"The sheets need washing," Jiang Cheng said, lying on his stomach on the pillow with his eyes closed.  

"Mm," Gu Fei responded.

"What time is it?" Jiang Cheng asked, eyes still closed.

"Not yet 11," Gu Fei replied, "You still have time to review."

Jiang Cheng sighed and sat up from the bed. After getting down from the bed, he turned back and looked at it again, "You, right now, change the sheets."

"Okay," Gu Fei leaned against the headboard and nodded.

"Get moving!" Jiang Cheng reached over and clapped next to his ear, "Get moving!"

"...Where did you learn that!" Gu Fei was startled by the clap, "I wasn't exactly idle earlier either."

"Scram," Jiang Cheng took his pajamas and went to shower.  

Behind him, Gu Fei called out again, "I'll make you a sandwich for a snack later?"

"Mm," Jiang Cheng walked out of the bedroom.

"What sauce do you want?" Gu Fei asked again, "Salad sauce, tomato sauce or..."

"No sauce!" Jiang Cheng yelled back.

Gu Fei's laughter sounded from the bedroom.

"I'll hit you if you keep laughing," Jiang Cheng said.

Gu Fei's laughter immediately lowered.

After showering, or more precisely, washing off all the sauce, Jiang Cheng returned to the bedroom. Gu Fei had already changed the sheets. The previous sauce-stained sheets were neatly folded on the stool.

Next to his pile of review materials on the desk was a small plate with ham and lettuce sandwiches, and a glass of milk.

"I'm going to shower," Gu Fei said.

"Mm," Jiang Cheng sat down at the desk and picked up the plate.  

He liked snacks when reviewing. Probably because he used his brain a lot, by 11 pm he would feel sleepy and hungry. Eating something allowed him to continue.

Right now he was both hungry and sleepy, after all, aside from brain work, he had done physical activity too.

But when he picked up the sandwich and looked at it, he put it back down again. The two slices of bread had ham and lettuce in between. Gu Fei had strictly followed his request of no salad dressing, but a sandwich made like this...

Simply had no appeal!

It looked utterly unappetizing.

Dry bread slices without salad dressing or butter, even with meat and lettuce, would be hard to swallow!

Hideous!

It looked really nasty!

But Jiang Cheng glanced at the few bottles next to him.

Tsk tsk tsk tsk!

Damn, it invoked the feeling of watching dirty films.

Although the sauce used in the earlier indecent activities had no direct connection to the bottles there now, and they hadn't used salad dressing or butter either...

It still made one unable to eat at the thought, just opening one's mouth could link to many unsightly colored segments.

A top student, ever since getting together with a poor student, had slid down the shameless abyss. No wonder teachers and parents never let good students mingle with underperformers.

Look!

Look!

When Gu Fei came back from his shower, Jiang Cheng was still staring blankly at the bottles.

"I also bought yogurt," Gu Fei picked up the bread and swiftly put on ham and lettuce, then spread salad dressing generously and took a big bite, "It's in the fridge, want some?"

"Ah," Jiang Cheng looked at him, "You have a good appetite?"

"I didn't use this one earlier," Gu Fei pointed at the bottles, "I used blueberry and orange sauce earlier, and I scooped them out before using, didn't..."

"Gu Fei," Jiang Cheng looked at him sincerely, "Shut up."

Gu Fei smiled and didn't continue. After quickly finishing the bread in his hand, he picked up the small plate in front of Jiang Cheng, spread salad dressing and butter on the bread, then handed it back to him.

Jiang Cheng sighed and took a bite. He was quite hungry, and seeing Gu Fei eat with such relish made him even hungrier.

After the snack, he turned on the desk lamp and started cramming furiously.

Gu Fei turned off the bedroom light and leaned against the headboard, resting his arms on the table edge watching him.

"Do you want to copy the homework?" Jiang Cheng casually threw his completed homework next to Gu Fei's arm.

"I'll copy it after getting up tomorrow," Gu Fei said, "I'm dead tired now."

"Your stamina is pretty poor," Jiang Cheng said while doing exercises, "And you still dare to have post-sex cigarettes?"

"I didn't have any today," Gu Fei smiled.

"Oh...I forgot too," Jiang Cheng sighed, "Let me go have one after finishing this page."

Gu Fei smiled at him for a long time.

Jiang Cheng was quite engrossed in the exercises, especially the ones Pan Zhi gave him, clearly more difficult than No. 4 High's. Writing them out was quite satisfying.

He only raised his head after completing a set of mock exam papers. He stretched his neck and glanced at Gu Fei's side.

Gu Fei was still leaning against the headboard, arms resting on the table. But he had fallen asleep there already.

He carefully got up and took a cigarette to the living room.

Outside was pitch dark already, lights in most households had been switched off too. Looking out, there were only sporadic yellow lights near and far.

Jiang Cheng lit a cigarette and leaned on the window sill.

He had been here for quite a while, but every time he saw the surroundings, there would still be a faint sense of unfamiliarity, occasionally feeling unreal too.

In the past half year, the things he had experienced were not considered many. But each one was probably unforgettable in this lifetime.

Sometimes when he thought about it, it felt incredible that one day he would come from a bustling big city, from a key high school, from a family that while not warm or comfortable was at least outwardly normal, to here.

From chaos to having nothing, to...he turned and looked at the bedroom.

The bedroom door was open, warm light spilling from inside.

He stubbed out the cigarette, washed up and returned to the bedroom. He sat back down at the desk.

Gu Fei was still asleep in the same posture, he leaned on the desk and lightly touched Gu Fei's lips. Gu Fei didn't move, so he used his finger to gently poke at Gu Fei's nose. Gu Fei still didn't budge, he quirked his lips and reached out to Gu Fei's forehead.

"Brother Cheng," Gu Fei suddenly opened one eye, voice still sleepy, "I'll tell you something."

"Oh," Jiang Cheng quickly retracted his hand, "Did I wake you?"

"I wasn't asleep," Gu Fei closed his eye again, "I was just resting my eyes."

"Tsk," Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue, "I didn't even rest my eyes while studying the whole night, and you got eye strain from playing on your phone?"

"I wasn't playing, I strained my eyes from looking at you," Gu Fei smiled and glanced at his phone, "Sleep, Brother Cheng, it's past 12 already."

"I sleep at 1 sharp," Jiang Cheng said, "You properly sleep, stop resting your eyes."

"Mm." Gu Fei shifted down and laid his head on the pillow.

It wasn't until 1:30 that Jiang Cheng closed his books and turned off the desk lamp. He groped his way onto the bed in the dark, Gu Fei was probably fast asleep already, he lay down very carefully to avoid waking Gu Fei.

As soon as he laid down, Gu Fei turned over and hugged him, "You're finally sleeping, it's past 1 right."

"...I thought you were asleep?" Jiang Cheng stroked his arm.

"Asleep now," Gu Fei buried his face against Jiang Cheng's shoulder, "Like I said, I left a thread of consciousness for you."

"Sleep," Jiang Cheng smiled and said, "Good night."

"Good night," Gu Fei lightly knocked his shoulder with his teeth.