DCISBS chapter 17

Right up to the end of dinner, Xie Quan really didn’t do or say anything outrageous again.

Other than the plate of skewers in front of him being absolutely drowned in what looked like a lethal dose of chili powder, everything else was normal. They sat at a simple outdoor BBQ stall in the summer breeze, behind the university, surrounded by other students from Yuncheng. For a moment, Lu Nanyang even felt like maybe they really were just two ordinary classmates who happened to meet at school.

They had come late, and by the time they finished eating, it was completely dark. The other diners had all left. Lu Nanyang paid the bill and walked with Xie Quan back toward campus.

Strictly speaking, Yuncheng univerity’s back gate wasn’t a real gate. It was a person-sized hole students had carved out of the fence as a shortcut. There wasn’t even a decent streetlamp nearby, and the little path was pitch black. In the distance, however, the teaching building was brightly lit, full of students studying late.

Lu Nanyang turned on the flashlight on his phone and walked ahead of Xie Quan. “Honestly, I think you should quit medicine. With your iron stomach, you could go around the world entering extreme spice-eating competitions and win yourself a whole mansion.”

Xie Quan chuckled, “With your appetite, you should try eating contests. When Boss Hu came to settle the bill, his whole face said ‘thank god I didn’t treat this guy.’”

Lu Nanyang clicked his tongue. “Truth is, I didn’t even eat till I was full. I was scared I’d make the guy go bankrupt.”

“…Impressive,” Xie Quan said sincerely.

Lu Nanyang snorted a couple of laughs. “You know, when I first came to Yuncheng, on my first day of school the cafeteria handed out lunch boxes. I thought all the boxes on the table were mine, so I ended up eating three other students’ meals. Those three complained to the teacher, and the next day the school called home and said either take me back or pay extra for my food. My mom—Madam Lu—was so mad she twisted my ear and scolded me for wasting food. I told her I didn’t waste any—I ate it all.”

Xie Quan couldn’t help laughing softly, “Your mom—Madam Lu—really had it tough.”

The words slipped out naturally but were quickly corrected, that tiny pause bringing back a slight tension to what had just become a relaxed atmosphere.

Luckily, that awkwardness didn’t last long.

“Huh, the gate’s blocked.” Lu Nanyang’s phone light landed on the hole in the fence.

“Blocked?” Xie Quan, who had never taken this shortcut from the med school, looked over in surprise. “This gate can be blocked?”

Looking closely, the gate had indeed been nailed shut with an iron plate.

“Strictly speaking, this isn’t really a gate—just a shortcut students made for convenience,” Lu Nanyang said. “The school’s been trying to block it off. They seal it, students tear it down, and then it gets sealed again. Looks like we’re unlucky today and got locked out.”

Xie Quan frowned. It really was bad luck. The nearest official gate was several hundred meters away, and they’d have to walk around the entire fence to reach it.

But sometimes fate just doesn’t cut you any slack. Xie Quan had no choice but to accept it. He stepped back a few paces, ready to take the long way around.

“Hey, where are you going?” Lu Nanyang shined his flashlight toward Xie Quan.

Xie Quan raised a hand to block the light, frowning. “Of course I’m heading to the South Gate.”

“The campus is right there, and you want to take such a long detour? Isn’t that a hassle?” Lu Nanyang held his phone out toward Xie Quan. “Here. Take this.”

“What for?” Xie Quan asked, confused.

“Shine the light for me.” Lu Nanyang tossed the words over his shoulder and stepped onto the base of the fence. Gripping the top iron bar with both hands, he swung himself up and over in one fluid motion.

Startled, Xie Quan quickly pointed the flashlight at him, but by the time the light hit, Lu Nanyang had already landed neatly on the other side and was casually brushing the dust off his clothes.

In the dim beam of the flashlight, the hem of Lu Nanyang’s shirt fluttered as he smiled with a hint of wild confidence.

So childish.

But… strangely handsome.

Lu Nanyang reached a hand through the bars, asking for his phone. Xie Quan handed it over, and he adjusted the phone to an angle that illuminated the area.

Then, standing on the base of the fence, Lu Nanyang stretched his hand out over the top, beckoning to Xie Quan with a crook of his finger.

Xie Quan’s Adam’s apple bobbed uneasily in the dim light. “I’ll just go around… to the South Gate…”

“Come on,” Lu Nanyang insisted, hand still outstretched. “I’ll pull you up. It’s fine.”

Xie Quan was certain that if he didn’t climb over this fence today, Lu Nanyang would stay crouched there all night.

Left with no other choice, he gritted his teeth and stepped onto the bars, silently praying that no one he knew would pass by.

Luckily, it was pitch dark around them. Not a single passerby. The flashlight barely lit the ground beneath their feet—nothing was visible further up.

As he groped blindly in the darkness, a strong hand suddenly grabbed his tightly and pulled hard. Xie Quan couldn’t quite keep up with the force. As he climbed over, he tripped on some iron bar and lost his balance, falling forward.

His heart sank as he instinctively tried to shield his face—but instead of hitting the cold, hard ground, he crashed into a firm, warm chest.

Lu Nanyang stumbled back a few steps but managed to stay upright. When he looked up, he found himself staring into Xie Quan’s wide, startled eyes.

Lu Nanyang grinned, the faint beam of the flashlight catching the light in his eyes. “See? I told you it’d be fine.”

For some reason, that little light stung Xie Quan’s eyes. He quickly shoved Lu Nanyang away and brushed the dust off his clothes with a frown. “Don’t do stuff like this again. Just because you don’t care about your life doesn’t mean I don’t care about mine.”

Lu Nanyang chuckled and backed off a couple steps.

Xie Quan didn’t say anything more. He turned and silently walked toward the medical school. It took Lu Nanyang a few seconds to realize they were now heading in different directions, drifting apart with no signal or goodbye.

He picked up his phone from under the fence, turned off the flashlight, and stood still for a moment, watching Xie Quan’s retreating back. Then he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away.

Back in the dorm, Da Ze and the guys were gaming. Wen Fei was already asleep, snoring loud enough to drown out Jia Rong’s cursing.

“So late—where’d you go messing around?” Da Ze turned briefly from his game, glanced at Lu Nanyang, and teased, “Yo, looks like someone had a romantic encounter.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Lu Nanyang flopped down on his bed.

“Yeah right,” Da Ze clicked his tongue. “Look at that stupid grin on your face.”

Lu Nanyang immediately wiped the smile off. Only then did he realize—yeah, he had actually been smiling.

“I think it’s about time Lu-ge got a girlfriend,” Jia Rong chimed in. “He’s been moping around like a ghost lately.”

“That was because Meng Hezhi was driving me nuts, thanks.” Lu Nanyang shot back casually.

Luckily, the case was nearly wrapped up. Just one more court appearance and it’d be done.

Only now did Lu Nanyang remember—he should’ve asked for Xie Quan’s contact info during dinner.

Just as he was thinking that, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a reply from that whale avatar account.

Just two words:

—You’re welcome.

Lu Nanyang couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. Sitting nearby, Da Ze caught the expression out of the corner of his eye.

Tch. So fake. Da Ze sneered inwardly.