Blank cheque

"Do you even know how to set up a tent?" asked Bo Ailun looking at the mess on the ground.

Qie Xieling who was sitting lazily on a log craned his neck to see his friend's misfortune and said, "You should have paired up with the class president. He did all this by himself and I didn't have to lift a finger."

He was obviously bragging making the boy crouching behind the tent while hammering the last peg smile slightly. This was one of the few times in the years he had known Qie Xieling to be praised by him.

Bo Ailun glared at the frugivore sitting on the ground while reading the tent manual before continuing to fiddle with the mess.

"If you ask me nicely I can lend you a hand," said Qie Xieling but what hand could he lend when he knew nothing about tents? He was raised by one otaku and one workaholic who hated the wild thus he had never camped anywhere outside his yard.

"Please please Lin-ge. I will give you a pack of beef jerky," he said and Qie Xieling agreed. Bo Ailun tossed the packet to him and Qie Xieling looked at the flavour seeming very satisfied.

"Teriyaki flavour... not bad," he said before standing up and walking behind the tent towards Luo Muchen.

"Hey class president when you are done can you help my good friend over here?" he said and Luo Muchen's hand froze with the hammer in his hand.

He should have known when Qie Xieling struck that deal he meant to ask him to help Bo Ailun. In that moment, he finally realised what his mother meant when she said nothing was for free. Since Qie Xieling needed him to do something he could only ask for something in return.

He stood up and replied seriously, "No, I don't want to."

Qie Xieling, "???"

When did this person learn to say the word 'no'? Qie Xieling rarely asked him for anything but whenever he did he wouldn't refuse. He waited for him when he wasn't done with his homework before taking the books to the office. When he asked him to bring a juice box from the vending machine Luo Muchen agreed.

Even when he asked him to stand at the classroom door as the look out he agreed. But now he actually said no? Qie Xieling's brain couldn't compute this strange phenomenon for a moment but his shock didn't last long.

He shrugged his shoulder as he answered, "Okay. I will go find someone else then," before walking away. Three steps in and Luo Muchen stopped him. Qie Xieling turned back with a slight smile. He knew Luo Muchen didn't mean it.

"Wait... I will help but I want something in return," he said and Qie Xieling's eyebrows arched a little stunned.

"What do you want? Do you want some beef jerky?" asked Qie Xieling shaking the unopened packet.

Luo Muchen shook his head while passing by him. "No but I will tell you when I think about it," he said before taking the peg from Bo Ailun. From this experience, Qie Xieling learnt to never ever give this person a blank cheque. If he wanted to make a deal with Luo Muchen in the future it was in his best interest that they agree on the terms and conditions immediately.

"En, the class president is indeed the best," he said before pointing at his best friend.

"Chubs you better thank I your father for this. I just sold my soul to put a roof over your head," he said and Bo Ailun hugged Qie Xieling's thigh praising him. In fact, Qie Xieling didn't need to ask Luo Muchen at all because teacher Wong was making rounds assisting everyone. If he only knew this he wouldn't have struck a deal with Luo Muchen.

By the time all the tents were up, it was already time for the first of many activities. Because teacher Wong wanted to promote teamwork he refused for them to select their teams. This meant Qie Xieling couldn't be with Bo Ailun no matter which activity it was.

Instead, he had Luo Muchen following him around like a ghost. Just when he thought he would be miserable for the rest of the day, Miss Lian put Lee Ya on his team. The heavens had truly favoured him.

He stood behind her during the tug of war and he could smell that cherry pop fragrance that was her signature scent. He wasn't a pervert or anything like that but it smelled really nice.

When they won Lee Ya excitedly jumped up and down before hugging Qie Xieling fleetingly. Qie Xieling was so stupified that he stood there in a daze. He only came out of it when he felt a biting chill running down his back.

When he turned to look back he found that there was no one. His brow creased wondering where Luo Muchen went but that was when he realised, Luo Muchen wasn't behind him so he could make a break for it.

Like a prisoner making his escape, he rushed into the crowd and found his way to Bo Ailun. He hooked his friend's shoulders and whispered a little secret.

"Ya Ya hugged me," he said and Bo Ailun's eyes grew as wide as light bulbs as he scanned around to see if someone was eavesdropping.

He dragged Qie Xieling to the side and asked excitedly, "What kind of hug was it? Was it this one?" Bo Ailun proceeded to hug him tightly before letting him go.

"Or was it this one?"  he said again before hugging lightly and short this time.

"No no. It was like this," said Qie Xieling before demonstrating it and continuing, "Do you think she you know... like likes me?"

How could Bo Ailun know the answer to that when he had no experience either? "I don't know?" replied Bo Ailun.

"Well if you were a girl and hugged me like that does it mean you like me?" he asked only for Bo Ailun to clear his throat loudly.

Qie Xieling shut his mouth and turned to look behind him. A short distance from them was Luo Muchen walking over with three bottles of water.

"Class president is very considerate," said Bo Ailun when Luo Muchen handed him the bottle of water.

Qie Xieling stretched out his hand but Luo Muchen didn't give him one. With his gaze locked on Qie Xieling, he twisted the cap open and drank it.

Qie Xieling, 'WTF'