Once Upon a Time

Qin Chaochen and Fu Quezhi sat in the car, with Qin Chaochen looking at Fu Quezhi’s face in a way he had never done before. He was reminded of some things.

Fu Quezhi always kept a distance from people, being alone from childhood to adulthood, not liking to interact with others.

“Chaochen, your neighbor got first place in the whole grade again, that’s amazing.”

Qin Chaochen stuffed his test paper into his desk, “He’s always like that, it’s no big deal.”

The model student in front seemed to have heard Qin Chaochen’s words, his dark eyes glanced at Qin Chaochen and then turned away.

Qin Chaochen felt annoyed and embarrassed by that glance, but then he regained his composure, unwrapping a mint candy from his pocket and savoring it slowly.

“Chaochen, you did well this time, moving up ten places in the class and a hundred in the grade,” He Ze said curiously and enviously, “Can I borrow your tutor? I can pay tuition.”

“What do you mean borrow?” Qin Chaochen coughed lightly, “He tutors one-on-one.”

He Ze could only sigh, “It’s so hard to find a reliable tutor these days. You really come to our class to listen to lectures.”

Because of Qin Chaochen’s good performance and sweet talk, the homeroom teacher of Class Ten allowed him to attend their classes whenever he had time.

After class started, Qin Chaochen collected the candy wrapper from the desk. The teacher came up to explain the mistakes on the test paper, and Qin Chaochen arranged his test paper, marking it with a red pen. He only got two multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions wrong, and he got three big questions right. He sneakily glanced at Fu Quezhi sitting in the third row.

The teacher asked Fu Quezhi to go to the blackboard to write down the problem-solving process.

“Draw an auxiliary line at point B…” His voice was cool, his posture tall, and his fingers gripped the chalk as he wrote down one mathematical formula after another on the blackboard.

After school, Qin Chaochen quickly slung his backpack over his shoulder and ran out of the classroom, heading straight to another teaching building.

He Ze called out, “Why are you running so fast, Chaochen!!”

As Qin Chaochen passed by the convenience store, he casually bought two bottles of soda.

This teaching building had many empty classrooms, and you needed to get the key from the administrator to open them. Qin Chaochen leaned against the wall, logged into his QQ account, and poked a black-and-white avatar.

It didn’t take long before Fu Quezhi, also carrying a backpack, came and unlocked the empty classroom.

“You’re late this time,” Qin Chaochen complained as he put his backpack on the desk and took out his exercise book.

“I was held back by the homeroom teacher for a talk,” Fu Quezhi explained as he started tutoring Qin Chaochen.

This was their deal: Fu Quezhi would tutor Qin Chaochen, and in return, Qin Chaochen would help Fu Quezhi with something unconditionally. There were also some unclear conditions that Qin Chaochen grudgingly agreed to.

“You had mint candy again,” Fu Quezhi stated, not as a question, his tone calm and without a hint of anger.

“Do you want some?” Qin Chaochen rummaged through his pocket and reluctantly took out the last mint candy, handing it to Fu Quezhi with a fierce look.

Fu Quezhi probably wouldn’t want it; he didn’t like sweets.

Fu Quezhi wanted to refuse, but seeing the reluctant look in Qin Chaochen’s eyes, he took the mint candy from Qin Chaochen’s palm.

“Now, listen to the lesson.”

Qin Chaochen sat in his chair, puffing his cheeks, watching Fu Quezhi explain the problems.

Fu Quezhi explained more thoroughly and meticulously than in class, connecting the knowledge points from first and second year, making it more suitable for Qin Chaochen’s situation and better than his classroom lectures.

“Drink some water,” Qin Chaochen quickly handed water to Fu Quezhi when he saw him getting thirsty from explaining.

Fu Quezhi took a few sips and continued tutoring Qin Chaochen.

“Do you understand this problem now?”

Qin Chaochen leaned in a bit, unconsciously acting spoiled, “Can you explain it a bit more?”

Qin Chaochen was so close that Fu Quezhi could smell the sweet and fresh scent of mint candy on him. It was so close that if Fu Quezhi just looked up, he could see Qin Chaochen’s collarbone.

The warm breath was getting closer.

Fu Quezhi felt a bit hot and moved back a little, “I’ll explain it again.”

After they finished, Qin Chaochen finally understood the remaining problems. He was so happy that even his rival, Fu Quezhi, seemed more agreeable.

“Fu Quezhi, you really deserve to be first in the grade!”

Fu Quezhi replied, “Study hard.”

Qin Chaochen didn’t want to argue with Fu Quezhi’s underlying message, so he brought up another topic, “Can you also help He Ze? Helping one is helping, helping two is also helping.”

Fu Quezhi’s expression turned slightly cold.

Qin Chaochen continued, “He Ze’s grades are better than mine, it shouldn’t be hard for you to help him. Fu Quezhi, this is a good deal…” Qin Chaochen’s voice grew softer.

Fu Quezhi said, “I said one-on-one means one-on-one.”

“Or do you think you have the right to decide for me?” Fu Quezhi sneered, pushing Qin Chaochen against the wall and looking at his face, “Qin Chaochen, you should have some sense of contract.”

“I’m not forcing you if you don’t agree,” Qin Chaochen’s nose turned red with grievance, almost jumping up, feeling uneasy, “Do you have to be like this,” he sniffed, “We just don’t get along.”

Qin Chaochen’s neck turned pink, and his face was red, not knowing if it was from anger or embarrassment. His fair, jade-like face was flushed, like beautiful, delicate white porcelain.

Fu Quezhi was momentarily stunned, suddenly noticing a drop of water falling to the floor, splashing into tiny droplets and disappearing.

Then a pair of hands covered his eyes, accompanied by Qin Chaochen’s exasperated voice, “Don’t look!! You, you can’t look!!”

Fu Quezhi’s eyelashes trembled, he didn’t move, his body somewhat stiff. Suddenly, he quietly extended a hand, and a drop of water fell into his palm.

Fu Quezhi recoiled as if burned, pulling back his hand immediately. The sensation in his palm traveled to his heart, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and a blush crept up his ears, his breathing becoming rapid as he swallowed.

His palm was sweaty, and even his fingertips tingled.

It was as if a drop of hot oil had fallen into a clear glass of water, quickly spreading through it. A few strands of hair fell over Fu Quezhi’s face, his pale lips tightly pressed together.

*

“We’re home.” Fu Quezhi unbuckled his seatbelt.

Qin Chaochen seemed to still be in a daze. Fu Quezhi leaned over to unbuckle his seatbelt, the faint scent on Fu Quezhi was fresh, and Qin Chaochen awkwardly avoided it.

Fu Quezhi’s eyebrows furrowed slightly and then relaxed.

Unbuckling a seatbelt made Qin Chaochen’s neck turn red.

During the process, he didn’t dare to breathe, and once it was done, his breathing returned to normal as he quickly jumped out of the car, taking deep breaths.

Fu Quezhi got out of the car leisurely, asking with concern, “What’s wrong?”

“You, you smell like mint,” Qin Chaochen said, looking up, his forehead damp and sticking to his fair cheek.

Qin Chaochen was very sensitive to the smell of mint, his favorite scent since childhood, like the refreshing smell of summer.

Fu Quezhi’s heart skipped a beat, feeling hot, with a burning sensation lingering around them. Perhaps it was too hot, sweat beaded on his forehead, and Fu Quezhi didn’t directly answer Qin Chaochen’s words. Instead, he took something out of his pocket.

Opening his palm was a mint candy, slightly softened by the warmth in his pocket, with beads of sweat in his palm.

He asked softly, “Want some?”

No one knew that the mint candy Qin Chaochen once gave Fu Quezhi was kept on his bookshelf as a cherished treasure until it melted and left a stain.