“Move out? Why do you need to move out? Is the bed not big enough or soft enough?”

Lu Li couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Instantly, a flood of questions burst out of him.

“Who’s moving? Where are you moving to? With whom?”

Before Jiang Yi could even repeat what he had just said, a barrage of words had already hit him.

“I’m moving. To the dorms. By myself,” Jiang Yi replied plainly.

“…”

Lu Li didn’t say another word. Instead, he silently removed the last puzzle piece that Jiang Yi had given him, placing it back into his hand. His expression darkened, and with his voice barely holding back anger, he said, “No. Absolutely not.”

Jiang Yi, trying to reason calmly, explained, “It’s just for the duration of the competition.”

He understood that ever since kindergarten, Lu Li had always been inseparable from him, and his temper was notorious. A sudden separation would definitely be hard for him to accept—just like when they first got split into different classes in middle school. Lu Li had reacted dramatically then as well.

But Jiang Yi believed that if he explained it properly, Lu Li would eventually come around. Before Jiang Yi could even finish his thought, Lu Li stood up, glaring at him furiously.

“If you move out tomorrow, believe me, I’ll tear down that damn dorm room door the day after.”

“…”

Jiang Yi knew Lu Li was capable of doing something like that.

“It’s just the dorms,” Jiang Yi tried to reassure him.

“‘Just’ the dorms?” Lu Li repeated, his voice low. “Have you thought about what happens if you get a fever in the middle of the night? Who’s going to wake up every few hours to check on you? And that dorm bed—is it even fit for a person to sleep on?”

Jiang Yi widened his eyes, retorting, “Everyone else can live there. Why can’t I?”

Lu Li’s expression remained cold, his face blank. “With me, there’s no ‘why’.”

Jiang Yi insisted, “A few days ago, you agreed to this. You told me to focus on the competition, said you’d support me in whatever I needed. You even said you’d make a small sacrifice for it. Now, are you going back on your word?”

Lu Li recalled how he’d been completely fooled over the past few days, and a hint of frustration flickered in his eyes.

Jiang Yi, counting on his fingers, listed, “Last night, you bit me and then tried to smooth things over by saying you’d do whatever I wanted regarding the competition and that I shouldn’t be mad. The day before, you gave me all the soup Auntie made and said we’d discuss the competition after I finished drinking it. Tell me, am I wrong about any of this?”

Lu Li, his face still cold, said nothing.

“I agree with everything else,” he grumbled. “But not moving to the dorms. Those dorms aren’t fit for anyone to live in. No elevator, no washing machine, the beds are tiny and hard. You’re supposed to be studying, not going to prison.”

Ever since kindergarten, Jiang Yi had lived under Lu Li’s watchful eye. If it were up to Lu Li, Jiang Yi would have been living in luxury, with golden utensils and drinking from jade cups. In Lu Li’s eyes, Jiang Yi was supposed to live a pampered life. If Jiang Yi ever had to endure hardship, Lu Li would see it as his own failure.

He’d learned this truth when they were six years old, on the night Jiang Yi fell ill.

Sometimes, Lu Li wished he and Jiang Yi were related by blood. If they shared the same blood, their bond would be even deeper—so deep that it could never be broken. No matter what happened in the future, Lu Li would always be the closest person to Jiang Yi in this world.

He could protect Jiang Yi with all his might, sheltering him from harm. Jiang Yi could stay pure and innocent, doing what he loved and relying on Lu Li completely. After all, he would have an older brother who was always there for him. And Lu Li would be Jiang Yi’s greatest support, the person who no one could bypass to hurt him.

But they didn’t have that kind of luck. They weren’t related by blood.

Ying Zhuohan, a mutual friend, had once said that he envied Lu Li for meeting Jiang Yi so early, for being his first friend. He’d remarked that if he had met Jiang Yi first, who knew who Jiang Yi’s best friend would be today?

But Lu Li still felt that meeting Jiang Yi early wasn’t early enough. He wished he had known Jiang Yi from the moment he was born, so he could spoil him from the very start—to the point where Jiang Yi throwing a tantrum and breaking dishes would make him happy.

Instead, Jiang Yi had spent three years in kindergarten having his yogurt stolen, and he hadn’t even told the teacher.

Lu Li muttered, “I don’t want that award anymore.”

Jiang Yi had said that the competition prize wasn’t just his—it was theirs. But if getting the prize meant Jiang Yi moving into the dorms, then Lu Li didn’t want it. Forget the speeches, forget the recognition. He didn’t need Jiang Yi to think he was the best anymore either. He just wasn’t going to let Jiang Yi move out.

Suddenly, Jiang Yi lunged forward and covered Lu Li’s mouth, his eyes wide with worry. “No! You promised me! I’m still moving to the dorms. You can’t go back on your word. Take it back!”

Jiang Yi finally realized just how stubborn Lu Li could be. For him, it wasn’t about the competition anymore—he had already mastered the material. The real issue was that Lu Li was as domineering and headstrong as he’d been when they were in elementary school.

Like that time when he threw away the mechanical pencil Ying Zhuohan had given Jiang Yi because he didn’t like them being too close. Or during PE class when Lu Li wouldn’t let anyone pair up with Jiang Yi, always keeping a watchful eye.

Now, Lu Li was skipping basketball practice to wait for Jiang Yi after tutoring, causing resentment among his teammates. Even though they weren’t exactly the nicest people, things couldn’t go on like this. If Lu Li continued being so possessive and stubborn, it would spiral out of control.

Jiang Yi’s face turned serious, realizing that this bad habit of Lu Li’s—like his habit of biting—needed to be corrected.

When Jiang Yi told Lu Li to take back his words, Lu Li stubbornly replied through his covered mouth, “I won’t.”

“You have to!” Jiang Yi demanded.

Lu Li glared at him with his blue eyes and retorted, “If you move out, I’ll tell Uncle Jiang. And I’ll call Grandma too. I’ll tell her you’re moving to some godforsaken place, working yourself to the bone until your eyesight fails.”

Jiang Yi scowled, “Nonsense! She’s my grandma! She’ll listen to me, not your wild stories.”

Jiang Yi’s grandmother had met Lu Li during his first-grade winter vacation. Lu Li went back to England during the summer vacation. He finally waited for the first winter vacation, thinking that he could have fun with Jiang Yi. However, when Jiang Yi told him that he had to go back to his hometown to spend New Year’s with his grandmother, it had hit Lu Li like a bolt of lightning.

The old house in Jiang Yi’s hometown didn’t have a phone—not even a landline. His grandmother always thought having one was a waste of money, as you had to pay every month even if you didn’t use it. So, whenever she needed to make a call, she would go to the small shop at the village entrance and pay 20 cents per call. It was much cheaper than installing a phone.

He had been devastated at the thought of losing contact with Jiang Yi for the entire winter break, and he was terrified that Jiang Yi would befriend someone else in his hometown—someone who would share a bed with him just like Lu Li did. Who knows, maybe those kids would get up at night like Lu Li and secretly chant, “Forget Ying Zhuohan, forget Ying Zhuohan, just remember me.”

A month was more than enough time for Jiang Yi to forget about him entirely.

So, the night before Jiang Yi was supposed to leave for his hometown, they followed their usual farewell tradition—crying together for a while. Jiang Yi’s energy wasn’t as good as Lu Li’s, so after a bit of crying, he fell asleep. Lu Li, still feeling sad, pulled out his marker and secretly wrote his English name on Jiang Yi’s back.

Not just on his back—he wrote his name on Jiang Yi’s arm and other places too.

Jiang Yi would eventually find those markings, and every time he discovered one, he would think of Lu Li. That way, even if they didn’t talk for a month, Jiang Yi wouldn’t forget him.

Jiang Yi had no idea. The next day, wrapped in layers of long underwear, sweaters, and coats—his body covered in names—he went back to his hometown.

When Jiang Yi’s grandmother gave him a bath, she was startled. Looking at her fair-skinned, well-behaved grandson in the tub, she saw strange marks all over his body. The poor woman thought someone had cursed him. She was so frightened that she almost went to fetch the village shaman for an exorcism.

In the end, Jiang Yi’s father picked him up, studied the markings, and realized that the messy scribbles on his son’s skin were actually Lu Li’s English name. He couldn’t help but laugh.

That night, he paid to have a phone installed in the house.

From that day on, Jiang Yi’s grandmother never forgot Jiang Yi’s good friend from the city.

And when Lu Li unexpectedly appeared in the small village one day, Jiang Yi’s grandmother’s impression of the city friend who drew all over her grandson deepened.

Blonde hair, blue eyes—he looked like a little foreigner with foreign blood, someone very special.

In her lifetime, the only foreign-blooded creature Jiang Yi’s grandmother had ever seen was the neighbor’s dog, which was said to be a foreign breed.

And then there was Lu Li. Now, the number of foreign-blooded creatures Jiang Yi’s grandmother had seen increased by one.

To this day, Lu Li still keeps Jiang Yi’s grandmother’s phone number. Why? Because, in his eyes, Jiang Yi’s grandmother holds the same authority as his own mother, who loves to make soup.

Jiang Yi is always obedient in front of his grandmother and his mother. Even if he doesn’t want to eat or drink the soup, or doesn’t want to stay inside when it rains, the moment either of those two speaks up, Jiang Yi will listen.

Still covering Lu Li’s mouth, Jiang Yi heard him boldly say, “Anyway, Grandma said there are still three acres of land back home. You don’t need to work so hard on your studies. At worst, I’ll go back with you, and we’ll farm and raise pigs together.”

Jiang Yi: “…”

That’s exactly what his grandmother had said.

Ever since he was little, his grandmother had always been worried about his poor health. When other grandmothers heard their grandsons say, “Grandma, I’ll study hard, get good grades, buy a big house and a car for you,” they’d be overjoyed, showering their grandchildren with praise.

But when Jiang Yi said that, his grandmother would look troubled and tell him, “We’ve got three acres of land, two cows, and a tractor. You don’t need to work so hard at school. All of that will be yours.”

She always told him not to push himself too hard with his studies and to avoid getting sick from exhaustion. She even instructed Lu Li to keep an eye on Jiang Yi and make sure he didn’t overwork himself.

Jiang Yi let go of Lu Li and firmly said, “Tell Grandma if you want. When I go home for break, I’ll explain everything to her. But I’m still moving to the dorms.”

“You promised me, so you can’t back out.”

Lu Li’s expression darkened. He couldn’t understand why Jiang Yi was so determined to move into the dorms.

After a moment of silence, Lu Li finally said, “Fine.”

“But from now on, I’ll go home alone. I’ll eat alone. I’ll do everything alone.”

His tone was flat as he added, “After all, that’s how I managed before I met you.”

Lying down, Lu Li’s voice grew quieter. “Go live in the dorms. Don’t worry about me.”

Jiang Yi couldn’t help but lean forward, sitting a little closer. “It’s just for a short time.”

Lu Li turned his head, staring at him. “All because of the competition?”

He didn’t believe that Jiang Yi was so insistent just because of the competition. Sure, Jiang Yi cared about his grades, but not to the point of obsessing over them. Just like how he enjoyed puzzles for the process, Jiang Yi also enjoyed the process of competing.

Jiang Yi hesitated, then remained silent.

Lu Li licked his lips and, in a soft voice, coaxed him, “You can tell me. I won’t get mad.”

Yeah, right.

If Lu Li ever found out that Jiang Yi wanted to move into the dorm because of someone, he would tear that person apart.

The person he had guarded so carefully for so long was going to leave because of that someone, to live in such a run-down place. In Lu Li’s eyes, that person’s heart was rotten to the core.

Lu Li softened his expression, his eyes curved into a smile, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Jiang Yi looked at Lu Li. His expression was gentle, as if he were trying to reason with him. After hesitating for a while, Jiang Yi finally pursed his lips and revealed the real reason.

“The competition is one reason, but also because I’ve been keeping you waiting for too long after my tutoring.”

“I overheard your teammates complaining that you often skip practice just to wait for me to finish class.”

Lu Li froze.

Jiang Yi sighed, clearly worried. “This can’t go on.”

“…”

After a brief silence, Lu Li quickly said, “I have my reasons for skipping practice.”

Jiang Yi pouted. “You’re making excuses again.”

Lu Li stared at him without blinking, his expression serious. “Every time I go to practice, my teammates bully me.”

Jiang Yi: “…”

Holding his pillow, Jiang Yi silently got up and started heading toward the guest room. “You’re lying again.”

How could anyone bully Lu Li?

But Lu Li grabbed his hand. “It’s true.”

“There are a few older students who always pick on me during practice. They wait until the coach isn’t looking and then stomp on my ankles and bump into my waist.”

“It really hurts.”

Of course, he retaliated—so much so that one of them ended up with a broken bone and limped for a long time. But Jiang Yi didn’t need to know that.

Lu Li continued, looking pitiful, “They even called me a fake foreigner.”

Jiang Yi paused, suddenly recalling the older students he overheard a few days ago.

He hesitated, then sat back down, beginning to believe Lu Li might not be lying this time.

Seeing that his tactic was working, Lu Li pushed further. “If you don’t believe me, check my waist. I got a huge bruise a few days ago.”

Jiang Yi decided not to leave after all. He put the pillow down and asked anxiously, “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

Lu Li, slow and deliberate, replied, “Well, you didn’t tell me about wanting to move into the dorm either, did you?”

Jiang Yi awkwardly touched his nose, feeling a bit guilty.

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Li said, “I’ll go to practice on time from now on. So, how about not moving into the dorms?”

Jiang Yi hesitated.

Lu Li lifted his shirt, revealing a large, nasty-looking bruise on his waist. “They deliberately hit me like this, and I didn’t even fight back because I promised you.”

Initially, Lu Li had planned to endure it and settle the score later. Now, however, Jiang Yi’s grievance had to be added to the list, which made the situation with those idiots even worse.

Lu Li licked his lips.

Seeing the alarming bruise on Lu Li’s waist, Jiang Yi felt his heart soften. He had never seen Lu Li get hurt this badly before.

Lu Li promised to attend practice regularly, and with Jiang Yi’s softened heart, he reluctantly agreed to drop the idea of moving into the dorms.

Jiang Yi got up to fetch the first-aid kit, intending to apply some medicinal ointment to Lu Li’s bruise.

Watching Jiang Yi leave the room to grab the kit, Lu Li breathed a sigh of relief. Staring at the bruise on his waist, he muttered to himself, “Good thing those idiots hit me hard enough that day…”

Otherwise, he might not have been able to change Jiang Yi’s mind about the dorms.

When Jiang Yi returned with the ointment, he opened the door to find Lu Li staring at him, his blonde head tilted, as if he were waiting for Jiang Yi to come over. Seeing Jiang Yi finally arrive, Lu Li visibly relaxed.

Jiang Yi unscrewed the bottle and carefully applied the ointment with a cotton swab. Lu Li lazily lay on the bed, watching him with half-lidded eyes.

Since Jiang Yi rarely got injured, thanks to the thick carpets covering the Lu household, he didn’t know that the ointment had to be massaged into the bruise to be effective.

Lu Li knew that, of course, but he didn’t tell Jiang Yi.

Massaging the ointment in was tiring and tedious, and he wouldn’t let Jiang Yi do something so troublesome.

As Jiang Yi applied the ointment, he said, “I saw your teammates the other day.”

He sounded a little angry. “They’re awful. I overheard them secretly calling you a fake foreigner behind your back.”

Lu Li’s expression darkened. He regretted not hitting them harder.

He didn’t mind if they insulted him behind his back, but doing it in front of Jiang Yi was unacceptable.

After applying the ointment, Jiang Yi smirked mischievously. “But after hearing them insult you, I went back to class, put on my disciplinary armband, and deducted points from them.”

“Three points each. Now they have to do community service and pick up trash three times to make up for it.”

Lu Li, who had been scowling, froze. When he realized what Jiang Yi had done, he looked at him with pride and affection. Unable to hold back, he pulled Jiang Yi into his arms, messing up his hair like when they were kids, only stopping once he was satisfied.

Jiang Yi protested, telling him to let go, but Lu Li stubbornly refused.

After a bit of roughhousing, much of the ointment that was supposed to dry on Lu Li’s waist ended up smeared all over Jiang Yi’s pajamas instead.

Tilting his head, Jiang Yi looked at Lu Li sternly. “You did that on purpose.”

Lu Li denied it, putting on a serious face and insisting, “Nonsense.”

Of course, he had done it on purpose. He liked having Jiang Yi carry his scent.

But Jiang Yi couldn’t know that. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to do it again next time.

Jiang Yi shook his pajamas, trying to shake off the smell. Luckily, there were still two clean pairs in the wardrobe.

After putting the ointment away, Jiang Yi went to the wardrobe to grab a clean pair of pajamas. As he did, he bent over slightly, crossing his arms as he took off his ointment-stained pajamas and changed into the clean ones.

Lu Li’s eyes caught a glimpse of the pale, slender waist—toned yet soft—along with the delicate lines of his shoulder blades, resembling a butterfly poised to take flight.

Once Jiang Yi had changed into fresh pajamas, he re-applied the ointment on Lu Li’s waist. After the ointment dried, Jiang Yi climbed back into bed.

Yawning, he nestled into the soft covers, mumbling something about how Lu Li couldn’t secretly bite him tonight, not even after he fell asleep.

He also mumbled that the next time he caught those older students bullying Lu Li and not wearing their uniforms, he would deduct their points again.

Not long after, he drifted into a deep sleep, his long eyelashes resting gently on his face, an image that stirred something inside Lu Li.

Watching him sleep, Lu Li toyed with Jiang Yi’s eyelashes. Just thinking about how Jiang Yi had secretly deducted points for him made Lu Li think he was adorable. He licked his canine teeth, considered a few things, but ultimately held back his impulses and closed his eyes to sleep.

Lu Li behaved himself that night, holding Jiang Yi as they slept without biting him. But his dreams were strange.

The scenes in his dreams were disjointed, with occasional flashes of blurred light.

Throughout the dream, Lu Li felt an odd sense of familiarity, and then, in a sudden moment of clarity, he realized where that feeling came from—Jiang Yi’s scent.

It was the scent of Jiang Yi’s shampoo and body wash, mingling with the warmth of his skin—a light, clean fragrance that Lu Li had always liked.

But as the dream progressed, that subtle scent became increasingly sweet and intense, like the heady air after a summer rain. It grew so overpowering that it made him feel dizzy, like he couldn’t breathe, his breathing becoming more labored.