Chapter 27: I Care About You So Much

Chapter 27: I Care About You So Much

Chi Xingcun thought for a moment and said, "I'll just stay in the dorms..."

Qin Liyi: "If you stay in the dorms, how are you gonna make it back at night? And wouldn't staying with me be way more comfortable than the dorm? Young master, are you being all polite with me?"

Qin Liyi looked like he was about to get angry, rattling off a whole bunch of stuff, and in the end, Chi Xingcun agreed anyway.

"Alright, it's settled then. Until the sports meet, you'll stay at my place. We'll talk about after that later." Qin Liyi was grinning ear to ear, super pumped.

The next day in their shared class, everyone was waiting for Chi Xingcun to sit back next to Fu Chenzhan, but unexpectedly, this time Chi Xingcun didn't even look at Fu Chenzhan. He walked into the classroom with Xue Tianye and sat right next to him.

Fu Chenzhan recalled their last conversation, his face going cold as he looked away, like he couldn't care less.

"I thought about it all night last night, and I decided to sign up for the 1000-meter too. Wanna practice running together from now on?"

Hearing that, Chi Xingcun agreed right away.

After class that afternoon, Chi Xingcun found a quiet spot to call Qin Liyi.

"Qin Liyi, I'm not gonna come to your place after all. A classmate of mine is also doing the 1000-meter, so I'll run with him instead. It's just more convenient to stay at school."

"..."

Silence on the other end of the line.

After a long pause, a voice came through: "Chi Xingcun, what do you mean? You're not running with me, and you're choosing someone else instead? Am I really that meaningless to you? Fine, I get it."

With that, he hung up.

Chi Xingcun froze, barely able to believe it. How could Qin Liyi talk like that? Was it really that big of a deal?

But he knew Qin Liyi wasn't truly angry, because his tone just now wasn't angry—it was like a robot speaking one word at a time, a sulky, whiny way of talking.

He had an uneasy nap in the dorm that afternoon, and after his first afternoon class, he went to the school gate to grab a milk tea, then took a cab over to Qin Liyi's place.

Qin Liyi had told him he didn't have any classes that afternoon.

He rang the doorbell.

About thirty seconds later, the door opened.

Qin Liyi wasn't as welcoming as usual. Instead, he pouted with a cold look on his face, like he really didn't want to see Chi Xingcun.

Chi Xingcun handed him the taro bubble tea he'd bought—50% sugar, less ice, large—Qin Liyi's favorite.

"That's not what I meant. Let me explain myself."

Qin Liyi stood there for five seconds, then stepped aside.

"Come in."

Still in a huffy tone.

He took the milk tea Chi Xingcun offered.

He barely stopped himself from sticking a straw in and drinking it right away.

Actually, the moment Chi Xingcun stepped inside, his anger was already 99.999% gone, and he could barely stop himself from clinging to Chi Xingcun.

Well, he couldn't hold back after all.

He hugged Chi Xingcun from behind, leaning down to his ear: "Alright, I forgive you. Let's hear what you have to say."

"..." This was something Chi Xingcun hadn't seen coming either.

But he was a little happy now.

He turned to look at Qin Liyi, deliberately pouting with a fake angry look: "I already explained myself, and you're still mad at me."

"Explained what? That it's just more convenient for you to run with him at school?" Qin Liyi was still a bit upset. "So you run with him, and what about me then? Does anybody even care about me?"

Chi Xingcun was taken aback for a moment: "You're so good, why would you need someone to run with you?"

"Why wouldn't I? Professional running training needs a partner to run alongside you to get you motivated." Qin Liyi said with complete confidence.

"Ah..." Chi Xingcun looked confused. Okay, he really didn't know that, but, "Would running with me stress you out? You could easily outrun me."

Qin Liyi paused: "That's how other people run. I like having someone run a lap slower than me. It's not them chasing me—it's me chasing them."

"..." Hearing that, Chi Xingcun's face flushed red with anger. "I'm not that slow either!"

He turned away in a huff, ignoring him.

Qin Liyi immediately realized he'd said something wrong and hurried to pull him back to apologize: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was joking. Actually, I see potential in you. I think you'll soon be as good as a professional athlete, which is why I didn't want to ask anyone else."

"..." He wasn't that impressive either...

Qin Liyi was always telling lies!

"I really am sorry. I just want you to run with me. I'm not that close with anyone else... And besides, I care about you so much, I don't want you running with someone else."

Qin Liyi blushed and pouted.

"..." Chi Xingcun met his gaze and felt a little shy too. "Alright then... I'll run with you."

"Yay!"

Qin Liyi happily lifted Chi Xingcun up by his legs.

Chi Xingcun was startled, pressing his hands on Qin Liyi's shoulders, then leaning down to wrap his arms around his neck.

"You, you..."

Qin Liyi just laughed.

Afterward, Chi Xingcun told the class monitor about it.

Xue Tianye was very understanding: "Alright, no problem. He did ask you first, so I'll just have to book you earlier next time."

"..."

Chi Xingcun hung up the phone.

That evening, Chi Xingcun started his first run.

In the late afternoon, Qin Liyi accompanied him to the mall and bought him several sets of sportswear, professional running shoes, knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards.

Each item cost over ten thousand. Chi Xingcun felt uneasy looking at the prices. He tugged at Qin Liyi, saying not to buy, let's just look around, but Qin Liyi wouldn't listen and bought everything.

"This is the only store in the whole mall that's any good."

The priciest brand in the sports world—once you've seen this one, nothing else even comes close.

Qin Liyi smiled at him: "This brand partners with our company, so technically, the money ends up right back in my pocket."

"But..." No matter how you sliced it, Qin Liyi was still the one dropping cash on him.

"No buts. I love buying you stuff. If you won't take it... I'll cry right here in front of you."

"..."

This... Qin Liyi was even more shameless than in his past life.

Chi Xingcun tried to say more, but Qin Liyi scooped him up and bolted out of the store.

He shoved Chi Xingcun into the car.

"Anything else you wanna buy?"

Chi Xingcun turned his head away and ignored him. Qin Liyi muttered to himself: "Then no."

So he headed straight home.

Even though Chi Xingcun stayed quiet, he wasn't really angry—actually, he was a little happy. In his past life, this was how he'd been spoiled, cared for, and loved, with someone buying him anything he wanted.

But in this life, he felt he shouldn't be like this. He didn't deserve any of it, which was why he tried so hard to push it away.

Still, he couldn't deny that Qin Liyi's kindness made him genuinely happy.