Chapter 6 06.

Jiang Shan's radiant smile that day was like a sun seed planted in Qi You's heart, bringing a dazzling but searing happiness. He was both the farmer tending to its sprout and the thief in the night, afraid the light would expose his sins.

On Monday, when the familiar alarm clock rang, Qi You no longer felt the usual grogginess. He shot out of bed with a single thought in his mind: seeing Jiang Shan.

As usual, he prepared breakfast for both of them, then headed to Jiang Shan's apartment. He found him already sitting on the sofa, waiting, dressed in a clean, crisp uniform. Seeing Qi You, he smiled faintly, a smile that was still a little shy but much more natural.

"Good morning."

"Good morning," Qi You replied, placing the breakfast on the table. "How are you feeling today?"

"Much better," Jiang Shan said, his eyes sparkling. "I feel... more alive."

Qi You knew the "life" Jiang Shan spoke of wasn't just physical. Losing his gloomy memories and having him as a companion had been like a spiritual revival for him. The current Jiang Shan was no longer a small, lonely island; he was like a young sapling, stretching out from the dark soil to embrace the sunlight.

And Qi You was his only source of light.

"Eat up, then we'll head to school," he said, ruffling his hair naturally.

This action, in the past, would have certainly made Jiang Shan flinch and pull away in fear. But now, he just lowered his head slightly, obediently letting Qi You's warm hand mess up his soft hair. He was starting to get addicted to this feeling of being protected.

When Qi You walked through the school gates carrying Jiang Shan, the atmosphere seemed to have shifted. All eyes, instead of sliding past Jiang Shan like an invisible ghost, were now fixed on them with curiosity, astonishment, and whispered chatter.

The news that class president Qi You and the quiet boy Jiang Shan were a couple had spread like wildfire after the unintentional 'public announcement' at the park. For the students of No. 7 High School, this was more shocking than their basketball team winning the city championship.

"Look, it's Qi You and Jiang Shan."

"Oh my god, is it real? Qi You is carrying him..."

"Our campus prince's taste is really hard to predict. What's so special about Jiang Shan?"

"But they look good together. One is tall, the other is petite..."

The whispers were like invisible needles. Jiang Shan instinctively buried his face in Qi You's back, his body tense. Even with his memory gone, the insecurity and sensitivity seemed to be ingrained in his instincts. He was not used to being scrutinized like this.

"Don't mind them," Qi You whispered close to his ear, sensing his trembling. His voice was as solid as a fortress wall, shielding him from the noisy world outside. "Hold your head high. You belong to Qi You. Who would dare say anything to you?"

His gentle words had a magical, comforting power. Jiang Shan took a deep breath. He didn't lift his head, but he no longer buried his face either. He just quietly tightened his arms around Qi You's neck, seeking safety from that sturdy back.

Qi You carried Jiang Shan all the way to their classroom, ignoring the curious stares along the way. He set him down in his seat, then carefully took out his books and placed them on the desk, every action witnessed by the entire class. No one dared to say a word, but their curious gazes were impossible to hide.

Throughout the class, Qi You noticed a change in Jiang Shan. Before, he would always keep his head down, trying to shrink his presence. But today, he sat up straighter, occasionally daring to look up at the blackboard. Though still a bit timid, the self-deprecating gloom was clearly gone.

During the break, Qi You didn't go to play basketball as usual. He stayed in the classroom, took out a difficult math problem, and pretended to ask Jiang Shan.

"I don't quite get this part. Can you take a look for me?"

It was an excuse. With Qi You's grades, there was no way he couldn't solve this problem. But he knew this was the best way to pull Jiang Shan out of his shell.

Jiang Shan was taken aback. He looked at the problem, then at Qi You. "I... I'm not sure if I can do it."

"Just try. You used to be great at your studies, you always explained things to me," Qi You lied again.

Jiang Shan's memory was a blank slate, but the knowledge was still there. He looked at the problem, and the formulas and methods automatically appeared in his mind. He picked up a pen and hesitantly began to write out the steps. His voice was small and a little shaky, but very clear.

"Here... you have to use this theorem... then substitute the numbers..."

Qi You sat beside him, not listening to the explanation, but watching him. The sunlight from the window shone on the side of Jiang Shan's face, making the soft, fine hairs on his skin glisten. His long, curved eyelashes fluttered every time he blinked. He looked incredibly focused and gentle.

Qi You realized he was becoming greedier. Before, he only dared to steal glances at his back from afar. Now, he not only had all of him, but he also wanted to see more sides of him: the way he looked when he smiled, when he was focused, when he was shy... He wanted to possess it all.

"Ah, I get it now. Thanks, Shan Shan," Qi You said, deliberately calling him by an intimate nickname.

"Shan Shan?" Jiang Shan looked up, his face flushing. "Did you... call me that before?"

"Mhm. Only when it's just the two of us," Qi You smiled, unable to hide the doting look in his eyes.

Jiang Shan's heart started to race again. He lowered his head, not daring to look at Qi You anymore, but the corners of his lips curled up involuntarily.

After school, Qi You carried Jiang Shan home again. Their life seemed to have settled into a stable, sweet routine. Once back at the apartment, Qi You let Jiang Shan rest on the sofa while he put on an apron and started cooking dinner. The fragrant smell of food quickly filled the small apartment, bringing with it a warm feeling called "home."

Jiang Shan sat on the sofa, quietly watching Qi You's busy figure in the kitchen. He found the scene both strange and incredibly familiar. He couldn't remember anything, but his heart told him that this was happiness.

After dinner, Qi You helped him review his lessons. The two of them sat close together on the sofa, sharing a book. The atmosphere was quiet and warm.

"Qi You..." Jiang Shan suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

"I'm here."

"When... did you start liking me?" he asked in a small voice. This was a question that had been on his mind for days. He wanted to know how their story began.

Qi You's hand, which was turning a page, froze. Another difficult question. He couldn't tell the truth: I fell for you at first sight on the first day of tenth grade, when you were standing alone under the flame tree, looking lost in the crowd. That truth would expose all his other lies.

He had to invent another story, one that was both plausible and sweet enough for Jiang Shan to believe.

He paused for a moment, pretending to reminisce. "On a rainy afternoon," he began, his voice deep and warm. "It was raining really hard that day, and I forgot my umbrella. I was taking shelter at a bus stop when I saw you there too. You didn't have an umbrella either, you were soaked and shivering from the cold, but you were holding a small stray dog, using your own jacket to shield it."

Qi You was mixing fact and fiction. He really had seen Jiang Shan on a rainy afternoon like that. But it wasn't at a bus stop; it was in a secluded corner of the schoolyard. And he wasn't standing next to him; he was watching from a distance. The image of the thin boy, shivering himself but still trying to shield a small creature with his own body, had been deeply etched into his mind, deepening his feelings for him.

"At that moment, I thought, how can someone in this world be so gentle," Qi You continued, his gaze deep and sincere as he looked into Jiang Shan's eyes. Because this feeling was real. "My heart... just fluttered."

Jiang Shan hung on his every word, completely without suspicion. He tried to search his empty memory for that rainy afternoon but found nothing. Still, Qi You's story made his heart tremble. So, that was how he appeared in his eyes-as such a gentle person.

"So... what happened next?" he asked curiously.

"Then I mustered up the courage to talk to you and offered you my umbrella. But you gave it back to me and ran home in the rain yourself. Incredibly silly," Qi You laughed, reaching out to gently pinch his cheek.

Jiang Shan blushed, lowering his head and murmuring, "Was I... that silly?"

"Yeah, very silly."

The story was perfectly constructed. It explained why someone like Qi You would notice an ordinary person like Jiang Shan. It also fit his gentle and yielding personality.

Jiang Shan was completely convinced. He felt as if he had just recovered a precious piece of his memory. He leaned his head on Qi You's shoulder, his heart filled with a sweet and secure feeling.

Seeing that he had no more questions, Qi You secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had passed another test. But he knew that this lie was like a dam built of sand; a single large wave could bring it crashing down at any moment.

And the biggest wave of all was Dou Dou.