TECSBRO-(60)
That was the spot Rong Que frequented during his training.
Rong Que looked for a few seconds, able to clearly see what was happening on the basketball court.
He remembered when Lu Xu asked him how his deskmate ended up participating in the competition, mentioning that Cai You had told him.
Could it be that Lu Xu had been here for every game, so he knew the players on their team well?
Rong Que closed the window and turned to look at the somewhat naive teenager.
The gaze fixed on the canvas had, at some point, become filled with loneliness.
Even the artwork hinted at a faint sense of suppression.
Feeling the intense gaze from Rong Que, Lu Xu furrowed his brows but didn't lift his eyes from the drawing paper. "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing, just feeling like I'm not being a responsible enough big brother." Rong Que spoke.
He felt a bit bitter in his heart.
Because in his past life, his student days were disrupted by the Rong family, and he didn't have a pleasant time. Therefore, in this life, he had been too focused on enjoying life by himself, neglecting Lu Xu for a whole semester.
Lu Xu's attention was on the drawing, so he didn't connect it to what Rong Que had just seen. He just found Rong Que's words inexplicable.
He had seen many interactions between brothers. If Rong Que considered himself irresponsible, then there would be no responsible elder brothers at all.
But Lu Xu didn't say anything because he didn't care about what kind of brother Rong Que was. He only cared about not being treated as a younger brother by Rong Que.
Both of them tacitly remained silent.
When Lu Xu finished his drawing, they left the art studio together. Since most of Lu Xu's belongings could be kept in the art studio, he only carried a small bag on his back.
Back in the dormitory, Gu Xue probably didn't want much interaction with them. He had already finished washing up and was lying on his upper bunk, drawing the curtain.
Rong Que habitually squeezed toothpaste onto Lu Xu's toothbrush and handed it to him. Lu Xu subconsciously took it.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he started brushing his teeth expressionlessly.
Lu Xu thought in a somewhat resigned manner, well, let it be like this.
Anyway, they would definitely separate in college. Lu Xu decided to enjoy a few more years of closeness with Rong Que under the guise of brotherhood.
At night, before going to his upper bunk, Rong Que tucked in Lu Xu's blanket and wished him good night.
Lu Xu coldly huffed, "What about the good night kiss? Sure enough, you still mind."
Rong Que paused for a second, then, as usual, casually pressed his lips to Lu Xu's forehead before returning to his own bed.
Lu Xu watched the slight movements on the upper bunk, feeling a bit uneasy. He thought he was somewhat despicable, taking advantage of their intimate relationship like this.
At night, Rong Que would always wake up inexplicably.
Perhaps it was because, over the years, Lu Xu would kick off the blanket, and Rong Que would wake up in the middle of the night to cover him.
Even though Lu Xu had started sleeping separately, Rong Que would still wake up several times. Last week, not seeing Lu Xu, he couldn't help but worry that he might be feeling cold at school.
Rong Que lifted the curtain and glanced down. Sure enough, he saw the fallen corner of the blanket in mid-air. He thought about getting down to cover Lu Xu but worried about the creaky school bed potentially waking others.
Using his ability, Rong Que descended silently, gently covering Lu Xu with the blanket. He then quietly ascended again, and the whole process was executed without making any noise.
However, Lu Xu was already awake. He had just started getting used to sleeping alone, and his sleep was restless. Feeling a bit cold, he was about to wake up.
So when the blanket was gently placed over him, Lu Xu immediately sensed it and woke up. Wrapped in the blanket, he lay there, unable to fall back asleep.
He was just a junior high school student, still five years away from college. Could he not play with Rong Que for the next five years?
Thinking about it, Lu Xu felt a bit foolish. It might be better to continue with their normal lives now. After all, it seemed unlikely that anything could be changed. With this realization, Lu Xu, now more determined, shamelessly used his ability to fly up to the upper bunk.
He slipped under the curtain, listening to the steady rhythm of Rong Que's breathing. Carefully, Lu Xu crawled into the blanket. However, halfway through, he sensed that something was amiss.
He quickly looked up and saw that, even in the dimness inside the curtain, Rong Que was staring at him, using his hand to help hold up the blanket and create a better entrance for him.
Lu Xu: ...
Feeling a bit embarrassed, even though he could have pretended to be asleep, Lu Xu realized he had just given himself away while pretending to sleep earlier.
Rong Que extended his hand to pull Lu Xu in, patting his back as he used to. "Go to sleep, it's late."
Lu Xu, tucked into the blanket, felt an unsettling restlessness, even though he was lying down. He had expected this night to be awkward and sleepless, but surprisingly, just lying beside Rong Que and feeling his presence brought a sense of comfort.
For the first time in a week, Lu Xu slept soundly. So much so that when he woke up in the morning, he only then realized how early the school's morning exercises were.
Rong Que went downstairs first, neatly folding Lu Xu's blanket and closing the curtain before calling him. Lu Xu struggled to get up.
The wake-up bell in middle school was not as gentle as the one in elementary school or kindergarten. Its harsh sound made it difficult for him to stay asleep, yet he felt so tired he couldn't open his eyes.
Last week, due to restless sleep at night, Lu Xu didn't find waking up particularly challenging. Now, he regretted it a bit.
Lu Xu had already dressed, but Gu Xue was still sleeping in bed. Since he had gotten used to skipping morning exercises and early self-study, he didn't care about these deductions.
Lu Xu, dragging his tired body, went to run morning exercises with Rong Que. Perhaps due to extreme fatigue, he wasn't in the mood to ponder how to interact with Rong Que.
Since their classes were in different buildings, Rong Que escorted Lu Xu to the back and said he would wait for him at the school gate when the dismissal bell rang.
Lu Xu, feeling like a puppet, weakly nodded.
After morning exercises, Lu Xu started to regain some clarity. He went to the school gate as instructed and stood there, lost in thought.
Rong Que easily spotted Lu Xu and walked over, taking his hand to go eat together.
Seeing Lu Xu's somewhat distressed expression, Rong Que chuckled, "How about not staying in the dormitory? Isn't the art studio at home enough for you?"
Rong Que's suggestion touched Lu Xu's heart, but he still shook his head, refusing, "It's easy to get distracted at home."
"Alright, then I'll accompany you," Rong Que said without hesitation.
Lu Xu sighed inwardly. Who wouldn't be moved by Rong Que taking care of him like this?
The cafeteria was crowded in the morning, with everyone scrambling to get delicious steamed buns and baozi. If you were late, all that would be left was plain steamed buns.
Fortunately, the two of them managed to grab some steamed buns and eggs, accompanied by a bowl of plain congee they obtained after queuing up. It was a simple breakfast, but they made do.
In truth, Lu Xu had been eating plain steamed buns for a week, and he missed the delicate breakfasts from home.
After finishing their meal, they had to return for morning self-study immediately. The two parted ways at the classroom door.
Back at his seat, Cai You curiously asked, "Did you guys make up?"
Did they really make up?
Things couldn't go back to the way they were before, but the current way of getting along was acceptable.
Lu Xu nodded, indicating his agreement.
Cai You smiled and sincerely expressed his happiness for his good friend, "I was quite worried about you two. It seemed like you couldn't be without each other."
"It's just that I can't be without him," sighed Lu Xu helplessly.
"Who said that? Last week during the basketball training match, Rong Que made a lot of mistakes," Cai You retorted, "In my opinion, Rong Que is a bit conservative and old-fashioned, but he truly cares about you."
Lu Xu looked at Cai You, "Can you accept it if your good friend likes you, or if you have a non-blood-related brother?"
Cai You was surprised, hesitated for a moment, and then instinctively said, "It seems a bit difficult to accept."
After a few seconds, he looked at Lu Xu with widened eyes, realizing that Lu Xu's description was essentially about himself. Lu Xu and Rong Que indeed had no blood relationship, yet they were good friends and brothers.
Lu Xu stared at the textbook, feeling a sense of loss. "So, no one would be willing to accept it after all?"
"Well, it's not that," Cai You stuttered, "It's just that, how should I put it? You... you are just too avant-garde."
"But," Lu Xu said seriously, "You can't deny that someone like Brother Rong Que treats you so well. Who wouldn't like that?"
After hearing this, Cai You pondered seriously during a whole class.
When the class was over, he solemnly said to Lu Xu, "You're right. I admit that I may not be able to be as considerate as Brother Rong Que even to my girlfriend, so it was Rong Que who seduced you first!"
"Pfft," Lu Xu burst into laughter at Cai You's description, "Brother Rong Que pursues perfection in everything, including being kind to people."
"But I've never seen Rong Que care about anyone else this much," Cai You, with his brief dating experience, analyzed seriously, "I have a different perspective."
Lu Xu remembered that his friends Qi Sui, Xue Ying, and Gu Xue had never been in a relationship.
In that case, Cai You seemed to be the most experienced among them.
Lu Xu felt that Cai You was very reliable and perked up his ears to listen. "What perspective do you have?"
"Well, Brother Rong Que has always given me the impression of being mature and stable, like an adult. So, he might be more conservative and temporarily unable to accept the uncommon feelings of both brothers and same-sex. In fact, he may not even realize how much he cares about you,"
Cai You explained, gesturing with his fingers, "You see, liking someone means not being able to stand seeing them hurt, feeling unable to bear their pain, and wanting to give them the best of everything."
Lu Xu thought about it in relation to himself, finding some truth in it. He nodded and then asked with some skepticism, "But won't your mom also be good to you?"
"Even my mom hits me. In any case, Brother Rong Que's attitude toward you is like that of parents but not parents. What could that be?!" Cai You guided the conversation skillfully.
"Is it... like adoptive parents?" Lu Xu hesitated in his response.
"?" Cai You took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, "It's a husband and wife! Among relatives, only husbands and wives don't have a blood relationship! And you and Rong Que don't have a blood relationship either!"
Lu Xu widened his eyes, "Does that mean..."
"Brother Rong Que is my fiancé?"
Upon hearing this, Cai You hesitated for a moment, "Uh, I guess so?"
"So, how do we fast-track from this relationship to marriage?" Lu Xu asked seriously.
"Uh, you can only get married when you're of legal age, I think," Cai You replied with some skepticism, as if he had been unintentionally led astray by Lu Xu's train of thought.
"But what if Brother Rong Que never accepts it?" Lu Xu returned to the initial question.
"It's okay, think about it. Does he have anyone else he cares about?" Cai You asserted, "I haven't seen him show any concern for anyone else."
The more Lu Xu listened, the more it made sense.
So, Brother Rong Que himself might not even be aware of his own feelings.
In that case, Lu Xu shouldn't force Rong Que, this old man, to accept the topic of same-sex marriage so early.
"That's right," Cai You, seeing Lu Xu in a contemplative state, felt that he had come to terms with it. "You need to give him time. Just maintain the current situation and cherish the present days. Things will change once you're truly together."
"Mm-hmm," Lu Xu fully trusted Cai You's words.
Most of the discontent in his heart had dissipated.
Since there was nothing he could do, he decided to enjoy the present moment. After all, Lu Xu couldn't grow up overnight.
During the weekend when he went home, Qi Sui breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the two of them leaving the school gate together again.
Although Lu Xu was somewhat indifferent to Rong Que in the car, at least he was willing to spend time together.
On the weekend, Rong Que invited Lu Xu to go out.
Lu Xu declined, still finding it uninteresting to go out with Rong Que.
Rong Que opened his phone, "I've booked tickets for the movie you wanted to see before. Are you really not going?"
Lu Xu looked at the movie ticket, remembering that two weeks ago, he had excitedly told Rong Que about wanting to see this movie. However, Rong Que couldn't go because of weekend training.
In reality, he no longer wanted to watch it. Lu Xu turned his head and said, "I don't want to watch."
"Today, let's eat, drink, and have fun as you like, okay?" Rong Que coaxed helplessly. He used to avoid letting Lu Xu eat from street vendors when they played together.
But occasionally was fine.
Lu Xu reluctantly agreed, "Okay."
Since the movie was in the afternoon, Rong Que took Lu Xu to play around nearby in the morning.
Rong Que dragged Lu Xu to an arcade, a place he had never shown interest in before. Previously, Lu Xu used to play with Qi Sui or classmates while Rong Que waited on the side.
Rong Que wanted to understand what Lu Xu liked, so he asked Lu Xu to teach him.
After looking around, Lu Xu chose a relatively quiet activity - claw machine.
It wasn't difficult; anyone could do it. It was more about luck and skill.
Lu Xu pointed to an adorable pink and white bunny in the claw machine, looking more delicate than the other dolls in other machines.
"I want that one. I've been trying to grab it for a long time, but it's always unsuccessful."
Rong Que came up and tried grabbing it ten times in a row, but without exception, he failed each time.
Watching Rong Que earnestly contemplate how to grab it, with each expectation and disappointment, Lu Xu couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips.
This side of Rong Que was quite rare.
After all, it seemed that Rong Que had always been good at everything he did.
Soon, Rong Que ran out of coins, and he still hadn't managed to grab one.
Lu Xu then pulled Rong Que to try the coin-pushing machine.
This seemed more like a gambler's mentality, but there were also some small techniques to it.
After dropping a few coins, Rong Que roughly figured out the rules and started tossing coins in rhythm.
In the end, amidst the amazed exclamations of onlookers, Rong Que obtained a large handful of game coins.
Lu Xu admired Rong Que in his heart while pretending that this wasn't a situation he often witnessed.
The small container couldn't hold all the coins, so Rong Que got a larger coin container.
He then filled it with all the game coins, making it feel weighty. "Come on, let's go grab that bunny for you."
After tossing a bunch of coins at once, Rong Que successfully moved the little bunny from the middle to the edge of the drop box. He then stood aside and motioned for Lu Xu to come.
Lu Xu was a bit stunned. "Why are you giving it to me? You're about to grab it anyway."
"I just feel that if it's you who grabs it, you'll be happier," Rong Que said seriously, looking at the claw machine.
Upon hearing this, Lu Xu felt a bit happy.
Cai You was right; no one could match Rong Que's level of caring for him.
After a few more attempts, the claw finally gained strength, and although it didn't successfully pick up the bunny, the doll was pushed down due to the hook's movement, falling into the drop box.
"Wow!" Lu Xu couldn't help but happily exclaim in a low voice and then went to retrieve the doll.
He had been wanting to grab this doll for a long time.
Rong Que picked up his phone and took a photo while Lu Xu was squatting there, happily holding the doll.
Seeing Rong Que taking a photo, Lu Xu awkwardly asked why he was taking pictures.
Rong Que showed Lu Xu the just-taken photo, "Because I thought about Xiao Lu's growth album, which hasn't been updated for a long time."
Lu Xu snorted and, holding the doll, went to try other machines.
After squandering all the game coins, they finally came out from the arcade.
There happened to be a small food street outside. During the weekend mealtime, the food street was packed with people, bustling and crowded.
Lu Xu took the initiative to hold Rong Que's hand and squeezed through the crowd, saying, "Don't get separated."
Rong Que felt that the crowdedness here was only slightly better than when they crowded around the small convenience store in elementary school. At least, everyone was moving in the same direction.
Lu Xu spotted his favorite spicy pig brain, stopped in front of the stall to queue up, and then asked Rong Que to buy freshly squeezed fruit juice from the adjacent stall.
By the time Rong Que returned with the juice, Lu Xu had already started eating.
As there were no seats available, Lu Xu stood by the shop, taking a few bites between pauses.
Rong Que walked over, and just as Lu Xu scooped up a spoonful of pig brain coated in soup and seasoning, he stuffed it into Rong Que's mouth.
It was a bit hot and quite spicy, but the taste was just right.
Lu Xu squinted his eyes mischievously, asking Rong Que if it was delicious.
Rong Que nodded.
Lu Xu pouted in disappointment, "Didn't it burn you?"
Rong Que opened the fruit juice for Lu Xu to take a sip and held it afterward.
The two stood on the street, taking turns sipping and eating, quickly finishing the spicy pig brain.
Then Lu Xu pulled Rong Que along to the next destination.
Rong Que inexplicably felt like he was on a treasure-hunting adventure.
Lu Xu stopped at the entrance of a fancy waffle shop, choosing the most visually appealing style from the pictures.
Once he got it, Lu Xu even willingly asked Rong Que to take a photo for him.
Eating it wasn't as convenient, and Lu Xu got some on his face. Rong Que skillfully and carefully wiped it off with a tissue from his bag.
Lu Xu grinned, then finished the ice cream inside and handed the remaining waffle to Rong Que.
From one end of the street to the other, both Lu Xu and Rong Que were just perfectly satiated.
Conveniently, there were many bubble tea shops at the end of the street, and Rong Que bought two cups of Lu Xu's favorite. They could enjoy them while watching the movie later.
It was almost time to go to the cinema.
The movie turned out to be quite ordinary, not as good as Lu Xu had imagined.
But he was still very happy because today felt like a date with Rong Que.
Rong Que wasn't following him like an old father, as was usual.
After the movie, with some time left before dinner, Lu Xu took Rong Que to a nearby cat cafe.
Following the disinfection process, they entered the cat cafe.
As usual, no cat approached Lu Xu.
He was already used to it.
Fortunately, the well-trained cats greeted Rong Que.
Watching Lu Xu forcing a smile, Rong Que couldn't do much. After all, he couldn't force the cats.
Lu Xu spoke up, "Can you pet that orange cat? Its flesh looks firm and plump."
Upon hearing this, Rong Que walked over, picked up the big orange cat, and then stopped about a meter away.
Lu Xu pointed to the orange cat's buttocks, "Looks so plump and juicy. Can you put your hand there and give it a scratch?"
Rong Que followed suit, and Lu Xu showed a face of enjoyment.
Lu Xu was already accustomed to this indirect way of petting cats.
"That long-haired one looks quite big. Can you pick it up?"
"This one has such a chubby face. Can you pinch its cheeks?"
Rong Que spent almost half an hour indulging Lu Xu's requests.
Lu Xu was already weakly leaning against the table. This kind of teasing feeling made him feel like he was going to die.
The staff member responsible for brushing the cats recognized Lu Xu and greeted him familiarly, "Back again? Do you need me to help with petting today?"
Lu Xu felt a bit embarrassed and said, "No need, I brought my own 'petter' today."
"Haha, alright, have a good time."
It seemed that Lu Xu was already a regular customer, and Rong Que felt a mix of pity and amusement.
They ordered some afternoon tea in the cat cafe, leisurely enjoying their time together. They stayed until it got dark, and then Lu Xu pulled Rong Que to go have some grilled skewers.
There was a delicious barbecue place nearby, but they had to go early; otherwise, there would be no seats.
Lu Xu picked the skewers he liked and ordered enough for both of them, then they sat and waited together.
Watching the people next to them open a box of beer, Lu Xu couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
But he also knew that Rong Que wouldn't allow it.
Although they said they could play as they liked today, Lu Xu was still very clear about that bottom line.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two returned home together.
Their relationship had also improved quite a bit.
They slept together again at night, and before sleeping, they watched an anime that Lu Xu had recently been fond of.
The next day, they even did homework together.
Although it was Rong Que accompanying Lu Xu in doing homework, it had been a long time since Rong Que had done so.
Lu Xu felt like they had returned to the best times they had before.
He was very happy and no longer felt anxious.
Returning to school on Sunday afternoon, Lu Xu noticed that Gu Xue's bed was empty, feeling a bit puzzled.
Rong Que smiled, "Maybe he doesn't want to stay in the dormitory anymore."
Lu Xu nodded, that's good. He still preferred sharing a room alone with Rong Que.
The harmonious relationship between the two continued throughout junior high school.
Lu Xu no longer fretted about whether he could be with Rong Que, and Rong Que never again ignored Lu Xu's feelings.
In the third year of junior high, as Lu Xu focused on art, and his art subjects were basically problem-free, he needed to temporarily catch up on his academic subjects.
Lu Xu started being a day student again.
Rong Que accompanied Lu Xu every night, helping him review the knowledge points from the day.
Lu Xu's grades were also decent.
In this way, after the high school entrance exam, they both entered the same high school.
Lu Xu's friends from kindergarten all sent messages asking which school he had chosen.
After checking, they all found out they were in the same school, but unfortunately, not in the same class.
Lu Xu sent a message to Li Si, letting him know that he was going to high school.
Li Si congratulated him and then praised Lu Xu as he always did.
After so many years, Li Si still managed to find a way to compliment Lu Xu, even if it was just for having a meal.
However, they hadn't seen each other since elementary school graduation, and it had been three years.
Li Si asked Lu Xu to guess which high school he was attending.
Lu Xu said he didn't know, as he wasn't familiar with high schools abroad.
In the end, Li Si didn't reveal it, and Lu Xu wasn't too curious.
On the first day of school, Rong Que, as the top scorer admitted to the school, had to give a speech.
Although it was clear they couldn't be in the same class this time, Qisui arranged for both of them to be in the closest classes.
Lu Xu was in Class Five, and Rong Que was in Class Six, conveniently situated on either side of the boundary between arts and sciences. The classrooms were also adjacent.
However, the relationships between the previous classes Five and Six had not been good.
So, while Rong Que was giving his speech, Lu Xu could hear some athletes in the class mocking him, saying things like, "What's so great about Rong Que? He's just a nerd. Being good-looking doesn't make a difference."
Lu Xu interrupted the conversation, "Rong Que isn't a nerd! You might not even be faster than him."
The robust athlete chuckled, "Wait for the sports meeting; I'll send Rong Que flying."
"Make sure you participate in the sports meeting then," Lu Xu rolled his eyes.
The athlete didn't take it seriously, and they all burst into laughter.
Lu Xu didn't say anything more. After all, these people would embarrass themselves during the sports meeting.
In junior high, there were no athletes who could run faster than Rong Que.
Although superhumans had better physical abilities than ordinary people, Rong Que was still impressive compared to other superhumans.
After the dismissal, Lu Xu waited for Rong Que near the exit of the auditorium.
Suddenly, he felt a tap on his back. Lu Xu turned around, and a head of dazzling blond hair filled his vision.
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