Proactively Attracted chapter 20
Reluctant
Upon hearing Qin Mudong’s mumbled words, Lu Xingjia’s heart suddenly tightened.
Qin Mudong always managed to capture him without making a sound.
Flustered, he quickly said, “I… I was just kidding, I won’t ignore you, I’ll never do that!”
Anyone would feel embarrassed saying such words, especially when facing someone they liked.
The redness on Lu Xingjia’s face hadn’t faded, and it deepened again into a rosy blush. His amber eyes were glistening with unshed tears, brighter than usual.
Qin Mudong’s gaze shifted slightly, and he murmured, “Hm.”
He had heard similar words many times before, and he didn’t believe in “forever.”
There might be many eternal things in this world, like the starry night sky, or the laws of truth, but none of them applied to humans.
Yet when Lu Xingjia spoke those words, Qin Mudong found himself thinking about the future.
What would happen to them in the future?
…
He didn’t dare to think further.
Qin Mudong lowered his eyes, cutting off his unrealistic thoughts.
“Really!” Lu Xingjia, seeing that he still didn’t believe him, widened his eyes.
He took out a milk candy from his pocket, unwrapped it, and held it up in his palm. “I swear in the name of the milk candy!”
The milk candy was plump and white, wrapped in a layer of translucent rice paper, with another layer of candy paper beneath it, revealing a blue-and-white floral pattern on the outside.
It was a round, chubby bunny.
Qin Mudong was silent for two seconds, then pinched the candy and popped it into his mouth.
Lu Xingjia’s bright eyes narrowed slightly as he pulled out another milk candy, popped it into his mouth, and said indistinctly, “If you eat my candy, you have to believe what I say.”
The cold weather had made the candy harder than in the summer, and it was a bit tough on the teeth. But Lu Xingjia still enjoyed it thoroughly.
Qin Mudong lowered his gaze and, imitating his actions, bit into the candy, savoring the rich, milky taste that lingered between his lips and teeth.
…..
The morning reading session ended, and the class bell soon rang. Zhang Chuchu, dressed in a sharp suit, walked up to the podium, grabbed a piece of chalk, and quickly began writing on the blackboard.
Despite Zhang Chuchu usually being gentle and amusing, when he started teaching, he had a commanding presence, like preparing for battle.
His thin lips moved rapidly, spitting out a large amount of obscure words and hard-to-remember formulas.
Lu Xingjia perked up and took careful notes, diligently solving the problems, but soon, the sleepiness began to take over.
The cotton jacket he was wearing was so warm, filled with fluffy fur inside, and though the cold wind occasionally slipped through the window, it was completely blocked by the thick fabric. It felt like a cozy little nest, making him want to curl up inside and fall asleep.
Lu Xingjia propped up his eyelids with his hands, but they kept drooping. His head kept sinking lower and lower, and he began nodding like a chicken pecking at grains.
Maybe… just five more minutes of sleep.
He told himself that in his mind.
Without even resting on the desk, he closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, the classroom was silent, only the occasional sound of pages turning could be heard. Everyone was focused on solving the problems. Lu Xingjia, still groggy, glanced up at the clock hanging above the blackboard but didn’t immediately realize the time.
Then, he suddenly woke up.
How did half an hour pass so quickly with just a blink?
Lu Xingjia shook his head, quickly glanced at Qin Mudong beside him, flipped the textbook to the corresponding page, and began to work on the problems too. Soon after, Zhang Chuchu’s voice sounded again.
“Okay, I see everyone is done with most of the problems, so let’s go over these questions.”
Lu Xingjia quickly straightened his back, grasped his pen, and focused on listening. But after just two questions, he started to feel sleepy again. The pen slipped from his grip, and the words he wrote became wobbly little tadpoles.
Zhang Chuchu’s rhythmic voice was like the perfect lullaby, drifting from one ear to the other.
This couldn’t go on.
Lu Xingjia struggled to stay awake until Zhang Chuchu gave the signal to work on more problems. He nudged Qin Mudong’s arm.
Qin Mudong’s confused gaze turned to him. Lu Xingjia, slightly embarrassed, said, “Well, if I fall asleep again in class, could you, like, tap me, kick me, anything, just wake me up?”
Qin Mudong furrowed his brows slightly, “If you’re tired, just sleep.”
He was someone who studied based on interest and never believed in drowning in problems. He didn’t like being tied to physical work constantly. If he felt tired, he’d take a nap, and that would help improve efficiency.
Lu Xingjia looked pitiful and said, “If I don’t pay attention in class, I definitely won’t do my homework at night, and then it’ll be even worse.”
Qin Mudong’s dark eyes narrowed slightly, and he didn’t reply right away.
Lu Xingjia clasped his hands together, pleading, “Please, it’s almost midterms. If I don’t do well, Chu Ge won’t let me stay here anymore.”
A pitiful expression as if he were about to cry.
Qin Mudong’s eyes lowered slightly as he gave a soft “Mm.”
“Thank you! You’re the best!”
Lu Xingjia immediately got excited, his voice a bit too loud, causing Zhang Chuchu—who was patrolling the classroom—to glance their way.
Lu Xingjia quickly covered his mouth, falling silent, but his heart was still bubbling with joy.
Qin Mudong always kept his word. With him as backup, he wouldn’t have to worry about dozing off in class anymore!
The excitement lasted for a while, but drowsiness soon crept in again. Lu Xingjia rubbed his eyes, his eyelids getting heavier by the second.
Eventually, he couldn’t hold on any longer, propped his head up with one hand, and slowly closed his eyes.
…
…
“Jia Jia.”
“Jia Jia.”
In his dream, it felt like someone was nudging his elbow.
That voice was so gentle, deep and magnetic. Lu Xingjia mumbled in protest, like he was whining, “Just a bit more… just a little…”
Qin Mudong stopped his hand and quietly looked at the sleeping face beside him.
Lu Xingjia was truly good-looking, with a slightly upturned nose and eyes always sparkling like a deer’s—full of youthful charm.
Now with his eyes closed, his long eyelashes cast faint shadows on his cheeks. Below them were those defenseless, thin lips—soft and pink—tempting one to do something…
Qin Mudong’s Adam’s apple bobbed, a deep ink-like color washing through his eyes.
After a moment, he didn’t dare do anything, nor could he bring himself to. He simply pulled Lu Xingjia’s arm down so he could rest it on the desk, then placed a few books in front of him to block Zhang Chuchu’s occasional glances from the podium.
“Sleep,” he whispered softly.
In a way, Lu Xingjia had chosen the wrong person.
Because Qin Mudong just couldn’t bring himself to wake him.
…..
Time passed by without them noticing. When the bell rang after the third period, Zhang Chuchu announced that it was time for a short break.
The classroom quickly filled with chatter and buzzing voices.
Lu Xingjia stretched comfortably and opened his drowsy eyes. When he saw the time, he was so startled he stammered:
“H-h-how is it already the third period?!”
Qin Mudong replied calmly, “I called you several times. You didn’t wake up.”
Lu Xingjia’s face turned red instantly. “Sorry! I must’ve been sleeping like a rock!”
His eyes were still misty from sleep, a light layer of moisture clinging to them. Qin Mudong averted his gaze slightly and didn’t say anything more.
Frustrated, Lu Xingjia tapped his own forehead. “How can you sleep so much? Don’t you want to stay here anymore?”
As he spoke, he began gathering his books and notes, preparing to head to the front of the classroom.
Qin Mudong frowned slightly.
Was he… upset?
Upset that he hadn’t woken him?
His lips parted slightly, unsure of what to say, when Lu Xingjia suddenly seemed to remember something and rushed back over.
His voice was soft and earnest: “I’m going to stand near the podium so I don’t fall asleep again. It’s not because I don’t want to sit with you, and I’m not mad at you.”
He scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “I sleep way too easily, and asking you to wake me up all the time probably disturbs you too.”
After that, Lu Xingjia ran off to the front of the classroom, standing tall by the door.
Just then, the bell rang for the next class. Zhang Chuchu walked in with the bell and was startled to see Lu Xingjia standing near the door. “Whoa, why are you standing there?”
Lu Xingjia sheepishly replied, “I was getting a little sleepy in class, so I thought I’d stand to stay alert.”
“Nice, nice,” Zhang Chuchu nodded approvingly. “Look how hardworking Lu Xingjia is. Everyone should learn from him. If you’re feeling sleepy, feel free to stand up—whether in the hallway, front, or back of the class.”
Lu Xingjia smiled shyly, an involuntary dimple forming at the corner of his mouth.
Back at the podium, Zhang Chuchu resumed the lesson, while Qin Mudong stared at Lu Xingjia—standing tall like a little pine tree near the front of the class—his gaze deep and unreadable.