Agreed to Just Once - Chapter 3: No Next Time
Chapter 3: No Next Time
Friday, 10:30 AM.
Jiang Yinian returned home after his morning class and was just about to open the door when it swung open from the inside.
You’re finally back.
He Wenshuo pulled Jiang Yinian inside. He had arrived half an hour earlier, worried there wouldn’t be enough time for preparations.
Jiang Yinian changed his shoes at the entrance. Isn’t your running competition in the afternoon?
It is in the afternoon, He Wenshuo said impatiently, pushing him toward the room. But our makeup techniques are pretty basic, so we have to start earlier.
Jiang Yinian: …Alright.
Despite one previous success, He Wenshuo didn’t dare be careless. He had been cramming makeup tips all week, so while his skills hadn’t improved much, at least they hadn’t regressed.
The wig went on first, followed by skincare and base makeup. After applying eyelashes and lipstick, the simple makeup look was basically complete.
Surprisingly, the result was quite good.
He Wenshuo poked Jiang Yinian’s cheek and couldn’t help marveling: So pretty.
Jiang Yinian responded, So I’m usually ugly?
Of course not, He Wenshuo said sincerely. You’re always good-looking. I just didn’t expect you’d still look this good with me doing your makeup.
At least he knew his limitations.
Jiang Yinian casually grabbed a piece of beef jerky from the table to eat.
Noticing this, He Wenshuo decisively capped the lipstick he’d just used and stuffed it in his pocket.
He’d probably need to reapply that lipstick later.
With makeup temporarily handled, it was time to choose an outfit.
He Wenshuo pulled out a white maxi dress to show Jiang Yinian.
It was the longest style—reaching ankle-length on most women—but on Jiang Yinian, it would probably end mid-calf.
Jiang Yinian shook his head; it looked too inconvenient for walking.
He Wenshuo put the white dress back and pulled out a light-colored maxi skirt from the closet, paired with a denim mock-two-piece top the store had matched.
This time Jiang Yinian didn’t refuse. He figured if He Wenshuo kept searching, he wouldn’t find anything more wearable.
He Wenshuo laid the chosen clothes on the bed, put the rest back in the closet, and pulled Jiang Yinian up from the chair with dutiful enthusiasm. Come on, I’ll help you change.
Jiang Yinian couldn’t be bothered with the hassle and let him fuss, lifting his arms and legs as needed. It turned out skirts were indeed easier to put on than pants.
Meticulously, He Wenshuo arranged Jiang Yinian’s wig strand by strand over the denim top. Fortunately, he’d bought a higher-quality wig that looked quite natural.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yinian studied himself seriously in the full-length mirror: long, wavy hair, slightly parted bangs, and a fresh, youthful skirt set.
Not bad.
At least it was convincing enough that acquaintances wouldn’t recognize him on the street.
With both satisfied, the transformation was complete.
He Wenshuo specifically took Jiang Yinian down to the basement level B2 via elevator to find the car—his father’s car—to drive to school.
The underground parking garage was empty and chilly, their footsteps echoing conspicuously.
Jiang Yinian scanned the surroundings. Was it really necessary to specially come get the car?
We’re driving. He Wenshuo carefully identified the parking area. Since you’re dressed like this, I can’t have you riding a bicycle with me to school.
They usually rode mountain bikes to school, which couldn’t carry passengers and required them to ride separately – that would look rather awkward.
Jiang Yinian stuffed both hands into his jacket pockets, giving up the struggle. Whatever happens, happens. The sooner they go, the sooner it’ll be over.
Compared to bicycles, driving to school was faster. It was just past noon, and the school gate was crowded with people.
After parking the car, He Wenshuo immediately took Jiang Yinian to the cafeteria. He knew Jiang Yinian too well – when full, he was easy to negotiate with; when hungry, not so much.
When the two appeared hand-in-hand at the entrance of the school cafeteria, they attracted quite a lot of attention.
For one thing, Jiang Yinian’s outfit was particularly striking, and for another, after all the recent commotion, He Wenshuo had become something of a celebrity with constant gossip surrounding him.
Countless gazes converged on them from all directions.
Jiang Yinian took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Whatever, whatever. He couldn’t see anything, couldn’t see anything at all.
He Wenshuo found an empty seat in the cafeteria and asked Jiang Yinian to wait while he went to get two portions of barbecue rice from the counter.
You know our school cafeteria doesn’t have many good options. Only the barbecue rice from this place is decent. Let’s make do with this for now.
The rice in the container was topped with a layer of fragrant, slightly charred barbecue slices, each piece thin and coated with seasoning – it looked quite appetizing.
Jiang Yinian picked up his spoon. Mm. As long as the food tasted good, he wasn’t picky and would eat anything.
Only after seeing Jiang Yinian start eating did He Wenshuo look up, scanning the cafeteria and noticing many obvious and subtle stares.
Perfect.
Satisfied, he turned his attention back to his meal and began eating with Jiang Yinian.
Jiang Yinian only ate until about sixty percent full, as he preferred to save some room for snacks and treats.
When he put down his spoon, He Wenshuo beside him did the same and immediately pulled out a tissue from his pocket.
Jiang Yinian took it and habitually wiped his mouth, only to look down and see the smudged lipstick marks on the tissue.
He Wenshuo had come prepared. He took out the lipstick he’d brought along, held Jiang Yinian’s chin, and reapplied it for him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jiang Yinian noticed someone raising their phone. His lips moved slightly. Someone’s taking pictures.
He Wenshuo focused intently on applying the lipstick. That’s the point. I’d be worried if no one was looking.
Jiang Yinian: ……
After finishing, He Wenshuo put away the lipstick and glanced sideways. Hope they manage to take better photos of me this time.
Jiang Yinian: Probably not likely.
He Wenshuo was notoriously unphotogenic. While he looked quite handsome in person, in photos he appeared completely ordinary – the kind you wouldn’t recognize unless you looked carefully.
Whatever.
He Wenshuo had mentioned it casually and didn’t really care. Whether photos turned out well or not didn’t affect him much. Finished eating? Let’s head to the sports field then.
Mm.
Jiang Yinian nodded. What was coming would come eventually – better to get it over with sooner.
He Wenshuo’s school had a large oval-shaped sports field with stepped bleachers on all sides that could accommodate quite a number of people at once.
Jiang Yinian followed He Wenshuo to their destination—the sports ground—without glancing sideways.
He Wenshuo found a relatively quiet but conspicuous spot and pointed to the track. See that line? That’s the finish line. I’ll be racing there later.
Got it.
Jiang Yinian nodded, not daring to speak too loudly. Though his current outfit made him resemble a girl, his voice remained unmistakably male. A few more words would risk exposing him.
The sports meet was scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM. He Wenshuo had only sat with Jiang Yinian briefly before needing to join his relay teammates for preparations.
He placed both drinks in Jiang Yinian’s hands and reiterated, I’m heading down now. Keep your eyes on me—I’ll be running the final leg. Wait for me at the finish line.
I. Know.
Jiang Yinian sighed, picking up a drink and taking a sip through the straw. He’d never realized how nagging this guy could be.
Satisfied, He Wenshuo clasped Jiang Yinian’s hand firmly. I’m off.
Go, go, go.
After He Wenshuo descended the stands to join his classmates, Jiang Yinian lowered his head to check his phone while sipping his drink. From his peripheral vision, he noticed people settling around him.
Two girls sat diagonally behind him, while three boys occupied seats two spaces to his right. Though unfamiliar with the girls, Jiang Yinian recognized the two boys with buzz cuts and natural curls from photos on He Wenshuo’s phone—they were in the same project group.
The trio’s clumsy pretense of scanning the field while secretly observing him was painfully transparent.
Unable to endure their poor acting, Jiang Yinian set down his cup and turned to offer them a polite smile.
The curly-haired boy excitedly slapped the buzzed boy’s thigh. …He smiled at me!
Jiang Yinian withdrew his smile and turned away, too embarrassed to watch further.
As the clock struck 1:30, the sports ground swelled with students, marking the official start of the afternoon events.
He Wenshuo, anchoring the 4x100m relay, stood ready in his lane. From afar, he shot Jiang Yinian an urgent look.
Tucking his phone away, Jiang Yinian rose from the stands. With hands buried in his jacket pockets and ignoring countless curious glances, he walked steadily to the relay track’s finish line.
Across mere hundred meters, Jiang Yinian could clearly see the determination etched on He Wenshuo’s face—his eyes blazing with the will to win.
The starting whistle sliced through the air like a stone skimming water, igniting explosive energy across the track. Batons flew between sprinters in bursts of speed.
He Wenshuo’s team led the pack. As the final runner, he received the baton first and launched into a decisive sprint, leaving competitors behind to secure victory.
Classmates cheered briefly for his triumph.
The moment He Wenshuo crossed the finish line, he strode directly to Jiang Yinian and pulled him into a deep embrace.
Jiang Yinian protested, We agreed not to—
He Wenshuo panted, refusing to let go. Just let me hold you for a moment. I really need to hold something right now.
Pressed so close, Jiang Yinian could hear He Wenshuo’s heart pounding like a drum after intense exercise.
He lifted his head and glanced over He Wenshuo’s shoulder. A girl with a ponytail was staring straight at them, holding a brand-new drink, her disappointment visibly etched across her face.
He nudged He Wenshuo with his shoulder and whispered at a volume only the two of them could hear: That’s enough.
Oh.
He Wenshuo reluctantly released his hold, steadied his breathing, and turned to greet his classmates from the competition: You guys go ahead. I’m leaving first.
Hey, hey, hey!
His familiar classmates unanimously made teasing sounds, eager for gossip.
Why leave? The sports meet is over, and there’s nothing else to do. Come hang out with us.
He Wenshuo curled his lips into a smile, slung an arm over Jiang Yinian’s shoulder, and waved dismissively at his classmates without looking back: No, I’m busy going on a date.
The teasing grew louder behind them.
Jiang Yinian lowered his head and silently covered his face beneath the wig. If anyone recognized him, he might as well forget about saving face in the future.
Even after leaving the sports field, He Wenshuo kept his arm around Jiang Yinian’s shoulder, his excitement undiminished. So this is what being in love feels like. It’s wonderful.
Jiang Yinian patted the large hand resting on his shoulder. There won’t be a next time.
He Wenshuo: Oh.
Author’s Note: