...
Chen Yiyang's phone was off.
He hadn't brought a power bank. It wasn't until he checked into the hotel at midnight that he turned it on.
As soon as it booted up, a 99+ chat from Xie Yue popped up. Fifty-odd messages were asking if he was dead.
"..."
Chen Yiyang shared a room with Zhou Shihui. After reading through, he found it amusing.
He replied: Evil lives long.
Xie Yue: Speak human.
y2: Your big bro here won't die anytime soon.
Xie Yue: ...
Zhou Shihui had already reported they were safe after getting off the plane, so Xie Yue was long relieved. He sent a vomiting emoji cheekily.
Xie Yue: Your habit of playing the big brother needs to stop.
Xie Yue: Also, you're not good at being a brother.
Chen Yiyang couldn't be bothered. He exited the chat and discovered Yun Mi had called him three times on voice.
Chen Yiyang looked at Yun Mi's rabbit profile picture.
She always changed her avatars across platforms, but she always circled back to a rabbit—loud, lively, and somehow cheerful at first glance.
Changed, yet not really changed.
He replied with a period.
After a while, Yun Mi sent a sticker of a hundred-meter-long knife.
Grow Up Well: I'll let you run ninety-nine meters first.
Chen Yiyang checked the time—2:07 AM.
He asked: Still awake?
Grow Up Well: Worried about you, duh.
The message barely appeared before it was retracted.
Grow Up Well: I got into the key class.
Chen Yiyang had asked Xie Yue to check; he knew Yun Mi was in Class 2.
And first place.
If she'd scored 0.5 points higher in any subject, she would have made it into Class 1.
y2: Impressive.
Chen Yiyang explained: Heavy rain on the mountain roads this afternoon. We took the subway to the airport.
He was explaining the "whether he died" thing, but Yun Mi clearly wasn't having it.
Grow Up Well: ...
Grow Up Well: No need to tell me. I don't care about you at all.
Grow Up Well: Also... I'm not impressive at all. I even wanted to call you Chen Miemie. I changed your WeChat nickname too. Looks like no chance now. Boohoo.
The last two words sounded like fake crying.
In the hotel's twin room in another city, Zhou Shihui came out with his changed clothes and saw Chen Yiyang sitting on an oversized suitcase, looking down and smiling.
The boy's cold features were bathed in dim light, somewhat irritating.
Zhou Shihui frowned. "A Yang, I'm done. Go wash."
Chen Yiyang looked up, his narrow eyes dark, with a trace of lingering mirth.
He stood up, decisively unplugged his phone, and said, "I booked a room at the hotel next door."
Zhou Shihui frowned. This hotel was arranged by the teachers, so they didn't have to pay.
What did he mean?
Zhou Shihui asked, "Chen Yiyang, what are you trying to do? We shared a room before when we were preparing for the competition at the High School Attached to Nanjing Normal University." The boy stood at the bathroom's glass door, his expression darkening, laced with incomprehensible doubt. "Are you that disgusted by me now? Can't even stay in the same hotel?"
Chen Yiyang was a few centimeters taller than Zhou Shihui, though it wasn't usually noticeable. But as the boy pushed his luggage past, the height difference became striking.
Their dark eyes met. Chen Yiyang's cold and distant attitude made Zhou Shihui uncomfortable. Zhou Shihui saw Chen Yiyang lower his eyes and say, "This room is too small for two people."
Chen Yiyang reached out and patted Zhou Shihui's shoulder. He didn't use force and continued, "I'm staying in the presidential suite. Zhou Shihui, if you like, I'll book one for you too. My treat."
It sounded like mockery.
Zhou Shihui knew it was the effect of his earlier threatening words.
Chen Yiyang had no smile, only coldness.
He brushed past without any lingering.