Time Has Grown Dim, And Evening Has Already Fallen - Chapter 35

Chapter 35

“Your class gets out seriously late,” Cheng Xun grumbled in a low voice as he headed downstairs.

Lu Xingshu looked down and replied, “The teacher went overtime.”

Cheng Xun glanced at the person beside him with his round eyes and quickened his pace down the stairs. “I’m starving.”

He was telling the truth. Having to wait for someone only to be met with a sarcastic remark from a person he disliked would make anyone cranky.

Whether it was because Cheng Xun was walking too fast or Lu Xingshu was walking too slowly, a gap of several steps somehow formed between them. Cheng Xun habitually turned back at the landing to look at him, his gaze meeting the boy’s cold, handsome eyes from below.

“You don’t have to wait for me.”

He heard him say those words.

Cheng Xun’s footsteps faltered. The displeasure he had managed to suppress began to boil over again in his chest because of that single sentence.

“So, it’s my fault for waiting for you?” Cheng Xun’s feelings were complicated; it wasn’t exactly anger, just a deep sense of awkwardness. “I guess I’m just a pathetic person overthinking things.”

Lu Xingshu froze, realizing his words were ambiguous and had caused a misunderstanding. He explained, “That’s not what I meant.”

Cheng Xun snapped back, refusing to back down, “Then what did you mean?”

Most people were at the cafeteria by now, leaving just the two of them in the stairwell. Cheng Xun couldn’t help but let some of his temper show.

“The schedules are different, and the teachers like to drag on. It’s not good to keep you waiting.”

Lu Xingshu meant that it was delaying Cheng Xun’s meal—in the school cafeteria, getting to the window for the good dishes was a race against time. But in Cheng Xun’s ears, the words took on a completely different meaning, especially since Yin Xiaowen had just used that exact point to poke at him.

A well-intentioned explanation acted like fuel on a fire.

Cheng Xun gave a mocking laugh, his expression turning quite sour. “Fine. From now on, I’ll eat with my classmates from Class 6. I won’t bother the ‘Great Scholar’ from Class 1 anymore.”

His tone was dripping with sarcasm. Hearing this, Lu Xingshu’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Still fuming, Cheng Xun turned to walk away. To his surprise, Lu Xingshu chased after him in three quick strides and grabbed his arm. Cheng Xun was caught off guard by the pull; it didn’t feel real until his back made intimate contact with the wall.

Using his height to his advantage, Lu Xingshu pinned him in the corner, his face as cold as frost and inches away. Having spent so much time with him, how could Cheng Xun not tell that Lu Xingshu was angry?

“What exactly do you want?” Lu Xingshu’s voice was cool, laced with a hint of helplessness. Because he was so close to Cheng Xun’s ear, it sent a wave of numbness through Cheng Xun’s earlobe.

Cheng Xun reached up to cover his right ear, not wanting anyone to see the flush spreading behind it.

“What do you mean, what do I want?” Cheng Xun stared at him with wide, clear eyes. “…You’re the one saying things that make people angry.”

“You said we should just be friends, and I agreed,” Lu Xingshu said to himself, his eyes downcast. “You told me to keep my distance, and I did that too.”

The boy’s ink-black pupils reflected Cheng Xun’s face—a face filled with surprise and caught-off-guard realization.

“So why am I doing everything you asked, yet you’re still angry?”

Cheng Xun’s breathing gradually became shallow and rapid. He wanted to explain that his anger wasn’t for the reason Lu Xingshu thought, but the words were stuck in his throat. He bit his lower lip so hard it turned white.

“Or do you really hate me that much?” Lu Xingshu looked down at him expressionlessly, hiding all the emotions that had just leaked out. “So much that you don’t even want to be friends?”

“What are you saying?” Cheng Xun’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to explain, but then he heard footsteps coming from downstairs.

Someone was coming up.

And their current posture was very… it looked exactly like Lu Xingshu was “kabedon-ing” him.

In a panic, Cheng Xun pushed Lu Xingshu away by the shoulders. Before he could say anything, a few students walked past. These were likely the ones who didn’t eat at the cafeteria and just bought snacks from the shop to eat in the classroom, which was why they were back so soon.

Lu Xingshu was stunned by the push. He looked into Cheng Xun’s eyes, but quickly shifted his gaze away. As those students passed them with curious looks, Lu Xingshu headed downstairs without a second glance.

Cheng Xun stood frozen on the spot, his gaze fixed on Lu Xingshu’s lean, upright back. His intuition told him he should chase after the guy and explain properly, otherwise…

Otherwise what, he didn’t know. He only felt an uneasy road ahead.

Ultimately, Cheng Xun returned to his classroom looking despondent. He didn’t even feel like eating lunch; he buried his head in his arms like an ostrich, looking completely wilted.

What is Lu Xingshu doing? Turning the tables on me? How could he say those things? When did I ever hate him or not want to be his friend?

But once Cheng Xun calmed down, he realized that given his personality, if he had been in the heat of the moment, he probably would have snapped something like “Who cares about being your friend anyway.”

He felt a delayed sense of relief that he hadn’t spoken recklessly.

Cheng Xun edited and re-edited his WeChat draft, but in the end, he couldn’t find a simple way to say what was in his heart.

I didn’t mean I don’t want to be friends. I don’t hate you. I…

There were some mushy words too, but looking at them after typing made him cringe so hard he nearly died. Better to explain in person.

During the afternoon classes, Cheng Xun was 30% focused, 30% distracted, and 40% locked in an internal battle. Overall, he was in terrible shape. Since he hadn’t eaten lunch, his stomach was growling and aching, making it even harder to pay attention.

As the final period drew to a close, Cheng Xun started hesitating again—should he go to Class 1 like he did at noon, or send a WeChat first? After agonizing over it, he rushed over as soon as school ended.

To his surprise, Class 1 was nearly empty, save for a few girls eating bread and reading. No one else was there.

Unbelievable. No overtime this afternoon, huh?

Lu Xingshu was truly angry. He hadn’t even acknowledged him before disappearing. Cheng Xun scrunched his nose, slumped into a corner, and pulled out his phone to message Lu Xingshu.

After much deleting and typing, he finally sent just one sentence: I’m sorry.

Cheng Xun didn’t even want to eat dinner, but his body began to protest strongly. With a cold face, he walked to the school shop. He hadn’t received a reply from Lu Xingshu nor run into him. In the end, he grabbed two “caterpillar” cream buns and a can of sweet milk for dinner.

When his seatmate returned, he saw Cheng Xun chewing on a bun with a face full of bitterness, looking as if the food was tasteless. Yao Xiaotian was deeply confused; he thought the caterpillar buns from the school shop were actually quite sweet and delicious.