RIACMET chapter 270

 

[Timeline: Before the Apocalypse]

Love at first sight always starts with a racing heart.

When Jiang Nian first laid eyes on Cheng Jing, he was already thinking about how to strip him bare. To put it bluntly, he was only interested because Cheng Jing was beautiful.

His love-struck, teenage mind, still soaked in high school sensibilities, went into overdrive. In no time, he dug up the guy’s basic info and couldn’t wait to track him down.

The moment their eyes met across the court, Cheng Jing felt a sensation unlike anything he’d ever experienced before, spreading from his chest to every inch of his body.

Nervousness. Excitement. Desire. Anticipation…and that helpless, embarrassing tension unique to adolescence.

Under Jiang Nian’s unblinking gaze, Cheng Jing missed three shots in a row. The teasing laughter of his teammates echoed in his ears, but his mind was a haze and his eyes were unable to focus beyond the court.

Jiang Nian’s expression never changed. His peach-blossom eyes remained fixed on Cheng Jing, a barely-there smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. He looked at Cheng Jing as if he were the only person in the world, his eyes filled with centuries of tender longing.

Cheng Jing had the dangerous illusion that those failed shots had landed straight into someone’s heart, causing ripples that stirred something primal between two people who hadn’t even spoken.

After warmups, while everyone else was distracted, Jiang Nian boldly cornered Cheng Jing, flaunting his interest like a little peacock.

The teammates were already used to this kind of thing. They whistled, spun basketballs on their fingers, tossed out a few jokes, and drifted away.

Cheng Jing’s heart pounded erratically, but not a flicker showed on his face. His naturally thick skin kept his composure intact.

If used to describe a person, “gentle features and a peaceful passage of time” should describe someone like Jiang Nian. Just by standing in front of you, he makes you want to reach out and touch his face, give him a hug—or even kiss his forehead or cheeks.

Unfortunately, the words that came out of his mouth were nothing like his delicate appearance.

“Hey, handsome. Can I get your contact info?
I’m Jiang Nian from 1st Year, Class 3.”

As he spoke, he handed over a piece of paper with his phone number and social media handles neatly written on it. His bold, focused eyes, obedient yet cunning, locked onto Cheng Jing.

Cheng Jing did his best to stay composed, but inside, he was already laughing.

It turns out this little fox was pretending to be innocent. In that case, he might as well play the part of the dumb big bad wolf.

His ears grew hot as he accepted the note, albeit inexplicably. The next second, that smug little guy handed him a pen and stretched out his fair, slender hand.

“Write yours here.”

He leaned in, and the faint scent of freesia detergent tickled Cheng Jing’s nose. His throat went dry, and he swallowed reflexively.

Just as he was about to write, Jiang Nian teased him:

“I’m ticklish, so you’ll have to hold my hand still.”

It was blatant flirtation. His voice was lowered, coy, and deliberately sweet. Cheng Jing knew it was a setup, but he went along with it anyway.

Rough palms brushed against soft skin, steadying his hand as he wrote.

It was their first physical contact. Cheng Jing’s palms broke out in a sweat; he was flustered, like a schoolboy in front of someone who barely reached his chin.

He wrote his phone number and social media handles on Jiang Nian’s palm. He’d been approached before, but this was the first and last time he responded.

Jiang Nian acted like a good boy, and Cheng Jing pretended to be clueless. They were both innocent in their own twisted ways.

“What’s your name, gege[mfn]“Gege (哥哥)” in Chinese literally means older brother. In some modern or internet usage, girls might call a guy “gege” to sound cute or coquettish, similar to saying “oppa” in Korean.[/mfn]?”

Retracting his hand, Jiang Nian asked openly. His eyes gleamed with a hopefulness that was impossible to ignore.

Cheng Jing felt drugged and replied honestly with a straight face.

“Cheng Jing.”

Jiang Nian’s grin widened.

“Cheng Jing, I heard you’re single. Want to try dating me?”

Cheng Jing lowered his gaze in thought. He could have just said, “I don’t like men,” and that would have ended things right there, but he didn’t.

Instead, he said:

“You’re underage. I don’t date this early.”

“Pfft…”

Jiang Nian chuckled, his eyes sparkling as if he were looking at a rare specimen. What kind of rejection method is this? In front of him, it was practically a gift.

Cheng Jing blushed faintly and added,

“I won’t date until college.”

He turned his head away, his fists clenched slightly at his sides. It was one of the few rules his parents had laid down for him while he was in school.

“Is that the only reason? So it’s not because you’re against dating guys or girls?”

Jiang Nian stopped smiling and asked seriously, his gaze sharper and more focused than ever.

“Yeah.”

Cheng Jing nodded. Then, noticing someone walking toward them, he quickly put the note in his pocket and turned away with a resolute expression.

Jiang Nian watched his retreating figure and flashed a dazzling smile, confident that he’d already won the first round.

Just as he was about to chase after him—

“Brother Nian!”

Damn. Buzzkill.

It was his roommate, a bespectacled guy, who came rushing over with worry on his face.

“Nian-ge, someone wants to meet you in the alley tomorrow night. It’s the seniors you reported for cutting in line at the cafeteria last time.”

Cheng Jing hesitated for a moment when he heard that.

Jiang Nian frowned.

“Can’t it wait until after the league ends?”

He wanted to take advantage of the league period to take Cheng Jing down for a few days, but he didn’t want to fight.

The boy with glasses shook his head.

“Can’t. They said—”

“All right, I got it. I’ll beat them up tomorrow night. Do they think they can bully us juniors with impunity?”

Jiang Nian replied casually, then ran off again. If he missed chasing down his future boyfriend because of this, someone was going to pay.

But when he looked up again—Cheng Jing was already gone.

…

On Cheng Jing’s first day at No. 1 Affiliated High School, gossip about his arranged marriage spread like wildfire. He quickly started hearing stories about Jiang Nian:

Receiving love letters and handing them straight to the teacher; complaining about the bad handwriting and poor literary taste;

He was also said to get cornered by upperclassmen for rejecting their kindness, who would then pin him against urinals and beat him black and blue.

During military training, someone called him a pretty boy. In front of the instructor, he ran laps until he vomited—then mocked the guy to his face.

Anyone who shoved him in the cafeteria or cut the line? He’d fight first and report later.

If people gossiped about him? He’d tell the teacher, confront the gossiper, and demand a public apology.

Once, someone sabotaged his cleaning duty. He shoved the guy straight into the trash can without saying a word.

He was bold and brash, and everything he did made an impact. Within half a semester, Jiang Nian had earned a reputation as the top student who refused to be bullied and took action when needed.

Since his grades were stellar and his mother, a single parent, stood firmly behind him, most teachers gave him verbal warnings at worst.

They said that Jiang Nian was most obedient toward his mother. Since he didn’t want her to worry, he never showed her his suffering. If time was going to be wasted, he’d rather waste it on others.

However, Cheng Jing still couldn’t connect the fierce, unruly rebel with the teary-eyed, sweet-faced boy who looked so delicate.

That was until the next day, when he saw him again in the alley beside the school. Driven by a mix of concern and curiosity, Cheng Jing followed him quietly and witnessed quite the spectacle.

In a fight of one against four, Jiang Nian’s fists and kicks were fierce, and his words were even fiercer. He was the kind of guy who could win a brawl and a verbal sparring match.

By the time the four upperclassmen had finished cursing and collapsed, Jiang Nian had rolled up his uniform sleeves and put his hands on his hips. He wore an expression that screamed, “I’m the coolest in the world!”

Then, spotting Cheng Jing in the dim alley light, his whole vibe changed in an instant. He crouched by the wall like a pitiful little thing.

After a moment, he looked up with a wounded expression and said softly,

“Cheng Jing, I’m hurt. They were so cruel, bullying the weak like that. I’m reporting them to the teacher tomorrow. Come with me and be my witness.”