xun glared at him, thinking the guy was being incredibly indecisive. He was about to snap with some choice words, but seeing Lu Xingchu’s cold, puppy-like eyes, he suddenly felt like playing a prank.

Cheng Xun squinted his eyes and smiled, his dimples appearing perfectly. He knew he looked his most “innocent and harmless” when he smiled like this—a move he used whenever he wanted to be a little mischievous.

“We all want to hear Brother Lu sing

“Pfft—!” Xie Qiubai, who was eavesdropping nearby, sprayed his Coke everywhere.

Lu Xingchu: “…”

That nickname originated from a love letter sent to Lu Xingchu. Some smitten student had tucked it into his desk early in the morning when no one was around.

But the placement was bad; when Lu Xingchu pulled out a book, the letter fell forward. The person in the front row thought it was for them since the envelope was blank. It was opened during a break, and a group of guys surrounded them, teasing and cheering… until the person read the honorific and the first sentence. Only then did they realize something was wrong.

Fortunately, the signature was a pseudonym, so no one knew who wrote it, but the nickname stuck.

When Cheng Xun first heard it, he just thought it was cringey. He didn’t expect that saying it himself would give him such a massive case of the shivers.

“Alright, cough, I’m joking, don’t be mad.” Cheng Xun smiled, his left canine tooth peeking out. “After you sing, I’ll sing too. Either way, you don’t lose out.”

“Okay,” Lu Xingchu replied.

He didn’t act shy. He picked a random song and began.

His speaking voice was already pleasant—low, magnetic, and gentle—a “god-tier” voice. He hadn’t expected his singing to be just as good. His tone was moving, his pitch was perfect; he could have easily won the school’s “Top Ten Singers” competition.

Cheng Xun was shocked. They had lived together for so long, and this was the first time he’d heard Lu Xingchu sing. This guy is a dark horse…

The song ended. Lu Xingchu handed the mic back to Cheng Xun.

Without a second thought, Cheng Xun picked his favorite song and began the process of “demonic audio piercing.”

Xie Qiubai and the others who knew him had already covered their ears in preparation. Only Lu Xingchu sat there with a cold face, listening through the whole thing—though the utter chaos in his pupils betrayed his profound shock.