Chapter 18: Tormenting and sweet

Damn it! Qi Mu was shaking like a leaf!

He wasn’t afraid of waking Yin Xiuzhu anymore, holding on so tightly that he was practically glued to Yin Xiuzhu.

When one was frightened, one would disregard everything else. Especially since Qi Mu had never considered Yin Xiuzhu an outsider; they were typical of those who grew up inseparable, and sharing a blanket meant nothing.

The cat outside meowed once and then slinked away, but Qi Mu couldn’t relax. How eerie was that? Why would a cat just meow once? What cat would only meow once and leave?

Tyrant Qi, terrified out of his wits, was already thinking irrationally… Anyway, anyway, he wasn’t letting go of Yin Xiuzhu.

Qi Mu breathed lightly, ears perked, listening for a good while. Feeling the eerie creatures around him had scattered, he was soon overwhelmed by a tide of drowsiness and fell deeply asleep.

Sensing the even breathing of the person in his arms, Yin Xiuzhu slowly opened his eyes.

Where could he sleep? How could he possibly sleep? Previously unable to sleep, he was even more unlikely to now.

Yin Xiuzhu tried to move, but Qi Mu in his arms startled like a frightened bird, immediately tightening his grip, afraid he might run away.

Unable to move, unable to escape, in this position, Yin Xiuzhu felt like he was going crazy from the heat.

It wasn’t an external heat, but a blazing fire burning from within.
This flame scorched his blood, and penetrated his skin, almost bursting forth.

He couldn’t—it might burn Qi Mu.

This strange thought became his only clarity, keeping Yin Xiuzhu sane amidst the raging inferno.

Ten hours, long yet fleeting, agonizing yet sweet.

Until dawn, Yin Xiuzhu finally closed his eyes. He hadn’t slept all night, yet he had just lived through the most unforgettable night of his life.

Not painful, not entirely joyful either; it was more like a poisoned wine drank to quench thirst—intoxicatingly satisfying at first, but agonizingly painful afterward.

Yet he had to drink, because the thirst was unbearable.

At that moment, Yin Xiuzhu didn’t understand. Later, he realized—this was the taste of unrequited love—the flavor of a love that could never see the light of day.

During breakfast, two out of the four boys had panda eyes.

One of them was naturally Xu Xiaoming. He poked at a piece of bread, grumbling, “Fatty Fang snores, and once he starts, it lasts all night!”

Qi Mu, who had slept soundly through the night, was in a great mood. “Are you sure it wasn’t the ghost story that scared you?”

Xu Xiaoming straightened up defensively. “Me? No way, it was him snoring!”

Feeling guilty after speaking, he changed the subject. “Yin Xiuzhu, did you not sleep well? Are you afraid of ghosts?”

Indeed, the second panda-eyed boy was Xiuzhu.

Yin Xiuzhu spread chocolate sauce on Qi Mu’s bread with casual indifference. “Mm.”

His nonchalant response left the other three momentarily stunned. Xu Xiaoming looked like he had just discovered a new continent. “Are you really scared? Scared by the ghost story Teacher Zhao told last night? Oh come on, it wasn’t that scary. Let me tell you, I watched this horror movie before…”

He rambled on about the horror movie, which didn’t frighten Yin Xiuzhu but nearly caused Qi Mu to spill his milk.

“But you went to bed pretty early last night,” Qi Mu quickly changed the subject, turning to Yin Xiuzhu.

Yin Xiuzhu replied, “I slept early, but I kept having nightmares.”

Qi Mu, feeling guilty, asked, “What did you dream about?”

Yin Xiuzhu shifted his milk cup around and said, “I don’t quite remember, but it felt like I was entangled in seaweed, unable to move.”

Qi Mu, who had spent the night being the seaweed, chuckled awkwardly. “Haha, so you really were affected by the ghost stories.” Last night, Teacher Zhao told a story about a ghost who dragged people into the water using seaweed.

Xu Xiaoming became more energetic, trying to comfort Yin Xiuzhu, while Qi Mu also chimed in, saying there was nothing to fear about ghost stories.

Seeing Qi Mu in such high spirits, Xu Xiaoming couldn’t help but sigh, “My brother Mu is truly amazing. Says he’s not afraid and he really isn’t. Dependable!”

In reality, Qi Mu, who was terrified, could only give Xu Xiaoming an awkward yet polite smile.

After breakfast, their summer camp life officially began.

The schedule was packed with enriching content, and the group thoroughly enjoyed themselves, learning a lot about marine life and taking countless photos together.

For Yin Xiuzhu, these six days and seven nights were a mix of pain and happiness.

He had never felt this carefree before in his life. No longer did he face the emptiness of a solitary house, nor did he greet a mother who isolated herself in another world, nor concern himself with servants who treated him with neglect or coldness. He no longer had to worry about his father’s sudden returns.

Day and night, he was with Qi Mu, embracing all the happiness in the world.

Yet his “happiness” after dark also brought an indescribable “pain.”

The aftermath of the ghost stories lingered long. He had thought Qi Mu would be fine after one night, but the second night, as soon as the lights went out, Qi Mu became afraid again. At first, he hesitated and fumbled around, perhaps not wanting to disturb Yin Xiuzhu’s sleep, so he only moved closer, not tightly embracing him.

Unfortunately, there were many stray cats in the area. At the sound of a “meow” outside, Qi Mu would shrink into Yin Xiuzhu’s arms like a kitten, regardless of whether Yin Xiuzhu was awake or asleep.

Yin Xiuzhu, in turn, would rather endure sleepless nights than push Qi Mu away.

Once or twice became a pattern, and by the fourth night, they didn’t need the stray cats anymore. Qi Mu would see Yin Xiuzhu “asleep” and cuddle up, sleeping peacefully and deeply.

In Qi Mu’s home, there was a large radish-shaped body pillow that he had always hugged to sleep since he was little, so this position became quite natural for him.

But it was tough on Yin Xiuzhu.

Night after night, he endured both anguish and sweetness. Night after night, he wished for more of these nights, yet night after night, he felt unsettled by his inexplicable emotions.

On the day of their return journey, Yin Xiuzhu woke up with a twitch in his eyelid.

Seeing him looking tired, Qi Mu felt guilty. “Didn’t sleep well?”

In reality, Yin Xiuzhu had slept quite well last night, either gradually getting used to it or just being exhausted, he had dozed off in a daze.

“I’m fine,” Yin Xiuzhu replied, not wanting Qi Mu to worry. “Maybe I’m just tired from all the activities yesterday.”

Qi Mu chuckled. “Getting tired from sunbathing?” Yesterday was the snorkeling activity, which Yin Xiuzhu didn’t participate in.

Yin Xiuzhu glanced at him. “Applying sunscreen is quite tiring.”

“You’re still joking with me,” Qi Mu teased back. “I was just trying to get a chocolate tan for you!”

Yin Xiuzhu replied, “You’re still pale.”

Qi Mu sighed. “Well, we didn’t spend that much time in the sun. What can I do…”

Yin Xiuzhu smiled slightly. “It’s okay.”

Qi Mu pouted. “You haven’t seen the chocolate version of me yet. Once you do, you’ll love it for sure.”

He spoke unintentionally, yet it felt like an arrow piercing straight into Yin Xiuzhu’s heart.

Do you like… me?

“Yin Xiuzhu?” Qi Mu waved a hand in front of him.

Yin Xiuzhu snapped out of his reverie, a hint of fluster flashing in his eyes.

Qi Mu leaned closer to him, puzzled. “What’s gotten into you today?”

Yin Xiuzhu shook his head. “Nothing, just… ” He paused, rubbing his forehead. “Didn’t sleep well, I guess.”

Bringing up sleep, Qi Mu felt guilty. He said, “Alright, we’ll be home tonight. You’ll definitely get a good night’s sleep in your own bed!”

Upon hearing this, Yin Xiuzhu didn’t feel any happier. He smiled faintly, a touch of reluctance in his expression.

Teacher Zhao saw them off at the airport and they returned safely to City B.

As they disembarked, Xu Xiaoming saw Yin Xiuzhu rubbing his eyes and asked, “Feeling sleepy?”

Yin Xiuzhu replied, “No, just twitching eyelids.”

Xu Xiaoming chuckled. “Which one?”

Yin Xiuzhu replied, “It’s my right eyelid.”

Fang Junqi interjected, “Left eye twitching means wealth, right eye twitching means disaster. Young man, be careful.”

Qi Mu scoffed, “Superstitious nonsense. We’ve all arrived safely home. What disaster could there be?”

Returning home was indeed a disaster. Ignoring these messy thoughts, Yin Xiuzhu asked, “Has Uncle Qi arranged for someone to pick you up?”

Qi Mu nodded. “Yes, he should be here by now.”

Yin Xiuzhu acknowledged this with a nod.

Xu Xiaoming and Fang Junqi also had someone picking them up, so they took their luggage and left ahead.

Qi Mu asked Yin Xiuzhu, “How are you getting back? Want to ride with me?”

Yin Xiuzhu’s eyelid twitched again as he glanced at Qi Mu and replied, “Sure, if it’s on your way, please give me a ride.”

Qi Mu happily said, “Then let me drop you off first!”

They walked out together and at Gate No. 3, they saw Qi’s driver, Cai Li. Qi Mu stepped forward and said, “Uncle Cai, take this box of chocolates back for Xiao Qing to enjoy.” Xiao Qing was Cai Li’s son, two years younger than Qi Mu. They had met a few times and played together.

Cai Li’s expression stiffened slightly as he took the chocolates and said, “Thank you, young master. It’s kind of you to think of him.”

Qi Mu said, “Whenever you have time, bring him over to play again. He’s quite talented—can build a big house without even looking at the instructions.”

Cai Li’s grip on the chocolates tightened, his voice dry. “I can’t let him keep bothering you like this. He doesn’t understand.”

Outside, the heat was intense. Qi Mu noticed Yin Xiuzhu looking weary and decided not to say more, guiding him into the car first.

As the car door opened, Yin Xiuzhu’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly glanced at Cai Li, sensing that something was amiss.

The unease that had plagued him all day reached its peak as the car started moving.

Qi Mu thought Yin Xiuzhu hadn’t slept well. He told him, “Take a nap if you’re tired. I’ll wake you up when we’re there.”

Yin Xiuzhu was indeed tired, but he had never been a good sleeper. Four hours of sleep was usually enough to get him through the day, but today his mind was unsettled like never before.

Beside him, Qi Mu yawned and said, “I can’t help it—I always get sleepy as soon as I get in the car…”

Before he finished speaking, he had already tilted his head and fallen asleep.

Yin Xiuzhu’s heart sank, his skin tingling all over. He suddenly lifted his head and saw Cai Li’s menacing eyes in the rearview mirror.

No!

Dizziness swept over him, and Yin Xiuzhu’s consciousness gradually blurred.