Boyfriend Always Thinks I’m a Little Pitiful Chapter 24

The campus was filled with male students huddling as they walked around, shivering like old men, unwilling to wear an extra autumn shirt as if it would cost them their lives.

In the early morning, the athlete's march played on time. Xie Ci changed into his school uniform and sat on the bed to put on his shoes.

"Hey, that kid named Gu on the top bunk, get up."

As soon as he said that, a long leg shot out from the top bunk, dangling above his head. The wiggling toes seemed to be responding to him in a provocative manner, unclear whether it was dissatisfaction with the name or being woken up.

So childish.

Maybe it's because of his mixed heritage, Gu Yufeng naturally had pale skin that was hard to tan. Yet, he liked a tanned complexion. There was a time in his past life when he went crazy with sunbathing, but instead of getting tanned, he broke out in a rash and had to take medicine for half a month before he got better, finally giving up.

The leg in front of him was long and straight, so pale you could see the veins beneath the skin, but unfortunately, its owner always despised it.

Xie Ci slapped it away and looked at the person on the top bunk who was sleeping like a log: "Are you getting up or not?"

Gu Yufeng lay sprawled out in a "大" shape, his right leg hanging off the bed, unable to open his eyes.

He could easily stay up several nights, but waking up early was like taking half his life.

Who knew how comfortable it was to lie in a warm bed in this kind of weather, even the annoying broadcast was tolerable.

Gu Yufeng mumbled, "I choose to write a self-reflection."

Xie Ci was speechless and directly pulled open the curtains.

The light outside was a bit harsh, and Gu Yufeng raised his arm to block his eyes, already quite impatient: "I can listen to you moan, but don't wake me up."

Xie Ci: "...How old are you to be talking dirty?"

Gu Yufeng: "Can't do it, and I can't even talk about it?"

"You still want to do it? Why don't you fly to the sky?"

Xie Ci finally understood why Lao Xiang always had such a bad temper, purely from being angered.

"I've already come back from the sky..." Gu Yufeng mumbled, not even knowing what he was saying.

That unintentional sentence made Xie Ci a bit concerned, but he didn't know why.

When Gu Yufeng finally sat up with difficulty, Xie Ci's attention was completely drawn to him.

Maybe because he was still young, Gu Yufeng looked very different from the image in his mind.

Just talking about waking up in the morning, the over-thirty-year-old Gu Yufeng was elegant even when he just got out of bed, with a unique sexiness of that age.

But this kid in front of him was sloppy, unkempt, and had no sense of boundaries, completely unlike a young master from a wealthy family, his good looks barely holding up his image.

Gu Yufeng climbed down from the bed, took the shirt from the end of the bed, put it on over his T-shirt, and then added a school uniform jacket, and that was it.

"You're just wearing that?"

Xie Ci reminded, "It's only six or seven degrees in the morning."

Gu Yufeng yawned and went to wash up: "The clothes are in the suitcase, too lazy to find them."

Zhang Ruochuan, who had just returned from washing up, happened to hear the last two sentences and looked at Xie Ci: "You're talking about him, but you're only wearing two pieces, even less than him."

Xie Ci picked up his towel and cup and walked out: "The clothes are in the suitcase, too lazy to find them."

Zhang Ruochuan: "..."

No one should say anything, they're all the same.

The study atmosphere in Class One was very intense recently, with few people playing around even during breaks. Besides the upcoming monthly exam, Xie Ci was also a big reason.

Xie Ci, with his own efforts, made two teachers cry, causing the teachers to sit together every day to study the test questions. If they didn't pull themselves together, they might be taught a lesson by this monthly exam.

And the guys on the basketball team, besides dealing with the monthly exam, also had to prepare for the upcoming basketball league.

During PE class, Xie Ci was supposed to practice basketball with Zhang Ruochuan and the others, but Xiang Haibin called him to the office, saying the school leaders wanted to understand his situation.

"Hey, Lao Gu!"

Zhang Ruochuan waved to Gu Yufeng, who was passing by the field, preparing to do the high jump, "Captain Xie was called away, come fill in for him!"

Gu Yufeng turned back, glanced at the basketball court: "You want me to play basketball with you?"

Zhang Ruochuan explained, "We've already found someone to replace Captain Xie's position, you fill in for the opposing team's power forward."

Gu Yufeng didn't mind, lazily putting his hands in his pockets as he entered the basketball court.

"Just so you know, I won't act."

Zhang Ruochuan grinned, "No need to act, just play normally."

When Xie Ci returned, he saw a lot of students gathered around the basketball court, the game was intense, and the crowd occasionally erupted in cheers.

Xie Ci immediately spotted Gu Yufeng dribbling the ball on the court, weaving quickly among the opponents. This kid was like a beacon, always the most noticeable in the crowd.

He rarely had the chance to see Gu Yufeng sweating freely. In his past life, the most exercise they did was in bed, and even if Gu Yufeng worked out at other times, he wasn't there.

"Three-pointer!"

The student acting as the referee shouted.

Zhang Ruochuan, panting heavily with his hands on his knees, looked at Gu Yufeng on the opposite side: "Lao Gu, be a human!"

In the cold weather, Gu Yufeng was stripped down to just a short sleeve, tilting his head to wipe the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, looking calm and collected: "Weren't you the one who asked me to play with you?"

Zhang Ruochuan: "I asked you to practice with us, not to crush us!"

Gu Yufeng: "I said I wouldn't act."

Zhang Ruochuan: "..."

Gu Yufeng was so tall, Zhang Ruochuan thought he might be good at basketball, but he didn't expect him to be this strong! His team had three main players from the school team on the court, and they were still getting crushed!

"Hey, Captain Xie is back!"

Jiang Chenyu seemed to see hope and shouted to Xie Ci, "Captain, come help us deal with him!"

Xie Ci: "Deal with who?"

Jiang Chenyu and Zhang Ruochuan said in unison: "Lao Gu!"

Xie Ci looked at the time, only fifteen minutes left until the end of class, it would be over just after warming up, might as well not play.

"Let me see how you guys are losing."

Seeing Xie Ci standing on the sidelines with his arms crossed, showing no intention of playing, Jiang Chenyu was unwilling: "Are you just going to watch your brothers get beaten by him? Come curb his arrogance!"

Many students around started to cheer, wanting Xie Ci to get on the court.

Gu Yufeng caught the ball thrown by a teammate, spinning it on his fingertips, and smiled at Xie Ci: "Forget it, don't let him come, even if he does, he'll just be another defeated opponent."

"Lao Gu, you're too arrogant!" Zhang Ruochuan shouted.

Gu Yufeng just smiled, not denying his arrogance at all.

The provocation was crude but effective.

Xie Ci took off his school uniform jacket, stretched his shoulders and neck, and stepped onto the court.

"Just play for ten minutes."

Gu Yufeng deliberately provoked: "Sure, that's more than enough to beat you."

Xie Ci: "Then try it."

As soon as Xie Ci entered the court, the atmosphere on the basketball court changed.

The surrounding students got excited and called over more classmates to watch the showdown between the two school heartthrobs.

Both were in the forward position, and it was Gu Yufeng's turn to attack.

Zhang Ruochuan, afraid Xie Ci would suffer, quickly explained: "Lao Gu is good at strong attacks, fast, and his positioning is extremely tricky, neither Lao Jiang nor I can guard him!"

Just as he finished speaking, Gu Yufeng had already dribbled past the first line of defense, heading straight for the basket.

"Get back on defense! Grab the rebound!" Zhang Ruochuan hurriedly chased after Gu Yufeng.

Gu Yufeng's toes twisted on the ground, successfully dodging the blocking opponents, and leaped under the basket.

"Is he going to dunk?!" The crowd got even more excited, with many exclaiming in surprise.

Gu Yufeng's speed was too fast, the other players couldn't keep up with him.

Being able to single-handedly break through the school team's main players and charge to the basket, this skill left the onlooking students dumbfounded.

Just as Gu Yufeng was about to dunk, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of him, and the next moment, the ball was gone from his hands.

So fast!

Gu Yufeng landed, turned around in surprise, and saw Xie Ci already running towards the other side with the ball.

To guard against Gu Yufeng, everyone was on this half of the court, leaving the other side completely open.

By the time the players realized they needed to get back on defense, they were already far behind Xie Ci.

Gu Yufeng didn't pause, chasing after Xie Ci at full speed.

The two kept changing positions, looking for each other's weaknesses.

Xie Ci dribbled inside, a faint smile in his eyes: "Not bad speed."

Gu Yufeng raised an eyebrow, slightly out of breath: "Same to you."

"Unfortunately, your technique is lacking."

Xie Ci made a quick turn, breaking through Gu Yufeng's defense.

Gu Yufeng quickly caught up, just as he took a step, he saw Xie Ci suddenly step back, his heart skipped a beat.

"Fake move, he's going for a three-pointer!" The teammate on the other side shouted anxiously.

Xie Ci stepped back outside the line and jumped, shooting the ball.

As the ball flew out, Gu Yufeng jumped, but it was too late, his fingertips barely brushed the bottom of the basketball.

The two landed almost simultaneously, watching the basketball, which had slightly altered its flight path, spin around the rim a few times before slowly falling into the basket.

"Three-pointer!"

The student acting as the referee shouted.

Jiang Chenyu and Zhang Ruochuan shouted excitedly.

"Captain, you're awesome!"

"Lao Xie, you're the best!"

"Captain Xie is really not easy to deal with."

Gu Yufeng looked at Xie Ci, even more excited than before, "Again."

The others had already exhausted their energy, and with their speed not matching the two, the entire court quickly became a solo match between Gu Yufeng and Xie Ci.

After starting work in his past life, Xie Ci almost never touched a basketball again. After being reborn, he rehabilitated for a while but had already lost the joy of playing basketball in his youth, feeling more of the responsibility as the school team captain.

But in these few minutes of competing with Gu Yufeng, that thrilling feeling that made his scalp tingle came back.

He thought he could only spar with Gu Yufeng at the negotiation table or in bed.

Never did he think that one day he could throw everything aside and have a good game on the high school basketball court.

Gu Yufeng, like the scorching sun, exuded vibrant vitality, pure and lively, infecting everyone around him, making him feel like he could momentarily return to that frustrating yet infinitely possible youth.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Xie Ci dribbled the ball, leisurely walking towards the center line, saying to Gu Yufeng who approached: "Last ball."

Gu Yufeng casually lifted his shirt to wipe his sweat, revealing his abdominal muscles as he moved.

He blocked in front of Xie Ci, slightly out of breath: "It's mine."

Xie Ci chuckled lightly: "That depends on your skills."

The other team members had already left the court, standing on the sidelines wiping sweat and resting, watching their final showdown intently.

Xie Ci dribbled, finding a gap in Gu Yufeng's defense, ready to break through.

Unintentionally glancing up, he met Gu Yufeng's gaze for a moment.

The determination in those eyes released an aggressiveness and pressure that made Xie Ci's vision blur, the sweat on his forehead turning into blood, sliding down his face, as fragmented memories suddenly flashed back.

A row of black SUVs racing and colliding on the coastal road of an island.

Gu Yufeng's car had been tampered with, unable to stop, only able to dodge the constantly crashing unmanned vehicles.

When the fuel in the tank ran out, this collision game would come to an end.

The helicopter's rotor noise was deafening, the wind it stirred up howling.

He leaned close to the open cabin door, constantly signaling the pilot to get closer to Gu Yufeng's car, to lower the rescue ladder to save him.

Through the open car window, he saw Gu Yufeng's disheveled appearance, a wound on his forehead, half his face covered in blood, lips slightly chapped, his suit with several scratches, already stained with blood.

Even in such a life-and-death moment, those eyes showed no panic, as calm as ever, as if believing he would be saved.

Xie Ci didn't dare blink, afraid that person would suddenly be shattered into pieces before his eyes.

After several attempts, Gu Yufeng finally grabbed the rescue ladder.

He desperately pulled the ladder up, watching that person get closer and closer.

Just when he thought everything was fine, before the helicopter could gain altitude, those unmanned vehicles suddenly exploded one after another.

In the last moment before losing consciousness, he only had time to hold Gu Yufeng tightly, unable to say anything.

The figure in front of him blurred.

The person in front of him passed by, rushing towards the back.

The force of the dunk made the entire basket sway, creaking.

The dull thud of the basketball hitting the ground overlapped with the explosion sound in his memory, suddenly exploding in Xie Ci's ears.

The surrounding erupted in enthusiastic cheers, but in such a lively atmosphere, Xie Ci felt like he was in an ice cave, the coldness seeping into his organs, leaving him without the strength to lift a hand.

He didn't like to hypothesize, but at this moment, he couldn't help but think, if he hadn't been so eager for quick success back then, hadn't resorted to unscrupulous means to trick Gu Yufeng into marriage, maybe they could have found a way to cooperate without hurting each other.

Would Gu Yufeng have found someone who truly loved him and lived a happier life?

Would he not have died?

He ruined his own life and also destroyed Gu Yufeng's life.

Gu Yufeng let go of the basket, landing lightly, looking back in confusion.

Xie Ci still stood there with his back turned, not moving at all.

"Why did Xie Ci suddenly stop just now?"

"Yeah, I thought he was about to break through and win."

"Probably letting him win on purpose, that's Captain Xie's style hahaha."

"Is he feeling unwell? Why hasn't he moved?"

The students watching kept discussing.

Zhang Ruochuan and the others jogged over to Xie Ci, but he walked away without saying a word.

Gu Yufeng looked at Fang Size in confusion, the latter also looking puzzled, not knowing what happened.

Xie Ci walked to the nearest water room in the teaching building, turned on the faucet, letting the water soak his hair, slide down his cheeks, cooling his overheated brain.

He didn't know how long had passed when the water suddenly stopped.

Gu Yufeng's cold voice came from beside him.

"Using cold water on your head in this weather? Are you tired of living?"

Xie Ci straightened up, a towel was placed over his head.

"Dry yourself."

Seeing him not moving, Gu Yufeng resignedly helped him dry, "What's wrong with you?"

Xie Ci looked up, staring at the face so close to him.

Every detail was so similar, yet it wasn't the person he knew.

The more he interacted with the young Gu Yufeng, the stronger his desire to see him again grew.

Gu Yufeng examined the slightly unfocused eyes in front of him, his tone a bit worried: "Xie Ci?"

Xie Ci's fingers twitched, suppressing the restless emotions.

"I'm fine now."

Gu Yufeng: "Do you think I'm blind? You call this fine?"

Xie Ci randomly made up an excuse: "Maybe the wind blew, I had a bit of a headache just now."

Gu Yufeng looked at him incredulously: "You had a headache and used cold water? Who taught you that?"

After speaking, Gu Yufeng noticed Xie Ci's clothes were also wet, his tone inevitably a bit annoyed: "Hurry up, go back to the dorm and change clothes, don't catch a cold."

Back in the dorm, Gu Yufeng went to get a change of clothes for Xie Ci.

Turning around, Xie Ci had just taken off his wet shirt, the angle revealing a faint scar under his left shoulder blade.

"That scar of yours..."

Gu Yufeng said, already reaching out to touch it, "When did you get it?"

The scar was a thin, long line, looking faint, and didn't feel uneven to the touch.

Gu Yufeng suddenly remembered Chen Xinhong's domestic violence incident and asked: "Was it that old bastard Chen who did this?"

"Yeah." Xie Ci took the shirt from his hand and put it on, "When I was in my teens, Chen Xinhong cut me with scissors when he was drunk."

Gu Yufeng cursed under his breath, just thinking about that dangerous scene made him want to take Chen Xinhong to a place beyond the reach of the law and deal with him humanely.

"So it was from when you were a kid."

Gu Yufeng looked at the scar, muttering, "I always thought it was from me..."

Xie Ci's hand paused as he buttoned up, turning his head in confusion: "You said it was from you?"

Gu Yufeng snapped back, covering up with a quick excuse: "I meant I thought it was accidentally done during basketball just now."

Xie Ci squinted at him, feeling there was something off with this answer.

If he thought it was a recent scratch, would he use "always"?

Was it Gu Yufeng's poor Mandarin, or was there another story behind this sentence?