Qing Kuang Chapter 103

Published at 10th of May 2023 01:16:57 PM

Kou Chen’s examination went smoothly. The doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory medicine or something, and then they were done. The stitches can be removed in a couple of days.

“We’ll go get my bike, and then the books,” Kou Chen said. “And then we go home… I was planning to hide the gifts, but I guess I have to give them now.” 

“Should we leave the bike?” Huo Ran was a little worried. “Can you drive with your head like that?”

Kou Chen looked at him, and a long while later he said: “What does driving have to do with my head?”

“The helmet, and then there’s wind,” Huo Ran said. “And you might be a little dizzy right now, what if it happens on the road…”

“As long as you don’t start groping me, I won’t get dizzy,” Kou Chen said. 

“I…” Huo Ran quickly looked around out of the corner of his eye. Kou Chen didn’t say that quietly, and he was afraid of people hearing.

“Let’s go,” Kou Chen put an arm around him. “I have to buy new clothes first. I just looked in the mirror, my dad is fine seeing all that blood, but my mom and Kou Xiao are gonna scream for sure.”

“Okay.” Huo Ran put an arm around his waist and rubbed it.

“What did I just say?” Kou Chen yelled.

“Are you driving?” Huo Ran asked.

“…Fine,” Kou Chen clicked his tongue.

They bought a t-shirt at the store nearby, and Huo Ran asked for a bag to put the bloodied on in.

“Just throw it,” Kou Chen said. “I don’t think the blood’s gonna wash out.” 

“So? Keep it for the memory.” Huo Ran made a box-opening motion and put the shirt in. “Today, King of Fighting Kou Chen was trying to run away when he got hit in the head, and he cried tears of joy with his dad in the hospital…”

“What do you mean joy?! I got hit!” Kou Chen said.

“You two know it best,” Huo Ran laughed.

Kou Chen didn’t retort that time. He only chuckled a bit and started walking away briskly. 

After getting the books, Kou Chen waved his keys at Huo Ran: “Can you drive?”

“What?” Huo Ran looked at him.

“Do you know how to drive?” Kou Chen said. 

“Yeah,” Huo Ran said. “But it’s not like I have the chance to normally, much less a Harvey.”

“Just go slow, I’ll direct you. Stay on the emptier roads,” Kou Chen said. “I wanna see how it feels like to sit on the back.”

“Does your head hurt?” Huo Ran stared at him.

“No,” Kou Chen said. 

Huo Ran didn’t really believe him. Kou Chen’s answer was too simple.

He hesitated a little: “Okay then.”

He did know how to drive a motorcycle. He drove his dad’s when he was a kid, but he’s never driven a Harley before. But… he really did want to try it.

Huo Ran grabbed the keys and got onto the bike. He checked where the throttle, brake, lights and all that were, then he looked at Kou Chen. “I’m gonna go drive around the parking lot first, I’ll come get you when I get used to it.” 

“Okay.” Kou Chen got his phone out.

He was still holding his phone after Huo Ran did a lap around, pointing it at Huo Ran.

“Handsome?” Huo Ran stopped in front of him, planting his foot on the ground.

“Very,” Kou Chen said. “I just want to push you onto the bed and kiss you.” 

Kou Chen started laughing. 

Huo Ran kept calm as he drove off.

He followed Kou Chen’s directions home, on a road that was a bit of a detour but with fewer cars.

“You don’t know about this road, do you?” Kou Chen bragged from behind him. “You who was born and raised here.” 

“Do you just run around the city all day?” Huo Ran said. “You lonely outsider.”

“That’s right,” Kou Chen laughed. “I am lonely.”

Hearing that, Huo Ran felt a little bad for him. He rubbed the hand that Kou Chen had around him.

“I’m not lonely now, because I have you,” Kou Chen said. Before Huo Ran could find something to say amidst the touching and cheesy statement, Kou Chen spoke again: “Hey, how come you’re the one touching me when I’m driving, and you still touch me when you’re driving?” 

“Fuck off!” Huo Ran cursed.

Kou Chen burst out into laughter.

Back in Kou Chen’s neighbourhood, before he turned onto the road his house was on, a huge dog came flying towards them.

“Holy shit,” Kou Chen whistled. “My Shuai!” 

Shuaishuai ran over barking, and Huo Ran quickly slowed down. Shuaishuai ran around the bike, panting like he was gonna hop on if the bike stopped.

“Shuai! Go back!” Kou Chen said, and Shuaishuai immediately turned to run back. He yelled again, “Go—!”

Huo Ran could tell that Kou Chen was feeling excited.

Although he probably didn’t want anyone to know that. It would be embarrassing. Just like at the hospital when he didn’t want Huo Ran to see him crying. 

So Huo Ran didn’t say anything, he only laughed with him.

Right after he parked in front of the house, a car horn sounded from behind them. Huo Ran turned around to see that it was Old Yang and Kou Xiao.

“You two are home?” Kou Chen was surprised. “I thought you were gonna be out the whole day? It’s still so early.” 

“You’re asking me?” Kou Xiao got out of the car. “Dad called to tell us to come home immediately. He ordered a cake, and said you were gonna celebrate his birthday early!”

“…Me?” Kou Chen pointed at himself. “When did I say I was gonna celebrate his birthday early?”

“That’s what he said. He even ordered a bunch of food already,” Kou Xiao said. “You know when his birthday is?”

“I saw his ID that day,” Kou Chen got off and said as he took off his helmet. “So I just bought him a gift…” 

Old Yang poked his head out of the window and exclaimed with Kou Xiao: “What happened to your head?!”

“Nothing,” Kou Chen was a little embarrassed as he waved them off impatiently.

“Did you get hit?” Kou Xiao couldn’t believe it. She ran over and held Kou Chen’s head in her hands. “Our Kou family’s little son let someone get a hit on him? How long have you been fighting for? You’ve never let anyone hit your head! What happened?”

“Who did it?” Old Yang got out and slammed the car door. “I’ll find him.” 

“Seriously, you guys,” Kou Chen patted Huo Ran. “You tell them, I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“…Me?” Huo Ran paused.

“Aren’t you supposed to be my spokesperson?” Kou Chen went off to the side to play with Shuaishuai.

Huo Ran was a little exasperated. He could only park the bike and explain the situation to Kou Xiao and Old Yang. Although he didn’t really want to, he couldn’t help but embellish Kou Chen’s actions to make him sound cooler once he started. 

“My brother’s great!” Kou Xiao was shocked.

After Old Yang and Kou Xiao went to park the car, Kou Chen turned back to Huo Ran. “You gotta know when to stop with the bragging.”

“I learned from you,” Huo Ran smiled. “Besides, that’s my job as your spokesperson.” 

“Then I’ll…” Kou Chen stood up, and as he was about to push the bike into the garage, the door opened.

Kou Chen’s mom poked her head out. “Are you coming in or not? If you keep exposing your head to wind and sun I might as well cut your stitches out for you right now! Why don’t I get you two some snacks as well? And you can be on your way!”

“Coming, coming!” Kou Chen called. “I’m putting the bike away.”

“Hi, Auntie,” Huo Ran smiled at Kou Chen’s mom. 

“Oh my, hi there, Ranran.” Kou Chen’s mom smiled. “Come in!”

“I’ll… wait for Kou Chen.” Huo Ran pointed at Kou Chen’s bike.

He was holding the thermos in one hand, and the books in the other. He didn’t know what Kou Chen wanted to do with him, and he wouldn’t know what to do if his dad ends up running over, wanting to open them immediately.

Huo Ran stood there with the stuff, making eye contact and smiling at Kou Chen’s mom for about a minute before Kou Chen finally came back: “Why aren’t you going in?”

“You want me to go in alone with all the stuff?” Huo Ran whispered. “What if your dad wants to take them, I wouldn’t dare stop him. If he opens them and sees the books, he’ll kill me…”

“Come on,” Kou Chen laughed loudly. He grabbed his arm and pushed him into the house.

“Seriously, your dad has been sitting there waiting for you to come home.” Kou Chen’s mom nagged him gently. “And then you hang out outside without coming in, he’s about to go crazy.” 

“Dad!” Kou Chen called. “I’m home!”

“How’s your head?” His dad replied from the living room.

“It’s fine, I can get the stitches out in a few days,” Kou Chen said. “The doctor told me to tell my parents not to hit me.”

“Screw off! How long has it been since I hit you?” His dad yelled. “Don’t put the blame on me!” 

“Are these your dad’s presents? So many?” Kou Chen’s mom leaned over to Huo Ran and was about to take the bags from him. “Let me see, this is the first time our Kou Chen has ever bought a birthday present for his dad.”

“Not yet!” Huo Ran held the bags. “You can’t look at them yet!”

“Yes right now!” Kou Chen’s dad pointed at him. “Bring it here, let me see what you’ve been keeping such a secret!”

“Give it to him,” Kou Chen nodded at Huo Ran. 

Huo Ran didn’t have to courage to give Kou Chen’s dad the two bags. He only handed them to Kou Chen.

Kou Chen glared at him.

Evidently, he didn’t have the courage either.

“Come on, let dad open them.” Kou Xiao and Old Yang walked inside. “Old Yang and I were trying to guess what you would give.” 

“Actually… It’s nothing special.” Kou Chen took the bag with the books and slowly walked to his dad. “They’re just normal presents, my classmates give this stuff too. I don’t really have any experience giving gifts to my seniors, so I just copied my classmates…”

“Give it here!” Kou Chen’s dad said, reaching his hand out.

Kou Chen held the bag in two hands and presented it to his dad. Then he cleared his throat: “Dad, it’s not your birthday yet, but I won’t be at home next week, so happy early birthday.”

“Oh, how touching,” Kou Chen’s mom said with a smile. 

It won’t be touching soon. Maybe it’ll get physical.

Huo Ran laughed.

“Come on! Let me see!” Kou Chen’s tad took the bag and weighed it in his hand. “It’s pretty heavy… Books?”

“Yeah,” Kou Chen nodded, then he turned to Huo Ran. “Huo Ran helped me pick them out.” 

Huo Ran startled, and glared at Kou Chen.

Kou Chen gave him a small smile back.

“Then it must be great books,” Kou Chen’s dad opened the bag happily and took the books out. “You even went to the big bookstore? You don’t know what kind of books I like, I guess you went according to your own tastes? But I trust that Huo Ran has good taste…”

Kou Chen’s dad paused. He took each book out of the bag: “This is… Huang, what… Wu… Simple Mistakes… wha… this…” 

Ten seconds later, Kou Chen’s dad put the stack of books down on the coffee table and looked at Kou Chen and Huo Ran. He took a cigarette out of his pocket, and lit it.

“Good for you two,” Kou Chen’s dad narrowed his eyes and spat out a puff of smoke. “You two…”

“Put it out!” Kou Chen’s mom yelled.

Kou Chen’s dad glanced at her, and then put his cigarette out on the ashtray. He continued staring at Kou Chen and Huo Ran. “You two have high hopes for me, huh? Why don’t you two drop out, and I can get into Peking University for you.” 

“You’re not Huo Ran’s dad,” Kou Chen said. “You’re my dad.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious!” Kou Chen’s dad glared at him.

“It’s mainly because you’re studying with us this semester, right?” Kou Chen said. “So I thought I should help you out a little.”

Kou Chen’s dad grit his teeth and looked at him. A moment later, he said to Old Yang, who was holding in a laugh: “Go, return all the food for me.” 

“Return it?” Old Yang asked.

“Return it.” Kou Chen’s dad smiled calmly. “I don’t have time to celebrate my birthday anymore. I have to study.”

Huo Ran felt like the newly built relationship between Kou Chen and his dad was about to dissolve into thin air amongst the workbooks if they kept going, so he quickly gave Kou Chen a look. 

“But, that’s only a part of it,” Kou Chen said as he grabbed the thermos from Huo Ran. “This, is what I prepared with great care.”

“That’s what I’m saying!” His dad smacked the table. “That’s what I’m saying, my son wouldn’t be that insolent.”

“Are we still returning the food?” Old Yang laughed.

“Don’t you have a lot to say?” Kou Chen’s dad looked at him. 

“Shuaishuai!” Old Yang fell onto the couch and yelled. “Come play with Ge.”

“Let me see what my son has carefully prepared for me,” His dad took the black cylinder. “It looks like a … a…”

“Tea? A box of tea leaves?” Kou Chen’s mom guessed.

“I’ve never seen such a big box of tea,” Kou Xiao said. “Maybe it’s a fan. You open it with a swish, and on it is Kou Chen’s chicken scratch: ‘Happy Birthday, Second Kou’.” 

“I think it’s a bottle,” Kou Chen’s dad looked at Kou Chen. “Is it?”

“Open it.” Kou Chen raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a bottle, isn’t it?” His dad opened the box and glanced at Huo Ran. “I know Kou Chen too well, he’s thinking that I’m an old man now, so he should give me a thermos!”

Huo Ran smiled. 

Kou Chen’s dad did understand Kou Chen quite well, seeing as he was his son. But he didn’t understand him enough, seeing as they always had communication problems.

Kou Chen’s dad took the thermos out. First, he paused, and then he couldn’t help but furrow his brows and exclaim: “Who the fuck is this?”

Chapter end