Yu Xinqiao felt that his pursuit plan had reached a bottleneck.

He Tangyue laughed when she heard it. “Hasn’t it been at a bottleneck all along?”

Liang Yi spoke up for his friend. “I think it’s still working to some extent. At least Qiao’s love letters haven’t ended up in the trash can.”

He Tangyue, “…”

Yu Xinqiao told them about what happened at noon. “The gatekeeper adopted a stray cat, right? So, after finishing my meal, I went over to pet it. Coincidentally, Huanhuan also finished his meal and came out for a stroll. Oh, right, he brought his own lunch. I wanted to ask for a bite, but he didn’t give it to me and even glared at me fiercely… Speaking of the school gate, I called him to come and pet the cat with me, but guess what? He ran away, faster than Usain Bolt!”

The three of them gathered around a desk, lost in thought.

“Does he dislike cats?” He Tangyue speculated. “But cats are so cute. How can anyone not like cats?”

Yu Xinqiao thought about the fact that Xu Yanhuan was afraid of dogs. Usually, people are afraid of dogs because they have been bitten and left traumatized. But what about being bitten by a dog and scratched by a cat? Are there people who are disliked by small animals to such an extent? That would be too unlucky.

“Who is Usain Bolt?” Liang Yi also questioned. “Can he run faster than me when I hear the bell for the end of class?”

Three stooges can’t become Zhuge Liang, wasting a whole recess.

TN: Zhuge Liang(181-234) was a Chief Military Advisor in ancient China widely recognized as one of the greatest strategists during the Three Kingdoms period. He had great intelligence and foresight. He is a symbol of wisdom and strategy in Chinese culture. 

According to the initial plan, it was supposed to take two weeks to pursue someone, but unexpectedly, it had been two months already, and in another two months it would almost reach summer vacation. Yu Xinqiao became anxious. What about having a happy and fulfilling relationship? What about living with his own style and being confident in front of Mrs. Yao?

He decided to seek external assistance.

After ordering takeout and returning home in the evening, Yu Xinqiao messaged Xiao Kaiyan, his classmate and good friend in the capital: “Sister, I’m in urgent need of help!”

Xiao Kaiyan directly called him. “You still remember to contact me, you little rascal?”

Yu Xinqiao chuckled guiltily. “I’ve been busy, you know.”

“You’re so busy that you forgot about us, your old friends?”

“I was exiled to Xuncheng, not promoted. I didn’t want too many people to know.”

Xiao Kaiyan hummed. “Tell me, what do you need from me?”

Yu Xinqiao asked first, “Have you changed boyfriends recently?”

He heard that Xiao Kaiyan had just successfully pursued the most popular guy in the neighboring class in less than a week. Yu Xinqiao thought this was a good opportunity and wanted her to share her experience in pursuing someone.

Speaking of Yu Xinqiao’s coming out event, Xiao Kaiyan played a crucial role in providing encouragement, so she was very curious about the first man Yu Xinqiao had set his sights on. “What kind of person is he? Is he handsome?”

Yu Xinqiao reminisced about Xu Yanhuan’s face. “Well, he’s definitely more handsome than those male celebrities on TV.”

“Is he really that handsome, or are you just filtering him through a boyfriend lens?”

Yu Xinqiao blushed and said, “He’s not even my boyfriend yet.”

He poured out all the efforts he had made during this period to Xiao Kaiyan, but as he spoke, a sense of frustration emerged, and he became more and more dispirited.

Xiao Kaiyan commented, “You’ve had it too easy in life, so when you encounter a little setback, you lose your spirit.”

Yu Xinqiao lamented, “What do you mean by ‘a little setback’? I’ve been pursuing him for two months.”

“Two months?” Xiao Kaiyan chuckled. “It seems like you really like him, huh?”

Hearing the word “like,” Yu Xinqiao inexplicably felt a warmth in his ears. “I-I can’t just give up halfway, right?”

Xiao Kaiyan summed it up for him, “En, your core competitive advantage is that you’re not bad-looking, but if the other person is also good-looking, then that’s not necessarily a bonus in his eyes.”

“Who said he’s better-looking than me? We have different types of attractiveness.”

“But you’ve tried every trick, and he still hasn’t responded, huh?”

“…”

“But there’s one trick that you haven’t tried. Any man would feel anxious if that trick is used.”

Yu Xinqiao was getting impatient now. “What trick? Tell me!”

“Take a step back to move forward, be neither too close nor too distant. From his perspective, if the person who used to cling to me suddenly stops clinging, do you think he won’t be anxious?”

Although the love expert Xiao Kaiyan herself admitted that she had never used this trick, her exact words were, “The risk is high, and it’s likely that while retreating, you may directly exit the other person’s life.”

However, Yu Xinqiao still decided to give it a try. After all, he had run out of ideas and had no other options left.

He approached the matter with a relaxed mindset. Taking a step back to move forward meant acting aloof. If he ignored the other person, the other person would also ignore him. Being neither too close nor too distant meant showing up at the right moment, making his presence felt, and striking a chord with the other person’s teenage heart.

Thinking that Xiao Kaiyan was so capable, with the teacher having exceptional students, Yu Xinqiao believed he wouldn’t fall behind. He started “retreating” with peace of mind. He stopped writing love letters, stopped lingering at the playground, and reduced the number of times he ran to the back row of the classroom.

He restrained himself from turning his head back during class and secretly speculated, “Is Huanhuan staring at the back of my head, thinking, ‘Man, you’ve successfully caught my attention’?”

Yu Xinqiao did catch the attention of Xu Yanhuan because he had signed up for a basketball tournament.

It seemed like he had no other choice. That day, Xu Yanhuan saw him practicing with a few tall classmates on the playground. The teammates collectively mocked Yu Xinqiao for his poor stamina and lousy skills. With a mournful face, Yu Xinqiao said, “I was forced to join in by Yueyue. Don’t have high expectations of me… How about I treat you all to drinks later?”

After saying that, he turned his head, and their gazes met. Before Xu Yanhuan could turn away, Yu Xinqiao had already turned his head first, awkwardly looking in another direction as if he hadn’t seen him.

Xu Yanhuan: “…”

What kind of situation is this again?

That day, the physical education class was combined with the neighboring Class Four. The physical education teacher was training the students who would participate in the sports meet, while the other students had free activities.

Carrying a basketball out of the equipment room, Yu Xinqiao looked around but didn’t see Xu Yanhuan’s figure. However, he noticed that his own teammates were having a dispute with the students from the neighboring class.

They were fighting over the basketball court.

The students from the neighboring class, relying on their size and arrogance, said, “Your class won’t achieve any rankings anyway, so practicing is useless.”

The captain on this side was their own person, Wang Kun, the boy whose family owned a hardware store and was known as “Sausage.”

“I remember your class didn’t even make it past the preliminary rounds last year,” Wang Kun sneered. “Don’t talk big.”

The student with the short buzz cut pointed to Shen Daye, who was also reluctantly participating, and said, “Is there no one left in your class? Even someone like him with that hairstyle is here to play basketball?”

At this moment, Yu Xinqiao walked to the side of the court, once again attracting ridicule from the students in the neighboring class. “Here comes another one. Even with just this, you still won’t give up the court. Are we all here to watch your class’s ‘elderly and weak’ play house?”

Wang Kun gritted his teeth. “I warn you, don’t attack others personally.”

Tensions were rising, and Shen Daye, who was timid, nudged Yu Xinqiao beside him. “Let’s go.”

Yu Xinqiao also felt that it wasn’t necessary to fight over a basketball court. They could simply rent a court on the weekend for everyone to practice.

So he took two steps forward and said, “AKun, let’s leave and give it to them—”

Before the word “play” could leave his mouth, the guy with the buzz cut scanned the crowd and sneered even more disdainfully, “Where’s Xu Yanhuan from your class?”

Wang Kun raised his chin. “It’s none of your damn business.”

“He’s the only one from your class who can play with us. It’s a pity that he’s hiding like a cockroach again, huh?”

Wang Kun defended his classmate and couldn’t tolerate others insulting his classmates. He pointed at the buzz cut guy’s nose. “Second warning, if you want to fight for the court, fight for the court, but don’t attack others personally!”

“What’s the big deal? I’m just insulting him. Cockroach, cockroach, cockroach. If he treats you all as idiots, why would you consider him one of your own?” The buzz cut guy laughed. “Speaking of it, a few of us should be on the same side. Is that kind of cockroach even worthy?”

The guy with the buzz cut was named Xie Fei, and his family owned a restaurant. According to the unwritten social hierarchy in Xuncheng No. 2 High School, he should indeed be friends with Wang Kun and the others.

He Tangyue, who was watching, chimed in, “He’s good-looking, academically excellent, and can help improve the class average. Why isn’t he worthy?”

Due to the competitive instinct of male beings, boys of this age particularly dislike those guys who are pursued by girls, and Xie Fei is no exception.

He sneered, “Don’t you know where he hangs out most of the time? Last time, I saw him at the wholesale market, doing manual labor for only ten bucks an hour.”

“I heard his father is a compulsive gambler who owes hundreds of thousands to loan sharks. He acts all aloof and superior in front of us, thinking he’s something. He’s just a broke loser…f*ck!”

Just as the words were spoken, there was a loud “bang,” and a basketball traced an arc from the side of the court, heavily and accurately hitting Xie Fei’s head.

Before Xie Fei could retaliate, Yu Xinqiao innocently said, “Oops. Sorry about that, my fellow student. I couldn’t help but try shooting since your head seems as empty as the basketball hoop.”

During the last period of self-study in the afternoon, Yu Xinqiao returned to the classroom.

He held his arm, looking dejected and with his head hanging down.

The homeroom teacher was absent, and half of the class was whispering to each other.

Some were talking loudly. Wang Kun, sitting in the back row, was eating the sausage brought by Liang Yi, his mouth full of oil, vividly describing what had happened earlier to his desk mate who hadn’t attended the physical education class. “I didn’t expect Xiao Yu to be so fierce. Don’t be fooled by his skinny arms and legs; he’s quite strong. He left Xie Fei dumbfounded after hitting him.”

“I think Yu Xinqiao didn’t fare well either. Did he get beaten up?”

“Yeah, how could Xie Fei let it slide? Once he regained his senses, he threw the ball back at him, but luckily, Yu Xinqiao dodged and it only grazed his arm.”

“In that case, Xie Fei had it worse.”

“I think so too. Hahaha!”

After school, Xu Yanhuan was the last one to leave the classroom. To delay encountering someone looking to collect debts, he wandered around the building a few times, going upstairs and downstairs.

When he came down from the second floor, passing by the men’s restroom on this floor, he heard familiar voices conversing near the sink area by the entrance.

“What did the teacher talk to you about?”

“He told me to tone it down. If we really fought with them, regardless of the outcome, it would go on our records.”

“Good thing it didn’t escalate… I heard Shen Daye say that guy bad-mouthed him?”

“Yeah, his words were really offensive, and I couldn’t stand it.”

“But he didn’t say anything too extreme, right? Just that he works outside and his family has debts or something?”

“They even call him a cockroach, isn’t that offensive?”

“Hey, why are you getting so angry?”

The more Yu Xinqiao thought about it, the angrier he became. He moved his arm, tears welling up from the pain, and grimaced as he said, “What’s wrong with working? He didn’t steal or rob anyone. Labor is the most honorable! And the debt isn’t his, it’s his dad’s! Everyone knows that those who lend money at high interest rates have a reason for their grievances. How can a seventeen or eighteen-year-old high school student be so snobbish and unable to bear seeing others doing well?”

Liang Yi said, “…You’re talking as if you’re not a seventeen or eighteen-year-old high school student.”

With Liang Yi’s help, Yu Xinqiao washed his face and cleaned his hands, feeling relieved at last.

While cautioning Liang Yi not to spread rumors, Yu Xinqiao strolled leisurely, bumped into someone while discussing what flavor of ice cream to have today. 

Liang Yi, quick to react, called out, “Hi, Xu Ge,” and turned and ran, shouting, “I’ll wait for you at the convenience store, Qiao!”

Yu Xinqiao thought it wasn’t necessary to be so cautious; he might just be passing by.

After standing face to face for a minute, Yu Xinqiao cautiously asked for confirmation, “You were waiting for me?”

Xu Yanhuan replied with a simple “En.”

Yu Xinqiao boldly guessed, “You weren’t eavesdropping on my conversation with Xiao Yi, were you?”

Xu Yanhuan pursed his lips and seemed speechless for a moment before saying, “I didn’t eavesdrop.”

“Oh.” Yu Xinqiao nodded, trying to find something to say, “So, you were openly listening.”

This was the first normal conversation they had back and forth.

It felt so normal to Yu Xinqiao that he thought the sun might have risen from the west today. If circumstances allowed, he even considered finding a camera to record their conversation and save it on the computer, naming it “The Magical Moment When Huanhuan Learned to Use His Mouth.”

It was from this point that Yu Xinqiao realized Xu Yanhuan wasn’t socially anxious or hindered in communication. He simply chose not to speak out of laziness or a lack of necessity—an energy-saving mode, so to speak.

Xu Yanhuan asked, “Why did you hit Xie Fei?”

Yu Xinqiao looked up at the sky and said, “Because I don’t like him.”

“Because he bad-mouthed me?”

“That’s one reason… but mainly because he took over our basketball court.”

Yu Xinqiao’s gaze remained elsewhere, clearly not skilled at lying.

However, since he answered that way, it would be difficult for him to change his mind. Xu Yanhuan didn’t ask any further and coldly said, “Don’t meddle in other people’s business in the future.”

“…” Yu Xinqiao felt annoyed and muttered softly, “How can you call it meddling?”

After their conversation, the two of them walked out one after the other.

Just walking from the teaching building to the school gate, Yu Xinqiao felt as if he were being escorted as a suspect.

For some reason, Xu Yanhuan, who usually walked confidently ahead, had changed today. He was walking behind, neither too close nor too far, making Yu Xinqiao feel uneasy. He constantly felt as if there was an icy gaze piercing through him from behind.

Xu Yanhuan was indeed looking at Yu Xinqiao, or more precisely, at the wound on Yu Xinqiao’s arm.

Although he had already washed it, and it hadn’t broken the skin, the bruises of various shades of red and purple on his arm were still prominent.

One possible reason was that Yu Xinqiao had very fair skin. Xu Yanhuan had never seen someone so fair in real life. He remembered the night when Yu Xinqiao had lowered his head and bumped into his chest, revealing a glimpse of his nape, resembling snow between mountains.

His arms were thin as well, as if they could break with a twist.

Xu Yanhuan couldn’t understand how someone like him dared to use a basketball to strike Xie Fei, who was 1.85 meters tall and weighed at least *180 catties.

*About 90kgs

As they walked out of the school gate, Yu Xinqiao suddenly realized, “He’s following me. Could it be that he’s thinking about how to thank me?”

Yu Xinqiao didn’t like being indebted to others, and he understood that owing favors wasn’t a pleasant feeling. He thought that he might as well go the extra mile and provide Xu Yanhuan with a suggestion.

With determination, Yu Xinqiao turned around, and Xu Yanhuan stopped in his tracks.

The two of them locked eyes for a moment, and while Yu Xinqiao’s ears were still warm, he quickly made a proposal, “How about you treat me to ice cream?”

Yu Xinqiao made this suggestion with careful consideration. Although he wanted to say, “How about you and me start dating,” he hadn’t forgotten that he was currently in a crucial moment of “taking a step back to move forward.” It wasn’t appropriate to be too aggressive at this time, as it might ruin the progress.

Moreover, Xu Yanhuan’s family conditions weren’t that good, and it would be a bit extravagant for him to treat Yu Xinqiao to a meal. Ice cream was just right. It would give him an opportunity to express gratitude and bring the two of them closer together. It could be considered a win-win situation.

They went to a shop outside the school. If they went to Liang Yi’s family convenience store, the money would most likely go unused.

The shop wasn’t big, with only one freezer filled with colorful packaging and a wide variety of options. Yu Xinqiao took his time choosing and finally settled on a cute panda-shaped ice cream.

Glancing at the prices, the one with a rose-shaped top was eight yuan, while the regular version without the shape was five yuan.

If Yu Xinqiao were buying it for himself, he would definitely choose the more expensive one.

But 8 yuan and 53 cents could buy three cans of drinks at a barbecue stall.

And it was Xu Yanhuan who would be paying.

It took him an hour of moving goods just to earn ten yuan.

Yu Xinqiao licked his lips and thought, “It’s just an ice cream flower. It’s all show, and they taste the same in the end.”

He picked up the regular panda-shaped ice cream and placed it on the counter, saying, “I’ll have this one.”

Xu Yanhuan took some other items from the shelves and paid together.

When they walked out, carrying the plastic bag, he took out a pen from it and put the rest in his pocket without even looking back.

He didn’t even say “goodbye.”

The scene of eating ice cream together, as imagined, didn’t come true. Yu Xinqiao raised his uninjured arm and weakly waved it, saying, “Goodbye, see you tomorrow!”

He watched the tall figure disappear at the corner, then turned around. Slowly, he opened the plastic bag.

And then he froze.

Inside, besides the panda-shaped ice cream, there was also a box of medicated plasters. Turning it over, the label listed its efficacy as promoting blood circulation and dissipating blood stasis.

It wasn’t the plain version of the panda-shaped ice cream that Yu Xinqiao had chosen. It was a slightly more expensive deluxe version, with a lifelike rose lying on top of the crispy cone.

——————–

Author’s Note:

“A man’s money is where his love is. Do you understand now, Yu Xinqiao?”

And it seems that the rose version of the panda-shaped ice cream may have been introduced in the past two years. This plot requires some adjustments~