Fear of Suffocation

School is great.

But Ye Chuan didn’t want to go to school.

While the boys and girls at school were basking in their youth, he had to worry about his next meal—or rather, where to scrounge up some money. After all, his phone was a seven- or eight-year-old Blue Rice model, bought for 70 bucks at a secondhand shop.

Enjoying youth? That seemed a little too luxurious for him.

He just needed to be a sewer rat and quietly die, whether from starvation or illness.

But even such thoughts were quickly tossed aside by Ye Chuan. At the very least, he didn’t have to worry about three meals a day anymore. Two thousand bucks a day was way too good to be true. And with some elixirs or other items, he might even have a shot at curing his terminal illness.

As long as Bai Qianshuang didn’t run away.

Wait… she wouldn’t, right?

Just as Ye Chuan was starting to doubt himself, he suddenly noticed footsteps approaching, followed by a sharp elbow to his arm.

"Hey hey, morning, Chuanchuan!"

The voice was as crisp and lively as a silver bell. When Ye Chuan turned, he saw a ponytailed girl grinning at him. She wore the same style of school uniform as him, and with every light step of her long, straight legs, her high ponytail swung with energy.

"Morning, beauty Luo," Ye Chuan replied, looking at the girl in front of him.

"Glad to see you’re still alive."

"Pfft! I’ll outlive you, no question." Luo Xi stuck out her tongue playfully, then leaned in closer, her bright eyes darting around. "Huh? Why do you look so worn out? Did you… relieve stress last night?"

"Yeah, using you as material." The moment the words left his mouth, Ye Chuan’s arm was met with a swift punch from her small fist.

Having grown up together, the two of them bantered back and forth before Ye Chuan suddenly remembered something. He pulled out his phone and transferred a thousand bucks to Luo Xi.

"Here’s the thousand I owe you. Consider it repaid."

Luo Xi seemed genuinely surprised when she received the money. This was the sum Ye Chuan had borrowed from her long ago when he couldn’t afford tuition. She knew his situation—how did he suddenly have money to pay her back?

Hesitating, she finally asked, "Uh… did you… sell yourself?"

"Actually, I found a sugar mommy." Ye Chuan deadpanned.

Luo Xi clearly wasn’t buying it. She lowered her head slightly, her eyes blinking as if to say, Keep spinning tales, I’m listening. Ye Chuan rolled his eyes. "I rented out a room, so I got some rent money. Figured I’d pay you back first."

"Really? How much?" Luo Xi looked genuinely surprised. In Ye Chuan’s neighborhood, plenty of places were up for rent, but his was in a mediocre location and condition, making it hard to find tenants.

"Two thousand."

"Wow." Luo Xi’s eyes widened. Seeing her reaction, Ye Chuan naturally didn’t mention that it was two thousand per day—no way she’d believe that.

Luo Xi stared at the transfer on her phone but shook her head and refunded it. "Keep it for now. You need it more than I do."

"Why?" Ye Chuan was taken aback. Luo Xi’s family wasn’t well-off either. After her parents divorced, her mother remarried, but she was bedridden, leaving her stepfather to scrape by with a street stall.

If anything, Luo Xi was only slightly better off than him, an orphan—at least she had someone to lean on.

"You’re poorer than me. What if you snap one day and check out early? Daddy here would be heartbroken." Luo Xi crossed her arms and shook her head, then patted Ye Chuan’s shoulder solemnly.

"Promise me you’ll stay alive."

Ye Chuan: "…"

A second later, he lifted his foot and kicked Luo Xi square in the butt.

"Ow! What was that for?!" She jumped back, clutching her rear with a flushed face. "I’ll bite you!"

"No reason. Just felt like it."

"So mean!"

After walking side by side for over twenty minutes and taking a ten-minute bus ride, they finally arrived at the school gates. Their academy was the most prestigious in the area—sprawling in size, packed with students and teachers alike.

The massive stone archway bore the engraved words: Silver Mountain Academy, grand and imposing.

"Oh yeah, Chuanchuan, I heard you and Zhao Ruyan broke up?" Luo Xi asked as they strolled along the tree-lined path circling the campus lake.

"You’re that well-informed?" Ye Chuan’s lips twitched. It had only happened yesterday—how did Luo Xi already know?

"Of course! I’m the academy’s little gossip hub. Ears everywhere." Luo Xi grinned. "So? Did you do something to wrong her?"

"Got cheated on." Ye Chuan kept it blunt.

"Huh?!" Luo Xi’s smile froze for a few seconds before twisting into indignation. "How could she?! If she fell out of love, she should’ve broken up properly! That’s just cruel!"

"Come on, let’s go confront her!" She grabbed Ye Chuan’s hand and started dragging him toward the classroom.

"Forget it. It’s over." Ye Chuan shook his head.

"How can you just let it go? She trampled all over your feelings!"

"I never gave her my feelings." Ye Chuan scoffed. "I was just in it for the free meals. Saved on food costs."

Luo Xi: "…?"

"Now I’ve lost my free meal ticket. Eh, it’s a shame, but whatever. I don’t really care." He shrugged, feigning indifference, only to notice Luo Xi staring at him intently.

"What?"

"Liar." Luo Xi said firmly.

Ye Chuan fell silent for a moment before muttering, "At least let me save face."

Luo Xi released his hand and studied his expression. "You about to cry? I can lend you a shoulder."

Ye Chuan glanced at her. "Your backpack’s too big. I’d suffocate."

He smirked. "Or do you have a thing for me? Trying to take advantage?"

Luo Xi’s cheeks puffed up instantly. "Hmph! I wasted my worry on you!"

With that, she kicked Ye Chuan in the shin, her ponytail bouncing as she stomped away.

Watching Luo Xi’s retreating figure, Ye Chuan’s expression gradually settled into quiet contemplation as he gazed at the scenery beyond the walkway.

"You really are the worst at being honest." A voice came from behind. He turned to see a short-haired girl staring at him.

Dressed in the same school uniform skirt, her shoulder-length hair cut sharp and neat, she looked at him with undisguised disdain.

"Always here to mock me, An Shiyu," Ye Chuan said. "Your bestie’s pissed. Go comfort her."

An Shiyu shrugged. "Price is lunch."

"Deal."

"Oho? Rolling in cash now?"