Childhood Affection - Chapter 15 - The Joy of Falling Together

As Qin Zhan left Yin Qianyang’s house, he noticed a shadow at the door. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Nie Yingyu. Nie Yingyu was feeling down at home, wondering why others could enjoy Yin Qianjie’s late-night snacks while he didn’t even have the chance to guard the door for her.

“Looking for Shan-Ge?” Qin Zhan asked as he stepped down the stairs.

Nie Yingyu retorted, “Was Qianjie’s cooking good?”

“It was delicious! Really delicious!” Qin Zhan replied enthusiastically. “And Yin Qianyang is such a blockhead, his sister is practically a goddess. Are they really from the same mother?”

Nie Yingyu turned to walk away, and Qin Zhan followed him to the alley entrance. Leaning against the wall, Nie Yingyu’s pocket revealed the outline of a formula notebook. He said dejectedly, “If only Aunt Xian had given birth to Yang-Ge first, then Qianjie and I would be closer in age, and we’d be a perfect match.”

Qin Zhan was taken aback, “You like Yin Qianyang’s sister, huh? She doesn’t like you?”

Seeing Nie Yingyu with his head down and no response, Qin Zhan’s eyes gleamed with a hint of excitement, “Does Qianjie-Jie have a boyfriend? If she doesn’t like you, maybe she could like me.”

Nie Yingyu kicked Qin Zhan’s shin, “Get lost!”

Standing on one leg, Qin Zhan rubbed the kicked leg and said, “Just kidding. But let me give you some advice: don’t tie your youth to someone impossible. Look around and appreciate other views.”

“Wow, you sure have a way with words,” Nie Yingyu said, surprised that an athlete student could be so articulate. “But this view is too good, I can’t look at anything else.”

Just as he finished speaking, Qin Zhan stumbled backward, and Nie Yingyu quickly stepped forward to catch him, scolding, “Was one kick enough to make you rub your leg for ages? Stand properly.”

Qin Zhan steadied himself, “How about I introduce you to some girls from my school? The track and field team has girls with long, strong legs who can run three thousand meters without breaking a sweat.”

Nie Yingyu replied, “You’re like a matchmaker and recruiter rolled into one.”

First, he recruited Yin Qianyang, and now he wanted to introduce Nie Yingyu to a girlfriend. He was more efficient than the neighborhood committee. Qin Zhan sniffed and said quietly, “I’m doing it for Shan-Ge. Shan-Ge’s brother is like my brother.”

Nie Yingyu chuckled, “You just went hiking with my brother once.”

“Hiking is nothing; we’ve even crossed bridges together,” Qin Zhan checked the time and wrapped his coat tightly, saying goodbye, “We’ll chat again sometime. I need to get back before the dorm locks up.”

The National Day holiday passed in a blur, and the first thing after school resumed was the monthly exam. Nie Weishan and Yin Qianyang were as carefree as ever, not worried at all because worrying wouldn’t help.

“Damn, Jiangang is supervising this classroom,” Yin Qianyang said as he entered and saw the name on the blackboard. “I’m doomed. With him here, I can’t even play with my eraser.”

Nie Weishan had already found his seat and sat down, “I’ll teach you a trick. If you’re bored, draw on the draft paper. It makes time fly.”

Yin Qianyang held a summary of classical Chinese knowledge points, pretending to be serious, and walked to Nie Weishan’s desk, “Are you planning to design during the exam?”

“Not really design, just sketches,” Nie Weishan placed a stack of draft papers on the desk, listing them like treasures, “During the exam, I plan to complete the following works: Cloud Pattern Lock, Large Twist Ring, Fortune Dumpling, Sweet Peony Blossom.”

Yin Qianyang said, “I’m getting hungry just listening.”

Just then, Jiangang entered and said, “Yin Qianyang, go back to your seat. You’re not even reviewing. Let’s see how much you improve this time.”

“Mr. Liu, my goal is not to fall behind,” Yin Qianyang quickly returned to his seat, glancing at the thick file on the podium. As the bell rang, Liu Jiangang opened the file, handed out the papers, and the exam began.

The entire day was spent taking exams until evening. Nie Weishan had completed his artistic tasks but still had a few sheets of draft paper left. The English exam was the most challenging; he randomly filled in the answer sheet and called it done.

Looking towards the left front, a few seats away, Yin Qianyang sat upright with his head down, long legs tucked under the desk, eyes focused on the test paper, occasionally ruffling his hair.

Nie Weishan stared, feeling something was off.

After watching for about seven or eight minutes, he finally realized that Yin Qianyang was writing furiously.

At seven o’clock, the bell rang, signaling the end of the exam. After collecting the papers, there was a fifteen-minute break. Nie Weishan continued to watch Yin Qianyang, who put down his pen and flexed his wrist, clearly tired from writing.

“Yang, want to grab a bite?” Nie Weishan asked.

“Sure!” Yin Qianyang left his seat, looking refreshed. As they walked out of the classroom, he stretched, “This day of exams wore me out. Let’s skip the cafeteria; I want some crispy noodles.”

“Alright, let’s go to the supermarket,” Nie Weishan stole another glance at him, “Baby, during the English exam, I saw you writing away. Did you know all the answers?”

Yin Qianyang thought for a moment, “You said drawing passes the time. I can’t draw, so I copied the reading comprehension passages onto draft paper. It was tiring.”

Nie Weishan breathed a sigh of relief, almost thinking Yin Qianyang had unlocked some hidden potential.

With lighter steps, he hopped down three steps, only realizing the other hadn’t followed. Turning back, he saw Yin Qianyang standing on the stairs, asking, “What’s up? Let’s go, or the cumin-flavored ones will be sold out.”

Yin Qianyang was lost in thought, “What did you call me just now?”

Nie Weishan hadn’t noticed, “Did I call you?”

Yin Qianyang jumped down and ran to him, “You called me baby! Damn!”

“Damn what? I was just scared,” Nie Weishan wrapped an arm around Yin Qianyang, walking him out, jingling two coins in his other hand, “It’s like if Yingyu fails, I call him big brother-an unusual name for an unusual situation.”

As they walked back with crispy noodles, Yin Qianyang remained silent, crushing the noodles before tearing open the package to eat. He poured them directly into his mouth, finishing them in a few bites, crumbs sticking to his lips, “Too salty.”

Nie Weishan chuckled from behind, tugging Yin Qianyang’s sleeve before entering the classroom, “Why do you seem a bit disappointed?”

Yin Qianyang defended his pride, “My mom never called me baby; my sister only does when she’s teasing me. I thought you said it out of love.”

Nie Weishan was amused. As the evening self-study bell rang, he pushed Yin Qianyang into the classroom and watched him sleep through the entire session.

The monthly exam results came out quickly. By the next afternoon, all subjects were graded, and the total scores and rankings were sent to parents’ phones. Out of fifty students, Nie Weishan ranked thirty-ninth, and Yin Qianyang ranked forty-second.

On the way home, the atmosphere was heavy. Yin Qianyang clutched his backpack, feeling anxious, “I was busy copying readings and missed three questions on the answer sheet. Otherwise, I’d be thirty-seventh.”

At a red light, Nie Weishan turned and patted Yin Qianyang’s head, “Thanks for saving me. If Aunt Xian comes at you with a knife, I’ll bring you medicine.”

“Stop it,” Yin Qianyang’s face drooped, eyebrows twitching as if about to cry, “Let’s not go home. Third uncle is waiting for you, my mom for me. Let’s find Qin Zhan and crash at his dorm for the night…”

As they spoke, they reached the alley entrance. Nie Weishan hesitated, “How about eating before going home?”

They ate hand-pulled noodles by the roadside, each with two eggs, like their last meal. After eating, they headed home. At the alley entrance, they parted with a sorrowful expression, only to hear Bai Meixian call out.

“Yin Qianyang! Get back here immediately!”

Under his mother’s watchful gaze, Yin Qianyang walked into the alley, his palms sweaty from gripping his backpack straps. Nie Weishan quickly slipped away, entering the neighboring alley to go home. As he entered the courtyard, he saw his third uncle sitting there, a small table with a phone on it.

Whoever invented School Information Communication, he wanted to strangle them.

Yiyun Alley and Eryun Alley were hand in hand, heart to heart, and third uncle seemed to be in sync with Bai Meixian. Nie Weishan sat on the sofa while third uncle stood by the coffee table, asking, “Did you pay attention in class? Not whether you understood, just if you listened!”

Bai Meixian sat at the dining table, facing a dejected Yin Qianyang. She asked, “Did you stop studying after joining the track and field team? Are you going to break out of Asia or win an Olympic gold medal?”

“Did you complete your homework every day?”

“Did you do your pre-study and review after class?”

“Boarders study several hours more than you, yet you don’t know how to make the most of your time!”

“Those who excel are working hard, and you’re still thinking about playing!”

Though night had fallen, third uncle and Bai Meixian were full of energy. Nie Weishan and Yin Qianyang each endured their interrogation, from silent nods to frequent nods, finally promising repeatedly before they were released.

Before the meeting ended, third uncle asked, “What rank did Qianyang get?”

Nie Weishan beamed, “Forty-second, not even as good as me.”

Bai Meixian also asked, “What rank did Shan get?”

Yin Qianyang quickly explained, “I missed three questions; otherwise, I’d be ahead of him!”

“You two are just a pair of lousy chess players,” third uncle kicked Nie Weishan, “Starting tomorrow, come straight home after school. No lingering outside, no going to Qianyang’s house. You two do everything together except study.”

Nie Weishan nodded, “Got it, but we didn’t do anything…”

Bai Meixian instructed, “Starting tomorrow, ride your bikes to and from school. Otherwise, you’ll just run around wasting time. If this continues, I’ll enroll you in a tutoring class on weekends.”

Yin Qianyang agreed, “Don’t enroll us; we’ll break up immediately.”

Poor couples have many sorrows, and zero-score brothers are quite unlucky. The two of them tucked their tails, becoming ordinary neighbors, only speaking at school, acting like strangers in the alley.

Nie Yingyu checked Nie Weishan’s homework daily, and Yin Qianjie checked Yin Qianyang’s. They endured a week like this until the weekend finally arrived.

At eight in the morning, the sound of reading English echoed through the house. Yin Xiangdong chuckled, “This performance artist is at it again, pulling a London suburban accent to pretend to be diligent, reading the same passage over and over, thinking we can’t tell.”

Yin Qianyang wasn’t embarrassed when exposed. He put down the English and started reciting politics. By mid-morning, he smelled something delicious and emerged from his room, asking, “Mom, what are you cooking?”

Bai Meixian sat on the sofa watching TV, “Braised beef. The pressure cooker needs to hiss for a while. Have you finished your homework?”

“Not yet, I’ll continue in the afternoon. I’m not going anywhere,” Yin Qianyang sat beside her, “Shan especially loves your beef. He mentioned wanting some recently.”

“Invite Shan over for lunch. I made it for both of you; your sister doesn’t like beef.”

Yin Qianyang jumped up and ran out, “I’ll go get him now! We’ll do homework together this afternoon, and my sister will help us with questions!”

After days of restraint, they were finally thawing out. Yin Qianyang dashed to third uncle’s house, entering and saying, “Third uncle, I’m looking for Shan. My sister will help us with questions this afternoon, and we’ll eat lunch at our place!”

Nie Yingyu emerged from the room, “I have questions for Qianjie-Jie too, count me in!”

“Don’t crowd, move aside,” Nie Weishan said, already packed and ready to go at the sound of commotion. The two returned to the neighboring house, as if they hadn’t seen each other in years.

After lunch, they returned to the room to study, leaving the door wide open to show there was no funny business. They sat side by side at the desk, books and papers spread across the table. Nie Weishan said, “Let’s start with geography. I bought an ‘Encyclopedia of Basic Geography’ yesterday; the excitement hasn’t worn off yet.”

“Alright, if it’s useful, I’ll get one too,” Yin Qianyang opened the paper, quickly getting stuck, “Calculating the installation angle of a solar water heater, can you do it?”

Nie Weishan took out draft paper and drew a diagram, explaining, “To maximize solar energy use, design the solar water heater’s tilt angle so its heat-collecting surface is perpendicular to the sunlight, increasing efficiency.”

Yin Qianyang listened quietly, “And then?”

Nie Weishan continued, “Then, continuously adjust the angle between the heater and the rooftop to keep the sunlight perpendicular to the heat plate. We’ll set up a formula and extract known conditions from the question.”

Yin Qianyang looked at the paper, then at Nie Weishan’s handsome face, suddenly finding studying quite interesting. He earnestly asked, “Can you be more specific, explain it to me?”

“Well,” Nie Weishan met Yin Qianyang’s gaze, speaking seriously, “I haven’t figured out the specifics yet, let’s talk later.”

“Damn, you’re bluffing me?” Yin Qianyang snapped out of it, kicking Nie Weishan under the table, then crumpling the draft paper with the solar heater diagram and tossing it to the door.

Looking down, he froze, seeing the next sheet had a drawing of him.

Nie Weishan teased, “Go ahead, toss this one too.”

“No way, this one needs to be framed,” Yin Qianyang gently picked up the paper, examining it closely. It depicted him writing furiously during the exam. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he said, “You were drawing me during the exam? That’s creepy.”

Nie Weishan replied, “I drew it last night while doing homework, just out of boredom.”

Yin Qianyang was skeptical, “I was home last night; you didn’t see me, how did you draw it?”

“Baby, do you need to see me to remember what I look like?” Nie Weishan slapped him on the back, “If I were drawing someone else, maybe. But drawing you? I know your face like the back of my hand.”

After saying this, they both paused, Yin Qianyang turning to look at Nie Weishan, who stared back at him. After a moment, Yin Qianyang’s face turned red, and he softly said, “Say it again.”

Nie Weishan added, “That ‘baby’ earlier was out of love, keep it close.”