Chapter 53
When the power cut off during self-study that evening, the students were as ecstatic as if they had won the lottery.
Before the students had been talking softly, creating a buzzing in the room. Now, everyone was wailing and the clamoring came wave after wave, as though they were trying to rock the roof.
“A blackout!”
“F*ck! There’s a power outage!”
“The Jade Emperor, Tathagata Buddha, G.o.ddess of Mercy, Hallelujah … Whichever immortal is listening, please bless us and do not let the power come back on tonight!”
With it being so noisy all around, Qiao Shao was also distracted.
A warm hand held his. “Are you afraid?” It was He Shen.
Qiao Shao can still see him through the moonlight. “What’s there to be afraid of?”
He Shen said, “I thought you’d be afraid of the dark.”
Qiao Shao laughed. “What’s so scary about dark? It’s so cool!”
He Shen though it was somewhat of a pity. “You’re quite brave.”
Qiao Shao was still thinking about the previous matter and he leaned in close to He Shen. “Just now, your words were cut off. So, who is it that you like?”
There was no light inside or outside the room, but their seats were near the window, and the moonlight poured in like flowing water, spreading over Qiao Shao’s body.
He Shen was seated against the light and as he looked at the other, he thought he looked like a porcelain doll.
A doll……
baby……
When this word came up, He Shen became clear-headed.
Because it was so noisy around, Qiao Shao was afraid he couldn’t hear clearly, and got even closer to him. “You didn’t finish what you were saying. Did you mean it’s someone I know?”
Just now, Qiao Shao had asked him, ‘who do you like?’ He Shen replied back with a word—you. If there hadn’t been a power outage, this would have been followed by period; a complete stop. But as soon as the power was off, this became an ellipsis, as if there was something else he meant to say.
Obviously what Qiao Shao thought that He Shen was about to say — “You know who it is.”
He Shen looked at Qiao Shao. In the bright moonlight, his eyes were crystal-clear, save for a little curiosity; there wasn’t the least bit of disappointment or uneasiness.
–He’s really a kid.
——A … child.
He Shen exhaled lightly and turned to look forward.
Qiao Shao thought he hadn’t heard, and he quickly leaned in close to his ear. “Well, tell me. Don’t just leave me hanging.”
He Shen suddenly turned his head, and their two noses b.u.mped against each other.
Qiao Shao: “!”
He Shen looked at him without blinking.
Qiao Shao thought he could hear his own heartbeat.
“Shen Ge! Shao Ge! Look at me!” Song Yixu’s voice came from in front of them.
Qiao Shao hastily turned to look and saw Song Yixu holding a flashlight to his chin.
Young Master Qiao: “………………”
Song Yixu pretended to be ghostly. “Dooooon’t be afraiiiiiid, giiiiive me a bite and I will leeeet you gooooooo…”
He hadn’t finished when he suddenly cried out in pain. He dropped the flashlight to the ground. He asked furiously, “Who kicked me!”
His seatmate said blankly, “Not me.”
Song Yixu turned to look at the pair seated in front. These two had long gone to where the female students were to share in their light. He looked around and was shocked to find that no one could’ve kicked him except for He Shen or Qiao Shao.
But Qiao Shao and He Shen hadn’t moved. How could they have kicked him?
“Ouch!” Song Yixu cried out again.
His seatmate asked, “What’s with you?”
Song Yixu hadn’t been able to scare anyone, instead he was the one who had been scared to death. “Ah, ah, there’s a ghost! A ghost kicked me!”
Saying so, he threw himself against his seatmate’s chest.
His seatmate: I want to change seats, I really want to, I want to so much I even dream about it!
After being troubled by p.o.o.p-faced Song, Qiao Shao had already returned to his senses, and he said quietly, “How can there be a ghost?”
Song Yixu was frightened. “It’s true! Neither of you kicked me, so who did? Who could it be other than a ghost?”
Jie Kai who’d been sitting across the cla.s.sroom, heard the commotion and mysteriously came over. “It’s hard to say, I heard my dad say that our school used to be a cemetery!”
“F*ck!” Someone immediately agreed, “I’ve heard of that too!”
“Yeah! Our school often pastes yellow paper during the Tomb-sweeping day!”
Qiao Shao shivered.
Actually, this kind of school legend could be found in almost any school. Especially the rumor that it had been built on top of a cemetery. Nine and a half out of ten schools would have a rumor like this.
However, Qiao Shao’s previous environment was too detached from normal schools, so he had never heard of this kind of thing.
When he heard this, he suddenly felt his hair stand on end. He quietly leaned closer to He Shen.
He Shen’s thin lips hooked up and he held his hand.
Qiao Shao immediately held his hand back tightly and said, “Don’t be afraid, there’s no such things as ghosts!”
If He Shen were afraid of ghosts, how could he habitually pull all-nighters?
However, he had an idea, and he lowered his voice and said, “I was the one who kicked Song Yixu just now.”
Just kicking him just twice was already showing much consideration for the fact that they were cla.s.smates.
The two were talking in whispers and the others couldn’t hear.
Qiao Shao was surprised and he lowered his voice and asked, “Why’d you kick him?”
He Shen gave a very rational answer. “Who asked him to scare me?”
Qiao Shao asked in surprise, “He scared you?”
He Shen looked down. “En.”
Qiao Shao looked at him, and after a while he laughed and said, “He Shen, you’re actually afraid of ghosts!”
He Shen gave a m.u.f.fled reply. “Keep it down.”
Qiao Shao was so happy that his eyes had turned into crescent. He lowered his voice, but he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you really afraid of ghosts?”
The omnipotent G.o.d of learning of East High was actually afraid of this kind of baseless thing!
He Shen said, “Why? I can’t?”
Seeing that he was about to be “shamed into anger”, Qiao Shao no longer smiled. He held He Shen’s hand tightly and said, “It’s okay, He Shen Shen. Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you!”
He Shen’s eyes flashed with a little smile and said, “Then don’t let go.”
“Uh-huh!” Qiao Shao promised. “As long as you don’t let go, I definitely won’t let go.”
By now, Jie Kai and the others had already “I heard” themselves a supernatural novel. Song Yixu was so engrossed. He was scared to death but still wanted to know more. These legends were getting more and more thrilling, even the female ghosts in the lab building have become involved …
Qiao Shao’s palms were a little sweaty and asked He Shen, “Are you scared? Should we get closer?”
He Shen immediately said, “I’m scared.”
Qiao Shao moved his chair and sat side by side with him.
He Shen took this chance to wrap around him. With him so close, Qiao Shao felt a bit relieved. “It’s okay, it’s all fake.” No one knows whether he was comforting He Shen or himself.
He Shen hesitated but still placed his hand against his waist. When he came in contact with this thin waist, he couldn’t help but to curse himself. But his hand was steady and he didn’t take it away.
The students were getting more fired up talking about these “legends”. Tang Yu came in with a bright flashlight in hand. “Everyone, quiet down!”
The cla.s.s was only been half-filled in the first place and now that they well all huddled together, the cla.s.sroom appeared all the more deserted.
Tang Yu took a look around and he himself, felt a bit unnerved. He cleared his throat and said, “It’s a problem with the Eastern District. This area is out of power. The technicians from the electric company are already working on it.”
Some students asked, “How long before it can be fixed?”
Tang Yu said, “Right now, it’s hard to say.”
The students clamored and the happiness was evident from their tone.
Tang Yu said, “Since today’s a Sunday. The teachers have discussed it and decided to release you back to the dormitory early.”
The teachers wouldn’t be able to control his cla.s.sroom full of wolves so it was better to send them back to the dormitory first.
The students were even happier and they were extremely satisfied with this sudden “holiday”.
Qiao Shao was surprised. He looked at He Shen, “Should you go home?”
He Shen said, “There’s probably no electricity at my place either so I won’t go back today.”
If there was a power outage in the area, chances were high that He Shen’s rental apartment was also affected.
Qiao Shao said immediately, “Okay, then let’s go back to the dormitory together!”
He Shen said with a smile on his lips, “Tonight, I will be in your care.”
“Rest a.s.sured,” Qiao Shao understood, “I will definitely protect you!”
When the two stood up, the sharp-eyed Song Yixu saw their hands. “Are you two so scared that you even had to hold hands!”
Qiao Shao was trying to think of a way to explain when He Shen said, “We’re not scared.”
Song Yixu didn’t believe it, and rejoicing in other people’s misfortune, asked, “Then why?”
He Shen said, “I just like holding his hand.”
Qiao Shao was clever and he suddenly realized that He Shen was afraid of losing face and didn’t want to let other know that he was afraid of ghosts. So Qiao Shao followed along and said, “Yeah, I also like holding his hand.”
Song Yixu: “?????”
The author has something to say:
p.o.o.p-faced Song: I think I’ve just been flashed with some PDA, I have evidence right here! QAQ
Here’s a teaser:
School bully came out of the blacked out internet cafe: “I’ve got no to sleep now. I guess I should go back to the dorm?
See you tomorrow