Xie Xishu stood there for a moment and then turned to leave—he wasn’t foolish enough to go ask Qi Wu if he had seen his school uniform.
After that, until Xie Xishu received a new uniform jacket, neither Qi Wu nor his gang ever bothered him again.
So at the time, Xie Xishu genuinely thought the matter had passed.
Until about a month later, one day, when Xie Xishu was focused on studying some exam papers from other schools, he suddenly felt Cheng An lightly nudge him with his elbow.
“Uh, Xie Xishu…”
Xie Xishu furrowed his brow lightly.
“Hm?”
He stopped writing and turned to look at Cheng An.
Cheng An didn’t speak right away but stared at Xie Xishu for a few seconds, his probing gaze making Xie Xishu feel slightly uncomfortable.
“What’s up?”
Xie Xishu asked, a bit stiffly.
“Ah, it’s nothing, just wanted to ask… have you, at some point, accidentally offended Qi Wu?” Cheng An asked in a seemingly joking manner, pausing before adding with a laugh, “Seriously though, you’re so focused on your studies, huh? Haven’t you noticed that our ‘King of Hell’ has been glancing this way a lot lately? It’s making me not even want to come to school anymore. Some of the guys in class even started a betting pool, guessing when he’ll finally take action against you, haha.”
Cheng An laughed a few times, but the laughter was light and dry.
Though it was meant to be a joke, Xie Xishu’s sharp senses detected a hint of unease in Cheng An.
At the mention of Qi Wu’s name, the hairs on the back of Xie Xishu’s neck suddenly stood up… as if an invisible finger had just traced a line down his spine.
Before Cheng An could continue speaking, Xie Xishu instinctively turned his head.
And then, he saw Qi Wu.
Indeed, Qi Wu was looking at him.
The central figure of all discussions at Nanming Third High, its uncrowned king, was lounging at the back of the classroom at the time.
A regular desk chair seemed too small under Qi Wu’s tall and muscular frame, like a kindergarten chair that couldn’t contain his large body. Perhaps because of this, Qi Wu’s posture was crooked, with one leg stretched out into the aisle between the desks.
His arm was draped over the shoulder of a lacky, his pose relaxed, but his face expressionless.
The group of hangers-on surrounding him didn’t notice Qi Wu’s sour mood and continued clowning around like usual, trying to make him laugh. The result was that the back of the classroom became even more chaotic and noisy.
Qi Wu’s face was turned forward, his dark eyes fixed in Xie Xishu’s direction.
And at the exact moment their eyes met, Qi Wu’s gaze seemed to flicker slightly.
Then, the boy with the perpetually irritable expression shifted his eyes as if nothing had happened, lazily chatting with his hangers-on without much interest.
…
As if the staring at Xie Xishu had only been a figment of Cheng An’s imagination.
A few seconds later, Xie Xishu withdrew his gaze and flatly said to Cheng An, “You’re overthinking it.”
Then he went back to his exercises.
But Cheng An was clearly still anxious, continuing to mutter incessantly beside Xie Xishu.
“… I mean, you really just turned around and looked, huh? Aren’t you afraid of actually provoking Qi Wu?”
“… But I really think Qi Wu has been looking this way constantly, everyone’s noticed.”
“… Could it be that he likes our seats or something?”
“… Seriously, Scholar, you didn’t provoke that guy, right? I’m being honest here, sitting next to you has started to feel a bit stressful.”
…
Cheng An’s rambling was annoying.
“If I really had provoked Qi Wu, he wouldn’t need to stare at me for so long—wouldn’t he have just acted already if he didn’t like me?”
Xie Xishu suddenly interrupted, his voice low.
Cheng An blinked in surprise, then, as if finally realizing something, exhaled in relief.
“Oh, right, that makes sense.”
Xie Xishu didn’t respond again.
Cheng An glanced at him, noticing that Xie Xishu had already buried himself in his studies as usual, appearing completely focused. However, his profile seemed a bit pale, and his figure looked frailer than before.
But that wasn’t something Cheng An cared much about. Now that the ‘danger’ was over, he yawned, slumped over his desk, and fell asleep again.
Naturally, Cheng An didn’t notice that even though Xie Xishu seemed to be focused on reading, the hand holding his pen hadn’t moved for quite some time.
It was the gaze.
The gaze from behind made it impossible for Xie Xishu to concentrate.
In the past, Xie Xishu had occasionally felt something was off, but since he hadn’t been alerted, he never paid much attention to that faint sense of being watched.
Until this reminder from Cheng An…
Once he realized that someone had been watching him from behind, Xie Xishu could no longer ignore it.
Maybe it was because of the terrifying rumors about Qi Wu. Maybe it was because Qi Wu himself truly had a chilling aura. Or perhaps it was because Xie Xishu was naturally prone to overthinking. In any case, Qi Wu’s gaze made him feel as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
Even though Xie Xishu acted tough in front of Cheng An, claiming it was all just an illusion and providing reasons for it, and although Qi Wu had indeed looked away when Xie Xishu turned around, Xie Xishu was certain his feeling was not wrong.
Qi Wu had indeed been staring at him.
Always…
Constantly.
From the start of class to the end.
Even after school that day, when Xie Xishu packed up his things and walked home with his backpack, on that short stretch from the classroom to the school gate, he could always feel that shadowy gaze stuck to his back like an invisible force.
Realizing this, Xie Xishu’s pace almost instinctively quickened, and by the end, he was practically running—though even he didn’t know what exactly he was running from.
“Xie Xishu? Cough, cough… What’s the matter, are you okay?”
As he reached the school gate, a female teacher in a suit stopped him.
“Ms. Li, Li…”
Only when he was pulled back did Xie Xishu snap out of that nightmare-like tension. Gasping for breath, he looked up at the worried face of Ms. Li, his face pale.
Ms. Li was the new English teacher this year, very young, having been assigned to Nanming Third High right after graduating. Probably because of her age and the fact that it was her first time teaching, she hadn’t yet become like the other teachers who had long given up and were just going through the motions. Despite having the flu and coughing so much that she could barely speak, she never missed a day of work.
Naturally, Xie Xishu, the only promising student at Nanming Third High, was treated like a precious gem by Ms. Li, who was determined to protect him from sinking into the swamp of mediocrity.
“I’m fine,” Xie Xishu muttered, trying to steady his breath. “I just wanted to get home quickly.”
Ms. Li gave Xie Xishu a once-over, her expression serious. “Then why were you in such a rush? You know the school rules say no running inside the school, right?” She glanced behind Xie Xishu while quoting the rarely-followed rule, but just as he said, the other students were all minding their own business and leaving the school, with no signs of anyone troubling him.
Only then did the young teacher relax a little. She coughed a few more times, took a tissue from her pocket, and wiped her nose.
“As long as you’re okay. Cough, cough… If you run into any problems, be sure to tell a teacher.” Ms. Li, recalling some of the rumors she’d heard recently, couldn’t help but offer some extra advice, though her voice was thick with congestion from her cold.
“Oh, by the way, Xie Xishu, I know your parents are abroad, which makes things a bit inconvenient, but about that early admissions issue, I still need to confirm with them. I’ve been unable to reach their contact numbers, so you need to have them get in touch with me.”
“…Okay,” Xie Xishu responded after a few seconds, his voice muffled.
“They’re probably just too busy to check their phones.”
“Yes, but this is important, and they need to make time for it. Cough, cough… This concerns your future, and no matter how busy they are, it can’t be overlooked.”
“I understand.”
Xie Xishu finally managed to finish his conversation with Ms. Li and found an excuse to quickly leave.
He had to admit, though, that being interrupted by the teacher had significantly lessened the sense of oppression and fear that had been weighing on him. On his way home, Xie Xishu even found it a little funny when he thought about how he had panicked and run earlier. He couldn’t understand why he had been so frightened. After all, no matter how much he thought about it, Qi Wu couldn’t possibly have turned into some kind of ghost, always following him… right?
Xie Xishu suddenly stopped in his tracks.
On impulse, he abruptly turned around and looked up toward the location of Class 1, Grade 12.
There, leaning against the railing of the corridor, was a tall shadow.
*
It was still Qi Wu.
Even from this distance, Qi Wu was nothing more than a dark silhouette against the twilight sky.
Xie Xishu couldn’t even make out his face.
Yet, bizarrely, he could still feel that gaze.
It was strange, focused, and greedy.
*
Xie Xishu’s feeling was absolutely correct.
From the classroom to the school gate, Qi Wu had indeed been watching him the entire time.
…
*
Qi Wu leaned against the railing of the corridor, his eyes lowered, staring at the figure he had sketched countless times in his mind as it bolted fearfully out of the school gate.
Only after that figure disappeared from his sight did Qi Wu unconsciously furrow his brows.
“Qi-ge?”
Only when a lackey nervously called out from behind him did Qi Wu slowly come back to his senses.
“Your cigarette…”
The lackey, shivering under Qi Wu’s dark gaze, swallowed hard and cautiously pointed at Qi Wu’s hand.
Following the boy’s gaze, Qi Wu looked down and realized that the cigarette between his fingers had almost burned out, just about to scorch his fingers.
Yet, he hadn’t felt a thing.
“Uh, Qi-ge, it’s about time, should we head out now?” The lackey, trembling as he observed Qi Wu, was well aware that Qi Wu wasn’t the type to show up at this godforsaken school every day. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Qi Wu had started showing up at Nanming Third High every single day, as if possessed.
Tonight, Qi Wu’s family was supposed to have a big business meeting, but as the scheduled time approached, Qi Wu inexplicably stepped out onto the corridor, saying he needed to smoke.
However, the lackey saw clearly that after lighting the cigarette, Qi Wu simply kept his head lowered, staring at a certain direction… or rather, at a certain person, without taking a single puff.
The lackey thought about the various oddities surrounding Qi Wu recently, his mind full of speculations, but none made sense.
Of course, even though he had many thoughts, the lackey was still impeccable in his outward demeanor. Doubts aside, his attentiveness to Qi Wu remained as usual.
“I’ve packed everything for you, just need to leave,” he said with a smile, raising his hand.
Qi Wu, of course, didn’t bring a backpack to school; what was left in the classroom were just some odds and ends… and a school uniform from Nanming Third High.
Well, that school uniform was one of the unsolved mysteries of Qi Wu’s recent actions.
The uniform seemed hard to connect with Qi Wu, yet for some unknown reason, it was always placed within his reach, and occasionally, the lackey would see Qi Wu using it as a pillow during nap time.
Maybe it was some kind of fetish?
The lackey didn’t think much about it (or perhaps thought too much and it was useless). Naturally, he took the uniform along with the other items when packing up. But he never expected that Qi Wu would just glance at the uniform under his arm and instantly change his expression.
“Who told you to touch this piece of clothing?!”
*
For a moment, the lackey was so startled by Qi Wu’s expression that he was speechless.
After being with Qi Wu for so long, the only time the lackey had seen such a furious and twisted face was during serious fights.
“Sorry, Qi-ge…”
Before the lackey could even finish his apology, his hand was empty.
Qi Wu yanked the uniform away and then lowered his head, sniffing the cheap synthetic fabric forcefully. The next moment, Qi Wu’s face turned even darker.
“Ugh… Damn it!”
The tall boy cursed violently, throwing the uniform away as if it were garbage. A-Zai, shocked, tried to step forward to explain, only to be kicked away by Qi Wu.
“Get the hell away—”
Qi Wu, with a twisted face, yelled at the lackey.
“Qi-ge, what’s going on?”
“No, A-Zai, why did you mess with Qi-ge’s stuff?”
“Qi-ge, don’t be angry, this idiot just doesn’t understand…”
…
The scene in the corridor not only frightened the lackey but also startled Qi Wu’s other subordinates, who rushed in to smooth things over.
Among them, Xiao Wu, who had a good relationship with Qi Wu, quickly stepped forward to pick up the discarded uniform. His keen observation had already noticed that Qi Wu had been carrying this uniform around lately, though he didn’t know why. He could guess that the uniform probably had some special significance for Qi Wu. But he didn’t know what A-Zai had done to provoke Qi Wu into such a rage.
“Qi-ge, it looks like the uniform got dirty, but it should be cleanable after a wash.”
Xiao Wu held the uniform, smiling awkwardly as he approached Qi Wu.
This time, however, he was met with Qi Wu’s extremely sinister glare, which carried an almost uncontrollable irritability, causing Xiao Wu to freeze in place, afraid to move.
“Qi-ge—”
“You all get the hell away from me!”
Qi Wu’s gaze swept over the dumbfounded and confused subordinates, his face so dark it was almost like squeezing out water.
He seemed to want to take a deep breath, but the breath got stuck in his throat. He suddenly reached for a cigarette in his pocket, and as he lit it, the rising blue smoke made everyone clearly see his facial muscles twitching slightly.
Qi Wu didn’t touch the cigarette.
“Sorry, Qi-ge, but what’s happening? Are you, are you feeling unwell or…”
Xiao Wu felt something was off.
But Qi Wu didn’t give him a chance to speak.
“How many times do I have to repeat it? Get—far—away—”
*
In the end, the subordinates left the corridor with bewildered expressions.
However, halfway through, Qi Wu called Xiao Wu back.
“Hey, you stay.”
“Stay? What for?”
Xiao Wu was puzzled.
Qi Wu remained where he was, his facial muscles tightly tensed, and an oppressive atmosphere surrounding him.
He was staring at Xiao Wu’s hand… or rather, at the uniform in Xiao Wu’s hand.
Xiao Wu was confused by Qi Wu’s behavior. After hesitating, he cautiously took a step forward: “Qi-ge, you mean to leave the uniform here, right—”
“Hang the uniform on the railing, and you all get far away.”
Qi Wu’s voice suddenly raised.
“Huh? Oh, okay, okay.”
Under Qi Wu’s intense stare, Xiao Wu carefully hung the uniform on the railing on one side of the corridor and then left with the others. Before going downstairs, Xiao Wu couldn’t help but glance back at Qi Wu, who was staring fixedly at the uniform, not blinking.
And Qi Wu’s gaze…
Xiao Wu couldn’t quite describe what kind of gaze it was. He just shivered, a vague sense of discomfort running from his tailbone to the top of his head.
*
Though he had sensed something vaguely earlier, on this day, Xiao Wu and his companions reached a definite consensus.
Qi Wu… was really a bit off.
*
“Ha…”
Qi Wu gritted his teeth, forcing himself to take a breath.
As the subordinates moved away, the “smell” lingering in the air gradually dissipated.
And Qi Wu finally forced himself to breathe.
The subordinates were still bombarding him with messages on their phones, clearly uneasy and confused about his recent behavior, but at that moment, Qi Wu had neither the inclination nor the energy to explain anything.
After all, just moments ago, Qi Wu had come close to suffocating.
The reason was simple… it was too stinky.
*
Qi Wu couldn’t quite remember when his sense of smell became so acute.
Maybe it was a few months ago, or perhaps even earlier, when he had a bout of flu and his sense of smell was impaired for a short period.
When his sense of smell returned, he found that things started to feel a bit off.
…At first, he could only detect the scent of different women on his father’s suit. Then, it was the lingering, old smell of leftover soup and food on the dishes. Despite the housekeeper scrubbing the dishes until she cried, he still felt nauseous from the strong smell.
Then, he realized he could gradually detect the scents of all the areas people around him had been to, the food they had eaten, the clothes they had worn and discarded.
And also, the sweat and grime on their skin, the different chemical scents they emitted when excited or scared.
The “smells” that surrounded him became so intense, so clear, and so unavoidable.
So much so that every breath Qi Wu took felt like torture.
*
Qi Wu secretly went to the hospital for an examination, but the doctor simply told him that all his indicators were normal. As for his heightened sense of smell, it might be related to mental stress, and he suggested seeing a different specialist for further examination.
Qi Wu did not go.
And neither at home nor at school did he ever show a hint of it.
It was well-known that the Qi family had poor genes. Qi Wu’s grandfather, three uncles, and two other cousins had all been sent to mental hospitals due to psychiatric disorders.
[“The men of the Qi family will eventually go mad…”]
Since he could remember, Qi Wu had heard many similar remarks.
He also knew that while people on the streets of A City publicly colluded with the Qi family, they privately referred to them as “mad dogs.”
Qi Wu was very certain that his overly developed sense of smell had absolutely nothing to do with a bomb in his head.
He wasn’t crazy.
But if he told others that he could even smell the food stuck between someone’s teeth from a month ago—he would still be considered insane.
So Qi Wu forced himself to live a normal life, to fight, to handle troublesome matters for his family, and occasionally, just occasionally, to show up at school.
When his mother died, her last wish was for him to study well. Qi Wu always thought that woman’s wish was laughable, but occasionally, when he thought of her, he would patiently spend some time at that so-called school.
And it was there that Qi Wu finally detected the only non-disgusting smell in months.
Qi Wu could not describe the wonderfulness of that smell—
It was incredibly, incredibly sweet, clear, and captivating.
In fact, even before his sense of smell had become so strange, he had never encountered such a pleasant scent.
—At that time, he was enduring the foul sweat and smoke smell from the group of boys around him, as well as the earthy, warm odor from the garden soil, when a breeze blew through.
Qi Wu saw a face as pale as near-transparency among the swaying flowers.
At the same time, he also smelled the sweet, refreshing fragrance emanating from that person.
