Time Has Grown Dim, And Evening Has Already Fallen - Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The way Cheng Xun retreated was like a little quail, completely at odds with his original personality. It was clear that even if he had realized his own feelings, he refused to do anything that lacked a sense of security.

He was afraid.

If he hadn’t been abandoned as a child, he wouldn’t have spent his early years living under a bridge. If Grandma hadn’t been kind enough to take him in and care for him, God knows what horrors he would have faced—becoming a little beggar wandering the streets, or falling victim to human traffickers.

His life now was already a form of bliss. Before Lu Xingchu appeared, Cheng Xun’s life was even simpler: don’t cause trouble for Grandma, don’t waste money, and work hard to save up. That was his entire goal. Even if his grades were poor, Grandma never blamed him; she only wished for his peace and happiness. They weren’t related by blood, but he could not betray the kindness she had shown him.

Accepting Lu Xingchu’s feelings felt, in a sense, like a betrayal of that morality. Yet, by leaving things unsaid, remaining ambiguous, and distancing himself for inexplicable reasons, his heart felt as bitter as if it were soaking in tonic water.

The job at the cake shop was perfect for idling. Cheng Xun would finish cleaning the shop early every morning before the owner’s wife arrived. The cakes were made fresh daily in small batches, so they usually sold out. For items that didn’t sell by closing time, the owner allowed Cheng Xun to pack them up and take them home—otherwise, they’d just be thrown away. It was a good way to prevent waste.

Time slipped away, reaching the end of August. Senior year was about to begin. But there was one date before the start of school that Cheng Xun cared about deeply: August 23rd, Lu Xingchu’s birthday.

Since they lived together, he had naturally seen Lu’s ID card while handling personal items; one glance was enough to memorize the date. As for a gift, Cheng Xun had planned it out long ago.

On the morning of the 23rd, he used his part-time wages to pre-order a birthday cake from the owner’s wife—a cute, vintage-style fondant cake. He also asked for a half-day off to go to the market for chicken and ingredients to make fried chicken. During their last “big meal,” he noticed Lu Xingchu had eaten quite a bit of it, so he assumed he liked it.

He asked Xie Qiubai to pick up the cake, warning him repeatedly to handle it with care—otherwise, there would be no fried chicken for him that night. Greedy for a good meal, Xie Qiubai agreed instantly. Upon hearing it was Lu Xingchu’s birthday, he also swung by the mall to buy a small gift; he couldn’t show up empty-handed, after all.

With fragrant fried chicken, a sweet fondant cake, and the “longevity noodles” with a soft-boiled egg that Grandma had cooked for Lu Xingchu, the spread was quite lavish. Mostly, there was so much fried chicken that Cheng Xun got tired just plating it.

“Happy birthday,” Cheng Xun said to Lu Xingchu. “Want to blow out the candles and make a wish?”

Lu Xingchu looked at him for a moment before responding, “Okay.”

With that, he truly closed his eyes to make a wish and then blew out the candles. He was finally an adult.

Xie Qiubai’s gift was a wallet. The packaging was gaudy and flowery—the kind of style popular in girls’ accessory shops—but the wallet itself was a simple, solid black. Lu Xingchu said thank you. He recalled that when it was Xie Qiubai’s birthday earlier in the year, he had accompanied Cheng Xun to the party and bought a wallet as a gift too. A true case of “returning the favor.”

Cheng Xun’s gift to Xie Qiubai back then had been an anime figurine he’d been eyeing for a long time (not an expensive one, but within Cheng Xun’s budget). For Lu Xingchu, however, Cheng Xun’s gift was a Bluetooth speaker shaped like a cute cat, which also functioned as a nightlight.

“Thank you,” Lu Xingchu said. I really like it, he added silently in his heart.

Grandma smiled and pulled out a red envelope, tucking it into Lu Xingchu’s pocket. If Cheng Xun wasn’t mistaken, the envelope still featured the zodiac animal from last year’s Spring Festival. Lu Xingchu instinctively tried to decline, but Grandma insisted until he had to give in.

“Seeing the three of you getting along so well makes me feel at ease,” Grandma said happily.

Eating his cake, Cheng Xun paused, his eyes dropping guiltily. Lu Xingchu remained silent as usual.

The most excited one was actually Xie Qiubai. He stood between the two of them, slinging an arm around each of their shoulders and pulling them in tight, grinning wildly at Grandma. Though he was quite handsome, his personality was exactly like a Husky.

Tragically, Cheng Xun was caught off guard by the sudden movement, and a glob of cake went splat right onto his shirt.

Cheng Xun: “…” Noooo! My expensive cake! My heart bleeds!

The start of the senior year brought a sense of desolation. The class placement lists were posted on the first floor. During the last few days of summer, teachers had already created group chats, so Cheng Xun knew he had been placed in Class 6.

Lu Xingchu was in the elite Class 1. The two of them weren’t even on the same floor anymore.

The layout for seniors at No. 9 High was borderline sadistic. The Liberal Arts classes were closest to the main gate but farthest from the cafeteria; the Science classes were located right above the cafeteria but were a massive trek from the school gate. The only thing they had in common was that both buildings were miles away from the juniors and sophomores.

Xie Qiubai couldn’t even drop by to visit anymore. The school leadership had assigned the Liberal Arts classes to the oldest, most “austere” building on campus.

In the Science track, Classes 1, 2, and 3 were the “fast” classes, with Class 1 being the top-tier “Key Class.” Everything from Class 4 onward were “Parallel Classes,” and the last three classes were the “Foundation Classes.” These rankings weren’t permanent—monthly exams led to a reshuffle every two months. No one’s spot was guaranteed.

Cheng Xun didn’t adapt well on the first day. Some faces were familiar, some were strangers, but they were all in the same grade, so most had crossed paths before. His new seatmate was an average guy with glasses and a forehead decorated with a few “blooming” pimples. Right out of the gate, they had to prepare for a mock test in a week to gauge their summer review progress.

Cheng Xun, who had spent his entire summer working part-time, had no “foundation” to speak of. He felt miserable.

When the bell rang for lunch on the first day, Cheng Xun instinctively went to find Lu Xingchu. He arrived only to find that Class 1 was running overtime. Since Class 1 and Class 6 were on opposite ends of the building, he had to pass several other classrooms to get there—it was a hassle.

As he stood at the door waiting, passing students seemed to be staring at him. Cheng Xun bit his lip, feeling an odd, misplaced sensation of being an abandoned puppy. He stood on the balcony idly counting heads until Class 1 finally dismissed.

Cheng Xun looked for Lu, but the first person he saw was their former class monitor, Yin Xiaowen. This guy still carried that faint air of superiority, and his overly shrewd smile was off-putting.

“Cheng Xun, you’re in Class 6 now. That’s quite a walk just to wait at the door of Class 1,” Yin Xiaowen couldn’t help but needle him as he passed. “The schedules for the two classes are different, aren’t they?”

Cheng Xun couldn’t be bothered to respond. Yin Xiaowen, wearing his habitual smirk, walked off joking and laughing with his friends. Cheng Xun could vaguely hear them mentioning Lu Xingchu’s name.

When Lu Xingchu finally walked out of the classroom, he froze slightly upon seeing Cheng Xun.

Cheng Xun, having waited so long, was in a bit of a foul mood and looked rather huffy. He was naturally fair-skinned with vivid features, so even when he was angry, he only frowned slightly with a pout. His profile was elegant and delicate; as he turned to look at Lu Xingchu against the light, even that frown slowly began to soften.