TECSBRO-(56)
Rong Que felt like Lu Xu had recently figured something out and no longer pursued independence like in elementary school. Instead, he seemed to be overly attached, almost hanging on to him for everything. Before going to painting class, Lu Xu would hug him goodbye and, just like in their childhood, would kiss his face and rub against him whenever he felt happy.
Rong Que didn't think much of it until the day they went to the amusement park and saw that boys of the same age rarely held hands or walked together like they did.
He wondered if Lu Xu had too few friends, leading him to overly rely on him.
When they got home, Rong Que asked why Lu Xu didn't invite Cai You and the others to hang out.
Lu Xu grumbled that they were busy with sixth grade, and they didn't have time on weekends.
Was it really because of that?
Rong Que recalled the couple they saw at the international airport that day. At that time, he didn't associate it with himself and Lu Xu.
Because Rong Que had always treated Lu Xu like a younger brother.
Now he was a bit worried that Lu Xu might have misunderstood something.
Lu Xu generally didn't stare at couples, except for that day when he seemed to have looked for a long time.
Did he associate it with himself?
This wasn't a good thing. In Lu Xu's age of confusion, where everything was unclear and with budding feelings of romance, he might mistake certain dependencies and possessiveness for romantic feelings.
Lu Xu didn't understand, but as an older brother, Rong Que couldn't pretend not to notice.
Rong Que didn't reject same-sex relationships, but Lu Xu had been surrounded by male companions from childhood to adolescence, which might lead to some confusion.
He couldn't proactively bring up the topic, so he could only talk to Qi Sui and ask him not to worry about being in different classes in junior high.
Qi Sui was a bit surprised because Lu Xu had just said he wanted to be in the same class as Rong Que.
Rong Que also felt a bit troubled upon hearing this.
However, in one class, Lu Xu would have the most interaction with Rong Que. Only by being separated would Lu Xu have the opportunity to connect with more boys and girls and figure out what he truly wanted.
After Rong Que and Qi Sui discussed it, they informed Lu Xu that they wouldn't be in the same class. Lu Xu was surprised and asked why.
Rong Que simply stated that one was more suited for liberal arts, and the other for science. He didn't want Lu Xu to compromise his studies just to be in the same class.
Lu Xu didn't know how to respond to this statement. Rong Que seemed to be doing it for his own good, and indeed, Lu Xu had always been better at liberal arts.
Lu Xu wanted to say something, but Rong Que added, "If you decide to pursue art and drawing, you'll still be in the liberal arts class later."
Lu Xu fell silent. Rong Que had always been more mature since childhood, appearing to know everything. Lu Xu couldn't argue with Rong Que's reasoning.
However, for some reason, Lu Xu felt an indescribable discomfort. He couldn't shake the feeling that Rong Que was avoiding him.
Rong Que noticed Lu Xu's silence and the apparent distress in his eyes. There was a hint of glistening tears, and Rong Que felt a pang of heartache.
Softening his voice, Rong Que said, "It's okay, we're still not staying in the dorms. We can walk together in the morning and evening, and we'll still sleep together at night."
Lu Xu obediently nodded, accepting this compromise. However, deep down, he harbored a slight resistance to the upcoming school year.
The start of the school year inevitably arrived. Lu Xu shouldered his backpack and got off the car with Rong Que, heading towards the teaching building. However, once they reached the same floor, they parted ways.
Lu Xu hesitated at the entrance. He wanted to embrace Rong Que before parting, but he saw Rong Que walking away without stopping, not even looking back at him.
This left Lu Xu feeling even more frustrated.
He could only console himself; he was in Class One, while Rong Que was in Class Six. The two classrooms were conveniently located at opposite ends of the first floor. Although not too far away, the bustling first day of school made Lu Xu feel uneasy.
Everything and everyone around him were unfamiliar. Lu Xu started to panic a bit. In the past, it was always Rong Que who accompanied him during such times.
Feeling a bit lost, he sat in a corner of the classroom after finishing the roll call at the podium, he texted Rong Que on his phone.
Rong Que encouraged him to make friends with the new classmates around him. Lu Xu responded with a slightly annoyed emoji, feeling that Rong Que's encouragement might imply that Rong Que had already made new friends.
However, not long after, Lu Xu noticed a boy with an intimidating aura completing the roll call and then sitting next to him. Though he found the boy a bit scary, the crowded space made it inconvenient to change seats.
Unexpectedly, the boy suddenly turned and smiled at him, saying, "Long time no see, Xiao Lu."
Lu Xu couldn't recognize him by the voice that had already changed. He glanced at the boy's face and was momentarily puzzled, asking, "Who are you?"
"It's Cai You." Cai You smiled; due to strict regulations in elementary school, he hadn't played with Lu Xu since the fifth grade. In the last couple of years, he had grown quickly, and influenced by dark anime protagonists, he adopted a cold and cool image.
But his nature remained unchanged, and upon seeing Lu Xu, he greeted him warmly, much like meeting a little puppy.
Cai You's changes had left him completely unrecognizable at first, but now that they were catching up, Lu Xu felt pleasantly surprised to find an old friend in this unfamiliar class.
They reminisced about their sixth-grade days. During that time, Cai You's phone had been confiscated, making it difficult for them to meet. Cai You sighed, saying, "It was all because I asked you which junior high you were going to. I told my mom, and she started the devilish special training on me."
"But Xiao Lu, you're amazing. I just checked the enrollment rankings, and you're quite high in our class."
Lu Xu felt a bit embarrassed by the praise. His academic performance was maintained with the help of Rong Que, who provided daily tutoring after school. In reality, Lu Xu found studying challenging due to a lack of concentration.
"But what about Rong Que? I thought Qi Sui gege would arrange for you to be in the same class." Cai You assumed that if Rong Que were in their class, he would surely be the top student.
"He's in Class Six." Lu Xu's tone was somewhat subdued, revealing a hint of unhappiness.
Cai You's face showed clear surprise, "Why?"
"They said it's for the division of arts and sciences." Lu Xu rested his chin on the desk, looking quite disheartened.
Cai You patted his head, "It's okay, at least you still live together."
"But I found it strange back in kindergarten. Isn't he the same age as you? Why does he always put socks on you and feed you? Is he trying to make you learn to take care of yourself now?"
Lu Xu blushed a bit at the remark. Even in their current junior high setup where they had day sessions, Rong Que would still help him dress and feed him during lunch breaks.
He whispered, "Don't close friends do this for each other?"
Cai You pondered for a moment. Although he and Tao Yue were in the same class during primary school, it was mainly because Cai You initiated the connection. Yet, they became the best of friends in the process.
As he thought about it, he shivered, "Just imagine Tao Yue putting socks on me and feeding me. I'd get goosebumps."
Lu Xu frowned at his words, realizing there might be some truth to it. So, does that mean he and Rong Que ge are not normal?
They are indeed in that kind of relationship.
Lu Xu searched what does it mean when the two boys kiss?
Homosexual relationship.
Is he and Brother Rong Que also like that? Otherwise, why is it different from Cai You Tao Yue?
Rong Que takes care of him, and he likes it. Tao Yue taking care of Cai You does seem strange.
Lu Xu cautiously approached and said, "Is it really strange between me and Brother Rong Que?"
Cai You shook his head, "I don't know why, but I feel that when you two stick together, it seems very natural, maybe it's the older brother taking care of the younger brother."
When he heard the first half of the sentence, Lu Xu thought it meant that he and Rong Que were very suitable. But taking care of the younger brother by the older brother also makes sense; it seems that Rong Que has said something similar before.
Every time someone asks about their relationship when they go out, he always says that Rong Que is his brother.
Lu Xu squeezed the eraser and curiously asked, "Do brothers kiss each other?"
"When they grow up, they probably won't." Cai You, being an only child, wasn't entirely sure about these things, but he had seen other siblings, and if they didn't fight, it was considered good.
Good relationships usually involved the older brother taking care of the younger one, but the age gap was often significant. It was somewhat uncommon for peers like Lu Xu and Rong Que to have such a close relationship.
Lu Xu earnestly contemplated Cai You's words. When they grow up, brothers probably won't stick together closely.
Indeed, Rong Que didn't seem to have a strong desire to be physically close to him most of the time. He would pat his head, and when sleeping, he would cuddle to keep him warm.
On the other hand, Lu Xu liked rubbing his face against Rong Que and enjoyed snuggling into his arms.
Could it be that he liked Rong Que, but Rong Que saw him as a younger brother?
Lu Xu recalled scenes from melodramatic dramas where the male lead would tell the female supporting character, "Don't misunderstand, I only see you as a sister." If he were to confess to Rong Que, would Rong Que respond in a similar way?
Thinking about this made Lu Xu feel uneasy. Perhaps when Rong Que changed classes, he was trying to avoid him. It seemed like Lu Xu could only bury this secret deep in his heart and pretend to have a normal crush on someone else. Otherwise, Rong Que might not treat him as nicely anymore.
Lu Xu, feeling gloomy, didn't see Rong Que until lunchtime. He said goodbye to Cai You, then held Rong Que's hand as they walked together.
Rong Que didn't shake off his hand, which secretly relieved Lu Xu. Rong Que was still better to him than an ordinary older brother.
However, Cai You, watching them holding hands, couldn't help but feel that their relationship might be too close.
Lu Xu tightly clung to Rong Que's arm all the way.
On the way, they encountered a classmate of Rong Que. Lu Xu held onto Rong Que even tighter.
The classmate glanced at Lu Xu, his gaze somewhat probing, and then flashed a smile, "Is this your little brother?"
Lu Xu looked at the smiling face but felt unexpectedly uncomfortable, whether it was the expression or the words.
Rong Que nodded, "Yes."
"You two have a really good relationship as brothers," the classmate commented before leaving without lingering.
Lu Xu wasn't too pleased, "Who was that just now?"
"My desk mate. What's wrong?" Rong Que vaguely sensed some tension between his desk mate and Lu Xu.
Lu Xu shook his head and said directly, "Xiao Lu doesn't really like him."
As Lu Xu grew older, he only referred to himself as "Xiao Lu" when he was being coquettish.
Rong Que thought for a moment and guessed that Lu Xu probably wanted him to change seats. "It's okay; we'll change seats after the junior high monthly exams. By then, we won't be desk mates anymore."
Lu Xu nodded but still didn't seem entirely happy. Even if it wasn't this person as his desk mate, there would be others.
Moreover, Rong Que being the top student, sitting in that spot wouldn't guarantee who would become his desk mate.
During the lunch break, Lu Xu intentionally hugged Rong Que tightly.
Rong Que found it amusing, thinking that Lu Xu must have felt uncomfortable not sticking to him all morning, so he let him be.
Although it was summer, with the air conditioning on, Lu Xu still liked the warmth of Rong Que's chest.
He whispered, "Does what Brother Rong Que said when you were little still count?"
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