“I think our frequency is just fine,” Qin Cheng said, leaning against Jian Heng’s chest. In the darkness, nothing could be seen, but the warmth radiating from Jian Heng could not be ignored.
This body temperature seemed tailor-made for him. In winter, when his hands and feet were cold, pressing against Jian Heng made him feel warm all over.
“Is there no class tomorrow?” Jian Heng wrapped his arms around him, his nose touching Qin Cheng’s face, kissing his chin.
“Mm,” finally able to enjoy the ‘kiss whenever you look up’ position, Qin Cheng quickly tilted his chin and kissed him. “The sports class has fewer lessons. Next semester, when I officially join the sports class, we’ll be like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, separated by distance. I don’t know if we can sneak into each other’s classes during the susceptible period; you can’t accompany me for training either.”
“The doctor said, with some effort, it can be solved,” Jian Heng whispered into his ear, his low, husky voice moistly drilling into his ear. “If we work hard, we won’t have to be tied together next semester.”
“I’m actually a man of integrity.” Qin Cheng took a breath and pressed down.
Even though he had just finished doing hand auxiliary exercises, Jian Heng’s words made him feel like he had been holding back for a year.
“So am I,” Jian Heng replied.
“Yeah, so stop teasing me all the time,” Qin Cheng gritted his teeth. “Goodnight.”
A light laugh echoed in the darkness, still as pleasant as ever, so pleasant that Qin-ge was about to lose sleep.
***
“Welcome to today’s weather forecast. Due to the influence of strong cold air from the north, our city will experience the most significant temperature drop this month, with temperatures dropping below minus twenty degrees. Citizens are advised to dress warmly when going out…”
“Hurry up and run! Did you feed all your breakfast to the dogs this morning?” Li Liguo, holding a stopwatch, frowned at a group of Alphas gasping for breath on the track. “You’re getting slower every day! Should I give you a break and let you hibernate together? Is the cold weather freezing your arms and legs off? Hurry up!”
Even though it was obviously break time, the playground was empty except for the physical education students. The extreme temperature drop made the students of the Fifth High School retreat to their warm classrooms. Looking up, one could see heads peeking out of the classroom windows, pointing and gesturing at the outside.
The content of the discussion is nothing more than: “Let me go out and run in that little bit of clothing, and I’ll be frozen into a popsicle and sent to the infirmary in less than a minute.”
“They are indeed a bunch of sports brute[mfn]體育牲口 (tǐ yù shēng kou): 體育 (tǐ yù) means sports; physical education. 牲口(shēng kou) means animals used for their physical strength (mules, oxen etc); livestock; beast of burden; draft animal.[/mfn]; they can train even in such cold weather.”
“Li DaLao‘s temper, he would train even in the rain. Anyway, his men are a group of rough guys; they can handle it.”
“Bullshit, isn’t Qin-ge handsome? How dare you call Brother Qin a rough guy?”
“Qin-ge is rough, but it doesn’t affect his handsomeness.”
…..
Qin Cheng made an effort to adjust his breathing, moving forward steadily, standing out among the crowd.
Lao Li had been keeping an eye on him since the first year of high school, not because he was good-looking but because he saw his talent in this area.
In just a few days, he had already mastered the skills; although running was still tiring, he no longer looked as miserable as before.
Among a group of sports students desperately seeking good grades, Qin Cheng was pushing himself to the limit.
The bag of indescribable items bought that day had been sitting there for half a month now, and Qin Cheng still hadn’t had the time to even take a look at it. From the initial itch in his heart to now being as calm as still water, he just needs to run twenty kilometers twice a day.
Lao Li said that if he increased the training volume, he would definitely not hold back. While others were sleeping at home, he was already with Jian Heng on the playground, starting with a warm-up of ten kilometers. Even when others finished training and went home, he still had to continue with another ten kilometers before dinner.
In the middle of it all, he had to endure double the various weight training, jumping training, obstacle training… Sometimes, he was so exhausted that he couldn’t even eat lunch. But to spend a little more intimate time with his boyfriend, Qin Cheng forced his legs, which were about to give out, to crawl to the cafeteria to eat with him.
Later, Jian Heng couldn’t stand it anymore and simply bought meals every day to eat with him in the guardhouse next to the track. He would finish his meal quickly and then sit in front of him to massage his legs.
There is no such a sticky and intimate way of bonding among brothers; it doesn’t take long for everyone to notice. After the initial shock, a group of big straight A collectively nodded——their Qin-ge is freaking awesome; even when dating, it has to be with an A too!
It was unknown what kind of nonsense Lu Ping had heard from Tan Qi, but the next day he brought a box of peanut milk to the track, stubbornly insisting on giving it as a gift: “Ge, this is my heartfelt intention. You and Sister-in-law take good care of each other! Wishing you both a hundred years of harmony!”
This opened the floodgates, and for several consecutive days, Qin Cheng brought home all sorts of things——walnut milk, almond milk, bread rolls[mfn]小面包 (xiǎo miàn bāo): Bread Rolls. 
[/mfn], eight-treasure congee, chicken feet[mfn]雞爪子 (jī zhuǎ zi): Chicken Feet. 
[/mfn]… and even a bucket of soybean oil[mfn]大豆油 (dà dòu yóu): Soybean oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the soybean (Glycine max). It is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils and the second most consumed vegetable oil. 
[/mfn].
Jinhua was a small place, and the Fifth High School wasn’t an elite school, so the brothers basically had no pocket money.
Qin Cheng had always said before, don’t bother him with useless matters, and don’t waste their money on him.
The group could only turn to Tan Qi, the strategist, for advice. The strategist generously imparted wisdom, enlightening the group of straight-minded A who were set in their ways.
The straight-minded A, enlightened, all bought small edible items to show their goodwill.
Lao Li’s face was dark for those few days, and finally, he couldn’t hold back and specifically sought out Qin Cheng for a talk: “What are you doing here! You’re all still a little brat, and you’re still promoting this gift-giving culture! Return them right away!”
Qin Cheng was particularly helpless: “Lao Li, this is gift money[mfn]份子錢 (fèn zi qián): gift money (given during special occasions such as weddings, births, deaths, anniversaries, etc.); one’s monetary contribution; cash as a wedding gift. 份子錢 (fèn zi qián) is a traditional Chinese custom that dates back to the Qing dynasty when the upper-class would use these (usually physical, customized, instead of monetary) gifts, especially for weddings. More information: Link.[/mfn], not a bribe. I have to return it when they get into relationships and get married in the future. It’s just how social interactions work; how can I return it?”
Lao Li had nothing more to say, and after holding it in for a long time, he also sent a gift money——twenty kilometers of weighted running. Qin Cheng was so moved he almost knelt down to him.
After five laps, they gathered. Facing the imminent explosion of Li Liguo, a group of people stood silently in place, panting heavily. They all wanted to ask what to do next——whether to continue training, disperse, or keep going… but no one dared to speak up.
Qin Cheng ran his fingers through his hair, ice shards in one hand, breathing heavily like a bellows: “Lao Li, are we dispersing or not?”
A group of people stood in awe; with Qin-ge here, they could immediately get an answer. They didn’t have to feel like students who had failed an exam, anxiously awaiting the impending punishment, unsure whether it would be a knife or a gun. Death could come suddenly.
“Still having the nerve to ask me if we’re dispersing?” Lao Li sneered. “Qin Cheng, step forward. The rest of you do fifty weighted frog jumps!”
Qin Cheng calmly stepped forward, completely accustomed to Lao Li’s differential treatment, and even managed to crack a few jokes.”Look at you, always with that stern face. Doesn’t Shimu[mfn]師母 (shī mǔ): wife of one’s teacher, master, pastor, etc.; term of respect for your teacher’s wife.[/mfn] get angry seeing you like this?”
“Change to a heavier weight and keep running,” Lao Li snorted coldly. “If you don’t finish running, you won’t be allowed to eat lunch today. Let your little boyfriend eat by himself and see if he gets angry.”
After saying that, he turned around and left, leaving Qin Cheng alone, shouting at the top of his lungs: “Don’t! Better to tear down a temple than break up a marriage, Teacher Li? Li DaLao? Let’s talk this out!”
The consequence of his big mouth was two leg cramps, and he was finally helped out by Jian Heng.
The gatekeeper was already familiar with his routine. Since he was on leave these past two days, he just directly gave him the key at noon to let himself come in for lunch.
The electric heater was on, and the small space gradually warmed up.
Qin Cheng slumped in the chair, not wanting to eat a single bite, but his mouth wouldn’t stay shut: “I shouldn’t have run my mouth off. Hey, do you think Shimu really doesn’t get angry seeing him like this?”
He looked at Jian Heng, and after a while, he chuckled.
Jian Heng opened the warm milk he had been carrying in his arms and handed it to him: “What are you laughing about?”
Qin Cheng held it in his hands and took a small sip. It was sweet. His boyfriend cared for him, and indeed, he added sugar.
“If Lao Li were half as good-looking as you, I think Shimu wouldn’t get angry. Even when you were so harsh on me back then, I didn’t leave you. One reason was that it was the susceptible period, and I couldn’t leave. The other reason was that you were indeed handsome. I couldn’t take my eyes off you. Even I, an Alpha, couldn’t resist looking at you more.”
While drinking, Qin Cheng reminisced. It had only been a few months, but it felt like half a lifetime.
A few months ago, he was still a high school student muddling through life, and now, a few months later, he had become a rising star in the sports class, with a bright future ahead.
“Then, can you eat a few more bites for the sake of how handsome I am?” Jian Heng held a spoonful of food and brought it to his mouth. When he was exhausted, he didn’t like to eat. Training intensely on an empty stomach was simply not feasible. Jian Heng had to coax him like a child every day to eat a few more bites. “Your boyfriend is feeding you.”
Qin Cheng’s stomach churned. If he had to eat by himself, not to mention a few more bites, he couldn’t even manage a single bite without feeling like throwing up.
But when Jian Heng held the spoon in front of him, it didn’t matter how tired or nauseous he felt. He opened his mouth and ate obediently, chewing numbly, as if he were a machine refueling, devoid of any sensory perception.
It wasn’t so hard to bear anymore.
After finishing the meal like a robot, Qin Cheng looked around to see that no one was watching. He squeezed Jian Heng into a corner of the wall, kissing him for a long time.
When their lips parted, they were reluctant to let go of each other, holding each other tightly, their noses rubbing against each other, foreheads touching, breaths intertwining, savoring the rare closeness.
“Sometimes I think, how nice it would be to just hold you like this for a lifetime,” Qin Cheng said, stroking Jian Heng’s back, unable to get enough.
Jian Heng lowered his head and kissed him. “I’ll come over to keep you company during the last self-study period this afternoon.”
Qin Cheng really wanted to shout, ‘Don’t leave now’, but he couldn’t. They were both enduring hardships now to secure their future, to have a lifetime together.
Thinking this way made his heart feel much better.
“No need, just let me kiss you again quickly,” Qin Cheng said, leaning in, wishing he could merge into him. Jian Heng held him tightly, clearly also suppressing his emotions. The two of them shared a bittersweet kiss for another minute before reluctantly parting.
“I have class,” Jian Heng said, tidying up the trash and squeezing Qin Cheng’s arm. “Be careful during training.”
“Mm,” Qin Cheng leaned against the door, watching him. “See you tonight, Heng Heng.”
Jian Heng smiled: “See you tonight, Cheng Cheng.”
***
“Why not let Jian-ge join our sports class?” Lu Ping, seeing Qin Cheng’s forlorn expression, couldn’t help but suggest. “That way, you two can see each other every day.”
“Are you an idiot?” Qian Yuhui kicked him. “With Jian-ge’s grades, how could he join the sports class? That would be a waste.”
“What do you mean?” Lu Ping covered his butt, “Stop talking nonsense. Even if you seem cultured, you’re also just a sports brute, no scholarly temperament at all!”
“Roll. Even if I don’t have a scholarly temperament, I still look more like a good person than you do,” Qian Yuhui said.
“Fuck! How do I not look like a good person? I learned my temperament from Qin-ge. Are you saying Qin-ge doesn’t look like a good person?”
Qin Cheng was originally quite troubled, but the antics of these two clowns distracted him, making him feel much better. He turned around, facing the wind, and took a sip of water: “You two better behave, or Lao Li will reward each of you with five kilometers later.”
The two exchanged a few glares and then squatted down next to Qin Cheng, one on each side.
“Qin-ge,” Lu Ping couldn’t stop talking, picking up a small stick and drawing on the ground. “Which sports university do you want to apply to?”
“National Sports University,” Qin Cheng adjusted his cap. The recent strong winds were really too fierce. Even if sports students were tough, they were still humans. It was headache-inducing to be blown around too much.
“Damn!” Lu Ping exclaimed, the small stick snapping in his hand. Qian Yuhui kicked him from behind Qin Cheng to quiet him down and said quietly: “Applying to National Sports University means your cultural course scores need to be high too. Qin-ge, are you still coming to the sports class?”
“Of course,” Qin Cheng replied, “I’ll go next semester. The end of this semester is coming up soon, so no more playing around.”
“Really freaking awesome,” Lu Ping said with admiration in his eyes. “I wouldn’t even dare to think about it.”
“With that brain of yours, you should be happy if you manage to get a passing score,” Qian Yuhui scolded him.
“Fuck! I’ll definitely score more than you when the time comes!” Lu Ping retorted defiantly.
Qin Cheng was getting a headache from their constant bickering, so he took out his phone and unlocked it. The lock screen showed a photo of him and Jian Heng crossing the finish line in the 5000-meter race.
Whenever he was exhausted from training, he would pull it out to look at it, take in his boyfriend’s stunningly handsome face, imagine their beautiful future together, and even mentally shoot a few short films.
Like a phone about to run out of battery, it activated the backup energy to support him in continuing his training.
***
The cultural course requirements at the National Sports University are relatively high compared to other sports universities, so he has to juggle both physical education and cultural courses.
Every day, Jian Heng would still find time to tutor him after finishing his own homework, get up earlier than him in the morning to prepare extra meals, and when he collapsed on the bed after intense training at night, he would give him a massage.
It’s the final exam period, and everyone is tense. Jian Heng stays up late every night to review, and on top of that, he has to take care of him in various ways.
Qin Cheng was so distressed[mfn]心疼 (xīn téng): to love dearly; to hate to part with; to be unwilling to let go of; to begrudge; to take pity on; to have pity for; to feel sorry for sb; to regret; to be distressed; to cherish and treasure very much.[/mfn] that he took the time to watch cooking videos every day and learned a few simple dishes, cooking for him day after day.
The potential of humanity is indeed limitless. The rough man who once burned down the kitchen could now not only cook but also clean the house. This is the power of love.
After a whole afternoon of regular physical training, Qin Cheng tenaciously walked to the playground gate to wait for Jian Heng.
From a distance, he saw his boyfriend pedaling his bike quickly towards him, stopping right in front of him, the bike steady as ever.
Qin Cheng hopped on the bike, receiving envious glances from all around.
Who wouldn’t want to sit on Jian-ge’s bike’s back seat?
No way, it’s his now.
“Let’s buy a bottle of cola later,” Qin Cheng said, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his face against his back. “The cola chicken wings you made last time were super delicious.”
Jian Heng replied with an ‘mm’: “When will the test results come out?”
“The day after tomorrow. Auntie Tan is going to the hospital for a check-up, so she can pick them up for us,” Qin Cheng said.
A few days ago, they took Song Yingmei for a routine check-up, and while waiting, they secretly checked their pheromone compatibility. The records show that the concentration has increased by a staggering nine times.
Maybe because he had been through a lot recently, their life experiences had become much richer. When the doctor came over, Qin Cheng didn’t feel embarrassed at all and even calmly asked several questions.
“According to this data, during the susceptible period, you can try to stay apart. Of course, when you can be together, you should still have more ‘contact’, just in case.”
For the two of them at this stage, this was undoubtedly great news. After all, even if they were in the same university in the future, they wouldn’t be able to attend classes together.
***
During dinner that night, Jian Heng’s phone rang. Qin Cheng, who was watching a video titled ‘Easy Ways to Cook Beef, Learn It in One Go’, directly answered it for him.
“Hello?”
Hearing his voice, the other side paused for a moment, and after a rustling sound, Cheng Bin’s enthusiastic, loud voice came through: “Cheng’er, where’s Heng’er?”
Qin Cheng glanced at the person across the table, “Eating.”
After saying that, he handed the phone over.
Jian Heng took it, “Cheng Bin?”
There was no need to put the phone on speaker when talking to Cheng Bin; Qin Cheng could hear him clearly even from across the table.
“You two have been together for over half a month now. Ze’er and I were thinking of finding some time to visit you. Is that convenient?”
“Not convenient,” Jian Heng replied succinctly, picking up a piece of chicken wing for Qin Cheng. “Honeymoon period, no time to entertain.”
Qin Cheng couldn’t help but chuckle.
But Jian Heng was speaking the truth; they were both so busy right now. It was difficult enough just to find time to cuddle and kiss, let alone entertain guests.
As if not expecting his brother to be so ruthless, Shao Ze’s voice came through after a few seconds of silence, but this time, Qin Cheng couldn’t hear it clearly.
Jian Heng directly switched to speaker mode.
“Not now,” Shao Ze said. “I know you two don’t have time. Let’s discuss the time after the final exams. Just wanted to give you a heads-up.”
“Next time, just send a WeChat message if there’s something,” Qin Cheng shouted, “saves you from having to call behind my back.”
Qin Cheng still hasn’t forgotten the few times Shao Ze glared at him. Of course, he wasn’t holding a grudge; he just wanted to vent a bit. He wasn’t really angry.
“Hey, can’t you two at least pretend to be willing to entertain guests?” Shao Ze sighed, “This couple is so in sync.”
“No way,” Qin Cheng boasted. “Who told Heng Heng to love me so deeply?”
“Alright, there’s no other matters; I won’t disturb your deep love anymore,” Shao Ze said, “we’ll call before coming; no, send a WeChat.”
Qin Cheng was laughing uncontrollably.
After hanging up the phone, Qin Cheng couldn’t help but say, “Am I cutting off your normal social life?”
“Not really,” Jian Heng said. “I don’t really want to socialize either.”
Qin Cheng laughed so hard his stomach hurt.
“No need to explain the second question. I’ve memorized it,” Qin Cheng said, holding his notes. Jian Heng was explaining today’s math test to him, but he was training and not paying attention. “Who invented these disgusting probability problems? They must have been created just to annoy me, right?”
“Just practice a few more times, and you’ll get it,” Jian Heng marked a few questions for him. “Do these, then check the answers. If you don’t understand, I’ll explain it to you.”
Qin Cheng responded with an ‘mm’, holding Teacher Jian’s imperial edict and moving it under the camera to solve the problems.
This kind of study live streaming definitely doesn’t earn as much as playing games, but this kind of educational live stream stood out among the entertainment streams and unexpectedly received a wave of tutoring ad invitations.
They both live stream their studies every day, occasionally taking ads and doing promotions, and surprisingly, it didn’t make much of a difference.
Qin Cheng couldn’t help but sigh. Knowledge truly is money!
Before going to bed, Qin Cheng hinted, “If I improve in the final exam, does Teacher Jian have a reward for me?”
Jian Heng wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him closer. “Yes.”
“What?” Qin Cheng felt he wasn’t sleepy anymore.
“Sleep with you,” Jian Heng kissed the tip of his ear. “Sleep now, goodnight.”
Qin Cheng felt something was off as he drifted between sleep and wakefulness.
He was a 0, sleeping with him; this was a fucking reward for Jian Heng, right!
The author has something to say:
The author sat cross-legged at the head of the kang, looking at the scenery outside the window, and after a while, sighed and said: I still feel a bit distressed. Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or watered me with nutrient solutions between 2020-05-26 15:19:31 and 2020-05-27 11:56:44~
Thank you all for your support, I will keep working hard!
Information about the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl is available in Chapter 08.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 57″]
心如止水 (xīn rú zhǐ shuǐ): one’s mind is as calm as still water; to remain unmoved by circumstances; at peace with oneself; one ‘s mind settles as still water; used to describe a person who holds on to his beliefs and is not affected by external influences.百年好合 (bǎi nián hǎo hé): lit. be joined in love for a hundred years; conjugal felicity; long-lasting harmonious union (of a couple) staying in love for the rest of their lives, for better or worse (usually said during a wedding ceremony); may you live a long and happy life together (wedding greeting); a harmonious union lasting a hundred years; to wish two people a lifelong love and affection. A hundred years refers to a long time, and is also used to refer to a lifetime; 好合 (hǎo hé) refers to a congenial relationship.
失魂落魄 (shī hún luò pò): lit. lost soul, dropped spirit; driven to distraction; panic-stricken; to lose one’s wits; beside oneself (idiom); dazed; be scared out of one’s wits; be hopeless and despondent; describing someone who is frightened or upset, and in a trance.
暴殄天物 (bào tiǎn tiān wù): (rare) to cruelly destroy nature’s creatures; to recklessly waste natural products (or things in general); not to know how to use things sparingly; waste natural resources recklessly; waste God’s good gifts recklessly; let sth. go to waste; misuse things; a reckless waste of the products of nature; originally meant to destroy all things in nature, but later came to mean to waste things at will without knowing how to cherish them.
以防萬一 (yǐ fáng wàn yī): to guard against the unexpected (idiom); just in case; prepared for any eventualities; to protect against a contingency; have a spare wheel ready all the time.
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