Chapter 2: I Want…

After a short while, the young man who had just mocked Qiao Xingzhou came over, holding a drink with a look of regret, ready to apologize. “I’m really sorry, Young Master Qiao. I was just joking with you earlier; I didn’t mean to offend you. Here, let me offer you a toast.”

Li Zhiyi had never particularly liked this person’s behavior. Hearing this, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and looked at Qiao Xingzhou. “How old are you? Are you even an adult?”

“Of course, I’m an adult.” Qiao Xingzhou paused, finding it amusing. “If I weren’t, I wouldn’t even be able to get in here, right?”

“You look young,” Li Zhiyi still seemed a bit unconvinced. “Don’t let him drink.”

The man quickly gave an awkward laugh. “Alright, alright. Since Mr. Li has spoken, Young Master Qiao, you don’t have to drink. I’ll drink instead, I’ll drink.”

They had clearly only just met, yet he was already standing up for him like this? Qiao Xingzhou felt a subtle warmth in his heart.

Li Zhiyi watched as the man finished his drink, then sensed a strong, undeniable gaze from beside him. He had no choice but to turn his head toward Qiao Xingzhou.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Nothing,” Qiao Xingzhou shook his head, then gently praised, “You’re a really good person.”

“And you’re a really good person, too.” Out of courtesy, Li Zhiyi offered a polite compliment in return.

“Really? What’s good about me?” Unexpectedly, Qiao Xingzhou took it quite seriously.

How was he supposed to know? After a moment’s thought, Li Zhiyi gave an answer. “…Everything about you is good.”

Qiao Xingzhou beamed with a sweet smile. “I didn’t expect you to have such a high opinion of me, thank you! Let’s add each other on WeChat!”

Did this kid really not understand what was just polite small talk?

But if he contradicted him now, the kid would probably feel hurt, right?

Ah, forget it, letting him interpret it that way was fine too.

Li Zhiyi, not bothering to explain, took out his phone with a smile.

Scan, add friend—done in one smooth motion.

—

After a while, as it was almost time to wrap up, everyone started gathering their things.

Li Zhiyi’s gaze swept over Qiao Xingzhou and suddenly stopped.

“Why is your face red?” Something had clearly gone out of control, and Li Zhiyi felt a bit frustrated. “Didn’t I tell you not to drink?”

“I didn’t drink any alcohol,” Qiao Xingzhou obediently shook his head and started counting on his fingers as he recapped to himself. “I only had one glass of orange juice, one glass of red juice, and one glass of pink juice…”

Li Zhiyi felt a headache coming on.

“…Wait.” He couldn’t help but voice his doubt. “Are you sure the pink liquid can be juice?”

With that question, Qiao Xingzhou suddenly felt a bit uncertain.

“Um, isn’t pink juice pretty normal?” Qiao Xingzhou thought for a moment. “Just like how two plus two equals three, perfectly normal.”

Li Zhiyi hadn’t drunk much, but he suddenly felt a bit dizzy. “Young Master Qiao, two plus two should equal four.”

“Hmm? Two plus two equals four?” Qiao Xingzhou tilted his head, as if trying to shake out the question marks swirling in his mind. “That can’t be right; only two times two equals four.”

“Can’t they both just equal four?” Even someone as patient as Li Zhiyi had reached his limit with Qiao Xingzhou’s unique logic. “Forget it… I finally understand.”

Qiao Xingzhou looked at him, still puzzled. “What do you understand, Brother?”

Li Zhiyi took a deep breath, with a hint of helplessness. “I finally understand: there’s no point in arguing with a little drunkard.”

“Eh, ‘little drunkard’? Are you talking about me?” Qiao Xingzhou asked in a daze, pointing at himself.

“Yes, you. The little drunkard.” Li Zhiyi draped his jacket over his arm and called out, “Hu Tianhao, come over here for a moment.”

Hu Tianhao dutifully came over. “What’s up?”

Li Zhiyi’s gaze lingered on Qiao Xingzhou. “You take Young Master Qiao home. He’s drunk.”

Qiao Xingzhou, as if jolted awake from a dire illness, suddenly sprang up with surprising energy.

He shook his head. “I don’t want him to take me!”

Li Zhiyi took a deep breath. “Then give me your home phone number, and I’ll call to have someone from your family come pick you up.”

Qiao Xingzhou shook his head again. “I don’t want anyone to come get me either.”

Hu Tianhao found this amusing. “Hey, not this and not that, what exactly do you want, Young Master Qiao?”

“I want… I want…” Qiao Xingzhou felt even dizzier. He shook his head and reached out a hand toward Li Zhiyi. “Brother, could you come over? Just for a moment.”

Li Zhiyi instinctively looked into Qiao Xingzhou’s eyes, meeting his gaze.

Catching sight of the little drunkard’s hazy, dazed expression, his throat suddenly felt a bit dry.

Li Zhiyi couldn’t help but think:

What’s going on? Looking at him like this… he actually seems kind of… cute?

Why is he reaching out to me? Could he… possibly want a hug?

Maybe… I should just give him one?

Instinctively, Li Zhiyi lifted his leg and walked over to Qiao Xingzhou, stopping right in front of him.

Qiao Xingzhou moved, grabbing hold of Li Zhiyi’s shirt.

Li Zhiyi showed an understanding expression. “So you really wanted a hu—”

“Urgh!”

And then Qiao Xingzhou threw up all over Li Zhiyi.

Since he had grabbed onto Li Zhiyi’s shirt in advance, there was no chance for Li Zhiyi to dodge.

Li Zhiyi held himself back, breathing, breathing, and breathing again.

Once he had calmed down, he asked, suppressing his anger, “You called me over… just to throw up on me?”

“…No,” Qiao Xingzhou innocently protested, “I just… wanted to tell you, Brother, I just figured it out in my head: two plus two really does equal four.”

Li Zhiyi fell silent, feeling, for a brief moment, as if his soul had left his body, leaving behind only an empty shell.

Hu Tianhao, standing to the side, spoke up cautiously, “You, Don’t you have… severe mysophobia? Are you okay?”

Li Zhiyi felt that something was wrong with him, really wrong, something major.

“Qiao Xingzhou.”

“Hmm?”

In a very gentle tone, Li Zhiyi spoke words that sent chills down one’s spine: “You should be grateful that you’re drunk right now. If you were sober, even if your proof won a Nobel Prize in Mathematics, you’d still have to disappear from this world.”