Chapter 74
He thought of so many things that night but when he saw He Shen the next day, Qiao Shao didn’t have the courage to look at him!
As it happened though, it was He Shen who stared at him.
Qiao Shao looked down and opened the book. “What are you looking at me for?”
Stop looking! If you don’t stop looking, I won’t be able to wait until the results come out.
He Shen looked at his eyes and asked, “Are your eyes swollen?”
Qiao Shao turned to stare at him.
He Shen took a clear look.
The child’s eyes were already round to begin with. And because he cried yesterday, his eyelids became more swollen, contrasting against his clear eyes, making them even rounder.
So lovely.
He Shen has never seen a person so nice to look at.
Not handsome, nor beautiful but good-looking. His eyes, nose and lips, all went straight to his heart and nestled there. He couldn’t get enough of looking at him.
Qiao Shao felt uncomfortable at being stared at so intently. “My eyes aren’t that badly swollen, are they? Yours would swell too if you cried!”
He had taken a look in the mirror this morning and felt it wasn’t that obvious. Does he have to stare at him like he’s some sort of giant panda?
Don’t tell me, have my eyes swollen up to look like a giant panda’s?
Qiao Shao felt that he had lost face once again.
If he confessed under this kind of situation, wouldn’t he just be looking for death?
Who knew that a certain straight man would say, “I’m not laughing at you.”
Qiao Shao looked at him.
He Shen whispered softly, “I feel distressed because I care about you.”
Qiao Shao’s head was sent buzzing. Wave after wave of scorching heat rose to his face. He stared fixedly at his book. “No need!”
He Shen suddenly drew near.
Feeling his breath, Qiao Shao’s heart jumped to his throat, he stared fixedly at the textbook, his eyes were locked on to it.
He Shen’s voice sounded in his ear. “Qiao Shao, there’s something not quite right with you.”
Qiao Shao’s back stiffened. He’s finished. Done for. Has this guy found out? He’s going to get rejected even before he confesses!
“I……”
Qiao Shao uttered this single word and his throat dried up. He found that he valued He Shen more than he thought, and did not want to …
He Shen’s slender and distinctly-jointed fingers appeared in front of his eyes, only to see him pinching the edge of the book, like pinching his heart. “Your textbook’s upside down.”
Qiao Shao: “…………………………”
He Shen pulled out his textbook and looked at him. “What is it, really? What’s wrong?”
Qiao Shao said nothing.
He Shen’s voice was very reassuring. “It doesn’t matter even if you don’t do well in the exam. Don’t be so nervous.”
Qiao Shao’s throbbing heart fell back to its original place.
It turned out that He Shen thought he was panicking because of the exam.
“I’m not nervous,” Qiao Shao snatched the textbook back and hmm-ed. “It’s just the final exam. What’s there to be so nervous about?”
He Shen was still worried about him. “There’s no need to be impatient now. Don’t mind it too much.”
Qiao Shao squeezed his lips tightly and looked hard at the textbook.
How could He Shen know what he was thinking?
If he couldn’t even do well in the exam, then how could he ever have the face to confess to him?
He had gone through all that trouble to tutor him. If he still couldn’t get his grades up, how could he be worthy of He Shen?
If he couldn’t even do that, how could he say he liked him?
If you like someone, shouldn’t you go all out for him!
Qiao Shao bit his lip and said, “I’m not being impatient, I just want to read the book again.”
He Shen said, “You have to calm your mind …”
Qiao Shao turned to look at him. “I’m different from you!”
He Shen was startled because of his serious expression.
Qiao Shao quickly looked away and said, “I’m not as smart as you, I …”
He couldn’t say it.
He Shen didn’t want to upset him anymore. So, he could only coax him. “Ok, then take a look at the book again. The contents of the final exam will definitely all be from here.”
Qiao Shao curled his hand into a fist, and bowed his head, “En.”
He stared unblinkingly at the textbook, but his heart wasn’t in it.
The final exam was different from the last monthly exam.
The students were also nervous this time, but they were also very happy. Because after the final exam, it would be summer vacation and summer vacation was paradise for every student.
Qiao Shao wasn’t looking forward at all to summer vacation. He was solely focused on this exam. He wanted to get a good result. Even if he wasn’t among the best, at least let him not be the last.
He felt that he was doing a lot better now. He felt that he was less afraid of the quiet.
He was really looking forward to this final exam.
Qiao Shao knew that there was something wrong with him psychologically. But he couldn’t control it.
He wanted to prove himself, and he wanted to prove it to He Shen.
He really wanted to seize this opportunity.
So many emotions were bound up together that he was once again in for a sleepless night.
The day after tomorrow would be the final exam. Teachers didn’t conduct classes today. One was because they had to arrange the exam rooms, and the other was because they were giving the students the time to review.
Qiao Shao didn’t talk to He Shen all day long. He Shen didn’t dare to tease him like usual.
Even Chen Su noticed Qiao Shao’s nervousness. He gave him a set of questions. “This is the final exam from the previous year. Try and have a go at it today. You will basically be able to tell how well you’ll do.”
Qiao Shao didn’t relax, but he said, “Thank you.”
“What are you being so polite for?” Chen Su patted him on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine.”
Qiao Shao was unwilling to have others worry about him. He smiled at him and said, “En.”
He simply didn’t rest during noon break. He put on his earphones and started on the questions.
He finished the math question during noon break, and got at least 128 points.
This score was very good. Chen Su only scored 132 points in the previous monthly exam.
But……
Qiao Shao took off his earphones. His heart understood very clearly—he couldn’t wear earphones during the exam.
The teacher couldn’t set this precedent for him, nor would he want such privileges.
What did he come here for?
To overcome this psychological obstacle.
Qiao Shao didn’t to answer the other questions.
He knew his situation well. What he wanted was to bravely face himself in the formal examination room.
If he couldn’t even face himself, what qualifications did he have to like someone else?
The afternoon before the exam, He Shen called Wei Jiayu.
Wei Jiayu was surprised. “So … superstitious!”
He Shen said, “He’s very nervous. If this can ease his nervousness a bit then that’s fine.”
Wei Jiayu felt his profound love from these short words. He immediately patted his chest and said, “Leave it to me!”
He Shen said again, “Sorry to trouble you.”
Wei Jiayu said, “It’s nothing!”
Besides, if his roommate was in trouble, it was his responsibility as dorm room leader to help!
When he returned to the room that night, Qiao Shao heard Wei Blue Hair say, “You guys are in luck. This is a hard to come by opportunity, you know!”
Qiao Shao wasn’t at all interested. “Huh?”
Wei Jiayu ran to him with the wooden fortunes and said, “My mother went to the temple to get it for me. These wooden fortunes were blessed by a great master. Care to try your fortune?”
Qiao Shao’s heart gave a jump and he said, “What nonsense is this?”
Wei Jiayu said cheerfully, “It’s very accurate. Just now, I let Four-eyed Chen try it. He got ‘great luck’!”
Qiao Shao was dumbfounded. “What about you?”
Wei Blue Hair said without a trace of politeness, “Of course I got ‘bad luck’. Do you think I could ever get a good score without cheating?”
As soon as he said this, Chen Su sneered.
Wei Jiayu was none too pleased. He looked at him and said, “Stop it with that attitude. If Laozi manages to go from last to second to the last, that’s still considered progress. I will definitely give you your bonus!”
Chen Su ignored him. He bowed his head and continued to answer the exercises.
What Blue Hair said finally managed to get Qiao Shao a little interested. “What kind of fortune-telling is this? Is it just for test results?”
Wei Jiayu said, “No, is there something else you want to ask your fortune for?”
Qiao Shao’s cheeks flushed. “Nothing.”
Wei Jiayu urged him: “Draw one. If you get ‘great luck’, go to bed immediately. You’ll definitely be able to attain great victory tomorrow!”
Qiao Shao hesitated.
Wei Jiayu was afraid that he would back out. “Hurry up!”
Qiao Shao’s grandpa, Mr. Yang Xiaolong, was a proper superstitious person who loves these things the most.
Qiao Shao followed after his grandpa and because of his influence, understood a bit about them.
Fortune-telling sticks like these never were just for a specific purpose.
So long as you keep thinking it in your mind, it can be answered by the fortune you draw.
Although Qiao Shao didn’t look highly upon Wei Jiayu’s wooden fortunes, which he got from who knows where, he was still a little tempted to try.
He thought silently three times in his heart …
He hardened his resolve and drew a stick.
Wei Jiayu knew that this wooden fortune, given to him by He Shen, contained all ‘great luck’ . If Qiao Shao could draw a ‘bad luck’ one, he would chop off his own head and hand it over to be kicked around.
Of course, in order to comfort his glass-hearted roommate, he still pretended to curiously come over and ask, “Well, what is it?”
Qiao Shao apprehensively spread open his hand.
The words ‘great luck’ came into view.
Wei Blue Hair was indeed worthy of becoming the future Oscar hopeful. His acting skills were extraordinary. “Not bad! Qiao Shao, you’re going to ace this final exam!”
Qiao Shao stared at the wooden fortune for a while. His ears turned red. “What nonsense.”
Even though he said this, he still took this wooden fortune with him.
Wei Jiayu saw how the corner of his mouth ticked up and thought, ‘As expected from a couple! Shen Ge knows him so well!’
The author has something to say: Can you guess what Qiao Shao asked his fortune for~?
See you tomorrow!