**Chapter 110. Extra Story**

[This extra story is set in a parallel world, with minimal connections to the main plot.]

Chi Muyao sat on the hospital bed in a daze for a long time.

He hadn’t died suddenly after all. He woke up, and his parents came to visit him. His sister flicked his forehead, saying, “You scared us to death. If it wasn’t for you fainting and knocking over the potted plant, making a noise, we wouldn’t have known anything had happened. You spend all day hiding in your room reading, not letting anyone in…”

Chi Muyao stared blankly at his sister before leaning over and hugging her tightly. “Sis, I missed you.”

His sister froze for a moment, her nose tingling with emotion, and then she started crying. Stroking Chi Muyao’s soft short hair, she comforted him, “Don’t stay up late anymore, okay? Your health is the most important thing. It doesn’t matter if you don’t become the top student in the province. We just want you to be well.”

“Okay,” Chi Muyao responded.

His life in the novel world had lasted hundreds of years. During that time, he hadn’t seen his parents or his sister, so of course, he missed them terribly.

He came from a family of scholars, with wealth and understanding parents. His sister, Chi Muyan, was beautiful and gentle, holding the title of school beauty from middle school through to her postgraduate studies.

Though Chi Muyao was the youngest in the family, he wasn’t spoiled. He was well-behaved and always treated his sister kindly. His parents were impartial and treated their children equally, making their family harmonious.

This was part of the reason Chi Muyao had such a calm temperament.

Now, after his hospitalization and several days in a coma, Chi Muyao’s recovery had given his family quite a scare.

Once everything stabilized and Chi Muyao was discharged, his family started noticing something different about him. 

Their once studious son, who had been obsessed with his studies and sometimes played games but finished them quickly, now seemed to have changed completely. He no longer had the same passion for studying. Instead, he would leisurely brew tea, hold the cup in a daze, and sigh.

At times, when they couldn’t find him, they assumed he had snuck off to study again. But then they would find him watering the plants on the balcony, trimming the leaves, and even mentioning that he wanted to raise a bird—specifically, a yellow oriole.

Drinking tea, gardening, and now raising birds? This change seemed a bit too drastic.

In truth, Chi Muyao himself felt a bit disoriented. Since returning from the novel world, he couldn’t stop thinking about Xi Huai and the friends he made in that world. He worried that leaving that world meant he would never see them again.

This troubled him for a while.

Then, back at school, after being reassigned classes due to exams, he found himself face-to-face with Yu Yanshu and Yi Qianxi in his new class. He was stunned.

His school followed a flexible class schedule system, with the college entrance exams based on a 3+2 model, meaning the class structure wasn’t fixed. The Rocket Class, in particular, was reserved for the top students, with placements based on grades, so the students weren’t constant.

Chi Muyao had originally planned to skip a grade, but his illness had delayed those plans, so he was still in his second year of high school.

Looking at the second-year Rocket Class students, he felt as though his world was a bit chaotic…

Then, turning around, he saw Mu Ren standing angrily at the door of the Rocket Class, exclaiming, “I was just a little short of making it in!”

It seemed Mu Ren had barely missed qualifying for the Rocket Class.

Could it be possible that even Xi Huai was in this world?

Chi Muyao walked over to Yi Qianxi and sat next to her as her desk mate.

Yi Qianxi was stretching her neck when she glanced at him, then looked around. She was a bit confused as to why the school’s heartthrob was suddenly sitting next to her. Wouldn’t this make her a target for jealousy?

What made it worse was that their school’s heartthrob was quite special. Not only did girls like him, but there were also boys who fought over him. Yet, the heartthrob himself seemed completely unaware of the chaos he caused and didn’t even know anyone had feelings for him.

Chi Muyao, acting as if he were very familiar with her, whispered, “Do you know Xi Huai?”

He asked this nervously, fearing that Xi Huai didn’t exist in this world or that he went by a different name. If that were the case, Chi Muyao would fall into despair.

“The athlete?” Yi Qianxi asked tentatively.

“He really exists?!”

“Huh?” Yi Qianxi was utterly confused.

This was their first conversation, but why was the heartthrob speaking so oddly? She had no idea how to continue this conversation.

Chi Muyao was overjoyed for a moment, then asked, “Is he a first-year student?”

“He’s a third-year.”

“He’s older than me?!” Chi Muyao was so surprised that his voice rose.

“Yeah, don’t you know him? I always wondered how he got into our school. With that face of his, he’s handsome, sure, but if someone told me he’s responsible for a few lives, I’d believe it.”

Chi Muyao suddenly felt incredibly happy, smiling radiantly. Already devilishly handsome, his smile made him even more dazzling, as if all the sunlight in the room had gathered around him, making him glow with brilliance.

Yi Qianxi swallowed nervously. With looks like that, it was no wonder so many people liked him.

Chi Muyao sat at his desk, propping his face in his hands, thrilled by the fact that Xi Huai was a year older than him.

Finally, he could hold his head high!

Xi Huai, you’ve finally met your match!

*

Xi Huai stood in the cafeteria, a head taller than most of the boys around him, making him stand out in the crowd.

One side of the cafeteria featured large floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a clear view of the locust trees outside. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting a net of mottled shadows inside the cafeteria.

Xi Huai stood within that net, his hair and chin illuminated by the light, making his harshly handsome face appear slightly softened by the brightness.

Standing beside him were his friends, Song Weiyue and Zong Sicheng, all waiting in line for food.

“Hey, hey, there’s Chi Muyao,” Zong Sicheng nudged the others with his elbow.

“What’s so special about him? He looks so effeminate.”

Zong Sicheng didn’t mind, “Generally speaking, when a guy describes another guy as effeminate, it’s actually the highest form of praise for his looks.”

Song Weiyue couldn’t help but steal a few glances at Chi Muyao as well.

Xi Huai, initially just standing in line, also glanced briefly at Chi Muyao. He wasn’t interested in other boys and only gave him a quick once-over. He thought Chi Muyao looked frail and weak, so he didn’t bother looking any longer.

But then, Zong Sicheng got excited, “I feel like he’s looking our way.”

“It does seem like it… He’s raising his head, looking right at Xi Huai?”

Xi Huai, drawn by their words, glanced over at Chi Muyao again. Their eyes met briefly.

Chi Muyao’s eyes seemed to naturally brim with emotion, sparkling as he looked at Xi Huai, full of affection, causing Xi Huai’s heart to skip a beat.

Flustered, Xi Huai quickly looked away, but when he glanced back again, Chi Muyao was still staring at him.

This made Xi Huai frown. As they got closer in the line, he couldn’t hold back any longer and asked Chi Muyao, “What are you staring at?”

His tone was definitely confrontational, as if picking a fight.

But then the beautiful boy in front of him unexpectedly said, “You’re… you’re so handsome!”

“…”

“My name’s Chi Muyao.”

“Oh.”

“I know your name is Xi Huai.”

“…” Xi Huai didn’t know how to respond. This kid wasn’t afraid of him and even continued chatting with him?

When their turn came in the line, Chi Muyao finished getting his food and left, but not before saying, “I’m off to eat now, bye.”

“Uh… okay.” Xi Huai found this all very strange. He didn’t even know this person. Why was he saying goodbye?

After sitting down with his tray, Xi Huai couldn’t shake the feeling of Chi Muyao’s gaze on him, which made him incredibly uncomfortable.

Zong Sicheng mumbled, “Could the school heartthrob be a bottom?”

Song Weiyue nodded in agreement, “He does give off that vibe.”

Xi Huai: “…”

What kind of nonsense were they talking about?

Chi Muyao, meanwhile, was filled with excitement.

He had met Xi Huai in the real world!

Tall, with sharp features and a neat, short haircut, without the dragon horns on his forehead from the novel. Although his appearance was different, that same unfriendly look in his eyes was exactly the same as he remembered.

This person might not recognize him, but Chi Muyao didn’t care. He knew this was Xi Huai. Just one look was enough for him to be certain.

That’s right, it’s the difficult-to-get-along-with, bad-tempered, and sharp-tongued Xi Huai!

Ahhh! Xi Huai glared at him—so cute, he really liked it!

*

Xi Huai followed Zong Sicheng and the others to the entrance of the Rocket Class for second-year students, watching his friend flirt with a girl from the class.

His friend’s name was Lu Tao, and he had recently taken a liking to one of the girls from the Rocket Class and was pursuing her aggressively.

Feeling rather bored, Xi Huai leaned against the windowsill, sipping his breakfast milk through a straw.

The students from the Rocket Class started arriving one after another, carrying their bags for class, and among them was Chi Muyao.

Chi Muyao got excited when he saw Xi Huai and quickly ran over to him, prompting Xi Huai to look at him curiously, his confusion practically etched in his eyes.

Acting as if they were very familiar with each other, Chi Muyao asked, “Do you always drink milk?”

“…” What kind of strange question is that?

Chi Muyao glanced at the brand of milk in Xi Huai’s hand and asked seriously, “If I drink this every day, do you think I’ll grow taller? I don’t need to be as tall as you, just two more centimeters would be enough.”

Chi Muyao, who was 178 centimeters tall, really wanted to grow just 2 more centimeters to reach 180. He thought it would make him look more handsome and sound a bit more impressive too.

Xi Huai stared at him in confusion before replying, “Height mainly depends on genetics. If you don’t have that, it doesn’t matter what you drink.”

“But still… I want to give it a try!” Chi Muyao was left feeling a bit wronged by Xi Huai’s blunt response.

“Then give it a shot,” Xi Huai said, softening slightly at Chi Muyao’s dejected expression. “Also, exercise more.”

Chi Muyao immediately perked up and asked, “I’m not very good at exercising. Can you teach me? Or maybe we could work out together… you could train me.”

“…”

Why was this guy acting so familiar?

Were they really this close?

Chi Muyao quickly added, “If you help me, I’ll buy you milk every day, how about that?”

“No.” Xi Huai rejected him outright. “I’m busy.”

“Oh… never mind then. Bye.” 

Feeling dejected, Chi Muyao slowly walked into the Rocket Class classroom with his backpack.

Song Weiyue witnessed the entire exchange and asked curiously, “What’s up with that kid?”

Zong Sicheng leaned over and whispered, “Why do I feel like the campus heartthrob has a crush on Brother Huai?”

Song Weiyue was surprised. “Is he really gay? Brother Huai basically just turned him down.”

Zong Sicheng nodded. “Yeah, what a pity.”

Xi Huai rolled his eyes and responded, “I’m not gay. What’s there to pity?”

Zong Sicheng peeked into the classroom. “If a guy that handsome came after me, I’d consider bending.”

“You’re out of your mind!” Xi Huai shot back and walked away.

*

The next time Chi Muyao ran into Xi Huai was in the dormitory.

When he was told someone was looking for him, Chi Muyao was puzzled. He walked out of his dorm and spotted Xi Huai standing at the end of the hallway. Excited, he rushed over and asked, “Are you here to see me?!”

Xi Huai was momentarily stunned by his excitement, followed by a flash of awkwardness.

Still in high spirits, Chi Muyao pulled out his phone. “I didn’t turn in my phone this week just so I could add you on WeChat. Can I get your WeChat ID?”

Xi Huai looked at him, then glanced around at the others. At that moment, Lu Tao spoke up, “I’m the one looking for you.”

“Huh?” Chi Muyao looked at him, confused. He didn’t recognize this guy, so he asked, “Do you need something from me?”

“I heard you’re close with Fang Xiaoying.”

“We’re okay. She’s my classmate.”

“If you switch seats on your own and stay away from her, I can let this go.”

Chi Muyao stared at Lu Tao, who was poking his shoulder as he spoke. It finally dawned on him that they weren’t here for a chat, but to warn him.

Ignoring Lu Tao, Chi Muyao turned to Xi Huai, who looked back at him, equally puzzled.

Xi Huai hadn’t wanted to come, but Lu Tao insisted, saying the more people, the more intimidating. Especially with Xi Huai there, his presence alone commanded respect. Reluctantly, Xi Huai had followed, never expecting the person Lu Tao was after to be Chi Muyao.

Seeing Chi Muyao staring at him now, Xi Huai felt inexplicably guilty.

“You’re not here to see me, you’re here to beat me up, right?” Chi Muyao asked Xi Huai, his voice full of hurt. His eyelids drooped slightly like a sad puppy, and his voice caught with a hint of a sob. “Do you really hate me that much?”

“It wasn’t me… it was him.” Xi Huai pointed at Lu Tao.

But Chi Muyao paid no attention to Lu Tao, continuing to focus on Xi Huai. “If you weren’t here to hit me, you wouldn’t have come to see me, right?”

Seeing Chi Muyao’s reddened eyes, looking on the verge of tears, Xi Huai felt a lump in his throat. His heart ached slightly—was he… actually feeling sorry for him?

Lu Tao, growing more furious as Chi Muyao ignored him, yelled, “I’m talking to you! Why are you changing the subject?!”

Xi Huai snapped, “Why are you yelling? Get lost!”

Lu Tao fell silent instantly, not daring to anger Xi Huai.

Lu Tao was utterly bewildered—how had his backup ended up siding with his enemy?

Xi Huai thought for a moment, then took out his phone. Maybe if he added Chi Muyao on WeChat, the kid would stop crying?

But Chi Muyao didn’t bring it up again. Instead, he lowered his head, trying hard to hold back his tears. “Fine, just don’t hit my face. It’ll be hard to explain to the teachers.”

“I’m not going to hit you—”

“So, you’re not hitting me?”

“No, I wasn’t—”

“Okay, I’m leaving. Bye.”

Chi Muyao left, his steps heavy with dejection, a stark contrast to the excitement he’d felt when he arrived.

Watching his slender figure retreat, Xi Huai frowned, shooting a glare at Lu Tao.

Lu Tao was completely lost. He had come to warn a rival to stay away from the girl he liked, but now, not only had his rival ignored him, even his friend seemed upset with him.

Xi Huai pocketed his phone, feeling oddly annoyed, and headed back to his dorm.

Lu Tao, utterly confused, followed behind.

Zong Sicheng trailed after them, muttering, “Seeing that little beauty about to cry made my heart ache. Am I bending too?”

Xi Huai suddenly turned and shouted at him, “Shut up!”

Zong Sicheng flinched and quickly quieted down.

*

Chi Muyao was so upset that he spent the entire night in his dorm unable to sleep.

The next morning, with dark circles under his eyes, he entered the classroom only to be met with Yi Qianxi’s worried voice. “I heard those jerks gave you trouble yesterday? Fang Xiaoying really isn’t easy to deal with. You usually avoid her, but she keeps chasing after you.”

Chi Muyao shook his head, not too concerned. “It’s nothing.”

He sat down and noticed a cup of warm milk on his desk. “Did you buy this for me?” he asked Yi Qianxi.

“No way, I couldn’t get one. The sports guys snatch up all the heated milk during their morning runs. By the time we get to the cafeteria, it’s long gone.”

Chi Muyao touched the cup; it was indeed warm.

The sports students gathered for practice at 5:30 a.m., and the regular students only woke up around the time for morning self-study. By then, most of the cafeteria food had already been taken by the athletes.

Looking at the milk, Chi Muyao had a suspicion that Xi Huai might have left it for him.

But soon, he dismissed the thought—there was no way. In this world, Xi Huai hated him.

Just then, he noticed Xi Huai standing at the back door of the classroom. When their eyes met, Xi Huai waved for him to come out.

Yi Qianxi grew anxious. “Are they here to start something again?”

Chi Muyao walked over and whispered to Xi Huai, “If you beat me up here, someone will stop you.”

“Meet me after evening self-study.”

“To beat me up then?”

“I’m not bored enough to hit you. Hitting you would hurt my hand.”

“So, what do you want?”

“To take you for a workout. Don’t you want to grow taller?”

Chi Muyao’s expression shifted from dejection to joy in an instant. His radiant eyes were like pearls scattered across the Milky Way.

Xi Huai’s mood inexplicably lifted at the sight, leaving him at a loss for words.

“Should I wear sneakers? Do I need to change into sports clothes? What’s the plan for today?” Chi Muyao asked excitedly.

“First, add me on WeChat. I need to get back to class.”

“Oh, okay!” Chi Muyao quickly pulled out his phone and added Xi Huai on WeChat.

Seeing Xi Huai’s profile picture appear on his phone screen, Chi Muyao could barely contain his happiness.

Xi Huai wanted to smile at the sight of him, but he forced himself to stay cool, suppressing the urge. As he turned to head up the stairs, he finally allowed a small grin to escape.

Wasn’t this guy supposed to be a top student? Why did he seem a little… dumb?

Still, he was undeniably handsome.

Those watery eyes… What would he look like when he cried?

Forget it, it’s better if he doesn’t cry. When he does, I feel bad too.

Back at his desk, Chi Muyao stared at his phone, checking out Xi Huai’s WeChat name, profile picture, and Moments.

Xi Huai’s WeChat name was absurdly childish: “Stop Nagging.” Chi Muyao quickly renamed him “Little Dragon” in his contacts. Otherwise, that username might chip away at his fondness for Xi Huai bit by bit.

His profile picture was a no-parking sign, probably to discourage people from bothering him.

As for his Moments… if Chi Muyao didn’t already understand Xi Huai’s personality, he might have felt like he wasn’t allowed to view them.

Chi Muyao sent Xi Huai a message: “Where should I meet you tonight?”

Xi Huai replied quickly: “Even the top student sends messages during class?”

Eating is the happiest: “I already know all this stuff. I finished all the material before the end of last semester. Now, it’s just review. I could take your grade’s exam and still get first place. If there’s anything you don’t understand, I can tutor you!”

Little Dragon: “…”

Eating is the happiest: “What’s wrong?”

Little Dragon: “Alright then.”

Eating is the happiest: “Hehe!”

Little Dragon: “After evening self-study, I’ll head back to class to grab my bag. Wait for me at my classroom door.”

Eating is the happiest: “Got it!”

The sports students had been training since the afternoon, and their training only ended when evening study concluded. That’s the time Xi Huai would return to the classroom to get his bag.

As soon as the evening study session ended, Chi Muyao quickly packed his things and grabbed his bag to head upstairs, ready to wait for Xi Huai.

When he reached the door of Class 7 of Senior Year 3, he saw Si Ruoyu walking out in work clothes, which made Chi Muyao freeze for a moment.

So, in this world, Si Ruoyu is a teacher…

Imagining Si Ruoyu’s personality as a role model for students, Chi Muyao couldn’t snap out of it for a long time.

“What are you looking at?” At that moment, Xi Huai appeared next to him, hooked his fingers around Chi Muyao’s backpack strap, and led him into Class 7 of Senior Year 3, stopping in front of his seat.

Chi Muyao had barely found his footing when Xi Huai, without hesitation, took off his short-sleeved shirt in front of him, wiped his sweat with a towel, and then changed into another shirt.

Chi Muyao: “……”

Inner thoughts: Seventeen-year-old Xi Huai’s body, ahhhhh!