Everyone Thinks That I Like Him

Everyone Thinks That I Like Him
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2020-08-27T00:21:10.686Z
Everyone Thinks That I Like Him 01
Translator: Mosstree
Chapter 1
“Let me take photos of Shang Jin??? Dream on!” Ye Zhou slammed the table, revealing a
‘rather die than submit’ determination that left no room for negotiations.
“Are you sure?” Su Yin opened her phone photo album and shook it. A handsome boy was
on the screen, smiling shyly at the camera. “Like this, I have quite a few.”
Ye Zhou reluctantly refused to look at the person in his heart on Su Yin’s cell phone and
said, “Still no!”
“A picture of Shang Jin for a picture of Tang Dongdong,” Su Yin continued to tempt, “By the
way, I can also give you Tang Dongdong’s preferences. You also know that I’m Tang
Dongdong’s childhood friend. I wouldn’t dare to claim other things, but as for Tang
Dongdong, I know him inside out.”
The balance in Ye Zhou’s mind swung left and right. Su Yin’s temptation was really too
great. He’d had a crush on Tang Dongdong for a few months, but because the other person
was at another school, he couldn’t find the chance to get to know him. But Shang Jin…he
really hated Shang Jin! That Shang Jin who pressured him in everything! The most annoying
thing was that Shang Jin was also his classmate. This made Ye Zhou have a rather ‘since Yu
was born, why must Liang be born’ kind of tangled feeling.
Since Yu was born, why must Liang be born: (既生瑜何生亮) A quote from the
Three Kingdoms referring to Zhou Yu on the Wu side, and Zhuge Liang on the Shu
side. The meaning is that since God gave birth to Zhou Yu to assist and help Wu,
why would he also give birth Zhuge Liang to fight against Wu?
“What’s so good about Shang Jin?” Ye Zhou gnashed his teeth and asked.
Su Yin looked at him strangely, as if he’d asked a very nonsensical question. “Does Shang Jin
have any bad points? He takes first place in all assignments, wins the championship in
every competition, and most importantly, he looks handsome! In his countenance is the
righteousness of the world. He’s such a precious and rare existence. Did you know? Every
time I come by him, I only dare to walk by with squinted eyes for fear that I’d be sucked in
by his profound eyes! I can’t say it. When I talk about him, my heart just jumps. Male god,
quickly find a girlfriend! Otherwise, with this model before me, I really can’t look for a
boyfriend.” As if thinking of the scene of Shang Jin finding a girlfriend, Su Yin immediately
shook her head and said, “No, the male god is better off alone. I really can’t imagine what
kind of girl can match him. Ah ah ah ah, I’m so jealous of his future girlfriend!!”
Ye Zhou rubbed his arms covered in goosebumps, stared at her coldly and said, “A person
with good grades and good looks isn’t only Shang Jin alone.”
Su Yin was still immersed in her emotions and wasn’t pleased when she heard this
statement. “Who else?”
Ye Zhou raised his chin and proudly said, “They are so far and yet so near.”
“So far…” Su Yin looked around in a circle, gave Ye Zhou a look of disbelief and doubtfully
said, “You???”
Ye Zhou resentfully said, “What’s with your tone??”
“You…” Su Yin looked him up and down, and carefully picked her words, “You look
handsome enough, grades are also good enough, but the feeling is a bit off. For example, I
can jest with you without feeling any burden, but I would never dare to do that with Shang
Jin! What’s that word called…right! Down-to-earth! You’re too down-to-earth, and Shang Jin
is different. He’s like the sun in the sky, completely for people to look up to!”
This point didn’t need Su Yin to say, Ye Zhou himself also felt that people treated them
differently. They were both handsome guys, but everyone mocked and scolded him, horsed
around and didn’t give him a bit of face. And they treated Shang Jin like an unattainable
god, and usually wouldn’t dare to speak loudly in front of him.
And now, making him, Ye Zhou, go and shoot his arch-enemy Shang Jin: this clearly was an
inferior person’s behavior and was an implied, naked insult!
He, Ye Zhou, such an outstanding man, could he agree??
Ye Zhou slapped the table and said with lofty pride. “Fine! I’ll take it. ‘A leader can submit
or stand tall as required’! Prepare Tang Dongdong’s pictures well for me! Prepare as many
as you have!”
Ye Zhou lifted his head proudly, and carrying his textbooks, he went into the classroom
with a grim look.
Just entered the door, he saw the protagonist of their discussion a moment ago, Shang Jin.
He was leaning on the back of the chair and carelessly looking at his phone. The textbooks
spread out on the table were neat and clean, brand new without a trace of a crease. When
Ye Zhou walked passed him, the other didn’t even give him a passing glance.
Ye Zhou snorted, thinking: Who was he pretending for? Usually with an ‘I haven’t studied
seriously’ appearance, he’d often rank among the top. Ye Zhou didn’t know how long he
was misled by this not serious expression. Every time he felt that he could overtake the
other person, the reality always gave him a heavy blow.
As soon as he thought that he wanted to take pictures of this kind of hypocritical person, Ye
Zhou’s anger hit several places. This really was a model of contemporary humiliation!
“Ye Zhou, come!” In the fifth row, Ye Zhou’s roommate, Xu Yangjun, patted the empty spot
next to him. “What have you been doing? How come it took you so long to come back?”
“I saw a friend and chatted a few words.” Ye Zhou walked from behind Xu Yangjun to the
empty seat inside. The small classroom where they usually had class had four seats per
row. After Ye Zhou came in, his left side deskmate and roommate, Zhou Wendao, also
looked up and smiled. “Which person isn’t your friend at this school?”
“Nonsense. There’s so many people at school, I don’t know every single person.” Ye Zhou
grabbed his cell phone and looked in the direction of Shang Jin. Form the gap between the
seats, he could just take photos of Shang Jin. Even if he was ten thousand times unwilling in
his heart, but since he’d already promised others, he must do as he say.
Taking advantage of the two beside him not paying attention, Ye Zhou quietly took a few
shots. After taking them, he looked at Shang Jin’s disgusting face in his phone and couldn’t
help but poke his finger at the photo, as if he could really poke Shang Jin’s face.
When the bell rang to dismiss class, Ye Zhou saw that Shang Jin hadn’t moved yet. He found
an excuse to send his roommates back first and then quietly shifted to the front seat,
pretending to play with his mobile phone while lying on the table. Actually, he had the
mobile phone camera opened and took a few more photos in Shang Jin’s direction.
For a few days, Ye Zhou used the gap between the seats to take a flurry of photos of Shang
Jin, and several times, he even tailed Shang Jin, completely mastering the stalker style.
Finally on Thursday, Ye Zhou’s album was already filled with Shang Jin’s face. Towards
Shang Jin’s photos, from his various kinds of adversity in the beginning, he’s now able to
look at them with his present day calm.
Tomorrow was the time when he’d agreed to meet up with Su Yin. Ye Zhou randomly
tapped his fingers on the phone screen. After he gets Tang Dongdong’s photos, he must
crush all these photos! Merely crushing them seemed a bit too easy for Shang Jin. Maybe
it’d be better to destroy the memory. Ye Zhou’s imagination knew no limits. Suddenly, there
was a loud cry from the classroom. Ye Zhou looked up and his sight seemed to be flashed
with a golden light!
Despite Ye Zhou extremely disliking Shang Jin, he also had to admit that Shang Jin was
particularly eye-catching tonight.
Maybe there was a sense of willfulness, Shang Jin was dressed up very casually. But
casually was not randomly! Since Ye Zhou met Shang Jin, he’d never seen him wear a
sleeveless garment, this kind of clothing that could show the muscles. On this point, Ye
Zhou secretly thought that Shang Jin was definitely a face-only empty shelf, so he’d never
dared to show his body in front of people.
But today, Shang Jin was not the same. The collar of his shirt was wide open, and the
pectoral muscles underneath the clothes could be vaguely seen. His fine hair covered his
smooth and full forehead. Contrary to the usual lazy image, was there a hint of wildness?
If he took this photo, he could at least exchange it for Tang Dongdong’s sleeveless photo.
Ye Zhou’s heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat’s paw, but there were too many
obstacles in front of him, and he couldn’t find a good time to take the picture!
The bell rang and Ye Zhou put aside the distractions to listen seriously to the lecture. There
were many disciplines in the university, but each class had very few courses. The teacher’s
lecturing speed was fast, so in each class, he must listen carefully to keep up with the
teacher’s progress. Ye Zhou listened to it with interest. A phone call summoned the teacher
away and left the classroom of students to begin self-study.
After the teacher left, the two sitting at his table looked at their phones intently. Ye Zhou
also subconsciously touched his phone and remembered that there was still a daunting task
today.
Ye Zhou quietly took out his phone and his gaze swept his table on both sides. When he saw
that no one was looking, he carefully raised his phone.
Click. The sound was unusually clear in the quiet classroom.
Through the phone camera, Shang Jin’s sharp eyes pierced through the lens and stabbed
directly at his heart.
Ye Zhou’s heart collapsed. Was he discovered?
He hid his phone in his arms and suddenly realized that almost the whole class was focused
on him. Ye Zhou hurriedly explained, “I didn’t secretly shoot him because I like him!”
After a moment of silence, the whole class was in an uproar.
Afterwards, every time he thought of this day’s experience, Ye Zhou wished he could grab
his past self and give him a few good slaps!!

Chapter 2
The chaotic night finally passed. Ye Zhou, with black circles hanging from his eyes, held his
textbooks and hatefully said: Shang Jin and him definitely disagree with each other. If not,
how come when he’s involved with Shang Jin, the other could always pressure him!
Even yesterday…
Ye Zhou forcibly grabbed his chicken nest head, really not wanting to recall that period of
black history.
Chicken nest head: (鸡窝头)
https://oldmosstree.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/etilh-c02.jpg
When he entered the classroom, the students who had originally gathered and chatted
together quieted down, their sight all aimed at Ye Zhou.
What’s going on?
Don’t know who took the lead to cough first, but one after another, fake coughs came from
all corners of the classroom, just like an insect sonata. The students looked at him with eyes
full of profound meaning.
But just after one night, what unitary moth came out?
Unitary moth: (幺蛾子) It means “creating something out of nothing” or “rotten
idea”.
Ye Zhou walked to the fifth row. His frequent seat was occupied by a familiar classmate. He
looked at Xu Yangjun. Xu Yangjun immediately moved his eyes away and pretended to have
a serious chat with his new deskmate. He looked at Zhou Wendao again. He was even more
absolute, not even lifting his head and not giving him the opportunity for their eyes to meet.
“Hmph!” Ye Zhou took a look at this group of friends who didn’t know what they were
smoking, and walked to the empty seat next to him. Anyway, he could attend the lecture
from anywhere.
As a result, he was just about to place the books on an empty desk against the wall when a
figure appeared like the wind and quickly occupied the space. Then, that buddy expressed
sincerely, “I’m sorry, Zhou. I really want to sit here today.”
“Then sit.” There were so many seats in the room. Sitting anywhere was still sitting. He saw
another vacant seat, but he hadn’t taken a step when it was immediately occupied by a
person.
The other party contrived to say, “Aiya, advanced mathematics is my weak point. I want to
sit in front of this class to listen carefully.”
“Fine.” Ye Zhou held back his anger and walked to the empty seat in the third row. This
time, still as before, it was accidentally preempted by someone. This kind of anomaly, even
if Ye Zhou wanted to pretend not to know, he’d still be unable to pretend.
“One after the other, what do you guys want to do?” Ye Zhou threw down the textbooks on
the desk in front of him. He kept his voice under control as he fiercely glared around him.
Staring at Xu Yangjun, he menacing said, “You say it!”
Xu Yangjun threw him a ‘you know’ look. He lifted his chin and pointed to the seat next to
Shang Jin’s and said, “I think that free seat there is pretty good.”
Good your head!
Just when the class bell rang, Ye Zhou estimated that everyone had no more energy to toss
him around. He quickly took the textbooks and seized a seat far away from the seat where
Shang Jin chose to sit. Shang Jin came in with the ringing bell, and the classroom once again
echoed with fake coughs from all sides.
Ye Zhou didn’t look up. Shang Jin ignored them completely, and the classroom finally
returned to normal.
Ye Zhou opened his phone and clicked on the chat box with Zhou Wendao.
Ye Zhou: What’s going on exactly?
Zhou Wendao: Zhou, you can rest assured that after one night of emergency discussion in
our class, we think that your chance of capturing Shang Jin is very high, so fighting! We’ll
help you too! We’re doing everything willingly. No need to thank us!
Who really wants to thank you???
Ye Zhou was so angry that he wanted to throw down his phone!
At this moment, he really wished he could take a time machine and shoot dead the him
who’d said those silly words yesterday.
Obviously, casually finding any excuse, he’d be able to muddle through. Why did he have to
tell the truth??
After he finished talking, everyone caught two keywords in that sentence: like, secretly
shoot.
Describing a story in a sentence in such a way, of course, it couldn’t escape the gossipy
classmates, including his two deskmates who bore the brunt of it.
Xu Yangjun took advantage of when Ye Zhou was still stupefied to suddenly grab his phone
as fast as lightning. A group of men and women gathered around Xu Yangjun, craning their
necks for a glimpse.
Ye Zhou whose spirit just returned, wanted to take back the phone, but he tried several
times but still couldn’t squeeze through the crowd. Just as he rolled up his sleeves and
prepared to climb on the desk, the crowd calmed down.
Don’t know who broke out a cry, “Isn’t this Shang Jin??”
At this time, there were only two words circling in Ye Zhou’s mind: it’s over.
To exchange the photos with Su Yin on Friday, Ye Zhou had sneakily taken photos of Shang
Jin all week. Therefore, the latest photos in his album were all filled with Shang Jin, whether
they were walking Shang Jin, eating Shang Jin, or reading Shang Jin.
Ye Zhou didn’t need to think to know that the impression of the students who saw the
photo album would immediately turn him from being wise and brilliant to become a crazy
pervert.
But he still struggled with his dying breath. “I really don’t like him…you have to believe
me!”
In the face of ironclad evidence, Ye Zhou’s words paled in comparison.
And the other party involved in this incident instantly became the focus of the crowd.
Shang Jin, who had always been indifferent to everything, didn’t turn a blind eye to this
situation. Instead, he lived up to expectations and stood up. Step by step, he walked to the
center of the crowd.
Every time Shang Jin took a step, the students standing in the aisle moved aside one by one,
creating a path for him.
From the first row to the fifth row was only a short distance of two meters, but Ye Zhou
hoped that this road would never end.
In less than half a minute, Shang Jin walked to Xu Yangjun and naturally took Ye Zhou’s cell
phone and looked at the photo album.
At this time, Ye Zhou had also successfully entered the the surrounding crowd’s center, and
was only separated from Shang Jin by Xu Yangjun.
“That…I…I really didn’t presume to think…” Clearly he was speaking the truth, but how
come it sounded so guilty?
Shang Jin raised his hand and returned the phone back to him, moving his lips.
Thump…thump…
Ye Zhou pursed his mouth. He seemed to be too passive now, just like a fish on the cutting
board, and moreover, it was also a dead fish. Apart from getting trampled on, there was no
other choice.
Even if it wasn’t Ye Zhou’s intention to take candid shots, but any normal heterosexual
person’s first reaction must be disgust after they learned of this matter.
Against Ye Zhou’s expectations, Shang Jin didn’t say any malicious thing, but very calmly
said two words.
“It’s okay.”
These simple two words gradually dissipated the tension in Ye Zhou’s heart. This was the
first time he found Shang Jin’s voice was so sweet and beautiful! However, as soon Ye Zhou
was happy, Shang Jin added another sentence, which became the beginning of his
“nightmare”.
“I reserve your right to pursue me.”
Boom!!
Ye Zhou suddenly heard the sound of his heart exploding.
“Zhou, you’ve almost crushed your textbook into toilet paper…” The classmate sitting
behind him whispered a reminder, pulling Ye Zhou back from his memories.
Ye Zhou loosened his hand and looked up. He didn’t know when the blank blackboard had
been filled.
He grabbed his head in irritation and tried to pull back his scattered attention.
During the break, a paper ball hit Ye Zhou’s head and bounced onto his desk.
Ye Zhou looked behind him suspiciously. No one met his gaze. He picked up the paper ball
and slowly flattened it.
“Ye Zhou, Ye Zhou, you’re the best, capturing the male god without talking it over! Fighting,
the whole class supports you!”
Below this sentence were the signatures of almost everyone in the class.
Ye Zhou turned his head, and everyone gave him a cheering gesture.
Ye Zhou covered his heart and couldn’t say anything. This misunderstanding, was it
growing bigger the noisier it got?

Chapter 3
After receiving this paper ball, Ye Zhou thought that he should talk to Shang Jin. Anyone
who’s purposefully pointed out by the entire class wouldn’t be too comfortable in their
mind. As long as he explained it clearly to Shang Jin, and then Shang Jin explained it to
everyone, then all the misunderstandings would disappear.
He took out his cell phone and prepared to send a message to Shang Jin. But when he
opened his contact list, there simply wasn’t the other’s contact information.
Ye Zhou supported his forehead. If he’d known earlier, he would have stored all his
classmates’ cell phone numbers at the start of school.
However, just because he hadn’t, didn’t mean that others hadn’t.
Ye Zhou turned around and the buddy in the back row eagerly said, “Zhou, what’s up?”
“Do you have Shang Jin’s phone number?”
As a result, the buddy looked at him, and then looked at Shang Jin who was not far away.
The look on his face seemed to say: “You guys are obviously in the same room. Why do you
give up the near and seek the far?”
When Ye Zhou saw him like this, he hurriedly waved his hand and said, “Just pretend I
didn’t ask.”
As a result, halfway through the second class, the student in the back row poked him in the
back. Ye Zhou leaned against the back of the chair and glanced at him out of the corner of
his eyes. He found that the other person had placed a folded note at the edge of the table.
Ye Zhou pulled out the corners of his mouth. He actually would like to see what the people
in his class could toss out this time.
Ye Zhou took the note and didn’t immediately open it. Instead, he waited for the teacher on
the podium to let everyone do self-study before he took it out.
“Shang Jin, height: 185cm, weight: 76kg, family: unknown, favorite color: unknown, favorite
food: unknown, favorite animal: unknown, favorite season: unknown, favorite celebrity:
unknown…”
Fuck…was this bunch of unknown things written up to make up the number of words??
And he only wanted to know Shang Jin’s phone number. He’s not even a little interested in
his height, weight, and interests.
Ye Zhou’s hand that was holding the note slowly tightened, and he was ready to lump it into
a ball when his gaze landed on the phone number written in the very corner.
Eleven numbers squeezed into a less than two centimeters of space, Ye Zhou looked at it
from far and from near several times before he finally wrote the number down.
During the break, Ye Zhou sent a message to Shang Jin.
Ye Zhou: Do you have time at noon?
After sending out this text message, Ye Zhou kept staring at Shang Jin. He just saw the other
person picked up the phone, looked at it, and put the phone down…put it down…down…
One move didn’t work, then try another move.
Ye Zhou looked at the time and decided that, at noon when everyone was taking their naps,
he’d go to the dorm to find Shang Jin. It would be best if he could avoid everyone’s eyes and
ears.
There was only one room between the two people’s dorm rooms. Ye Zhou had lunch and
stayed in the dormitory for a while. He waited until the other three roommates had gone to
bed before getting dressed. Taking a deep breath, he sorted out the words he wanted to say
in his head, and went out.
The dorm room next door had its door closed, and Ye Zhou smiled slightly as he walked to
Shang Jin’s dorm.
Maybe God couldn’t continue watching Ye Zhou be so misunderstood: Shang Jin’s dorm
door was incredibly opened, and Shang Jin was alone inside.
God was simply helping him too!!
Ye Zhou knocked on the door intently. Shang Jin turned his head and the two people’s eyes
met.
“Talk?”
Shang Jin shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t say yes, but he also didn’t refuse.
Ye Zhou maintained the principle that implicit consent was still consent, and walked into
Shang Jin’s dorm room, closing the gap in the door in passing.
Ye Zhou arrived in front of Shang Jin and was about to speak when his eyes accidentally
swept over Shang Jin’s table and he was suddenly stunned. Ye Zhou had always thought
that Shang Jin’s ‘hard to smile once in ten thousand years’ kind of disposition should show
that the other was a serious and conscientious person. A serious and conscientious person
would certainly take care of their desk and bed and keep them neat and tidy.
But right before his eyes, the various books and magazines were strewn all over the place
on the table without any trace of a gap. What was this situation??
If he hadn’t seen Shang Jin holding a glass of water and gesturing to where he was setting
the cup down, Ye Zhou wouldn’t have equated this extremely messy table with Shang Jin.
Ye Zhou looked up and deliberately looked at the quilt rolled up into a ball. The notebook
was also placed casually on the bed, and the mouse power cord was tangled together. Ye
Zhou had somewhat of a headache when he looked at this.
Shang Jin gestured for a half a day but couldn’t find a foothold for the cup. Then, he used his
arm to push aside the book, cell phone, and charger on the table edge, and finally had room
for the water cup.
Ye Zhou couldn’t help but say, “Can’t you tidy up the table?”
Shang Jin didn’t even think before replying, “Anyway, these books are used often. Once
they’re tidied up, I’d still have to take them out.”
“But if you put things in order, it’ll be convenient to find them later.” Ye Zhou, as a person
with strong self-sufficient capability, had never run into a situation where he wasn’t able to
find something. “If you don’t tidy up now, you’d waste your time later.” For example, people
in their dorm sometimes spent an hour trying to find something.
Shang Jin sneered, “You haven’t even caught me yet, and you still want to start managing
me?”
In a phrase, Ye Zhou was suddenly reminded of his purpose for coming today.
“Almost forgot about the business. I just wanted to tell you that yesterday was really a
misunderstanding. Those photos were taken for my friend…”
Shang Jin raised his hand and stopped his next words. “I’ve said that it doesn’t matter if you
like me. You don’t need to explain anything to me. Anyway, it has no effect on my life.”
“I’m telling the truth!” Ye Zhou hurriedly said, “How could you not believe ー”
With a bang, the dormitory door was kicked open from the outside.
“Aiyo, it’s so inconvenient to hold a quilt…”
“This is thanks to me, otherwise, you have so many things to take…”
Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu came in with one person holding the bedding and the other
carrying a suitcase. After seeing the two people in the room, they were immediately
petrified in place.
Ye Zhou obviously didn’t expect the other party to come back while they were talking. He
suddenly stood up and stammered to explain, “I…I’m looking for…”
Liu Yutian’s spirit returned first. He changed the arm wrapping around the quilt and
dragged Wen Renxu’s collar with his spare hand, and laughingly said, “Pretend we don’t
exist. You guys continue…continue…” After saying this, he even considerately closed the
door. In less than a second, his head stretched in and said, “I’ll help you keep watch. I’ll
make sure that even a fly can’t fly in…”
Why was there a self-defeating kind of feeling? Ye Zhou covered his heart, feeling that he
really needed a Heart Rescue Pill recently. [T/N: 救心丸 – Jiuxin Pill]
He pointed at the two people who had just left and said, “Do you think this has no effect on
you? Look at their faces and their expressions. If you don’t make it clear to them, this gaze
will accompany you for the next three years. And this morning, you saw that once you
entered the classroom, everyone coughed here and coughed there. You don’t feel bothered
at all?”
“Why bothered?” Shang Jin puzzled, “What they want to do is their business.”
“You don’t care about being pointed at?”
“I seem to have always been the talk of others, and there’s not much to it.”
Ye Zhou choked. As the influential man of the school, Shang Jin’s awareness was really high
enough. But this wasn’t the point. The point is that this impacted me!!!
Ye Zhou simply wanted to become a roaring emperor. He restrained his temper and gave
in, “Then just take it that I’m begging you, okay? Help me this once, just one sentence.”
Shang Jin looked at his desk and looked at Ye Zhou. He considered it for two seconds and
said, “OK, just…”
Ye Zhou said nervously, “Just what??”
“It’s like this: I’ll help you with this, and you’ll help me to tidy up the table.”
“No problem.” Ye Zhou originally didn’t have much hope. He didn’t expect that Shang Jin
was so easy to deal with. At the thought that he would finally be able to wash away the
label of perverted, crazy man, Ye Zhou happily hummed a tune. Now, the more he looked at
Shang Jin, the more pleasing to the eye he seemed. His hands methodically arranged the
books into categories, and his mouth also didn’t stay idle. “You also think that it’s more
convenient for your study and life if your desk is neat and tidy, right? In fact, as long as you
remember to put back the things when you finish with them, your desk wouldn’t be in
disorder.”
Ten minutes later, Ye Zhou happily walked to the door. Hand on the doorknob, he stressed
again, “In a moment, just say that yesterday was a misunderstanding. I really don’t like
you.”
“You’ve explained it three times already.”
“Lest you forget.” Ye Zhou just opened the dorm door when two people fell to Ye Zhou’s
feet. Ye Zhou saw that it was Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu who were just at the door. They
laughed with a guilty conscience.
If he didn’t guess wrong, these two people had likely been lying at the door eavesdropping
all along, but the luggage around them were gone…Ye Zhou kicked them off and walked
next door. The door that had just been closed was open. The luggage that Liu Yutian and
Wen Renxu had just carried were quietly lying in the corner. Leaning against the wall to
Shang Jin’s dorm were several people, two of which were his own roommates. Obviously
when he’d just come out, these two fools were already asleep.
Xu Yangjun, holding a stethoscope from who knew where he’d borrowed it, was seriously
moving the stethoscope while bewilderingly saying, “How come I can’t hear the voices?”
Zhou Wendao patted him and whispered, “Shh, shhh…don’t talk!”
Ye Zhou clenched his fists and gave a heavy cough.
Xu Yangjun was scared and threw away the stethoscope. “Zhou…Zhou…why are you here?”
Ye Zhou gave them a cold stare, too lazy to bother with them. Anyway, the truth would be
revealed in a moment. He turned his head and gestured at Shang Jin outside to speak.
Shang Jin came in.
All the onlookers held their breath.
Shang Jin strictly followed the lines previously given by Ye Zhou and said, “Everything
yesterday was a misunderstanding. Ye Zhou really doesn’t like me.”
When he really heard Shang Jin finish, Ye Zhou was moved to tears. His innocence! It’s
finally returned!
“So, everyone shouldn’t make things difficult for Ye Zhou.”
The smile on Ye Zhou’s face instantly crumbled.

Chapter 4
After Shang Jin said this sentence, he no longer cared about the farce on this side: he
carried out his task then left.
Xu Yangjun came over and put a hand on Ye Zhou’s shoulder, winked and said, “Not bad,
Zhou. You just confessed yesterday and today, Shang Jin’s protecting you.”
Zhou Wendao smirked and asked, “Yes, yes. Zhou, what did you say to Shang Jin? How did
you conquer him so fast??”
Ye Zhou was choking on his anger. He didn’t know whether he should rush out to grab
Shang Jin’s collar and ask him why he wanted to say unnecessary words, or if he should
first gather all the people in front of him watching a good show and punch each and every
one of them.
It seemed like the day when he’d be washed clean were further away…
This farce continued until National Day1. This was the first time Ye Zhou looked forward
for the holiday to come a bit sooner. Presumably, after one week, everyone should forget
about it.
“Zhou, you’re not going home for National Day again?” The day before the holiday, the other
two people in the dorm had already embarked on their way home. Zhou Wendao was also
making his final inspection. Not waiting for Ye Zhou to answer, Zhou Wendao was minding
his own business when he suddenly realized, “I remember that Shang Jin is a local person,
you two…made an arrangement?” Saying the last thing, Zhou Wendao’s face held a cheap
smile.
Ye Zhou had already prepared for this and proudly took out a train ticket and said, “Who
said I’m not going back? The ticket has already been bought.”
Zhou Wendao pulled the zipper of the suitcase and lifted it up, placing it to one side. Sitting
in the chair next to him, he said, “It’s a rare long vacation. You and Shang Jin aren’t going
out to travel?”
Ye Zhou scoffed and said in a bad mood, “When there’s nothing, why would I go traveling
with him?”
“You can’t do this…” Zhou Wendao scooted the chair to Ye Zhou’s side and said earnestly,
“You can’t not value him because you’ve caught him in your hand. Feelings depend on effort
to build up…”
After passing through this period of ravage, Ye Zhou had already become too lazy to refute.
As for the teasing of the surrounding people, it came in one ear and left out the other. Just
like Shang Jin said, what others said was their business. Anyway, he was clear on his own
innocence. Ye Zhou fiddled with his phone and accidentally opened Su Yin’s chat box.
Because of the misunderstanding with Shang Jin and him, Su Yin was also greatly
stimulated.
“You actually with Shang Jin…actually with Shang Jin…” Su Yin looked like the world was
about to be destroyed. She looked at Ye Zhou as if her eyes were hiding a needle and
wanted to prick him with it.
“Other people can not believe me, but don’t tell me that you also don’t believe!!” Ye Zhou
exclaimed, defending himself, “Who did I take the pictures for??”
Su Yin glared at him and hatefully said, “You yourself!”
“You ー”
“Isn’t it? You originally wanted Tang Dongdong’s photos before so you promised to
exchange them with me.”
“I ー” Ye Zhou choked, really unable to dispute it. He opened his phone and said, “Then let’s
exchange them quickly. Shang Jin’s photos are taking up space on my phone.”
Su Yin guardedly said, “That’s a must. Just in case you look at it for a long time and you
really have evil thoughts for Shang Jin…”
“Pei! I have evil thoughts for him???” Ye Zhou sneered, “No matter who I like, I still wouldn’t
like him.” (T/N: pei – spitting sound)
“It’s best if it’s like that.” After Su Yin received the photos, she didn’t dispel her vigilance.
“There’s really nothing going on between you and Shang Jin?”
“No, no, no!” Ye Zhou resentfully said, “Besides, am I worse than Shang Jin? Why do you
have a ‘dirty things shouldn’t stick to Shang Jin’ expression?”
“Because no one is worthy of Shang Jin.”
Ye Zhou snorted and said in his heart: if you saw Shang Jin’s messy dorm, you’d know that
the male god was also human.
After exchanging the photos, Su Yin repeatedly confirmed that Ye Zhou had really removed
all the photos of Shang Jin before giving up. Before leaving, she still repeatedly said, “You
have to hold your position! No matter how outstanding Shang Jin is, you can’t waver!”
“Rest ten thousand times assured, in my love, Shang Jin has never been an option.” Looking
at the dozens of photos of Tang Dongdong on his phone, Ye Zhou instantly felt a sense of
healing. It’s just that, to avoid this misunderstanding from happening again and causing
trouble for others, Ye Zhou only dared to leave two photos of Tang Dongdong in his cell
phone and interspersed them in a mess of landscape pictures to prevent others from
finding clues.
At 2 o’clock in the afternoon, Ye Zhou and Zhou Wendao set off to the station together.
The waiting room was jammed with people. Ye Zhou and him didn’t even have a chair to sit
on.
Ye Zhou leaned against the railing while Zhou Wendao sat on his suitcase, and the two men
idly chatted.
When the waiting room began to broadcast, Ye Zhou glanced at the ticket gate. Seeing that
it wasn’t his train, he was about to retract his gaze when unexpectedly, his gaze intersected
with another man’s. He immediately turned around and his heart beat a few beats.
How could Shang Jin be at the station? Wasn’t his home local?
“My train is about to start checking in. Zhou, I’m going to toilet first. Help me watch my
luggage.”
Ye Zhou absentmindedly agreed, praying that Zhou Wendao didn’t see Shang Jin.
However, things turned out against his wishes.
Ye Zhou hid from Shang Jin didn’t mean that Shang Jin would hide from Ye Zhou.
Zhou Wendao just walked away when the next moment, Shang Jin arrived at Ye Zhou’s side.
His expression was even more astonished than Ye Zhou. “Ye Zhou? What are you doing at
the station?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you this question???” Ye Zhou incredulously said, “Isn’t your home
local?”
“My family planned to travel for National Day. They left first and I’m going to meet them
now.” Shang Jin crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the railing like Ye Zhou.
He stared at the crowd in front of him. “If I’d known earlier that you weren’t going to stay at
school for the holidays, then I would have refused them. Who likes to come out to play
when National Day is so crowded with people.”
The more Ye Zhou listened, the more wronged he felt. He interrupted Shang Jin, “Wait,
what’s the meaning of your words? Are you blaming me??”
Shang Jin said to himself, “Forget it. At worst, I’ll just sleep in the hotel.”
“It’s because of you that I’m going home! Otherwise, with the school just starting a month
ago, what would I go home for!” Ye Zhou was almost driven crazy. He said that as long as he
met Shang Jin, no good would come out of it!
Shang Jin eyelids drooped as if they could close at any time. “You still have time to refund
the ticket now.”
“Why do I have to refund? If anyone should refund, it should be you!”
“I don’t care. Anyway, those rumors don’t matter to me.” Shang Jin yawned and said,
“Giving you a friendly reminder: Zhou Wendao is coming this way with great interest.”
“Can you not use such a serious expression to say something I don’t want to hear?” Ye Zhou
didn’t need to look back to be able to visualize Zhou Wendao’s expression. “In a moment,
pretend that we accidentally ran into each other.”
“We didn’t make an appointment.”
It’s true: this kind of assertion made it seem like he and Shang Jin really had something to
hide. But Ye Zhou really wasn’t at ease. He explained again, “Then in a while, don’t speak
nonsense.”
Looking at Zhou Wendao’s figure getting closer, Shang Jin had a slight thought and asked,
“Of course, I can. How are you going to repay me?”
“Re…repay??”
Shang Jin shrugged and said, “Anyways, I don’t care…”
Ye Zhou most hated this kind of ‘everything didn’t matter’ expression of Shang Jin. Without
desires and without wants, his appearance made Ye Zhou feel that nothing could threaten
him. But people under the eaves had no choice but to bow down. He hatefully said, “What
do you want?”
“After returning to school, continue to help me tidy up the dorm room.”
“Didn’t I tidy it up for you last time?”
Shang Jin boldly and confidently said, “It’s a mess again.”
Seeing Zhou Wendao come before him, Ye Zhou hurriedly said, “Fine fine fine, no problem.
Don’t speak randomly in a moment. Just let me talk.”
“Yo, isn’t this Shang Jin??” Zhou Wendao’s expression was as Shang Jin had described, and
was even more exaggerated than Shang Jin’s description. He bumped Ye Zhou and
whispered, “You weren’t honest. You lied to me before that there was no arrangement.”
“There is no arrangement. I’m just going home.” Ye Zhou showed his ticket and said, “Going
home!”
Zhou Wendao looked at Ye Zhou and, seeing that he couldn’t get any information from this
side, he turned to Shang Jin and smiled flatteringly. “Shang Jin, where are you going?”
Shang Jin glanced at Ye Zhou, and Ye Zhou gave him a warning glance.
“I came to send someone off.”
“You ー” Ye Zhou suddenly stared at him with wide eyes. He’d clearly said before that he
was traveling. How could it suddenly change to sending someone off???
“Oh~~~” Zhou Wendao stretched out the tail end, winking at Ye Zhou. “Send someone.”
“Well, but already ー” Not waiting for Shang Jin to finish, Zhou Wendao looked at the ticket
gate and immediately rushed forward with his luggage. “Aiya, I’m not going to make it! I’m
going first. We’ll talk again when we’re back in school!”
When he could no longer see Zhou Wendao’s figure, Ye Zhou’s face sank. He dragged Shang
Jin’s coat and said, “You only had to tell the truth. Why did you have to lie? Saying it like
that, wouldn’t he misunderstand that you came to send me!”
Shang Jin rescued his coat from Ye Zhou’s hand and shot him a glance. He took the ticket
from his pocket and laid it before his eyes.
“A City to D City, high-speed rail, Car 2 ー” Ye Zhou suddenly stopped. He took out his
ticket, looked at his own and then looked at the other’s. The train and car on the two tickets
were the same…
“Or did you want to let the other person misunderstand that we’re going together for a
vacation?”
Notes
• 1. National Day: (国庆) The week-long holiday in China starting October 1st. Also
known as the “Eleventh” as it’s the eleventh holiday of the year.
Chapter 5
What kind of fate was this!
“You…why are you going to D City too!” Ye Zhou grabbed his hair. Why did his life suddenly
have so many intersections with Shang Jin. Obviously, their first year in college, the two
people didn’t say a word to each other?
“D City is a tourist city.”
Isn’t it? His hometown, D City, had mountains and water and food. He had always been
proud of his hometown.
There was half an hour before check in. Ye Zhou and Shang Jin stood beside the guardrail,
one listening to music and one looking at his phone. This was the most familiar pattern for
two people to get along. After all, the two people were really unfamiliar. If it were someone
else, Ye Zhou may have spent a bit of time to get to know the other party, but towards
Shang Jin, this “scandal boyfriend”, of course, the farther away the better, even if there was
no one there that they knew.
Checking in and entering the station, they remained silent the entire way.
Ye Zhou took his seat first, looked at Shang Jin and politely said, “My seat is here.”
Shang Jin hummed in acknowledgement and continued to move forward.
Ye Zhou turned to look back, not sitting down until he saw Shang Jin sit down.
On the train, there were many college students who were going home for the long holiday
like him. Ye Zhou propped his head and looked at the scenery outside the window in a daze.
The decision to go home was quite abrupt. Until he got on the train, he hadn’t called back
home.
Looking at the familiar number in his contacts, Ye Zhou hesitated a few times, but in the
end, he still didn’t call them. Anyway, they would naturally know when he returned.
When he thought that he would be home soon, Ye Zhou’s heart couldn’t remain calm. He
looked around, trying to find a target that he could strike a conversation with to help him
divert his attention.
However, in this information society, everyone had a cellphone in their hand. All around
him were the bow-down army, their bodies exuding a ‘don’t disturb me’ aura. Ye Zhou
bowed his head and prepared to take out his tablet from his backpack to join the forces of
the bow-down army. Suddenly, he touched two apples.
bow-down army: (低头族) i.e. smartphone addicts
Recalling how Shang Jin had lied to Zhou Wendao before, no matter what, it was also for
himself. Ye Zhou had never liked to owe other people. He took out his cellphone and sent a
message to Shang Jin.
Ye Zhou: Eat an apple?
After the message was sent out, Ye Zhou stood up slightly and looked towards Shang Jin.
Shang Jin took out his cellphone, looked at it, and then put it down again…put it down…put
it down…
Ye Zhou simply stood up and picked up the apple to go to the washbasin at the end of the
carriage. When he passed by Shang Jin’s seat, the other person didn’t lift his eyelids.
Shang Jin was looking at the magazine in his hand when suddenly, his face was chilled by
an apple. An annoyed voice came from overhead. “Didn’t you see my text, classmate Shang
Jin?”
The aroma of the apple immediately pervaded the tip of his nose. Shang Jin didn’t take it.
Instead, he moved back a bit and used the cloth from his shoulder to dry the water on his
face. “The text sent just now was yours?”
“Otherwise? Both times, you didn’t return my texts!” Ye Zhou leaned against the back of the
seat and still held the apple in front of Shang Jin. “Take it.”
Shang Jin held the apple but didn’t eat it immediately. Rubbing the apple’s skin with his
finger, he looked at Ye Zhou with an unclear meaning.
“Why…why are you looking at me like that?” Ye Zhou uneasily shifted his gaze. “There’s no
need for thanks. Anyways, if you don’t eat it, it’d just increase my baggage weight.”
“No, I just think…” Shang Jin lifted his thumb from the apple and said, “The apple doesn’t
seem to be clean.”
Pa-ta. Ye Zhou’s vaulted line of reason broke. He took two deep breaths, planning to
“educate” the classmate who had no idea of etiquette in front of him. Shang Jin directly took
a bite of the apple and made Ye Zhou have to smother the just-stoked anger, unable to let it
out and uncomfortably choking on it.
“You ー”
“Very sweet.” After Shang Jin tasted it, he nonchalantly said, “Thanks.”
Ye Zhou was defeated, and in a bad mood, said, “Didn’t you say it wasn’t clean?”
“I just stated a fact. It doesn’t mean that I won’t eat it.”
What sophistry…
Ye Zhou rolled his eyes toward the roof of the car. But this time, he was planning to thank
him. As a result, he gave the person a dirty apple and he couldn’t help but feel apologetic in
his heart. “Fine, I can wash it more for you.” Finished saying this, he didn’t wait for Shang
Jin to agree and immediately took the bitten apple, grumbling more about Shang Jin’s
matters while walking toward the sink.
Shang Jin looked at his empty hand and raised his head. Ye Zhou’s back was infinitely
magnified in his eyes. He frowned slightly, unable to describe for a moment the strange
emotion that had grown inside him.
“For you. This time, it’s absolutely clean!”
The lost apple was returned. Shang Jin squeezed the apple and looked at Ye Zhou. “Ye
Zhou…”
Ye Zhou snorted with his nose, expressing that he was listening.
I think you just behaved…” Shang Jin coughed and continued, “very much like a mother.”
“Poof!” The boy sitting beside Shang Jin spurted out the water he was just drinking. His
shoulders shook slightly. It seemed like he was very painfully suppressing his laughter.
Ye Zhou’s forehead couldn’t help but show the blue veins. “Shang ー Jin!!”
Shang Jin was a little bit embarrassed. He explained, “I just think…if…”
“Don’t say anything. You shutting up is the biggest thanks for me!”
As soon as the voice fell, Shang Jin immediately focused on biting the apple, with no
intention of saying anything.
The boy sitting next to Shang Jin was apologetic about his previous disrespectful behavior.
When Ye Zhou was about to walk towards his seat, he shouted, “Classmate, I’m just by
myself anyway, and my luggage is just this bag. Where’s your seat? I’ll change with you. You
can sit together with your friend.”
“Ah???”
Why were there such “considerate” people in the world!!!
“No, it’s just a few hours…” Ye Zhou declined, “and we’re not really familiar with each
other.”
“No need for thanks. Going outside, everyone should look after each other,” the boy said. He
picked up his bag and standing up, he intended to follow Ye Zhou to his seat.
“There’s really no need…” Ye Zhou put on a fake smile and looked at Shang Jin in passing,
hinting at him to say something.
Shang Jin looked at Ye Zhou, pointed his finger at his mouth and made a zipper movement,
continuing to gnaw on his apple.
Ye Zhou angrily said, “How come you’re so obedient at this time??”
The boy looked at the interaction between them and exclaimed, “Your relationship is really
good…”
The corners of Ye Zhou’s mouth pulled, saying in his heart: Your eyes are really good
enough…
For the time being, they didn’t talk during the process. In short, five minutes later, Ye Zhou
looked at the uninvolved Shang Jin beside him and wanted to hit him a bit.
Ye Zhou said with an wooden face, “Why does every outcome run counter to my original
intention?”
Shang Jin had washed his hands and after drying them with a paper towel, he stared at Ye
Zhou and asked puzzledly, “Ye Zhou, what are you afraid of?”

Chapter 6
After the initial daze, Ye Zhou scoffed, “What do I have to be afraid of?”
“Right, I also find it strange,” Shang Jin said in a perplexed tone, “Isn’t it just having people
misunderstand that you like…”
The word ‘me’ didn’t come when Ye Zhou quickly got up and covered Shang Jin’s mouth.
“You really act as if no one else is around. We’re in a train now!”
Shang Jin blinked. His mouth was covered so he couldn’t speak, but his eyes expressed
exactly what he wanted to say: So what?
Ye Zhou thought about it. When did Shang Jin ever fear gossip? He was even well-aware of
the gossip about his activities. He loosened his hand and sat back in his seat in a
discouraged manner. He glanced at Shang Jin and said, “Hey, is your motto ‘take things as
they come’?”
“Motto?” Shang Jin picked up the magazine he’d read halfway and carelessly said, “What’s
the use of this thing?”
This ‘as a matter of course’ appearance was really extremely…hateful!
While traveling, Ye Zhou had never liked to look at his cell phone. Most of the time, he
sleeps. This time too, he leaned back in his chair and drowsily fell asleep.
Shang Jin was flipping through the magazine and unexpectedly, a head leaned on his
shoulder. He turned his head and his cheek lightly brushed against the other’s hair. His
movement faltered and he dragged his attention back to the magazine.
This was the first time he’d had such close contact with his classmate. The weight on his
shoulder wasn’t much, but he felt his existence at every moment. This kind of feeling, he
was a bit…unaccustomed to it, but not disliking it.
Shang Jin wasn’t a person who would wrong himself: he wouldn’t keep his body stiffly in
position because of the weight on his shoulder. Ye Zhou slept for half an hour, lightly
scowling because Shang Jin kept moving his shoulder. When Shang Jin was thoroughly
immersed in the magazine content, his body was already accustomed to the weight on his
shoulder to the point that when he got up, he forgot that he’d been a pillow for an hour.
Following Shang Jin getting up, Ye Zhou’s body steadily slipped down. Only then did Shang
Jin discover Ye Zhou beside him. When he came back to his senses, he’d already supported
Ye Zhou’s head with his palm.
“Sleeping too much like the dead.” Shang Jin was quite speechless. He supported Ye Zhou
and let his head lean against the chair before walking to the toilet at the end of the train.
Less than two minutes after returning to his seat, Ye Zhou’s head rested on Shang Jin’s
shoulder again.
Shang Jin said to himself, “Is this intentional?”
Ye Zhou’s fingers moved and his lips twitched.
The sky was getting dark, and the train broadcast announced the arrival at the station.
“Aiya! Slept really well!” Ye Zhou stretched his body and glanced at Shang Jin with his
peripheral vision.
Shang Jin put away the magazine and prepared to get off, simply not paying attention to Ye
Zhou.
Ye Zhou felt the frustration of punching cotton. In fact, he didn’t sleep well at all…Shang
Jin’s shoulder was both stiff and hard, and also loved to move around.
The other party’s ‘magnanimity’ actually seemed petty to him. Ye Zhou put up with this
childish behavior. After the train stopped, he carried his backpack and followed the crowd
toward the exit.
Clearly knowing that the right approach was for Shang Jin and him, the two people to each
go their own way now, and afterwards, have their relationship drift apart, but Ye Zhou was
a native and Shang Jin was a newcomer. He still worriedly gathered by Shang Jin’s side and
asked, “Shang Jin, is someone coming to pick you up?”
Shang Jin stopped and looked at him with a smile that wasn’t a smile. “Why, do you want to
send me?”
Ye Zhou suddenly felt that his cordiality was being insulted, especially because the other
party had specifically emphasized the word ‘want’. He pointed east at the crowded bus
station and said, “OK, send you by bus.”
After choking for a moment, Shang Jin raised his hand and waved toward Ye Zhou, heading
toward the west exit without turning his head back.
Ye Zhou thumbed his nose and hummed a little tune. When he came to the bus stop that he
wanted to take, he already couldn’t laugh anymore.
Through the window, he could already feel the crowded situation inside the bus, and there
were still a lot of people at the entrance of the bus.
Ye Zhou stood at the end of the crowd and hesitated to cram in. As a result, a few girls
dragging their luggage jostled him in.
The bus slowly started up. Ye Zhou, relying on his height advantage, easily grabbed the high
handrail. The several girls who came behind him weren’t too tall and could only reach the
top with a bit of difficulty. One of them pulled Ye Zhou’s clothes.
Ye Zhou looked down at her.
The girl was blushing, don’t know if it was from being tired from chasing after the bus or
being shy after seeing Ye Zhou. She whispered, “Classmate, can you move inside a bit?”
Ye Zhou looked inside and awkwardly said, “It’s difficult.”
“Can you lift your foot? I’m a bit unsteady.”
Ye Zhou wasn’t sure what the relationship between him lifting his foot and the other
standing unsteadily was, but he still very enthusiastically lifted his foot. Then, he found that
he didn’t seem to have a place to put down his foot…
Maintaining this ‘golden rooster stands on one leg’ posture for who knows how long, he
ended up with his nerves paralyzed before he got off the bus.
Looking at the dust of the departing bus, Ye Zhou actually had a kind of ‘being reborn after
a calamity’ feeling. After seeing the bus information board, Ye Zhou finally realized that it
was the last bus. No wonder there were so many people. Hammering his sore legs, he
limped into the community.
It was already past 10 o’clock when he came home, and there wasn’t any light visible
through the door crack. Ye Zhou took out the key and opened the door. As expected, the
house was completely empty. He lightly wiped the shoe cabinet with his finger and there
was a layer of dust.
Ye Zhou shrugged his shoulders, changed his shoes, rolled up his sleeves and simply swept
for a bit before falling asleep in bed.
The next day, Ye Zhou was awakened by banging sounds.
“Mom, you’re back.”
Mother Ye was mopping the floor and was startled when she saw him come out from the
bedroom. “Why are you home?”
Ye Zhou instinctively retreated a step and said, “My roommates all went home. I have
nothing to do alone at school…”
“Nothing to do?” Mother Ye raised her voice. “Your roommates all returned and won’t be
outside distractions. With such a good learning environment, you don’t enrich yourself
during this precious holiday, but waste your time on the long road? You’re already a college
student. Can you be a bit more conscientious? Don’t tell me that you forgot what your
freshman comprehensive evaluation ranking was? Do you want to be second place this
term too? Do you know that no matter in what situation, not getting the best means that
everything is in vain? There’s no difference between the second place and the last place.”
Ye Zhou’s hands behind his back couldn’t help clenching into fists. These words, growing
up as a child, he didn’t know how many times he’d heard them. He thought that he was
already accustomed to them, but every time he went through them, his heart still couldn’t
remain calm. In order to get his mother to hurry up and finish this topic, he took in a deep
breath and said in one breath, “I borrowed some books from the library to read when I
came back.”
“You still have a bit of consciousness.” Mother Ye stopped talking and said softly, “Mother is
saying this for your own good. You look at your older brother. Growing up, when wasn’t he
first place? Obviously, I gave you both the same educational environment. How can you not
catch up with him? At the time of the college entrance exams, I told you to apply for your
brother’s university, but you willfully changed your mind. C Uni is the best university in the
country and your scores are clearly good enough, so why did you want to go to A Uni! After
a year, the fire in my heart still rises once I think of this.”
Ye Zhou didn’t want to quarrel with Mother Ye. He shifted the topic and said, “You haven’t
been home for several days?”
“I recently took on the high school third-years, and it’s too busy at school. Your father is
also similar.” Mother Ye picked up the mop and began to mop. As if thinking of something
happy, she said briskly, “Your brother is coming back in a few days. I’ll clean up the house a
bit and help him air out the quilt. It’s rare for him to come back once. If you have any
problems in your studies, you can ask him more about them. You’re still brothers. If others
didn’t know, they’d think you were strangers.”
“Let me mop the floor. You…”
The words didn’t finished yet, Mother Ye hurriedly interrupted him. “What housework can
you do? Growing up, did I ask you to move a finger to do anything in the house? I provided
you such a good environment for you to raise your score. Don’t let me see any other
ranking than the first rank. Use this time to go read some books.”
Ye Zhou no longer spoke and closed the door directly. He sighed and lay on the bed.
Because the window hadn’t been opened in the room for a long time, there was a damp
smell. When he thought about sleeping in such a dark and damp environment, Ye Zhou felt
itchy. Moreover, he didn’t know what was going on: clearly this room had always been shut,
but in the end, there was still a layer of dust on the table.
Ye Zhou’s room had a bathroom, and the tools in the bathroom had everything he needed.
He dampened a rag and began to wipe down the bedroom. He casually wiped and an hour
passed. After he came out of the room, he passed the room next door and casually glanced
in. There was a pile of medals, certificates and trophies in the bookcase. Mother Ye was
holding a rag and carefully wiping clean the shiny trophy. Ye Zhou took back his gaze,
poured a glass of water and quickly returned to the bedroom.
On the desk was the book he’d borrowed from the library yesterday morning. No matter
what, he didn’t seem to be able to get into the book. He couldn’t help but take out the return
ticket from his bag.
Ticket for the sixth. It wasn’t clear on which day his brother would be coming back. If he’d
known early, he would have just blurted out and asked.
Ye Zhou put down the ticket, opened his cell phone, and searched for the surplus tickets.
There were still quite a lot…

Chapter 7
After a year, his older brother finally came back and mother Ye’s preparations were quite
grand.
Ye Zhou was lying in bed and flipping through the book. Occasionally, he could hear the
voice of mother Ye excitedly calling various relatives. Ye Zhou put down the book, walked
to the door, and quietly pulled the door open. Mother Ye’s voice became clear immediately.
“Right, it’s this Wednesday when Little Heng will be back. I booked a room at the Fujin
Hotel for noon . Everyone will be gathered there…Ye Zhou, he came back. He’s still the same
old…”
Ye Zhou closed the door, not wanting to hear his mother’s contemptuous tone when talking
about him.
After reading the book for a while, mother Ye opened the door and said, “I’m going out. You
call for takeout in the evening. Study well. You should know that the hardship you suffer is
in order for you to become a better person.”
Ye Zhou impatiently replied, “I know.”
Maybe because her mood was good, mother Ye actually didn’t mind his tone.
When he heard the sound of the living room door closing, Ye Zhou placed the book on his
face. Reading the book for a morning, his head was dizzy. His hand groped toward the
pillow and he took his cell phone and got up. The book on his face slipped on the the edge
of the bed and fell to the ground with a thump in the quiet bedroom.
Ye Zhou glanced at the textbook on the ground. He didn’t hate learning, but the frame of
mind when taking the initiative to study and being forced to study weren’t the same.
Looking at the time, Ye Zhou picked up the book and set it aside. He took out his cell phone
and sent a message to his high school friend, Shang Ming.
Ye Zhou: What are you doing?
The weather on National Day was very good, sunny and cloudless and, except for the
bustling crowd on the streets, was the best time to go out and play.
“You’re really not going?”
Shang Jin turned his back to the people in the doorway and said, “You should go quickly. I’m
staying in the hotel and not going anywhere else.”
“This child has no energy at all.”
“Big brother isn’t going with us?”
“Yeah, forget it. Shang…he doesn’t like being around crowds. Don’t force him.”
The voices drifted away until they disappeared. Shang Jin turned his head and looked at the
empty hotel suite. He turned to the side and continued to close his eyes to nap.
Ding ding.
Shang Jin frowned slightly. With a trace of displeasure from being disturbed, he opened his
eyes and tapped open the text message.
Ye Zhou: What are you doing?
It couldn’t be said that this text wasn’t surprising.
Prior to this term, Shang Jin’s impression of Ye Zhou was that, aside from him, he was the
only student who had a stable performance, whether it was in academic performance or in
various competitions. Shang Jin took first place, Ye Zhou took second place, and third place
often changed among the classmates.
Shang Jin reflected that if he were in this position with someone pressuring him from above
everyday, even if he didn’t hate him, he certainly wouldn’t like him. He didn’t expect that Ye
Zhou was really an exception, unexpectedly liking him so much that he’d fill his entire
photo album with photos of him.
This was the first time that Shang Jin had faced such a frank and strong feeling. He hadn’t
had the time to reflect on it yet when the person involved in the incident began to strongly
deny and repeatedly beg him to clarify.
Since knowing Ye Zhou, Shang Jin dared to say that the phrase he heard the most was: “I
don’t like you. I really don’t like you!”
Even though Shang Jin had no feelings for Ye Zhou, and also didn’t care whether he liked
him or not, but a person who seemed to be avoiding ‘severe floods and fierce beasts’ [T/N:
a great scourge] kept repeating in his ear “I don’t like you. I don’t like you”, made it seem
like he was pursuing the other and the other was rejecting him. Even if it was Shang Jin,
there would be a little bit of discomfort in his heart.
Shang Jin wasn’t comfortable. Naturally, he didn’t want to let Ye Zhou be comfortable
either.
Therefore, when Ye Zhou asked him to clarify, he was a bit bad. Only, when he saw the
other’s flustered appearance, he felt a bit guilty. So when he heard that Ye Zhou usually
didn’t return home on the long holiday, he thought of his identity as a local and worried
that there would be further misunderstandings with their classmates. Shang Jin
deliberately distanced himself and agreed with his family’s travel plans, not thinking…
Originally thinking Ye Zhou would desperately pull away from the relationship with him,
who knew that on the journey, due to a freak combination of factors, they’d ended up
sitting together.
Ye Zhou kept saying that he didn’t like him. Then why did he give him an apple and also
send him a text message?
Anyways, no matter what, Shang Jin quickly replied.
Shang Jin: Sleep.
Sleep??
Shang Ming, this guy actually sleeping on the precious holiday was really the sun rising
from the west.
Ye Zhou quickly replied.
Ye Zhou: Come out and play!
Looking at the other party’s reply message, Shang Jin was unable to make sense of the other
once again.
Did he really want to go traveling hand-in-hand with him?
Shang Jin: Many people.
These two simple words succeeded in making Ye Zhou click his tongue. He wondered: did
this kid eat the wrong medicine? Could it be that he was influenced after being in the a
literature institution for a year and his whole human temperament had settled down?
Making an association with Shang Ming’s hobby, Ye Zhou lightly typed on the phone with
his fingers.
Ye Zhou: Right, this time I came back, I borrowed a copy of “The Art of War: The Thirty-Six
Stratagems”. Obviously, I’m already familiar with many of these words already, but I really
want to digest them and really understand them to be able to use them flexibly in real life.
Shang Jin tapped on the screen of the cell phone. This Ye Zhou, didn’t know how his brain
worked, but the dialogue really jumped all over the place. However, “The Art of War: The
Thirty-Six Stratagems”, he’d read it before, completely reading it like bedtime stories.
Shang Jin: Once used well, there’s no disadvantage.
Ye Zhou became interested and curiously said: Which strategy do you like best?
Shang Jin didn’t think about it and replied: kill with a borrowed knife.
Kill with a borrowed knife: (借刀杀人) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty-
Six_Stratagems
Ye Zhou: Why?
Shang Jin: Completely don’t need to do it yourself, in a few words, able to let others help
you do the work is more effortless.
Ye Zhou rolled over and, lying on the bed, sent back a text.
For one afternoon, the two men went from the Art of War to talking about the history of
kings, lamenting the rotation of dynasties, to discussing the status quo in society, and
looking forward to the economic situation in the future.
Unwittingly, it was already dinner time. Ye Zhou went to the toilet and directly dialed
Shang Ming from his recent calls.
“Ye Zhou?”
“Us two idlers should eat together tonight. In any case, you seem to have nothing to do.”
After all, if he weren’t idle, he wouldn’t have chatted for a whole afternoon.
“What are you talking about? I’m traveling in B City!”
“You’re on a trip but still have the time to text me for so long?? Are you idle?”
Shang Ming was unable to make head or tail of it. “You haven’t woken up yet, right? Who
sent you texts? I’m going first. It’s my turn in line now…” dududu
“Hey ー” After staring blankly for a moment at the phone that had been hung up, Ye Zhou
hurriedly opened the inbox.
Inbox latest message from ー Shang Jin!
Shang Jin???
Ye Zhou was unwilling to give up and opened the conversation with Shang Jin. These
messages were exactly the ones he’d exchanged with the other party all afternoon.
Shang Jin…
Shang Ming…
In the contacts, the two individuals were one above the other. If he wasn’t careful, he’d
press on the wrong chat box.
Ye Zhou grabbed his hair. Unexpectedly, he’d been chatting casually with Shang Jin for an
afternoon!!
He fiercely slapped his own head. No wonder that after the topic changed to the economic
situation ー something that had nothing to do with literature ー the other person was still
able to reply quickly and fluently.
Staring at the chat box, Ye Zhou was thankful that just now, he’d directly called Shang Ming
instead of sending an invitation by text. Otherwise, if the person he’d met with was Shang
Jin, maybe he would be so scared he’d turn around and run away.
The latest message from Shang Jin had just come over, but after Ye Zhou knew he’d texted
the wrong person, he couldn’t recall the pleasant atmosphere from before. He thought for a
moment and made a concluding remark.
Ye Zhou: I’m going to go eat. PS: Coming to my great D City, even if you don’t visit the
scenic spots, you still must buy some preserved fruit. This is the specialty of our D City: it’s
never been said that they’re not delicious~
After sending this text, Ye Zhou, as if avoiding the phone, threw it at home and ran out with
his wallet to look for food.

Chapter 8
“Ye Zhou, you’re really not going with us to pick up your brother?” Mother Ye had a
glorious appearance today. Her face was painted with exquisite makeup that could rarely
be seen in a lifetime. The clothes on her body were also bought in the mall two days ago.
Before going out, she had also finished straightening out the collar in the mirror.
Father Ye was also not to be outdone: his shoes were polished brightly and he took off his
usual comfortable jacket and wore a suit that was ironed until there wasn’t a single
wrinkle. “Then in a while, take a taxi to the Fujin Hotel.”
Ye Zhou gave a half-hearted response. After the two people had left, Ye Zhou ran to their
home window and waited for a moment, watching them drive out of the neighborhood. He
immediately turned back to his bedroom and packed up the few luggage. Following their
steps, he left home.
On the bus, Ye Zhou once again verified that there was a one-way ticket to A City still
remaining. Once he got off the bus, he walked toward the ticket window.
Returning from his arduous struggle to grab the ticket, Ye Zhou had changed to the train at
10 o’clock this morning.
As he was sitting in the waiting room, he always felt like he had forgotten something.
However, he opened his bag and flipped through it once. He was sure that he’d brought
everything. Then what the hell was it?
It wasn’t until he got on the train and noticed that the girl in the neighboring seat was
carrying a transparent bag showing their famous preserved fruit specialty that he
remembered.
He actually forgot to bring the specialty product for his roommates!
Usually, boys didn’t like this kind of small snacks, but miraculously, the people in their
dorm all said it was delicious. D City’s preserved fruit not only retained the fruit’s
fragrance, but it was also not too sweet and not too sour. Even their dorm’s Zhou Wendao,
who never liked to eat snacks, was also taken captive. With the things in his hometown
being recognized, Ye Zhou was very proud and didn’t think it was too troublesome to bring
back a big bag every time he went home.
But this time…because things were too abrupt, he was inattentive and forgot.
The train slowly started. Ye Zhou estimated the time and guessed that his parents should
be at the hotel greeting the guests. He dialed the phone and called them.
Sure enough, the other end of the phone was a little noisy. Mother Ye unhappily said,
“Where are you? Why haven’t you come yet?”
“Mom, I’m sorry. I remembered wrong before. The ticket I bought was for this morning. I
wanted to change the date, but the tickets after tomorrow are all sold out…” As if echoing
Ye Zhou’s words, the train issued out a long whistle. Needless to say, Mother Ye also knew
where Ye Zhou was now.
“You say, can you do anything properly? Dropping the ball at the critical moment,” Mother
Ye said with displeasure. “Forget it, forget it. Ai, elder sister come over here, come sit in the
private room…”
With that incoherent sound, Mother Ye hung up the phone.
Ye Zhou looked at the black screen and breathed a sigh of relief.
On the last two days of the holiday, the students came back to school one after another,
except for those in Ye Zhou’s dorm room.
Ye Zhou’s roommates arrived on the last day.
Xu Yangjun tossed a large bag of luggage on the ground and looked at Ye Zhou, who was
looking at his phone with his legs sticking up from the bed. He asked, “Zhou, you didn’t go
home again?”
“Went home, but came back early.” Ye Zhou put down his cell phone and directly climbed
down from the upper bunk. “With no one in the dorms, it’d suffocate me.”
Ye Zhou didn’t like quiet very much. It may be because the environment that his parents
created for him when he was a child was too quiet, so this caused him to particularly like to
plunge into the crowd, in a place where his parents couldn’t see him.
“Do you eat pomelo? It’s homegrown!” Xu Yangjun took out a volleyball-sized pomelo from
his bag and patted it. The golden pomelo skin exuded a touch of fragrance, which seemed to
be enticing the two to taste.
“Well, I’ll cut the skin.” Ye Zhou licked his lips and didn’t stand by courtesy. He took out a
fruit knife and gently made several cuts on the pomelo skin without bruising the pulp and
then peeled down the pomelo skin.
Xu Yangjun took the pomelo that had been stripped of its skin, broke it with his hands and
succeeded in dividing the pomelo into two equal parts. Ye Zhou tore off a pomelo segment
and removed the bitter skin outside. The flesh inside was red and looked fresh. Biting
down, the juice filled every corner of the mouth. The taste wasn’t as sweet as it looked, with
a hint of distinct bitterness.
“So sour!” Xu Yangjun’s whole face wrinkled. He threw aside the rest of the pomelo and
gulped down a glass of water, but unexpectedly, this made the bitterness spread
throughout his entire mouth. “Bitter!”
Ye Zhou resolutely finished a pomelo segment and said, “Do you have to go that far? I think
it’s okay.”
“Zhou, quickly give me some dried mangoes!”
“You bought it?” After asking this, Ye Zhou realized that Xu Yangjun was talking about the
dried mangoes from his hometown. At the university for more than a year, Ye Zhou had
never forgotten to bring them the preserved fruit whenever he returned from home.
“That…I was in a hurry and forgot this time. But I have cookies. You can use them to pad
first.”
Xu Yangjun wheezed twice, ate several cookies in a row, and finished a glass of water. He
sighed comfortably. Looking at the pomelo that he’d held all the way here like a baby, he
said with a complicated expression, “What a loss.”
“I think it’s very good. Besides, it’s grown by your family, and it’s green and pollution-free.”
Xu Yangjun scratched his head and said, “If you like it, then it’s worth it.”
“Other people will certainly like it.” When the words just fell, Zhou Wendao pushed in. As
soon as he entered the dorm room, he put his baggage down and wiped his face at the sink.
“Hot to death. Finally can relax.” Zhou Wendao wiped his face with a towel, looked intently
at Xu Yangjun’s desk and stopped. “Pomelo! I love pomelo the most.”
He bluntly broke off a segment and took a big bite. “Sss, not bad.”
Ye Zhou laughed. “Our Junjun’s family grew it. How can it be bad?”
Zhou Wendao flatteringly took another segment to eat, eating while praising, “Delicious.”
Xu Yangjun’s depressed mood finally cleared up. Although it was his wishful thinking to
bring something, but able to receive the approval of his friends, his hard work along the
way wasn’t in vain. “Heheh, if you like it, I’ll bring it for you next time. I’m going downstairs
to boil some water. Do you want to go?”
Ye Zhou pointed at his own water bottle and said, “I’ve already brought in a bottle in the
morning.”
Zhou Wendao waved his hand. “Let me rest, then I’ll go again.”
When Xu Yangjun left, Zhou Wendao immediately rubbed his aching teeth and said, “Give
me something to eat. So sour.”
Ye Zhou pursed his lips and smiled, placing before him the half packet of cookies that Xu
Yangjun hadn’t finished.
Half an hour later, Xu Yangjun carried the water bottle up and gave Ye Zhou a meaningful
look. “Tsk tsk tsk, Little Zhouzhou, you’re not honest.”
Ye Zhou’s whole face was stupefied.
Zhou Wendao, gossiping and snickering, gathered by Xu Yangjun’s side and said, “What?
What?”
“I’ll just say it. How could the ‘considerate in all things’ classmate Ye Zhou make a careless
mistake?” Xu Yangjun leaned against the wall with both arms crossed, striking a pose. He
pulled down his fake glasses and said, “You actually didn’t forget to bring the preserved
fruit.”
Ye Zhou suddenly had a bad feeling.
“It turns out that you brought a big bag of preserved fruit and gave it all to Shang Jin!” Xu
Yangjun walked next to Ye Zhou and gave him a point of praise, “Chasing people should be
like this! First capture his stomach, then capture the man!”
“What what what?” Zhou Wendao jabbered on beside him, “What do you mean?”
“I just had something to find Wen Renxu for, and then I saw a bag of preserved fruit on
Shang Jin’s table, the kind that Zhou always brought us! A really big bag!”
Ye Zhou pried apart Zhou Wendao and Xu Yangjun who were blocking the doorway, and
walked toward Shang Jin’s dorm room.
Of the four people in Shang Jin’s dorm, the other three were still unpacking things. Only
Shang Jin was leaning on the chair with a dried mango in his mouth and a magazine in his
hand.
The light in front of him suddenly darkened. Shang Jin raised his head and met head-on
with Ye Zhou’s gaze that held an unclear meaning. He swallowed the dried mango and said,
“It’s very delicious.”
Ye Zhou still didn’t have time to say anything when Shang Jin added, “Like what you’ve said
before.”
This sentence was like writing a sequel to a TV series that was just about to end, once again
whetting the appetite of the crowd.
Subjected to the surrounding gazes of passion mixed with curiosity, Ye Zhou felt that his
and Shang Jin’s story ending still had a long way to go.

Chapter 9
Of course, this story wasn’t over. The people around were looking forward to the sequel
and were even more hopeful that they could participate.
Due to the “special” relationship between Ye Zhou and Shang Jin, the original good
relationship between the 403 dorm and 405 dorm had become even more “inseparable”.
On Wednesday afternoon, Liu Yutian and Zhou Wendao sneaked into an empty classroom
to secretly hold a whispered discussion.
Zhou Wendao vigilantly looked around and asked in a low voice, “Have you brought it?”
Liu Yutian took out his cell phone and mysteriously said, “Everything you wanted is here!”
“Open it and let me see.”
Liu Yutian moved his knuckles, unlocked his cell phone, opened the album, and the screen
was full of golden…pei pei ー a Sleeping Male Beauty.
Zhou Wendao opened photo after photo. With a face that was always willful, even if Shang
Jin was lying on the bed without any pose, it looked like a portrait. He finally understood
the feeling of Internet fans’ praising their idol ‘each frown and smile is like a painting’.
“Beautifully done! Quickly transfer them to me.”
Liu Yutian used Bluetooth to transfer the photos. After everything was done, he shrunk his
shoulders and asked, “Can we speak loudly?”
Zhou Wendao looked as if he was looking at a fool and said, “Why not? Isn’t this an empty
classroom?”
Liu Yutian restored his volume and resentfully said, “Then what about you looking around
shiftily before?? Making you seem like an underground worker.”
Zhou Wendao looked at his phone in satisfaction, hooked Liu Yutian’s shoulders and
proudly laughed twice and said, “You don’t think that us helping Ye Zhou and Shang Jin get
together has the feel of seniors working together to fight for the country? And you see,
nowadays the TV series “Shredded Devil” all love to take what ‘mantis plan to chase the
wind’ plan, this kind of name. We should also give our operation a trendy name!”
Liu Yutian curiously said, “What name?”
Zhou Wendao lifted his chin and proudly said, “Spring Silkworm Operation!”
“Spring Silkworm…it’s not trendy at all. It’s like a childcare organization.” Liu Yutian
clapped his hands and said, “Why not call it ‘Secret Night Chasing Wind’!”
“You know a fart!” Zhou Wendao gave him a disdainful look. “What does Shang Jin and Ye
Zhou have in common?”
Not waiting from Liu Yutian to respond, Zhou Wendao continued, “It’s mulberry leaf ( 桑叶
– Sā ng yè) combined! But mulberry leaf is too obvious. After all, not everyone is like our
class that understand and respect same-sex relationships. So I made a derivation, called
Spring Silkworm Operation!”
This amazing hogwash succeeded in making Liu Yutian accept this code name. “But what
does this have to do with the photos?”
“Heh heh heh…” Zhou Wendao gave a hollow laugh. “In fact, it’s because I made Ye Zhou
angry…I wanted to take these to coax him…”
Liu Yutian’s first reaction was: “Ye Zhou can actually get angry??”
After saying that, Liu Yutian finally came to understand, “That’s not right. You clearly said
that it was for the great cause of helping Shang Jin and Ye Zhou get together that made me
secretly take the pictures. Setting it up for half a day, it was for yourself!”
Zhou Wendao pretended not to hear the other’s last superfluous words. He waved his cell
phone and said, “Brother, thank you. After the Spring Silkworm Operation really succeed,
the military medal on you will be the most brilliant! I still have something to do,
withdrawing first!”
Ding-dong. The WeChat rang.
Ye Zhou was picking books in the library. After hearing the sound, he immediately turned
the phone on mute. After putting the selected books on the table, he sat down and opened
the phone.
Zhou Wendao:【Pitiful】Zhou, I was wrong!
Ye Zhou chuckled. In fact, he wasn’t angry at all. He just wanted to give the other a lesson
and let him not shoot his mouth off so much in the future.
Just thinking about the scene that day, he couldn’t resist grinding his teeth.
On the last day of the Eleventh holiday, when everyone misunderstood that the bag that
Shang Jin was eating from was Ye Zhou’s, Zhou Wendao blew the whistle with a voice that
he thought was very soft but in fact, everyone in the 405 dorm could clearly hear, “Not bad.
Shang Jin sent you off when leaving, and you brought him the specialty when you came
back.”
In an instant, Ye Zhou felt the gazes around him become even more fiery.
Shang Jin opened his mouth and was about to speak. But he still hadn’t said a word when
he gave up. He took his glass of water and walked out from the crowd as if the matter
wasn’t related to him, leaving Ye Zhou alone to suffer from the gossip of the crowd. They
were brimming with enthusiasm as they grilled him on which stage he’s at with Shang Jin.
It was hard for Ye Zhou to dispute.
If he spoke the truth, everyone would one hundred percent think that they really had gone
traveling hand-in-hand.
But if he was to go along with everyone’s present misunderstanding…he still couldn’t wash
himself clear!!
Whatever he said would be wrong, so Ye Zhou could only take out his anger on the main
culprit, Zhou Wendao. Fiercely glaring at him, he ignored him for two hours.
Ye Zhou had never really been in conflict with his classmates. So after he ate dinner that
night, his temper had cooled off. But it was Zhou Wendao who had a guilty conscience and
lost a few days being careful around Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou held his cell phone and quickly typed out a few words. He hadn’t pressed send yet,
Zhou Wendao’s message came again.
Zhou Wendao: I specially requested something for you. After you see it, you must forgive
me!
Ye Zhou raised his eyebrows. What unitary moth was Zhou Wendao making again?
Zhou Wendao: 【Photo】
Ye Zhou suddenly clenched his cell phone.
Ye Zhou took his just typed “It’s okay. I’m not angry anymore.” and deleted it word by word.
Ye Zhou clicked on Zhou Wendao’s contact and deleted it without hesitation.
Zhou Wendao happily sent the photo one by one, but the result was he was about to send
the last one, but couldn’t send it out.
System Message: You are not a friend of the other party. If you want to send a message,
please first add the other party as a friend.
Zhou Wendao: qaq [T/N: crying expression]
Ye Zhou was reading a book in the dorm that night, and Zhou Wendao was outside the
dorm, scratching the door.
“Zhou, what did I do wrong!” The sense of injustice in Zhou Wendao’s heart was even more
than Dou E1. Liu Yutian had later found him and expressed his very strong dissatisfaction,
and Zhou Wendao had had to spend a day-worth of meal money to finally send Liu Yutian
away.
Ye Zhou turned a deaf ear and unhurriedly flipped a page with his hand.
Xu Yangjun couldn’t bear to hear the ghost wailing and wolves howling outside. He walked
to Ye Zhou’s side, bent down and asked, “Zhou, he’s been scratching for ten minutes. You’re
sure you want to let him continue this disgrace?”
“Zhou, are you dissatisfied with the photos!”
Upon hearing the word ‘photos’, Ye Zhou’s eyelid jumped, intuiting that Zhou Wendao
would say something shocking once again. The next second, Ye Zhou’s intuition came true.
“Sleeping face photos are already the limit! Could it be that you insist on nude photos
before your anger would disappear?? But…Shang Jin’s nude photos and what not…this
servant really can’t do it…”
Ye Zhou threw down the book and, combining three steps into two, walked to the door. As
soon as he opened the door, Zhou Wendao was squatting at Ye Zhou’s feet, and two steps
behind him, Shang Jin was leaning against the handrail in the corridor. He was staring at
him with an expression brimming with deep meaning. Seeing Ye Zhou looking over, Shang
Jin lightly coughed and said, “I was only passing by. I’m going.”
Just walking not even two steps, Shang Jin turned around and said, “Oh, right. I didn’t
expect that you were so fierce, but I don’t have that kind of urge.”
I also don’t have any, okay?????
Ye Zhou gritted his teeth and said, “Even if you do, I don’t dare to look. I’m afraid a long
needle would prick my eye.”
“Uh-huh.” Shang Jin shrugged his shoulders and returned to his room.
Ye Zhou dragged Zhou Wendao’s collar and said, “Zhou Wendao, do you really want to die?”
Notes
• 1. Dou E: (窦娥) A classic tragedy where Dou E, a young widow, suffered from all
sorts of feudal society oppression such as being framed, beaten up by officials,
having a confession tortured from her, and so on.

Chapter 10
It was needless to say what tragic encounter Zhou Wendao received. For a whole night, the
daughter-in-law seemed to shrink in bed, feet facing the wall to reflect on his errors. Xu
Yangjun patted Ye Zhou’s shoulder and said, “Brother, I understand you. If someone said
before my goddess that I wanted the nude pictures of the goddess, I guess I also wouldn’t
have the face to appear in front of the goddess.”
Ye Zhou pried open Xu Yangjun’s hand, thinking in his heart: If Shang Jin really was my male
god, I’d also admit it! The key is that he isn’t!
Speaking of this, Ye Zhou took a few steps and climbed into bed. He opened the photo of
Tang Dongdong that was carefully stored on his cell phone.
The boy in the photo, with his round face, squinting eyes laughing bashfully, and sunshine
spilling on him, seemed as if he was covered in a layer of golden light.
Ye Zhou felt that his irritable mood was soothed, and couldn’t help but continue to browse
through the album. As a result, after flipping through dozens of photos, the photo of Shang
Jin’s sleeping countenance that Zhou Wendao had sent two days before appeared shining
bright on his phone screen.
He obviously didn’t save it!!
Ye Zhou angrily prepared to delete it, but couldn’t help stopping before hitting confirm.
A few strands of loose bangs fell on the sleeping Shang Jin’s forehead. After the eyes which
rarely showed any emotions were closed, the sense of alienation that Shang Jin gave people
disappeared, and the whole person was much softer.
However, once these eyes opened, there was always the indifference of being uninvolved,
as if everything around him couldn’t shake this person’s heart.
Ye Zhou was unwilling to concede and snorted. Sure enough, it was still very annoying.
Delete!
Originally, he’d thought that after this matter, he certainly wouldn’t have the face to go out
of the dorm the next day. After all, the dorm rooms of this class were next door. Yesterday,
Zhou Wendao had spoken outside the door. Although his voice wasn’t too loud, but even if
there was a bit of intention, they would know, not to mention that the surrounding
classmates had always had their gossip radar open about Ye Zhou and Shang Jin. With the
slightest wind moving the grass, they would certainly be thoroughly peeped at from a
hidden place.
Regardless of what happened on the previous day, the sun would still rise the next day, and
the day must go on as usual.
Not surprisingly, the next day, everyone looked at him with eyes revealing a whiff of
something too wonderful for words.
According to the past experience, if he came out to explain this time, it’d just be a cover up
in the eyes of others. His peripheral vision unwittingly went to the other party involved,
Shang Jin, who was unconcernedly reading a book. The gaze wasn’t without ridicule when
it fell on him, but the involved party didn’t respond, and the surrounding people around
them quickly lost interest.
Ye Zhou couldn’t help but praise him in his heart. When would he be able to have Shang
Jin’s ‘leave behind the world to stand alone’ kind of aura…
Wait a minute??
Praise??
Ye Zhou clenched his fists and was angry at the day when he actually admired the enemy!
Rather than giving in to Shang Jin, he might as well be the talk of everyone and let them
gossip to their heart’s content.
With this idea, Ye Zhou magically blocked out the morning’s shameful feeling of wanting to
dig a hole to bury himself in and earnestly read his book, silently competing with Shang Jin.
Zhou Wendao looked at the veins on Ye Zhou’s fists and faintly felt a little backache. Ye
Zhou’s anger didn’t look like it would disappear yet…
However, what made Zhou Wendao worried never occurred. That night, Ye Zhou was just
like a person with nothing wrong, going wild and crazy together with them.
“Zhou, go out and play tomorrow?” Zhou Wendao politely invited, “How about climbing the
mountains in the clear and refreshing autumn weather?”
Ye Zhou looked over the book borrowed from the library and without thinking, said, “No,
you guys go.”
“Really not going?” Xu Yangjun checked his backpack again, stuffing some snacks into the
bag. “You should work out your body. You see, Chen Shao is going with me tomorrow!”
Chen Shao was the most silent person out of the four people in the dorm. Although he was
often with them, but he was not as extroverted as the other three and his sense of presence
was somewhat weak. At this moment, he was wiping the sneakers that he was going to
wear tomorrow.
“Next time. This week’s study plan still needs a little to be completed. Also…” Ye Zhou sat
on the bed with one foot stepping on the ladder and said, “When you were freshmen, didn’t
you all say you were going to find a partner when you enter college? Now has the hope
been shattered and you several people plan to embrace the group to finish your entire
college career?”
This was Zhou Wendao’s vulnerable spot. The moment he’d entered the university, he’d
vigorously declared his love manifesto in the dorm room. The result was that his
confessions had repeatedly failed and he was tormented so much that he quickly joined the
FFF Inquisition1.
Zhou Wendao said in sophistry, “What do you know! Nowadays, men who exercise are
popular and fashionable! Who knows, peach blossoms2 may float out when we go out
tomorrow. Besides, aren’t you also a single dog? If you have the ability, then catch Shang Jin
before Christmas!”
“Still needs Christmas to catch him??” Ye Zhou instinctively retorted. In the end, as soon as
he finished speaking, he wished he could slap himself! Pei! Who wanted to catch Shang Jin!
Let Shang Jin go beat it!
When Ye Zhou got up the next day, there was no one in the dorm.
He got up and simply ate some bread. When he was preparing to take his books to the
library, there was suddenly a knock on the dorm room door.
“Shang Jin??” Ye Zhou quickly stuck out his head and looked left and right. After seeing that
no one was in the corridor, he immediately dragged Shang Jin in and locked the door,
asking, “Why did you come?”
Shang Jin woodenly looked at Ye Zhou’s series of actions which were comparable to a thief.
He leaned back against the door and said, “Your kind of tone is just like a husband who has
a secret lover behind his wife’s back. We’re not carrying on a secret love affair, right?”
Ye Zhou immediately released Shang Jin and patted his sleeves. He pretended to be calm
and said, “My morals don’t allow me to carry on a secret love affair, this kind of shady
business. What are you doing here?”
“Before on the Eleventh, what did you promise me?”
Ye Zhou stared blankly, searched for something in his mind and finally remembered that he
had promised to help the other to tidy up his dorm room, but… “I’m going to the library
now. What about later?”
Shang Jin nodded his head very agreeably, only before leaving, he gave a him a friendly
reminder, “Actually, I’m also doing it for you. Our dorm doesn’t have anyone now, but it’s
not clear about later.”
“Then what are we waiting for! Let’s go!!”
At 405, Ye Zhou locked the door guiltily like a thief. Shang Jin held his notebook and looked
at the movement in a speechless manner. “Don’t you think having the door locked is more
suspicious?”
“It’s okay. I move fast,” Ye Zhou didn’t lift his head and replied. He swiftly wedged
bookmarks into the spread out books on the Shang Jin’s table and closed them. The books
with the library logo were placed on one side and Shang Jin’s own books were on the other
side. The messy stationery were placed in the pen holder, and the cords and data cables
that were twined together were separated. The messy desk and bookshelf immediately
became neat and clear.
Shang Jin put the computer on the just-tidied desk and pulled a candy from the small box
on the table and placed it in Ye Zhou’s hand, saying, “A thank-you gift.”
Ye Zhou squeezed the hard candy in his palm. Looking at the cute strawberry pattern on
the candy wrapper, he was secretly delighted to have caught the other’s handle.
Unexpectedly, Shang Jin, who seemed solemn and conscientious, actually liked to eat
strawberry candy.
Ye Zhou really wanted to spread this matter on the forum and tear off the other’s aloof
male god’s appearance.
“Did you buy this?”
Shang Jin opened a game, muttering “shitty campus network” as he watched the progress
bar. During the waiting period, Shang Jin turned his face and seeing the other’s ‘wanting to
laugh but enduring laboriously’ expression, said, “Yes, so? Do you want to pull something?”
“Nothing.” Ye Zhou pursed his lips and said, “Really nothing.”
Notes
• 1. FFF Group/Inquisition: From Baka to Test anime, a group who punishes those
who get attention from girls or have girlfriends.
http://bakatotest.wikia.com/wiki/FFF_Inquisition
• 2. Peach blossoms: love affair, i.e. love is in the air

Chapter 11
After the game opened, Shang Jin didn’t pay any more attention to Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou finished cleaning and squeezed the candy, preparing to leave. His eyes swept over
Shang Jin’s game interface.
As a person busy with real life, this kind of game was a little distant from him.
If he didn’t look at Shang Jin’s operation, Ye Zhou absolutely wouldn’t have expected that
the girl wearing the fluttering fairy dress and simple ornament on her head was Shang Jin.
To be precise, it was Shang Jin’s in-game character.
“You play a female??” Ye Zhou couldn’t help but look at Shang Jin some more. It really was
too unexpected.
Shang Jin didn’t think that this was some great event that would shock the world. It was
just a game. No matter if he created a male or female character, as long as the operation
was good, the difference was insignificant. “Yeah.”
Xia Shang Zhou.
The name wasn’t feminine at all.
Ye Zhou moved the stool next to him. Sitting beside Shang Jin, there was a kind of
permanent resident feeling.
Shang Jin gave him a glance. Seeing that his eyes were on the game, he said nothing and
continued his operation.
Who knew that Ye Zhou was secretly visualizing in his mind at the moment.
He didn’t expect Shang Jin to actually play a female character. Don’t know if he would
disguise himself as a girl and speak in a cutesy way.
If the men in the game chased and confessed to him, it’d be even more fun.
“Heheheheh…”
Shang Jin crossed his arms, leaned back against the chair and gave him a glance, saying,
“What are you smirking about?”
“Why did you create a female character?” Ye Zhou really couldn’t figure out the reason why
such a person like Shang Jin would play a female. “Do you like this type of girl?”
Shang Jin hooked up the corner of his mouth and asked, “Why, if I like it, are you planning
to develop in this direction?”
Ye Zhou said indifferently, “Dreaming in the morning.” Finished saying this, he straightened
up and returned to his dorm room while the people in 405 were still out.
Spreading out his palm with the spherical candy covered in pink candy wrapper, Ye Zhou
grinned and threw the candy into the pen holder.
Recently, the school’s basketball team and an outside school were going to hold a friendly
match, and Ye Zhou was incomparably thankful to the school for an event that could
distract everyone’s attention.
There were two basketball team members in the class, namely Xu Yangjun from Ye Zhou’s
dorm and Zhan Xing from Shang Jin’s dorm.
“Exactly who was it who said that playing basketball would be popular?” Xu Yangjun wiped
off the sweat with his wristband, watching the team’s ace surrounded by a group of girls.
Compared with his solitary self, he couldn’t help the sadness from welling up.
“Alright, this old saying has no meaning.” Ye Zhou patted Xu Yangjun’s back and said, “It’s
nothing. There will be girls who would discover the beauty of your soul.”
Xu Yangjun angrily said, “I want to take the idol route!”
“Come on, let’s go eat, starving to death.” Ye Zhou was just passing through today and,
seeing the members drilling on the basketball court surrounded by a group of spectators,
he also looked over. The result was that with this casual glance, he was affixed by Xu
Yangjun, strongly insisting that Ye Zhou became his cheering squad.
Ye Zhou stared at him coldly and said, “What cheering squad do you need for ordinary
practice?”
Xu Yangjun boldly and self-confidently said, “Other people all have one, only I don’t. It’s too
shameful!”
Having a man become your cheerleader wasn’t all that much more glorious…
The two people packed up their things and were ready to leave, but in the end, the
basketball coach stood in the middle of the court and roared, “Practicing like this, still want
to rest?? Continue!”
The players looked at each other and the guys who’d already dressed immediately took off
their coats and threw it to one side.
Ye Zhou sympathetically looked at the dejected Xu Yangjun and said, “Fighting, I’m going to
go eat.”
“Zhou!”
Ye Zhou just walked two steps and was stopped by a voice from behind.
“Zhan Xing?” Ye Zhou had been avoiding contact with the people from 405 as much as
possible because of Shang Jin.
“Can you help me bring my thermos back to the dorm?” Zhan Xing looked at the team
feeling somewhat embarrassed. “I’m not sure when I’d be able to go.”
Ye Zhou understood clearly. If the student’s thermos bottle wasn’t promptly brought back
to the dorm, it would be placed at the canteen door or next to the water room. If they came
too late, there was a certain chance that it’d be taken away by others.
“No problem. Where did you put the thermos?”
“On the first step at the northern gate canteen, it’s the second one from the left. There’s a
small turtle on the bottle with 405 written on it.”
With accurate directions, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find.
After Ye Zhou finished eating, he saw Zhan Xing’s water bottle at the canteen entrance,
exactly the same as he’d described it.
He walked toward the dorm with the water bottle swaying. At the doorway, he meet Zhou
Wendao returning from the library, and the two men chatted on the stairs.
When he reached the second floor, the water bottle in Ye Zhou’s hand shook slightly and he
paused.
“What happened?”
Ye Zhou stared at the water bottle for a good while and said, “It’s nothing, maybe an
illusion.”
Going up another floor and turning the corner to the third floor, Ye Zhou had just gone up
two steps when the water bottle suddenly fell. The inner container fell out from the bottle
and bang, the water splashed out in all directions. Ye Zhou had just felt that something was
wrong and had been cautious in his heart. Now when this accident occurred, he
immediately jumped toward the side. Who knew that the right foot didn’t land steadily and
was firmly twisted, his knee directly falling on the step.
In an instant, Ye Zhou felt a burst of tearing pain.
The accident occurred in an instant. Zhou Wendao only had time to support Ye Zhou’s arm,
but still wasn’t able to help him up. He saw Ye Zhou kneeling on the ground for half a day,
then carefully asked, “Zhou, are you mourning the passing of the thermos bottle?”
The sweat on Ye Zhou’s forehead fell. His lips trembled as he said, “I’m mourning the
passing of my health. Feels like my right foot is injured.”
“Fuck!” Zhou Wendao pulled Ye Zhou up like pulling radishes. He pulled on one side and
shouted on the other, “You were scalded??”
I would rather be scalded…
Although it was not particularly cold at the beginning of autumn, but they usually wore
trousers. The thermos bottle broke twenty centimeters from the ground, so splashing out,
it’d at most scald the feet a bit. Separated by sneakers, it wouldn’t be scalded too seriously.
But the sprain was different. Ye Zhou even suspected that his bones had been displaced.
Ye Zhou wiped the sweat and said, “Clean this up first.”
Zhou Wendao urgently said, “What cleaning! Go to the infirmary first!”
Ye Zhou really felt like his ankle was throbbing with a painful heat, and his knee wasn’t to
be outdone: there was no need to see to know that there was definitely a large expanse of
black. Ye Zhou also didn’t try to be brave and let Zhou Wendao lend him an arm to support
him down the stairs. His free hand took out his phone from the pocket and made a phone
call to Chen Shao in their dorm to let him help clean up the scene of the accident.
On the way to the infirmary, Ye Zhou deeply felt that this semester was really unlucky.

Chapter 12
“Wendao, just wait a minute…”
“Wait for what! Time is life now!”
“I know, but just supporting me is fine, don’t need to…”
“Your foot injury is important!! Why are you still trying to act brave now? Honestly let me
carry you!”
“But…” What kind of back was this!!
Ye Zhou put his arms on Zhou Wendao’s shoulders and Zhou Wendao held Ye Zhou’s wrists
together. Because of his height, Ye Zhou feet were still dragging on the ground.
Ye Zhou rolled his eyes to the heaven. Although not the shortest in the class, Zhou Wendao
indeed had a gap difference with his height. Now, rather than saying that he was being
carried on Zhou Wendao’s back, it’d be more precise to say that he was being dragged. He
didn’t need to see it to visualize the scene of a mouse struggling to tow a dead dog on the
road.
The left knee was aching and the right ankle was completely numb.
He hoped he could reach the infirmary while he was still conscious.
Perhaps his prayers worked. He finally arrived at the infirmary on the verge of fainting.
Sitting on the bedside, Ye Zhou took off his sneakers. The ankle that had been fine this
morning was now swollen to the top.
Zhou Wendao clicked his tongue twice and crouched down to the ankle that had swollen up
into a small hill. “The shoe that you took off would be hard to put back on.”
“If I’d known earlier, I would have just taken a pair of slippers from the dorm and then
come to the infirmary.”
The doctor took the topical and oral medicine and explained to Ye Zhou how to apply the
medicine and rub his foot. He told him, “Don’t worry, it’s not serious. But these few days,
don’t put force on your right foot.”
“Don’t worry, doctor, I will ー”
Zhou Wendao’s words hadn’t finished, the door of the infirmary was suddenly pushed
open.
“Zhou, are you alright!!”
“Zhou, I heard you were hurt!”
Ye Zhou looked up and Xu Yangjun and Zhan Xing rushed in wearing thin sportswear. In the
cool early autumn, their brows beaded with sweat, and the coats hanging on their arms
quickly fell to the ground.
“It’s nothing, twisted it a bit.” Ye Zhou shook his injured right foot. Obviously, he’d
underestimated his injury. This slight movement caused the pain to transmit through his
whole body. “Ow!”
Zhan Xing said apologetically, “Zhou, sor ー”
Ye Zhou interrupted him, “I’m sorry, Zhan Xing. I broke your water bottle. I’ll pay you back
one.”
“What pay back? If it weren’t for you helping me to bring it back, it’d be me who’s lying here
now. It’s all my fault.”
“No! It’s my fault!” Xu Yangjun stood in front of Zhan Xing and eagerly declared, “If I didn’t
want you to be my cheerleader, Zhan Xing wouldn’t have asked you to help him with his
water bottle, so you might not have encountered this matter.”
“It’s still my fault. In short, if it weren’t for my thermos exploding, you wouldn’t have…”
Xu Yanjun nodded and said, “Yes, it’s your fault.”
“I ー” Zhan Xing glared at Xu Yangjun and said, “Then what were you monopolizing the fault
for just now??”
“Okay, don’t hold a self-blaming session.” Ye Zhou put the medicine the doctor prescribed
in the bag and stood up from the bedside on one leg. “Help me go back first.”
Zhou Wendao immediately showed his not-too-wide back and said, “Zhou, get on.”
Ye Zhou looked at his small body and said, “Thanks, but you just carried me here was hard
enough. Just assist me is fine.”
Zhan Xing hurriedly said, “I’ll carry you! During this time when it’s inconvenient for you to
move around, just call me!”
Basketball players may not have other things, but at least their height was passable. Ye
Zhou hesitated for a second and jumped onto Zhan Xing’s back. The infirmary was a long
way from the dorm, and if he didn’t accept the other’s help, it was estimated that Zhan Xing
would feel very apologetic in his heart.
The temperature dropped down at night. Out of the infirmary, Ye Zhou felt the coolness
spread from the bottom of his feet to his entire body.
Ye Zhou glanced at his bare right foot and comforted himself: it was a bit cold, but it wasn’t
without its advantages. At least the slight chill slightly eased the burning pain.
“Zhou?”
Ye Zhou raised his head from Zhan Xing’s shoulder and saw Chen Shao not far away. “Why
are you here?”
Chen Shao took out his slippers and said, “Didn’t you say it was a sprain? I guessed that you
shouldn’t wear sneakers. When you called me, you didn’t say which feet was sprained, so I
brought the pair of slippers. Was it badly hurt?”
“Not serious. It’s a bit swollen.” Slipper on foot, Ye Zhou felt his heart followed to smooth
out.
Although these roommates were sometimes relatively off-the-wall, but at the critical
moment, they were reliable one above the other.
Wait a minute! Take it back!!!
Who said that this group of people was reliable??
Early in the morning, Ye Zhou opened his eyes and there was no one in the dorm!!
Didn’t they know that he’d just been “seriously injured” yesterday and couldn’t take care of
himself??
Ye Zhou sat on the bed and the distance between the top bunk and ground was less than 1.7
meters. He usually could gently jump to go down, but now it felt like a lofty height.
Glancing at his right ankle, it was still wrapped in a small bulge.
“Where did these people go…” Ye Zhou was in a dilemma.
He was now faced with three choices.
1. Don’t fear death and jump down, letting his left foot bear the force. The best result
was that he’d land safely, but if there was a mishap, the consequence was that he’d
evolve from a lame person to a paralyzed person.
2. Step on the stairs with his uninjured left foot and hop down step by step. However, if
he missed a step, he’d end up adding injury on top of injury.
3. Give a phone call to tell his roommates to come back. But he really needed to go! He
couldn’t wait!
Ye Zhou glanced at the ground, took a deep breath, and encouraged himself, “This isn’t that
high, climb down just as usual and use the left foot as the contact point.”
Ye Zhou sat on the edge of the bed, one hand holding the bedside and the other holding the
guardrail, and slowly moved down. “Very good…very good…just like this, we’ll be able to
land soon.”
Although the process required some arm strength, but his left toe touched the ground
smoothly.
Ye Zhou had a happy heart. His two hands relaxed and he didn’t have time to celebrate
when his left knee went soft. Ye Zhou helpless watched as his left knee came into close
contact with the earth again.
“Ow!!!”
He’d always worried about the injury on his right foot, but he didn’t expect that the left
knee he’d always been ignoring would suddenly jump out to make its presence known.
Ye Zhou sat down on the floor and lifted his pajama pants. The original blue knees showed
signs of turning purple.
knock knock knock
Ye Zhou looked at the unlocked door and said, “Come in.”
“I heard a loud noise. You ー how come you’re sit on the floor?”
Ye Zhou shifted his sight away and whispered to himself, “I really don’t want to be caught in
a scene like this by you, Shang Jin.”

Chapter 13
Shang Jin certainly didn’t know what Ye Zhou was thinking in his mind. Not waiting for Ye
Zhou’s answer, he walked over and took Ye Zhou’s arm, planning to help him get up.
“Wait, wait…let me do it slowly.” Ye Zhou’s left leg was soft now and he’s unable to put
force on his right foot. Even if he had Shang Jin beside him to help, he temporarily couldn’t
get up even slowly.
Shang Jin crouched down to one side, looked at the empty dorm and said, “Aren’t you
injured? Why isn’t there anyone in the dorm? Are people rebelling and friends deserting?”
Ye Zhou glared at him and said, “You also know that I’m hurt. Can’t you say two sentences
that are more favorable?”
Shang Jin readily accepted his advice and used an exaggerated tone unique to foreign films
to say, “Oh my dear, the ground is cold. Let me help you up.”
Ye Zhou looked indifferent. “You are nauseating.”
In the end, Shang Jin took pity on the other being a patient and didn’t spite him further.
Instead, he stood up and hesitatingly said, “If you don’t mind, I can carry you up…”
“Mind! I really mind! Even if you beat me to death, I won’t be princess carried!!” For fear
that Shang Jin would take the initiative, he hurriedly touched his left foot and extended his
arm to let Shang Jin support him up and said, “I’ve rested already.”
Although his left knee still hurt, the pain was always better than not having any strength. Ye
Zhou sat down in the chair using Shang Jin’s strength.
Shan Jin leaned aside and asked, “What else do you need? I’ll bring it for you.”
I need to go to the bathroom…
Ye Zhou moved his lips and tried several times, but couldn’t say it. If it were his roommate,
he would have no burden at all, but the other party was Shang Jin…Ye Zhou couldn’t help
but drag out his roommates in his heart and scold each and every one of them once again.
Not the least bit reliable!! At the crucial moment, couldn’t even find their shadows!!
“Ye Zhou?”
Perhaps Ye Zhou didn’t make a noise for half a day, so Shang Jin couldn’t help but call him
again.
Ye Zhou looked up at Shang Jin and quickly looked away again.
Forget it, anyways, it wasn’t as if Shang Jin hadn’t seen his disgraceful appearance. Who
cares if it was one more time!
Ye Zhou clenched his teeth and said, “I want to go to the toilet.”
Shang Jin’s eyes unconsciously swept downward.
“Where are you looking!!” Ye Zhou was furious. “Help me get up!”
Shang Jin bent his waist and gave him his hand, “Please.”
Ye Zhou had just put his hand there when the other gripped it. Shang Jin’s other hand
supported his shoulder and let Ye Zhou’s whole body lean on him, slowly moving towards
the bathroom.
Ye Zhou’s one-legged hopping appearance was a bit comical, but Shang Jin didn’t take the
opportunity to mock.
Slightly twisting his head, he’d be able to the other’s handsome face close at hand. Although
Shang Jin sometimes spoke unpleasantly, but he’s never really sarcastic.
At the entrance to the bathroom, Shang Jin asked, “Can you do it by yourself?”
Not accustomed to this kind of straight-faced concern of Shang Jin, Ye Zhou teased, “I’m the
pervert who secretly took your photos. Aren’t you afraid that I’d take advantage of you?”
Shang Jin clearly didn’t take the bait. “Since you can say this, it should be fine.”
Ye Zhou slanted his eyes and lightly laughed, closing the bathroom door.
Ye Zhou leaned against the bathroom wall and sighed. He didn’t expect that he and Shang
Jin would have a day when they were this “harmonious”.
When Ye Zhou came out, Shang Jin still hadn’t left.
“You didn’t leave?”
“Send Buddha to the west.” After saying this, Shang Jin didn’t extend his arm to let Ye Zhou
hold him. Instead, he stood by and deliberated something.
Send Buddha to the west: (送佛送到西) Helping people, help them to the end.
Ye Zhou waited for two seconds and, still not seeing the other move, couldn’t help but say,
“Do you think that looking at me like this, you can use your thought to send me to the
chair??” He was tired from leaning against the wall with only one leg, not to mention that
his left knee was still aching dully.
Shang Jin stood in front of Ye Zhou and squatted down slightly. He put his hands around the
waist and encircled it.
Ye Zhou: “???”
Soaring up with his own body suddenly in the air, Ye Zhou instinctively put his hands on
Shang Jin’s shoulders. Only then did he realize what kind of magical posture the two of
them were in now.
Ye Zhou blew his top. “Didn’t I say that you must not carry me???”
“You only said you didn’t want the princess carry. This isn’t the princess carry.” Absolutely
true: Shang Jin had his hands around Ye Zhou’s waist and was lifting him up.
But this posture…if Shang Jin’s hands went further down, they’d touch his ass, and his
unspeakable part was stuck in this kind of subtle position on Shang Jin’s chest…how did it
feel even more shameful…
“Zhou, are you up? I just went to get ー” Zhou Wendao’s familiar voice appeared in the
doorway. After seeing the two men inside, he immediately closed the door. “You guys
continue…you guys continue…!!!”
Ye Zhou’s entire face was lifeless. “Let me down.”
“Oh.” Shang Jin put him on the chair and patted his hands, saying, “Since your roommate is
back, I’ll go first.”
“Th…” Ye Zhou felt blocked, and finally didn’t even say a word of thanks.
Shang Jin opened the dorm door and Zhou Wendao suddenly lay flat on the ground.
Why did this scene seem like he’d seen it before?
Shang Jin stepped next to Zhou Wendao’s head on the ground, avoided the other person’s
body and walked out of the dorm room.
Watching Shang Jin enter 405, Zhou Wendao, rolling and crawling, moved to Ye Zhou’s side.
The light in his eyes flashing blindly at Ye Zhou, he suppressed his excitement and asked,
“Zhou, what’s going on??”
Ye Zhou ruthlessly swatted Zhou Wendao’s head and ranted, “What’s going on! What’s
going on with you! Where did you run off to this morning?”
Zhou Wendao grabbed his hand and called Ye Zhou out, “Don’t you think that it was very
timely for me to go out? How does it feel to be taken care of by Shang Jin? When did he
come over?”
Ye Zhou said with an expressionless face, “When I fell off the bed.”
Zhou Wendao couldn’t stand from the shock. “You fell off the bed??”
“Wasn’t careful when I came down.” But with this experience, he probably wouldn’t be so
embarrassing the next time. “But you, what did you do in the morning?”
“Isn’t it because of this express delivery!” Zhou Wendao threw the express delivery in his
hand and panted with rage, “What express delivery is this! What I ordered yesterday was
sent to me today! Also sent in the morning! I have to complain! Can’t you send it slower? At
least have Chen Shao come back before sending it!”
This was really creating a trumped up charge…
Ye Zhou consoled, “Fine, fine. Aren’t I well now?”
Zhou Wendao moved his gaze to Ye Zhou and swept him up and down several times to
make sure that Ye Zhou really had no big problems. Immediately exposing his nature, he
mocked, “This can be counted as a blessing in disguise for you. How’s your mood after
being taken care of by your family’s male god?”
The vein on Ye Zhou’s forehead popped up.
“I’ve never seen Shang Jin treat anyone so well…” Zhou Wendao half squatted, hit him on
the shoulder and said, “Tell me the truth: which step have you progressed to? Carrying you
while walking back and forth, you two must almost be there?”
“Quite mistaken!! Go go go go go!! I’m sick of looking at you!!”
Chapter 14
Ye Zhou, who had been unable to relax because of his foot injury, finally had the
opportunity to live a degenerate “clothes into his outstretched hand, food into his open
mouth” life in the dorm.
The chief culprit, Zhan Xing, actually entrusted the heavy responsibility to Zhou Wendao
and Chen Shao because he needed to go to basketball practice. Although he really wanted to
entrust it to Shang Jin, but he didn’t have the guts, and Shang Jin also wouldn’t listen to him.
Zhan Xing felt very guilty for not helping Ye Zhou.
“If you really feel guilty, just do a little something.” Xu Yangjun slung his arms around his
shoulders and followed him towards the stadium.
Zhan Xing felt awkward and said, “I think so too. Isn’t it going to basketball practice?”
“No, there’s one thing you can do.”
“What is it?”
Xu Yangjun smiled mysteriously and came close to Zhan Xing’s ear and muttered
something.
Zhan Xing stared blankly at first, then nodded in agreement. “Not a problem, not a problem.
Leave it up to me.”
Achoo! Ye Zhou rubbed his nose and turned over. The books borrowed from the library
were already read. He wanted to change books, but it was too troublesome.
Regarding books, Ye Zhou loved hard-copy books more. Only by touching the pages did he
really feel like he was truly reading.
Chen Shao was keenly aware of Ye Zhou’s mood. He stood in front of Ye Zhou’s bed and
said, “Zhou, do you want to get a book?”
“Finished reading all the books. There’s no need.” Ye Zhou took the few books on the bed
and stacked them into a pile. “I’ll just look at my phone.”
Zhou Wendao heard this sentence, stood up and said, “Finished reading all the books? Are
you going to go borrow a few more?”
Ye Zhou shook his right foot and said, “Am I going to fly to the library?”
Zhou Wendao volunteered, “I’ll carry you there!”
“No need. Reading books for two days, I’m a bit tired and ready to take a break.” Of course,
there was also the little fact that Ye Zhou didn’t want to be carried on Zhou Wendao’s back
a second time.
“Well, fine.” Zhou Wendao sat down. The mobile phone sent out the ding-ding ring of an
SMS. Zhou Wendao suddenly slapped the table and stood up, shouting loudly, “Let Chen
Shao carry you on his back!”
“Ah?” Suddenly mentioned, Chen Shao hadn’t yet responded, but he wouldn’t refuse this
kind of thing, “That’s fine.”
“No need. It’s too much trouble for you. When my foot is well, I’ll go on my own.”
“No way! You must go.” Zhou Wendao gave a hard wink at Chen Shao, “Chen Shao, you have
to work hard.”
Chen Shao frowned and tried his hardest to get some information from Zhou Wendao’s
expression, but he apparently failed. However, he also didn’t decline. “Zhou, just go.
Anyway, there’s an elevator in the library and it’s near our dorm so it wouldn’t take too
much time.”
Zhou Wendao echoed, “Right, right, you just go!”
The two didn’t wait for Ye Zhou’s reply and moved Ye Zhou from the bed to Chen Shao’s
back.
Ye Zhou left the dorm baffled like this.
Zhou Wendao looked at the backs of the two people, took out his cell phone and dialed a
number. “Everything is ready!”
“Really troubled you, Chen Shao.” Ye Zhou felt somewhat apologetic on Chen Shao’s back as
his trivial matter had gotten so many people involved.
“Why so polite? We’ve all stayed together for more than a year. If you keep doing this,
where would I dare to let you continue to bring me food?”
“I still feel like I’ve bothered you a lot.”
“I often ask you to help bring me food and carry water. At the end of the semester, I also
borrowed your notes. Do you think it’s a bother?”
“That’s nothing more than lifting my hands…”
“Isn’t that so. Can’t you give me a little chance to repay you?”
The library really wasn’t far from the dorm. Chen Shao, carrying someone on his back,
arrived after fifteen minutes.
Taking advantage of when Ye Zhou was selecting his books, Chen Shao took out his cell
phone and sent a message to Zhou Wendao.
Chen Shao: What kind of story are you selling?
Zhou Wendao: Help me drag out the time! The longer the better!
Chen Shao whispered to Ye Zhou who was standing on one leg like a rooster in front of him,
“Have you chosen?”
Ye Zhou was still comparing two books. After hearing him ask this, he immediately took out
one of them and said, “Chosen. Let’s go.”
“Is picking one book called selecting? I mean, I also have books I want to read. Why don’t
you sit down first with the ones you’ve chosen and wait for me to pick my books and then
we’ll go.”
Ye Zhou didn’t doubt him. Holding the few books that he’d just been prevaricating over, he
was helped to a table.
Chen Shao ran to a corner far away from Ye Zhou and began to play games on his cell
phone.
Nearly an hour later, Xu Yangjun actually sent a message saying that they could come back.
Chen Shao hid the doubt in his heart and carried Ye Zhou back to the dorm building.
The 403 dorm door was closed. Ye Zhou came down from Chen Shao’s back, leaned against
the wall and knocked.
He didn’t expect that there were no movements in 403, but a head poked out from the 405
dorm.
“Zhou.” Zhou Wendao happily beckoned. “Come on.”
“Why did you run to someone else’s dorm?” And it was still incredibly Shang Jin’s dorm
room.
Xu Yangjun scuttled out from behind Zhou Wendao and laughed heheh twice. He and Zhou
Wendao looked at each other, and the two strong-armed Ye Zhou into 405.
Once in 405, Zhan Xing hurriedly moved a stool for Ye Zhou to sit.
Only then did Ye Zhou see the present situation clearly.
405, except for Shang Jin, the original occupants: Liu Yutian, Wen Renxu and Zhan Xing
were all in, and his roommates were also surrounding him on one side.
Zhou Wendao pointed to the bed on the right side and said, “Look familiar?”
“Isn’t this my blanket??” Ye Zhou hadn’t noticed just a moment ago. Once it was pointed out
by Zhou Wendao, he discovered that it wasn’t only the bed, even the things on the bookcase
were all so familiar.
Zhan Xing lightly coughed and said, “As the saying goes, ‘the pavilion closest to the water
enjoys the moonlight first’. Zhou, we brothers can only help you to here! The rest must rely
on yourself!”
Ye Zhou was dumbfounded. “What are you talking about?”
Wen Renxu pointed to the dorm and said, “Pavilion close to the water.”
Liu Yutian correspondingly pointed down to Shang Jin’s bed, “First to get the moonlight.”
Ye Zhou’s brain was blank for a moment and had great difficulty accepting this fact. He
simply clutched Zhan Xing’s clothes and fiercely said, “Are you ‘biting the hand that feeds
you’?”
Zhan Xing thought that Ye Zhou was covering up his shyness and said with immense self-
satisfaction, “Zhou, idioms aren’t used like this. It’s okay, I’m doing this all voluntarily. No
need to thank me!”
Ye Zhou took a few deep breaths. Now that ‘the wood had been turned into a boat’ and
these people had already moved the things over, they definitely wouldn’t plan to move
them back. The hard approach wouldn’t do, then try soft. Ye Zhou cleared his throat and
pretended to reason, “Has Shang Jin agreed with what you’ve done here?”
The few people moved their sight away in mutual understanding.
Ye Zhou sighed and said, “I know you have good intentions…” Ye Zhou planned to walk the
route of moving them with emotions and making them understand with reason. “But Shang
Jin is also a member of 405 and you can’t overrule his opinion and arbitrarily make your
own decisions. When Shang Jin returns and he disagrees, you’ll move the things back.”
The several people hung their heads and said, “We know…”
Now, he just needed to wait for Shang Jin to come back and raise an objection, then
everything would return to normal…
Return…
To normal…
“Ye Zhou moved over?” Shang Jin took a look at Ye Zhou’s bed that was originally Zhan
Xing’s. Even his expression didn’t change as he very casually said, “This is your business.
Why ask me?”
Ye Zhou’s last glimmer of hope shattered.

Chapter 15
Ye Zhou was mentally a bit uncomfortable with the sudden change to a completely new
environment, especially while also dragging an injured leg.
He had a good relationship with the classmates, but ‘good’ was still divided into close and
distant relations, not to mention that the new roommates had no obligations to take care of
him.
After the weekend was over, classes would begin tomorrow. Ye Zhou wondered if his
original roommates would help him to class. Before going to sleep, Ye Zhou sent a text
message to Zhou Wendao.
After a long time, Zhou Wendao returned a text.
Zhou Wendao: Don’t worry, we’ve arranged it properly!
Why didn’t he feel relieved when seeing him say this…
Ye Zhou’s sixth sense had always been accurate. He woke up the next morning and saw an
empty dormitory. His heart badumped.
Looking at his phone, Zhou Wendao had sent a message.
Zhou Wendao: We went to class first~ will save a seat for you!
Was this fucking intending to let him hop to the classroom on one leg??
The bed creaked. Ye Zhou suddenly looked toward the place where the sound came from.
Shang Jin rubbed his eyes, looking as if he’d just woken up.
Ye Zhou felt relieved that there was still one more person…even if this person was Shang
Jin. But looking at his behavior the last two days, he shouldn’t be a person who would
‘ignore a person in plight’.
Shang Jin opened his eyes and looked at Ye Zhou opposite to him. He froze for a moment, as
if thinking about why Ye Zhou would appear in 405.
Ye Zhou pulled his mouth and said, “You wouldn’t have forgotten that we switched
yesterday, right?”
Shang Jin understood clearly. He sat up and looked around. He asked in a hoarse voice,
“What about the others?”
“Don’t know. I just woke up.”
Shang Jin looked all the way around and hadn’t moved. Suddenly remembering that Ye
Zhou seemed to have difficulty getting around, he politely asked a sentence, “Do you want
to get out of bed?”
Before Shang Jin could take action, Ye Zhou rushed to hurriedly say, “I can do it myself!” He
didn’t know what dubious behavior the other person’s brain would pull out.
Shang Jin declined to comment. He propped up on the bed and jumped down, walking to
the sink. Returning from squeezing out the toothpaste in his hand, he took the chair beside
Ye Zhou’s desk and placed it next to the stairs. After doing this, he quietly returned back to
the wash basin.
Ye Zhou sat on the edge of the bed with his legs hanging in midair. He looked down and the
chair was only ten centimeters away from his toes. Silently accepting Shang Jin’s good
intentions, Ye Zhou cautiously got out of bed. The swell on his right foot hadn’t reduced. His
left knee was a little better. If he didn’t touch it, it wouldn’t be painful. He supported
himself against the bed and slowly moved to the bathroom.
Compared to being protected by his roommates like a fragile product, Ye Zhou preferred
Shang Jin’s less concerned and occasionally helping out attitude.
Of course, this attitude was only limited to the dorm.
After washing up with difficulty, Ye Zhou, wearing a sneaker on one foot and a slipper on
the other foot, sat in the chair and collected the textbooks he needed. Ye Zhou was a little
helpless when he wanted to go to the classroom. This kind of feeling of only being able to
rely on others was too bad, and the person he had to depend on was the one he most didn’t
want to rely on. What’s more, the other person may not be the least bit willing to let him
rely on.
Next was the most arduous task for Ye Zhou now.
A Uni, as a prestigious school, its campus also didn’t let down its reputation. From the dorm
to the classrooms where they often attended classes, it took twenty minutes by bicycle, not
to mention that after two classes, they’d have to ride the bike to change to another school
building for the remaining two classes.
Twenty minutes by bike…leaving aside his injuries, even when he was healthy, it would
take almost half an hour to walk. Also in the middle, he would also have to turn on another
road to eat at the canteen.
Ye Zhou couldn’t help but drag out his group of unreliable former roommates again and
secretly cursed them a hundred times over!
Last night, they agreed to let him not worry!
Shang Jin dug out the textbooks needed for the morning classes from his unbearably messy
bookshelf and table. Seeing him put on his shoes to leave, Ye Zhou couldn’t help saying,
“Does your bike have a backseat?”
“No.”
Really was heaven wanting me to die!!
“Otherwise, I’ll ask…” The fake words hadn’t been said yet, the cell phone on the table
flashed.
Zhou Wendao: The ride is all ready. Downstairs from the dorm, a crane among a flock of
chickens, you can see it in a glance.
Crane among a flock of chickens: (鹤立鸡群) stands out from the crowd
Ye Zhou was extremely distrustful of Zhou Wendao now. However, he had no choice. He
looked at Shang Jin and in a tangle, said, “Shang Jin…that…”
Shang Jin scanned the information on the screen in Ye Zhou’s hand. He squatted down
expressionlessly in front of Ye Zhou and said, “Then let’s go.”
Anyways, the rumors about him and Shang Jin temporarily couldn’t be washed clean, so
he’d just let the broken jar shatter: Ye Zhou didn’t hesitate anymore and righteously lied on
Shang Jin’s back.
Let the rumors come more violently!!
One of Ye Zhou’s hands held the two people’s books, and the other hand was on Shang Jin’s
shoulder, trying to hold up his upper body as much as possible so that he didn’t lean too
closely to the other person. When they went downstairs, he was always imagining what
excitement those gossipy classmates would have when they came to the classroom.
When they came downstairs, Ye Zhou looked around the parking shed once and really
didn’t know which one was the ride that Zhou Wendao was talking about.
There were several bikes with backseats. Where was it ‘a crane in a flock of chickens’ that
he could see in a glance?
“In the end, are they reliable or not? Not giving us the key, could it be they want us to pick
the lock?” Ye Zhou patted Shang Jin’s shoulder, indicating to put him down.
Shang Jin placed Ye Zhou on the stool in front of the door and thought for two seconds on
the steps. “If I’m not mistaken, the one they’re referring to should be this one.”
Ye Zhou followed the direction where Shang Jin was pointing at and was instantly struck by
lightning. He pulled his mouth and said, “Don’t scare me.”
Among the bicycles, very loftily squeezed in was an electric pedicab, but also a cargo-
transporting electric pedicab. Some of the PU skin on the front seat had fallen off, and a
small bench was placed behind in the empty compartment.
https://oldmosstree.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/c15-pedicab-5a06f083n5a953cbc.jpg
Shang Jin stepped down and walked in front of the car. He knocked on the handlebars and
said, “Look, there’s a key in the keyhole.”
“If I’m not wrong, this should be the pedicab that the grandpa in the store ahead uses to
make purchases.” Ye Zhou was simply incredulous. “Like this and still have the nerve to tell
me that what ride has been readied!”
Shang Jin picked up the bench in the back, looked at it and said, “The bench is clean. You
can sit.”
“This is a scooter for the elderly! I don’t want to sit!” Ye Zhou was depressed inside. No
matter what, Shang Jin was still the school’s famous figure. Although he easily accepted
Zhou Wendao’s proffered electric pedicab, but these were two completely different styles!
Shang Jin didn’t persuade him either, but merely stated a fact, “My bike doesn’t have a
backseat, or does your bike have a backseat?”
Ye Zhou was at a loss for words. But sitting on the electric car to take a turn around campus
really demanded too much courage. “Anyways, I won’t sit.”
Shang Jin looked at the time and said, “You have two choices now. First, I go to the
classroom on my bicycle and you hop over there yourself. Second, I’ll use this three-
wheeler to take you.”
People under the eaves had to bow their heads.
Five minutes later, Ye Zhou huddled in the “convertible” carriage. The four legs of the bench
under his butt weren’t all the same height. Ye Zhou carefully grabbed the handrails on both
sides and even his legs couldn’t extend straight.
Shang Jin stared at the few equipment in front and said, “There’s still a problem.”
Ye Zhou looked up and asked, “What?”
“How do you drive this car?”
Ye Zhou: “…Is it too late for me to get off?”

Chapter 16
“I want to get off!!” Ye Zhou also ignored his foot injury. His left foot was on the floor of the
car and the right foot was across the guardrail to jump down towards the ground.
“Don’t flail around. For the elderly mobility vehicle, it’s reasonable to say that the
operations are simple and should be easy to use.” Shang Jin directly pushed his right leg
back into the car. Seeing Ye Zhou still without confidence, he continued, “Rest assured. I
have a driver’s license.”
“Is the car driver’s license the same as a pedicab??” Ye Zhou blew his top, “I don’t want to
be taken down with you.”
“This kind of vehicle has an average speed of 30 yards [码 (mǎ ): 0.91 meters] and it’d be
difficult to hurt yourself, let alone kill yourself.” Shang Jin stared at the front of the car, saw
one pedal at the bottom of the vehicle and wondered, “How can this car only have a throttle
and no brake?”
Ye Zhou: “This is the brake!”
Shang Jin touched his chin and said, “Then what about the throttle?”
Ye Zhou sighed, pointed to the handlebar and said, “You turn the handlebar with your hand
and the car will go.”
Shang Jin gave it a try. The handlebar really could turn. He looked at Ye Zhou and said, “I
didn’t expect you to really know a thing or two.”
Receiving Shang Jin’s praise, Ye Zhou proudly lifted his chin, really bringing his
awesomeness to the max. In retrospect, this kind of car could be operated by anyone as
long as they had hands and feet, and there seemed to be nothing to be proud of.
Shang Jin got in the car and said, “I’ll go two laps around here first, and I’ll take you to the
classroom after I’m familiar with it.”
“Let me go down first ー” Words not yet finished, Ye Zhou’s back was suddenly knocked
forward. “You can’t tell me before you start it!!!!”
“Sorry.” Shang Jin didn’t expect that the three-wheeler would be so nimble, just lightly
turning the handlebar and it’d scuttle forward with a whoosh. Fortunately, stepping on the
brake was relatively easy and didn’t let Ye Zhou be hit too ruthlessly. “Have you held on
well?”
Ye Zhou’s two hands clenched the guardrails on both sides and said, “Yes.”
Shang Jin drove the little pedicab two laps in front of the dormitory building. After he’d
mastered everything, he headed directly towards the cafeteria.
Halfway through, Ye Zhou’s tensed spirit finally relaxed.
Shang Jin really deserved to be Shang Jin. The first time driving a three-wheeler, except for
the unfamiliarity when he just started, he immediately mastered it. The speed was very
precise, the braking was gentle, and there was no discomfort at all.
It’s just that looking at the astonished expressions of the surrounding classmates, Ye Zhou
regretted not wearing a hoodie.
On Monday morning, a man graceful as an idol drove a half-peeling electric pedicab. In the
back of the car, a handsome boy leaned back against the cyclist, his hands placed casually
on the armrest on both sides of the car. The two leisurely wandered in the campus,
becoming A Uni’s unique scenery.
Half an hour later, the pedicab parked in the parking shed beside the school building. At
this time, a lot of students passed by this place, and all invariably stared at these two
people.
“My hands are numb.” Maintaining one position for too long, Ye Zhou shook out his arms.
Even though Shang Jin kept a steady pace, sitting on that bench with uneven legs still made
him sway around.
Shang Jin locked the car and helped Ye Zhou down.
“Luckily it’s on the first floor today.” Ye Zhou didn’t let Shang Jin carry him on his back, but
he limped toward the classroom with the help of Shang Jin’s arm.
As soon as the two figures appeared in the doorway, all the students’ attention was drawn.
Zhou Wendao unctuously came over and said, “Zhou, I’ll help you in.”
Ye Zhou glared at him before putting his hand on the shoulder. Then he looked at Shang Jin
beside him and awkwardly said, “Thank you.”
Shang Jin nodded at him and went to his usual seat.
“I say, you’re really throwing me down like this??” Safely arrived from the dorms, Ye Zhou
began to settle the accounts, “Is the agreement between classmates limited to roommates
only?”
“This isn’t what you’re saying. As long as we’re not there, Shang Jin will take care of you.”
Zhou Wendao was the first to refute, “Do you think we want to be the treacherous villains?
Isn’t it because we’re creating opportunities for you!”
Ye Zhou pulled his mouth. He was bewildered why this group of people had been fishy
since yesterday. They also switched the dorms, abandoned him and left first. It took half a
day to find out that it was because of that Saturday morning.
On that day, Zhou Wendao witnessed the affair between Ye Zhou and Shang Jin ー pei pei!!
It was a misunderstanding! Ye Zhou had explained that this was just the feeling between
normal classmates. Only because all his roommates were out, Shang Jin had no choice but
to come in and take care of him. Then this group of guys mistakenly believed that if they
weren’t there, Shang Jin would certainly take care of him.
Although it turned out to be the case, but did you guys ever consider Shang Jin’s feelings?
Ye Zhou looked in Shang Jin’s direction and couldn’t help but give rise to a kind of…guilt.
That’s right, guilt.
Obviously before this semester, the two people generally didn’t intersect each other, like
parallel lines. But now, because of his own mistakes, Shang Jin was dragged down from his
godly altar in life and made Shang Jin’s body gradually become infected with the earthly
aura.
Even making the other ride on a shabby pedicab to shuttle around campus.
This was where Ye Zhou felt the most apologetic. When he thought of this, he hated his
former roommates for a few moments, and his tone wasn’t too good. “You can borrow a car,
but can’t borrow a bike??”
Zhou Wendao gave a big sigh and said, “You think we didn’t want to? We went around to
borrow one and unexpectedly, none had a backseat.”
Ye Zhou hated iron for not becoming steel1 and said, “With bicycles without backseats,
you guys still want to date girls? What a beautiful picture it is to carry a girlfriend to class!
Buying ones without backseats, are you guys planning to ride ahead and let your girlfriend
chase behind you?”
This poked at the heart of Zhou Wendao’s sorrow. He covered his chest and said, “It turns
out that this was the problem. When I get my living expenses next month, I’ll go exchange
for a bike with a backseat!”
Ye Zhou cast him a glance and thought: Your problem isn’t here, but your short height.
Recalling that his height was Zhou Wendao’s inverse scale2, Ye Zhou thoughtfully didn’t
continue.
But there was one thing that must be emphasized.
“When you change classes in a moment, give your bike to Shang Jin. You ride the three-
wheeler.”
Zhou Wendao was greatly alarmed. “Why!!”
Ye Zhou touched his nose and uneasily whispered, “In any case, Shang Jin has a little
reputation at school. If people see him riding this kind of three-wheeler, he’d lose face. But
you’re not the same. Your image and the three-wheeler doesn’t conflict too much.”
“I don’t match with a three-wheeler!!”
Trying his best to persuade him, Zhou Wendao finally agreed to exchange the rides.
After class, waiting for most people to leave, Ye Zhou walked out of the school building with
Xu Yangjun’s help.
In the vehicle shed, the familiar classmates rode away one after another.
And on the side of the pedicab, Shang Jin sat in the driver’s seat against the light. Seeing Ye
Zhou come over, he said, “You’re so slow.”
Zhou Wendao and Xu Yangjun took a look and immediately betrayed Ye Zhou, abandoning
him and riding away at the speed of light.
“Hey! You guys ー” Looking at the backs of his former roommates getting farther and
farther away, Ye Zhou pursed his lips and softly said, “Shang Jin, sorry to bother you so
much…”
This was the first time Ye Zhou used a soft and weak tone. Shang Jin rubbed his arms. “Can
you not talk to me like this? It feels so disgusting.”
Ye Zhou glowered at him and shouted, “Hey, are these human words!!”
“That’s more like it.” Shang Jin turned around, the corners of his mouth slightly curving up.
Notes
• 1. hated iron for not becoming steel (恨铁不成钢): being resentful of people for
failing to meet one’s expectations
• 2. Inverse scale (逆鳞): said to be the scale on a dragon’s neck where the major
blood vessels travel through. It’s the dragon’s weak point and therefore, it’s very
sensitive to anyone trying to touch the scale.

Chapter 17
Continuously taking and applying the medicine, Ye Zhou’s foot improved slightly, and at
least the swollen ankle had shrunken from a small hill to a small mound.
The people in the new dorm took good care of him.
For example, he sat at the desk now and just moved his chair when Wen Renxu next to him
asked, “Zhou, what do you want?”
“It’s okay. I’m tired of read and was going to drink some water…” Ye Zhou picked up the cup
on the table and was about to drink. He put his lips on it and found that there was no water
in the cup.
Wen Renxu stood up straight. Not waiting for Ye Zhou to refuse, he directly took his cup
and said, “I’ll help pour water for you.”
Ye Zhou wanted to say something but hesitated.
Having the people of the dorm take good care of him during this time, Ye Zhou was grateful
but he was somewhat apologetic as well. Although he knew in his heart that his roommates
had no complaints about taking care of him, but not being able to repay anything made his
heart always feel quite burdensome. He was helpless because his lame foot’s speed of
recovery was too slow.
The number of times he had rubbed his foot with medicine had increased during these two
days so as to speed up the recovery and not inconvenience the people around him.
“It’s a little hot.” Wen Renxu put the cup on Ye Zhou’s table and returned to his seat.
Ye Zhou reluctantly glanced at his right foot. During the recovery period, he wouldn’t try to
act brave in case the foot injury was aggravated and still caused trouble to those around
him.
There was also Shang Jin.
Since living under the same roof with Shang Jin, Ye Zhou had discovered another thing.
Shang Jin, who had the appearance of a person “charged with reality”, was in fact, a
complete shut-in.
At least when there was no class, he’d always hole up in the dorm and only went out for a
short while when he needed to buy something.
Therefore, in the 405 dorm, the person Ye Zhou got along with the most was Shang Jin.
However, when the other two roommates were there, Shang Jin never offered to help him,
and of course, Ye Zhou didn’t need him to extend a helping hand. When Liu Yutian and Wen
Renxu were not in, Shang Jin wouldn’t specifically help him. When Shang Jin wanted to
drink water, he’d also help pour him a cup in passing, or he’d bring him a meal when he
went to buy his own meal.
So even if there was more prejudice against Shang Jin in his mind, Ye Zhou had to admit
that he was most comfortable with Shang Jin.
On this point, he’d absolutely never say it out loud.
“Zhou, what are you having for dinner? I’ll help bring the meal for you.” Liu Yutian took off
his headphones and accompanied Wen Renxu to go out, carrying their meal cards and
water bottles.
The weather wasn’t good today. It’d been gloomy in the morning and begun to rain, turning
into a drizzle. This afternoon, the four in the dorm were rarely gathered together.
“Just buy some steamed stuffed buns.” Ye Zhou took the meal card from his pocket and
handed it to Liu Yutian. “Thank you.”
Liu Yutian put down the meal card and said, “You really love to eat steamed stuffed buns.
Next time, call you Ye Stuffed Bun. Even if you eat buns for several nights, don’t you get
tired of it?”
Shang Jin, who’d been practicing calligraphy, heard this sentence and swept Ye Zhou with a
glance.
Wen Renxu, carrying his and Ye Zhou’s water bottles, laughed, “You’re talking too much.
Shang Jin, do you want to go get food?”
Shang Jin once again bowed his head and wrote characters. “No, I haven’t thought of what
to eat. I’ll wait a while and go down to take a look myself.”
After the two left, Ye Zhou, holding his left knee, looked at Shang Jin and wondered, “Why
didn’t you go with them, Shang Jin? You don’t like to act collectively?”
Shang Jin didn’t raise his head. “If I went down, what about you?”
What was called ‘if I went down, what about you’!!
Because of Shang Jin’s words, Ye Zhou’s body temperature suddenly rose and gradually, his
ears were dyed red.
“I’m such a big man, what’s wrong with being alone for a while!”
Shang Jin blew on the pen marks on the paper and sneered, “I’m also thinking about myself.
If your injury got worse, wouldn’t the one who’d have to suffer be me, this roommate?”
The veins on Ye Zhou’s forehead violently rose. He’d just been feeling embarrassed because
of Shang Jin’s thoughtfulness, but suddenly realized that it was all his own sentimentality!
Shang Jin stood up, firmly pressed on Ye Zhou’s forehead with his finger and said, “So, you
should sincerely let everyone take care of you. Your quick recovery is our greatest reward.”
“Ow! Isn’t this the One Yang Finger!” Ye Zhou covered his head, but he couldn’t deny that
the place where he’d been tangled in had slowly disappeared after what Shang Jin said.
One Yang Finger (一阳指): Uhh, a move from Jin Yong’s martial arts novel, I think…
While Shang Jin went to the bathroom, Ye Zhou stretched his neck and looked at Shang Jin’s
table. Originally, he’d been reluctant to actively obtain any information about Shang Jin,
especially any good aspects. Now, there was a hint of curiosity.
Maybe Shang Jin seemed to be indifferent, but he was definitely not as unreasonable as he
looked.
On Thursday afternoon, the school basketball team had a practice match.
Wen Renxu and Liu Yutian rushed to the gym to support their former roommate, and Ye
Zhou and Shang Jin were left in the dorm.
He really didn’t dare to believe: not only was he, who had been avoiding being alone with
Shang Jin at all cost, not uncomfortable being alone with Shang Jin, but on the contrary, also
felt quite comfortable.
Ye Zhou glanced at Shang Jin behind him out of the corner of his eyes and felt it was an
illusion in his heart! This must be an illusion! It must be that he had recently hurt his brain,
so someone else’s little bit of kindness was magnified numerous times! Regardless of how
Shang Jin had changed, he was still the same archenemy who rode on his head and could
never be surpassed no matter what! He didn’t voluntarily live under the same roof with the
other. It was all forced by the people around him!
While Ye Zhou was hypnotizing himself, Shang Jin suddenly said, “I’m going out for a bit.”
Ye Zhou lightly coughed and said, “Go then just go. What are you doing reporting to me…”
Ten minutes later, Shang Jin returned carrying a box.
Ye Zhou put down his book and curiously said, “What did you buy?”
Shang Jin didn’t answer. Instead, he used a utility knife to cut the tape around the box. Soon,
the content of the box was unveiled.
A swivel computer chair with five small wheels underneath.
Ye Zhou quipped, “You really know how to live it up.”
Shang Jin also undid the bubble wrap on the computer chair. The brand-new computer
chair exuded a unique leathery smell. The black leather looked very soft and the five steel
legs were strong and shiny. Shang Jin pushed the chair to Ye Zhou’s side and said, “For you.”
Ye Zhou was dumbfounded. “For me??”
“Although everyone is willing to help you, but in fact, you don’t like to trouble others,
right?” Shang Jin patted the back of the chair. “If you use this, at least in the dorm area, you
can…freely move around.”
No longer relying on others.
For a time, Ye Zhou couldn’t say a word. At this moment, compared to mentioning a word of
thanks, Ye Zhou felt even more incredulous.
Shang Jin actually understood him.

Chapter 18
With the swivel chair, Ye Zhou had a lot more freedom moving around the dorm.
Can finally live on his own!
Regarding Shang Jin’s good intentions, Ye Zhou was unwilling to accept it without a good
cause.
“That…the money…”
Shang Jin didn’t give him a glance and said very generously, “Little money, doesn’t matter.”
This sentence blocked Ye Zhou and made him unable to call him out and also unable to
calmly accept it.
‘Give and take’, Ye Zhou could only take advantage of when there was no one in the dorm to
help Shang Jin tidy up his things, and doing things to the best of his ability.
As for why it was when no one was there?
Of course it was because Shang Jin and his unclear relationship hadn’t been straightened
out in front of his classmates, and the roommates were extremely enthusiastic about
creating opportunities for them. If they knew that Ye Zhou took the initiative to help Shang
Jin organize and tidy up, they’d certainly give a thumbs-up to ‘Like’ his “virtuousness”!
What Ye Zhou didn’t know was that whenever Wen Renxu and Liu Yutian saw the two
similar desktops of Ye Zhou and Shang Jin, the two always exchanged a look and ran to the
dorm next door to report the battle results.
It really could be described as “the flaw in the plan”.
The cold autumn rains washed away the fallen leaves. The campus students had to put on
their sweaters and usher in the midterm exams.
Ye Zhou’s foot injury was also getting better, but in the final recovery period, Ye Zhou was
still very careful and especially worried about a moment of carelessness aggravating the
injury again.
So before the midterm exams, while most of the classmates carried their books and went to
the library to ‘clasp Buddha’s feet when danger arises’, Ye Zhou still stayed in the
dormitory to review.
Clasp Buddha’s feet (临时抱佛脚): grasp at straws, doing thing at the last minute
On the early weekend morning, Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu finished washing up and took
their textbooks to the library.
Before closing the door, Liu Yutian stuck out his head and teased, “Then both of you review
well in the dorm.”
The word “well” was particularly meaningful.
Wen Renxu, outside smiling, added a sentence, “We will come back much later! Rest
assured.”
Ye Zhou pulled the corners of his mouth. Why on earth would he need to rest assured.
“You guys quickly go. Be careful that there’s no seats left in the library!”
“Yo yo yo, this is rushing people.” Liu Yutian smiled and banged shut the dorm door.
Being teased too many times during this period of time, Ye Zhou was entirely too lazy to
continue explaining the issue again. Anyway, he had no object now. The one he had a good
impression of didn’t know him. Reputation or whatever, it didn’t matter.
Ye Zhou looked sideways at Shang Jin who was still lying in bed and asked, “Aren’t you
going to the library?”
Shang Jin with his back to Ye Zhou replied, “Not going.”
“Why?” Not waiting for Shang Jin’s answer, Ye Zhou added warily, “Don’t ever say it’s for
me. I don’t have such a big face.”
“You’re thinking too much.” Shang Jin turned over and heaved a sigh of relief. “Of course not
going is because I don’t want to go.”
“We’ll be taking the midterm exams in another week. This exam score will also be included
in the final evaluation.” Ye Zhou slowly slid out of bed and sat in the swivel chair. Pushing
with his left foot, he pushed the swivel chair to the washbasin. The swivel chair was simply
too handy. Even if his injury was well, it would be very convenient to use normally. Ye Zhou
squeezed his toothpaste and continued, “Every minute and every second before the exam is
precious.”
“It’s just the midterm exams.”
“Hey…shwrugging to shay ー” [T/N: His words are garbled.]
“You finish brushing your teeth first, then talk.”
Ye Zhou quickly brushed his teeth and washed the foam in his mouth with water. “What’s
called ‘just the midterm exams’? As long as it can account for a sub-item in the final
evaluation, it’s important.”
Shang Jin was too lazy to argue with him and perfunctorily “mm” a sound. Jumping down
from the bed, he went to the sink and started brushing his teeth.
Ye Zhou also wanted to continue saying a few words to him when he suddenly reacted that
the other person was Shang Jin, the Shang Jin who took first in each and every class. Wasn’t
it good that he didn’t go to the library? This way, he could observe how he reviewed before
the exam.
Besides, wasn’t this the best opportunity to catch up when his rival was slacking?
After Shang Jin finished washing, he took out his meal card and said, “What do you eat?”
“Buns.”
Shang Jin raised his eyebrows. He played with Ye Zhou’s meal card and with the tone of
certainty, asked the question, “Actually, you don’t really like eating buns, right?”
Ye Zhou’s heart suddenly skipped a beat with the guilty conscience of being caught in the
act.
“What are you thinking in this mind of yours?” Shang Jin grunted, put away the meal card
and walked toward the entrance of the dormitory. “Only that bringing stuffed buns is the
most convenient. I have to wonder: how can bringing noodles be troublesome?”
“Then you bring me beef noodles! Plus a cup of soymilk!” Ye Zhou snarled, tightly clenching
his fists. This kind of being seen through feeling was really bad. In the future, he must keep
his distance from Shang Jin. He didn’t understand much about Shang Jin, but felt that Shang
Jin already knew him like the back of his hand!
Half an hour later, Ye Zhou slurped the already a bit soggy noodles and resentfully said,
“Sure enough, I wanted to eat cooked noodles, but with how slow you walked, I’m better off
eating steamed buns.”
“Even eating can’t shut your mouth.” Shang Jin turned on the computer and put on his
headphones, ignoring Ye Zhou chattering beside his ear.
Actually, Ye Zhou really had no complaints. It was just when faced with Shang Jin, he
habitually argued for argument’s sake. If the other roommates brought his meal, he would
certainly be thankful and embarrassed. But Shang Jin…Ye Zhou wasn’t the least bit worried
that Shang Jin would think he’s troublesome.
Because if Shang Jin really felt it was annoying, he would definitely say it directly.
Of course, there was one more thing. Actually, Ye Zhou was really looking forward to seeing
Shang Jin lose his cool once. Helpless because the other party was too strong, Ye Zhou
didn’t have his wish fulfilled even once.
Really wanted to see Shang Jin’s face change once…
And this time, God heard his voice and soon met his needs.
In the morning, Ye Zhou repeated the lesson while dividing his attention to observe Shang
Jin. What he didn’t expect was that in the entire morning, Shang Jin didn’t touch his
textbooks at all and wore his headphones to play games.
Could this be a diversionary tactic to deliberately let him lower his guard?
Taking advantage of Shang Jin taking off his headphones, Ye Zhou used his ‘gossiping’
technique and asked, “You’re really not reviewing?”
“Just take the exams. It’s fine as long as I’m not held back by the grades.”
Met with this infuriating way of speaking again.
Ye Zhou’s mouth twitched disapprovingly and didn’t speak again.
Stretching his body, Ye Zhou rolled the swivel chair to the toilet. At the toilet door, he
slowly moved inside. After finishing his business, Ye Zhou just opened the bathroom door
and heard Shang Jin’s talking voice.
“What are you finding me for…that’s your business, what does it have to do with me…
money, money, money, every time you talk to me, it’s about money…I don’t want to go out…
just say I don’t want to go out. Don’t bother yourself!”
With a bang, the phone was thrown heavily on the table.
Ye Zhou hid behind the bathroom door, for a moment not knowing if he should go out or
not.
Chapter 19
buzz buzz… Accompanying the vibrations, Shang Jin’s cell phone started playing music
again.
Ye Zhou, who was about to go out, retreated into the bathroom again.
The cell phone rang for nearly a minute, quieted, and then sounded again.
Ye Zhou opened the bathroom door and saw Shang Jin sitting in front of the computer,
letting the phone incessantly ring to the side.
In this kind of situation where the other party was obviously in a bad mood, Ye Zhou didn’t
actively look for grief, but instead, sat down at his desk as gently as possible, trying to
reduce his sense of presence.
He thought like this, but the mobile phone kept persistently ringing and it was difficult for
Ye Zhou to ignore.
“That…”
Ye Zhou just opened his mouth when Shang Jin picked up the phone, scaring him into
silence.
“What the hell do you want? I’m taking the midterm exams in another week.”
Although Ye Zhou’s eyes were staring at his textbook, but his ears pricked up.
“Every minute and every second before the exam is precious.”
Why did these words sound so familiar…
“I need to prepare for the exam. The results of the midterm exams are also included in the
final evaluation.”
Ye Zhou couldn’t help but turn his head. There wouldn’t be a fake Shang Jin sitting behind
him, right?
“What the hell can’t you say over the phone…tsk, just an hour.” Shang Jin hung up and saw
Ye Zhou looking at him like an alien. He couldn’t help but frown. “What are you looking at?”
“Nothing! Nothing at all!” Ye Zhou picked up a book from the table and pretended to read it.
After two minutes, he raised his head and said, “You stole my sayings.”
“I say, how were those words just now so familiar, coming out so smoothly.”
Ye Zhou originally also saw that Shang Jin was feeling bad and deliberately teased him. He
sat in the chair and directly turned opposite to Shang Jin. “Are you going out?”
Shang Jin responded with a sound and began to rummage through his cabinet, table, and
even his bed.
“What are you looking for?”
Shang Jin turned over a book and tossed it aside. “Bank card.”
Bank card, this kind of thing could also be casually left around???
“Isn’t this kind of thing in your bag?”
Shang Jin heard that and he took his bag and poured everything on the table, some small
things rolling directly to the ground.
Flipping through everything but still not finding it, even someone as calm as Shang Jin also
began to fret. He tsked, took a deep breath and didn’t continue to search, but began to put
on his jacket.
Ye Zhou finally found a gap in time to speak. “I have cash here. If you’re in a hurry, just use
it first?”
Shang Jin also wasn’t polite. “Is there two thousand? I’ll transfer it to you by cell phone.”
“Yes.” Just a few days ago, the school sent out the scholarships. Although it wasn’t a first-
class scholarship, but it was still a few thousands. Ye Zhou hadn’t moved it after receiving
the money. He counted out two thousand from his wallet and handed it to Shang Jin.”
Shang Jin still didn’t seem very happy. He suppressed his emotions and said, “Thanks, I’ll
transfer it to you later.”
“No rush.”
Before leaving, Shang Jin picked up the strawberry candy bag on the bookshelf but found
out that it was empty once he picked it up. He tossed the candy bag back on the bookshelf.
After Shang Jin left, Ye Zhou moved before Shang Jin’s desk and reached for the empty
candy bag. He took a picture and sent it to Wen Renxu.
“Ah Xu, when you come back, help me bring something. Look at WeChat.”
Hanging up the phone, Ye Zhou cleaned up the table and wondered if Shang Jin would be
okay…
On this side, Shang Jin wasn’t as exaggerated as what Ye Zhou thought.
It’s true that he was in a bad mood, but his behavior has always been that of a relatively
restrained person. Shang Jin wouldn’t take out his anger on others because of his own
emotions.
He looked at the address the other party had sent and originally intended to hail a taxi
outside. His thought took a turn: since that person was willing to wait, then let her wait.
Shang Jin spent ten minutes walking to the bus stop, waited five minutes for the bus, and
unhurriedly headed towards his destination.
When he arrived at the hotel, forty minutes had already past since he went out.
Getting off the bus, the place where he entered was a luxuriously decorated hotel. Shang Jin
gracelessly rolled his eyes. Fortunately, he’d brought a lot of cash.
“Just two people eating still needs a private room?” Following the waiter to the destination,
Shang Jin impatiently said once he entered the private room.
“What? Your family is allowed to go to the Grand Hotel every time to eat a luxurious meal,
and I don’t have the qualifications to come in?” There was a woman in her forties sitting in
the private room, her tightly creased brows adding a touch of harshness to her good looks.
“Jin Jin, don’t you forget: I’m your mother.”
Shang Jin sneered, “Don’t call me that. I feel sick hearing it.”
Liang Jingmin put down her teacup and finally loosened her brows. She kindly looked at
Shang Jin and said, “Fine. Shang Jin, okay? Let’s order food first. It’s already half past twelve.
Let’s eat first.”
Saying to order food first, Liang Jingmin didn’t ask what Shang Jin wanted to eat. Instead,
she directly ordered five or six dishes from the menu. Only, this wasn’t enough, and she
also ordered dessert afterwards.
Shang Jin watched as she kept flipping through the menu. With an expression of not being
able to fully express himself, he uttered, “Two people eating three dishes is enough.
Ordering so much, can you finish it all?”
“Doesn’t your family have a full table of dishes every time they eat? I’m just ordering a few?
Besides, why ever are you saving for? Who knows which vixen would be given this money
in the end?”
In front of outsiders, Shang Jin didn’t want to say more to her and simply looked at his
phone. Not seeing with his eyes, his heart won’t be vexed.
After the waiter left, Liang Jingmin impatiently asked, “Is your stepmother pregnant again?”
Shang Jin raised his eyes and smiled without smiling. “You called me out to ask this kind of
trifling thing?”
“How can this be a trivial matter! I’ve said earlier that the woman isn’t simple. How old is
her daughter? Now she’s pregnant again. I think this is to give birth to a son and snatch the
family property from you!” Liang Jingmin excitedly said, seeming like it was her own
money that was about to be seized by the other side. “This Shang Qingping has been
enthralled by that woman. He obviously has you, still wants to have what son!”
“We’re not a wealthy family. How would it come to family property? Whoever he’s inclined
to give the money to, he’d give it to them. And…” Shang Jin said, “The normal feelings
between you and dad have already fallen apart and you’ve divorced. Auntie only became
acquainted with dad ten years after your divorce. Don’t say it every time like the married
woman is the same as someone who broke up the relationship.”
“What aunt? The difference in age between you and her isn’t as big as the difference in age
between her and your dad. Also, I don’t know what method she used to make you support
her. You’re my son!”
Shang Jin mocked, “The son you cared to birth but didn’t care to raise?”
“I’m not talking to you about this. What I’m saying right now is for your own good. You’re a
student now. You have your dad to provide for your food and clothing expenses, so you
think money isn’t important. When you’re out in society, what’s the use of your grades
being good? Without money, there’s no discussion!”
Shang Jin glanced at his phone and said, “An hour has passed. I’m leaving.”
“Eh, wait wait…”
“What else?”
“The money for this meal…”
Shang Jin didn’t speak and just looked at her quietly.
“Even if your dad’s money isn’t spent, we also don’t know who’d it be given to. Besides, if I
didn’t divorce him, now this…”
Shang Jin put a thousand on the table and interrupted her. “You now have a husband and a
family. Don’t say something you shouldn’t say.”

Chapter 20
Sitting on the bus, Shang Jin looked at the remaining thousand in his wallet and ironically
lifted the corners of his mouth.
This woman really didn’t surprise him one bit. Every time he met her, she always selected
some high-end club and her words, actions and bearing strove hard to imitate an upper
class lady. She clearly hadn’t experienced that kind of life, and her pretentious performance
passed as just a parody.
Some people were always pursuing something that was not their own. Driven by desire,
people who were originally good could become ugly, not to mention selfish people like
Liang Jingmin.
Ever since Shang Jin could remember, his parents had already divorced, so Shang Jin had no
idea about the inside story of their divorce.
However, Shang Jin’s father, Shang Qingping, almost forgot that he had this son and threw
himself into his career. And his nominal mother, with no news in the five years after the
divorce, suddenly returned carrying precious gifts to visit him. Then, Shang Jin had some
understanding.
Shang Qingping would argue the moment Liang Jingmin showed up.
However, because Liang Jingmin had achieved the life she’d wanted, she came before Shang
Qingping to show how correct her original choice was.
Shang Jin, as the link between them, was just there to let them “compete” once or twice
every year.
No one ever asked Shang Jin whether being frequently left alone at home would be lonely
and nobody would ask Shang Jin whether he liked those expensive toys that were sent.
Sad?
A little at first. Later, he discovered that the sadness was because of his desires and
expectations for some things. If he didn’t expect anything at all, it seemed that there was
nothing to be sad about.
Shang Jin could serenely watch their war of words every time they came together, and
when they forgot the dinner time, he could take the money and go out to buy food.
Some things that had never been received, even if they were lost, there’s nothing to pity.
Even if now the situation had a major 180-degree change.
Liang Jingmin’s remarried husband, because of bankruptcy, could only watch over a small
storefront to past the days now. And the company operated by Shang Qingping was
booming. The former loser stood on top of the pyramid, and those whom he could only look
up to once were now low in the dust.
Shang Qingping remarried when Shang Jin was sixteen. His marriage partner was Qin Fei,
who was ten years older than Shang Jin and fifteen years younger than Shang Qingping. The
new life unfolded, and Shang Qingping was even more uninterested in Liang Jingmin, finally
also ignoring her invitations.
Want to see her son?
Go see him yourself!
The target Liang Jingmin was looking for unwittingly became Shang Jin. It especially
intensified after Shang Qingping got married.
Playing the ‘for his own good’ banner, she opened her mouth and closed her mouth, and it
was money, money, money.
At first, Shang Jin was unbearably annoyed. He thought that if he gave Liang Jingmin
money, it would calm down. Later, he found out how wrong he was. This type of person
wouldn’t be satisfied. She wouldn’t stop being envious of your exotic delicacies because you
gave her a steamed bun. What she was seeking may not be money, but the sense of
imbalance caused by the gap between the two families.
Learning from experience, Shang Jin was disinclined to be someone with more money than
sense. When he went to the appointment again, he deliberately said that he had no money.
As a result, before the dishes were served, Liang Jingmin called the waiter and said that
they didn’t want any of the dishes. Anyways, they hadn’t eaten them yet. It made the
embarrassed waiter eyes turned red.
Shang Jin couldn’t stand it and eventually paid the bill.
Afterwards, Shang Jin looked on like a spectator. Watching Liang Jingmin’s play each time,
he considered the cost for the meal and whatnot as the viewing fee.
It’s just that even watching too many good movies, one would be fed up, not to mention
that this play wasn’t only ugly and vexing, but it was also staged once every few months.
Shang Jin brought it up twice to Shang Qingping in hopes that he would make Liang Jingmin
completely stop.
“She’s also a pitiful person. Shang Jin, no matter what, she’s your mother after all.”
The person in the superior position wasn’t stingy with his insignificant sympathy. With his
gentle and virtuous wife by his side and his lovely daughter wrapped around his knees, he
could forgive the ex-wife who’d he’d gone tit-for-tat with in his early years.
But this one sentence made Shang Jin unable to get rid of Liang Jingmin.
What Shang Qingping said was right: Liang Jingmin was his mother after all.
A child with good conditions and a mother with a “difficult” life: whose side the public
opinion would stand on, there was no need to think to know.
Shang Jin didn’t care about rumors, but he was afraid of trouble. He didn’t care about the
kind or malicious words that were passed on behind his back. The most annoying thing was
that some nosy people would walk before him and force him to listen to some accusations
that were originally unnecessary.
There were so many nosy people in this world.
They were everywhere.
Ding-dong
Shang Jin looked at WeChat.
Ye Zhou: Didn’t you say that you’d be back in an hour?
Look, there’s a nosy person.
However, obviously he loathed other people investigating his life‒especially those using
this kind of language with a secretly binding nature‒but why did his heart have a painful
twinge when he received this message?
Just like the last time when Ye Zhou helped to wash the apple for him.
Shang Jin adjusted his emotions and walked before the familiar dorm door, pushing the
door open. Ye Zhou was still alone in the dormitory.
“You’re back.” Ye Zhou looked at him and lowered his head to read the book. Of course, he
was still closely watching Shang Jin in his peripheral vision.
Shang Jin took off his coat and threw it directly on the bed. When he walked near his desk,
he was stunned.
The desk that was still messy before he’d left was clear and organized. The bank card that
he had been looking for was quietly lying on the dictionary. On the neat table, a few
strawberry candies that he often ate were laid out.
From childhood to now, no one had ever actively helped him do anything, so he didn’t
know how to respond when someone did something for him.
Shang Jin picked up a candy and unconsciously rubbed it with his fingers.
Ye Zhou had perked up his ears to listen to Shang Jin’s movements as early as when he’d
picked up the candy. When Ye Zhou was about to open his mouth to sound out whether
Shang Jin’s mood was a bit better or not, Shang Jin spoke.
“I didn’t ask you to do this for me.”
Good intentions treated as donkey’s liver and lungs??
“Is this how humans should speak!” Ye Zhou anger soared and he rose up. As the anger
rose, his body stood up uncontrollably. As a result, the sting in his right foot made him
immediately sit down.
Shang Jin turned and glanced at Ye Zhou’s right ankle. “I meant, even if you helped do this
for me, I couldn’t pay you back.”
After determining that Shang Jin really wasn’t trying to pick a fault, Ye Zhou calmed down.
He asked a question in reply, “When you sent me this swivel chair, did you want me to
repay you?”
“No, I just wanted to do it.”
“When you took me to the classroom, did you want me to repay you?”
“No.”
Ye Zhou stared at him coldly and pretended to be angry: “So! Who wants you to pay back.
At this time, it’s fine for you say ‘thank you’.”
“Thank you.”
Ye Zhou proudly lifted his chin and said, “You’re welcome.”
“But…” Shang Jin opened up the candy, frowned and doubtfully said, “When I helped you,
you also didn’t say ‘thank you’ to me.”
Ye Zhou was ashamed into anger: “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
Shang Jin, mouth containing sugar, vaguely said, “You’re welcome, you’re welcome, you’re
welcome.”

Chapter 21
With the end of midterm exams, Ye Zhou’s foot completely healed.
Also, he didn’t know whether the atmosphere in each dorm was different, but in Ye Zhou’s
original dorm, four people acted together most of the time. When the four people couldn’t
gather together at the same time, at least two people would act together. In 405, it was
usually Liu Yutian who went with Wen Renxu, and Ye Zhou didn’t notice what Zhan Xing
was like. Anyway, in retrospect, Shang Jin was alone every time he carried his books and
stepped into the classroom.
Could it be that no one took Shang Jin to go play?
Carrying his schoolbag, Ye Zhou originally wanted to meet with his former roommate, but
looking at Shang Jin all alone by himself, it seemed to be a bit…pitiful?
After all, in the several days that his foot had been seriously injured, Shang Jin and him had
established a common revolutionary sentiment of the electric pedicab. At this time, didn’t
abandoning his comrade-in-arms seem a little inappropriate?
Hand holding the doorknob, he hesitated for half a day and still put it down.
Ye Zhou put the schoolbag back and sent a text message to Zhou Wendao. He sat in a chair
and waited for Shang Jin. When he heard the bathroom being unlocked, he immediately
stood up, opened the schoolbag, and put both hands in the bag and pretended to look for
things.
After Shang Jin came out of the bathroom, he looked at him and said, “You’re usually very
agile. How come it takes so long to put away two books.”
“None of your business.” Ye Zhou pulled the zipper of his schoolbag and watched Shang Jin
put on his shoes. He hefted up his schoolbag and said, “Going?”
“Yeah.” Shang Jin didn’t have a backpack. Instead, he directly held two books in his hands
and filled his pocket with pens, following Ye Zhou to leave the dorm.
It was already the start of winter, and the temperature had dropped sharply. Together with
the wind always blowing these two days, it had become more difficult to go to the
classroom by bike.
Ye Zhou, whose mouth couldn’t stay idle, originally planned to ride side-by-side with Shang
Jin and chat. Who knew when he opened his mouth, a cold breeze blew into his throat,
wishing to freeze his heart. He silently gave up this plan and very deliberately rode behind
Shang Jin.
At the classroom, Shang Jin said while parking, “You took me as a windbreaker.”
Ye Zhou boasted shamelessly, “I’m the trump card. I need to maintain my physical strength
to be ready to sprint at any time!”
Shang Jin gave him a sidelong glance and crossed him to walk into the classroom first.
“Hey, you wait for me.”
Just entering the classroom, the school bell rang.
Ye Zhou experienced stepping into the door on the dot for the first time. Prepared to walk
back to his familiar seat, he raised his eyes and saw Zhan Xing shiningly occupying his
throne.
Why was there a feeling of being abandoned.
This group of ‘like the new, hate the old’ people!
His feelings hurt, Ye Zhou ignored his former roommates when class let out and
immediately rushed to his bicycle. Because he’d come with Shang Jin, so when he pushed
his bike, he naturally saw the nearby Shang Jin.
Although there was no appointment, but with the degree of familiarity of the two people
now, Ye Zhou couldn’t ignore the situation, but directly said, “Let’s go.”
Then the two people accompanied each other to the canteen in front of everyone’s very
relieved eyes.
Ye Zhou sat next to the window. Shang Jin held chopsticks on one hand, and looked out the
window in a trance on the other hand.
“What happened to you?” Ye Zhou followed his line of sight and glanced out. “Eh, isn’t that
the store old uncle’s pedicab? What, riding it for a few days and still have affection?”
Shang Jin didn’t answer his question, but directly said, “I’m thinking about whether to buy a
pedicab. What do you think about the two of us forming a partnership to buy it?”
Ye Zhou was stupefied. “Are you fucking teasing me???”
Shang Jin said gravely, “I’ve had this idea for a while.”
“Don’t you have a bike?”
“I think the pedicab is a very sensible invention. It’s easier to operate than a bicycle. When
you turn the handlebar, the vehicle starts. When you step on the brake, the vehicle stops.
Not much to say about the seat, and there’s no need to control the balance. The size is
smaller than a car; there’s no need to worry about traffic jam problems.” Shang Jin looked
at Ye Zhou and said, “Not to mention just driving around campus.”
“Want to buy it then buy it yourself. What are you looking for me for…” Ye Zhou silently
moved his plate to stay away from Shang Jin. He felt that he was guilty for actually opening
a magical gate for the school’s male god. When Su Yin found out that the last time Shang Jin
rode a pedicab was to carry him, he’d been torn apart by that Shang Jin’s fan.
“My male god!! Actually!! In! A! Pedicab!” This time, after Ye Zhou’s injury had gotten well,
Su Yin immediately summoned him out with a phone call. When she saw him, her first
sentence wasn’t to ask how his injury was, but rather indignantly: “Shang Jin, he should be
driving a sports car, chic and casually racing along the road!! Ye Zhou, you really have the
ability. It’s okay that you’re down-to-earth, but you also dragged Shang Jin down to earth
with you!”
Ye Zhou dryly laughed and said, “Breathing in too much immortal energy, a person
wouldn’t be able to connect to the earthly people.”
“I’ve decided! I don’t want to pull the strings for you and Tang Dongdong! I won’t even let
you be ordinary friends!” Finished speaking, classmate Su Yin valiantly and spiritedly left
Ye Zhou’s sight, leaving Ye Zhou alone with his hand stretched out like thus, neither able to
justify nor detain.
“I’ve looked on the Internet two days ago. Pedicabs are divided into various types: open-air
and enclosed…”
Shang Jin’s words brought Ye Zhou back from his memories. He took a sip of soup and said,
“Is that so.”
“The weather is getting colder; you also felt it when riding the bike this morning. Not to
mention when it rains or snows, riding the bike would be more difficult.” Shang Jin took out
his mobile phone and found two models of fully-enclosed pedicabs and said, “Buy this kind,
you won’t be cold riding it and even less cold sitting in it.”
Ye Zhou agreed, “Seems like it. In fact, the sun is so big in the summer, you’d be exposed to
the sun when cycling.”
“Right. Light and convenient, fast, and comfortable. Buy it?”
Ye Zhou was a bit stirred. When he had arrived at the cafeteria just now, he had hid behind
Shang Jin and used Shang Jin as a windbreak wall. It was just November and still hadn’t
reached the coldest period yet…
Looking back on the heavy rain last year, he’d held an umbrella with one hand and handled
the handlebars with the other. When the wheel got stuck in a small puddle, he’d lost his
balance, and if it weren’t for his long legs, he might have been thrown down like a dog
eating mud.
“I’ll think about it.”
As a result, as they were going back, Ye Zhou returned the kindness and helped Shang Jin to
clear the way.
“Buy buy buy!!!”
That afternoon, Shang Jin took the impatient Ye Zhou to the nearby electric car shop and
selected a fully-enclosed electric pedicab.
Impulse was the devil!
Sitting in the carriage, Ye Zhou continuously regretted. Why did he obsessively listen to
Shang Jin and got bewitched!
But this regret, after seeing his classmates riding their bike shivering in the wind,
inexplicably dissipated.
He could only hope that after those female fans of Shang Jin learned of this matter, they
wouldn’t organize a group to come beat him up…

Chapter 22
“Where did this car come from?”
While Ye Zhou and Shang Jin were locking the car, the 403 comrades returned with their
companions and saw a striking electric pedicab in the row of bicycles, as well as the two
big, handsome guys next to it.
Xu Yangjun, eating a steamed bun, said, “When did you get a part-time job to send express
deliveries?”
Ye Zhou gave him a disdainful look. “What sending express deliveries? An express delivery
car doesn’t have a door for its compartment. This has a door, and the rear compartment is
for people to sit.”
“Then where did this car come from?”
Shang Jin turned the key in his hand and said, “We bought it.”
“You guys bought it?” Xu Yangjun was so scared that he dropped the half-eaten bun in his
hand. But in a second, it was picked up again. “Picked up within three seconds should still
be able to eat.”
Zhou Wendao stared with wide eyes and said in astonishment, “Dang, the way you two
exchange love tokens is quite unique.”
“Pei!” Ye Zhou pushed Zhou Wendao away and angrily said, “Please call us cooperative
partners.”
“Cooperative partners…but, why did you buy a pedicab hahahaha.” Zhou Wendao slung his
arms on Ye Zhou’s shoulders and smilingly covered his stomach, “Zhou, did you sit for a few
days and became addicted?”
Zhan Xing reached out and held Ye Zhou’s hand tightly, and excitedly said, “Zhou, thank you
for sacrificing you own image and acting as a foil for this group of bachelors. If you ask
whether the younger sisters to choose between you riding a pedicab and I riding a bike,
hmph hmph, it’s self-evident.”
Ye Zhou coldly took out his hand. Perhaps it was because this small three-wheeler had been
bought by him, except for being awkward at the beginning, he was now fully adapted to it.
So now, when he heard people insulting what he’d bought, Ye Zhou felt like having his own
daughter being scorned. One should know that when they were buying the car, Shang Jin
had an indifferent attitude and was planning to casually choose a car and go. It was he who
strolled round and round in the shop and eventually settled on this car. “Go go go, don’t say
I ride a three-wheeler, even if I was pulling a handcart, the younger sisters who should like
me would still like me!”
Zhou Wendao also added his own thought. He circled around the car and smirked, “Don’t
say you, even if it’s Shang Jin riding this car, there also wouldn’t be any younger sisters
willing to sit. Girls love their reputation. This kind of elderly mobility vehicle wouldn’t be
able to enter their eyes.” Afterwards, it’d be best to ride alongside them. Ye Zhou and Shang
Jin struggling bitterly to drive a pedicab, while he handsomely rode a bicycle next to them.
Thinking about it, he wanted to laugh out loud!
“A bunch of shallow guys,” Ye Zhou coldly snorted. In his peripheral vision, he saw that
Shang Jin had ignored the group of convulsing people and entered the dorm. He was also
too lazy to shoot his mouth off at this crowd. “It’s fine if only I know that the pedicab is
good.”
Of course, it was when he was listening to Shang Jin explain at noon that he began to
change his view. But after buying it and sitting in the warm compartment, he began to
sincerely accept that the three-wheeler was good, just the attractiveness index…but in
Shang Jin’s words, the attractiveness index didn’t matter. Anyway, he had his own
attractiveness; he didn’t need to use these external objects to set him apart.
Was this the pride of a male god?
No wonder he could only be an ordinary handsome guy. After all was said, he simply didn’t
have that person’s state of mind.
It must be said that it was very timely when the two men bought the car. That evening, dark
clouds shrouded and a light rain began that night. In the morning, the rain grew bigger and
bigger.
With the rainfall, the temperature dropped again.
When Ye Zhou woke up, it was still dark outside. Originally in a daze, after he saw the time,
he shot up at once.
“Shang Jin, get up!!” Buying a pedicab together meant that the two people’s routine must be
very in sync.
“What time is it?”
Ye Zhou’s head jerked in the sweater. “Seven o’clock.”
Shang Jin turned over and said, “Still can sleep for ten minutes.”
Ye Zhou finished dressing and jumped out of bed, saying, “I have a hunch that the road isn’t
going to be smooth today.”
Shang Jin slightly raised his head and, looking at the rain outside the window, used his
actions to express his concurrence.
“You two also get up.” Ye Zhou knocked on Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu’s headboards.
Sure enough, getting up in the winter was a challenge. Now, the dorm got up a bit later than
usual.
After he finished packing up, Shang Jin took the textbooks and said, “Today, you be the
driver. I want to nap in the car.”
“No problem.” There were two keys for the electric car, just enough for one per person. Ye
Zhou took his brand new key and said, “I also haven’t driven this kind of car, so I’m a little
nervous the first time driving.”
Shang Jin: “…You go downstairs and take two laps around the dorm building and then set
off.”
Ye Zhou hadn’t driven the pedicab before, but he still had a lot of experience riding two-
wheeled electric vehicles. After getting on the car, he adapted faster than Shang Jin’s first
time.
For safety reasons, Ye Zhou still took two laps around the dorm building to familiarize
himself with the operations. The result was that these two laps caused him to be caught up
in ‘trouble’.
“Zhou!!!” Zhou Wendao stood in front of the building and energetically beckoned.
Ye Zhou rode the electric car before the dorm building and asked, “What’s up?”
Zhou Wendao clung to car window and said, “Zhou, I’ll buy a monthly ticket, okay!! Take me
along!!”
Xu Yangjun pulled Zhou Wendao off and said, “I’ll buy a season ticket.”
Zhan Xing in the back roared, “I’ll buy an annual ticket!”
Ye Zhou smiled. “I only said a word for my family’s daughter yesterday and you looked at
me indifferently. Today, I can’t let you fail to climb up the social ladder. Sitting in this
elderly mobility vehicle, aren’t you afraid of lowering your class?”
“Where would we have class!! In fact, we really match well with the pedicab’s
temperament!”
The rain was a bit heavy, and these people had been dragging and pulling for half a day.
Fortunately, he’d had the foresight to not allow Shang Jin to sleep in for another ten
minutes. Ye Zhou also stopped joking and said directly, “I don’t mind bringing you guys
along, but this compartment isn’t big. It could squeeze in two people at most.”
“Squeeze squeeze squeeze, we’re not afraid!”
Ye Zhou looked in the rear carriage of the car and whispered, “You’re not afraid, but i would
like to give you a friendly reminder: Shang Jin is sleeping in back. Whoever wants to come
in, then come in.”
When this sentence came out, Ye Zhou saw the ecstatic crowd wilt their heads and prop the
umbrellas over their heads. They went before their bikes one after the other, silently
unlocking their bikes and cycling away.
“What happened?” Ye Zhou was baffled.
Listening to them from the time Zhou Wendao and those pedestrians appeared, Shang Jin
opened his eyes, pulled open the small window on the wall connecting the car
compartments and asked, “Your daughter?”
Ye Zhou suddenly coughed when he heard this, not having the nerve to look back. He
pretended to be unperturbed and said, “People all say that the car is the wife. Our pedicab
is a bit small, so saying daughter isn’t excessive.”
“You recognize a daughter on your own, but have you asked for my opinion?” Shang Jin
stared at Ye Zhou’s reddened ears and said, “I also have ownership of this car.”
Ye Zhou: “……”
There’s no way to answer this!!!
Chapter 23
In the end, the word ‘daughter’ was left unsettled.
But Ye Zhou still cherished this small three-wheeler. It was just a little…
Over the weekend, the sun disappeared for nearly a week. The sun finally hung in the blue
sky and the rain washed away the stains. The small red pedicab was shining brightly in the
sun. Ye Zhou was hanging his clothes to dry on the balcony, and his peripheral vision swept
across the smear of red in the vehicle shed. He discussed it over with the only other person
in the dorm and the other owner of the pedicab, Shang Jin. “Do you think the pedicab’s
color is a bit not so beautiful?”
Shang Jin put down the book he was reading, leaned back on the chair and said, “You’re
really taking it as raising a daughter and also want to change her clothes?”
“Can you not say this!!” Ye Zhou was ashamed and furious. “I’m talking to you seriously.
Good or bad, we’re using this car until graduation, and there’s more than two years left.”
“Then repaint it.” Shang Jin finished talking and turned his neck to continue reading.
“So you agree?” Ye Zhou finished hanging the last piece of clothes, put on his coat, took out
the hat behind Shang Jin’s clothes and said, “Go, let’s go buy the paint, the spraying kind.”
“Ah??” Shang Jin hadn’t reacted yet and was pulled out of the dormitory by Ye Zhou.
“It just happens to be a fine day today. We can go out and also bask in the sun.”
Shang Jin held his forehead, rescued his hat from Ye Zhou’s hand, resigned himself to his
fate and followed Ye Zhou downstairs. Halfway through, he suddenly realized: clearly he
was the most afraid of trouble, but now this kind of troublesome thing and troublesome
person was following him, and he unexpectedly didn’t even imagine a conflict. Indeed, he
was beginning to become less like himself.
And Ye Zhou…
Shang Jin looked at the person who had descended downstairs in front of him and
doubtfully said, “Don’t you dislike letting others see you and me walking together?”
Reminded by Shang Jin, Ye Zhou suddenly found that originally, he’d fearfully avoided
Shang Jin as much as possible, but now he actually took the initiative to pull him out. Not
only that, but he also bought a car with him.
What did he experience during these two months??
When did he and Shang Jin become so harmonious??
“Why don’t you talk?” The person who’d always been incessantly chattering beside his ear
suddenly becoming quietly, Shang Jin was a little not used to it. “Your suggestion, so you
drive.”
When his spirit returned, the two people had already arrived in front of the pedicab.
Shang Jin got into the back of the car first, and Ye Zhou also didn’t want to waste time
bickering about previous matters. He looked at Shang Jin and said angrily, “You’re lazy to
death!”
Two people drove the car for half an hour, went to the nearby building materials town and
bought a lot of do-it-yourself spray paint. When passing by the supermarket, Shang Jin
knocked on the window and said, “Want to go into the supermarket to buy work clothes?
Winter clothes aren’t easy to wash…”
Ye Zhou waved his hand and said, “What kind of work clothes are needed? When the work
is finished, work clothes also need to be washed. Just go to the grocery store and buy two
disposable raincoats. Use them and throw them away, no need to wash and also
convenient.”
Shang Jin just didn’t want to wash clothes. Hearing Ye Zhou said this, there was also no
objection.
Two people spent five yuan in the grocery store and bought two disposable raincoats. It
was called a raincoat, but it was actually a large plastic bag with sleeves.
On a Saturday afternoon, in a very remote corner of A Uni, Ye Zhou and Shang Jin wore
newspaper caps, blue raincoats and disposable gloves to paint the little red car.
Ye Zhou originally did this on a whim, and he had no idea what kind of design to spray.
With no structure in his mind, and on top of that he couldn’t come to a meeting of the
minds with Shang Jin, so the result was that the two people freely played for a bout and the
whole body became a multi-colored, stream of consciousness painting.
“Why is there a kind of feeling that the fresh daughter has been dressed up as a beggar?
Hey, hey, why did you spray on your last name??”
Shang Jin sprayed the last horizontal stroke and casually threw the empty can into the
plastic bag. “Lest someone steals the car.”
“A thief wouldn’t steal it. He’d be worried that he won’t be able to resell it.” Ye Zhou, not to
be outdone, also freely painted a “Ye” on the body of the car.
After this time, the little three-wheeler that had been hiding its identity amidst the elderly
mobility vehicles rose up above the others, and in one leap, became a famous car. Everyday
on the road, it was welcomed by countless onlookers taking pictures.
During that time, A Uni student’s circle of friends had this style of painting.
Classmate 1: Rumors aren’t as good as having one. Today, finally met the “Shang Ye” and
took a group photo as souvenir 【Photo】
Classmate 2: Specially rushed from the Literature Institute to the Finance Faculty just to
see the legendary “Shang Ye” 【Photo】
Classmate 3: In order to shoot “Shang Ye”, almost rode my bike into the lawn, but
fortunately, finally took the photo 【Photo】
Classmate 4: I only heard that there was such a famous car in the school. I didn’t even know
that the drive was so handsome!!! 【Photo】
At this time, Ye Zhou, one of the owners of the “Shang Ye Number” being discussed, was
sitting beside Shang Jin, staring at him using his computer to check the results of the
midterm exams.
Shang Jin completely didn’t feel Ye Zhou’s urgency. He slowly entered his student number
into the school website. “Isn’t it just the midterm exams? Need to go so far?”
“Cut the crap, quickly check it!” If it weren’t for not knowing the login password for Shang
Jin’s student number, he would have helped him to check it. “It came out!”
Ye Zhou looked at the screen in disbelief. From the beginning to the end of the midterm
exams, he had stayed with Shang Jin all day because of his foot injury, so he basically
understood how Shang Jin reviewed. So he was very clear that, compared to him who had
raced against the clock to review the week before the exams, Shang Jin couldn’t be called
reviewing at all.
Beside reading the books before the exam, he was either reading books borrowed from the
library, practicing characters or playing games.
However, when the results came out, Shang Jin still exceeded him in every subject.
Was this the so-called casually taking the exams???
Ye Zhou, sitting in the swivel chair, moved his seat back. It could be said that he was very
upset in his heart.
If Shang Jin had diligently reviewed as he had, and his grades were better than his, then
he’d also recognize it.
But on the contrary, Shang Jin casually testing was still better than his many days of
striving.
God was really unfair: not only did he give Shang Jin a good appearance, but also gave him a
good brain.
Ye Zhou lay on the table and doodled on the paper with a pen.
Shang Jin looked back and, seeing Ye Zhou lying soft as though boneless on the table, felt a
bit uncomfortable in his heart.
Ye Zhou was the energetic Ye Zhou and shouldn’t be in such a state of malaise.
Then, Shang Jin heard his own voice. “How about this: afterwards, whoever test better
would be the one to invite the other to eat?”
Ye Zhou suddenly propped himself up. “I accept your challenge! Just wait, at the end of the
term, it’d definitely be me who’d be inviting you to eat!!”
Wen Renxu and Liu Yutian who had just returned, heard Ye Zhou’s statement and was
unclear.
What’s going on in this world: there’s people who’d fight to invite others to eat??
Worthy of being scholarship people: buying cars, inviting others to eat, all without blinking
their eyes!

Chapter 24
As it entered December, some classes had ended and the after-school time became longer
and longer.
Ye Zhou really did as he said and began to earnestly prepare for the exam. In addition to
reading the textbooks, he often hung around the library to read financial-related books.
When he returned at night, he paid attention to the current news, completely occupying the
extra time after school.
And Shang Jin officially began the life of a 405 “left-behind child”. Every time the semester
was quickly approaching its end, it’d be like this. Only, this year felt particularly awkward.
Every time he took off his headphones and no longer heard the sound of Ye Zhou flipping
through his books, or when he stood up, he couldn’t hear the other person ask a question,
he always felt that something was missing.
When the cold air struck, the surrounding people discussed everyday whether it was going
to snow. However, the snow didn’t come as expected, but they found that it was replaced by
the heavy rain.
In this bad weather, the “Shang Ye Number” suddenly became a hot commodity.
Since there weren’t many courses, Ye Zhou and Shang Jin wouldn’t use the little pedicab for
anything except for classes. The library was only 15 minutes away from the male
dormitory, so Ye Zhou directly walked there each time, while Shang Jin directly stayed in
the dormitory.
The small three-wheeler was also left there when not in use. So when someone asked Ye
Zhou to borrow it, Ye Zhou would notify Shang Jin before lending the car out.
Originally thinking that today would be an exception, but he didn’t expect that, at 5:30PM,
Liu Yutian would mincing walk back and forth next to Shang Jin, but not say what was the
matter.
Staring at the computer, Shang Jin saw him walking around in his peripheral vision and
waited for him to open his mouth.
Liu Yutian stood behind Shang Jin’s back and gestured to Wen Renxu with his eyes. Wen
Renxu frowned and didn’t respond. Liu Yutian looked at Shang Jin’s cold expression and
mustered up his courage. “Shang Jin.”
Shang Jin took off his headphones and waited for the next words.
“Can you lend us your pedicab? It’s raining now, and we want to go to X Supermarket ー”
Not waiting for Liu Yutian to finish, Shang Jin handed him the key on the table.
“Thank you! I’ll bring you some strawberry candy.” Since the last time Ye Zhou had Wen
Renxu brought them, the people in the 405 dorm basically knew that Shang Jin liked to eat
strawberry candy. Liu Yutian took the key and quickly left the dorm with Wen Renxu.
Following the dorm door closing, Shang Jin was somewhat bewildered. Why was everyone
so bold and self-confident when they looked for Ye Zhou to borrow the car, but when it
came to him, they were so extremely feeble? Did he look like such a stingy person?
“ding-dong” came the beep from the phone. Shang Jin picked it up from the table. It was a
message from some website. He switched this off and at the same time, as if demons and
gods were at work, his fingers tapped open WeChat and refreshed his circle of friends.
With this refresh, he could see the latest messages sent from his circle of friends.
Ye Zhou: 【Crazy】【Crazy】Such a big rain, I rush back! Or rush back? Or I rush back…
【Photo】
The photo was taken from the table by the window on the fifth floor of the library.
“Serves you right,” Shang Jin whispered. Obviously knowing that dark clouds were flying
about during the day, but didn’t bring an umbrella when going to library.
Shang Jin put down his mobile phone and continued to wear his headphones. But this time,
he couldn’t immerse himself in the game no matter what. From time to time, his attention
was drawn to the phone and couldn’t help manually swiping through his circle of friends to
see if there was any new development.
Half past five…it’s just when this guy would usually return. On such a cold day, with Ye
Zhou’s stupid brain, it’s really possible that he’d run back in the rain.
Shang Jin’s hand movements paused and his eyes swept the time on the mobile phone. In
this interruption, he was chopped down by the villain in the game, and the whole team
broke into chaos.
【Team】Lasting love song sung for a century: Fuck, I don’t believe my eyes!! Xia Shang
Zhou actually made a mistake??
【Team】Bowl of chow mien coming dear: Goddess, what happened to you???
【Team】Secluded Swordsman: What goddess, actually committing such a ** mistake,
name doesn’t reflect reality *******, can’t play then ** don’t play
【Team】Lasting love song sung for a century: You’re the **!! Why don’t you look at how
many mistakes you’ve made since the beginning to now. Should move forward but shrink
behind. Shouldn’t go up but you cut through in confusion. If it wasn’t Shang Zhou saving
you, you would have wiped out already! Chow Mien, kick him out!
【Team】Bowl of chow mien coming dear: Kicked, dare to curse my goddess, afterwards,
see once, cut one. Goddess, don’t be mad~We won’t lower ourselves to argue with
losers~~
【Team】Lasting love song sung for a century: Shang Zhou??
At this time, Shang Jin had already stood up and found two umbrellas in the dorm and gone
out. When going out, he hesitated slightly, and put the other umbrella back in its original
place.
Ye Zhou, lying on the table by the window on the fifth floor of the library, had read for an
afternoon and his head was all stuffy. Just about to stand up, he saw that the rain was
getting heavier and heavier outside.
The surrounding students, one by one, made calls or sent messages to their dormmates to
send umbrellas. On the contrary, Ye Zhou didn’t have this intention.
Regardless of whether the other side was willing or not, it wasn’t good to ask his classmate
to be in this kind of weather. Not mentioning the road being hard to walk, even holding an
umbrella may also get wet.
Ye Zhou intended to wait until six o’clock. If the rain hasn’t weakened at six o’clock, then
he’d directly rush back.
Bored, he sent out a message to the circle of friends and received likes from a group of
fellow sufferers.
He waited until he couldn’t wait anymore. The rain was still falling, and Ye Zhou put his
notebook in his pocket. He pulled up his zipper and was about to go out when he suddenly
received a WeChat message.
Shang Jin: Where?
Ye Zhou: Library fifth floor.
Shang Jin: Come down, I have an umbrella.
Ye Zhou: Coming right away!
Sure enough, waiting for this half hour was right!
Ye Zhou excitedly rushed downstairs. A group of students taking shelter from the rain
stood in the library doorway. Ye Zhou squeezed through the crowd to the doorway and saw
Shang Jin standing outside the crowd holding an ordinary, dark blue umbrella like a savior.
Ye Zhou trotted over under the umbrella. The umbrella was relatively large and could cover
two people.
Ye Zhou, with two hands stuck in his pockets, stuck to Shang Jin’s shoulder and said,
“You’re not in the dorm today??”
“Well, today I was reading on the library third floor. When I was about to return, I saw the
message you sent on the circle of friends.”
Ye Zhou excitedly said, “Fortunately I had the foresight to send it to the circle of friends.”
Even if the umbrella was just right, the two people returning to the dorm would still get
their clothes wet. When the two returned, they took off their coats and hung them to one
side.
While Shang Jin was in the bathroom, Ye Zhou took a dry towel and wiped his clothes. After
wiping, he conveniently helped Shang Jin to wipe off the water drops sliding on the sleeves.
When he returned to his seat, he stumbled on Shang Jin’s chair and his arms propped on his
desk to maintain his balance, accidentally bumping the mouse.
The black screen lit up.
On the screen was still the game screen before leaving.
【Team】Lasting love song sung for a century: It’s almost half an hour. Where on earth did
Shang Zhou go? The instance was going well, suddenly disappeared.
【Team】Bowl of chow mien coming dear: qaq keep waiting!
Ye Zhou pursed his lips, looking at the computer screen with an unclear meaning.
A movement suddenly came from the bathroom, and Ye Zhou slammed the notebook cover
down.
Shang Jin: “???”
Ye Zhou coughed and calmly said, “Just tripped on the chair and accidentally closed your
notebook.”
When Shang Jin heard this, he suddenly realized that he had forgotten to turn off his
computer…fortunately, it’s okay.
Chapter 25
During these past few days, Ye Zhou hadn’t been able to calm down. On seeing Shang Jin,
he’d always have the appearance of hesitating to speak.
Ye Zhou couldn’t let go of Shang Jin sending him an umbrella a few days ago.
Why did Shang Jin send an umbrella to him?
Ye Zhou pushed his hair lightly and his eyes shifted from the book in front of him to Shang
Jin’s back.
Not only did he send him an umbrella, but he also found an excuse for him to accept it
without any burden.
This style of deeply hidden in name and deed was just like Lei Feng had come alive!
Lei Feng: A person who modeled the altruism and dedication of the Communist Party.
Ye Zhou touched his chin. Could it be that after this period of contact, Shang Jin had
prostrated himself under his fresh and elegant style?
Shang Jin, you also have this day!
What a pity. Unfortunately, this little grandpa only likes boys who are as cute and not
aggressive as Tang Dongdong. He would never admit that if Shang Jin really confessed to
him, he would not only not reject it, but would instead be singing like a serf who’d been
emancipated, lighting firecrackers to celebrate.
“Can you not look at me with such explicit eyes?” Ye Zhou, who was immersed in his own
fantasies, suddenly heard Shang Jin’s voice. “You’ve kept watching me for these few days.
Even if I indulge in your pursuit of me, but I also hope you wouldn’t add to my stress. Be
careful that I take back your right to pursue me.”
Pop, Ye Zhou’s fantasy bubble just now was punctured.
Pei pei pei! Sure enough, he was overthinking it. How could Shang Jin like him? Maybe
sending the umbrella that day really was in passing, and Shang Jin lied because it was
beneath his dignity.
“Praise yourself less. These few days, I was seeing if you’d sprouted flowers on your face.
Otherwise, why would strangers keep shooting you every time we go to class.” He’d wanted
to talk about this matter before, but seeing that Shang Jin looked unaware of it, he didn’t
take the initiative to say it. After all, the involved party didn’t mind, so why would he bring
it up.
Shang Jin saw that he wasn’t joking and recalled, “No, when I went to eat these few days, no
one took photos of me?” Towards the tail end, he had another thought and added, “You
think everyone is like you?”
“Is it fun to revisit old things?” Ye Zhou couldn’t help but clench his fists. Black history!!
Absolute black history!! And it was also absolutely irrefutable black history!
Shang Jin shrugged and said, “I really didn’t discover it.”
“That’s your observation skill being weak!!” Ye Zhou disdainfully said, “If you’re put in
ancient times, don’t know how many times you’d be assassinated! And you’d also die
without knowing the reason why!”
Actually, Shang Jin really shouldn’t be blamed for this matter. Of course, Ye Zhou also
wasn’t lying.
The reason was simple. After entering December, Ye Zhou and Shang Jin, beside from going
to class together on their little three-wheeler, the rest of the time, they were busy doing
their own things.
At that time, A Uni students were in their curious phase and trying and get a glimpse at the
famous “Shang Ye number”, so as long as they were riding the pedicab, the pedestrians on
the road would always fiercely take a burst of shots. When they didn’t ride the three-
wheeler, even if Shang Jin was a little bit of a well-known figure on the campus, but he’d
been at school for more than a year, so when others saw him, at most they would discuss
him and wouldn’t ever do anything like secretly taking photos. After all, there were actually
quite a few of Shang Jin’s photos in the school’s BBS, and it wasn’t worthwhile to secretly
take photos, this kind of “imbecile person” behavior.
Wen Renxu and Liu Yutian approached the dormitory after dinner and heard the
conversation between Ye Zhou and Shang Jin.
Liu Yutian pushed open the dormitory door and, standing in front of Ye Zhou, mysteriously
said, “I know.”
“What do you know?” Ye Zhou completely put down the textbook. These few days, he’d
been reviewing for consecutive nights in the quiet dorm. Ye Zhou had been stifled for so
many days and really needed to let loose a bit. He didn’t hide his curiosity at all. “Are people
really taking candid pictures of Shang Jin?”
“Hm-hmph hm-hmph.” Liu Yutian laughingly snorted several times with his nose and
extended a finger to wag it back and forth. “Not so, not so. the people in this school did take
pictures, but the person they’re shooting isn’t Shang Jin, but your beloved car, the ‘Shang Ye
number’!”
“Ah??” Ye Zhou was somewhat stupefied. Every time he rode with Shang Jin, he saw a lot of
people shooting at them. He thought that Shang Jin was a school celebrity, so Ye Zhou had
thought that by rights, it should be for Shang Jin. Who would have thought…not right, “Why
is it the ‘Shang Ye number’??”
Wen Renxu opened the computer and logged into the school’s BBS. “Here, this is the post.”
Ye Zhou moved his swivel chair over, mouth still unconvinced and angrily said, “Why is it
the Shang Ye number and not the Ye Shang number? Why is my head pressed down even in
the car’s name??”
Where would Shang Jin care about his big pile of whys. He directly walked to Ye Zhou’s side
and looked with him.
As the two people were rarely on the BBS, they didn’t even know one bit that they’d
actually silently set off a picture-taking storm in A Uni.
The name of the post was simply “Shang Ye number ー I am me, different colors of the
fireworks”. It was also the original poster who’d successfully spread on the name of the
Shang Ye number.
Ye Zhou angrily glared at Shang Jin. It definitely was being dragged down by this guy, or
else why would even his name must be written in front of his own.
LZ: “landlord”, same as original poster (OP)
LZ: Today, like many days before, the landlord finished eating dinner and carried my
thermos to slowly stroll back to the dormitory. At this time, a golden light flashed in front of
me and successfully spiced my eyes. A multi-colored painted pedicab stood in the parking
shed, an ugly maverick, ugly and unconventional, and made this landlord not only sigh that
this world actually has such a distinctive pedicab, but that it was completely different from
those pretty and flirtatious sluts outside. With just a glance, the landlord was deeply
impressed by it. How much enmity is there to actually take a perfectly good pedicab and
ruin it to this appearance. And the people who did it, not only weren’t they afraid of getting
in trouble, but also wrote two big words “Shang Ye” on the back of the car. The landlord,
brimming with righteousness, immediately inquired all around as to who was actually so
wretched to go so far as to do such an unlucky thing. Then, after spending half an hour, I
finally knew…it turns out Shang Ye were the fucking owners of this car!!! At this moment, I
seem to have heard the little pedicab say with a more indifferent face than this: “╮（﹀
＿﹀）╭ What can I do? I’m also desperate.”
Friendship post the little pedicab【Picture in front】【Picture behind】【Picture left】
【Picture right】
1L: Hahahaha, this is a sad story!
2L: Landlord quickly announce the coordinates! I want to spectate!
3L: Hahahaha also seeking coordinates.
4L: Pedicab: indifferent.jpg
No need to look at the following replies, they’re all the same hahahaha.
Ye Zhou’s lung capacity was insufficient. “Is it that ugly?”
Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu shifted their sight away.
Ye Zhou was reluctant to admit his mistakes. “I think it’s not bad.”
Shang Jin agreed, “I also think it’s good.”
Finally, after turning over two pages, the little three-wheeler photos began to appear in the
post. Afterwards, this post was just like a photo wall, all of them were the little three-
wheeler photos taken everywhere by the schoolmates.
There were also a few shots of Ye Zhou and Shang Jin’s faces.
Naturally, everyone recognized Shang Jin and couldn’t be more familiar with him. But as for
the unfamiliar face of Ye Zhou, more and more people following the thread asked for
information about the other resident of the three-wheeler.
Ye Zhou’s pulse suddenly sped up for two seconds. For the first time, everyone’s eyes were
gathered on him.

Chapter 26
It’s too easy to get a person’s information at school. Especially since Ye Zhou had good
relations with other people at school, in less than an hour, there were many people who
began to disclose.
1642L: Ye Zhou, ah, we’re in the same dorm building. Once, I was about to get the express
delivery just when the teacher called urgently. He was also going to get the express delivery
and offered to help me with it. At that time, I didn’t know and just knew that he was in the
same building. When I entrusted it to him, I was still a bit uneasy inside. When I came back
from the teacher, my express delivery was lying peacefully on my desk. I really was using a
villain’s heart to measure a gentleman’s intent. P.S. I remember that the pedicab was
originally red and it suddenly changed one day. I didn’t expect he and Shang Jin had such
bad taste~~
1660L: I work part-time in the school library. This handsome guy is super familiar. Ye Zhou
from the Finance Faculty borrows books several times a week and hangs around the library
these days. By the way, one time, his foot was lame and hopped on one leg to borrow books.
It’s simply a model of a modern-day ‘body disabled, aspiration unyielding’!
In the deep winter, a drop of sweat rolled down Ye Zhou’s forehead…
What was called body disabled, aspiration unyielding?? Classmate, you work in the library.
Don’t you know how to save up your knowledge capacity? Using idioms so
indiscriminately?
1671L: Ye Zhou is my high school alumnus. When I was in high school, everyone’s attention
was on the first place, but I remembered the second place because the first place was often
replaced, but the second place remained eternally unchanged for three years and was Ye
Zhou!! In fact, I always wanted to ask him how deeply he loved the second place. P.S. Even
in the college exam, he was one point off from the champion and became the runner-up.
1694L: As a classmate now, I would like to say that he’s now also forever second place in
our faculty. P.S. The first is Shang Jin.
1726L: I only knew that the first of the Finance Faculty was Shang Jin, and never knew that
the second place has always been Ye Zhou. To be honest, these two having such stable
results really makes people impress.
1763L: Shang Ye…so this car was bought by these two people? The faculty first and second
not only don’t go tit-for-tat, but actually still lovingly bought a pedicab?? This world is a
mysterious fantasy??
Seeing this sentence, the Finance Class 1 classmates showed a smile of tacit understanding.
The reason could only be sensed and not expressed in words.
“You’ve got quite a lot of acquaintances.” Shang Jin gave Ye Zhou a meaningful glance.
Ye Zhou sighed and feigned distressed, “What can I do, it’s good relations.”
Wen Renxu interjected, “Zhou, when you in high school, you really were always second in
the entire school?”
Ye Zhou smiled and said, “Not only in high school, elementary school and junior high school
were all like this.”
Liu Yutian took out a pen as a microphone and, using a reporter’s tone, said to Ye Zhou,
“Next, let’s interview Ye Zhou. Why do you have to compete for second place every time?
What’s the origin of why you’re unwilling to give up the throne of second place?”
At the same time, Wen Renxu took out his mobile phone and switched it to recording mode.
He said, “Once again for all of us, as a member of the news agency, it’s necessary for me to
report the truth. Tian’er, ask again. In a moment, I’ll finish editing it and post it on the
forum. By the way, go find a white board to make a light.”
Ye Zhou rolled his eyes and said, “I don’t think you’re the news agency. Like this, you’re
really like the paparazzi!”
Shang Jin, who’d been quiet, suddenly said, “I’ll make the light.”
The other three people in the dorm immediately looked at Shang Jin as if they saw an alien.
Shang Jin actually took the initiative to participate in such a spoof???
Wen Renxu looked at Ye Zhou even more fervently. Could it be that Ye Zhou had finally
captured Shang Jin??
Liu Yutian coughed and said, “Ah Xu, you remember to open the beautifying feature.”
Ye Zhou exclaimed, “A big man still beautifies???”
Liu Yutian chuckled, looking at Shang Jin standing to one side holding a blank draft paper as
a whiteboard and secretly said: Shang Jin, that light all hit on your face, you certainly don’t
need to be beautified.
Wen Renxu looked at the screen in his hand and praised, “Shang Jin, you’ve studied this??”
Shang Jin unconcerned said, “Isn’t it just reflecting the light?”
Wen Renxu choked. Why did he always feel that Shang Jin’s next sentence would be “Can’t
even do this kind of thing, still deserve to be a person?”
Liu Yutian used a broadcasting voice and asked Ye Zhou again.
Ye Zhou said with a profound face, “A low-key life doesn’t need a reason.”
After Wen Renxu uploaded it to the forum, Liu Yutian impatiently opened it to look.
On the whole screen, only Ye Zhou was sitting on the left and Shang Jin standing beside
him. Originally without beautifying, the two people already had the highest attractiveness
index. After being softened, their temperament became even more unearthly. One changed
from his past hopping temper to quiet melancholy. The other’s head hung down, “gently”
looking at the person next to him.
It really was a pleasing, gentle and beautiful picture.
The problem was ー
Liu Yutian furiously said, “What about me???”
Wen Renxu shrugged and said, “Who cares?”
Liu Yutian bitterly lamented, “It’s not easy to have a chance to appear on video. Do you
think it’s easy for me?”
No one cared about Liu Yutian’s sole voice because everyone’s attention was all on Ye Zhou
and Shang Jin.
2014L: Does the landlord have a HD version!! i want to change the wallpaper!! This picture
is simply!!
2042L: Shoot!! All the male gods went to the finance class?? The attractiveness index of the
Finance Faculty is too high! In the past, only male god Shang Jin’s level was known, didn’t
expect Ye Zhou also isn’t inferior! Sure enough, low-key life doesn’t need an explanation?
2061L: Isn’t Shang Jin famous for being aloof!! In the end, is the Shang Jin in the video fake,
or the Shang Jin I usually see fake???
2083L: The male god isn’t aloof at all, but you’re not the person he wants to warm (/ω＼)
What to do, immediately make up 100,000 words!
2100L: The Shang Ye Great Way is good, join the religion to protect the peace~
As a boy who isn’t straight, Ye Zhou immediately understood the meaning of these words.
His innocence…seemed to be getting farther away from him…
Ye Zhou frowned at the comments. He looked back at the video at Shang Jin looking down
at him and gesturing intimately, matching him while he talked on the side. How he looked,
it seemed like a gentle as water picture…
But when he thought of Shang Jin being gentle to him, Ye Zhou instinctively wanted to
shudder.
Why did Shang Jin want to look at him??
Ye Zhou thought so and asked.
Shang Jin nonchalantly said, “I saw the pen mark on your face and was thinking of how to
use the light to cover it up.”
“Then I really have to thank you for your thoughtfulness!” Ye Zhou gritted his teeth and
looked at the mirror. Sure enough, there was a deep, black pen mark on his nose. But this
kind of thing, if he’d directly told him, he’d clean it off! Did it need his exquisite lighting
technology??
Shang Jin very frankly accepted Ye Zhou’s thanks. “You’re welcome.”
Ye Zhou indignantly washed his face clean of the pen mark. The difficult-to-build
melancholic handsome guy style was probably spoiled by this eyesore of a pen mark…
Ye Zhou was worrying unnecessarily. After looking at the replies, no one mentioned it, and
he was relieved. When he continued to slide down, he suddenly saw a reply.
2222L: So this car was bought together by the eternal first and eternal second? Urgently
seeking coordinates!!
Ye Zhou touched the place where he had just washed, and said in his heart: Wasn’t it just a
car? Why so anxious?

Chapter 27
Because of the level six exam, the people in the 405 dorm all woke up early in the next
morning, although the exam time was in the afternoon.
When Ye Zhou finished washing up and went downstairs to buy a meal, he saw a student
standing next to the small three-wheeler, hand touching the three-wheeler’s body with a
solemn expression as he said something.
“What’s this situation?” Ye Zhou quietly walked over there. It was so-called stealthily, but
Ye Zhou, as such a big person, would have been easily discovered in the empty space in
front of the dorm. But the student was obviously too focused and didn’t notice at all.
After approaching, Ye Zhou finally heard what the other had been muttering to himself.
“Test god bless me, this is already the third time I’m testing the fourth level. Bless that
today’s questions are the ones that I could do!!” After finishing, the classmate clasped his
hands together against the small three-wheeler and slightly bowed three times.
Ye Zhou pulled his lips. When did this little three-wheeler upgrade to a test god??
“That…”
Ye Zhou just made a sound, and that classmate startled like a rabbit, jumping greatly in
fright.
“Sorry, scared you.” Ye Zhou awkwardly smiled.
“Ye Zhou!!!” After the shock, the student recognized Ye Zhou at a glance. “You look better
than the video.”
Ye Zhou was just bewildered that his classmate didn’t seem familiar at all but could
recognize him…could it be that after last night’s post, he could be considered half-a-
celebrity at school?
“Thank you, what are you doing here?”
“Worshipping the test god.” The classmate gave a big, melancholic sigh. “To be honest, I’ve
given up hope on the English subject. Even if I’ve tested twice, I was a couple points away
from passing. I clearly did a lot of mock questions, but I can’t improve!! Yesterday, I saw
everyone talking about the car on the forum. I heard that Shang Jin and you, one is eternally
first and one is eternally second. Is it true?”
Ye Zhou very reluctantly “Mm”.
“Then that’s right. The eternally first and eternally second sound just like test gods. The car
bought by the two test gods must have gathered the power of the two test gods. I let the
test god bless me, hoping that I must pass this time!”
Was this trying anything in a crisis?
Ye Zhou straightened his face and earnestly said, “Classmate, believing in feudal
superstitions is unacceptable…”
The classmate looked at his watch and said, “Ye Zhou, I have to go. If I really pass the test,
I’ll help you clean the car!!”
This matter was soon tossed to the back of Ye Zhou’s mind. But after the afternoon exams, a
post once again pushed their beloved car into the fiercest wind and waves.
After finishing the sixth level exam, he could finally relax the taut nerves for a while. Ye
Zhou didn’t even touch the books when eating dinner, and directly wandered onto the
school’s BBS.
The post discussing the Shang Ye number had already made headlines. Ye Zhou was too
lazy to look at the later replies.
However, at nine in the evening when the Internet peaked, a new post floated on the forum.
The title of the post directly expressed the landlord’s mood ー “Worshipping the test god is
really useful!! Many questions today were those I could do!! I have a hunch I can pass this
time!”
Ye Zhou lamented, “I didn’t expect there’s so many superstitious people.”
Wen Renxu just heard this sentence in passing by and curiously said, “What’s wrong?”
Ye Zhou turned the computer screen to him and said, “Look.” He said while opening the
main post.
As a result, the more he looked, the more his face twitched.
The landlord who posted it was not someone else, but the boy that Ye Zhou had met at the
dorm door this morning.
LZ: Today, with half an hour before the exam, I hurried to the door of the Finance Faculty
dorm. I prayed extremely devoutly to the legendary “Shang Ye number”, the test god car in
my mind! PS met Ye Zhou at the door, and was more handsome than the video! At the time,
I completely had the mindset of making a last ditch effort. Didn’t expect!! After the worship,
my exam state was better than ever! There wasn’t the feeling of groping around in the dark.
For the first time, I felt that English wasn’t difficult! I also finally understood what everyone
meant when they said yesterday that the “Shang Ye Great Way was good, join the religion
to protect the peace”!! Shang Ye religion! I joined!
“Was it actually him???” But the Shang Ye religion he mentioned and the Shang Ye religion
those people mentioned yesterday definitely weren’t the same.
Liu Yutian, not knowing when he came over, said, “Is it real or fake? Does your car still have
this function?”
Shang Jin serenely said, “I don’t know if there is such a function, but starting from
tomorrow, it should be very lively around the small three-wheeler.”
It was just approaching exam week. Once people on the forum heard there’s such a thing,
they immediately blew up the pot.
1L: Shoot!! When I was testing the sixth level, I parked in the same shed with this car! Why
didn’t I go worship at that time!!
2L: Shang Ye Great Way is god, join the religion to be safe and sound. The day after
tomorrow, I must go worship before the exam!
3L: So miraculous?
4L: Have an exam on Monday? Let’s form a group and go worship!
5L: The test gods’ car…makes sense, being eternally first is hard enough, being eternally
second is even more difficult, and the eternally first and eternally second bought a car
together, it’s even more extremely small of a probability! I will also go offer a prayer
tomorrow.
Ye Zhou held his forehead. He didn’t want to set off a wave of feudal superstition at school.
However, this wasn’t something that wouldn’t happen just because he didn’t want it.
Especially for the exam week students; they all held the mentality of rather believing than
not.
When the final exam formally opened its curtain on Monday, Ye Zhou stood in the dorm
upstairs and saw from time to time that someone was praying in front of the small three-
wheeler.
After a lot of people finished the exam, there were marvelous replies in the post.
1123L: Really useful!!! I didn’t learn by heart half of the economic law, and the result was
all the ones that I’d learned!!!
1134L: Was it a psychological effect? I also think that today’s exam went a lot smoother!!
1150L: The me who didn’t believe in superstition, when everyone was worshiping the test
god, I was unconventional and didn’t go. The result was that I couldn’t test more than half
of the exam. All was blindly writing qvq and felt like I’d fail…
1176L: Fuck, don’t scare me! I also don’t hold by superstitions, but with what you said, I
don’t dare not go!
1200L: Regardless of whether it’s true or not, I’ll also go worship tomorrow!!
Ye Zhou was deeply worried and anxiously said, “I’m really worried that the school’s
leadership would come to confiscate our three-wheeler. This is entirely advocating feudal
superstition.”
‘With a clear conscience, what are you afraid of?” Shang Jin propped his chin and said,
“What, worried that others would take you as a cult leader?”
“Even if there’s a cult leader, it’d be you!!” Ye Zhou said, unwilling and unreconciled in his
heart. Although he didn’t want to admit it, but the fact was that he was indeed inferior to
the other person.
Shang Jin jokingly said, “Let me be the leader, then what about you? The leader’s wife?”
With a snap, Ye Zhou broke the pencil in his hand.
In less than two seconds, a pencil flew from Shang Jin’s direction and landed firmly in Ye
Zhou’s hand.
Ye Zhou looked at the pencil…in the end, should he break it? Or break it? Or break it?
Bang!
In between the thoughts, that pencil escaped a calamity and ended up in the pen holder,
completely ignored.

Chapter 28
It’d been one week since the final exams had begun, and there were still people
intermittently coming to the entrance of the male dormitory, hoping for the favor of the
test god to bless them for a bit smoother testing during the exam.
When Ye Zhou came down one day, he suddenly noticed that on the roof of the car, there
were several…apples?
Ye Zhou and Shang Jin looked at each other. Rubbing the apple in their hands and looking
all around, they didn’t see a trace of a figure.
“Really strange, this car can actually grow apples.” And the apples were thoroughly pink,
glossy, plump and fragrant. Even if it was the season for eating apples, this kind of apple
didn’t look cheap. “Would it be when they were worshiping the small three-wheeler, they
put them there and forgot to take them?”
Shang Jin licked his lips and said, “It looks very delicious.”
Ye Zhou seized it and said, “Can’t eat it! It hasn’t been washed yet. What’s more, this is
someone else’s.”
“Yo, Zhou, we’re about to go to wholesale apples in the farmers’ market. Did you take the
lead to buy a few back?” Zhou Wendao ran over several steps, followed by Liu Yutian. “The
apples you bought back looks good.”
Ye Zhou put the apples in the car and prepared to go back to the forum to open a lost and
found. During exam week, everyone’s entertainment program was to browse BBS, so most
students should be able to see it. Especially those who came to visit the test god, they’re
definitely people who often get caught up in the BBS. After doing this, they looked at the
two people who were inexplicably paired. “Why are you two gathered together?”
“Heheheh…” Zhou Wendao heavily hooked Ye Zhou’s neck and said, “Zhou, lend me your
car for a bit.”
After Ye Zhou handed the key to him, he asked, “Are you really going to wholesale apples?”
“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and we’re both planning to go sell apples on the street.” Zhou
Wendao scratched his head and said, “This is the end of the month and there’s no money.
Why not take a little bit of investment to earn extra money?”
Ye Zhou disagreed, “Who’d celebrate Christmas Eve in exam week? You be careful that you
don’t lose everything you invested, at the end, only able to hold a pile of apples to survive
this month.”
“The exam week is also unable to stop the Christmas enthusiasm. Rest assured!” Liu Yutian
confidently said, “Last year, I saw girls selling apples, selling one for ten or twenty. How
much could one apple cost? Add in the packaging, it’s still doubled the profit.”
“Whatever.” After seeing them go, Ye Zhou realized that he and Shang Jin had decided early
in the morning to drive the pedicab to the eat in cafeteria and then go to the library to read.
As a result, the mount was lent out without consulting with Shang Jin, and it seemed a bit
insincere. Ye Zhou embarrassedly said, “Shang Jin, sor ー”
The words hadn’t finished, Shang Jin nonchalantly unlocked the bicycle, looked at the
distracted Ye Zhou on the side and asked, “Still not going?”
“Go go go.” Ye Zhou observed Shang Jin’s expression as he unlocked the bike. He really
didn’t look even a bit offended. Unable to endure his curiosity, he asked, “I didn’t ask your
decision and I lent out the car to others without your permission when you wanted to use
the car. You’re not angry?” The main reason was that today’s weather was sunny and
cloudless, and both of them could go to the library riding their bikes, but Zhou Wendao
would certainly have a bit of a hard time buying the apples in bulk using their bikes.
“You’ve already lent it. Could it be that I’d still tear down your stage?”
“Of course that wouldn’t do.” Ye Zhou revealed a slight smile that even he didn’t notice. He
followed behind Shang Jin and after eating breakfast, he went out ahead of Shang Jin and
bought two apples at the fruit shop next to the cafeteria and put them in his backpack.
When Shang Jin came out, they went to library together. However, because they’d finished
eating ten minutes later, the library had already become completely occupied.
“Really unlucky today. We can only borrow books and go back to read.”
Shang Jin, contrarily, didn’t care. He and Ye Zhou selected a few books and rode back to the
dormitory.
Back in front of his familiar desk, Shang Jin always felt as if he’d forgotten something.
What exactly was the matter?
Shang Jin looked at the books he’d borrowed from the library, used the computer to write
papers on one hand, and pondered if he’d forgotten something or the other…until a strand
of ‘illusory’ apple fragrance kept creeping into his nose.
It turned out that he’d forgotten to buy an apple.
But even if he wanted to eat it, he wouldn’t go so far as to hallucinate enough to smell an
apple’s fragrance. His self-control definitely wasn’t so weak.
Suddenly, a cold thing stuck to his face, and emitted wave after wave of fragrance.
Shang Jin took the apple and leaned his head on his shoulder to wipe away the water traces.
Before he could speak, Ye Zhou opened his mouth first, “This time, it’s absolutely clean.”
This was bearing a grudge for him saying the apple wasn’t cleaned last time?
“Thank you.” Shang Jin rubbed the apple. Because his head was lowered, Ye Zhou didn’t see
the corners of his mouth curled up.
“You’re welcome. It’s also not specially bought for you. It’s just that, seeing the apple today,
I remembered that there seemed to be two apples that haven’t been eaten yet.” Ye Zhou
took a bite of his apple to cover up. “I’ll get some more in the evening.”
However, there wasn’t an opportunity to buy apples that night. Not only that, but in the
following week, Ye Zhou and Shang Jin no longer wanted to see an apple again.
Liu Yutian opened the dormitory door with his body carrying a box of apples and Zhou
Wendao followed with the packaging boxes. Seeing Ye Zhou and Shang Jin in the dorm, they
were surprised.
“We’re…not disturbing you, right?” Zhou Wendao hesitantly asked, looking back and forth
between Ye Zhou and Shang Jin.
“What’s disturbing and not disturbing,” Ye Zhou angrily said, “Speak a little less nonsense
and quickly get inside. It’s freezing to death with the door open!”
Liu Yutian put the box of apples aside and started folding the packaging boxes together
with Zhou Wendao. Ye Zhou also put down his textbook and joined to help put the apples
into the packaging boxes.
The three people were busy for an hour and finally packed nearly a hundred apples.
Only then did Shang Jin come over. He picked up a packaged apple and said, “Are you going
to finish selling them tomorrow?”
“We’ll go to a place where there’s more people. What’s more, if we can’t sell, we just have to
push down the price to sell. It’s fine as long as it’s not a loss.”
Ye Zhou was very skeptical when he saw such a large quantity of apples. It’s just that seeing
the two people’s animated expressions, he really couldn’t bear to attack the other’s
enthusiasm. Anyway, he had more money. If they came on difficult times, he could help out.
Wait until the next day, Ye Zhou found out that the exam week couldn’t withstand the
enthusiasm of Christmas. Especially in the evening, the dorm next door didn’t intend to
return at all. Instead, they went to the KTV to sing songs all night.
According to Ye Zhou’s nature that loved bustling and excitement, he’d definitely like to run
towards places with more people. However, when he was planning to accept the dorm next
door’s invitation to go singing, his eyes fell on Shang Jin who was completely undisturbed
by the outside world and single-mindedly focused on reading books, and firmly refused.
Outstanding people were still working hard. What qualifications did he have to go out and
be free and at ease?
Sending away the other students, Ye Zhou closed the door and walked to Shang Jin’s side to
scout for information. When he saw the cover of Shang Jin’s book, he exclaimed, “Why are
you reading a novel??”
This heavenly law cannot tolerate expression made Shang Jin unable to make head or tail of
it. “What’s wrong? I can’t?”
Ye Zhou had some regrets refusing the classmate just now. However, thinking about it
again, he should take this opportunity to prepare well for the exam. Maybe he’d be able to
surpass Shang Jin.
Not knowing how long the quiet atmosphere lasted, Shang Jin, who was reading, suddenly
stood up.
Ye Zhou’s ear moved, continuing to focus on the book.
An apple was placed in Ye Zhou’s hand. Ye Zhou looked up in puzzlement.
“Christmas Eve…”
“You actually believe this too…” Ye Zhou raised an eyebrow, blanking first, then laughing
out loud: not the belly laugh of hearing a joke, nor the sneer of going tit-for-tat, but a
genuine, heartfelt smile.
Badump badump…
For the first time, Shang Jin heard the sound of his heartbeat.
“Dingdingding…” The phone rang merrily in the quiet bedroom. Ye Zhou lightly pressed the
apple on the table and rolled it back and forth with one hand, while picking up the phone in
the other hand.
“Zhou! Please help!!”
Notes
• Christmas Eve (平安夜 – Píng’ā n yè) can also mean ‘safe and sound night’. Apples
(苹果 – Píngguǒ ) has a homonymous name and gifting an apple is wishing the
person peace.
Chapter 29
Ye Zhou held his forehead. Although he’d expected that they would have this result, but he
hadn’t expected it to come so soon.
“What happened?”
“Isn’t it Zhou Wendao and them? They can’t sell the apples.” Ye Zhou stood up, put on his
coat and said, “But I also don’t have any experience selling things, so I’ll find more places to
sell the apples at a discount.”
Shang Jin said without hesitation, “I’ll go with you.”
Thinking that having one more person was one more helper, Ye Zhou also didn’t refuse.
When they got off and went to where Zhou Wendao was sitting in the plaza, Ye Zhou looked
at the wide expanse of people selling apples and he despaired a little in his heart.
But most people only had twenty-something apples placed in front of them. Who would be
like Zhou Wendao and Liu Yutian, not only having more than thirty in front, but also having
a box placed behind each of them.
“It’s been two hours since you’ve been gone.” Ye Zhou looked at them, the meaning self-
evident.
When Zhou Wendao saw him, it was like seeing a close relative. He pulled his arm and
complained, “You don’t know how many people are selling apples. I saw people sell for 20,
so I thought that pricing it at 15 should sell well. In the end, the side had people selling for
ten yuan, and was cheaper by five yuan. The apples I bought here are the expensive apples
and cost eight yuan.”
“I saw.” Walking over here, Ye Zhou had walked while discussing with Shang Jin…wait,
what about Shang Jin??
Ye Zhou looked around didn’t see the shadow of Shang Jin. “When you just came here, was
Shang Jin following me?”
Liu Yutian was astonished. “Shang Jin also came??”
“Forget it. I’ll call him and ask him.” Ye Zhou sighed. “Foolish or not, buying such expensive
apples. Do you think people are buying this to eat? Moreover, other people can’t see it if
you packaged them up in a box. You watch, the later it gets, the cheaper the apples will be.
Five yuan is still light. In the end, even with a direct big markdown at one yuan for one, still
no one would buy it.”
Zhou Wendao looked at him with tearful eyes.
Reading books and doing problem was still okay, but Ye Zhou had never sold anything. He
moved the box filled with apples and looked around to find a place where there were more
passersby and less apple sellers. “I’ll go over there and have a look first. Let’s split up, one
more sold is one better.”
After Ye Zhou settled himself, Shang Jin ー who knew from where ー came to his side and
reported his results. “I looked at the other people’s apples: many of them were small and
looked very ordinary. The prices they were shouting are also very random. I reckon it’s
probably the same plan as Liu Yutian and them.”
Ye Zhou looked at the apple in front of him, looked at Shang Jin and mocked, “Then I don’t
know if the omnipotent classmate Shang Jin have the ability to sell all of these?”
“First, as long as they’re human, there’s no one who’s omnipotent. Second, I wanted to say
yesterday that it’s really not wise to sell apples at this time. Have you seen anyone who
only thought of buying gifts when they’re attending the birthday party? So…” Shang Jin put
a leaflet that he’d taken when passing by on the edge of the flower bed and, not standing by
politeness, sat down and concluded, “It’s impossible to sell out today.”
Ye Zhou also didn’t lose heart. Originally when he’d come out, he’d carried some hope, so
he’d placed some books in his bag and specially carried the box under the streetlights.
“Read?” This could be counted as the book he’d specifically brought for Shang Jin. Although
he didn’t know why Shang Jin came, Ye Zhou didn’t expect him to really help sell apples.
After sitting for ten minutes, there was still no one. Ye Zhou couldn’t sit still. Sitting to wait
for death wasn’t his style. He packed half the apples in his bag and said to Shang Jin reading
his book, “You just sit here. I’m going elsewhere to sell.”
Shang Jin didn’t lift his head and hummed in acknowledgement. Not long after Ye Zhou left,
Shang Jin who was reading a book suddenly felt a shadow in front of him.
A girl blushed and asked, “How are these sold?”
“Fifteen.”
“Help us get two.”
Shang Jin really didn’t expect anyone to buy. He had a box of apples in front of him and
simply didn’t have any bags to carry them in. Shang Jin somewhat awkwardly said, “I’m
sorry, I don’t have a bag…”
The girl quickly said, “It doesn’t matter, just pack it in my cloth bag is fine.”
“Thank you.” Shang Jin, who was very good at utilizing his own advantages, immediately
unstintingly gave the other a formulaic smile.
The girl gave money and smiled like she’d gotten money, being giddily pleased with her
companion.
In less than half an hour, Shang Jin sold five or six more like this, including two more daring
girls who directly gave the apple to Shang Jin after paying the money.
On the other side, Ye Zhou carried the apples to the periphery of a staged event.
There were some people singing on the stage and people were being drawn over.
Ye Zhou put the apples in a place that wouldn’t hinder others from walking but could be
seen in a glance. He bought a headband hanging with two bright stars on the way and wore
it on his head. Standing on the side, as long as someone’s eyes were facing him, he
immediately got up and marketed. Ye Zhou’s mouth was sweet and person was handsome.
Many people couldn’t resist his constant offensive. A lot of apples were sold by the time the
event ended. Seeing that there wasn’t anyone left, he was preparing to put the remaining
few apples back in his bag when a little girl who was crying without stop passed by in front
of him. The little girl’s mother helplessly coaxed her on the side.
Ye Zhou was also idle. He walked over and removed the headband from his head and
handed it to the girl. The crying girl was immediately attracted. She watched as Ye Zhou
wiped her tears and felt a little embarrassed.
The young girl’s mother looked very young. She saw that her daughter had stopped crying
and immediately said to Ye Zhou, “Little brother, how much is it? Just say that I’m buying
it.”
“No need, give it to her to play.” This had originally been for attracting people’s attention.
Now that people had left, it didn’t have a purpose anymore.
The little girl looked at the box behind Ye Zhou and asked, “What’s that?”
Ye Zhou squatted down and helped the little girl to wear the headband. He smiled gently,
“This is the fruit of peace. If the little princess ate this, she will be safe and sound and
become more beautiful as she grows up.”
The little girl looked at her mother and the mother made a heroic, big sweep with her hand.
“I’ll take all of it.”
The kindhearted Ye Zhou immediately said, “No need, just buy one is fine.”
The little girl stretched out her arm and gestured, saying, “I want to eat a lot of peace fruits,
then I can get more and more beautiful.”
Thinking of Zhou Wendao and Liu Yutian, Ye Zhou didn’t refuse this time. He used the bag
to hold the last five ones and handed them to the girl’s mother. The other handed him a
hundred and stopped him from giving change, holding the little girl to say goodbye to him.
Ye Zhou smiled and waved to the little girl, then counted the money in his hand and walked
in Shang Jin’s direction with a special sense of accomplishment. Hmph hmph, Shang Jin had
said before that he couldn’t sell out. He’d hit the other’s face with this fact.
Shang Jin was still in the same posture as when he’d left before, with a box in front of him
and two packaged apples on the side. Ye Zhou proudly jumped in front of him and said, “I,
this grandpa, with matchless charisma, have completely sold out.”
Shang Jin put away his book, stood up and said, “What a coincidence, so have I.”
“Don’t lie to me.” Ye Zhou lifted his chin and pointed at the two extra apples. “There are still
two left. Want to tell lies, but don’t know how to hide them away.”
“These two were given by others.” Shang Jin handed over the money he’d collected and put
the two extra apples in the box. Lest Ye Zhou didn’t receive enough stimulation, he
continued to say, “There were two girls who bought them and directly gave them to me.”
Sending out sour bubbles in his heart, Ye Zhou said, “I know that you’re infinitely charming
and no one could rival you.”
Shang Jin ignored his sour words. Looking at the time, he said, “Let’s go back. Any later and
the door will be closed.”
In front of Zhou Wendao’s apple stall, it seemed like time had stood still. An hour had
passed, but it felt like nothing had changed. Ye Zhou threw the empty boxes in front of them
and said, “Did you guys sell anything at all?”
Liu Yutian incredulously said, “Don’t tell me you’ve sold out?”
“Uh-huh.” Ye Zhou took the money from his pocket and said, “Here’s the money. We’re
going back.”
Zhou Wendao counted the money in disbelief and muttered, “You two aren’t just test gods,
but also the gods of wealth! I’ve seen the people around selling apples, and really, no one
sold more than five.”
“Let’s go back. Any later and the dorm will be closed.”
Liu Yutian said, “We’ll keep selling for a while. We won’t go back tonight and go with 404 to
sing together. Ah Xu is also there. When you go back, just lock the door.”
Shang Jin said, “Then let us take the car. It’s almost ten o’clock. We can leave ten apples
with you guys and bring the rest back.”
For them, this was exactly what they were looking for and they nodded their heads like
pounding garlic.
The two people carried the apples to look for the car, and Shang Jin said, “I’ll drive on the
return trip.”
Did he eat the wrong medicine? Shang Jin actually offered to be the “coolie”?
Of course he thought this in his mind, but Ye Zhou didn’t dare to say it. He was different
from Shang Jin who sat there all night while he ran around the square. Not only that, but he
was still a bit hungry. “Okay, before going back, let’s buy some food.”
“Rushing around” for a night, it was already half past ten when they returned to the
dormitory.
Ye Zhou took the bed desk and put it on the floor. The beer, duck neck and duck wings were
set on the table. Shang Jin found two stacks of books and put them on the ground as small
stools.
“It’s more atmospheric to drink at a table.” Ye Zhou pulled open the ring, handed the first
opened can to Shang Jin, and then opened a can for himself and drank a mouthful. “Cool.”
Shang Jin held his beer and bumped it with Ye Zhou’s. He wasn’t too thirsty and only took a
small sip.
Bang!
Ye Zhou slammed the beer can on the table and said with dissatisfaction, “How do you
drink alcohol like this? Drink a big mouthful!”
Shang Jin’s eyes swept his flushed face and silently cursed in his heart. This guy wouldn’t
get drunk after he’d just started drinking, right?

Chapter 30
Ye Zhou certainly didn’t get drunk, but in the dim light inside that quiet dorm room, his
squinting eyes were unknowingly admiring as he looked at the other gracefully drinking
beer. It was really not intoxicated by alcohol, but intoxicated by a person. Unwittingly, his
head became dizzy.
In such a relaxed moment, Ye Zhou unconsciously said something that he normally
wouldn’t say: his dissatisfaction with Shang Jin.
Shang Jin put down the beer and examined Ye Zhou’s complexion, judging whether it was
necessary to talk seriously to the other person. “Can’t hold your drink and still want to tell
me how to drink?”
Ye Zhou slanted his mouth and glared at him, “That’s not what I meant.”
Shang Jin ignored him and continued to drink slowly.
“Shang Jin, you say, when you were born, did God not only help you to open the door and
open the window, but also helped set you up with a pair of awesome wings?” Ye Zhou
usually had enough words already. When he drank alcohol, the chatterbox became
completely unacceptable. “Otherwise, when selling apples, how could you sell better than
me?”
Shang Jin sneered and didn’t answer Ye Zhou’s question. Instead, he switched topics. “Did
you really never get first place since childhood?”
After hearing from the forum last time that Ye Zhou was D City’s runner-up in the exams,
Shang Jin specially checked the score of the top scorer, which was ten points worse than
him. But for Ye Zhou to achieve this score in the whole country was already formidable
enough. Although it was second place, but this was also the first time Shang Jin had
encountered someone who was able to grasp this result so accurately. Every time, it was
only a little worse than the first place. As for Ye Zhou being deliberate, Shang Jin really
didn’t see it. Otherwise, why would Ye Zhou treat him as an opponent every time, and once
he found a gap, would want to surpass him? So it could be seen that he wasn’t deliberate…
then that was unavoidably too pitiful.
“Isn’t it? I have been tied to the second place with an indestructible bond in this life. No
matter what, I’ve been second: elementary school, junior high school, high school, college.
What evil did I do in my past life that in this life, I’m unable to escape from the life of a
second.” Once he said this, Ye Zhou became enraged. “The second”, Ye Zhou gestured with
his finger and irreconcilably said, “What low-key life don’t need a reason? I really want to
take first place. I don’t want second place. Isn’t this just not being able to surpass you?”
Some words had been buried in his heart for so many years, but he’d never being able to
find the right person to tell. Now, sitting in front of Shang Jin whom he’d always regarded
as his archenemy, Ye Zhou unconsciously put down his defense because Shang Jin
understood him.
There was no need for Shang Jin to answer. Ye Zhou just wanted to vent his discontent and
resentment that he had deliberately ignored in his heart. “Why does the world always pay
attention to the first place? Should the second place be neglected? It’s not that my thoughts
are inferior to the other person. Could it be because I’m a little worse than the other that all
my efforts should be denied?”
Shang Jin had never experienced this feeling, and only simply said, “You drink less.”
Shang Jin’s words just fell and Ye Zhou, like a rebellious child, immediately opened a can of
beer and drank a big mouthful. “I have a big brother. Like you, he’s very outstanding in all
aspects, so my parents were due to think that I should be just as good as my brother. But
where would the probability of being a genius be that high? I’m an ordinary person, and I
have to work harder than a genius a hundred thousand times to just not be left behind by
them. I thought that the results I’d achieved weren’t bad, but they didn’t even look at me
properly…” Ye Zhou sighed, “Not once…if they could turn their heads even once…”
“Then isn’t it simple? I’ll give you the first place in this final exam.”
Ye Zhou, who was originally really drunk, immediately sobered when he heard this. His
eyes were no longer confused and looked directly at Shang Jin without any emotion and
asked, “Are you serious?”
Shang Jin shrugged and said indifferently, “The order has no meaning for me. I don’t see
any difference between first and second. Since you value it so much, it’s good to give it to
you.”
Ye Zhou picked up a beer can and finished the beer in one breath, and then placed it heavily
on the table. The four weak legs of the bed desk quickly collapsed under Ye Zhou’s strength.
Ye Zhou vigorously squeezed the can’s body. Soon, the beer can was squeezed into a
deformed shape. Contrary to his movement, his voice was very light. “Shang Jin, I thought
you knew me.”
Shang Jin’s heart suddenly sank, immediately realizing that he’d just said the wrong thing.
Without giving Shang Jin a chance to remediate, Ye Zhou continued, “Are you giving alms?
What you have at your fingertips made me strive for a lifetime. So you feel that I’m pitiful,
sympathize with me and want to mercifully ‘let’ me have it once?”
“I told you that not to ask for something. What I want, I’ll rely on myself to strive for it.” Ye
Zhou panted, brimming with anger. He’d always thought that Shang Jin understood him, so
he took advantage of being tipsy to long-windedly heap out a big pile on him, never
expecting that he’d exchanged it for the other’s sympathy. He, Ye Zhou, did he need
sympathy?
Obviously from childhood, the phrase he’d heard the most discussed behind his back was
“Ye Zhou is really pitiful. xx has been misbehaving this time, and he’s still second.
Sometimes, I feel sorry for him. Can’t the teacher give him the first place once?” Before, he
used to be able to laugh it off when he heard this sentence. But today, the one saying it had
changed and Ye Zhou not only couldn’t laugh, but he also felt deeply insulted.
I take you as my opponent, but you pity me.
Ye Zhou couldn’t swallow this breath. He imitated Shang Jin’s horrid attitude and with a
high and mighty appearance, disdainfully said, “In fact, I think you’re pathetic.”
The guilt in Shang Jin’s heart immediately dissipated. With a cold face, he asked, “I’m
pathetic?”
“Isn’t it? You think that whatever you do, you can easily get good results, and everyone is
envious of you?” Ye Zhou sneered, “Don’t need to work hard to get results, do you feel a
sense of accomplishment with what you have in your hand? Are you happy in your heart?
Your life is like a blank sheet of paper: even if ten years past or hundred years past, there’d
also be nothing and no one that could leave a mark on your blank piece of paper.”
“That’s always better than you who’ve spent your whole life working toward a goal, going
through untold hardships and being disappointed every time.” Shang Jin stood up and
looked down at Ye Zhou, “I haven’t experienced happiness. You haven’t either. Otherwise,
you wouldn’t have just told me that story.”
“Storytelling? Where was I telling stories? Obviously, I was telling a joke. I, Ye Zhou, am just
a joke.” How else would he tear open his wound for the other to see? And in front of the one
whom he least wanted to show his own ignorance? Ye Zhou mockingly laughed at himself.
“Alcohol really isn’t a good thing. I drank too much. I’m going to wash up first.”
With a click, the bathroom door locked.
Shang Jin walked to the edge of the sink, dashed cold water on his face several times, and
looked at himself in the mirror. The expression on his face was so strange. He patted his
face and said to himself, “Really ugly.”

Chapter 31
“Ah…” Zhou Wendao yawned. He sniffed his nose and wrapped his down jacket tightly
around him and said, “Why is it so cold in the morning?”
Liu Yutian replied, “I just want to hurry back to my warm dorm now. I didn’t sleep all night,
tired to death.”
Holding a milk tea, Wen Renxu hesitated. “It’s not seven o’clock yet…you say if we go back…
is it appropriate?”
Liu Yutian failed to understand so, “What’s not appropriate?”
Wen Renxu gave him a contemptuous look and said, “Last night, we weren’t there. Under
the same roof, Ye Zhou and Shang Jin as unmarried men, you say?”
The students walking next to them perked up their ears. In an instant, even the sleepy
insects flew away and they began to discuss their speculations all at once.
“Betting a bag of spicy strips, they must have made it to home base!”
“I don’t think so. The dorm is such a small place and can’t use it fully, shouldn’t be.”
“You can wage a war of 300 rounds in the small space in a car. How big is the dorm? What’s
more, there’s a bed! I’m following with a bag of spicy strips!”
“I think, even if it’s not home base, it’s also not far from home base. You should know that
last night, they both went to help Wendao sell apples. With Shang Jin’s character, if Ye Zhou
didn’t say it, would he take the initiative to come?”
“Isn’t it? The two of them have been developing too fast recently, buying a car and also
lending a hand to do the lighting when making the video ー”
405 member Liu Yutian immediately added, “More than that, Zhou often helps Shang Jin to
tidy up his desk and bookshelf in the dorm. So virtuous!”
Wen Renxu raised his hand and said, “He also told me to bring Shang Jin’s favorite
strawberry candy!”
“I’m backing out. This relationship definitely made it to home base!”
After eating breakfast in the cafeteria, a party of people grandly returned to the dormitory.
Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu walked to the door of 405 and the the key they were holding
wavered.
“In the end, do we open it or not?”
The six or seven guys to the side simply didn’t look at their own dorm and directly followed
behind them. Seeing that they had not moved, they simply pushed them away and stuck to
the dorm door, listening to the movement inside.
Wen Renxu whispered, “Go go go, what are you guys doing?”
“Shh shh shh!” Zhou Wendao said, “What if they’re not done yet?”
Xu Yangjun, who was being crowded in from the outside, hurriedly asked, “Is there? Is
there? Move aside a bit. Let me listen. Your ears won’t do.”
Wen Renxu lightly coughed and lifted the key in his hand.
The man who was lying on the door immediately made way for him.
At this time, the sound of the key being inserted into the keyhole was quietly heard in the
corridor and, with a slight turn, the door opened.
At this time, no one dared to push the door directly, but Wen Renxu opened a small gap.
A whiff of alcohol hit him head-on.
Wen Renxu immediately closed the door and slowly locked it with the key. When everyone
hadn’t responded yet, he used gestures to signal everyone to leave.
When they reached the 404 dorm, their pent-up voices finally released a little.
Wen Renxu raised his lips in the crowd’s expectant line of sight. “I smelled alcohol.”
“After drinking…” Zhou Wendao tsked twice, “Can’t speak of it.”
Xu Yangjun and Zhan Xing reflexively made a move that they often made at the stadium ー
high five!
“Our plan finally succeeded, we can retire!”
Contrary to the festive atmosphere in 404, 405 had been caught in an unprecedented low
pressure since last night.
Ye Zhou turned over. It was clear that he didn’t drink much yesterday, but his head
throbbed terribly when he woke up in the morning. He squinted his eyes and dressed.
Jumping out of bed, he didn’t pay attention to where he walked and stumbled over the
table. If he hadn’t responded quickly and grabbed the ladder, his handsome face probably
would have kissed the earth.
Ye Zhou clicked his tongue. The person didn’t fall, but the table was knocked over and made
a mess on the floor. He took a mop and a broom and swept away all the garbage on the
floor. Then he stood at the sink to wash his face and brush his teeth.
At the same time, Shang Jin, who often slept in late in the winter, uncharacteristically got up
when Ye Zhou was tidying up the garbage. Seeing Ye Zhou occupying the sink, he went to
the bathroom first.
The two people didn’t have a word of communication, but there was ample tacit
understanding when doing things.
Ye Zhou used the washbasin and Shang Jin went to the bathroom. When Shang Jin came
out, the two exchanged places. They quickly carried out their actions, not wasting a minute
or a second, and were ready to go out almost at the same time.
Two people came out of the dorm in tandem. Not looking at the three-wheeler with a lot of
presence, they spontaneously walked toward their own bicycles, and spontaneously went
to the canteen without discussion. It was just that after they bought their meals, one
walked towards the tables on the left side, and one sat in a chair on the right side.
After the meal, the two people rode towards the library together. This time, one was on the
fifth floor, and one was on the third floor.
Ye Zhou put the textbooks he brought on the table. Due to Christmas, there weren’t so
many people in the library today.
It wasn’t that he didn’t see Shang Jin’s peculiarity. It’s just that he didn’t want to pay
attention to it and also didn’t want to speak of it.
Ye Zhou was more aggrieved than angry about yesterday’s quarrel, both aggrieved and
uncomfortable.
Anger drove him to talk big to Shang Jin. In fact, Ye Zhou knew well: how could he not envy
Shang Jin, not just envy, but simply be jealous to death! But more often than not, he was
angry at Shang Jin’s careless attitude, angry that he clearly had such a good brain, so why
didn’t he exert all his strength! Let him see how big the difference between himself and the
other was, rather than being exceeded by one or two points every time.
Ye Zhou grabbed his head and tried to return his attention to the textbook.
On the third floor of the library, Shang Jin’s expressionless face was unable to make out his
mood. He opened the book. His eyes were fixed on the words in the book, but his hand
unconsciously clenched the page.
Ye Zhou clearly knew nothing and criticized his attitude towards life.
The perfectly fine page of the book was gradually squeezed into toilet paper by Shang Jin.
Fortunately, he was looking at his own book, or else he would fall under the crime of
vandalizing books.
The classmate who’d originally intended to sit next to him, after seeing his actions, silently
found a seat that was furthest away from him.
As a result of this secret rivalry, the two people turned their anger into a motivational force,
and began to fight to the death with the textbooks.
In the boys’ dorm, a group of people sat in 405 and waited anxiously for the return of the
two protagonists.
“The dorm is so clean. Did they both do it or not…”
Xu Yangjun’s eyes held helplessness and he struck a pose against the bed pillar. “You don’t
understand. The cleaner it is, the more problematic. Do you understand ‘trying to hide it
makes it more conspicuous’?”
Everyone was successfully persuaded by him. They pooled together 20 yuan and bought
four party poppers.
In the evening, Ye Zhou had just opened the dorm door and before he could react, a bang
stuck red celebratory paper on his face.
One shot not yet finished, another shot came.
With great difficulty, Ye Zhou dragged the pieces of paper down from his head, not knowing
from where a whole sky full of celebratory paper had rushed out from.
Did this group of people resent that his mood was too good?
The door behind him was pushed open and directly hit his back. Ye Zhou irritably looked
back and met head-on with Shang Jin.
Bang! The last party popper successfully sprinkled all over the two of them.
When the scraps of paper landed on the ground, the crowd finally saw the Ye Zhou and
Shang Jin they’d all been waiting for.
Eh…What’s wrong with the atmosphere between these two people??
Next chapter is a long one!

Chapter 32
The first person to respond was Wen Renxu. He laughed ‘haha’ and said, “So hungry, I’ll go
have dinner.”
“I’ll go with you!!” Liu Yutian immediately followed Wen Renxu’s pace.
With this precedent, the other people scrambled over each other to rush outside, walking
as lightly as possible. When they passed by Ye Zhou’s side, they also carefully glanced at
them out of the corner of their eyes.
Ye Zhou took a deep breath and grabbed Zhou Wendao who fell in the back. He said with a
smile, “Where are you going? And like you’ve met a great scourge too.”
Quaking with fear, Zhou Wendao glanced at him. Obviously, he’d seen Ye Zhou’s smile
countless times. How come this time it’s so horrifying?
“And you guys.” Ye Zhou ignored Shang Jin and stepped out the door. To the group of dilly-
dallying people, he said, “You made a mess in our dorm. You’re not going to sweep it?”
There was great power in a crowd. The paper on the ground was soon cleaned up.
Ye Zhou sat in the chair and asked as if nothing had happened, “What time did you guys
come back in the morning?”
Liu Yutian quickly glanced at Ye Zhou’s face and saw that he seemed to have restored his
usual appearance and didn’t have the low pressure when he’d entered the door. He worked
up his courage and said, “Almost seven o’clock…”
“Then why didn’t I see you when I left?”
Ye Zhou’s tone became more normal the more he talked. Wen Renxu and Liu Yutian looked
at each other and simply suspected that the Ye Zhou they’d first seen was fake. “We ate and
then came back, figuring that you’d left at that time.”
While they were chatting, Shang Jin washed his face, sat in front of the computer, and
before putting on his headphones, said to Lui Yutian, “I put the apples from yesterday
under your desk.”
“Oh, thank you.” Liu Yutian sized up Shang Jin . Seeing that he was also the same as usual ー
eating dinner and playing game when he came back ー there was nothing different.
Could it be that they were overthinking it?
The additional two uncertain inhabitants of 405 also observed for some time. Finding that
Ye Zhou was still bantering with them as before, and Shang Jin had ate, reviewed and
played games at his own pace as always, it couldn’t be anymore normal. The two breathed a
sigh of relief, finally able to let go the taut strings in their heart.
Liu Yutian scrolled through the school’s BBS for a while before going to bed. As soon as he
refreshed, a new post came up ー “Is the Shang Ye number malfunctioning?? Today’s exam
is definitely the hardest in the long time I’ve been in college!!”
Liu Yutian quickly tapped in to investigate.
LZ: Since the Shang Ye number became popular in school, many students were drawn from
all over to go kneel and bow in worship one after the other. This landlord is no exception.
Before each exam, I must go to pray at the Shang Ye number. I have to say that the Shang Ye
number is really effective. The advanced math algebra that had perplexed me before, this
time went smoothly without obstruction. However, I never expected that finally, I would
fall head first in statistics class. Originally, I could get a high score even if I didn’t review
statistics. This time, I could only pray that I didn’t fail the course!!
1L: I didn’t take exams for the past few days, so I didn’t go over to worship, but I
worshipped a few days ago and felt it was good.
2L: I feel the same, the effect is very good. Landlord, did you pray to the test god in the
wrong posture?
3L: I made an offering of two apples to the test god the day before Christmas Eve. The test
went very favorably that day.
11L: Fall! In the end, who said that the Shang Ye number is a test god? It’s simply a
mourning god! Previously, Introduction to Maoism was always open-book. Yesterday, I
fucking went to see the Shang Ye number in passing and followed along with the crowd to
worship it twice. As a result, Maoism was closed-book!!! My entire person collapsed!!!
13L: Me too!! Maoism was actually closed book! Hasn’t it always been open book before??
When I received the exam book, I simply wanted to kneel down to the teacher!
16L: Feck, I just worshiped today. Can I go take it back now? The exam tomorrow is my
weakness!
20L: I say, how was the exam today so unfavorable. Was the Shang Ye number cursed?
25L: That’s the test god. Who dares to curse it??
37L: The evil way! Exactly what’s going on?
Liu Yutian watched as more and more people doubted the Shang Ye number, and suddenly,
a divine light flashed in his mind!
He’d always thought that the atmosphere in the dorm these days was strange, but he wasn’t
able to say how it was strange in the end. Now, he finally understood!
Ye Zhou’s attitude was completely normal to them.
Shang Jin’s attitude was also completely normal to them.
Both of them had the appearance that they knew well, but this was the biggest abnormality!
It should be known that after Ye Zhou and Shang Jin lived together, the two people would
have some unusual behavior.
For example, Ye Zhou would help Shang Jin organize his desk. For example, Shang Jin would
no longer be a loner, but would go together with Ye Zhou to go to school and to go eat.
And now, the two men had returned to their original appearances. Saying that they had no
problem was deceiving ghosts!
No wonder worshiping the test god was useless. The two test gods had a falling out, so
where would they have the leisure to bless your group of people’s exams!
Liu Yutian held a skeptical attitude, logged into his forum account and sent a message.
365L Soaring in One Shot: To be on the safe side, everyone shouldn’t worship the Shang Ye
number these days!!!
This insider’s words immediately attracted everyone’s attention, not to mention that Liu
Yutian not only enlarged the font, but also marked it in red. As soon as this statement came
out, it immediately caused an uproar.
370L: What’s going on? Does this young hero know the inside story?
375L: I’m just missing the last class! How can the ball be dropped at this time? When can
the Shang Ye number get well??
382L: Urgent, urgent, urgent! When can it be well! In what way?? What can I do?
391L: Is the Shang Ye number broken?? I’ll pay for it, only fix it before my exam!
Liu Yutian directly shut down the browser and no longer cared how the other people
howled. The schoolmates on the forum were anxious, and he was even more anxious living
under the same roof!
It’s a pity that the classes were done and Ye Zhou’s foot injury had long since been well.
There was simply no reason and no way to get these two people together to resolve their
dispute.
Ye Zhou stood up from his chair and turned his neck, a bit unaccustomed after suddenly
switching back to his original chair.
That’s right, the original chair.
After Christmas that day, Ye Zhou’s mood when looking at Shang Jin wasn’t good at all.
Everything related to Shang Jin would ruin his mood. The swivel chair sent by Shang Jin
was regarded even more as a viper, and in a fit of fury, was kicked to a corner of the dorm.
And when Shang Jin saw his series of actions, he didn’t even lift his eyebrows and
completely took him as an invisible person. For Ye Zhou, this was the same as pouring oil
on the fire. Following that, he resolved to ignore him.
Habit was a terrible thing. On several occasions, due to his habits, Ye Zhou almost went to
Shang Jin’s table to help him tidy up his messy tabletop, but he firmly endured.
Ye Zhou wasn’t a person who was good at cold wars. What’s more, after a few days, a large
part of his anger had almost disappeared.
But he couldn’t lower his pride to sue for peace with Shang Jin. Feeling a thorn in his heart,
whenever he wanted to approach Shang Jin, this thorn would constantly remind him to stay
away.
Shang Jin clearly kept his composure more than him: eating alone, going to the library
alone, and playing games in the dorm alone, methodically doing the things on hand. It was
as if Ye Zhou’s changes had no effect on him.
Ye Zhou vented his anger. Perhaps Shang Jin enjoyed his previous life more.
The next day after the test, Ye Zhou packed his things up and met up with Zhan Xing. He
rode his bike to Zhan Xing’s side. “Hey!”
“Zhou?” Zhan Xing slowed down. “Why are you alone. What about Shang Jin?”
Ye Zhou ignored his question and said, “Can we talk?”
Zhan Xing slowed down and turned on another road with Ye Zhou. “What’s up?”
“The dorms…” Ye Zhou callously said, “let’s change back.”
Screech!!!
Zhan Xing slammed on the brakes, and the tires on the ground issued a heavy wail.
Ye Zhou propped a foot on the ground, turned around and said it again, “Let’s change the
dorms.”
“You two aren’t that bad, right!!” Zhan Xing said flabbergasted, “Isn’t it just the sex not
being harmonious? This kind of thing, just try two more times and it’ll be fine. Do you need
to go so far as to separate?”
Regarding the sexual disharmony, it was the most likely result after all the boys in the class,
except for Ye Zhou and Shang Jin, had gathered together and come up with after several
sleepless nights of discussion. Without a good solution in mind, Zhan Xing’s loose lips
blabbed it all out.
Ye Zhou’s whole face was stupefied. “Who told you we had disharmonious sex??”
Zhan Xing was bewildered. “If it was harmonious, why would you still want to separate?”
Ye Zhou simply couldn’t take a breath. Were this group of people’s head all filled with GV?
How did they pass A Uni’s entrance exam like this!! [GV: gay adult video]
“Who told you that I went to bed with Shang Jin. We’re both innocent. Spread less rumors!”
“Then why do you want to change the dorms?”
“I ー” Ye Zhou saw Zhan Xing with that gossiping expression and only feared that after he
tore down one rumor the second before, no one would know what would come out the
second after once it was dispersed to the whole class. Ye Zhou waved his hand, rode his
bike and said, “Forget it. Pretend I didn’t say it.”
That night, in the post that everyone was following closely, a familiar ID sent another
message.
678L Soaring in One Shot: The two test gods quarreled, so…
689L: I’m freaking out!!! Just finished reviewing and heard this grievous news!
692L: When did they start quarreling?? It wouldn’t be since Christmas Eve, that day??
702L: Quarreling already has such great power, if one day, the two test gods split…
709L: Pei, pei, pei!! Can you say something good!! The two leaders of my great Shang Ye
religion must be united for a hundred years!!
711L: Tear down the building, still can’t tear down Shang Ye!
713L: Head can be broken, blood can flow, Shang Ye with one heart, never hatred!!
This post was instantly covered by the manifesto.
When Ye Zhou went to library the next day, he always felt that gazes were constantly
hitting him. When he looked up, no traces could be found.
This strange feeling accompanied him all along to the cafeteria.
On the second floor of the cafeteria, by good or bad fortune, he happened to see Shang Jin
before the meal window.
Unlike the previous few days, he now completed avoided Shang Jin except when he was
resting in the dorm. It was impossible for him to ignore the other, so he might as well keep
him out of sight, out of mind.
At lunch time, there were a bit more people. Ye Zhou held his tray, saw an empty seat and
was about to go over. His plan was unexpected disrupted as a person behind him quickly
ran to the vacant seat and occupied it.
Ye Zhou changed direction. This time once again, he hadn’t gone over, when another person
took it first.
Classmate, if I’m not mistaken, you were just eating at that table, right?
Eating half your meal and carrying your bowl to change seats, do you have too much idle
time?
Because he didn’t know these people, it was hard for Ye Zhou to say anything. He choked
back his anger and continued looking for a seat.
After repeating this a few times, Ye Zhou was finally able to secure a seat and the
surrounding quieted down.
Bang!
Ye Zhou placed the tray heavily on the table, pulled out the chair and sat down.
Did the devil come to the door today? Finding a seat was like fighting a war. Ye Zhou
unscrewed the water bottle and took a sip of water. Not swallowing yet, he saw sitting
opposite him was…Shang Jin.
“Ke ke cough…” The water in his mouth almost spurted out his nose.
Shang Jin had been eating calmly, as if he didn’t know the person opposite him who’d cough
himself into TB. After finishing his meal, he quickly packed his tray and left.
Ye Zhou quickly recovered from his abnormal behavior. This wasn’t the first time he’d
encountered this. He still remembered that soon after school started, the entire class
mistakenly thought that he liked Shang Jin. He’d been so taut that he lost his mind. But now,
since he already knew what all these gazes represented, he could calmly face them and not
respond to those gazes.
This time, not only the finance class, but as long as it was a student who was concerned
about the Shang Ye number on the BBS, they’d determined that Shang and Ye, the two
people not only had a falling out, but that conflict was also quite big.
Among the boys, the majority of them would get hands-on once they disagreed. But these
two, not only were they too lazy to move their hands, they wouldn’t even move their
mouths.
It wasn’t surprising that the Shang Ye number suddenly lost its “divine power”. After all, if
these two people split, the first to be split would be the Shang Ye number.
Ye Zhou didn’t return to the dorm at noon and also didn’t go to the library. Instead, he
found an empty classroom and sat by the window to bask in in the sun.
Only after looking at the date did he find out that it was New Year’s Day. With New Year’s
Day arriving, the Chinese New Year also wasn’t far off.
On Chinese New Year, the day when families reunited, his brother should also come back
again.
He could hide past the Eleventh, but he couldn’t hide past the Chinese New Year.
In the entire Ye family, the one Ye Zhou least knew how to treat was his older brother, Ye
Heng.
When it came to his childhood, having a good older brother was something to be proud of.
At first, Ye Zhou worshiped Ye Heng and also always taken Ye Heng as his goal. But later,
when he’d heard his parents compare himself with Ye Heng too many times, gradually, this
kind of worship became a kind of jealousy. Even more than once, he’d thought that if Ye
Heng wasn’t there, their parents might value him more and find that he’s good.
The him who had this kind of thought was simply disgusted by his filthiness. It was clear
that his older brother didn’t do anything wrong.
Perhaps Ye Heng had seen through him. After he went to university, Ye Heng had rarely
returned home. After working, he only came back during the Chinese New Year. He
reckoned that something urgent had come up on this year’s Eleventh holiday, but Ye Zhou
didn’t dare to ask, and also didn’t dare to meet him.
Ye Zhou shook his head and tried to focus his scattered thoughts on the textbook. At the
moment, the exam was the most important thing. Instead of wasting time worrying about
trivial matters, it’d be better to memorize a few more facts.
Flipping through a few pages, he suddenly felt something on his head.
Ye Zhou quickly swiped his head and a candy slipped from his head while he was shaking it.
Pink wrapper with a strawberry pattern in the very center.
Ye Zhou picked up the candy and turned his head. Shang Jin was sitting on a table, holding a
large bag of just-opened strawberry candy.
Shang Jin tore off the candy wrapper, popped in the sweet and asked, “What are you
thinking about? Shaking your head around.”
Ye Zhou snorted and turned his head, pretending to seriously study.
Shang Jin got up from the table, sat beside Ye Zhou, propped his chin to look at him and
asked, “Still mad?”
Ye Zhou had long stopped being angry, and didn’t even want to be strangers with Shang Jin.
However, confronted with Shang Jin taking the initiative to sue for peace, he couldn’t help
but say enigmatically, “What right do I have to be angry? What you said was right. I’d been
striving towards a goal for an entire life, suffering untold hardship, and each time returning
in disappointment. Finally, I have to rely on the charity of others.”
This sentence was like a thorn that constantly pricked Ye Zhou’s heart. It seemed that
everything he’d been pursuing was a joke in the eye of others.
“I’m sorry. I was wrong that day.” With a couple crunches, Shang Jin bit down on the candy
and after swallowing, said, “So I came here today to specially tell you something. The first is
what is mine, I won’t give to anyone else. If you want it, you have to rely on your ability to
take it from my hands.”
“That still need you to say!!” Ye Zhou proudly said, “I’m telling you, this time, I’ve reviewed
more seriously than before.”
“What a coincidence, me too.”
After a week, the low pressure surrounding Ye Zhou and Shang Jin finally truly dispersed.
Having Shang Jin actively apologize, Ye Zhou’s anger also went along and the fire was also
gone. He mercifully forgave the other, but there was still a little bit of dissatisfaction. “Then,
next time you recognize your mistake, just quickly come apologize. Don’t think that if you
drag things on that it could be overturned.”
Shang Jin smirked, “You should try to act less arrogant when I give you some ground.”
Ye Zhou immediately changed the subject, “How did you know that I was in the classroom?”
“Now, it’s very easy to find you inside the school.” Shang Jin took out his mobile phone and
found the recent hot post in the school forum for him to see.
“Is the Shang Ye number broken?” Ye Zhou took the cell phone in front of him and began to
look through it. “What the hell is this?”
Shang Jin tore open another piece of candy. “See for yourself.”
Ye Zhou read the posts, and from his initial misgivings, it became astonishment, then chaos.
Finally, he completely did not know what expression he should be making, especially when
he saw the manifesto of the group of “believers”.
No wonder the gazes of the classmates around him today were so strange, and they’d also
kept pushing him together to Shang Jin’s side. The reason was to let the two of them quickly
reconcile and let the small three-wheeler restore its “test god power”.
“How come I didn’t know I had this ability.” After flipping through hundreds of posts and
still not knowing how Shang Jin had found him, Ye Zhou gave the phone back to Shang Jin
and said, “I’m not looking!”
Shang Jin glanced at him and flipped through to his own message.
1023L Anonymous: Have you seen where Ye Zhou is? Shang Jin seems to be looking for Ye
Zhou.
1042L: Report! When I went out of the cafeteria, I saw Ye Zhou riding in the direction of the
sports field.
1049L: He didn’t go to the sports field. When I came out of the sports field, he was heading
towards A Uni’s supermarket.
1058L: Sitting in the library, saw that he didn’t stop and continued to ride forward.
1064L: Parked at the Wensi Building, and took his schoolbag and went directly into the
Wensi Building.
“Originally, I was planning to search classroom by classroom. When I came to the entrance,
I met a classmate who said you were in 304.”
Ye Zhou covered his head and wailed, “I rarely come to the classroom for a bit of quiet. I
didn’t expect that my whereabouts were all seen.”
Shang Jin put the candy on the table and took out a textbook from the schoolbag. “Okay,
let’s review.”
“Yeah.” Ye Zhou pinched the strawberry candy in his hand for a while, and an idea
gradually formed in his mind.
The news that Ye Zhou and Shang Jin had reconciled spread all over the campus in less than
an hour. All the schoolmates were eager to release firecrackers to celebrate.
The next day, students with great courage began to walk in front of the little three-wheeler
and advanced to worship. After the exam, they gave their feedback on the post.
1652L: The Shang Ye number has been restored to usual. Everyone can worship the test
god as much as they like!
1663L: I hope the two great test gods never ever take a wrong turn again. I completely can’t
graduate if another black exam week comes again!!
1670L: Today’s exam went very smoothly!! Thank heavens that Shang and Ye reconciled
before my exam!
1678L: There’s no need to say! Head can be broken, blood can flow, Shang Ye with one
heart, never hatred!!
Wen Renxu bantered, “You two must not quarrel afterwards. This is related to a lot of
people’s life and death!”
Ye Zhou rolled his eyes, quite speechless at this superstitious campus.
The exams which lasted for two weeks were finally coming to an end.
Ye Zhou relaxed a little bit. He didn’t vigorously chew through the books once he had time
as he had in the past few days. Instead, he went to the supermarket and bought some
snacks to reward himself.
Passing the fruit stand, Ye Zhou saw the brilliant yellow of the lemons, hesitated for a bit,
then took two.
Zhou Wendao curiously said, “Lemons are so sour, what are you buying them for?”
Ye Zhou laughed, “To eat.”
Zhou Wendao frowned as though he’d already eaten a sour lemon and said, “As long as
you’re happy.”
Ye Zhou didn’t speak, went to the candy area, took the strawberry candy Shang Jin usually
eats and went to the cashier to check out.
Back at the dorm, there was only Shang Jin alone.
Ye Zhou put the snacks he’d bought on the table and asked, “Where are the others?”
Shang Jin replied without looking up, “Don’t know, they left quite early.”
Ye Zhou laughed ‘heheh‘ sinisterly. He took the lemon out of his bag and abruptly shoved it
in front of Shang Jin.
Shang Jin pushed back a step and stared at him. Without speaking, he was able to convey
his meaning: “What are you smoking?”
“Catch.”
“I don’t want it.”
Ye Zhou snorted, brought the lemon and fruit knife together and cleaned them under the
faucet. Regardless of Shang Jin’s wishes, he arbitrarily cut a lemon slice and pushed it to his
mouth.
Shang Jin retreated back two centimeters and re-emphasized, “I said, I don’t want it.”
“It doesn’t matter if you want it or not!” Ye Zhou hadn’t started yet when Shang Jin dodged,
getting up from his chair and standing to one side. Ye Zhou chased relentlessly, unwilling to
let him off. He won’t give up until he fed the lemon to Shang Jin’s mouth.
Shang Jin was forced into a corner and was helpless. This kind of situation, obviously he
could have used a cold face to make the other back out due to the awkward situation, but
because he’d provoked Ye Zhou’s anger a few days ago, Shang Jin could only let Ye Zhou act
up. Faced with Ye Zhou’s kabedon, Shang Jin, with arms were crossed, sighed and was
about to speak.
Click.
The dorm door was pushed open.
Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu were petrified in place by the shocking situation in the room.
“Excuse us!!!”
This kind of scene had happened too many times that Ye Zhou didn’t even care to stretch
out an ‘Er Kang hand’ now. Compared with being mistaken for having sexual disharmony,
the kabedon was simply child’s play. He could even continue his move after the door closed.
“Quickly take a bite.”
https://oldmosstree.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/c02-er-kang-hand1.jpg
Er Kang hand (尔康手)
“What the hell do you want to do?” Shang Jin took the lemon in his hand with an expression
of ‘you don’t say, I won’t eat’.
“This kind of thing can’t be said. You must experience it first!” This was the method that Ye
Zhou had thought of when he saw Shang Jin give him the candy.
Shang Jin had apologized to him, but he owed Shang Jin an apology.
That day, his attitude was also very poor. He’d stood on one side and criticized Shang Jin’s
way of life while clearly not understanding anything at all.
It didn’t matter if people said that he was opinionated or meddling in other people’s
business. He just wanted to let Shang Jin come out of his own shell and experience the joys
and sorrows of life. He should not— because of his fear of being hurt—fight for nothing at
all.
A life without a goal, what’s the difference between that and a salted fish!
Ye Zhou looked at him expectantly, slowly extending his hand into his pocket, and urged,
“Hurry up, try a bite.”
Shang Jin looked distastefully at the lemon in his hand. Without trying it, he could feel the
sourness emitting from it. Finally, he slowly raised it to his mouth and took a bite.
The sour taste spread instantly to his entire mouth. Shang Jin’s teeth had been aching from
eating apples these days. Who knew what madness came over Ye Zhou to make him insist
on having Shang Jin eat a lemon.
As if still not enough, now that Shang Jin was so sour that he didn’t want to speak, Ye Zhou
still nattered on in his ear, “How’s the taste? Sour?”
Shang Jin was at the end of his patience and glared at him. “Shut up.”
“It looks like it’s very sour.” Ye Zhou took the candy in his hand and quickly opened it.
Before Shang Jin reacted, he stuffed it into his mouth.
The sweetness of the strawberry candy slowly spread, gradually covering up the tartness of
the lemon.
Shang Jin had eaten strawberry candy many times, but none was as sweet as the one today.
“Which brand did you buy?”
“It’s the one you usually eat.” Lest he didn’t believe it, Ye Zhou showed him the wrapper
and smiled mysteriously. “Don’t you think it’s especially delicious this time?”
Shang Jin didn’t speak, which was tacitly agreeing with his statement.
Ye Zhou took a few steps, sat back down in his chair and said, “When we were in
elementary school, we all liked to say some famous aphorisms to remind ourselves. What
was the phrase that you heard the most at that time?”
“Can your thought not jump around like that?”
Ye Zhou also didn’t count on his answer and said of his own accord, “What I heard most at
that time was ‘the sword’s edge was sharpened on a grindstone, the plum blossom
fragrance came from the bitter cold’ or ‘without passing through a biting cold, how can the
plum blossom be so fragrant’. As for the meaning of these two sentences, I believe that you
don’t need me to explain.”
“Are you feeding me chicken soup?” [鸡汤 – Chicken Soup for the Soul, i.e. feel-good
motivational stories]
“You’re so annoying, let me finish!” Ye Zhou complained and then continued, “Before you
said that I suffered untold hardships and returned in disappointment each time, I admit…”
Shang Jin slightly frowned and said, “I thought this page has already been turned over ー”
“But there’s one thing I don’t agree with,” Ye Zhou interrupted him, “Maybe many people
think I’m pathetic, but I don’t think so. I feel unreconciled, but I will never pity myself. The
pressure and obstacles are my motivation to move forward. Going through these
experiences, the sense of satisfaction after succeeding is incomparable. Your life is going
well and you don’t think that it’s necessary to experience the pain of setbacks, but without
these, how can you experience the greatest happiness and joy? Just like the strawberry
candy you just ate, only after the sourness can you experience how precious the sweetness
is.”
When he said this, Ye Zhou’s eyes flashed.
Shang Jin bowed his head and avoided Ye Zhou’s gaze. What Ye Zhou possessed was
precisely what he lacked the most.
“It’s said that the rainbow is seen after the storm. Although it’s cliché, but it’s actually true.”
Ye Zhou patted Shang Jin’s shoulders heavily. “We’re so young and the storm has come. If
we’re going to the top, as long as the we don’t collapse under the wind and rain, we will
never cower.”
Shang Jin chuckled and smiled like Ye Zhou had never seen before. Ye Zhou may not be the
best, but he was definitely the person least likely to be knocked down by difficulties. So,
even if his parents turned a blind eye to him for so many years, he would still quietly walk
to a place without people realizing, and he’d silently summon up his strength and wait for
the final flight. Shang Jin finally knew why Ye Zhou was so angry that day. Although he had
never won first, he had always been proud of what he’d achieved.
“Who’s one with you?” Shang Jin swatted aside Ye Zhou’s hand, took the lemon in his hand
and stuffed it into Ye Zhou’s mouth. “Let you also experience the sweetness of the
strawberry candy.”
“Fuck fuck fuck fuck!!!” Ye Zhou speedily spat out the lemon in his mouth, “I hate sour the
most.”
“With time to concern yourself with this rubbish, why don’t you hurry up to review.” Shang
Jin pulled out his textbook and putted it on the table. “You’re the one who asked me to be
serious, so in the end, don’t lose too hard.”
“Can I still be afraid of you?”
The two people reviewed for an afternoon. Nearing five o’clock, a slight noise came through
the dorm door.
At first, Ye Zhou thought it was Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu coming back and he didn’t pay
attention, continuing to read his book. But the noise sounded for three minutes and still no
one came in. Ye Zhou felt it was a bit strange and moved his swivel chair backwards.
Coming back-to-back with Shang Jin’s chair, he leaned over and asked in a whisper, “Did
you hear any sound?”
“Heard, don’t mind it. They will naturally come in when they want to come in.”
“It won’t be someone playing a prank, right?” He didn’t hear the sound of the key turning at
all. Ye Zhou got up and walked to the door. Hesitating to suddenly pull open the door, he
gently opened the door.
Shang Jin was as steady as Mount Tai, not being distracted even a bit. “Are you too
impatient?”
Ye Zhou held the doorknob. Anyway, he really was unable to keep his calm.
He opened the dorm door, and Liu Yutian and Zhou Wendao, who were affixed to the door,
nearly threw themselves on Ye Zhou. Ye Zhou dodged to one side and asked, “What are you
doing?”
At the entrance, beside Liu Yutian and Zhou Wendao, there were also Wen Renxu and Xu
Yangjun. Seeing Ye Zhou come out, they put their hands behind their backs, forcing a laugh
at him on one side, while sweeping a glance at the dorm door on the other.
Ye Zhou followed their gazes, and then saw a hook in the middle of the dormitory door with
a 25-centimeter tag hanging from the hook.
“Closed.” Ye Zhou read the word on the front, then flipped it over. “Open. What are you
doing here? Want to sell something?”
The two roommates and the two former roommates standing at the entrance ‘you push me,
I push you’, ‘I push you, you push me’, but didn’t speak.
Ye Zhou pointed at the sign and asked again, “Mute?”
Liu Yutian was pushed out by the three other people. He lightly coughed and flattered,
“This is to be considerate of you and Shang Jin…because of your special relationship with
Shang Jin, in the future, if you’re both in the dorm…at that time, turn the sign on the Closed
side. When we see it, just…you know! When you finish, turn it over to the Open side, and
we’d naturally come back.”
“It’s not easy to talk to your object in the dorm. We’ll try to make it as convenient as
possible.” Zhou Wendao stood out to claim the credit, “This was my idea.”
“Good idea.” Ye Zhou smiled insincerely, using his finger to mercilessly poke Zhou
Wendao’s head for half a day and said, “Each and everyone of you guys, what are you
thinking of day and night? Can’t think of some healthier things? How many times has it
been said: there’s nothing between me Shang Jin. Why don’t you believe it?”
“Fine fine fine, it’s nothing, it’s nothing,” Wen Renxu answered in a perfunctory manner,
then said with a smile, “So you’re done? Can we go in?”
Ye Zhou held his forehead. Having a group of classmates who didn’t understand human
speech was really tiring in the heart!!
Shang Jin waited for them to come in, then he went to the door and looked at it. He flipped
over the tag and said, “Okay, then afterwards, you guys don’t come back at night. Who’d do
things in the broad daylight?”
Liu Yutian anxiously said, “Hey, hey…this is a little…”
Shang Jin innocently said, “Isn’t this what you said, giving us convenience?”
Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu: “……”
The next day, Shang Jin waited until after Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu went out, then
deliberately went to the door and turned the sign to Closed.
“What are you doing!” Ye Zhou walked over and tried to turn it over. “Like this, everyone
would misunderstand that we have something.”
But Shang Jin laughed without talking, and unyieldingly turned the tag to Closed.
In less than ten minutes, Ye Zhou heard that there seemed to be a little more sound of
footsteps outside. Not only that, but voices also came out from the dorm door. The voices
weren’t loud, but because the dorm was very quiet, Ye Zhou and Shang Jin were able to
perceive them.
The two men looked at each other. Ye Zhou walked to the door and yanked the door open.
A group of familiar faces landed at his feet.
“Heheheh…Zhou, we’re just…passing…passing by…”
Ye Zhou snorted and pulled the tag down. A hand holding each side, he used a little force
and the acrylic sign that had lasted less than 24 hours was snapped and conveniently
thrown into the trash.
Ye Zhou patted away the dust on his hands and said, “Tomorrow is the exam. Be careful
that I don’t curse you to collectively fail.”
After passing through that black exam week when Ye Zhou and Shang Jin had quarreled,
who would dare to underestimate the power of the test gods. The group of people
scrambled over each other to escape the scene, for fear of being plagued with Ye Zhou’s
resentment.
“Really need to dose this group of people.”

Chapter 33
In early January, all of Ye Zhou’s exams were finally over.
When he’d had a falling out with Shang Jin before, he’d thought that returning home also
wasn’t bad. Now that he’s already good with Shang Jin, Ye Zhou was very reluctant to go
home, not to mention that he’d definitely meet with his older brother this time.
Escaped New Year’s Day, still can’t escape the fifteenth.
Ye Zhou dragged himself to the dorm and was about to close it up. Finally, he began to sort
out his luggage and prepared for the upcoming road home.
“Your home is so close, so why haven’t you been back?”
All the other students couldn’t wait to return home on the day the exam ended, or the day
after. Apart from Ye Zhou who had his own reasons, only Shang Jin stayed in the dorm just
like a person who stayed outside.
“It’s because I live near, so I’ll go back whenever I want to go back.” While Shang Jin was
talking to Ye Zhou, his hands didn’t paused in the slightest while playing games, “You on the
hand, tomorrow’s already the Xiaonian1, and you’re just going today?”
Ye Zhou set the suitcase upright and sat to one side, saying with a sigh, “Going back home
isn’t as comfortable as being in the dorm.”
Coming out of the instance2, Shang Jin turned and said, “Whatever other people love to say,
just let them say it. As long as they don’t point at your noise and force you to listen, then
don’t worry about it.”
Ye Zhou unhappily said, “You think everyone can be like you, a robot completely without
feelings and not caring?”
Shang Jin tsked and said, “Just saying some things. I refuse personal attacks.”
Ye Zhou scratched his head and languished on the table. Anyway, Shang Jin already knew
his situation, so he wouldn’t disguise himself in front of him. Not wanting to go home was
not wanting to go home: there was no need to find another excuse.
Shang Jin glanced at the time and said, “Keep dragging it on, you’re really going to be late.”
“I know, I know!” Ye Zhou hefted up his backpack, dragged his suitcase and walked to the
door. He remembered one more thing. “When you leave, cover up the little pedicab.”
Shang Jin: “……”
Ye Zhou gave him a skeptical look. “Did you hear it or not?”
Shang Jin boldly and self-confidently said, “No.”
Going downstairs, Ye Zhou had planned to cover the car with an oversized plastic bag. But
time waited for no one. Ye Zhou looked at the messy graffiti on the car, thought for a
moment, and gave up on it.
Anyway, it was already this ugly. Dirty spots should be okay!
No matter how much he didn’t want to go home, the train still sent him back on time.
After leaving the train, Ye Zhou stood at the exit and recalled the sour experience of being
squeezed on the bus last time, and his first reaction was to take a taxi. However, if he took
it, he’d arrive home half an hour faster than taking the bus.
Since he didn’t want to go home earlier, and also didn’t want to be squeezed on the bus…
Ye Zhou got himself worked up into a tangle while hesitating in deciding which way to go.
“Zhou Zhou?”
When this unfamiliar yet familiar voice sounded, Ye Zhou reflexively wanted to escape.
What you’re afraid of would really come…
Ye Zhou took a deep breath and turned around, squeezing out a smile. “Brother…”
Ye Heng and Ye Zhou were about the same height. The two people weren’t very much alike.
Compared with Ye Zhou, Ye Heng was gentler: wearing glasses and refined in manners. He
reached out to take the suitcase from Ye Zhou’s hand. In the end, he wasn’t able to take it.
Ye Zhou’s right hand had been clutching at the suitcase handle since he saw Ye Heng. He
still didn’t let go when Ye Heng was going to lift it up.
Ye Heng looked at him questioningly. “Zhou Zhou?”
Ye Zhou seemed like he’d received a shock, the hand grabbing the luggage handle suddenly
jerked up.
“Let’s go to the car first.”
“Oh…” Ye Zhou followed behind Ye Heng. Even though Ye Zhou and Ye Heng were the same
height now, but Ye Heng’s back was still the same as in his memory: it was lofty as a big
mountain that he could never climb up.
At the side of the car, Ye Zhou really wanted to sit in the backseat, but once his brother’s
eyes swept over, he could only brace himself to open the passenger door.
It was still good in the train station that was noisy all around: even if they didn’t talk, it
wouldn’t be too awkward. Now that the two people were in an enclosed space, the car door
isolating them from the clamor outside, the awkward atmosphere gradually grew.
Ye Zhou, who’d always been known as the little communication expert at school, was now
totally possessed by muteness, lowering his head and pretending to be focused on playing
on his mobile phone, only hoping that the time could go by a bit faster.
Ye Heng glanced at the side of his younger brother’s face while waiting at the red light. He
tried to soften his tone and said, “How are things at school? I heard that A Uni’s
infrastructure is very good. I’ve always wanted to see it.”
If this sentence was said by someone else, Ye Zhou would enthusiastically invite them and
furthermore, promise to act as the guide if the other really came.
“Not bad.” Not knowing whether this was answering the school life or the school
infrastructure, Ye Zhou finished talking and lowered his head to ‘devote’ himself to playing
on the phone, his entire body exuding the ‘don’t talk to me’ aura.
Ye Heng continued to ask, “Do you have a girlfriend yet?”
Ye Zhou didn’t raise his head and said, “No.”
Ye Heng sighed and didn’t have any intention to continue speaking.
Ye Zhou realized this and secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. The body that had
been strained all along gradually relaxed.
Ye Heng was keenly aware of this slight change and was even more frustrated.
Going all the way back home without a word, Ye Zhou entered the house and found that the
family had made a table full of dishes.
Ye Zhou casually asked, “Tomorrow is the Xiaonian. How is food so sumptuous today?”
“I also said that. Isn’t it because your brother said that you’re coming back today so make a
bit more food to welcome you home.” Mother Ye put out two dishes from the kitchen.
“Little Heng, don’t go out again once you finish eating in a moment. Originally, you also
didn’t arrive home for long. Just off the plane, you didn’t take a proper rest but insist on
driving to pick your brother up. It’s not like he can’t return home by himself.”
Ye Zhou looked at Ye Heng in astonishment, not expecting that he would also only return
home today.
Ye Heng responded and beckoned to Ye Zhou to sit beside him. “Let’s eat. Don’t foolishly
stand there.”
“Right, Little Heng, how did you suddenly come back his time?” Ye Zhou’s family didn’t have
a ‘don’t talk when you eat, don’t talk when you sleep’ rule. Father Ye took the braised pork
and placed it in front of Ye Heng, switching it with the stir-fried greens. “When you
returned on the Eleventh, didn’t you say that you’d be busy this Lunar New Year and
wouldn’t have the time to come back?”
“Isn’t this because I miss mom’s cooking?” In a sentence, it made Mother Ye burst with joy
and she pushed a few big dishes in front of Ye Heng. Ye Heng seamlessly moved these
dishes in front of Ye Zhou. “It’s a little busy. My flight is tomorrow afternoon.”
Mother Ye’s incessant smile froze on her face, and even Ye Zhou raised his head to look at
him. Mother Ye said, “This time is too rushed.”
Ye Heng smiled and didn’t speak.
Ye Zhou was only surprised for a few seconds. After that, he quietly became a diner. At the
dinner table were the conversations between his parents and Ye Heng. Originally thinking
that he could past the night in harmony like this, who knew that before the dinner finished,
Mother Ye aimed a criticism at Ye Zhou, “How are you like a closed-off gourd everyday?
Your brother came back and you don’t know to say a few more words. If one didn’t know,
they’d think you’re strangers.”
Ye Zhou took a sip of soup. Since entering the house, his mood hadn’t been too great. “What
I want to ask, didn’t you all ask it already? What else can I say?”
“Zhou Zhou, when I returned on the Eleventh, I heard dad and mom said that you took a
scholarship. That’s really awesome.” Ye Heng patted Ye Zhou’s shoulder, seeming to be
happy for him. “I heard that A Uni’s scholarship is very difficult to get.”
“Yeah,” Ye Zhou pursed his lips and said in a low voice. He lifted his eyes and glanced at Ye
Heng. Not noticing the little complacency in his eyes, his mouth modestly said, “It’s just a
second-class scholarship, so it’s not so difficult.”
“Don’t praise him. I think he’s a bit lazy now.”
Mother Ye’s sentence made Ye Zhou no longer have the interest to speak. No matter how Ye
Heng asked him afterwards, he only answered him with “mms” and “ahs”. The result was
that it provoked Mother Ye to scold him a spell.
At night, Ye Zhou nested in his bedroom to read. Ye Heng knocked twice on the door and
pushed in to enter. Ye Zhou sat up in bed, walked over a few steps and asked, “What’s the
matter?”
Ye Heng put the fruit on the table and sat on the bedside. He patted next to him and said,
“Sit.”
Ye Zhou sat down a meter away from Ye Heng. His eyes wandered around, not looking at
the other.
“The words that mom said, don’t take it to heart. You life has just begun. There’s no need to
live by someone else’s standards. They’ve dealt with grades all their lives, so they see
grades as especially important, but not everything can be measured by scores.” Ye Heng
casually flipped through the book Ye Zhou had left on the bed. “There’s a lot of things in life
that’s more important than scores. You can make more friends, go out and play, or meet a
girl you like and fall in love. Even engrossing yourself in online games is fine. Don’t always
stuff yourself in books and socialize more.”
“Yeah.” It may be that he’d repressed himself too much in front of Ye Heng, so Ye Heng
didn’t know that he usually wasn’t an uncommunicative person on campus. Ye Zhou also
didn’t plan to correct him. This was the first time Ye Heng said these words to him, and Ye
Zhou’s nose was somewhat sour.
Ye Heng rubbed Ye Zhou’s head and stood up. Before leaving, he asked, “Tomorrow, can
you send me off?”
Since going to junior high school, whether it was Ye Heng going to study abroad or going to
work, Ye Zhou had always found every kind of excuses not to go. Ye Heng also didn’t
request it of him. Ye Zhou nodded and said, “Okay.”
Click. The bedroom door was closed.
Ye Zhou lay in bed and was a bit confused in his head. He took out his cell phone and
opened Shang Jin’s chat box.
Ye Zhou: As someone like you who has outstanding achievements, if you have a younger
brother who’s inferior to you in anything and everything, how would you see him?
Shang Jin who was playing a game saw the message Ye Zhou sent. Disregarding the
instance he was in, he directly picked up the phone to reply.
Shang Jin: First, I only have a three-year-old sister now. I don’t know how she’ll be in the
future. Second, each person’s personality is different. If you want to ask me how your
brother thinks of you, I have no way of answering. But you’re usually so noisy, I think your
brother should be annoyed to death by you.
In an instant, all the little trivialities in Ye Zhou’s mind vanished. He grabbed his cell phone
and hatefully jabbed at the screen.
Ye Zhou: I’m still annoyed to death by you! Not even letting out a fart in half a day! It’s
almost like I’m talking to air everyday!
Shang Jin: What, do you want me to report to you when I fart later on?
Ye Zhou: …………………
1. Xiao Nian: the 24th day in the month preceding the Lunar New Year. ↩
2. instance: in-game dungeon. ↩
Chapter 34
After Ye Heng spoke to Ye Zhou in the evening, he was very understanding and no longer
“harassed” him. On the contrary, it made Ye Zhou a bit uneasy, not knowing whether he
should be disappointed or relieved.
The next day after lunch, Ye Zhou didn’t go back to his bedroom. Instead, he sat in the living
room and absentmindedly browsed through the magazine in his hand. Because Ye Heng
was home, Mother Ye turned a blind eye to him “not attending to his duties” like this.
Soon after, it was time for Ye Heng to depart. Ye Heng only came back for a day and didn’t
bring any luggage. However, the Ye family still didn’t mind the trouble and insisted on
sending him to the airport.
Since he’d promised Ye Heng, Ye Zhou no longer declined their invitation and followed
them out of the house, making the Ye family’s parents completely astonished.
Listening to Mother Ye exhort Ye Heng along the way, Ye Zhou looked at the scenery out
the window and couldn’t understand why Ye Heng wanted him to send him off.
At the airport, Father Ye began to nag Ye Heng. Ye Zhou stood to one side and suddenly had
some sympathy for Ye Heng. It also wasn’t easy to be the treasure in their parents’ hands.
Ye Heng lifted up his wrist and, looking at the time, said, “Then I’ll go first. You take care of
yourself at home. Don’t be too strict with Zhou Zhou. He’s an adult, and he can make his
own decisions on a lot of things.”
Ye Zhou, who’d always been standing behind them, saw that Ye Heng was about to turn
away and stopped him. “Brother, take care of yourself too.” This was the greatest concern
that Ye Zhou could express right now.
Ye Heng was very pleasantly surprised. He walked in front of him a few steps, touched his
hair and whispered behind their parents, “My work may be transferred to A City at this
time next year. When I come to A City, take me to see your campus.”
Ye Zhou nodded and said, “Okay.”
Ye Heng forcefully rubbed Ye Zhou’s head before reluctantly withdrawing his hand. “Then
I’m gone.”
Also not knowing whether Ye Heng’s words worked or not, after Ye Zhou returned home,
Mother Ye didn’t tell him to read books and such. But Ye Zhou also knew that this was
temporary. It wouldn’t take three days for things to revert back to the old ways.
The day before Lunar New Year’s Eve, most of the final grades came out.
Ye Zhou saw the news in the class group and couldn’t wait to log on the campus website to
check it out.
On the other side, Shang Jin, wearing headphones, was playing in an instance. Suddenly, his
clothes was yanked down.
“Big brother, candy.” The three-year-old little loli, Shang Youyou, had a candy in her hand
and insisted on putting it in Shang Jin’s hand.
Shang Jin thought that Shang Youyou wanted to eat it but couldn’t open it. Then, he took the
candy and opened the wrapper, putting the candy in front of Shang Youyou’s mouth.
Having the big brother she liked feed her candy, Shang Youyou immediately forgot that her
original intention was to give her favorite candy to her big brother, opened her mouth and
put the candy inside. Because she moved too fast, her mouth accidentally touched Shang
Jin’s fingers.
“Youyou!” Qin Fei walked in, carefully looked at Shang Jin, picked up Shang Youyou and
said, “How many times have I told you? Don’t bother your big brother when he’s busy.”
Shang Jin wiped his hand with a paper towel and picked up his headphones to put them on.
“Shang Jin, I’m sorry. Youyou is still small and not sensible, going into your bedroom
without permission. She didn’t disturb you, did she?” Qin Fei, because of her pregnancy,
only carried Shang Youyou for a moment before putting her down, pulled her hand and
said, “Quickly apologize to your big brother.”
Shang Youyou pouted her mouth, her whole face filled with unhappiness. But she still
whispered, “Big brother, I’m sorry.”
Shang Jin stood up from his seat, crouched down, touched Shang Youyou’s face and said, “It
doesn’t matter.”
This was the first time Shang Jin had shown Shang Youyou intimacy. Qin Fei stared at Shang
Jin in astonishment, and Shang Youyou was obviously very happy. Her grievances just now
were sweep cleanly away. Even while her mother led her away by her hand, she kept
looking back at Shang Jin.
The door already closed, there was still a soft sensation in his hand, which made Shang Jin’s
heart soften as well.
In the past, the relationship between Shang Jin and Qin Fei had always been very awkward.
When Qin Fei joined the family, Shang Jin was already sensible. As the only son of Shang
Qingping, Shang Jin naturally became Qin Fei’s target to curry his favor. Despite Shang Jin
already being an adult and Qin Fei also having her own daughter, her attitude toward
Shang Jin was still very cautious, and was the same even when she brought along Shang
Youyou.
Just now, why did he suddenly reach out?
Shang Jin failed to realize that it was simply Shang Youyou’s aggrieved little face that made
him think of Ye Zhou in an instant. He still remembered the question that Ye Zhou had
asked him a few days ago. Ye Zhou himself didn’t realize that inside his heart, he liked his
older brother and cared about his brother’s opinion of him. Was Ye Zhou to his older
brother like Shang Youyou to himself: wanting to get close but not daring to get close? And
the difference in how Qin Fei treated Shang Jin and Shang Youyou, would it have directly or
indirectly hurt Shang Youyou?
Questions that had never been thought of came to his mind one by one.
【Team】Lasting love song sung for a century: Where’s the person??
【Team】Bowl of chow mien coming dear: Goddess? Where are you??
【Team】Lasting love song sung for a century: Shang Zhou?
【Team】Quack: Xia Shang Zhou is really as rumors say, occasionally fighting and fighting,
will disappear out of sight…
【Team】Lasting love song sung for a century: If you have her skills and equipment, we
can also tolerate you being so capricious.
【Team】Quack: I didn’t say anything.
Shang Jin’s mind returned. Just as he was about to return to the team, he saw his mobile
phone screen light up. The class group was saying that the final grades had come out.
【Team】Xia Shang Zhou: I’m going to check my final grades.
【Team】Lasting love song sung for a century: The final grades came out. Don’t check it
now but do it later, it can’t run!! Can’t we finish before checking it again?
【Team】Quack: You don’t understand this. It’s related to whether you’d fail or not~
【Team】Bowl of chow mien coming dear: The first time I think that goddess is also a
person, also need to take final exams.
【Team】Quack: If you’re a student, you can’t escape the clutches of the exams. The
working party laughs without speaking.
Shang Jin switched over to the web page and opened the campus website. Checking his
school transcript, he directly took a screenshot and sent it to Ye Zhou.
Compared with his own grades, Ye Zhou definitely wanted to see his more.
Have to say, Shang Jin once again guessed Ye Zhou’s mind.
Ye Zhou was hesitating whether he wanted to find Shang Jin and ask for his grades, when
he saw Shang Jin had sent him a QQ message.
Moreover, without the slightest greeting, it was a simple and crudely taken picture.
Seeing the picture, Ye Zhou was discouraged. He still didn’t surpass the other in the tests.
Ye Zhou reciprocated and sent over his own grades.
Shang Jin: Invite me to a meal when school starts.
Wasn’t their agreement that the one who did well would invite the other to eat??
Ye Zhou: Do you have poor eyesight?
Shang Jin: I really tried my best this time, but I wasn’t able to shake you off.
A possibility appeared in Ye Zhou’s mind: if he hadn’t quarreled with Shang Jin at the end of
the term, would he really have surpassed Shang Jin this time?
This idea didn’t last long. Ye Zhou shook his head. Even if it were so, there was no point in
beating a Shang Jin who didn’t try his best.
However, due to Shang Jin’s words, Ye Zhou’s heart swelled slightly. He raised his head and
his hand flew a lot more briskly as he typed.
Ye Zhou: The eight major cuisines, order whatever you want to eat.
Shang Jin: Eat at the canteen.
Ye Zhou: You have no goal at all.
Shang Jin: The canteen is the closest.
Ye Zhou held his forehead. He thought of something and holding a lucky mentality, Ye Zhou
tentatively tapped on the keyboard.
Ye Zhou: Did you cover the little pedicab?
Shang Jin: [Automatic reply] Hello, I’m not present right now. I’ll contact you later.
Ye Zhou: ……
The next semester of their second year started relatively late. The dormitory door usually
opened two days before the school started. Even if Ye Zhou wanted to go to school first,
there wasn’t that option. He could only endure through the Lantern Festival at home and
only then, take his luggage onto the trip back to school.
Ye Zhou dragged his suitcase, carried his schoolbag and took a large bag of preserved fruit
to get out of the car. Thinking about the distance between the school gate and the
dormitory, he missed the small three-wheeler.
Left through the winter vacation, exposed to the sun, drenched in the rain everyday, and
also going through several snowfalls, he reckoned that the Shang Ye number would have
gone through a lot of great changes…
Great changes…
A lot?
After half an hour, Ye Zhou was fifty meters from the dorm when he glimpsed a brand new
little three-wheeler in the shed.
He rubbed his eyes, walked in front of the three-wheeler, three steps becoming two.
Circling around it once, this unconventional body, these two chic words “Shang Ye”: one
couldn’t find a second car in the world like this. Clearly before he’d left, the Shang Ye
number had accumulated a lot of dust, but now it was clean and shiny.
Ye Zhou incredulously said, “Could it be that Shang Jin’s character had changed??”
However, once back in the dorm, Shang Jin broke Ye Zhou’s delusion.
“Ah?” Shang Jin was unable to make head or tail of it and said, “How could I have done such
a troublesome thing?”
Ye Zhou choked, put the luggage in the dorm and took another look from the balcony.
“Then who was it?”
Liu Yutian kicked open the bathroom door and roared loudly, “I know who it was!!”
“Eh, Ye Zhou, you guys are pretty good, inviting a bunch of conscripts.” Liu Yutian hadn’t
finished yet when Wen Renxu returned from the outside carrying a water bottle. “It was
this morning. I saw some classmates carrying small buckets and cleaning rags to wipe the
car.”
“Why?”
“It seems that they didn’t fail the exam, so they came over to fulfill their promise.”
“How can that be, troubling others so much!”
“It’s very good, avoid troubling ourselves.”
Ye Zhou and Shang Jin spoke at the same time. Hearing the other’s words, their faces were
filled with disdain.
Before the two people argued, Wen Renxu hurriedly said, “Everyone is doing it willingly,
and it could also be considered spiritual sustenance. You two don’t quarrel, don’t be noisy
and don’t tear each other apart is the greatest thanks for them.”
Liu Yutian finally took up the thread and said, “Yes, but this is also very good. No one would
dare to intervene between you guys, simply putting an end to the hidden danger of a third-
party or a fourth-party!”
Ye Zhou snorted, completely not taking them seriously.

Chapter 35
On the second day of school when Ye Zhou and Shang Jin went out of the dormitory
building, they saw Zhou Wendao waiting next to the Shang Ye number.
Today was Shang Jin’s turn to drive. Ye Zhou went straight to the backseat of the pedicab
and asked, “Wendao, are you waiting for someone?”
“No, I’m going with you guys.” After Zhou Wendao saw Ye Zhou, he pushed his bike out and
specially placed down the backseat in front of Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou paused in getting on the car and just put his schoolbag in the rear compartment
while he stood up and patted the bike’s new backseat and wondered, “Is this your new
ride? I thought that after you got the bike backseat, you would let a girl sit on it first. I didn’t
expect that you would invite me to sit first. Then, I can only respectfully obey.”
Ye Zhou’s buttocks were about to fall, Zhou Wendao waved his hand like ousting out a
chicken and said, “Go go go, I just wanted to let you take a look at my new bike. Do you
think I can get a girlfriend this semester?”
Ye Zhou twitched his mouth and flicked his forehead, saying, “Try to dream less in broad
daylight.”
Zhou Wendao ignored his cold water and propped one foot on the ground. As Shang Jin
started the car, he stepped on the pedal and started off almost together with Shang Jin.
This strange behavior once again aroused Ye Zhou’s attention. He opened the window and
saw that Zhou Wendao was riding side-by-side with the Shang Ye number, with his back
very upright and vigorous. He was striving to make his riding posture a little more
handsome. Obviously without an idol’s appearance, but carrying a bunch of idol baggage.
Ye Zhou laughed aloud, and he coughed to draw Zhou Wendao’s attention. “You’re really
not planning to use Shang Jin driving the pedicab to set off your ‘valiant hero spirit’, right?”
Zhou Wendao’s body stiffened, and, strongly pretended to be unperturbed, said, “My heroic
spirit doesn’t need to be set off.”
Ye Zhou pursed his lips to not let himself laugh too wantonly. He knocked on the window
behind Shang Jin and said, “I saw a person I know. Can we let them hitch a ride?”
Shang Jin declined to comment. When Ye Zhou told him to stop, he gently stopped.
Ye Zhou slipped opened the door and smiled. “Classmate Su, do you want to catch a ride?”
“Ye Zhou??” Su Yin shouted in surprise. The Shang Ye number was popular on campus and
she’d heard of it early on. Because this was the car that Ye Zhou and Shang Jin bought
together, Su Jin had felt it was fishy in her heart for a long time, and hadn’t even gone to
look for Ye Zhou in the past two months. This was also fine. Ye Zhou had a request for her,
but unexpectedly, he didn’t contact her all along. This caused her heart to produce the most
unwanted idea: would Ye Zhou have prostrated himself before Shang Jin’s charm and
completely forgotten about Tang Dongdong, this person… After all, Shang Jin was so
outstanding, and Tang Dongdong, whether in looks or in ability, was far inferior to him.
People with eyes would choose Shang Jin…her male god had been degraded by Ye Zhou…
“Going to the third class?” Ye Zhou finished asking Su Yin and turned his gaze to the girl
next to her. Without looking he wouldn’t have realized that unexpectedly, next to Su Yin
was actually the faculty flower of the Music Faculty. Sure enough, was it because he wasn’t
interested in girls, so he wasn’t sensitive to beautiful women?
Ye Zhou secretly glanced at Shang Jin. Shang Jin leaned back on the chair and yawned.
Coming back after the New Year, he still hadn’t gotten used to getting up early for class
once school started. He lay on the handlebars, bored to death while waiting for them to get
on the car.
Wait a minute, Ye Zhou didn’t look at the girls because he wasn’t interested in girls at all.
How could Shang Jin also have no interest in looking at the beauties? Could it be that Shang
Jin didn’t like girls too?
Ye Zhou turned his attention on Zhou Wendao who had already stopped a long time ago.
Zhou Wendao was staring. Sure enough, this was normal.
“Are you going to sit? Everyone’s in a hurry in the morning.” After waiting for half a day and
not hearing a reply, Shang Jin turned his head and urged, “I’d calculated the time to go out.
If we keep dilly-dallying, we won’t be able to to step in the classroom on the dot.”
“Shang…Shang Jin??” Su Yin straightened her waist and back and covered her face with the
book. She glared at Ye Zhou and whispered, “Why did you call me to stop today! I got up
late and didn’t put on makeup! I’m finished, it’s over…”
Ye Zhou was puzzled, “When have you ever put on makeup? I don’t think you even know
the makeup sequence.”
“Shut up!!!” Su Yin whispered fiercely, choking off Ye Zhou. But when she faced Shang Jin,
she was like a shy rose with its thorn pulled out. Her voice was low and soft, making Ye
Zhou cover in a layer of goosebumps when he heard it. “Shang Jin, then we’ll trouble you.
Chi Xi, we’re both thin and should be able to squeeze in.”
The faculty flower’s face was also blushing and she whispered, “Shang Jin, trouble you.”
Without turning his head, Shang Jin answered with a sound and started the pedicab.
Zhou Wendao, who’d originally thought he’d have the chance to make an appearance,
stared dumbstruck as the faculty flower not only didn’t have the slightest dislike, but she
also got on the little three-wheeler that he’d initially looked down on with a restrained,
slight smile that she couldn’t keep off her face.
Sure enough, fairy tales were a scam. As long as it was a prince, regardless of whether he
was riding a white horse or a pedicab, the princess would be willing to go with them.
Arriving at the third class, the two girls shyly thanked Shang Jin once again, prompting Ye
Zhou to become dissatisfied. “Clearly it was me who invited them on the car. Why did they
only thank you?”
Shang Jin calmly said, “Ask them, why ask me?”
Ye Zhou looked at him in amazement and said, “I’d thought that you would have said your
charm is boundless.” Shang Jin actually let go of a chance to put him in a squeeze?
“Something so obvious still needs me to emphasize again?”
“Ha ha.”
The two people bantered as they entered the school building, completely ignoring the ‘life
without love’ classmate Zhou behind them.
This time Ye Zhou proposed to let Su Yin hitch a ride because Su Yin’s male god was
originally Shang Jin and he could help out in passing to create a chance for Su Yin to come
into contact with Shang Jin. This could be counted as rounding out Su Yin’s male god dream.
He hadn’t expected that this favor he’d done in passing, after a few weeks, Su Yin would
reciprocate.
In the evening, Ye Zhou was lying in bed looking at his phone when Su Yin sent a message.
Su Yin: Tang Dongdong wants to come to A Uni to play this weekend, want to meet?
Ye Zhou suddenly sat up. This movement made the other three people in the dorm
invariably look at him.
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. You guys go on.” Ye Zhou slowly lay back down. If he hadn’t been
reminded by Su Yin, Ye Zhou would have forgotten that he’d curried Su Yin’s favor before to
let her introduce him to Tang Dongdong. The present days were too full and he’d
unexpectedly forgotten about his love at first sight. Truly a sin, a sin.
Ye Zhou hastened to reply: Of course want to meet!!
Su Yin, who’d sent this WeChat, had been a bit disturbed and unclear, so her motive for
sending out this WeChat was to sound out his mentality. Now that it was like this ー Ye
Zhou was clearly still interested in Tang Dongdong ー but did he also have some
relationship with Shang Jin??
Realizing this, Su Yin simply asked directly.
Su Yin: Ye Zhou, tell me honestly: you’re not standing with a foot in two boats, right??
A foot in two boats??
Ye Zhou lightly jeered: was he such an immoral person?
Ye Zhou: How is that possible. Shang Jin and I are innocent. You still don’t know who I like?
Su Yin: I used to know. Now, I don’t know…
Ye Zhou: My heart is firm!
Su Yin: You haven’t asked me about Tang Dongdong’s news for two months. Is that called
firm?
Ye Zhou was unable to respond, thinking that what he did was somewhat unreasonable.
However, for his love at first sight, Ye Zhou still strove to say: The germinations of
emotions only needs a chance. Later on, it depends on interactions to grow little by little.
Rather than finding you to scout out more news, it’d be better to meet in person.
Su Yin: Fine. This week, he’ll come here to play, and I’ll invite him to eat in the canteen on
Saturday noon. At that time, pretend that it’s a coincidence and come sit down. I’ll
introduce you. I’m telling you in advance: Dongdong hasn’t been with anyone in all these
years, so I’m also not sure if he can accept boys. If he can’t accept it, you can’t pester him.
Ye Zhou: No problem!
Coming to an agreement with Su Yin, Ye Zhou had always been in an excited mood. He
looked at the date. Saturday just landed on March 15.
Eh, this date was a bit familiar.
Lying in bed, Ye Zhou asked, “What special day is March 15?”
Liu Yutian said, “Consumer Protection Day.”
Ye Zhou asked again, “Besides this?”
“Nope.”
Ye Zhou always felt that he’d seen this 315 date before, but it was definitely not Consumer
Protection Day.
Whichever date stayed in his heart, it meant that this day must have some special meaning.
Ye Zhou thought about it for a few days and thought about it to Friday and still didn’t have
a clue.
Not giving up, Ye Zhou changed the target and asked, “Shang Jin, we don’t have any exams
tomorrow, right?”
“No.” Shang Jin glanced at him with an unclear meaning and said, “No exams, no homework,
no activities. Why are you so serious about this date?”
“I always feel that my heart is hanging on something. If I don’t think of it, I can’t rest or eat
in peace.”
“Suit yourself.”
On Saturday, Ye Zhou didn’t continue to think about what the matter was. The most
important thing for him today was meeting with Tang Dongdong!
Without dressing up, Ye Zhou’s base was good, let alone when he tidied up from head to
toe. When he went out, the frequency of turned heads had increased!
Hearing that Tang Dongdong loved sweets the most, Ye Zhou specially ran to A City’s most
famous dessert shop. He was dazzled when selecting from a pile of delicate and gorgeous
doughnuts and macarons.
“Why would boys like to eat sweet?” Ye Zhou only smelled it and was a bit fed up with it.
Not only did Tang Dongdong love sweets, even Shang Jin loved to eat strawberry candy.
It was just the season for strawberries, and the dessert store also used a lot of strawberries.
Ye Zhou passed the cake window and was attracted by a birthday cake covered with
strawberries on the cake surface.
Ye Zhou looked around for a while and took the desserts he’d chosen to the front desk for
checkout. A woman in her thirties pointed at the strawberry cake in the window and asked,
“Can I take this cake directly? Today’s the child’s birthday and I forgot to order in advance.”
Ye Zhou had a flash of light and suddenly remembered!
315 was Shang Jin’s birthday!
When he went back to D City on the high-speed rail with Shang Jin last year, Ye Zhou had
glanced at Shang Jin’s ID card when they checked their identity cards and remembered his
birthday.
At that time, he’d also lamented that Shang Jin’s birthday was too easy to remember. He
didn’t expect that this was what he couldn’t think of in the past few days, and not only that,
but he’d also foolishly gone to ask Shang Jin!

Chapter 36
Some things, it was fine when it wasn’t remembered, but when it’s remembered, they’d
always feel very apologetic for not doing a little something.
The attendant smiled politely and said, “Hello, the total is 106. Would it be bank card or
cash?”
“Wait.” Ye Zhou pointed to the cake the woman had just taken away and said, “Is there still
that kind of cake?”
“Sorry, for each cake model, we only make one for display. The lady just bought our
window display product and we don’t hold inventory on hand. How about you look at the
other models?”
The remaining three cakes were a tiramisu, a Matcha mousse, and a cartoon cake for
children. Except for the two strawberries on the cartoon cake, there were no strawberries
on the other two cakes.
“Can you help make me another strawberry cake like the one just now?”
The cashier said with difficulty, “Our cakes are booked in advance.”
“I can add more money.” Ye Zhou placed his hands together and begged, “Can you help
make a request for me?”
Unable to resist the handsome guy’s attack, the cashier blushed and let her colleague ask
the manager.
The manager agreed, but he had to wait until 11:30 before he could start working on it.
Ye Zhou looked at the time and said, “Okay, when it’s finished, give me a call. I’ll be around
the neighborhood.” Ye Zhou paid the money, put his receipt in his pocket, and put together
the sweets he’d chosen in the shop.
The cake was only for eating, so Ye Zhou didn’t count as a birthday present at all.
In the following period, Ye Zhou strolled to a nearby shopping mall and wondered what gift
he should choose to give to Shang Jin. Shang Jin seemed like someone who didn’t lack for
anything. Gifting things to use or toys, he felt that Shang Jin would throw them in the corner
to collect dust. It was a pity that he didn’t play games, otherwise, he could directly buy
equipment in game and send it to him. How good would that be, and it’d also be something
he’d usually use.
Unconsciously, he walked into an alley. Ye Zhou saw an old woman pushing a small cart
with a lot of plants in black plastic pots.
Spring had arrived, and many people began to grow balcony vegetables.
Ye Zhou took a cursory glance and only recognized the pepper seedlings.
Maybe Ye Zhou had been staring at the things on the cart all along, so the old lady asked,
“What little seedlings would you like to look at?”
Ye Zhou crouched down. He was no stranger to plants. Whether it was from books, videos,
or in person, he’d seen them everywhere. But to really look at a young seedling grow up,
sprout leaves, flower and bear fruit at the end, he’d never had this kind of experience
before.
Plants weren’t like animals that would call when happy and howl when unwell, and one
must also put in a lot of effort, needing even more care than animals. When sick, animals
can be sent to the pet hospital and handed over to the doctor. When a plant had any
problem, it relied on the owner to check the cause of the disease and care for its growth.
Looking at these seedlings, Ye Zhou decided on the gift he would give to Shang Jin.
And Shang Jin, who knew nothing about this, got up in the morning and saw three missed
calls from Liang Jingmin.
On Saturday morning, starting from seven o’clock, it was a call every hour, really idle
enough.
Not yet out of bed, Shang Jin’s cell phone rang again with a call from Liang Jingmin.
Shang Jin tsked and picked it up.
“Son, happy birthday. Mom will come to school today to celebrate your birthday.”
“No need.”
“How is it not needed? My son’s birthday is a big deal.” Liang Jingmin asked again, “What
about your dad? Has he called you today? Nevermind, needless to say, he must have
forgotten. His current thoughts are all on his own little wife. How would he divide his
attention to care about you. Having a stepmother is having a stepfather. You have to
remember that only the relationship between mother and you is the closest. I only have you
as my son, but your dad isn’t necessarily so.”
“But it’s just a birthday. Why does it matter whether he asked or not?”
“This shows that he’s inattentive to you. When that little girl had her third birthday, your
dad specially invited a planner to set up a birthday party in a seaside villa. At that time ー”
Listening to Liang Jingmin raise the same old topic again, Shang Jin directly interrupted her,
“I appreciate your good intentions. I’m already an adult and should have the right to decide
how to celebrate my own birthday. That’s it, bye.”
Hanging up the phone, Shang Jin scrolled through the contacts and saw Ye Zhou’s name.
Suddenly, he didn’t want to spend his birthday alone.
Waiting until lunchtime, Shang Jin hesitantly sent Ye Zhou a text message.
One hand carrying the cake and one hand carrying the blossom he’d bought that morning
as his gift, Ye Zhou returned back to school.
On the way back to the dorm, he was a little embarrassed. The cake and the gift were all a
surprise for Shang Jin. At this time, Shang Jin definitely was in the dorm. Carrying these
back, he’d definitely be exposed. Besides, when Shang Jin saw that he was giving him a
present, he’d definitely have the idea to invite him to lunch. But he wanted to go meet Tang
Dongdong at noon. Refusing a birthday person’s invitation on his birthday was a bit too
pathetic.
After thinking about it, Ye Zhou went to the dorm and didn’t go upstairs. Instead, he put
everything in the back compartment of the pedicab.
If Shang Jin wanted to use the little pedicab, he’d directly ride it and go, and wouldn’t look
in the back compartment.
The weather was good during this time and no one would look for them to borrow the car.
It was really a convenient and secret hiding place.
Ye Zhou had no choice but to sigh. The use of the pedicab was really plentiful. Spending so
much money to buy it was worth it.
Who knew that Ye Zhou’s imagination was so beautiful, but reality still forced him to make
a choice.
At 12:30, Ye Zhou was sitting in the canteen, and Su Yin and Tang Dongdong were on the
third floor of the canteen. The two people had already agreed in advance: when Su Yin sent
a message, Ye Zhou should get ready to carry the dessert and pretend to have a chance
encounter.
Unexpectedly, in these two short minutes, he received a message from Shang Jin and Su Yin
one after the other.
Shang Jin: Have you eaten?
Su Yin: You can come up.
Ye Zhou was caught in a dilemma.
Shang Jin, why are you playing your cards out of sequence?
He’d clearly planned that after his meeting with Tang Dongdong at noon, he’d gather that
group of guys in the dorm building in the afternoon, and then in the evening, he’d bring out
the cake and the bunch of people would grandly go to the canteen and help to celebrate
Shang Jin’s birthday. After they came back from dinner, he’d give his gift to the other party.
But now…
If he hadn’t remembered this morning that today was Shang Jin’s birthday, then it would
have been fine. This way, he could refuse Shang Jin without any burden…
In this tangle, a few minutes passed by.
Su Yin sent a message, urging: If you don’t come, the meal would be finished!
Ye Zhou hesitated for two seconds, glanced at the dessert in his hand, and replied to Su Yin:
I have something in a moment. I’ll give you the doughnuts I bought and go.
After sending this, he hurriedly gave Shang Jin a reply.
Ye Zhou: I’m in the second canteen now. What about you?
When he sent it this time, there was no reply from Shang Jin on that side.
There weren’t many people in the canteen on Saturday. Once Ye Zhou came to the third
floor, he saw Su Yin and Tang Dongdong sitting at a table in the middle.
He tidied up his clothes, made a detour to the side of the third floor to buy a cup of milk tea,
and pretended to pass by Su Yin’s table, waiting for Su Yin to call him.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
“Isn’t this Ye Zhou?” Su Yin put on a surprised look with her clumsy acting, “Long time no
see. You also came to the third floor to eat?”
“Su Yin?” Ye Zhou didn’t stand by politeness and sat across from the two of them. His eyes
fell on Tang Dongdong’s face. Tang Dongdong was also like he’d remembered: round face
and big eyes, like a puppy, making people couldn’t help but want to touch his head. “This
is?”
“This is my friend, Tang Dongdong.” Su Yin took the opportunity to introduce the two
people, “Dongdong, this is my friend, Ye Zhou.”
Tang Dongdong, neither hot nor cold, nodded to Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou was puzzled. How could the personality be different from his memory…
When he first met Tang Dongdong, Tang Dongdong was enthusiastically feeding the stray
cats with a healing smile on his face, hitting Ye Zhou’s heart and making him firmly believe
that this must be the legendary love at first sight. After learning that Tang Dongdong and Su
Yin knew each other, he also had the idea to try and get Tang Dongdong’s information from
Su Yin’s mouth. For this reason, he didn’t hesitate to take sneak shots of Shang Jin to
exchange.
Not waiting for Ye Zhou to think thoroughly to understand this situation, Su Yin looked at
the third floor stair entrance and cried out in surprise. Ye Zhou followed her line of sight
and immediately couldn’t think of anything at all.
At the third floor stair entrance, Shang Jin was holding a little girl and behind him was a
beautiful woman. Although the beauty was beautiful, it could be seen in a glance that she
was older than Shang Jin.
At this time, compared with why Tang Dongdong was different from his memory, Ye Zhou
wanted to know more who the person beside Shang Jin was.
Shang Jin had never mentioned his family, so Ye Zhou took for granted that Shang Jin was
just like him and didn’t have a good relationship with his family. Because of fellow sufferers
empathizing with each other, Ye Zhou had thought about how to help Shang Jin celebrate
his birthday…didn’t expect, the other didn’t need it at all.
That little girl hugged Shang Jin’s neck and looked around, and there was no trace of
impatience on Shang Jin’s face.
Su Yin pulled Ye Zhou’s sleeve and asked, “Who’s that?”
“How would I know.”
Tang Dongdong also looked in Shang Jin’s direction. After seeing clearly Shang Jin who’d
been obstructed by the little girl, he lamented, “The boys in your school are really
handsome, each one better than the last.”
Ye Zhou was even more depressed after hearing this.
Shang Jin, holding Shang Youyou, came to the second canteen. Qin Fei and Shang Youyou’s
arrival was unexpected. However, due to the Lunar New Year when Shang Jin took the
initiative to be friendly with Shang Youyou, Shang Youyou completely climbed along the
pole and wrapped herself around Shang Jin in her free time. On Shang Jin’s birthday, she
asked Qin Fei to bring her over at all cost to give a cake to Shang Jin.
On the stairs, Shang Jin saw Ye Zhou at a glance.
Ye Zhou had taken his matters to explain to him, and Shang Jin also didn’t mind letting Ye
Zhou touch his life. About to hold Shang Youyou and go toward Ye Zhou, he saw the person
sitting across from Ye Zhou and his feet faltered on the way to Ye Zhou. He simply nodded
his head and left without even a word of greeting. Ye Zhou opened his mouth, and finally,
said nothing.
After Su Yin and Tang Dongdong finished eating, Ye Zhou said nothing, handed the
purchased dessert to Su Yin and returned to the dorm without any spirit.
Having woken up too early in the morning, Ye Zhou looked at his books for an hour, then
lay down on his bed and closed his eyes to rest. Unwittingly, he fell asleep. When he woke
up, it was already dark outside the window. Shang Jin was sitting at the table reading.
Ye Zhou pretended to carelessly ask, “At noon…who was that?”
Shang Jin turned a page and said, “Auntie and sister.”
“Aunt…” Ye Zhou felt the stifled anger in his heart loosen and he generously praised, “Looks
really young, so beautiful.”
Shang Jin put down the book and looked at him in a complicated way. “Don’t you like men?
Didn’t expect all your attention was on women.”
“This isn’t related to liking or not. When you see a beauty, who would be unwilling to look a
bit more.”
“Superficial.”
Ye Zhou didn’t mind. His gloomy mood cleared up, he looked at the clock on the table and
said, “I’m going downstairs to get something. Help me to set up the bed desk.”
“Eh…” Shang Jin said in dissatisfaction, “Why so rushed.” Saying that, Shang Jin still put the
bed desk in the middle of the dormitory.
Ten minutes later, Ye Zhou ran up, wheezing for breath, with one hand behind his back and
the other hand carrying a green bag, Ye Zhou set the bag aside, closed the door, walked to
Shang Jin and put forward the box with the cake, saying, “Happy Birthday!”
Shang Jin was flabbergasted. “How did you…”
Not waiting for Shang Jin to finish his question, Ye Zhou proudly replied, “Who am I? Could
there be something in the world that I don’t know?” He put the cake box on the table,
opened the ribbon, lifted off the lid, and a six-inch 1 strawberry cake came into view.
“I remember that you didn’t seem to have made a wish at noon.” At noon, he’d seen in his
peripheral vision that the cake Shang Jin’s aunt had sent was cut the moment it was
opened. Ye Zhou took a slender candle and inserted it in the middle of the cake. He took a
lighter from Liu Yutian’s table and ‘pop’, a flame emerged. Ye Zhou lighted the candle and
went to the door to turn off the light.
In an instant, the room plunged into darkness, and only the cake glowed with a warm,
yellow candlelight.
Ye Zhou half-squatted to one side, an arm lightly resting on the small desk, and expectantly
looked at Shang Jin. “Make a wish.”
The candlelight flickered in Ye Zhou’s eyes, but it seemed to be scorching Shang Jin’s heart.
Shang Jin stared at Ye Zhou for a long time and suddenly smiled.
Not the sarcastic sneer, but a genuine smile from his heart.
This smile directly made Ye Zhou foolish. Obviously, the two were in the dorm, but Ye Zhou
felt like he seemed to hear the sound of melting icebergs.
“Thank you, I’m…really happy.” Shang Jin closed his eyes and began to make a wish to the
cake.
Ye Zhou’s heart ‘thump thump‘ jumped a few times quicker. While Shang Jin hadn’t yet
opened his eyes, he buried his face in his arms and giggled out of control. Fortunately, he’d
remembered Shang Jin’s birthday.
Really fortunate.
1. Chinese inch (寸 cun), around 3.3cm. ↩

Chapter 37
Shang Jin opened his eyes and blew out the candle. The dormitory immediately plunged
into darkness.
“Shoot, I should turn the lights on.” Eyes not yet adapted, Ye Zhou carefully stood up and
went to the door to turn on the lights.
Before he reached the door, the dormitory door was pushed opened from the outside.
“No one in the dorm?” Liu Yutian just finished saying this when he was scared by a shadow
in the room and stepped back, stepping on Wen Renxu’s foot.
“Ow!” Wen Renxu continuously pushed and shoved Liu Yutian aside, “Really hurts!”
Liu Yutian, with fear lingering in his heart, hand shook as he pressed on the light.
The suddenly-on lights made Ye Zhou and Shang Jin both squint their eyes at the same
time.
Liu Yutian stopped his steps in front, and Wen Renxu, who was blocked behind him, patted
him again and said, “Why don’t you…Ye Zhou?” Wen Renxu’s eyes shifted from Ye Zhou to
Shang Jin, then finally, shifted to the cake. “Eh…uh…that…do you want us to withdraw
tonight?”
“What withdrawing!” Ye Zhou pulled the two men who were slowly retreating and said,
“Today is Shang Jin’s birthday. We’re eating cake together!”
“Birthday?” Wen Renxu was shocked, “Then it’s even more necessary that we don’t stay
here! Rest assured, I’ll just take my charger and go!”
“I’ll take my notebook! It’s fast!”
In spite of Ye Zhou’s urging, the two quickly took the things they wanted and before
leaving, said to Shang Jin, “Happy Birthday, Shang Jin!”
“Hey…” Clearly before, he didn’t feel awkward being alone in the dorm with Shang Jin, but
after what Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu had said, Ye Zhou always felt a bit embarrassed now,
as if there really seemed to be something between Shang Jin and him. He solemnly said,
“Shang Jin, through this period of time of getting along, you should know how I think of you,
right?”
This period of time of getting along…
Shang Jin bowed his head and pondered. Half a year ago, Ye Zhou strongly charged into his
life. The two men who had no intersections were suddenly bound together by everyone.
From childhood to now, it wasn’t that no one liked him.
Most people merely talked, but didn’t do anything. Even if they did something, Shang Jin
only felt that they were causing trouble for him.
Ye Zhou was different from the others. He was like a beam of light, not harsh yet warming,
slowly permeating into his life.
Once one got used to it, it’s hard to leave again.
Such as when he’d had a fight with Ye Zhou during last year’s exam week, he’d thought that
it was only a return to his former life. However, one short week later, Shang Jin was the
first to capitulate.
Shang Jin looked at the cake in front of him and said, “Quite clear.” Every little bit that Ye
Zhou did for him, he couldn’t be clearer.
“That’s good.” Ye Zhou was secretly delighted. It’s fine as long as Shang Jin knew that he
really didn’t have any improper thoughts towards Shang Jin. Others may misunderstand it,
then let them misunderstand. Based on the experience of the past six months, even if he
dragged Shang Jin to explain, they may not believe it. It was better to maintain the status
quo.
Shang Jin took out the candle, picked up a fork and forked a strawberry, bringing it to Ye
Zhou’s mouth.
Ye Zhou took a slight step back and said, “Today is your birthday. You eat first.”
Shang Jin moved the fork to Ye Zhou’s mouth again, using his action to express that Ye Zhou
should eat first.
Ye Zhou looked at the strawberry in front of his eyes and couldn’t say what feeling was in
his heart. He felt embarrassed and a little awkward. He resisted the complicated emotions
and placed the strawberry into his mouth. While he finished eating, he conveniently
grabbed a fork over. “I’ll eat it myself.”
Shang Jin cut a small piece and handed it to Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou didn’t like sweets, and especially didn’t like cakes, these kind of sweet and greasy
things. So this time, he’d bought a small, six-inch cake. Originally, he’d had the intention to
just eat a bite, but facing Shang Jin’s good intentions, he couldn’t refuse. Fortunately, after
receiving it, it was only a small piece of cake and could be eaten in two bites.
Then, Ye Zhou courted disaster and ridiculed, “I bought you such a big cake, but you only
gave me such a little bit? Too stingy.”
Shang Jin stared at him with a smile that wasn’t a smile and asked, “Are you sure?”
Ye Zhou silently closed his mouth.
“Even if the cake is delicious, you can’t eat too much. Do you mind if I give it to the next
dorm in a while?”
“Of course, I don’t mind. I’d originally intended to ask them to come together to celebrate
your birthday tonight, but I slept after returning at noon and forgot.”
Shang Jin laughed, “This is quite good. I like it very much.”
Laughed again…
Was today the major broadcast of the smile?
Ye Zhou always felt that today’s Shang Jin felt very different, but he couldn’t tell where it
was different in the end. He shoved the cake into his mouth in two bites and took his eco-
friendly bag from the door. He carefully drew two pots of plants from the bag.
Shang Jin moved the cake to his desk, crouched down and stroked a leaf, and said, “This is a
strawberry seedling.”
“Eh? How did you know?” Ye Zhou curiously said, “Have you grown it?”
“No. It’s easy to see from the shape and veins of the leaves.”
The seedlings only had a few small leaves: where was it easy to recognize? Obviously, there
were a lot of weeds by the roadside whose leaves looked similar to this.
Really was inexplicable how he’d lost to Shang Jin once again.
Ye Zhou pushed the seedlings in the pots in front of Shang Jin and said, “Here’s a gift for
you.”
Shang Jin glanced at strawberry seedlings in the white porcelain pots next to Ye Zhou’s
hand and said, “When you bought me a present, you also bought yourself one?”
Ye Zhou laughed heheh twice and said, “Compete?”
Shang Jin raised an eyebrow and said, “You really want to compete with me in every
possible way.”
“Raising plants is different from testing. I may lose in the exams, but raising plants won’t be
the same.” Thinking of Shang Jin’s lazy character, Ye Zhou emphasized, “Moreover, this is a
gift. You’re not allowed to let it die!”
Shang Jin didn’t speak, his hand kept rubbing the leaves.
Once again, the dorm fell into silence. Ye Zhou also didn’t know why getting along with
Shang Jin today, he always couldn’t keep calm in his heart. He suddenly stood up and said,
“You cut the cake and we’ll send it next door.”
After Shang Jin cut it, Ye Zhou didn’t wait for the other person at all and impatiently rushed
to the dorm next door with the rest of the cake.
At this time, the dorm next door was the same as many times before: many people were
lying against the wall close to 405.
Ye Zhou, face filled with black lines, said, “Is your hobby listening in the corner?”
Once Ye Zhou said it, all the people, like being pressed by a switch, quickly stood up, forced
a laugh and asked him what was the matter.
“Inviting you to eat cake for Shang Jin’s birthday.” Ye Zhou placed the cake on the table and
deliberately looked at his two roommates. “And you guys, go back to sleep at night.” No
matter what was said, he didn’t want to be alone with Shang Jin tonight. This kind of
uncontrollable feeling was too strange, strange to the point where Ye Zhou felt at a loss to
know what to do.
Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu still wanted to refuse but were forcibly hauled back by Ye Zhou.
In the evening, the several people in the dorm finished showering and were lying in bed
chatting. Most of the time, it was Ye Zhou, Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu talking, and Shang Jin
occasionally inserted a sentence or two.
Just like every day before.
Ye Zhou touched his calm heart. His heartbeat was normal.
So the anomaly just then, was it only an accident?

Chapter 38
The strawberry seedling that Ye Zhou had gifted Shang Jin was placed on the window sill,
and Ye Zhou’s own was also placed side-by-side with it.
When they found out that Ye Zhou’s gift to Shang Jin was a strawberry seedling, Zhou
Wendao took advantage of when Shang Jin was in the bathroom to pull Ye Zhou aside and
whispered, “Zhou, tell us if you have no money. We could raise a lot through crowdfunding.
How could you send such a casual gift?”
“Casual?” Ye Zhou asked a question in reply. He didn’t think it was the least bit casual. He
bought two seedlings from the old lady and on that day, he went to the supermarket to
choose the flowerpots, and finally, worried that the soil dug from the roadside wasn’t very
good, he specially went to the flower and bird market to buy some soil. The strawberry
seedlings were transplanted into the new pots, and the leaves were also wiped spotless. He
couldn’t have been more attentive, so how could it be called casual?
“How much value is your lousy grass? The agricultural institution has a dime in a dozen.”
Zhou Wendao, ‘hating iron for not being steel’, said, “Don’t you know that the gift’s value
shows how much you have the other person in your heart?”
Ye Zhou looked at him distrustfully and said, “Where did you hear this sophistry?”
“I heard it from our class love expert! He can be with his girlfriend for so long is because
he’s deeply-versed in the way of lovers.”
Love expert… If Ye Zhou wasn’t mistaken, he should be the only classmate with a girlfriend.
The classmate’s name was Jiang Wenchao. When he entered university, he got a girlfriend
and what’s more, they’ve dated for almost two years and they still looked very sweet.
Because he was the only person with a girlfriend, he was naturally considered a love expert
by the group of bachelors who wanted to find their own partners.
It was sad enough to think about it: the whole class totaled twenty-three boys, but
incredibly, there was only one who wasn’t single. Obviously, his group of roommates’
personalities and looks were all quite good, and there wasn’t a reason why they wouldn’t
get along with girls. He—the only one with affinity with girls—was gay, and the recognized
male god, Shang Jin, had no interest in love.
Seeing Ye Zhou’s hesitant look, Zhou Wendao disdainfully said, “Your gift is really too
cheap.”
Ye Zhou just recalled that the love expert didn’t contemplate his gifts at all. Not wanting to
be entangled with Zhou Wendao, he perfunctorily said, “It’s fine if you put your thought in
when sending gifts. It doesn’t matter if it’s expensive or not. Besides, if others want to give
expensive gifts, I’d feel burdened when receiving it.”
When Shang Jin came out, he just heard this sentence. He washed his hands and, pretending
he hadn’t heard anything, asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” Zhou Wendao said in embarrassment, his eyes constantly turning between Ye
Zhou and Shang Jin.
Shang Jin looked at the time and said, “It’s almost time for class. Not going to the
classroom?”
“Go go go.” Ye Zhou pushed Zhou Wendao toward the door and whispered in his ear, “I say,
can you guys gossip less every time? Shang Jin and I are very normal, but got messed
around by you guys until it’s uncomfortable.” This could also be counted as taking out his
anger for last night. Ye Zhou was now most afraid of hearing people pairing him up with
Shang Jin. This fear wasn’t the same as in the beginning when he was both annoyed and
anxious, wishing he could immediately drag Shang Jin to hold a press conference and make
it extremely clear that there wasn’t any relationship between the two people. Rather, this
kind of strange feeling that he couldn’t explain clearly, Ye Zhou was unwilling to think
deeper on it and also didn’t dare to think carefully about it.
At the Shang Ye number, Ye Zhou was ready to go to the driver’s seat, but unexpectedly,
Shang Jin entered one step ahead of him.
Ye Zhou asked, “Wasn’t today my turn to drive the car?”
Shang Jin didn’t answer directly, but said, “Whoever drives is the same.”
Although they’d negotiated when they’d made the purchase that they’d alternate days to
drive, but it actually wasn’t very strictly carried out. Ye Zhou didn’t think too much and got
into the backseat. It just happened that he hadn’t slept too well last night.
At noon, they went to the third floor of the canteen.
Going down memory lane, Ye Zhou immediately recalled that when Shang Jin met him that
day, he’d ‘coldly’ nodded at him. Ye Zhou and Shang Jin came to a nook seat and sat down. A
sentence had brought the matter to a close last time, but Ye Zhou suddenly wanted to know
more.
“Eh, your family’s genes are really good. The little cousin from your father or mother side
from two days ago looks like a little princess.” That day, Ye Zhou’s attention in the
beginning had completely been drawn to Shang Jin and the beauty behind him. As for the
little girl in Shang Jin’s arm, she’d been focused on Shang Jin for the most part and he hadn’t
seen too clearly. Later when Shang Jin passed him, the little girl turned her head and Ye
Zhou was able to see the appearance of the little girl. At that time, he lamented: worthy of
being brother and sister with Shang Jin. When she grew up, she’d definitely be a goddess.
“She…” Shang Jin paused for a moment and continued, “is my younger sister.”
“Your sister?” Recalling what Shang Jin had said that day, that the two people were his
younger sister and aunt, Ye Zhou roughly understood in his heart and didn’t dig deeper.
Instead, he said, “It seems like God has also shut the door on you.”
This was for that Christmas Eve day when Ye Zhou had said “did God not only help you to
open the door and open the window, but also helped set you up with a pair of awesome
wings”. Not wanting to see sympathy in Ye Zhou’s eyes, Shang Jin said, “In fact, our
relationship isn’t bad.”
“I also think so. Otherwise, why would you hold your sister all the way.” Ye Zhou poked the
rice and said, “Actually, I really like kids, especially beautiful and well-behaved kids.”
Hearing Ye Zhou’s tone, Shang Jin, not knowing what demons and gods were at work, said,
“If you like, I’ll bring my sister over the next time?”
“Sure, isn’t there the sports competition next month? Bring her to come play.” Bringing up
the sports competition, Ye Zhou asked tentatively, “Right, what event are you participating
in the sports competition?”
“I don’t want to participate in anything.” During the freshman year, because no one signed
up for the 5000-meter in the faculty, Shang Jin filled in for the shortfall. Who knew that
Shang Jin had just finished signing up when Ye Zhou also put in his name. After knowing
that Ye Zhou had enrolled, he ran over to the sports committee to withdraw his name. As a
result, the sports committee had seen that they’d been able to sign up two people with
great difficulty, and had been afraid of them reneging so they’d eagerly reported the list of
participants up to their superiors.
Even if Shang Jin’s physical fitness wasn’t bad, but running the 5000-meter wouldn’t be a
small task for him, not to mention that he’d also have to spend a lot of time practicing
before the competition.
“Why don’t you participate in one?” Ye Zhou took out his cell phone and opened the
program for the sports competition. “This time, you don’t have to run the 5000, but running
the 1000-meter is also good.”
Shang Jin shook his head. “This kind of golden opportunity to shine can be given to others.
With this time, I might as well play games in the dorm.”
Ye Zhou snorted and said, “Really no sense of team honor. This time, I signed up for the
1000-meter. Last year’s 5000-meter was really unbearable.”
“Unbearable? But you still signed up for it last year?”
Ye Zhou replied without thinking, “Wasn’t that because you were participating?”
Shang Jin suddenly realized, “It turns out that you’ve fallen for me since then.”
“Absolutely not, okay?” Ye Zhou said blankly, “At that time, I just wanted to swat to death
the irksome flea that had always been jumping in front of me.”
The flea classmate calmly said, “It seems like I will have to continue being irksome in the
future. I hope you get accustomed to it as soon as possible.”
Ye Zhou reported his name to the sports committee in the evening. The sport committee
enthusiastically asked, “You and Shang Jin will sign up for running again?”
“Not Shang Jin, only me.”
The sports committee nervously said, “What happened? Did you quarrel with Shang Jin
again?”
Ye Zhou was unable to make head or tail of it and said, “No, where did you hear that?”
“Then why are you registering alone?”
Ye Zhou told it as it was: “He doesn’t like running because it’s too tiring.”
The sports committee breathed a sigh of relief and said, “That’s good.”
Ye Zhou was at a loss and quickly threw this matter to the back of his mind.
As the weather gradually grew warmer, he donned his sportswear and practiced on the
sports field every morning and evening.
If Shang Jin didn’t participate this time, then he wouldn’t be polite and take the first place
throne.
On this day, after Ye Zhou finished running, he was slowly calming down his breath on the
sports field when the sports committee member ran over with an ‘I’ve seen through
everything’ evident expression and said, “You lied to me two days ago. Obviously quarreled
with Shang Jin but said you didn’t. Shang Jin came to register today.”
“What?” Ye Zhou said in astonishment, “Registered? Registered for what?”
“What else can it be? Of course, it’s the 1000-meter.” The sports committee member patted
Ye Zhou’s shoulder and said, “Don’t quarrel later. You guys are too obvious.”
Ye Zhou sincerely said, “we really didn’t quarrel. Why don’t you believe it?”
“Two people would act separately without quarreling?”
Ye Zhou pulled his mouth and said, “If I remember correctly, I didn’t cooperate with Shang
Jin for the entire freshman year.”
“No wonder you’d be inseparable in your sophomore year. It was originally to make up for
the time wasted before.”
Ye Zhou rolled his eyes toward heaven and didn’t want to explain anymore. He used the
towel hanging from his neck to wipe the sweat on his forehead and said to himself, “Really,
this Shang Jin, didn’t he say two days ago that he wasn’t going to register? Suddenly
changing his mind now…”
He walked back to the dorm and just opened the dorm door when he met face-to-face with
Shang Jin who was about to go out.
Ye Zhou grabbed his sleeve and asked, “Didn’t you say two days ago that you weren’t
participating in the sports competition?”
Shang Jin took off his headphones and deadpanned, “I thought about it carefully. Rather
than letting you lose in someone else’s hand, I might as well let you lose to me.”
Ye Zhou froze for a moment, then curiously said, “How can you be sure that I’d lose to
others without you there? Besides, how can you already be sure that you can win the
championship before the competition starts?”
“It’s not that I don’t believe in your strength; I just don’t believe in your luck,” Shang Jin said
this sentence without a trace of mockery, genuinely and simply stating his point of view. As
for the question at the end, he directly ignored it. Such an obvious thing didn’t need to be
answered at all.
Ye Zhou choked on this remark. There really was a defeated ‘what he said is too reasonable,
I actually have no way to respond’ kind of feeling.

Chapter 39
“Eh, why hasn’t Shang Jin come back when it’s so late?”
Ye Zhou looked up and said to Liu Yutian in the upper bunk, “He went home today.”
Shang Jin’s home was local, but how often he went home was similar to students who lived
in other parts of the country.
This was the first time that Shang Jin returned home during a short vacation.
“Went home?” Lying on the bed and tapping his fingers on the mobile phone screen, Liu
Yutian inquisitively said, “He didn’t go back during the Qingming three-day holiday. Why
did he go back today?”
Wen Renxu said, “Yeah, and tomorrow’s the sports competition. He’s not competing?”
Besides from knowing Shang Jin’s whereabouts, Ye Zhou also wasn’t very clear about his
motives for returning home. “I also don’t know why. He said he’ll come over tomorrow
morning.” In any case, Shang Jin was an adult, so he also didn’t need to report to his
roommates on what he was doing outside.
On the other side, Shang Jin was sitting in the living room. Shang Youyou was affixed to his
side, stretching out her little fork to the fruit plate on the coffee table and forking a
strawberry to totteringly send it to Shang Jin’s mouth. “Big brother, eat.”
Shang Jin opened his mouth to eat, smiling at Shang Youyou. Shang Youyou immediately
hugged Shang Jin’s arm and shyly lowered her head.
“Let Youyou go to school with you tomorrow?” Shang Qingping muttered irresolutely to
himself, “Youyou is too young. Wouldn’t it be inconvenient?”
Shang Youyou feared that her dad wouldn’t agree, and couldn’t help but shyly urge, “I want
to go with big brother!”
Shang Jin picked up a strawberry as a reward and sent it to Shang Youyou’s mouth. But the
strawberry was too big and Shang Youyou’s mouth was too small. Because she was fed by
Shang Jin, she wanted to eat it all in one go. As a result, the strawberry juice dripped and
covered everything.
“Sorry.” Shang Jin pulled out a napkin and helped Shang Youyou wipe dry the stains. When
he fed Shang Youyou another strawberry, he lifted it up to let her little mouth take a bite.
“Shang Jin is a steady person and can definitely take good care of Youyou,” Qin Fei
persuaded, “Just let them go together.” Shang Jin being good to Shang Youyou was a good
thing that one could only wish for. When Qin Fei had come into the family, because Shang
Jin’s age wasn’t considered young and was opinionated, her heart knew that she couldn’t
coax him. Having tried to please him all along, now that Shang Jin was taking the initiative
to accept them, she was much more comfortable at home now.
Shang Qingping nodded and said, “That’s fine, but remember to send her back home at
night.”
Early the next morning, Shang Youyou changed her habit of sleeping in. After waking up,
she opened wide her eyes and obediently let Qin Fei dress her.
At eight o’clock, Shang Jin yawning, went out with Shang Youyou. He sat Shang Youyou in
the safety seat and sat in the driver’s seat himself.
They arrived at school close to nine o’clock.
When it comes to Shang Jin, he was originally a school celebrity, so carrying Shang Youyou
who was dressed like a princess attracted many people’s attention.
Although the crowd of onlookers anxiously wanted to know who the child carried by Shang
Jin was, no one had the courage to ask.
Until he joined up with Ye Zhou on the sports field.
“Aiya, who’s this beautiful little princess?” The moment Ye Zhou saw the young girl in
Shang Jin’s arms, he immediately knew the other’s identity. He ran over in a few steps.
Originally, he was very approachable, not to mention now when he was striving to spread
his kindness outward.
Shang Youyou was originally hanging onto Shang Jin’s neck. After hearing the voice, she
looked towards the person that had come. With this glance, she was directly dumbfounded.
After waiting for a long time, he still didn’t received the Shang family little princess’s reply.
The other side just stared blankly at him without any intention of opening her mouth. Ye
Zhou was unable to maintain the smile on his face. He looked at Shang Jin as if asking for his
help.
Shang Jin called out, “Youyou?”
Shang Youyou, as if not hearing it, still foolishly stared at Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou unobtrusively moved over to Shang Jin’s side, and leaned in to Shang Jin’s ear and
tactfully asked, “Your little sister didn’t sleep well?” In fact, he even wanted to ask, ‘why is
your sister a bit foolish’. Clearly the last time she’d seemed very clever.
Shang Jin was also bewildered. He whispered, “No, she was still high-spirited in the car just
now.” Saying this, Shang Jin shook his arms. Shang Youyou immediately came back to her
senses. She looked at Ye Zhou again, and then directly buried her face in Shang Jin’s
shoulder, and wouldn’t come out no matter how she was coaxed.
Ye Zhou was greatly wounded. He’d always felt that he was very approachable. He didn’t
expect that he’d bump into a wall with Shang Jin’s little sister.
Shang Jin awkwardly said, “She may not have slept well.”
Ye Zhou resentfully said, “Then let her sleep.”
Walking for a while, they met Zhou Wendao and Xu Yangjun.
The two of them looked at the little girl in Shang Jin’s arms and the two were petrified on
the spot.
Based on his understanding from a year of living together, Ye Zhou saw the two men’s
expressions and knew that they’d already visualized a scene of dog’s blood [melodramatic]
family drama. Rushing before they could babble their nonsense, he introduced, “This is
Shang Jin’s little sister.”
Zhou Wendao breathed out a huge sigh of relief and said, “Turns out it’s a sister.”
“Hello, little sister.” Xu Yangjun walked behind Shang Jin, wanting to chat with Shang
Youyou.
Ye Zhou said, “She’s sleeping. Don’t disturb her.”
However, Ye Zhou’s words just fell, Shang Youyou raised her little face and responded to Xu
Yangjun, “Hi, big brother.”
Ye Zhou simply didn’t dare to believe that he’d actually suffered defeat at Xu Yangjun’s
hand.
“Aiya, she looks like a little angel, deserving to be Shang Jin’s little sister.”
Without looking, they could feel the ‘negative energy’ emitting from Ye Zhou’s entire body.
Shang Jin also couldn’t understand it. It was because Ye Zhou had said he liked children that
he’d brought Shang Youyou. He didn’t expect that Shang Youyou would be very good with
others, but why was she so resistant to Ye Zhou?
Seeing Shang Youyou not only pay attention to Xu Yangjun, but even politely greeted Zhou
Wendao, and only being so “indifferent” to him, he sourly said with a face without love,
“You guys should happily and merrily play together. Let me, this broken-winged angel
who’d been abandoned by the little princess, lick my wounds alone.”
Xu Yangjun and Zhou Wendao had finally found a sense of superiority with Ye Zhou, and
insincerely comforted him, “Zhou, there’s nothing to be done. This is personal charm!”
“Right, in the children’s world, where’s the concept of beauty and ugliness? If you’re
pleasing to the eye, then they’d talk to you. If you’re not pleasing to the eye, they’d be
unwilling to respond.” Xu Yangjun “tut-tutted” twice and deliberately said, “Little children
are so capricious!”
While the two people were deriding Ye Zhou, Shang Jin carrying Shang Youyou walked to
one side and set Shang Youyou on the ground. He crouched down and whispered, “What do
you think of the first brother you saw?”
Shang Youyou clutched at the corner of her clothes and, blushing with a timid look at Ye
Zhou, said, “That big brother looks really nice.”
Looking at Shang Youyou’s expression, Shang Jin’s heart steadied a lot. He continued to ask,
“Then do you like him?”
“Like…” Shang Youyou held Shang Jin’s neck and whispered in his ear, “I also want to talk to
him, but I’m embarrassed.” Especially because she’d foolishly stared at him as soon as
they’d met…
Shang Jin saw a bright yellow wildflower in the weeds and whispered a few words in Shang
Youyou’s ear. Shang Youyou heard it and took a few small steps to the little wildflower. She
carefully picked it and, under Shang Jin’s encouraging gaze, walked before Ye Zhou with her
hands behind her back.
Upon seeing Shang Youyou come over, Xu Yangjun and Zhou Wendao solicitously asked,
“Little treasure, are you looking for us brothers for something?”
Shang Youyou, under the two people’s expectant gazes, walked in front of Ye Zhou, took out
the hands behind her back, stuck out the hand holding a small wildflower and said,
“Brother Ye, for you.”
Ye Zhou unexpectedly said, “For me?”
Shang Youyou nodded.
“Thank you.” Ye Zhou knelt down and took the small flower. He placed it at the tip of his
nose and sniffed. Then, he took the small flower and tucked it behind Shang Youyou’s ear,
and said, “The flower matches the little princess, really beautiful.”
Shang Youyou squinted her eyes and bashfully smiled at Ye Zhou. Soon after, she took
down the newly-bought cherry hairclip that she’d insisted on wearing this morning and
reciprocated by putting on on Ye Zhou’s head. Only, because she was too young, her hand
coordination wasn’t too good and she barely hung it on Ye Zhou’s hair.
Ye Zhou didn’t mind wearing a child’s hairclip, and still raised his head to ask Shang Jin,
“Looks good?”
Shang Jin disdainfully said, “Ugly to death.”
Shang Youyou hurriedly comforted Ye Zhou, “Not ugly, not ugly, it’s very beautiful!”
The children’s liking was often very straightforward. After the shy period in the beginning,
Shang Youyou wasn’t reserved at all and let Ye Zhou lead her along by the hand, and
moreover, from calling Ye Zhou “Brother Ye”, it was upgraded to “Brother Zhou Zhou”.
The two people’s event was in the afternoon. After eating lunch, Shang Jin had spoken with
the dorm manager aunt and brought Shang Youyou back to the dormitory.
Shang Youyou slowly sucked on a small box of milk. Sucking a mouthful, she placed the
straw in front of Shang Jin and said, “Big brother, drink.”
Shang Jin took a sip. Shang Youyou passed the straw again to Ye Zhou and said, “Brother
Zhou Zhou, drink.”
Sharing a straw and whatnot was still a bit too intimate. Shang Jin and Shang Youyou were
brother and sister so it didn’t matter, but he himself was an outsider, and no matter how he
thought, it was still unsuitable. Ye Zhou tactfully declined, “I can’t drink anymore. I’m really
full from eating lunch. If I drink, I’m afraid my belly would explode.”
Shang Youyou uttered a disappointed “oh” first, then giggled, “Brother Zhou Zhou’s belly is
going to explode.”
Shang Jin brought Shang Youyou to the dorm and immediately attracted the onlookers
from the two neighboring dorms. Afraid of scaring the other party, they only dared to look
with their two eyes from afar.
At this time, the benefits of being roommates were reflected. Liu Yutian teased Shang
Youyou with a lollipop. Shang Youyou took it but didn’t eat, handing it Shang Jin instead.
Shang Youyou yawned, and Shang Jin put the lollipop away and said, “Sleep for a while, and
then eat again when you get up.”
“Okay.” Shang Youyou rubbed her eyes and Shang Jin carried her to the bed. In less than
two minutes, her little chest rhythmically drifted up and down.
Ye Zhou came out of the bathroom and saw that Shang Youyou was lying on Shang Jin’s bed.
“I didn’t expect your little sister to be so close with people, unlike a certain someone.”
Shang Jin bantered, “Forgetting so soon? Youyou didn’t care about you at first.”
“When we ate at noon, she told me that it was because she thought I was too handsome and
felt embarrassed, so she was like that.” Ye Zhou looked sidelong at him and proudly said,
“At that time, I asked her: your brother and me, who’s more handsome? Guess what she
said?”
Shang Jin answered irrelevantly, “Youyou needs to improve her vision.”
Ye Zhou was blocked by him and couldn’t continue. He snorted and said, “Children would
say one is one and two is two.”
Sleeping until 1:30, Shang Jin called Shang Youyou up. Shang Youyou wanted to dawdle a
bit in bed, groaned twice, unwilling to get up.
Ye Zhou tore off the lollipop wrapper, put the lollipop in front of Shang Youyou and asked,
“Baby, look what’s this?”
Shang Youyou opened her eyes and woke up. She opened her mouth, wanting to take it, but
Ye Zhou quickly took it away. Shang Youyou acted spoiled and said, “Brother Zhou Zhou, I
want to eat it.”
“Get up and I’ll give it to you to eat.”
Shang Youyou climbed down. After taking a nap, her two ponytails had become two braids
turned up to heaven. Ye Zhou saw this and laughed for half a day, but soon, he couldn’t
laugh anymore. “Brother Zhou Zhou, comb my hair for me.”
“Ah?” Ye Zhou had never done this kind of handiwork, and the horsetail looked simple, but
tying it wasn’t simple. Ye Zhou knew himself well and said, “Let your big brother tie it up.”
Shang Youyou pulled on Ye Zhou’s finger and swung it while saying, “Brother Zhou Zhou
and big brother tie it up together…”
Wen Renxu gloated to the side, “It’s not always good to be adored by children.”
“It shouldn’t be too hard.” Shang Jin let Shang Youyou sit on a stool, bent down and
carefully undid the left braid. He said, “You comb the right side.”
At this moment, the two seemed to come back to the time they’d spray painted the little
pedicab.
After the work was finished, looking at Shang Youyou’s two ponytails, Wen Renxu sighed,
“No wonder why the Shang Ye number was defiled by you two to become like that.”
Shang Jin was undisturbed and said, “I think it looks pretty good.”

Chapter 40
The quiet campus was lively and students from various places gathered on the sports field.
Shang Jin and Ye Zhou, each person leading one of Shang Youyou’s hand, carried Shang
Youyou down the stairs, swinging her along the way.
When they reached downstairs, the two let go of Shang Youyou’s hands. Shang Youyou,
crowned by two differing braids, bouncing and hopping, descended down the dormitory
building steps. Straightening up, she pointed at the car shed behind the two of them and
said, “Big brother, that car is so beautiful.”
Ye Zhou’s eyes shone with praise. “Good taste!”
Shang Youyou took several steps and went over. Standing in front of the Shang Ye number,
she wanted to but didn’t dare to touch.
Ye Zhou picked Shang Youyou up and asked, “Little baby, do you want to sit?”
Shang Youyou nodded with all her strength.
“If you want to sit, then sit. This is brothers’ car.”
Shang Jin opened the front door. With one hand supported on Ye Zhou’s shoulder, Shang
Youyou’s other hand pointed at the pattern on the car and said, “Red, green, blue, black,
yellow…”
“Baby knows so many colors, really amazing!” Ye Zhou put Shang Youyou on the seat in the
rear compartment and followed her in. Along the way, Shang Youyou knelt on the seat to
look out the window and chatted with Ye Zhou.
After getting off the car, Ye Zhou lamented once again, “It’s really hard to imagine that you,
this type of person, would actually have a chatterbox little sister.” Ye Zhou vaguely
remembered asking Shang Jin before how he’d see him if he treated Ye Zhou as a younger
brother. Shang Jin had said he was so noisy that he’d definitely be annoyed to death. Could
it be that this was showing what he felt?
Arriving at a crowded place, Shang Youyou didn’t want to carried and struggled down to
the ground from Ye Zhou’s arms. Each hand pulling along a big brother, she bouncingly and
vivaciously strove to keep up with their steps.
Ye Zhou slowed down his steps and asked Shang Jin, “You should be anooyed by your sister,
right?”
“Not annoying. It’s very good.” Shang Jin saw through his thoughts in a glance and said
meaningfully, “Youyou is different from a certain person. She doesn’t need other people to
hang with and could play with herself for a long time, unlike some people, who have to get
some response.”
Ye Zhou angrily said, “Must annoy you to death!”
When they came to the sports field, there were already people who’d started competing,
and a circle of students were around the track.
Shang Jin picked up Shang Youyou, stood in the middle of the playground and looked
around for a while. He asked, “Do you see our classmates? We’re competing at 2:45. We
need to look for someone to help us watch Youyou.”
“Let’s wait. The sports field isn’t far from the dormitory. Others may come over.”
Sure enough, after waiting for ten minutes, one after another, they saw the people from
their dorm come in from the sports field entrance.
“Oh my god! Is this the little princess I saw this morning?” Zhou Wendao exclaimed.
Glancing at the back of Shang Youyou’s head, he saw that not only were the rubber bands
not tied tightly, but several hairs were still entangled around the rubber bands. “How was
the hair combed to get this messy?”
Ye Zhou was really embarrassed to say that this was actually combed by him and Shang Jin.
It seemed that he really needed to learn from hair-tying videos on the internet. Wait until
the next time Shang Youyou came, he could fight to comb out a beautiful ponytail for her.
“This is simply a super inferior version of a ponytail.”
“Okay, still going on and on.” Ye Zhou looked at the time and said, “Wendao, we’re going to
compete in a moment. Help us look after Youyou.”
“No problem.” Zhou Wendao took a lollipop from his pocket and placed it in front of Shang
Youyou. “Baby, come quickly to brother.”
Shang Youyou didn’t answer, but turned her head and embraced Shang Jin.
Zhou Wendao’s hand was raised in midair and, struck by several blows, asked, “What is
this?”
Ye Zhou restrained his laughter and fired back, “Ai, little children are so capricious. If
you’re pleasing to the eye, then they’d talk to you. If you’re not pleasing to the eye, they’d be
unwilling to respond.”
Zhou Wendao sorrowfully covered his heart.
Shang Jin asked Shang Youyou in a low voice. Shang Youyou pouted her mouth and said,
“He just said that big brother messed up my hair and it doesn’t look good.”
Finally, the Shang family’s little princess was held by the late-coming Wen Renxu. Her hand
holding Zhou Wendao’s “apology” lollipop, she reluctantly looked at Shang Jin and Ye Zhou.
To tease her to be happy, Ye Zhou said, “Can the little princess give me a good luck kiss?
When I go on the field, I can feel the energy that the little princess gives me.”
Shang Jin frowned and said, “Stop trying to take advan ー”
Words not yet finished, Shang Youyou leaned forward, hugged Ye Zhou’s neck and kissed
Ye Zhou’s face.
Shang Jin supported his forehead, also not knowing whether he should sigh that his sister
wasn’t reserved, or sigh that Ye Zhou wasn’t serious.
After kissing Ye Zhou, Shang Youyou went over to Shang Jin and also kissed Shang Jin’s face.
Shang Youyou clenched her little fist and said, “Brother, fighting!”
Shang Jin touched the place that was kissed and didn’t speak. Ye Zhou was completely
unaware and said, “Too cute. Tell her to kiss and she just kisses. This could also be counted
as the first kiss I have ever received in my life, even though it’s kissing my cheek.”
“The first kiss in your life?”
Ye Zhou glanced at Shang Jin and said, “What, do I seem like such a casual person?”
Shang Jin raised his hand.
Ye Zhou: “???”
He pinched the place where Shang Youyou had kissed.
Ye Zhou covered his face and indignantly said, “Hey, it isn’t like your sister didn’t kiss you.
What are you trying to even out the score for!”
At 2:40, the two people went to the starting point. Ye Zhou and Shang Jin’s tracks were just
next to each other.
“Ready!”
The two got ready to move.
Bang! The gunfire sounded, and the sound of cheering rang through the entire playground.
The distance of 1000 meters was only two and a half laps. Shang Jin had a precise grasp on
his own physical strength. When he started, he’d allocated what time to store up power and
what time to sprint.
Ye Zhou and Shang Jin’s tactics were similar. The first lap, they let others have their way
and surpass them. At the second lap, they slowly sped up.
In the final sprint, Ye Zhou and Shang Jin took the lead and accelerated their pace, quickly
overtaking the athletes in front of them.
At the finish line, two students pulled a strip of white ribbon and waited for the athletes to
dash through the line.
Shang Jin looked at Ye Zhou beside him and said, “Wait for you at the finish line.”
“Don’t think it’s so simple.”
This sentence was like a fuse. Both of them staked their all and went all-out to rush towards
the finish line.
In the end, the god of fortune still didn’t favor Ye Zhou. Three seconds after Shang Jin
dashed through the line, Ye Zhou came to the finish line.
No one in the surrounding people didn’t recognize these two people. One after the other,
they started whispering.
“These two aren’t only test gods, but are also racing gods!”
“Did they participate in last year’s sports competition?”
“Registered in the 5000-meter! The first and second were them. I had a profound
impression at the time. Who made them be all handsome guys.”
“I just saw the Shang Ye number parked in front of the sports field gate. Wait for me to go
worship. I need to do the high jump in a while.”
“I’ll go too! I have a relay race. Wait for me to call my entire team!”
The next competition began and the people around Ye Zhou and Shang Jin finally left.
Shang Youyou came down from Wen Renxu’s body and with little steps, threw herself at
Shang Jin’s leg. Her two eyes sparkling, she said, “Brother is really awesome.”
Shang Jin scraped Shang Youyou’s nose and said, “Thank you.”
Shang Youyou once again ran to Ye Zhou’s leg and using the same tone, said, “Brother Zhou
Zhou was just so awesome, so fast at the end!”
Ye Zhou slowly recovered and lifted Shang Youyou over his head with both hands and said,
“That’s because Youyou baby has magic. When I ran out of power at the end, I was suddenly
given tremendous energy!”
Shang Youyou swung her little legs and happily surprised, said, “Really?”
“Of course.”
The two people took Shang Youyou to stroll a circle around campus. At five o’clock, Shang
Jin held her and proposed to leave.
“Brother Zhou Zhou, come to play at our home next time…” Shang Youyou clung to the
window and was extremely reluctant to part. “Our family has a lot of candy and toys…”
“When there’s the chance, I’d definitely go. See you next time.” Ye Zhou waved at her and
looked at Shang Jin from the window. “See you tomorrow.”
In the evening, Ye Zhou was lying in bed and flipping through the album. There were many
of photos of Shang Youyou today.
“I didn’t expect Shang Jin has such a small sister.” Liu Yutian finished showering and came
out. Sitting down in the chair, he gossiped, “This is the first time I saw his family. I didn’t
see them at all since the start of freshman year.”
Wen Renxu slid his mouse and agreed, “Isn’t it? Many people are also discussing it on the
forum.”
Ye Zhou jumped down from the bed, walked over to Wen Renxu and said, “Let me see.”
Wen Renxu gave him the computer to look. Ye Zhou used the mouse to drag it to the very
beginning.
The post was issued at 10 o’clock in the morning, and now covered several thousands of
messages.
From the very beginning, they guessed Shang Youyou’s identity. After the identity came
out, everyone praised the Shang family’s genes were good, and there were a lot of photos in
the middle.
Ye Zhou was almost always with Shang Jin and Shang Youyou on this day, and many of the
photos had him in them.
Ye Zhou returned the computer to Wen Renxu, found the post on his mobile phone and
silently saved the clear pictures. Without knowing exactly why, Ye Zhou set these photos in
an encrypted photo album to prevent anyone from seeing them.
The next day, Shang Jin changed his shoes at the entrance, and Shang Youyou, wearing her
pajamas and holding a rabbit in her hand, waited for Shang Jin to ask her first.
Shang Jin considerately asked, “Is something the matter?”
Shang Youyou took the rabbit and handed it to him. “I want to give this Brother Zhou Zhou.”
Shang Jin took the rabbit doll and smiled. “Like him so much?”
Shang Youyou shyly said, “Brother Zhou Zhou looks good and also plays with me. I like
him.”
An hour later, Shang Jin appeared on A Uni campus carrying a rabbit doll. After riding the
pedicab, he once again broke other people’s perception of Shang Jin and momentarily
attracted countless eyes.
Ye Zhou, who had no knowledge of this, had eaten at the canteen and was unhurriedly
following Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu to the sports field. When he first came to the door, he
heard Shang Jin call him and Ye Zhou turned his head. Catching a glimpse of the rabbit
sandwiched in Shang Jin’s arms, he exuberantly mocked, “Shang Jin, you’re really childlike
enough. You wouldn’t have walked over here like this, right? No one took pictures of you? It
seems like the protagonist of today’s forum is you again, hahaha.”
Shang Jin pressed the rabbit on Ye Zhou’s face and said, “Made you disappointed. This is
sent by our family’s Youyou for you.”
Ye Zhou struggled to take down the rabbit. The adorable rabbit looked like something a
little girl would like. Knowing that it was gifted to him by Shang Youyou, he also didn’t feel
it was childish, and still immeasurably self-satisfied, said, “Help me to tell Youyou that I’ve
received it. Tell her I like it very much.”
The two people didn’t say two sentences when a voice came from behind them.
“Senior Ye Zhou!” This startling heaven and earth roar suddenly pulled everyone’s
attention, including Ye Zhou’s.
He saw a guy wearing a baseball cap, holding a bouquet of fiery roses, directly placed it in
front of Ye Zhou, “For you!”
Ye Zhou was stupefied. What was this situation??

Chapter 41
Ten o’clock in the morning was exactly the time when the students from all departments
converged together from all directions, including from the sports field entrance. There was
simply no need to spread the news: it attracted thousands of students to become
enthusiastic spectators.
Originally thinking that Shang Jin holding a rabbit would be the protagonist of the BBS
tonight,Ye Zhou never imagined that because of a sudden episode, he would suddenly
become the person who stirred up winds and waves.
The fiery red roses were still held before him. Ye Zhou couldn’t help but take two steps
back, unthinkingly bumping into Shang Jin’s body.
Shang Jin held Ye Zhou’s shoulder. Not looking at the unsightly roses, he said
expressionlessly, “The game is about to start. Let’s go.”
Ye Zhou came back to his senses and said “oh”. He was thinking about taking a careful look
at the appearance of the sender. In the end, Shang Jin changed positions with him, just
blocking his sight.
“Senior Ye Zhou!” The boy was not to be outdone and came forward again, “I ー”
Shang Jin turned his head, swept him with an impatient gaze, and said, “Do you think it’s
appropriate for a guy to do such a high-profile act to another guy in a public place?”
The boy choked and frantically tried to explain.
Shang Jin didn’t give him an opportunity to explain, and continued, “You’re an adult; please
think twice before acting.” Afterwards, ignoring the crowd of onlookers, he pulled Ye Zhou
out of the encirclement.
Wen Renxu and Liu Yutian were slower than them by a step and fell in behind them. The
two ‘I look at you, you look at me’ and didn’t know how to break the suddenly impasse
they’d sunken into.
Ye Zhou’s mind was still in chaos, several issues circling all along in his heart.
Why would that boy do that?
Playing a big prank?
From when that younger brother appeared until now, Ye Zhou hadn’t said anything. Shang
Jin opened his mouth and asked, “What are you thinking about?”
“Ah? Nothing…” Ye Zhou smiled wryly, scratched his cheek and said, “I didn’t expect our
school to be quite open. Although having a guy send flowers…gave me a scare.”
Shang Jin shot him a glance and said, “Looking at you, it’s terrified. Every time something
happens, you don’t do anything and lose your mind first. Obviously, your brain isn’t bad, so
why do you drop the ball at the critical moment?”
Ye Zhou turned his head. That man was holding the roses in his hand and his head was
drooped low. The people around him were pointing at him, and he looked a bit pitiful.
However, he had no extra compassion to sympathize with others. After all, he was the most
pitiful.
In order to let Ye Zhou ease his heart, Liu Yutian consoled, “This is definitely playing a big
prank. Zhou, don’t mind it.”
“Like Shang Jin said, when a guy gives another guy flowers in the public—also at the sports
field entrance, the most crowded place—he’s not stupid: he’s super stupid!” Wen Renxu
chimed in, “People with brains wouldn’t have done this kind of thing.”
Shang Jin sneered, “This school brother knows to wear a hat to conceal himself.”
This sentence once again made Ye Zhou feel sick at heart, and the goodwill he had for the
boy dropped by another degree. “Indeed! He knew to wear a hat himself, and just let me,
who was so completely unprepared, become the target.”
Shang Jin said, ” Let’s go back to our dorm after watching the other people’s game. What the
eyes doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.”
Ye Zhou nodded and buried his head in the rabbit’s chest. He took a deep breath and said,
“What the hell was that…”
There was no one they knew competing in the afternoon, so Ye Zhou simply nested in the
dorm and didn’t go out.
In one noon, what happened in the morning fermented until the whole school were very
clear on it.
After his meal, Ye Zhou habitually browsed through the forum. Sure enough, he saw a new
post.
LZ: Rabbit or rose, it is not a question!
LZ: A lot of gaiety in the sports venue ~ Yesterday, the two test gods carried a fiercely cute
little loli to tour around campus. Today, a young man staged a great event to fearlessly tear
apart our National CP!1 At the sports field entrance, there’s the rabbit doll sent by Shang Jin
before and there’s the delicate roses from a younger brother after. On the one hand, it’s the
gay friendship of working hand-in-hand. On the other hand, it’s an unexpected ambush
halfway out. As an eyewitness, I just want to say that the younger brother is too weak in
front of the male god Shang. With two sentences, he was stopped, unable to say another
word. PS. Male God GJ1!!! Finally, as a member of the Shang Ye religion, I just want to say:
“Younger brother, you really have guts to think of tearing apart the Shang Ye!”
1L: Front row! Who dares to tear apart the Shang Ye, I’m the first to not let them off!
2L: Warrior~ do you still think you can pass the final exam!
3L: I hope that the feelings of the two people, Shang and Ye, won’t be shaken!! It’s almost
the midterm, I especially don’t want them to quarrel!
4L: Actually rushing to tear apart the Shang Ye just at the exam…
5L: Five mao!2 Do him in!
6L: nonono, we’re good children of civilization. I think that he’d be redeemed after passing
through one exam period! After all, reality teaches people!
7L: The younger brother had some matter and had to leave school for two months last year
and just came back this year, so isn’t clear on many things! Everyone shouldn’t be too
excited! The younger brother is really innocent! And to tell everyone the good news: he’s a
studying dreg…after an exam, I reckon that any thoughts he has will be dispelled…
Ye Zhou pulled the corners of his mouth, hoping that this younger brother wouldn’t bother
him again.
knock knock knock
“They didn’t bring their keys?” Ye Zhou stood up and thought of going to open the door.
Shang Jin rushed before him and said, “I’ll go.” Saying that, he walked a few steps to the
doorway and pulled open the door.
“Hello! Is Ye Zhou ー”
Not waiting for the other person to finish, Shang Jin slammed the door shut.
Ye Zhou: “???”
Shang Jin deadpanned, “Knocked on the wrong door.”
Soon, the sound of knocking echoed again. Accompanying the sound of knocking was the
incessant voice that transmitted through.
“Senior Ye Zhou! I was wrong in the morning! I came to apologize to you!”
Upon hearing this voice, Ye Zhou became worried. “Quickly let him in. If he keeps knocking,
the whole dorm would know!”
Shang Jin unlocked the door and the person outside pushed directly in.
He furiously glared at Shang Jin, walked in front of Ye Zhou and said like a docile cat:
“Senior Ye Zhou, my name is Xie Shuhan. I’m a freshman in the Fine Arts Faculty. For what
happened this morning, I express my profound apology.”
Xie Shuhan was about the same height as they were. At this time, his shoulders drooped
and tried to huddled himself together. Ye Zhou wasn’t in a good mood because he’d just
read the post, but thinking about quickly distancing himself from the other person, he only
coldly said, “I accept your apology. You can leave.”
“Senior Ye Zhou, I was reckless in the morning, but I definitely didn’t say it in a casual
mood! I am a timid person who can’t really speak, so I only dared to take roses to show you
my feelings.”
Shang Jin leaned to the side and said coolly, “You absolutely have the wrong perception of
yourself. Holding roses to confess in public is definitely not something that a timid person
could do.”
Xie Shuhan ignored Shang Jin’s words and continued, “In yesterday’s 1000-meter race, you
took the lead and rushed to the finish line! At that moment, you also rushed into my heart!
When you were holding your sister to celebrate, I felt like I saw a light coming from you!
You…”
“I’m sorry, I want to correct your mistake,” Shang Jin interrupted him, “The one who took
the lead in yesterday’s 1000-meter was me. She’s also my little sister. But, I’m sorry that I
can’t accept your feelings. I don’t like you, this kind of person who doesn’t have good
brains. Please go back.”
“You, why ー” Xie Shuhan stared blankly for a moment and said in disbelief, “You’re the one
who crossed the finish line yesterday???”
“You didn’t even see the person clearly, how can it be regarded as liking,” Shang Jin
sneered. Taking advantage of the other being distracted, he planned to “invite” him out the
door.
In the moment he went out the door, Xie Shuhan crowded into the crack in the doorway
and solemnly declared, “Although the champion yesterday was you, but in my heart, the
champion is Senior Ye Zhou. The reason why I didn’t see your result yesterday was because
there was only one person in my eyes. I…”
Ye Zhou rubbed the goosebumps on his arms and said, “I understand already, but what
Shang Jin said is what I want to say. Please go back.”
The main party had opened his mouth, and Xie Shuhan, like an eggplant hit by frost, wilted
and walked away.
“Why are you so merciless today?” Although Shang Jin didn’t like Xie Shuhan, but in his
impression, Ye Zhou had always been kind and polite. He may be hopping mad, or be
angered until his face was full of vitality, but except for Christmas when he’d quarreled
with him and started a cold war, he’d never seen him be so cold to someone…
Ye Zhou tsked and said, “It’s fine if he’d secretly said it in private. Who could accept it in
public? Even if I like men, I also don’t want to let everyone know about it!”
The original point of entanglement was here. Shang Jin hesitantly said, “This, it also doesn’t
matter. Aren’t we put together by everyone now?”
“You’re not the same.” Ye Zhou curled his lips. Everyone now put the two of them together
more so because of the name of the test god, and he knew clearly that there weren’t any
feelings beyond friendship between them. Even if they were misunderstood by the
classmates, he and Shang Jin had explained it clearly and he was also magnanimous. But Xie
Shuhan wasn’t the same. Obviously, he had planned to pursue him, and he also expressed
himself in the most unacceptable way to Ye Zhou, making Ye Zhou only want to get far
away from the other.
After hearing this sentence, Shang Jin stretched out his tightly knitted brows and said in
relief, “I see that younger brother only has a child’s nature. After two days, he’d fall in love
with someone else.”
Ye Zhou was baffled and said, “Did you change your personality today? Why so many
words?”
Shang Jin didn’t change his face, sat in his seat and said, “Near ink is blackened.” 3
“Who are you calling ink!”
“I’m calling the one who’s excited.”
The next day, Ye Zhou had a book he wanted to read and went to the library alone, while
Shang Jin played on his computer in the dormitory.
A knock sounded on the door.
Shang Jin took off his headphones, leaned back against the chair and looked upwards and
sighed. This man was really persistent enough.
Opening the door, he once again saw Xie Shuhan’s disgusting face.
Shang Jin wasn’t like Ye Zhou, who liked to maintain a composed outward appearance no
matter the situation. He directly showed his dislike of Xie Shuhan, not even planning to let
the other side enter, “Ye Zhou isn’t in.”
Xie Shuhan shamelessly squeezed in through the crack in the door, handed the fruit in his
hand to Shang Jin, and said, “Brother Shang Jin, today, I came to see you.”
“See me?”
1. CP = couple; GJ = good job ↩ ↩

2. mao: ~0.1 renminbi ↩
3. Near ink is blackened: He’s calling Ye Zhou a bad influence. ↩

Chapter 42
Shang Jin didn’t accept what he offered, but he also didn’t bar him from entering.
Xie Shuhan placed the bag of mangoes on Shang Jin’s desk and, rubbing his hands,
solicitously said, “Brother Shang Jin, yesterday I had no eyes and didn’t understand the
situation.”
Shang Jin didn’t care for his way of address. He closed the door and sat back in his chair,
holding his chin with his hand and waiting for his next words.
“My friend explained to me that you were good buddies with Ye Zhou,” Xie Shuhan didn’t
stand by politeness and sat down in Liu Yutian’s seat. “What you said yesterday to me must
be because my recklessness caused Senior Ye Zhou trouble, right? Worthy of being Senior
Ye Zhou’s close friend, you’re so considerate to him.”
“So?”
“I seemed to have made Senior Ye Zhou unhappy yesterday, so I would like to ask you
about Senior Ye Zhou’s preferences and see if he can improve his opinion of me.”
“So it’s like this.” Shang Jin didn’t bat an eyelid as he changed his posture, not showing a
hint of disgust on his face.
After seeing things take a turn for the better, Xie Shuhan took out a memo pad and pen
from his pocket. He had the appearance of fully intending to take notes, and said, “First,
let’s start with food. Brother Shang Jin, what does Senior Ye Zhou like to eat and drink?”
Shang Jin took a mango from the fruits Xie Shuhan had brought and said with a chuckle,
“Since you’re so sincere, it’s not impossible for me to tell you.”
This laugh directly caused Xie Shuhan to gape.
Shang Jin gently tapped the table twice with his fingers.
Xie Shuhan came back to his senses. Not the least bit embarrassed, he directly said,
“Brother Shang Jin is very handsome. It’s good that you don’t like men, otherwise, you’d
definitely make all the A Uni male students fall.”
Shang Jin endured the impatience in his heart and asked, “Are you still going to ask?”
“Ask, ask, ask!” Xie Shuhan quickly got ready. “What kind of food does Ye Zhou like to eat?”
“Light, he likes to taste the ingredients.”
“Oh!” Xie Shuhan took notes on the paper. “Light is good. I also like light food. What fruit
does he like?”
Shang Jin leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and said, “Lemon.”
“Lemon??” Xie Shuhan was shocked. “So sour? Senior Ye Zhou’s preference is really
different.”
“Incidentally, he also likes to drink lemon juice without honey added.”
It seems that Senior Ye Zhou likes to eat sour things.” Xie Shuhan asked again, “What is his
usual hobby?”
The corner of Shang Jin’s mouth hooked up and said, “Playing games.”
Xie Shuhan excitedly said, “I like to play too! Which game does he play?”
“Wander in Jianghu.”
“I also play that! What’s his name!”
“Called…Yi Ye Pian Zhou.”
“So that’s the case!” Xie Shuhan asked a few more questions about Ye Zhou and finished.
Before leaving, Xie Shuhan repeatedly thanked him. “Wait until I’m with Senior Ye Zhou, I’d
definitely invite Brother Shang Jin to a banquet!”
Shang Jin leaned against the door frame and said meaningfully, “Then…I wish you good
luck.”
Ye Zhou stayed in the library for one afternoon and was walking to the dormitory entrance
with several books when he suddenly heard someone called him in a low voice. He paused
and looked around, finally seeing someone he didn’t want to see at the big tree behind the
parking shed.
Fortunately this time, Xie Shuhan still knew to hide in a place with few people.
“Senior Ye Zhou, I would like to invite you to have a meal in a while.”
“A meal? No need.”
Xie Shuhan said sincerely, “No, it’s needed. I would like to apologize to you. Although you
said yesterday that you accepted my apology, but I caused trouble for you, so don’t say a
meal, it’s what I should do to compensate you for the psychological damage…”
“This is a bit too exaggerated…”
Xie Shuhan was very thoughtful at this time and said, “Senior Ye Zhou, if you think being
alone isn’t good, you can come with Senior Shang Jin.”
“Shang Jin?” Yesterday, Xie Shuhan treated Shang Jin like a thorn in his eyes, and no matter
how he looked, it was unpleasing to the eyes. Today, he actually offered to invite the other
to eat.
Not giving Ye Zhou too much time to think, Xie Shuhan said, “Senior Ye Zhou, I’ll wait for
you guys here.”
Step-by-step, Ye Zhou walked back to the dorm. Entering the dorm door, he regretted.
Shang Jin had appeared so resistant yesterday that he certainly wouldn’t promise to go eat.
However, against Ye Zhou’s expectations, Ye Zhou just proposed and Shang Jin agreed.
“You agreed?”
Shang Jin changed his clothes and said, “You’ve agreed with him, so is there room for me to
refuse?”
“Heheh.” One sentence made Ye Zhou burst with joy. “Of course not, not going would be
disrespecting me.”
A group of three people gathered all the people’s eyes on them.
The students got together and started whispering.
“Swords were drawn and bows were bent yesterday, so how are they shaking hands and
talking together today?”
“I really don’t understand this plot!”
“That younger brother still hasn’t given up?”
“How many story lines have I missed??”
On the third floor of the canteen, Xie Shuhan grabbed a menu from a window and handed it
to Ye Zhou. “Seniors, please order what you want.”
Ye Zhou didn’t answer, only saying, “It doesn’t matter to me.”
Shang Jin also made clear his attitude. “I’m also not picky.”
“Then I’ll just order.” Xie Shuhan took the menu and walked to the window. Then, he spoke
to them and ran to the milk tea shop downstairs to buy drinks.
After Xie Shuhan left, Ye Zhou fiddled with the chopsticks and said, “You say, what’s going
on? Originally, I was thinking about distancing from the other party, but how come we’re
now eating at the same table?”
“Since you’re already here, take it easy. Why are you thinking so much.”
Ye Zhou snorted, “It didn’t happen to you so you would say that.”
Shang Jin defended, “When you secretly took photos of me, I also thought like this.”
“Hehe, how can I forget that I can’t use ordinary people’s reasoning with you,” Ye Zhou
resentfully said, “And also, it’s been such a long time, why do you need to mention it?”
“What I want to say is that this isn’t the first time that this kind of thing has happened.
Could it be that you haven’t found out yet that if you don’t care about the gossip, the gossip
naturally won’t affect you?”
“Easy to say.”
“Senior Ye Zhou, Brother Shang Jin.” Xie Shuhan walked up with three drinks and put the
milk tea in front of Shang Jin and the lemon juice in front of Ye Zhou. In front of himself was
a cup of green tea.
The moment Ye Zhou saw the lemon slices in the cup, his teeth began to ache. He’d never
liked sour or sweet things. Sweet could still be tolerated, but he’s unable to stand sour no
matter what. Since the other party had invited him to dinner, Ye Zhou also didn’t want to
say anything unpleasant, and could only take a straw and poke it into the lemon juice,
praying that there was extra honey inside.
“Hiss…” With only a small sip, Ye Zhou closed his mouth and forced himself to not make a
gaffe.
Shang Jin lowered his head, put his fist next to his mouth and coughed.
Xie Shuhan looked at Ye Zhou in anticipation and said, “Senior Ye Zhou, is it delicious? I
specifically told them not to add honey.”
Ye Zhou clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. “Delicious, too delicious. Do you want to try
it?” He was a bit suspicious. How much enmity did he have with the other that the other
would actually use this kind of underhanded tactics?
Xie Shuhan blushed and said, “No…I don’t have to…”
After one sip, Ye Zhou didn’t want to drink anymore. He looked at the culprit immersed in
drinking his green tea and wasn’t very pleased.
The sour taste in his mouth still lingered. When Xie Shuhan went to the canteen window to
hurry up the food, Ye Zhou grabbed Shang Jin’s milk tea and took a sip.
Shang Jin took the milk tea back, pointed at the lemon juice and said, “That’s yours.”
“This is a banquet set up to murder the guests, right? Isn’t it just rejecting his feelings? Does
he need to go as far as this!” Ye Zhou still wanted to continue talking, but Xie Shuhan
brought the food and he immediately closed his mouth.
“Senior Ye Zhou, kept you waiting.” Xie Shuhan said, putting two dishes on the table. “Don’t
hesitate to eat. The remaining three dishes will come soon.”
Steamed fish…
Stir-fry bok choy…
After seeing these two dishes, even Ye Zhou’s desire to move his chopsticks was gone…
Shang Jin glanced at Ye Zhou out of the corner of his eyes and took the lead to take up his
chopsticks. He picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth. “Not bad.”
Xie Shuhan pushed the fish in front of Ye Zhou and said, “Senior Ye Zhou, you try it.”
Ye Zhou took up his chopsticks, steeled himself and ate a mouthful. Obviously Sichuan
poached fish in hot chili oil and braised fish were good. Why must Xie Shuhan order this
light and tasteless fish?
Since the first two dishes didn’t suit Ye Zhou’s appetite, Ye Zhou could only put hope on the
rest of the dishes.
In less than ten minutes, the remaining two dishes and one soup were also served.
Stir-fried shrimp…
Mushroom in oyster sauce…
And a pot of tofu soup…
This meal was completely not good to eat…
But Xie Shuhan thought that the meal was a pleasant and harmonious one. Especially
during the dinner, intentionally or otherwise, he would mention that he usually play online
games, but also specially brought up the names of the online games.
Ye Zhou rolled his eyes in his heart. God knows what fashion and weapons Xie Shuhan was
talking about. Also, what instances and strategies, Ye Zhou felt that they were in two
different worlds. What’s even more depressing was that Shang Jin actually chatted very
happily with the other…
Eating the unsavory, tasteless meal, he finally endured to the end of dinner.
Xie Shuhan didn’t notice any abnormality at all. After eating, he also took two lemons and
stuffed them into Ye Zhou’s hands. Before Ye Zhou could refuse, he ran away without
looking back.
Ye Zhou touched his stomach. He’d only eaten a few mouthfuls at night and his stomach
didn’t feel full at all.
“Shang Jin, let’s go for a late-night snack. I’m inviting you.” Ye Zhou looked at the lemons in
his hand and could neither throw them away nor bring them. Finally, he could only say in a
huff, “How can the world have such a horrid species like the lemon?”
Shang Jin took one from his hand and put it at the tip of his nose and smelled it. He smiled
and said, “I think it’s very fragrant.”
“Don’t let me see that boy again.” He just had his brain removed for a moment so he’d had a
moment of soft-heartedness and agreed to the other person’s invitation. “Now what’s going
on with these people? Not able to woo people so they want to take revenge on the other. He
knows to drink green tea, but gives other lemon juice without honey, and still has the nerve
to talk. Count me courteous that i don’t scold him in public! What kind of liking is this…”
In a good mood, Shang Jin consoled, “This night, I’ll invite you to finish the snack street
behind A Uni.”
“Go go go!”

Chapter 43
After going through the snack street and gorging out, Ye Zhou was finally perfectly content
and returned back to the dorm with Shang Jin.
Ye Zhou was the first to go into the bathroom to shower. Washing away the savory smell of
barbeque, he opened the door feeling refreshed.
Shang Jin was sitting in front of his computer playing games.
Ye Zhou walked next to Shang Jin and shook his head. A lot of water droplets on his hair
splashed on Shang Jin’s body and on the computer screen.
Shang Jin wiped the water droplets from the computer with a paper towel and said, “Do
you belong to the dog genus?”
Ye Zhou sat in his swivel chair and slid over to Shang Jin. “You seem to be very happy
today.”
“Am I?” Shang Jin carelessly replied, “I’m like this everyday.”
Ye Zhou propped his chin and observed Shang Jin’s expression. It seemed like there was
nothing different from the ordinary, but he could feel that Shang Jin’s whole body had
exuded a relaxed atmosphere all night. Ye Zhou couldn’t say the reason why, so he
retreated back a few steps and returned back to his seat.
Shang Jin glanced at his back from his peripheral vision, quirking up the corner of mouth.
Ye Zhou was really sharp enough: he was indeed a bit more spirited than usual today,
especially at night when Ye Zhou asked him seriously whether Xie Shuhan had invited him
to a banquet to murder guests. At that time, he’d looked at Ye Zhou’s little expression and
felt he was a little cute.
Unexpectedly, the word ‘cute’ would actually appear on a boy, and there was no sense of
discordance.
The appearance of Xie Shuhan suddenly made him realize that there were many people and
many matters in the world that weren’t under his control. He’d thought that Ye Zhou and
him would spend the remaining two years together as before, but reality gave him a lesson.
Ye Zhou once said that what he wanted, he’d depend on himself to fight for it. No matter the
difficulties, for the results to be successful, he need to try it first before speaking.
Shang Jin turned to the window sill and looked at the two strawberry seedlings placed
together. After more than a month of growth, the growing leaves swayed in the evening
wind.
The arrival of the midterms made the students at school quite well-behaved, and Xie
Shuhan didn’t come to provoke Ye Zhou again.
There was still a steady stream of people visiting the Shang Ye number in front of the dorm.
Shang Jin and Ye Zhou didn’t drive this car during this exam period for the sake of
everyone’s “convenience”, lest someone came to worship the Shang Ye number but wasn’t
able to find it.
After the midterms, Xie Shuhan ran to the 405 dorm again.
Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu were very adaptable to the circumstances and left. Shang Jin
pretended not to see or hear anything and had no qualms sitting in front of the computer to
browse the web.
Ye Zhou asked guardedly, “What’s going on?”
Xie Shuhan solemnly said, “Senior Ye Zhou, I’m sorry!”
Ye Zhou wasn’t clear why.
“I’m really ashamed of myself now. I clearly said that I liked you. When I was faced with the
exam, I was still shaken…” Xie Shuhan carried a bag of lemons. “This time’s tests, I estimate
that I’ve flunked them all, and even worse than before… My friend said that if I continue to
nag you, it may get worse and worse in the next few years. Later, it’s hard to say whether I
can graduate or not…”
Ye Zhou sincerely rejoiced that A Uni students had such feudal superstitions. He comforted,
“Don’t be so disheartened. You certainly can graduate.”
Xie Shuhan signed and said, “I came in as an art student. Otherwise, based on my results,
how could I get into A Uni?”
Ye Zhou used the tone of a senior to say, “You just entered the university. There’s still time.
Afterwards, you should focus on your studies. Don’t talk about how high your grades are,
you should at least not fail your classes. Graduating isn’t an effortless matter. Remember
that we students’ job is to study, fighting.”
Receiving the encouragement, Xie Shuhan nodded and said, “Yeah! I sure will!”
Ye Zhou reached out and gripped Xie Shuhan’s hand.
Shang Jin’s eyelids jumped and his peripheral vision tightly stared at the two people’s
clasped hands.
“Study hard, the test god will bless you!”
At this time, in Xie Shuhan’s eyes, Ye Zhou who’d softly spoken these words seemed as if his
entire body was plated in a layer of golden light. Only, not letting him be infatuated for too
long, his hand was pulled out.
“I’m the forever first and should be more effective than the second.” Shang Jin also held his
hand and said, “Study well. I’m optimistic about you.”
Ye Zhou flew into a rage. He poked Shang Jin’s back and said, “Be less proud of yourself!”
Xie Shuhan was moved and rubbed his hands, said, “Brother Shang Jin, Senior Ye Zhou, you
can rest assured that I will definitely live up to your expectations!”
“Fighting.” Shang Jin leaned against the door frame and sent Xie Shuhan out the door.
Ye Zhou crossed his arms and said, “I wanted to ask before: how did you become brothers
with him?”
Shang Jin deliberately said, “Who knows…”
“Why exactly?”
Shang Jin laughed once and didn’t answer.
Almost May, the weather turned worse. The dark rain drizzled and the wind wasn’t small.
The dorm window couldn’t be opened at all, and not only did the washed clothes smell a bit
damp, but even the leaves of the strawberries were listless.
“I haven’t seen the sun for a long time.” Ye Zhou opened the window. In the afternoon, the
rain finally stopped, and the cool breeze was very comfortable. “It should be okay to open
the window tonight, right?”
Liu Yutain walked next to him and took a deep breath. “I don’t think it’ll rain tonight. It’s
also good to open it; the air outside is fresher.”
The next day, the sun that hadn’t been seen for a long time showed its face. Not yet seven
o’clock, the sun crept quietly into the bed closest to the window.
Ye Zhou frowned and pulled his eyes opened into a slit. His right hand randomly groped at
the bedside, closed his eyes and opened the phone. “Get up…”
Shang Jin turned over. Waiting until Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu got dressed, then he slowly
sat up. When he saw the strawberry seedlings on the windowsill, he got out of bed and
placed the two pots of strawberry seedlings under the sun.
“Do you see any changes?” Ye Zhou gathered by his side. “You’ve been watching them
everyday.”
“It’s amazing to watch them grow up a little bit.” Shang Jin touched the lower leaf. “I always
feel that it’s best to grasp everything in my own hands, but occasionally having something
go beyond my expectations is also quite good.”
Ye Zhou quietly observed Shang Jin’s expression so earnestly looking at the strawberry leaf
with the corner of his mouth unconsciously holding a hint of a smile, and he also smiled,
“Having everything in your grasp is more boring. Like this kind of living thing isn’t so easy
to control. Even if you know how to cultivate it, you can’t control on which day and on
which hour it’d blossom. It’s better to enjoy the surprises that life gives you.”
Shang Jin took back his line of sight and said, “Life doesn’t only have surprises, but also
shock.”
“Let them bask in the sun today.” Ye Zhou put the little flowerpots in the protective net and
kept repeating in his mouth, “Let them bask their whole body.”
After the two men finished washing their clothes, they went to the classroom on the Shang
Ye number. The following semester of the second year was fuller than the previous
semester. In the second class, the sky darkened. Originally thinking that the sky would clear
after the rain, but they didn’t expect the morning sun was only short-lived.
Ye Zhou inhaled the air, the book pages rustling in the wind. He used his cell phone to press
the textbooks and continued to take notes.
In their third class, a torrential rain began to fall from the sky. Many students stood in front
of the class building, looked at the rain and hesitated to take action.
“Fortunately, we drove our Shang Ye number today.” The rain scoured the glass window.
Ye Zhou lay on the table and used his pen to jab Shang Jin sitting in front of him. “Such a big
storm, you’d get soaked even if you used an umbrella.”
“The morning sun was too deceiving.” After saying this, Shang Jin always felt that he had
forgotten something.
Life doesn’t only have surprises, but also shock.
This remark was quickly confirmed.
After school, Shang Jin finally remembered what he had forgotten.
“Ye Zhou, did you put the strawberry seedlings in the window protective net before you
went out?”
“Yes, what…” Said halfway through, Ye Zhou also reacted, “The big storm just now wouldn’t
have blown them down, right?”
Shang Jin didn’t say anything further, took his textbooks and ran outside.
“Hey, wait for me.”
Downstairs, Shang Jin had long disappeared.
“First place runner is terrific…” Ye Zhou clicked his tongue in annoyance. Driving the car
away, how could he…eh? In the parking shed, the Shang Ye number was still peacefully
resting in its original place. Shang Jin didn’t drive the car?
“What kind of person!” Ye Zhou frantically grabbed his head and, under the admiring gazes
of the students taking shelter from the rain, he rushed in front of the Shang Ye number.
Obviously, spending less than a minute in the rain would soak the clothes for the most part.
In the heavy rain, most of the students were hiding under the eaves. Beside from the small
number of students with umbrellas running through the wind and rain, the remaining
person madly rushing through the rain was easily locked on by Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou steadily said, “Get on!”
Shang Jin didn’t say much, pulled open the car door and entered. Ye Zhou opened the
window separating the two compartments and said with a poor complexion, “If you wanted
to go back in such a big rain, why didn’t you ride the car?”
Shang Jin found a tissue in rear compartment and casually wiped the water on his face. “If I
rode away, what about you?”
Ye Zhou’s heart suddenly jumped twice and quickly recovered. “We can go together.”
“I can do it alone. With such a heavy rain, returning to the dorm and then going to the
canteen wastes more time.”
Ye Zhou was still unhappy, and even a bit reproachful of himself about why he had to buy
potted plants to gift to Shang Jin. “Isn’t it just a potted plant? If it falls, then it falls.”
“You can’t deny that they’re alive because plants don’t say anything. Maybe in the eyes of
others, they’re insignificant, but when you gave it to me, it was filled with priceless regard.
Besides, plants and animals are the same. Since we’ve accepted them, we need to be
responsible for them.”
With his back facing Shang Jin, Ye Zhou’s ears were slightly red. Before, Zhou Wendao had
said that the strawberry seedlings were worthless, but hearing Shang Jin describe them as
priceless treasures, Ye Zhou had a kind of feeling in is own heart that he was cherished by
the other side.
At the dormitory entrance, Shang Jin pushed Ye Zhou into the dormitory building and said,
“You look upstairs. I’ll walk around to the flowerbed in the back to see if the strawberry
seedlings fell.”
Ye Zhou ran upstairs and his own strawberry seedling had fallen on the windowsill. The
dirt was scattered on the outside and the seedling was stricken by the wind and rain. The
familiar shadow of the flowerpot beside it wasn’t there. Seeing this situation, Ye Zhou had
some trepidations in his heart. Fortunately, there was a flower bed behind the dorm and
people usually wouldn’t pass by. What Shang Jin really hit the mark.
Ye Zhou took an umbrella and ran downstairs.
In the flower bed behind the dormitory, Shang Jin knelt down on one knee and carefully
covered the roots of the seedling in the soil and placed it on the fragments of the flowerpot.
Looking at the complete mess, he once again felt that many things couldn’t be controlled by
him.
Ye Zhou quietly stood behind him and, holding the umbrella over his head, said, “Hurry up.”
Shang Jin smiled in relief. Even if everything wasn’t under his control, as long as this person
was always by his side, it’d be okay.

Chapter 44
When the two people entered the dorm, Wen Renxu, who was wiping his hair, was
surprised, “Didn’t you two ride the car? How can you be wet like this??”
“The flower pot just fell downstairs. We went to pick it up.” Ye Zhou shook the umbrella in
the bathroom and hung it on the hook, taking off his wet jacket. In fact, he also didn’t get
soak too much by the rain: the wetness didn’t spread to his long-sleeved undershirt. On the
contrary, Shang Jin had gotten soaked in the rain all the way since the end of class. He
originally wanted to take out a dry towel and throw it on Shang Jin’s head. In the end, he
saw Shang Jin’s hands were full of mud and said, “Why don’t you go shower first.”
“Let me settle this first,” said Shang Jin, putting a broken clay pot on the table full of books.
“Wait!!” Ye Zhou walked over in two or three steps, moved all the book on the table to his
desk and put a draft paper in an empty place. “Put it here.”
Because it was a strawberry seedling, Ye Zhou had bought a small flowerpot with a ten-
centimeter diameter. Now that the flowerpot was broken and the bottom had already been
thrown into the trash can, it could only rely on the relatively large flower pot side fragment
to hold a palm-sized lump of dirt. In this kind of weather, it also wasn’t good to go outside
to buy a pot. Shang Jin placed as much soil in his hands as possible on the table. Many of the
roots of the strawberry seedling were broken and only half of the largest leaf still
remained.
Shang Jin had carefully dug out the strawberry seedling from the soil, and the main root
wasn’t damaged.
His body was a bit cold, so he put the seedling to one side and said, “Forget it, take a shower
and then fix it again.”
Ye Zhou lifted his sleeves and said, “I’ll help you fix it.”
“No need. You go eat first.” Shang Jin looked at the clock on the table and said, “It’s almost
been an hour since the end of class.”
“Then I’ll help bring your meal.”
“Okay.” Shang Jin went to the window and used the rainwater to flush the dirt across the
protective fence net. He then walked to the sink and wash his hands, taking his clothes to
the bathroom.
When Ye Zhou brought back the meal, Shang Jin had also just showered.
After a simple meal, Shang Jin took out a piece of cardboard and simply made a carton and
put a layer of soil into it. Then, he transplanted the seedling. Putting it next to Ye Zhou’s
flowerpot, they were completely two different styles.
Ye Zhou lamented, “It was clearly bright and beautiful in the morning. After only a few
hours, it changed beyond recognition.”
“Isn’t it only changing appearances? As long as it can bear strawberries, there’s no
difference with before.” Shang Jin pushed the two seedlings in again, “This is good.”
This torrential rain came quickly and also went fast.
The next morning, the blue sky was like it was washed clean and bright. The sun once again
hung in the sky. With yesterday’s experience, no matter what was said, Ye Zhou didn’t dare
to put the two potted plants next to the fence.
A leaf stretch out from the window, as if calling for the sunshine outside. Ye Zhou closed the
window specifically to allow them to sunbathe through the window and comforted, “It’s
better to get less sun than to lose your life.”
This time, the weather kept bright and sunny. The consecutive days of rain finally
announced its end. It was a good sign for the upcoming May Day holiday.
During the three-day holiday, unless their home was close to school, ordinary students
would choose to stay at school. However, it seemed a bit wasteful to stay at school for the
three-day holiday. At this time, some students would take a three days, two nights tour to
places not too far away while they were on holiday. For example, Liu Yutian and Wen
Renxu of 405.
Liu Yutian carried his luggage bag and said, “You can rest assured this holiday season! We
will come back on the third night.”
Wen Renxu echoed, “I say, both of you can also take advantage of the holiday to tour
around. Taking a trip is a quick way to promote your feelings.”
Ye Zhou smiled without smiling, “I have long wanted to ask: you and Liu Yutian work
together everyday, and even have to go on vacation to promote your feelings. Compared to
me and Shang Jin, you two are lovers, right?”
“Really is gay eyes see everyone as gay!” Liu Yutian said, glancing at Wen Renxu in
dissatisfaction, “You think I want to go with him? Isn’t this wanting to go on a trip but not
having a younger sister to accompany me?”
“What’s wrong with me? I’m the one suffering losses!” Wen Renxu snorted, “If I’m by myself
outside, out of ten times, there’s also one time I’d get hit on. Going together with you,
there’s not even that one time.”
Ye Zhou curiously said, “You’ve also been hit on? What kind of person was the other?”
Liu Yutian disdainfully said, “Isn’t it just asking for directions? Still counting it as hitting
on.”
Ye Zhou choked, thinking that he was a little foolish for interrupting.
Wen Renxu gave him a supercilious look and said, “When I’m with you, people wouldn’t
even dare to ask for directions.”
“It wouldn’t be that bad, right?” Ye Zhou put his chin on the chair’s back and said, “I think
our Tian’er looks very manly.”
“Exactly.” Liu Yutian scratched the back of his head and said, “Our Zhou has good taste.”
Shang Jin looked askance at them and said, “Being stout isn’t called manly.”
Liu Yutian inexplicably felt a coldness behind him and smiled flatteringly. “It’s still like
Shang Jin that’s manly, both outstanding and handsome. Every time there’s an activity, as
long as I’m in a group with Shang Jin, I have a distinctive sense of security.”
Wen Renxu agreed, “I feel deeply the same. No matter whether it’s a group assignment or a
survey report, as long as I’m grouped with Shang Jin, there’s completely no need to worry
about the course credit.”
Ye Zhou was unconvinced. “You also don’t need to worry in a group with me.”
Liu Yutian looked at the time and said, “We can’t talk anymore. There’s no time.”
“You two should take good care of the room.” Wen Renxu said with a low smile, with
particular emphasis on the two words ‘good care’.
Ye Zhou urged, “Get out!”
Shang Jin came down from bed and took the lead to observe the rise of the strawberry
seedlings. He determined that everything was good before standing in front of the wash
basin to wash up.
The dormitory was quiet and Ye Zhou leaned back in his chair, intending to read a person’s
biography that he hadn’t finished reading last night.
Shang Jin finished washing his face and flicked his not-yet-dried hands next to Ye Zhou’s
head.
The water splashed on Ye Zhou’s face, provoking Ye Zhou to glare at him.
“Go out?”
Ye Zhou noted the page number in the lower right corner and, closing the book, asked, “Go
where?”
“Summer came, look at clothes.”
Ye Zhou thought for a moment and he seemed to not have any new summer clothes. “Let’s
go.”
The shopping malls were bustling on May Day, and the businesses were broadcasting their
promotions. Boys buy clothes quickly, especially when faced with two racks of clothes.
Shang Jin had no special requirements for clothes, as long as it was comfortable to wear
and was pleasing to the eye. Ye Zhou had a similar point of view to him.
The two people casually entered a store. Most of the clothes in this store were simple in
style, and the price was also affordable. Many people were holding clothes up to their body
and gesturing.
Ye Zhou strolled around and picked up clothes that many people were trying out. He said,
“This one is good. No wonder so many people fancy it.”
Shang Jin glanced up and said, “Go try it.”
Ye Zhou found his size and went into the fitting room.
A minute later, the surrounding people who were trying the same style all locked their eyes
on him.
Ye Zhou stood in front of the mirror and straightened out the clothes. A man who had just
taken the same clothes silently dismissed the idea of trying on the clothes.
It really was too scary to wear the same outfit as this kind of person…
After all, if they fearlessly wore the same outfit as someone, the one who’s ugly is the one
who’s embarrassed.
Wearing the same clothes and standing in front of the same dressing mirror, the tragic
contrast was completely the same as the gap between a model wearing it and the buyer
wearing it Moreover, the model also brought their own beautifying feature, while the buyer
was like being exposed to a high-definition camera.
Afterwards, as long as Shang Jin or Ye Zhou tried on the clothes, the people who originally
wanted to buy the clothes were very self-aware and avoided it.
The store clerk both loved and hated them, both wanting to let them be models to show off
the clothes, yet also having heartache when they saw the customers who’d originally been
interested in the clothes put it down one after the other.
After strolling around for less than an hour, the two men finished purchasing the clothes.
“Wait, my phone’s ringing.” Shang Jin took out his cell phone and Qin Fei’s number was
displayed on it. He hesitated for a moment and picked it up.
He didn’t expect that after connecting, he’d hear Shang Youyou’s voice. Shang Youyou was
full of grievances as she complained that he hadn’t returned home for too long.
“Then I’ll go back tonight.” Shang Jin hung up and said apologetically, “You’ll be alone in the
dorm tonight.”
“So what, I’m such a big man.” Ye Zhou completely didn’t take it seriously. “Just help me tell
Youyou that I liked the rabbit she sent very much.”
Passing through the video game city, Ye Zhou saw a row of crane machines and said, “Let’s
play for a while?”
Shang Jin followed his line of sight and said, “If you want a stuffed animal, you can just
directly buy one. Why do you want…”
“You don’t understand this.” Ye Zhou pulled up his sleeves and walked to the counter to
exchange for game coins. He took out fifty yuan and exchanged it for tens of game coins.
After weighing the game coins in his hands, Ye Zhou said, “The doll that’s grabbed and the
doll that’s bought are very different.”
Ye Zhou strolled in front of the crane machines and stopped in front of one. “How about this
pink kitten? Grab this and take it back to Youyou as a gift.”
Shang Jin inserted two game coins and controlled the loose claw to move above one of the
kittens. After being certain, he pressed the confirm.
The claw in the crane machine always loosen up in the moment it catches, and this was no
exception. After traveling in the air for a second, the pink kitten fell back to its original
place.
“Tch…”
“Heheh.” Ye Zhou handed him two game coins and said, “Go on.”
After the tragedy was repeated again three consecutive times, without Ye Zhou saying,
Shang Jin directly reached out his hand in front of Ye Zhou.
Shang Jin tried twice again. When taking the game coins, he planned in advance.
This time when the claw went down, it shook a bit, but just after the claw caught, the
kitten’s limb got stuck on the clip. When the clip rose, it didn’t shake off the doll. It moved
with the hanging doll for a short distance, and after this short distance, it let the doll
successfully fall out.
With bright eyes, Shang Jin shook the doll that’d just come to his hand.
“Not bad. I’ll try too.” Ye Zhou was happy to compete with Shang Jin in any way.
Fifteen minutes later, the game coins were used up and Ye Zhou and Shang Jin each held
four dolls.
Ye Zhou put all the dolls in Shang Jin’s bag and said, “I hope your family’s little princess will
like them.”
“She’ll like them. Her one rabbit was exchanged for so many, she’s made a lot of profit.”
The two men carried their things and hailed a taxi at the station. Shang Jin sat in the car
first. He pressed down the window and took a doll from the bag and said, “For you.”
It was the pink kitten that Shang Jin had caught first.
“This is too girly…” Ye Zhou reluctantly took it in his hand and protested, “Give me another
one.”
Shang Jin laughed, “The protest is invalid.” While Ye Zhou was in a daze, he told the driver
to set off.
Looking at the dust of the car, Ye Zhou clenched his kitten doll and angrily said, “Too
treacherous, actually using the beautiful man strategy!”
Chapter 45
Ye Zhou carried the big and small bags back to dormitory.
Usually, sitting in his seat, he’s always able to see Shang Jin’s figure with a turn of his head.
Now, he was a bit unaccustomed to the completely empty space.
Ye Zhou took out the kitten and put it together with the rabbit doll.
“Worthy of being brother and sister.” They were both pink and putting them together also
had a little brother and sister semblance. He laughed and took the new clothes to the sink,
soaking them in detergent water.
When the water was drained, he heard the sound of a phone. Ye Zhou turned off the faucet
to carefully identified it. Making sure that the dorm was quiet, he shook his head and
turned on the faucet again.
After hanging the clothes to dry, it seemed like he heard the ringing of his mobile phone
again. Three steps merged into two, he had just opened the backpack zipper when the
phone pressed at the bottom rang and vibrated.
Looking at the contact on the screen, he was a bit distracted.
“You can actually answer the phone! Frightened me to death. I thought you weren’t there!”
A very lively voice came through the receiver. “I wanted to surprise you on May Day, but
who knew that you’d give me a fright first?”
“Shang Ming??” Ye Zhou was pleasantly surprised. “You came over?”
“Isn’t it? Come pick me up! I’m just in front of your school.”
“Right away!” Ye Zhou and Shang Ming had the best relationship when they were in high
school. But because Shang Ming overall grades weren’t good, tending to overemphasize
some subjects over others, his overall grade wasn’t too good and the Ye parents didn’t like
him. Ye Zhou didn’t mind his parents nagging his ears off, and still went on his own way. It
wasn’t easy to meet Shang Ming after attending university. He’d originally offered to meet
up once during winter vacation, but who knew that Shang Ming would go on a trip and he
wasn’t able to meet up with him. He didn’t expect that this time, Shang Ming would actually
run over to A City.
Worried that Shang Ming had brought more things, Ye Zhou rode the little pedicab toward
the gate of A University.
Shang Ming stood in front of the gate and took pictures of the gaudy and outlandish little
pedicab he saw from afar. It was as if he’d immediately been injected with chicken blood.
“Haha, this magical car must be photographed and sent to my circle of friends.” As a person
who loved making friends, Shang Ming would always take out his mobile phone when he
sees some novel things. But unfortunately, this little pedicab was a little far away and the
picture wasn’t too clear…
Close…
Closer…
After Shang Ming took several successive photos, the pedicab that he’d dubbed outlandish
stopped in front of him. The door opened and he saw a familiar handsome face.
“Ho…ly…shit!”
As the car had already become a famous car, Ye Zhou riding it wouldn’t consider it as
anything different. Seeing Shang Ming still with an unclear expression, he said, “What are
you staring at? You didn’t bring any luggage?”
“No…” Shang Ming circled around the car and still couldn’t believe that his good friend had
actually degenerated into driving a pedicab. “Don’t have a car, then can’t we properly ride a
bike? If I hadn’t come here this time, I wouldn’t have known where your aesthetic had
deviated to.”
Ye Zhou smiled insincerely and said, “Believe it or not, dare to speak malicious words about
this car on A Uni, the whole school would raise money to do you in.”
Shang Ming was completely stupefied.
Ye Zhou pointed to the backseat and said, “Quickly get in. The average person can’t sit even
if they want to sit.”
Shang Ming was extremely reluctant as he got into the rear compartment and incessantly
muttered, “People from major universities are really unconventional enough.”
Originally thinking that sitting in this kind of car, he would be taken as a monkey on
display, but he didn’t expect that all along the way, there were indeed many people paying
attention, but no one showed a ridiculing or mocking smile.
Shang Ming sighed, “So abnormal, the institution for higher learning is really tolerant.”
“Hurry up and come out.” Ye Zhou locked the car and looked at his backpack again. “You
didn’t bring clothes.”
“Why should I bring clothes when visiting my brother?” Shang Ming seized his shoulders
and said, “I can just wear yours, so I brought some change of underwear.”
Ye Zhou disdainfully said, “You really don’t see yourself as an outsider.”
Shang Ming wasn’t the least bit ashamed, said, “We’re the best of friends.”
On the fourth floor, Ye Zhou opened the dorm door.
“Similar to our dorm.” Shang Ming circled around the dorm and saw a neat table and said
with certainty, “This is yours, right?”
“Wrong, this is mine.” Ye Zhou hurriedly left in the morning and he’d left the book he’d
been reading on the table, while he’d just helped to tidy up Shang Jin’s desk yesterday.
Today when Shang Jin left, he didn’t touch it at all, so comparing the two, Shang Jin’s table
was cleaner.
Shang Ming stood in the middle, glanced at Shang Jin’s desk and glanced at Ye Zhou’s desk,
and doubted, “But he’s got the same technique as you.”
You don’t say! It’s because he’s the one who tidied it up. Of course, Ye Zhou also didn’t think
of saying more. If Shang Ming knew his situation, he’d get gossipy. If he said that he’d
helped Shang Jin arrange it, Shang Ming would definitely get to the heart of the matter. He
changed the topic and asked, “Did you eat at noon?”
“Yeah.” Shang Ming wasn’t tired from taking the train at all. In high spirits, he looked here
and looked there. “You’re still raising flowers in the dorm. How are you raising them? The
leaf is all broken but still don’t hurry to pick it. Leaving it is a waste of soil nutrients.”
Saying this, he reached out his hand to “help”.
“Stop ー” Ye Zhou quickly grabbed his hand. Don’t look at this as only half a leaf. Not only
did Shang Jin not plan to remove it, but he was also ready to buy a large pot to supply more
soil and also apply fertilizer from time to time. “This is my roommate’s stuff. How many
leaves are in the flowerpot and how many millimeters the leaves grew are all clearly
recorded. Not mentioning that you touch the most conspicuous leaf, even if you pulled the
weeds from the flowerpot, he’d be able to find out when he comes back.”
Shang Ming embarrassingly withdrew his hand. “That’s too scary. Still recording it is so
much trouble.”
Isn’t it? Obviously, Shang Jin hated trouble the most. Every morning, he took pains to
record the strawberry seedling progress and calculate the day it would flower and bear
fruit.
Could it be because he wanted to eat strawberries?
Ye Zhou hesitated whether to buy some strawberries before Shang Jin returned to school
tomorrow.
After a short rest in the dorm, Shang Ming proposed to visit A Uni, and Ye Zhou rode the
pedicab and acted as a guide for the day.
“Good schools aren’t the same, having such a large area in such a good location.” Shang
Ming saw a good view and took out his phone to take photos and record a little video.
“Where is it like us? If we want to go downtown, we have to take the school bus and walk
for half an hour.”
“I made so many notes for you at that time. If you’d reviewed them well, wouldn’t you have
been able to get into the same university as me?”
“What a joke. My third year in high school, that semester when I went through your devil
cramming and raised my score by fifty points, it had already taken my little life. Want to be
in the same school as you? It’d be a bit faster if I dream.”
The two people met a lot of students on the road. Although Ye Zhou didn’t know many of
them, but it was no match for other people knowing him. Seeing Ye Zhou together with a
stranger, one after the other, they vigilantly asked, “Zhou, your friend?”
Ye Zhou smiled and replied, “Yeah, high school friend. He came to play over the holiday.”
“What about Shang Jin?”
“Went home.”
For some reason, Ye Zhou always felt that everyone was looking at him like he was a
cheating wife.
Shang Ming couldn’t make head or tail of it and said, “Why do people look at me with
hostility? Do you have good relations with people or not?”
“It’s an illusion.” Ye Zhou comforted, “You don’t know them, so why should they be hostile
to you?”
“That’s true.”
After eating dinner, Ye Zhou went to the supermarket to help Shang Ming buy toiletries and
took him back to the dormitory.
No one else was in the dorm today, so the sleeping arrangement was easy.
Originally, Ye Zhou wanted Shang Ming to sleep in his own bed and he would sleep in Shang
Jin’s bed. As a result, when he intended to send a message to Shang Jin, he felt something
was wrong, and finally turned to Wen Renxu’s bed next to his.
“Why don’t we sleep together? I think your bed is quite wide. It’s 1.2 meters.”
Ye Zhou gave him a cold stare. “Even if it’s wide, it can’t accommodate two big men. I don’t
want to fall out of bed at night.”
“Then, we can sleep and chat together before going to bed.”
Ye Zhou supported his forehead. This good friend of his, don’t look at his lively outer
appearance, he had a particularly annoying habit of liking to hold things when he sleeps,
even claiming that he can’t sleep without holding something. One time in high school, he
had a sleepover at Shang Ming’s home and discovered that he had two body pillows on his
bed. This time, he came suddenly. If Ye Zhou had known earlier, he’d definitely have bought
him a big long pillow.
And there was one more point. Ye Zhou said with his arms crossed, “I really have no
interest in girls.”
“What do I have to worry about? If you like me, you would have liked me long ago and
wouldn’t have waited until now. And I’m perfectly straight. Even if you look better, you’re
still a man and I still like fragrant and soft girls.” Mentioning this, Shang Ming felt deeply
helpless. “Why can’t I, who want a girlfriend, get a girlfriend, while you, with such
qualifications, actually aren’t attracted to girls. Such a waste. Your entire body, up and
down, is superior!”
This wasn’t the first time Shang Ming had said this, so Ye Zhou directly ignored him. After
showering, he reluctantly squeezed in with Shang Ming on his upper bunk.
“Do you have a love interest now?” The topic brought up by his friend was nothing more
than love, especially for Ye Zhou who was so outstanding. Even if he liked men, it shouldn’t
be too too hard for him to find one.
Ye Zhou vaguely said, “Things hasn’t taken shape yet, it’s hard to say.”
Shang Ming’s eyes shone and he gossiped, “Then there is? What does he look like?”
Ye Zhou took out his cell phone and looked for Tang Dongdong’s photos in his album. He
hadn’t found it yet when he suddenly saw that Shang Jin had sent him a WeChat.
Shang Jin sent a photo of Shang Youyou sitting on the bed and smiling happily while
holding all the dolls they’d grabbed. Ye Zhou smiled unconsciously.
Shang Ming glanced at the screen and then at Ye Zhou’s expression. He said earnestly,
“Zhou, although I’m glad that you changed to liking girls, but you can’t commit a crime.”
Ye Zhou rolled his eyes twice. He didn’t sleep at noon and, now that it was eleven o’clock,
he could hardly keep his eyes open, while Shang Ming was still chattering on without end as
if he’d been injected with chicken blood. Ye Zhou still blinked his eyes and responded at
first, but after ten minutes, Ye Zhou fell deeply asleep with his back leaning against the wall.
Shang Ming didn’t hear a response for half a day. When he turned around, he saw Ye Zhou’s
peacefully sleeping countenance. He yawned and lay down on his side, also starting to feel
sleepy.
In the morning, Shang Jin came back with the clothes he’d bought yesterday, took the key
and opened the dorm door. He habitually glanced towards Ye Zhou’s bed, and his face
immediately darkened.
Why was there a strange man sleeping on Ye Zhou’s bed and also holding him??

Chapter 46
Shang Jin threw his clothes on the table. The two people on the upper bunk didn’t even
notice. That stranger snorted and still held Ye Zhou tighter.
Shang Jin took a deep breath and walked to the dorm doorway. He pulled the door open
and then slammed it heavily.
The dorm door closed with a bang.
The two people on the bed were woken up.
Taking advantage of when Shang Ming loosened his arms, Ye Zhou pushed Shang Ming a
little farther and sat up. Squinting his eyes, he looked out. “Shang Jin, why are you back so
early?”
Shang Jin swept his eyes on Shang Ming who was still clinging to Ye Zhou’s waist and said,
“What, did I disturb you?”
Ye Zhou didn’t understand why and poured oil on the fire by asking, “It’s hard to return
home once. Why not stay two more days?”
Shang Ming held Ye Zhou’s waist and rubbed twice, and looking at Ye Zhou, he was
accustomed to it.
The vein on Shang Jin’s forehead pulsed. He turned his back and didn’t continue to face Ye
Zhou. “If you’d told me earlier that your…friend would come, I would also adaptable to the
circumstances and stay home for two more days.”
Ye Zhou looked at the disgraceful Shang Ming and felt deeply that he’d lost face. He patted
Shang Ming’s hands and whispered, “Let go. I’m going to get up.”
Shang Ming turned reluctantly, and Ye Zhou carefully climbed over him and jumped out of
bed. He poked Shang Jin’s shoulder with his finger and said, “You’re in a bad mood? Did
something unpleasant happen at home?” But from yesterday’s photo, it didn’t seem so…if
something really happened, how would Shang Jin have the leisure to take a picture of Shang
Youyou and send it to him?
Shang Jin lowered his head and turned on his computer. “Nothing.”
With one more person appearing in the shared dorm, Ye Zhou felt it was necessary to say
something to Shang Jin. “My friend came from C City to play for two days. Anyway, Tian’er
and Ah Xu weren’t in the dorm, so I let him stay.”
“Staying isn’t a problem, but don’t stay in the same bed.” Shang Jin hung his arms from the
back of the chair and slightly lifted his head to look at Ye Zhou and said, “The quality of the
beds in the dorm isn’t so good. Two big men sleeping together, not mentioning whether
you’re comfortable or not, the bed definitely is uncomfortable.”
Ye Zhou agreed, “I also don’t plan to sleep with him today. Being held all night was simply
killing me.”
Shang Jin snorted and, taking a bag from the table, said, “Your breakfast, for one person.”
Ye Zhou “heheh” smirked, “Thanks. It’s best that it’s for one person. That fellow is lazy to
death. If he doesn’t sleep till noon, he wouldn’t get up. It’s best to starve him to death.”
Shang Jin heard this and his mood was a bit better, but his peripheral vision swept over the
person on the bed and the corner of his mouth that had just hooked up was pulled down
again.
Shang Ming’s sleep was as Ye Zhou had said: sleeping until noon, he yawned, opened his
eyes and looked around. He didn’t see Ye Zhou, but saw an extra person at the opposite
table. He guessed that it was Ye Zhou’s roommate. He was an extrovert and immediately
said familiarly, “Hey, are you Ye Zhou’s roommate?”
Shang Jin gave him a look and “mm”.
Seeing Shang Jin’s face, Shang Ming frivolously whistled, “Ye Zhou didn’t tell me that he had
such a handsome roommate.”
Shang Jin raised a single eyebrow and asked with his eyes: So what do you want to say?
Shang Ming failed to set up a relationship and embarrassingly said, “Ye Zhou?”
“Bathroom.”
With such a succinct answer, even if Shang Ming didn’t know the meaning of the glance,
he’d still be clear that the other didn’t want to chat with him. He jumped off the bed and ran
to the sink to wash his face. Just then, Ye Zhou came out of the bathroom.
“You’re up. I’ll find clothes for you.” Ye Zhou wiped dry his hands and walked to closet. He
found a long-sleeved shirt from inside and the pants on the chair. “Putting them here. I’m
going to go dry the clothes.”
Shang Jin’s eyelid jumped. If he didn’t get it wrong, Ye Zhou just looked for clothes for the
other person. That was to say that the other would wear Ye Zhou’s clothes?
He incredulously asked the other, “You went out to play without bringing any clothes?”
Shang Ming’s mouth was full of foam and he vaguely said, “Ye Zhou and I don’t divide
between you and me.”
Shang Jin said with a smile, “What a good ‘don’t divide between you and me’.” However, the
smile didn’t reach the bottom of his eyes. Shang Ming didn’t feel friendly at all, but felt
flustered instead.
Shang Ming brushed his teeth while observing Shang Jin out of the corner of his eye. To say,
he’d felt a lot of hostility when he came to A Uni, but this person in front of him was
definitely the most hostile.
Ask if you don’t understand.
After Shang Ming finished washing, he went in front of Shang Jin and asked, “I haven’t
offended you. Why does it feel like you have an opinion of me?”
Shang Jin said with an innocent look, “How could that be? You and me are total strangers.
Why would I have an opinion of you? This is your illusion.”
“Exactly.” Ye Zhou walked in from outside the door and just heard Shang Ming’s question.
“You’re just overthinking it. Yesterday you said that people were hostile to you. People
don’t know you, so why would they be hostile to you. What, did you stay too long in the
literature institution and even your mind became delicate?”
Shang Ming looked suspiciously at Shang Jin and reluctantly agreed with Ye Zhou’s
statement. He touched his empty stomach and said, “Can we go to lunch now?”
“What do you want to eat?”
“Hotpot!”
“There’s a delicious hotpot restaurant on the street behind our school.” Ye Zhou eyed Shang
Jin and said, “Shang Jin, go together?” When Ye Zhou asked this sentence, he intuitively
thought that Shang Jin would refuse, but didn’t expect that he would immediately agree.
“Since you say so, it’s good to have hotpot occasionally.”
Shang Ming’s eyes moved back and forth between Ye Zhou and Shang Jin.
On the way to the hotpot restaurant, Shang Ming deliberately kept reminiscing on their life
in high school, and didn’t give Shang Jin a chance to intervene.
Shang Jin wasn’t annoyed and just nonchalantly listened to them with no trace of emotion
appearing on his face, as if the previous hostility to him was really an illusion. On the
contrary, Ye Zhou next to him, for fear of snubbing Shang Jin, would also say something to
Shang Jin from time to time.
At the hotpot restaurant, Ye Zhou sat in the middle and Shang Jin and Shang Ming sat on
both sides of him. When it was time to order food, the waiter asked which pot, and Ye Zhou
said, “Mandarin duck pot.”1
Shang Ming was astonished. “What mandarin duck pot? When we both had hotpot before,
we used the spicy pot. What’s the meaning of eating hotpot without eating spicy?”
Ye Zhou gave him a supercilious look and said, “You also know to say that it was us two
eating before.”
Shang Ming uttered a long “oh” and meaningfully said, “That’s true. After all, this is your
friend. We should also take good care of him.” In a remark, he’d differentiated between
Shang Jin and them. Just like the hotpot soup base, they were together and Shang Jin was on
the other side.
Shang Jin poured three cups of water from the teapot. The first cup was given to Shang
Ming, the second cup was given to Ye Zhou, and finally he took up his cup and took a sip. He
said, “Let’s order the spicy pot. We hosts should follow the guest’s preference. It’s hard for
your friend to come once, so we must let him enjoy to his heart’s content. After all, I still
have a long time to spend with you; what pot base can’t we eat.”
“No, still order the Mandarin duck pot. Ye Zhou and I have eaten spicy pots too many times
before. It’s not like we can’t occasionally change the taste.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re only staying here for two days. How can we let you return in
disappointment?”
Ye Zhou looked left and looked right. Why did he feel that there was the sound of sparks
growing between Shang Ming and Shang Jin?
Shang Jin and Shang Ming were still pushing to give way to each other. Ye Zhou finished
drinking the cup of water and put the cup heavily on the table, making the final decision,
“Just order the Mandarin duck pot!”
After Ye Zhou finished the sentence, Shang Ming proudly lifted his chin, while Shang Jin
only took his cup and drank the water. His face was as calm as if the one Shang Ming had a
grudge against wasn’t him.
Ye Zhou looked at Shang Jin and couldn’t understand it. Shang Jin was really strange today.
Obviously, he rarely ate spicy food, but today, he still stubbornly insisted on the spicy pot.
1. Mandarin duck pot (鸳鸯锅): hotpot divided into two sides, one with mild broth
and one with spicy broth. ↩

Chapter 47
The three people awkwardly waited until the hotpot arrived.
The waiter placed the dishes one by one in the empty place on the table, which was also in
between Shang Jin and Shang Ming and opposite to Ye Zhou.
The Mandarin duck pot base was hot and spicy, bright red on one side and fresh and
fragrant, light on the other side. Eighty percent of what the three big men ordered was all
meat.
Shang Jin picked up a plate of mutton and poured it all into the spicy oil.
“Eh, you should put a bit on both sides.” Ye Zhou couldn’t stand it and picked up another
plate of beef and put a few pieces into each side.
“Ye Zhou, why are you trying to manage it so much for? Such an adult and he still doesn’t
understand what he wants to eat?” Shang Ming snorted and, matching strength with Shang
Jin, took the meat from the plate next to his hand and dropped it in the pot.
“You guys slow down a bit.” This kind of thinly-sliced meat could easily be blanched twice
then eaten. They put in so much in one breath, it was simply a waste! The meat would be
overcooked! Seeing that the two of them had no signs of stopping, Ye Zhou slammed the
table and furiously said, “Do you guys understand how to eat hotpot!”
The two people finally stopped their actions.
Ye Zhou disdainfully said, “I’m take over the rest. You guys just be responsible for eating.”
Shang Jin took up his chopsticks and habitually stretched toward the clear side of the soup.
The chopsticks hadn’t touched the clear soup, Shang Jin turned his wrist and picked up the
pale yellow bamboo dyed with a layer of chili oil. It wasn’t in a fit of pique that he put the
meat covered in chili into his bowl; it was just that he also wanted to taste what Ye Zhou
liked.
Ye Zhou really hadn’t seen Shang Jin eat spicy things. Ye Zhou and Zhou Wendao used to eat
at this restaurant regularly. The spicy taste was especially excessive. If Shang Jin didn’t
usually eat spicy, then it definitely wasn’t a good idea to try this for the first time. Ye Zhou
ladled a bowl of clear broth and placed it next to Shang Jin, said, “It’d be better if you take a
sip in the soup.”
Hungry for a morning and only eating one bread on the way, Shang Ming’s belly was
singing like an empty city. After the meat was cooked, he couldn’t wait to pick up a lot. He
was just about to eat with the tip of his nose sweating, but when he saw Ye Zhou’s close and
considerate behavior, his movement paused. His eyes lingered between the two of them for
a moment, then continued to immersed himself in gorging out.
Shang Jin looked at the clear soup and put the meat in his mouth.
The spice and numbness spread in his mouth in an instant. For those who weren’t good at
eating spicy food, it was really hard for their tongues to adapt. But who was Shang Jin?
Even if it was difficult to adapt, he could still eat one after the other without changing his
look.
Ye Zhou said in astonishment, “Can you eat spicy?”
Shang Jin endured the internal heat in his mouth, nodded and said, “Tolerable.”
“Not bad.” Shang Ming, tilting up his lips, used the serving chopsticks to give Shang Jin a
piece of duck blood and said, “Ye Zhou likes to eat this. Try it.” If he didn’t guess wrong,
Shang Jin definitely didn’t like animal viscera. There was indeed a kind of person who was
very resistant to eating these. So Shang Ming deliberately said that Ye Zhou liked to eat it
after giving it to him, wanting to see the other side’s reaction.
Sure enough, Shang Jin looked at the duck blood in the bowl and hesitated.
“If you don’t like it, don’t eat it.” Ye Zhou glared at Shang Ming and said, “It’s not like he
doesn’t have hands. Is it necessary for you to picked things for him?”
Shang Ming’s eyes avoided Ye Zhou and compromised, “I’m sorry. I also had good
intentions. I saw some delicious things and wanted to share it. I forgot for a moment
whether the other person could accept it or not. If you don’t like it, just don’t eat it.”
Shang Jin put the duck blood into his mouth and said, “The taste isn’t bad.”
Having Shang Jin accept what he liked, Ye Zhou was unexpectedly a little happy. A glimmer
shone in his eyes and he expectantly asked, “Actually, clams and such are also delicious. Do
you want to try?”
“You’ve already said so, how can I still refuse?” After finishing this sentence, Shang Jin
suddenly realized that it seemed that he’d never refused Ye Zhou from the start, even when
Ye Zhou had secretly taken photos of him that one time.
After lunch, Ye Zhou wanted to take Shang Ming to stroll around A City’s scenic spots.
Shang Jin tactfully parted from them.
After eating a mouthful of spice, Shang Jin felt that he was already numb to the point where
it didn’t matter whether he drank water or not.
Slowly waiting for the numbness of his tongue to dissipate, Shang Jin went to the foot of the
dormitory and was about to enter when he seemed to have thought of something. He
walked to the parking shed and rode the car to the nearby flower and bird market.
Since the flowerpot had broken last time, he hadn’t had the time to buy it. After thinking
that the potted strawberries would grow taller and bigger, Shang Jin simply settled matters
in one go and bought a a big, 20cm pot and rich soil fertilizer for planting strawberries.
Returning back to the dorm, he transplanted the strawberry seedling to the new pot.
The biggest leaf looked gradually withered, and small buds had sprouted again from the
center. Shang Jin lightly touched the buds and softly said, “Quickly grow up.”
During the May Day period, there were still many people in the scenic spots even in the
afternoon. Ye Zhou and Shang Ming sat in the bus for ten minutes and the bus was already
crowded with people.
Shang Ming wiped his perspiration and grumbled in a low voice, “You say, why didn’t
everyone rest at home during the holiday, and all came out for what liveliness?”
“The liveliness you came out for is the liveliness that people came out for.” When the two
people got on the bus, they had seats. However, there were too many parents bringing their
kids on the car, so they hadn’t warmed the seats yet when they stood up. Squeezed in the
middle of the carriage with hands holding the ring, they swayed left and right along with
the carriage. “Endure. We’ll arrive in twenty minutes.”
With difficulty, Shang Ming moved two steps toward Ye Zhou. Almost shoulder-to-shoulder,
he whispered, “Ye Zhou, that…” The words were held back halfway. There were so many
people in the bus that even if the two people spoke softly, it’d still be heard by the
surrounding people. “Forget it.”
“Ah?” Ye Zhou said in dissatisfaction, “Have something, just say it. What’s the meaning of
teasing and then running away?”
“I’ll tell you after getting off.”
They endured with great difficulty to arrive at their stop. Ye Zhou pulled him and followed
out with the crowd to rush off the bus. Ye Zhou gasped for breath and said, “Can you
continue?”
“Didn’t I ask you yesterday if you have someone you like?”
Ye Zhou touched his nose and said, “Why are you talking about this again? I’ve told you that
we haven’t even started yet.”
Haven’t even started yet??
Not at all!
In the morning, Shang Ming hadn’t yet figured out why Shang Jin was targeting him, but
after probing a bit while they were eating, he roughly had an idea in his heart. It was also
because of this understanding that Shang Ming decided to turn a blind eye to Shang Jin’s
rudeness. After all, anyone who saw the person they like hugging someone else and
sleeping together for a night wouldn’t be happy in their heart.
In one short morning, Shang Ming, as an outsider, could sense that Ye Zhou was meticulous
down to the smallest detail with Shang Jin, and Shang Jin wasn’t without feeling for Ye
Zhou.
If the one Ye Zhou liked was Shang Jin, it would be to everyone’s delight and satisfaction if
the two broke through the paper window between them. How could he say that nothing
had started yet?
He’d clearly come to relieve his boredom. In the end, he still need to pull the strings for his
good friend. Shang Ming felt that his responsibility was heavy and his heart was so tired. He
planned out his thoughts and said, “In fact, between two boys, it’s the same whoever takes
the initiative. Many things is just the matter of a sentence. You should tell what you feel in
your heart to the other. When you say it out, the person would understand.”
Ye Zhou sighed and said, “The crucial point is that I’m not sure the other person can accept
boys. After all, being together with a boy, there would definitely be a lot of strange gazes in
the outside world.”
Shang Ming blinked. No matter how he looked, Shang Jin didn’t seem like a person who
cared about gossip. There was no need to worry about this. “Society is now more inclusive.
Even if a boy was together with a boy, the situation wouldn’t be so difficult.”
“Even so, I’m still worry about this.” Ye Zhou sighed, “But now, the most important thing is
to pull closer to the other person.”
Shang Ming was astonished. “Isn’t being under the same roof close enough?”
Ye Zhou didn’t understand. “What under the same roof? We haven’t spent time alone yet.”
Shang Ming was dumbfounded. “Haven’t spent time alone?”
“Yeah. It’s been almost two months since we last met.”
“Don’t…” Shang Ming’s brain had a hint of confusion. “Don’t you like Shang Jin?”
“Shang Jin??” Ye Zhou was scared till his face turned red. “How can I like Shang Jin?? Are
you kidding? Heavens, even if the whole class misunderstood me, how can even you be like
this?”
Ye Zhou didn’t look like he was lying. Shang Ming doubtfully said, “Then who do you like?”
Ye Zhou hurriedly pulled out the photo of Tang Dongdong and said, “Here, his name is Tang
Dongdong from an outside school.”
Having seen Shang Jin and now looking at Tang Dongdong, this was quite a gap of
difference. At his side was Shang Jin who, from a guy’s point of view, was handsome enough
to pressure them. So how did Ye Zhou look at Tang Dongdong? Thinking so, Shang Ming
directly asked, “Why do you like him?”
“There’s no ‘why’ in the matter of love, but…” Ye Zhou mysteriously said, “I love him at first
sight. Don’t you think this is dramatic? I never thought that falling in love at first sight
would happen to me.”
“That is to say, you don’t know him at all?”
“I’ll know him after getting along with him for a while. It’s also the pleasure of gradually
discovering the other person’s strengths in the process of getting to know each other.” Ye
Zhou was a bit careless and his mouth said something shocking, “Actually saying that I like
Shang Jin is too inconceivable. Even if I could like Zhou Wendao, I wouldn’t be able to like
Shang Jin. Who’s Shang Jin? The enemy who’s forever pushing down on my head!”
“Enemy?” Shang Ming said with a laugh, “I really can’t make out that he’s your enemy.”
According to his day of observation, Shang Jin was a very casual person in life and it was
impossible for him to clean up his table. Linking this with the tidying method, it was most
likely that Ye Zhou had done it. In the entire dorm, the other two people’s desks were also
chaotic, but Ye Zhou only helped Shang Jin to tidy up. What kind of enemy was this?
Ye Zhou dry coughed and said, “The enemy is a friend now. When it comes to him and me,
it’s also really dramatic enough. When school started last year…”
Ye Zhou recounted almost a year’s worth of encounters to Shang Ming. The more Shang
Ming heard, the more he wanted to roll his eyes.
The two men went to an empty space and sat down. Shang Ming wasn’t resigned and asked,
“I still can’t figure out: what do you like about Tang Dongdong?”
“Didn’t I tell you it was love at first sight? It’s like love, what a dramatic beginning.”
It seemed that Ye Zhou wasn’t aware of this side at all. It could be said that he’d really and
thoroughly excluded Shang Jin from his options. But Shang Jin definitely wasn’t like a
person who’d sit and wait for death. Shang Ming asked, “Then if there was a day when
Shang Jin confessed to you?”
“How could that be!” Ye Zhou hurriedly said, “Didn’t I just tell you that after the
misunderstanding happened, I told Shang Jin that I really didn’t like him and told him many
times. How could he do such a thing? Besides, Shang Jin is my rival. I have always been
pressured by him, so how can I succumb to him?”
It could be said that Shang Ming understood it. Ye Zhou had placed Shang Jin on the
opposite side from the beginning. Even if his feelings for Shang Jin had changed, but Shang
Jin’s position in his subconsciousness hadn’t changed. Similarly, it was the same for Tang
Dongdong. At the beginning, he’d put him in the love at first sight position, so even if he
didn’t know much about Tang Dongdong and his feelings weren’t deep, he had always
firmly believed that Tang Dongdong was the one he liked.
Shang Ming rubbed his temples. As long as Ye Zhou didn’t have a day when he became
aware of this, then even if he was in contact with Shang Jin for longer and their feelings
grew deeper, there wouldn’t be any development. Thinking of this, Shang Jin was rather
pitiful.
After a good while without hearing Shang Ming’s reply, Ye Zhou poked him and asked,
“What are you thinking?’
Shang Ming sighed. “Just thinking…people can be stupid, and they deserve to take more
detours.”

Chapter 48
In the evening, Ye Zhou specially took Shang Ming to eat their local specialties.
Shang Ming even bought a big bag of food. When they came back, they chose a route with
less people. Although, the bus turned along the road, in any case, the two could sit back and
relax while returning to the school.
“Aiya!” Shang Ming patted his head, “I forgot to buy a long pillow.”
Ye Zhou said, “Then I’ll put up with it again and lend myself for you to hold at night?”
“Don’t.” Today, he’d already been taken as a hypothetical rival once. Shang Ming couldn’t do
such a thing as holding a person’s sweetheart under the person’s eyes. “I’ll sleep on my
own. I was crammed to death last night.”
Ye Zhou couldn’t ask for more. Not only did Shang Ming wrap around people, but his
strength was also big. Being hugged by him was like being chained up. “What time is your
train tomorrow?”
“Two in the afternoon. In the morning, I can sleep in at the dorm.” Shang Ming straightened
up the souvenirs in his bag and said, “This time, the time is a bit tight. Wait until the next
Eleventh, I’ll plan sufficiently and come again. Recently, I studied until my head was about
to explode. At that time in the self-study room, I don’t know how my brain pulled out the
idea of a ‘just say go then go’ trip. I didn’t even check the tickets. At the station, I just bought
the ticket for the soonest train and rushed over.”
Ye Zhou laughed, “It feels like you haven’t changed at all, still as willful as before.”
Seeing Ye Zhou’s smile, Shang Ming immediately thought of a past event.
That was, when they were in high school, the two didn’t go home for the holiday and did
homework at school when he suddenly said that he wanted to go fly a kite in the fields. At
that time, Ye Zhou was focused on preparing for the exams and his whole face was
stupefied. Finally, without asking anything, he put down his schoolwork and went with him
to a vendor’s stall to buy a kite. They rode the bus to a distant field and flew the kite. That
day, the sky was blue and the breeze brushed their faces. The lush green wheat sprouts
were on both sides, and the two people ran wildly in the middle of the narrow dirt road.
Ye Zhou was always like this. Shang Ming’s head often came up with some very random
things that he wanted to do, and Ye Zhou would always not say anything further, put down
the matters at hand and accompany him. Shang Ming said, “I think you haven’t changed at
all.”
“No way, right?” Ye Zhou recalled the changes in the past two years. “I think I should be a
bit more mature.”
“Not at all, still so stupid.” The result was such a stupid friend actually had someone he
liked. Even if Shang Ming was straight and he’d never thought to be together with Ye Zhou,
but suddenly hearing that Ye Zhou liked someone, there was a thread of loss in his heart.
Ye Zhou was unconvinced. “You’re the one who’s stupid! The third year in high school, I
tutored you until I wanted to vomit blood before the result was increased by fifty points.”
When the old thing was mentioned again, Shang Ming’s sentimental, literary heart was
shattered, and he coldly said, “Don’t mention this matter and we can still be friends.” These
fifty points were of such little value in Ye Zhou’s mouth, but it should be known that after
he’d checked his college entrance exam score, his parents couldn’t wait to proclaim it to the
family group, wishing that they could have set up a big hotel the next day and make his
score known to the whole wide world. Afterwards, Mother Shang kept bringing up sending
Ye Zhou a brocade banner again and again. Of course, he’d stopped it in the end. However,
what was embarrassing was that he’d scored a hundred points less than Ye Zhou and his
parents had reserved the best hotel in D City to entertain their friends and relatives, while
Ye Zhou’s family had done nothing special and didn’t even have a graduation dinner.
When the bus arrived at the stop, Ye Zhou and Shang Ming carried their big bags and small
bags back to the dormitory.
Shang Jin was sitting at the table, reading a book with rapt attention. Ye Zhou came closer
to see and found out it was a book about strawberry cultivation methods. “No way, you’re
not going to get a job at a greenhouse, so what are you doing reading this book?”
“There’s no harm in understanding more knowledge.” Shang Jin saw Shang Ming following
behind him and said, “There’s something for you.’
Shang Ming, in great alarm: “For me???”
In the afternoon, Ye Zhou had told him along the way that Shang Jin not only looked good,
but his mind was also first-class. Shang Ming absolutely believed that with that IQ, Shang
Jin could definitely make his own homemade TNT easily. Almost instinctively, Shang Ming
retreated two steps behind Ye Zhou.
Also confused was Ye Zhou. Shang Jin hadn’t treated another person with a different eye
before. Meeting someone for the first time, he unexpected wanted to give something.
Shang Jin closed the dorm door and leaning behind the door was an around 1.8-meter long,
paper box. “For you.”
Shang Ming patted Ye Zhou’s shoulder and said, “Ye Zhou, you go open it.”
Ye Zhou was more curious about this parcel than Shang Ming. With such a large bulk, Ye
Zhou used more strength to put the parcel on the ground. As a result, the parcel was much
lighter than he’d imagined.
This weight let Ye Zhou roughly guess what was in the package. In the morning, he’d
explained to Shang Jin why he’d slept with Shang Ming. Although Shang Jin didn’t ask…
A sharp knife tip slashed across the tape and a soft, white long pillow gradually emerged
from a corner of the parcel.
Shang Ming walked over and helped Ye Zhou tear open the package. The last tape was cut
open and a 1.8-meter long pillow was displayed in front of them.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that for Shang Ming, this was like sending charcoal in the
snowy weather. He held the pillow in his arms around the plastic packaging and sincerely
said, “Thank you.”
Shang Jin leaned against the bedpost and said without any emotion, “You’re welcome. As
long as you like it.”
“You, what aesthetics is this?” Ye Zhou distastefully looked at the design on the long pillow:
a shy and timid anime girl with a big bosom that was almost spilling out of her clothes. Ye
Zhou didn’t notice the tartness in his tone, said, “I didn’t expect that you’d actually like this
one.”
Shang Jin teased, “What’s the use of me liking it? Can you change into this?”
“Who wants to change into this.” Ye Zhou gave him a cold stare, but looking at Shang Ming’s
happy appearance, Ye Zhou felt quite moved. He didn’t think that Shang Jin could do this
kind of thing for his friend. Obviously, they’d forgotten to buy it themselves. He pulled
Shang Jin’s sleeve and said, “Thank you.”
Shang Jin laughed lowly. “You’re welcome.”
In the evening, Shang Ming perfectly contently held his body pillow and rolled around in
the small width of Ye Zhou’s bed. While Ye Zhou went to take a shower, Shang Ming lay on
the body pillow and said, “Hey, Shang Jin.”
“What?” It wasn’t because of Shang Ming that he’d bought the body pillow today. So Shang
Ming suddenly changing from his tit-for-tat attitude from this noon to being warm and
friendly made Shang Jin a bit unaccustomed to it.
One look at his attitude, Shang Ming knew that Shang Jin hadn’t taken down his guard
against him. He turned around and raised his long pillow. He carefully admired the anime
girl on the pillow and said, “A friendly reminder for you: I’ve never been your enemy since
the beginning. After all, if I like boys, I wouldn’t hold this body pillow to sleep.”
Shang Jin “oh” and went on with his work, as if Shang Ming’s words had no effect on him.
Shang Ming half-propped up and stared at Shang Jin for half a day, then he lay down in bed
and laughed.
Even if Shang Jin was hostile to him at first, but he’d never feared him, seeming as if no
matter what Shang Ming’s relationship with Ye Zhou was like now, the final victory would
still be his. Perhaps this was the pride of the strong?
With Shang Jin here, even if Ye Zhou wanted to take a detour, he’d still be pulled back the
correct path by Shang Jin.
Shang Ming put away his thoughts to meddle in other people’s business and, humming a
tune, he selected a lot of photos in his mobile phone and sent it to his friends circle.
The next day was the day Shang Ming had to leave. Shang Ming procrastinated in bed until
Ye Zhou urged him again, “Your ticket is for two o’clock, get up!”
Shang Ming rubbed against his pillow and said, “I’m not far from the train station anyway.
It’s useless to go so early.”
Currently taking notes on the strawberry seedlings, Shang Jin ‘considerately’ said, “Just let
him sleep. In a while, use the Shang Ye number and take the back path. It’s reasonable to
say that there would be no traffic jams and you’d be able to get there in about half an hour.”
Shang Ming jumped and sat up. “No need, that’s too much trouble. Let’s take the bus.” Even
if Ye Zhou had solemnly introduced him to the Shang Ye number, it was impossible for
Shang Ming to ride this flashy car and parade himself around town as calmly as they did.
“It’s no trouble. The road to train station is a bit jammed. I’ll give you a ride in the car! I can
go to the supermarket on the way back.”
This time, Shang Ming couldn’t refuse. At this point, with all kinds of unwillingness
revolving around in his heart, he still yield to Ye Zhou’s ‘good intentions’.
Shang Jin leaned against the wall and waved at him with a smile yet not a smile. “When you
have the chance, come back and play. We’ll keep the pillow for you.”
Shang Ming angrily glared at Shang Jin. Was this kid deliberate? Obviously, Ye Zhou didn’t
even think of such a means of transportation. As a result, Shang Jin had to automatically
come up with such a thing. And Ye Zhou! He kept saying that he didn’t like Shang Jin, but in
the end, he listened to everything Shang Jin said!
Resignedly getting into the car, Shang Ming put on sunglasses and a mask. An outlandish
man sitting inside an outlandish car, little did he realize that this was even more eye-
catching.
Recalling Shang Jin’s proud appearance at the end, Shang Ming got angry. Since you’re
heartless, don’t blame me for smearing your name in front of Ye Zhou.
“Ye Zhou, I think it makes sense that you don’t like Shang Jin,” Shang Ming said with
conviction, “His attitude towards people is too bad. You see, from the time we met until we
depart, he’s never shown a smile.”
“I’m sorry.” Ye Zhou said apologetically, “Shang Jin is a person who’s relatively cool on the
surface, but this is his character. He’s like this to anyone and isn’t targeting you.”
Shang Ming felt stifled. He hadn’t said that because he’d wanted Ye Zhou to apologize. He
changed the angle and said, “It’s too difficult to get along with this personality. Is his
relationship with people very poor in school…”
Ye Zhou suddenly stepped on the brakes and seriously said, “Why are you speaking bad
about people behind their backs? Fancy that Shang Jin bought you a long pillow yesterday.
I’d always thought that you guys got along very well. I didn’t expect you had such a big
complaint towards him. Shang Jin’s personality is a bit independent, but he definitely
doesn’t have bad relations with people. Not only does he look handsome and has good
grades, he’s also candid. He’s always said one is one and two is two. He would never speak
ill of people behind their backs.”
Shang Ming pulled his lips. Ye Zhou, with this rushing to defend attitude, actually had the
nerve to say that he didn’t like Shang Jin. Shang Ming really wanted to throw a mirror at Ye
Zhou and let him see his expression when he’d said those words just now.
“Fine fine fine, I was wrong, I was wrong. Quickly drive. Don’t really make me late,” Shang
Ming hurriedly surrendered. With Ye Zhou’s attitude, how would he dare to discredit Shang
Jin.
No wonder Shang Jin was so confident. He’d simply been worried for nothing!

Chapter 49
Not two days after Shang Ming left, the strawberry that Shang Jin had carefully nurtured
finally began to bud.
It was a sunny day when Shang Jin opened his eyes. Coming down from bed, he walked
over to the windowsill while squeezing out his toothpaste. He effortlessly moved the wide
leaf at the top and several small flower buds that had been hidden in the shadows peeked
their heads out. A joy coursed through Shang Jin’s heart. He set the toothbrush aside and
looked under each leaf. Unfortunately, this strawberry plant only had these several flower
buds.
Shang Jin walked quickly to the sink and finished washing quickly. He took the mobile
phone and shot the first buds that the strawberry seedling had sprouted.
“What are you doing?” Ye Zhou appeared behind him. His pot of strawberry seedling had
leaves so large that it almost completely covered the ten-centimeter pot. “I say, I seemed to
have forgotten something these two days. It should be to change its pot.”
“I have an extra pot. I put it under the table, and there’s still soil inside.” On the day Shang
Jin had transplanted his strawberry plant, he’d wanted to change Ye Zhou’s strawberry
seeding together, but thought that when Ye Zhou had given him the strawberry, he’d said it
was a competition. It wouldn’t be good to intervene. However, when he’d bought a pot, he’d
also bought one more for Ye Zhou. Worried that Ye Zhou would feel burdened, Shang Jin
said, “Buy one get one free, don’t waste it.”
Ye Zhou chuckled and didn’t expose him. “Then that’s one thing off my plate.”
“My strawberry grew flower buds.”
“What?” Ye Zhou half-squatted by the windowsill and looked at Shang Jin’s strawberry
seedling. Sure enough, there were several small flower buds under the leaves. After
looking, Ye Zhou hurriedly flipped through his own pot, but beside the plump leaves, he
wasn’t able to see any signs of flower buds growing. Ye Zhou began to self-reflect. Indeed,
his concern for the strawberry seedling was too low. Although the strawberry seedling was
growing vigorously, what was the use of merely growing leaves? He was growing
strawberries and not buying a pot of foliage plant. It was a step slower in flowering, so the
result was that he’d fallen behind Shang Jin. In the end, he was too careless. Obviously, he’d
proposed the competition, and in the end, it was Shang Jin who had put his heart into it.
Even if Ye Zhou had a setback, he wouldn’t dawdle. He took out Shang Jin’s extra pot, laid
out a newspaper on the ground and carefully transplanted the strawberry seedling.
Pruning the aging leaves, the strawberry seedling was a lot neater.
Shang Jin calculated the time. After it blossomed, bearing fruit would be right around the
corner.
Growing strawberries in the dorm, moreover on the fourth floor, there were very few bees
and butterflies. To grow the fruits well, it still depended on artificial pollination. Shang Jin
found an artificial pollination method in the book, and specifically went to buy a wool
brush. The soft wool wouldn’t harm the fragile flowers when pollinating them.
Zhou Wendao dropped by once and was dumbstruck when he saw the series of tools Shang
Jin had bought for this strawberry plant. Behind his back, he secretly told Ye Zhou, “Shang
Jin is good enough to the gift you gave him. With what he spent on this pile of tools, I don’t
know how many strawberries he can buy.”
This also indirectly showed the level of intention of the other party. Ye Zhou was
comfortable and happy, so said disdainfully, “I’ve said that the most important thing about
a gift is intention. How can such a layman as you understand?”
Shang Jin didn’t know their comments behind his back. He flipped through the calendar and
estimated that in one month, it should be able to produce strawberries.
And a month later…just as Ye Zhou had remembered Shang Jin’s birthday when they’d
checked in, Shang Jin also remembered Ye Zhou’s. At that time, he didn’t deliberately
remember it; it was just that when that series of numbers crossed his mind, it vaguely left
an impression. And then at a special moment, he suddenly thought of it.
Shang Jin had set his tentative plan well, but the plan couldn’t keep pace with the changes.
In the middle of May, Qin Fei’s belly was already large enough to go into labor at any time.
This matter originally wasn’t related too much to Shang Jin. As soon as it was inconvenient
for Qin Fei to move around, the family not only requested an extra nanny, but even Qin Fei’s
mother also came over to take care of Qin Fei. Even if Qin Fei really had a baby, he’d still eat
and drink as usual. At most, he’d go look at the newborn baby after the birth. The rest
didn’t need him to worry about at all.
Shang Youyou, who acted spoiled but had always been obedient, don’t know why, became
“rebellious”. Qin Fei was too busy to even take care of herself, and in addition, she had to go
to the hospital for the check-ups this Saturday. With Shang Youyou’s recent sensitivity, she
didn’t trust giving her to the nanny, so she soon beseeched Shang Jin to come back to take
care of Shang Youyou.
While the rest of the dorm was still asleep in the early morning, Shang Jin opened his eyes
and softly and quietly got out of bed. After washing up, he walked up to the windowsill and
a white color appeared under the emerald green leaves.
He pushed aside the leaves and the white flower quietly bloomed under the sun.
Taking care of it for a such a long time, he’d spent a lot of energy on this strawberry plant.
Seeing the moment of flowering, he felt that previous hard work was worth it.
This may be the sense of satisfaction that Ye Zhou spoke about…
“Got up so early.” Ye Zhou’s voice was hoarse from just waking up. He squinted his eyes and
looked at Shang Jin in front of the windowsill. The sun bathed Shang Jin’s body with a layer
of soft light, and Shang Jin turned his head, chuckled and said, “It blossomed.”
At this moment, Ye Zhou’s heart jumped with a thump thump, feeling that not only Shang
Jin’s strawberry had blossomed, but even the air was blooming with flowers. He lightly
coughed, slowing down his unsteady heartbeat. He forcibly pretended to be unperturbed
and came down from the bed, walking over to Shang Jin’s side to look at the small white
flower. Not daring to look directly into Shang Jin’s eyes, he touched the petals and sighed,
“Really good-looking.”
It’s just that whether this sentence was praising the flower as good-looking or the person
as good-looking, was unknown.
Shang Jin simply packed and hurried home.
Qin Fei and her mother were changing shoes at the entrance, and Shang Youyou was sitting
on the sofa with a spherical doll, her mood not too high.
Qin Fei forced a smile and said, “Shang Jin, I’m handing Youyou over to you.”
Shang Jin nodded and said, “Rest assured.”
After Qin Fei left, Shang Jin changed his shoes and sat down next to Shang Youyou. Shang
Youyou called “big brother”, but was still unhappy. In the past, Shang Youyou had taken the
initiative to cling to him. This time, it was Shang Jin who initiated, but he didn’t know how
to start the topic.
It’d be good if Ye Zhou were here at this time. He must be able to joke with a kind smile,
“What made the cute little princess unhappy? Can you you tell big brother?”
But he wasn’t Ye Zhou and he couldn’t say these words.
“Youyou.”
Shang Youyou poked the mouth of the ball doll and pretended to be serious, ignoring Shang
Jin.
Seemingly unreasonable, but all this unusualness was only to gain attention.
Shang Jin hmphed. This was obviously the parents’ negligence. Since the family wanted to
add a new family member, they actually didn’t do a good job preparing Shang Youyou
mentally. The previous month when it was still small, Shang Youyou didn’t feel it. When Qin
Fei’s belly grew bigger and bigger, the attention on Shang Youyou grew less and less.
Before, Qin Fei had instructed Shang Youyou at home to be patient and accommodating
with her big brother. Now, it was very possible that she’d told her to be patient and
accommodating with her little brother or little sister. After all was said, Shang Youyou was
only an over three-year-old little child. The uneasiness and grievances buried in her heart
had finally broken out before Qin Fei gave birth.
Shang Youyou trembled for a moment, thinking that Shang Jin’s impatient sound just now
was for her and her eyes filled with tears. She covered her mouth and without making a
sound, slowly fit her body snuggly against Shang Jin.
Looking at this reaction, he feared that during this period, Qin Fei and them had
reprimanded Shang Youyou a lot.
Shang Jin held Shang Youyou on his lap and felt her tears drip on his wrists. “Youyou, don’t
cry.”
After this sentence, Shang Youyou cried even harder. She choked on her sobs in a low voice
and kept wiping her tears with her sleeve. She clutched at Shang Jin’s clothes tightly with
her empty hand for fear that if she let go, Shang Jin would also leave her.
Shang Jin touched Shang Youyou’s small head and said softly, “Don’t cry, isn’t big brother
here?”
Shang Youyou finally couldn’t help but hold his neck and burst into tears, “Dad isn’t home.
Mom ignores me. Grandma said to me that big brother isn’t here too…” Because of her
young age, she couldn’t tell specific things, and back and forth, only had these few words.
Waiting until Shang Youyou had cried enough, Shang Jin gently patted her back and
comforted, “Brother is here.”
Shang Jin couldn’t really comfort people. Fortunately, Shang Youyou also didn’t need much
comforting. She soon fell asleep after crying. He took Shang Youyou upstairs and sat at her
little bedside, looking at his laptop.
At noon, Shang Youyou woke up. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Shang Jin
beside her and poked the back of Shang Jin’s hand with her finger. Shang Jin held her hand
and shook it. Shang Youyou squinted her eyes in a smile.
Shang Jin stayed at home for two days and went back to school by car on Sunday night.
‘Is your family’s little princess alright?” Ye Zhou understood Shang Jin’s family situation for
the most part. Such an obedient child, how much grievances she must have in her heart
before she’d use this way to give vent to her feelings? Thinking about it made him
distressed in his heart.
Shang Jin simply said, “Cried, but quickly got well.”
“Next time, you tell baby Youyou that I learned a way to tie hair online, and I’ll tie her hair
next time.”
Shang Jin mocked, “Look at videos? How did you practice?”
“None of your business…” Actually, he’d played in the school drama club last time and saw
a student sister who was doing modeling flexibly moved her fingers and quickly pulled out
a simple and beautiful hairstyle. He’d cheekily looked for the stylist sister to learn a trick
and practiced on the members of the drama club. Because of this, he’d been teased for a
good spell by the drama club members.
After spending two days with Shang Youyou, although he didn’t do any hard work, but he
also spent a lot of energy. Shang Jin returned to the dorm, took a bath and lay down in bed
to sleep.
When he woke up the next morning, Shang Jin suddenly remembered that he hadn’t seen
the strawberry seedling for two days and didn’t know if the other flowers had opened or
not.
Shang Jin got out of bed and walked up to the windowsill. Waiting for him wasn’t a flowery
event, but the rather miserable situation of flowers and leaves falling broken and in
disorder in the flowerpot.
The uppermost leaf was missing a big mouthful, and the broken leaf fell on the soil. The
white flower was separated from the leaf, and lay quietly next to the broken leaves. Ye
Zhou’s strawberry seedling beside it also wasn’t spared.
Shang Jin unconsciously clenched his fists. Originally, it was already late enough when this
strawberry plant bloomed, and it was still actually plundered. He took a deep breath and
tried to calm himself down.

Chapter 50
“Who did this?” Ye Zhou picked up the leaves on the windowsill and said in disbelief, “They
were still fine yesterday.”
“I heard a bird call this morning. It should’ve been a bird.” Shang Jin flipped through the
flowerpot and there really were no flowers left for him.
Compared with Shang Jin’s flowerpot, Ye Zhou was suddenly relieved of his own pot’s
experience. He’d lost a few leaves at most, while Shang Jin’s flowers had genuinely
blossomed. Ye Zhou patted Shang Jin’s shoulder and sighed, “Your strawberry really met
with many difficulties in life.”
“It was my negligence. I should have anticipated any possible danger that might arise.”
Shang Jin picked up the fallen flower and walked to the bookshelf. He pulled out the
dictionary and pressed the flower inside.
After class at noon, Shang Jin and Ye Zhou discussed making a simple fence net for the
flower pots, and the two people ran off campus in their Shang Ye number.
Ye Zhou suggested, “How about using a wire mesh?”
“It’s okay…” But the wire mesh was relatively thin and also easily rusted. The plants were
bound to go through wind and sun, and moreover, with it raining more now, the durability
was a bit low. Shang Jin walked and walked and suddenly heard the bird’s cry. He turned
and looked at where the bird cry came from and saw a parrot eating in a birdcage. “I know
what to buy. We just need to spend a bit of money and we completely don’t need to do it
ourselves.”
Half an hour later, Ye Zhou carried two around 30cm cages, while Shang Jin held a
collapsible flower stand and they hustled into the dormitory building.
“The two of you are simply…” Wen Renxu said incredulously. The two people obviously had
such good grades, but why was the brain circuit always different from ordinary people??
“What are you guys buying two cages for?” Even if Liu Yutian was playing games, he
couldn’t attend to it. He came to take the cage from Ye Zhou’s hand. He had also heard
about the bad news about the two pots of strawberries, but animals were animals after all.
Could people reason with animals? “Even if you want to catch the bird, you have to know
which one it is!”
Shang Jin was puzzled. “Who told you that we bought the cages to catch birds?”
Liu Yutian looked dumbfounded, “Or else?”
Ye Zhou said as a matter of course, “Of course, it’s for the strawberries.”
Liu Yutian was stunned. Shang Jin and Ye Zhou also didn’t mind him. They began to untie
the triangular fastener of the birdcage chassis and set the cage aside. They picked up their
strawberry seedlings from the windowsill and placed it in the chassis. The cage body was
fixed back on again, and finally four ribbons were tied into a “ 井” character, fixing the pots
in place. Afterwards, the collapsible flower stand was unfolded and fixed at the end of the
corridor leaning against a wall. The unfolded flower rack wasn’t too big, and it wouldn’t
hinder others from walking. Ye Zhou placed the bird cages on it.
Shang Jin patted the dust off his hands and said, “This was long overdue.”
They’d already attracted the attention of the people in the dorm next door not long after
the two had come in. Zhou Wendao exclaimed, “Heyo, oh my good! You both really take
these strawberries as pets? Look, one pot in one independent room, and also a high class
community!” The height of the flower stand was ten centimeters shorter than the wall of
the corridor. It wasn’t only good for basking in the sun, but even if there was a strong wind,
one didn’t have to worry about the tragedy of falling.
“Otherwise, how can they be the test gods? Just see the difference in these plants!” Another
classmate from the same floor also came to join in the fun. “Compared to the one I raise in
the dorm, it’s plumper and it’s simply one in heaven, one on earth.”
“Did you buy these cages together again?”
The loud voice shouted twice, and almost all the classmates in the entire building came to
watch. The owners of the birdcages were quickly squeezed out the encirclement that was
incessantly buzzing. Within only one noon, the strawberries raised by them became the
most popular on A Uni’s friends circle and BBS after the Shang Ye number.
LZ: Shocking! The Shang Ye home actually uses this to raise strawberries!
LZ: As a member of the Finance Department, I was fortunate enough to share the same
dorm building with the legendary test gods. And even more fortunately, I still live on the
same floor. At noon today, I was preparing to take a rest when I suddenly heard a loud
shout outside, scaring me to kip-up and flip out of bed. Walking out of the dorm, I saw a
circle of people surrounding the 405 doorway. At that time, I was excited and wanted to see
the liveliness. I couldn’t wait to run over and leaning on the back of the classmate in front of
me, I saw it…it’s said that they’re Shang Jin and Ye Zhou’s strawberries…I won’t talk about
more gossip and directly put the photos【Image】【Image】【Image】
1L: I saw Shang Ye and rolled in!
2L: The latest development of Shang Ye!
3L: Landlord, you don’t need to say shocking. We’d still come in when we see Shang Ye!
23L: They’re all plants, why is the gap so big!!
32L: My next reincarnation, I should become the test god’s strawberry so that he can put
me in the palm of his hand and water me everyday~
38L: Thank you, test god, for opening the door to a new world to me! I was just worried
about not knowing how to solve the problem of birds pecking my plants. In a moment, I’ll
go on Taobao and order one.
41L: I was thinking…in the unlikely event that one day, there was a bee who flew to the
flower of Shang Jin’s strawberry and then visited the flower of Ye Zhou’s strawberry, then
the strawberry that grew out, wouldn’t that be the crystallization of the two test gods??
Judging from the present time, the strawberry would bear fruit just at the end of the term!
So, can I reserve one in advance!
53L: I don’t think one is enough. I have three subjects that I’m not too sure on. Can I reserve
three?
55L: Upstairs all step aside! I’m reserving all of them!
62L: Who would dare grab it from me! I need it the most! During the last semester, I
couldn’t pass the exam even after praying to the Shang Ye number. This semester, I must
have double insurance!
68L: Upstairs classmate, since the Shang Ye is useless to you, I reckon that this strawberry
wouldn’t be useful to you, so don’t waste the quota. Why not give it to me!
Of course, Shang Jin and Ye Zhou didn’t know about all of this happening on the forum, but
even if they knew, they wouldn’t really take them to sell.
Perhaps strawberry should bloom in this period. By the end of May, Ye Zhou used a pen
refill to pass through the cage and moved apart the leaves before class. Unexpectedly, he
saw quite a few flower buds. He quickly looked through Shang Jin’s strawberry and it also
grew flower buds.
“Shang Jin!” Ye Zhou turned to Shang Jin, who was just closing the door and said, “They
budded!”
“It’s a few days later than I expected,” Shang Jin wrote a few words in his notebook and
said, “I’ll look at pest control method when I get back. This time, I can’t go away again.” It’s
a pity that if something hadn’t gone wrong with those flowers, they would have likely
began to bear fruit now. Now that there were flower buds, he estimated that they would
flower in early June. The timing was a bit late.
Ye Zhou was completely immersed in the joy of the plants budding and said, “Really good.
I’m guessing our two strawberries would bear fruit at almost the same time.”
Stepping into June, the strawberry flower buds finally completely unfolded. Not only that,
but more buds were emerging from under the leaves.
Originally thinking that being on the fourth floor, there might not be bees and the like flying
around, but they didn’t expect that after the two pots had a lot of flowers, they still
attracted a few bees that shuttled back and forth between the two cages.
At the end of the school course, the final exam would officially begin in another two weeks.
On this evening, Shang Jin and Ye Zhou ate in the canteen and felt a hot line of sight on
them.
Ye Zhou looked around and didn’t sense the difference. He leaned toward Shang Jin and
whispered, “Do you feel that someone is looking at us?”
Shang Jin leisurely ate his food and nonchalantly said, “Felt it.”
“Then how come you’re not reacting at all?”
Shang Jin put down his chopsticks and said, “Why do I need to respond? If they have
something, they’d naturally come over. Not coming over just means that it’s not important.”
“Makes sense.”
After finishing the last bite, Ye Zhou wiped his mouth and was about to take his bag up
when a boy sitting across from them said, “These two gentlemen, please stay your step!!”
(T/N: he’s speaking like he’s in a wuxia novel)
What era were these words from?
Ye Zhou didn’t let go of his hold on the backpack strap. “This brother, what can I do for
you?” (T/N: Ye Zhou matching his way of speech…)
“I dare not, I dare not!” The boy waved his hand. “I’ve heard that elder brother Ye has
cultivated a strawberry plant that may have flowered?”
Ye Zhou blinked and said, “Dare to ask brother, whence…”
Words not yet finished, Shang Jin suddenly put down the cup in the middle of the table and
said softly, “Speak properly.”
Ye Zhou embarrassingly said, “Buddy, where did you hear that?”
“Aiya, it’s spread all over school. I heard that the two of you planted them together?”
Although each took care of their own, but the strawberries were indeed placed together. Ye
Zhou didn’t deny and said, “What’s up?”
“Then when the strawberry bears fruit, can you sell me one, just one!” The boy wrung his
hands, “That strawberry has the great care of you two, and its fruit should be the
crystallization of your love. If I eat it before the test, presumably there’d be no worries for
the end of term.”
Shang Jin picked up his own drinking cup and tugged at Ye Zhou’s schoolbag, said, “It’s the
crystallization of our love. Do you think it’s suitable for you to eat it?”
What crystallization of love?!
Ye Zhou awkwardly said, “Classmate, properly review to pass the final exams. Forget about
these trivial things. Feudal superstition is unacceptable!”
That boy wanted to continue talking, but the two people didn’t give him another chance
and hurriedly left the canteen.
“What is this all about…” Ye Zhou shook his head and questioned A Uni’s school ethos for
the first time.
The two didn’t ride their car today and simply took a detour to the sports field. Passing by
the girls’ dormitory, they found that it was noisy in front of the building. Ye Zhou looked at
it curiously and Shang Jin said, “Let’s go see.”
Ye Zhou was just waiting for this sentence. The two men had a height advantage and,
although they didn’t go to the center of the crowd, they still saw the scene in front.
Several boys were sitting in front of the girls’ dormitory arranging candles and putting a
bouquet of roses next to them. No need to think about it: this was a confession scene.
Ye Zhou curled his lips and said, “This is too high-profile. In case a girl doesn’t like him, and
he mustered a large force but ended in tragedy; both sides would be embarrassed.”
“What’s embarrassing about it? Does this kind of trivial matter need to be taken
seriously??”
“I forgot you’re different from the average person.” Ye Zhou lost interest and pulled Shang
Jin away from the scene. “If you ask me, he should choose a place without people to confess.
It doesn’t have to be as eye-catching as holding a bouquet of roses. If the girl is really
interested in him, he just needs to take two wildflowers and his confession would be
successful.”
Shang Jin nodded thoughtfully. “So it’s like that.”

Chapter 51
Ye Zhou discovered that Shang Jin was a bit strange recently, observing the strawberries
longer everyday.
Both pot of strawberries had a lot of flowers, and Shang Jin painstakingly took the
strawberries out of the cage and spread the leaves to see each flower.
Ye Zhou asked curiously, “What are you looking at?”
Shang Jin deadpanned, “Flower viewing.”
“Did you finish viewing or not? Still not going to the library?” Ye Zhou looked at the time.
There was no class on Friday afternoon and when the two had lunch, they said they would
go to the library together. He didn’t expect that Shang Jin would be held up by these
strawberry seedlings. Ye Zhou once again regretted why he’d gifted a strawberry seedling
at that time.
“Fine.” Shang Jin had ensured that the strawberries were healthy and without bugs and
went to wash his hands. He took his textbooks and went to the library with Ye Zhou.
Passing the crossroad, Shang Jin saw a kiosk not far away and said, “Wait for me here. I’ll
buy a bag of candy.”
“Eating so much, be careful of rotten teeth!”
Shang Jin turned a deaf ear and walked over to the kiosk.
Having basked a bit in the June sun, Ye Zhou found the shade of a tree and stood
underneath it. He took out his mobile phone and went through his friends circle.
“Ye Zhou, I just wanted to find you in these two days!”
Ye Zhou looked up. Su Yin held an umbrella and came under the tree shade. She put away
the umbrella and said, “Go sit over there and talk.”
“Eh ー” Ye Zhou hadn’t opened his mouth yet when he was half-pushed, half-pulled by the
other to a stone bench next to the bamboo grove.
“Do you still remember what I said last time?”
Ye Zhou took out his cell phone and hurriedly sent a message to Shang Jin, responding to Su
Yin, “What?”
“The big amusement park in the Southern District will open on June 20th. I promised to go
with Tang Dongdong. Are you going?” Su Yin said animatedly. She took out her mobile
phone and opened the website. “Didn’t I send you this page last time? You didn’t look?”
A few days ago, Su Yin seemed to have sent a website to him. At that time, he thought Su Yin
was doing some sharing tasks, so he didn’t even open the link.
“So, are you going?”
Ye Zhou didn’t answer immediately.
Su Yin raised her eyebrows and said, “You wouldn’t have fallen in love with someone else,
right?”
Ye Zhou hurriedly said, “You…what are you talking about? How can that be!”
“If it were last year and I asked you to meet with Tang Dongdong, you’d certainly nod
without hesitation. How can you not utter a word for half a day now?”
Ye Zhou coughed and looked away. “I was just thinking that June 20 is during exam week,
and I want to review.”
Su Yin was dubious. “Really?”
“Really, really,” Ye Zhou said and stood up to walk toward the crossroad.
Su Yin pulled him and tentatively asked, “I have new photos of Tang Dongdong. Do you
want to continue trading Shang Jin’s photos with me?”
Ye Zhou’s footsteps paused. He couldn’t tell what feeling was in his heart ー instinctively
wanting to say no trade ー but wouldn’t this truly show that he’d had a change of heart? He
sat down again and clasped his cell phone.
“You live with Shang Jin now. There must be HD pictures of his face, right?” Su Yin turned
on the phone’s Bluetooth and searched in her album. “I don’t want the fuzzy back sneak
shots like last time.”
There was indeed a photo of Shang Jin on Ye Zhou’s cell phone: it was the photo he’d taken
of the two siblings when Shang Youyou came last time.
Su Yin put the phone in front of him and said, “Which photo of Tang Dongdong do you
want?”
Ye Zhou put his cell phone in his pocket. He didn’t want to share the photo of Shang Jin and
Shang Youyou with others at all. He pretended to be angry and said, “How could I possibly
have photos of Shang Jin? Other people may not know me, but you also don’t understand?
It’s not like you don’t know how much I detest Shang Jin. Shang Jin is my enemy. With
nothing at all, why would I take a photo of my enemy!” Finishing this sentence, Ye Zhou
feared that the other wouldn’t believe him and want to snatch his phone, so he took his
schoolbag and left without looking back.
“Eh…what!” Su Yin tsked, “If you don’t have it, then you don’t. Why run?”
Ye Zhou walked to the tree shade at the crossroad and didn’t see Shang Jin, but he also
didn’t see Shang Jin searching for him in the bamboo grove. He wouldn’t still be buying,
right? He simply dialed his phone. The phone rang twice when Shang Jin picked up.
“Shang Jin, where are you?”
“The library entrance.”
“Why didn’t you wait for me! I told you I was in the bamboo grove!”
“I went and didn’t find.”
“Well, then I’ll go right now.” Ye Zhou hung up and curled his lips. The place where Su Yin
and he had been was just at the entrance of the bamboo grove. It was so easy to find. How
bad could Shang Jin’s eyes be that he couldn’t find it?
However, listening to Shang Jin’s voice, how could he hear the rustling of leaves? It wasn’t
too windy today, and there was only a tall camphor at the library entrance. Maybe it was an
auditory hallucination? Ye Zhou shook his head and quickly walked towards the library.
Ye Zhou didn’t leave for long, Shang Jin walked from the depths of the bamboo grove where
they’d just chatted.
When he’d just bought the candy, he saw Ye Zhou’s text message. At that time, he didn’t
think much about it and walked toward the bamboo grove. In the end, he heard a familiar
voice before he reached it.
The brief word didn’t need much explanation. Connecting it with Ye Zhou’s series of
abnormal behavior last year, Shang Jin also understood for the most part.
No wonder that Ye Zhou, who had no intersections with him in the first year, would take
sneak shots of him.
No wonder that when it came out, he’d explained the matter again and again in a fluster.
The funny thing was that he actually took Ye Zhou’s explanation as a cover up and
gradually invested his feelings in him.
If everything started from a misunderstanding, then in the relationship afterwards, how
much of Ye Zhou’s feelings were real and how much were fake?
Shang Jin sneered. Enemy?
Once the seed of suspicion was planted, Shang Jin didn’t see anything as simple.
This afternoon, Shang Jin didn’t go to the library but went straight back to the dormitory.
The two pots of strawberries on the flower stand stood up just right. At first, he’d been so
looking forward to them blossoming and bearing fruit, so that when Ye Zhou’s birthday
arrived, he could take a pot full of strawberries and gift it to Ye Zhou.
Because Ye Zhou once said that gifts weren’t about price but the intention put into them.
For a man like Shang Jin, it was much more difficult for him to pay attention than to pay
money.
But it was precisely this phrase of Ye Zhou that made Shang Jin devote himself entirely to
something for the first time.
“Why didn’t you tell me when you were going back?”
Shang Jin turned his head and clearly wanted to ask, but in the face of Ye Zhou’s smile, he
could only keep his face shuttered and said, “A bit dizzy from reading so came back.”
Ye Zhou said nervously, “Dizzy? Are you alright?”
Shang Jin stared fixedly at Ye Zhou’s eyes. The concern wasn’t false. He whispered, “Maybe I
didn’t sleep well.”
“Then you should go to bed early tonight.” Ye Zhou put down his schoolbag and put the
borrowed book on the shelf. “Have you eaten or not? Since your head is dizzy, should I help
buy it for you?”
“Ye Zhou.”
“Hmm?”
“Nothing, no need. I’ll go down myself in a while.” Going out, Shang Jin glanced inside the
dorm out of the corner of his eye. Ye Zhou passed by his table and conveniently helped
place his fallen cup upright. This kind of small details couldn’t be faked even if he wanted
to.
Shang Jin looked at the strawberry seedlings on the flower stand and carried a cage
downstairs.
After dinner, Shang Jin took the pot of strawberry seedlings to the bamboo grove that noon.
The bright moonlight illuminated the stone table. Shang Jin took out the flower pot
brimming with small flowers, placed it in the middle of the stone table, and sent Ye Zhou a
text message.
When Ye Zhou received the message from Shang Jin, he was wondering why it took so long
for Shang Jin to eat dinner, practically eating from dawn to dusk. Now he sent him a text to
go out, making people really be at a loss.
For other people’s requests, Ye Zhou had never asked why. This time was also so. Shang Jin
asked him to go and, asking no more, he feared that the other party had something urgent
so he quickly rushed toward the bamboo grove on his bike.
In the bamboo grove, Ye Zhou saw that Shang Jin was sitting at the stone bench where he’d
sat at noon. The cold moonlight fell on Shang Jin, inexplicably carrying a sense of
melancholy.
Ye Zhou leaned the bike to one side and the leaves rustled when he stepped on them.
“You came.”
Ye Zhou sat beside him and said, “What’s the matter? Is there something you can’t say in
the dorm?”
Shang Jin picked two strawberry flowers and handed them to Ye Zhou.
“Eh, what are you doing!” Ye Zhou didn’t take them. Living together with Shang Jin day and
night, Ye Zhou knew best how much Shang Jin treasured these flowers. But at that moment,
he actually didn’t hesitate to pick off two flowers.
“Although not wildflowers.”
Ye Zhou: “???”
Shang Jin looked at the pot of strawberries and said, “When you gave it to me, this little
thing was only three or four small leaves. It’s obviously so fragile, but it’s so strong. The
wind and rain can’t fell it, and the birds and insects can’t destroy it.”
Ye Zhou smiled and said, “It’s because you took good care of it. If you didn’t care about it
when it fell downstairs, how could you see this splendid flowering today?”
“Perhaps. Sometimes, a different result can be produced between one thought and
another.” Shang Jin forcefully stuffed the two flowers into Ye Zhou’s hands. “So today, the
result of us two are also between your thoughts.”
“You…what are you talking about…”
Shang Jin took a deep breath. Obviously he could have prepared more fully before talking to
Ye Zhou about it, but when he heard the matter today, no matter how good he was at hiding
his emotions, he couldn’t act as if nothing had happened when facing Ye Zhou.
Even the words he spoke now were blurted out by instinct. Clearly he could have mulled it
over to come up with better arguments.
“We started as a misunderstanding but I’m serious.” Shang Jin looked at Ye Zhou’s eyes and
said, “Ye Zhou, I really like you. Like this strawberry, no matter whether there is wind and
rain or birds and worms between us, I will never give up…”
Ye Zhou’s pupils suddenly tightened, and he immediately stood up. His lips trembled
unconsciously, and his mind was blank. He never thought that Shang Jin would confess to
him.
What if Shang Jin confessed to you one day?
Shang Ming’s words flashed in his ears.
“No…no way.” Ye Zhou subconsciously said, “Didn’t I tell you then that I really don’t like
you? How can you…”
Shang Jin lowered his head, the darkness obscuring his gaze. He asked, “Is it Tang
Dongdong? Did you always like Tang Dongdong?”
Ye Zhou was astonished. “How did you know?”
“It seems to be true.” Shang Jin mockingly laughed without explanation, but said, “Ye Zhou,
you always said that you can’t beat me. You’re wrong. This time, I admit defeat.”

Chapter 52
Ye Zhou didn’t know how he came back; he only remembered that he’d almost ridden the
bike into the flower beds several times.
Ye Zhou’s heart was still beating like thunder as he locked the bike in a fluster and climbed
up the stairs.
“Eh, weren’t you just going to take a shower? How did you come back from the outside?”
Liu Yutian came out from visiting the dorm next door and saw Ye Zhou just passing 404.
“Ah?” Ye Zhou said incoherently, “I just went out for something. I’m going to shower.”
Liu Yutian followed behind Ye Zhou and saw that there was an empty place on the flower
stand by the doorway. He asked, “What about Shang Jin’s strawberry?? It wouldn’t have
been carried away by birds, right!!”
Ye Zhou still held the two white flowers in his hand, but at the moment, they’d been
kneaded together into a lump: flowers that were no longer flowers. He put his hand behind
his back and said, “I…I don’t know.”
The students from 404 and 403 came out when they heard the commotion and surrounded
the flower stand. In a moment, they poked their heads to look downstairs to see that it
hadn’t fallen, and in another moment, they looked nearby to see if someone had played a
prank and carried it away.
Taking advantage of everyone not paying attention to him, Ye Zhou grabbed his clothes and
dived into the bathroom.
He showered and quickly went to bed. Facing the white wall, he didn’t dare to turn his
head.
Ye Zhou didn’t dare to face Shang Jin, but he also didn’t understand why he didn’t dare to
face Shang Jin.
Obviously he’d told the truth and all of this was Shang Jin’s misunderstanding, but it was
also Shang Jin who’d eavesdropped on his and Su Yin’s conversation first.
Obviously, from any way he looked at it, he shouldn’t have a guilty conscience.
But why…
The dorm door was pushed open and Ye Zhou’s heart tightened.
“Why hasn’t Shang Jin come back yet?”
“I didn’t see him when I returned to the dorm.”
“Without rhyme or reason, how can the strawberry disappear!” Liu Yutian clicked his
tongue and looked up, “Zhou, why are you sleeping so early today?”
“Lower your voice. I saw that he was just very out of it,” Wen Renxu pulled Liu Yutian’s
sleeve and whispered, “Didn’t you see that he turned a deaf ear when you mentioned Shang
Jin’s strawberry? If it were usual and Shang Jin’s matter was brought up, he’d be the first to
jump up.”
Ye Zhou grasped the sheets. For the first time, he realized that he had such an image in the
eyes of others.
“Shang Jin, you’re back. Your strawberry ー” Liu Yutian stared at the cage in Shang Jin’s
right hand and said, “You took the strawberry out?”
“Yeah, took it for a walk.” Shang Jin returned the cage to its place. Entering the dorm, he
saw that Ye Zhou was facing away from him and he quickly removed his gaze. “You’ve all
washed up?”
“Washed, washed.” Liu Yutian gathered by Shang Jin’s side, looked at Ye Zhou’s bed and
asked, “What’s wrong with him?”
“Not too clear.” Shang Jin went to the sink, turned on the faucet and forcefully threw the
cold water on his face.
Since Shang Jin’s return, Ye Zhou had his ears perked up all along. When he heard this
sentence, he was furious in his heart: You’re the one who’s clearest! Originally, the two
people were good. Why did he have to say such a thing? Otherwise, why would he need to
lie in bed now…if it were usual, they would certainly observe the strawberry flowers
together, and then they’d discuss whose strawberry would bear fruit first. Not like now, the
flowers were plucked, and people were…
It was still a month away from summer vacation. How would he survive during this time…
Because Ye Zhou went to bed early this night, the other three people in 405 were very quiet
all night.
In his sleep, Ye Zhou seemed to have returned to the bamboo grove, but there wasn’t a
shadow of Shang Jin at the stone table, leaving only a pot of strawberry flowers gently
swaying in the night breeze. He walked to the table and saw the two plucked strawberry
flowers drift up from the table to the sky. In a gust of wind, the petals scattered and were
soon blown away without a trace. In a moment of distraction, even the strawberry on the
table disappeared.
Ye Zhou suddenly opened his eyes and the sky was already bright. He turned and carefully
looked at Shang Jin’s bed.
He didn’t expect that Shang Jin’s bed was already empty. The quilt was stacked neatly on
the bed and the sheet didn’t have a trace of a wrinkle. Casting his gaze down, the messy
tabletop last night was also tidied up.
Ye Zhou took a moment to wake up. He lifted off his quilt and jumped out of bed. When he
opened the door, there was only his own solitary strawberry left on the huge flower stand.
He took out his cell phone, opened Shang Jin’s number, and pressed the dial button for half
a day without letting go.
What do you think you’re doing? Even if it went through, what could you say?
Ye Zhou looked at the contact and hesitated. Seeing Shang Ming’s name under Shang Jin, he
was suddenly ignited by an impulse and simply packed his luggage. After washing, he didn’t
even eat breakfast and rushed to the train station.
Meanwhile, Shang Jin carried his strawberry seedling and returned home.
“Shang Jin, you’re back.” The aunt at home was pleasantly surprised when she saw Shang
Jin at the door, “Just right, Youyou has been shouting for her brother everyday.”
“Aunt Zhang, is there something to eat? A bit hungry.” Shang Jin changed his shoes and
placed the strawberry seedling on the windowsill. The strawberry flowers glittered in the
sunlight and the breeze ruffled the leaves. Shang Jin saw a flower had withered under the
leaves and a small green fruit grew out from the middle. “It actually…began to fruit.”
The long-awaited scene appeared at this time.
There was no excitement of the unexpected, only a sense of disappointment and
frustration.
If Ye Zhou hadn’t so obviously avoided him, he wouldn’t be afraid that Ye Zhou would be
uncomfortable when he saw him and so rushed home early in the morning.
“Big brother!” Shang Youyou ran downstairs skipping and jumping. Qin Fei braced the side
of her arm against the bannister and told Shang Youyou to slow down a bit while carefully
descending the staircase.
Qin Fei breathed a sigh of relief and said, “I was just thinking of asking you to come back for
the weekend.”
Shang Jin nodded to Qin Fei. Shang Youyou hugged his thigh and stood on tiptoes to look at
the windowsill. Shang Jin picked her up and, sitting in Shang Jin’s arm, Shang Youyou asked,
“Why does the flower have to be in the cage?”
“So the birds can’t harm the flowers.”
Shang Youyou suddenly realized and reached out several times, wanting to touch the
flowerpot. In the end, the cage net was too close together and Shang Youyou’s hand could
only go in a little bit. Worrying that her hand would get caught, Shang Jin placed Shang
Youyou on the ground, undid the triangular clasp on the cage and took out the flowerpot.
Shang Youyou stood on the small bench with her two hands propping up her head. She
looked at the flowers and looked up at Shang Jin again. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Youyou, help me look over them. Don’t let the birds hurt them, okay?”
Shang Youyou nodded and in a moment, she looked around vigilantly as if facing a great
enemy. Her arms guarded on both sides of the flowerpot, lest a bird emerged to snatch the
flowers.
“Shang Jin, can I trouble you to come home everyday during this time?” Qin Fei said
carefully, “I’ll be due in a few days, Youyou…”
“No problem.” Shang Jin took the bowl of millet porridge and took a sip. “Anyway, I won’t
have any classes in a week. At that time, I’ll come live at home.”
“That’s great.” Qin Fei breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll be going to the hospital soon, and it’s
inconvenient for Youyou to follow me in the evening. If you’re home, she’ll feel at ease.”
After a few mouthfuls, Shang Jin finished drinking the millet porridge and he put the bowl
down. “When will you be hospitalized?”
Qin Fei touched her belly and said, “I’m afraid I’ll be going in two days.”
Shang Jin said, “Well, I will stay at home from now on. It only takes half an hour to drive to
and from school. During the day, I can help you send Youyou to school.”
Qin Fei was startled. Although she’d hoped that Shang Jin would come back, but Shang Jin
being so articulate was actually a bit unusual. Before, he’d been too lazy to make a trip back
home even once during a semester, but now he actually volunteered to come back
everyday. Qin Fei asked tentatively, “Is everything okay at school?”
“What can happen to me?” Shang Jin scoffed. It was only that he didn’t want to make things
awkward for Ye Zhou. That fool always thought for others. Originally, it was he who had
broken the harmonious relationship between the two people, but in the end, it was Ye Zhou
who was full of guilt and didn’t dare to face him.
On the other side, A City train station.
“Toot ー”
The train whistle sounded. Ye Zhou sat in the train, watching the scenery gradually
receding out the window.
“Too cowardly!” Ye Zhou clenched his fists. Yesterday, it could have been better if he’d
replied to Shang Jin, but he actually fled without turning his head back.
He grabbed his hair. What was he going to do with Shang Jin later on?
Not sleeping well at night, Ye Zhou sat in the car and dazedly fell asleep. Half asleep and
half awake, he felt that the people around him were all walking. Ye Zhou opened his eyes
and saw that most of the passengers were carrying their suitcases and getting ready to off-
board the train. Ye Zhou carried his backpack and hurriedly followed behind them.
From the station, he took a direct bus to Shang Ming’s school. After forty minutes, Ye Zhou
stood at T Uni’s gate. Taking out his cell phone, he listlessly gave Shang Ming a call.
“Come and pick me up…”
Shang Ming blanked first and then an exclamation burst out, “You came to my school??”
“Yeah.”
“Coming at once!”
Twenty minutes later, Shang Ming rushed over on a lady bicycle.
Ye Zhou’s mood lifted a bit when he saw a familiar person. “Your aesthetic is a bit…you
wouldn’t have turned girly after staying with girls for so long, right?”
“Girly, your sister! My bicycle doesn’t have a backseat, so I borrowed one from a girl.”
Ye Zhou pulled his mouth. The backseat was almost as high as his knees. Can he really sit on
it?
Shang Ming braced on the ground with one leg, rested his elbows on the handlebar and
said, “Quickly get on.”
“I came all the way here and this is how you treat me?”
“It’s better than your wonderful broken pedicab.”
Once the pedicab was mentioned, Ye Zhou remembered Shang Jin and immediately didn’t
have the inclination to jest anymore. He wanly squatted on the bicycle backseat and,
clutching Shang Ming’s clothes, said, “Why so many words. Ride on.”
Shang Ming’s legs pedaled and laboriously dragged Ye Zhou slowly forward. Even more
laborious were Ye Zhou’s shoes. Even if his legs were curled up to the extreme, the shoes
were still inseparable from the ground.
In T Uni’s campus, two boys who were nearly 1.8-meter tall crowded onto a small lady bike.
The scene was comparable to a circus bear riding a buggy, comical and hilarious, and it
attracted countless T Uni students to stop and take pictures.
Ye Zhou buried his face in Shang Ming’s back and gnashed his teeth. “You deliberately set
me up!”
Shang Ming also didn’t expect the consequences would be so “eye-catching”. He hatefully
said, “Where have you seen someone messing with people also messing with himself!”
After twenty endless minutes passed, Ye Zhou and Shang Ming finally arrived safely at the
dormitory.
There was no one in the dorm on the weekend.
Shang Ming poured out a glass of water for Ye Zhou, sat him in his chair and dragged
another stool to the computer. “You’re not an impulsive person like me. Say it: what’s the
problem?”
Ye Zhou grabbed his sleeve and said, “Shang Jin really confessed to me!!”
“Oh.” Shang Ming looked indifferently at his heart-in-a-panic appearance, pried opened his
fingers and said with an expressionless face, “My heart has no fluctuation and I even want
to laugh a little.”

Chapter 53
Ye Zhou blanked for a moment. “What’s with your reaction!”
Shang Ming turned around and opened the document on the computer, perfunctorily
saying, “What reaction do you want me to have?”
“Shang Jin, he ー”
Shang Ming typed on the keyboard and forcibly pressed Enter. Looking at Ye Zhou, he said,
“Isn’t it just Shang Jin confessing to you? I asked you this question on May 1st and gave you
a month to prepare. It really happened, so don’t tell me you still can’t accept it?”
Ye Zhou said without confidence, “I thought you were joking…”
“So, how did you answer?”
“I said I didn’t like him…”
Shang Ming sneered and shifted his gaze back to the computer. Turning over a page in the
reference book, he continued typing. “Then isn’t that alright? You’ve already replied to him,
and Shang Jin doesn’t look like a stalker. In the future, the two of you would keep bridge
and road separate: everything would be restored to its original state to everyone’s
satisfaction. Anyways, both of you are in a hostile relationship, so what’s the use of having
such a good relationship?”
Ye Zhou said irritably, “But I don’t want it to be like this.”
“You rejected people and still want people to be good friends with you? How can you be so
sweet!”
“What are you talking about? So eccentric.”
“I just didn’t think you could be stupid to this degree!!” Shang Ming jerked up, fiercely
jabbed at Ye Zhou’s head and said, “It’s almost the end of the term, and I haven’t finished
half of my paper yet. The review material is piled up into a mountain. The time is so
pressing, so why do I have to worry about your love problem!”
“I…”
“I, a fart!” Shang Ming hated iron for not becoming steel. He took a deep breath, leaned on
the table and said, “Ask you a few questions. Don’t think about it and immediately answer
me.”
The first time seeing Shang Ming lose his temper, Ye Zhou obediently nodded.
Shang Ming tapped his fingers on the table and said, “You said you like Tang Dongdong.
Then I ask you: what’s his birthday?”
“Eh…” Ye Zhou was thinking it over but was quickly interrupted by Shang Ming.
“OK, don’t answer it.” Shang Ming asked again, “What date is Shang Jin’s birthday?”
Ye Zhou blurted out, “March 15.”
Shang Ming raised his eyebrows and continued, “What does Tang Dongdong like to eat?”
Ye Zhou frowned and tried to recall the information Su Yin had given him.
Shang Ming gave him a cold look and said, “What does Shang Jin like to eat?”
“Strawberry candy.” Speaking of strawberry candy, Ye Zhou remembered the fact that
when he’d bought a cake for Shang Jin’s birthday, he’d also bought desserts for Tang
Dongdong. He quickly added, “I remember, Tang Dongdong likes to eat sweets: macarons,
doughnuts, and such.”
Shang Ming grunted and said, “How did you think of it?”
“Shang Jin’s birthday, that day…”
“Hmph, I don’t want to hear it.” Shang Ming clicked his tongue, “Continuing on: what is
Tang Dongdong’s usual hobby?”
“Er…” Ye Zhou played with his fingers. This was his habit when thinking.
Shang Ming propped his chin and lazily said, “What is Shang Jin’s usual hobby?”
“Playing games, called Wandering Jianghu. He plays a female character called Xia Shang
Zhou.”
“You’re not a person who plays games and yet you remember it so clearly.” Shang Ming
supported his forehead and sighed, “This is what you call liking Tang Dongdong? You don’t
know any information about him. If I freaking like someone, whether he’s in another school
or in my school, I’d surely ask all around for all kinds of information on that person and
firmly keep it in mind. You don’t even remember the most basic birthday, and aren’t even
clear on the bare minimum of his hobbies. You say you like him, do you believe it? I ask
you: how many times do you think about him in a week?”
Ye Zhou opened his mouth, but unexpectedly, was unable to respond.
“Completely not putting the person you like in your heart, but knowing your so-called
enemy like the back of your hand and being meticulously concerned. Just rejecting your
enemy, you’d go so far as to buy a ticket in the early morning and flee to me?”
“I…” Ye Zhou disregarded his face and said, “I’m friends with Shang Jin, just like with you. I
also know you well and I was also cared for you in high school.”
“That’s true.” Shang Ming didn’t continue to press him, but typed out the paper on the
computer.
Ye Zhou breathed a sigh of relief.
After five minutes, Shang Ming said, “Right, Ye Zhou, I’m in love.”
“Really??” Ye Zhou cast aside his troubles and curiously said, “Who? What kind of person?
Do you have pictures? Older or younger than you?”
Shang Ming hooked up the corner of his mouth and said, “You’re so happy?”
“Of course, you’re my friend!”
“Then what if Shang Jin tells you this one day?” Shang Ming smiled without smiling and
said, “Can you happily gossip with him?”
Ye Zhou’s smile stagnated on his face. “You tricked me!”
“You just say if you can or not. Don’t say it to me; say it to yourself.”
The scene of Shang Jin’s confession was still vivid in his mind. If one day, Shang Jin took the
flowers he’d cared for and told another person that no matter what difficulties or obstacles
he experienced, he would never let go of their hand and hold on tightly? It was just a
hypothetical, but Ye Zhou was unable to stand it a little.
Ye Zhou took out his cell phone and pulled up a photo of Tang Dongdong from the album.
The smile of the boy in the photo was still there, but when he looked again, it didn’t have
the throb of their first time meeting.
Ye Zhou opened Su Yin’s WeChat chat box.
Ye Zhou: June 20, I’ll go with you.
Two minutes later, WeChat prompted a new message.
Su Yin: Received~ I have to pull Tang Dongdong to the haunted house. Haha [smirks] he’s
the most afraid of ghosts!
Shang Ming glanced at him with his peripheral vision. Seeing him staring at the mobile
phone in a trance, he quietly leaned forward and peeked at the screen, just happening to
see the chat between the two people. The fire that hadn’t easily disappeared ignited once
again, “I have just said it clearly, and you still go on a date with Tang Dongdong??”
“I have a sense of propriety.”
“Propriety, a hammer!! Just looking at you is vexing! Go go go, don’t bother me writing my
paper.” Shang Ming was originally just saying some angry words, but who knew, Ye Zhou
really stood up with his schoolbag. “Hey hey hey, where are you going?”
“Go back.”
“You just came and now you’re going back. Are you visiting the train?” Shang Ming pulled
him to sit down. “My tone was a bit heavy just now, but you’re the one who angered me!
And my paper is due tomorrow afternoon, so it’s a bit urgent. You stay in the dorm first for
a while. I’ll try to finish it today and I’ll take you around T City tomorrow.”
“No need, I’m not angry. Just do your own stuff.” Watching Shang Ming fidget, Ye Zhou put
down his backpack and said, “I’ll lie in your bed for a while. I’m tired from sitting on the
train.”
“Go ahead and lie down!”
Ye Zhou didn’t stay at Shang Ming’s for long. Early the next morning, he left on the eight
o’clock train.
Unlike when he came, Ye Zhou had calmed down a lot, without uneasiness and
helplessness. The whole person was peaceful, staring at the scenery out of the window.
Three hours later, the train slowly entered the familiar station.
After a day of rushing around, Ye Zhou returned to the dormitory. Ye Zhou’s own potted
plant was still the only one on the flower stand by the door.
Ye Zhou placed the bag on the flower stand and opened the cage.
The white strawberry flowers were even more conspicuous amidst the green leaves.
Pulling apart the largest leaves, a small green strawberry came into view. “It…fruited.”
Ye Zhou carefully fixed the cage and brought his bag into the dorm.
“Zhou, where did you and Shang Jin go yesterday?” Liu Yutian hooked Ye Zhou’s shoulders
and smirked, “If you two want space, then tell us. We’re very understanding.”
“What nonsense. I went to T City to find my friend.”
“T City??” Liu Yutian was shocked. “Going yesterday and coming back today, what were you
planning?”
Ye Zhou casually said, “Planning my happiness.”
Liu Yutian choked and asked instead, “What about Shang Jin?”
“Maybe he went home.” Ye Zhou said uncertainly. The flowerpot wasn’t there, so it must
have been picked up by Shang Jin. Shang Jin wasn’t a person who’d take his anger out on
something else. Even if Ye Zhou refused him, he also wouldn’t throw away the gift that
others had given him.
On Sunday night, the entire finance class sat in the classroom and performed the regular
night roll-call on Sunday nights.
Ye Zhou sat in his seat early and glanced toward the door when someone came in. At seven
o’clock, Shang Jin stepped in on the bell.
Not seeing him for two days, Shang Jin didn’t look any different.
Someone greeted him and he responded politely, without any impatience towards others’
conversation. His line of sight met with Ye Zhou’s, neither dodging nor avoiding, and
directly looked in his eyes. It was Ye Zhou who looked away first.
Shang Jin sat down in front of him and said, “Strawberry, bore fruit.”
Ye Zhou forced a laugh and said, “What a coincidence, mine too.”
The class monitor stood at the podium and started speaking. Shang Jin very naturally
turned his head.
Ye Zhou stared at Shang Jin’s back and couldn’t say what it was like in his heart. If Shang Jin
had avoided him, he would have been uncomfortable. However, Shang Jin was as usual to
him and he was still uneasy.
After worrying during late roll-call about how to get along with Shang Jin after they went
back to the dorm, he didn’t expect that Shang Jin would go directly to the parking lot and
then drove off campus.
Looking at the dust from his car, Ye Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and was somewhat
disappointed at the same time.
Ye Zhou thought that Shang Jin’s departure was temporary. Unexpectedly, after a few days,
there was no sign of Shang Jin returning to the dorm.
At this time, the other two members of 405 finally realized that something was wrong.
This was the third day of Shang Jin “moving out” from the dorm. Liu Yutian hesitantly came
to Ye Zhou’s side and, seeing Ye Zhou’s face as usual, said, “Zhou, why isn’t Shang Jin living
in the dorm?”
Ye Zhou’s face darkened. “I don’t know too.”
Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu looked at one another and profoundly felt the seriousness of the
matter. Wen Renxu investigated, “Are you and Shang Jin alright?”
Ye Zhou gazed at the book and forcibly feigned calmness, “What problem can we have?”
Liu Yutian said, “Shang Jin didn’t come back at night and also took the strawberry away.
How come this seems like a couple splitting up?”
Ye Zhou paused in flipping through his book and awkwardly said, “He and I aren’t really
one family, so what family is there to split?”
Liu Yutian and Wen Renxu’s heart ba-dumped. Wasn’t this tacitly admitting that there was
a rift between the two people?
Wen Renxu immediately remembered the cold war between the two people at the end of
last year. At that time, it set off a lot of waves in school. Unfortunately, this time it hit the
end of term again…
Realizing the seriousness of the matter, Wen Renxu advised, “If there’s something, just talk
about it and it’d be fine. The more cold the war, the more you can’t resolve things.”
Ye Zhou clearly knew that this time wasn’t a cold war: the two people still occasionally
spoke a few words in the classroom. In the eyes of others, it didn’t seem different from
peaceful times. Only Ye Zhou clearly felt that Shang Jin had a thread of politeness with him,
which had never been there since they’ve gotten to know each other. These days, the two
people didn’t say anything about that night, as if they could pretend that everything was
going well like this. However, some things once changed, will remain changed.
“Just a few more days.” Shang Ming’s words were still in his ears, and Shang Jin had put the
choice in his hands. Tang Dongdong was a barrier between them, so he had to go meet Tang
Dongdong to fully understand the answer at the bottom of his heart.
Chapter 54
Ye Zhou and Shang Jin, who had been inseparable before, acted separately for less than a
week before not only the students in the financial class noticed that something was wrong,
but the students who had classes at the same time as their classes and those from the same
dormitory also felt something was wrong.
Soon, a new post titled “Black Test Week is Coming Again…” floated on the BBS.
LZ: I, the landlord, don’t want to say anything, just want to be quiet!
1L: As someone in the same dorm building as Shang Ye, they haven’t touched the Shang Ye
number for a long time…
2L: As someone on the same dorm floor as Shang Ye, Shang Jin’s strawberry was taken
away…
3L: As someone in the same dorm as Shang Ye, Shang Jin is no longer staying in the dorm…
4L: As someone from the same school as Shang Ye, eighty percent I’ll fail this end of term…
5L: Nothing to say, I’m hurrying off to cram!
However, when the students around them realized this, most of the school courses were
already over.
When Shang Jin was out of class, they were almost unable to see his shadow.
This made the people in the financial class feel a burst of sadness. Even if they wanted to
create opportunities for them, they also couldn’t create it!
In this way, everyday a group of people saw Ye Zhou and had the appearance of wanting to
say something but hesitating, making Ye Zhou vexed to the extreme. He simply got up early
at the first light, and after eating, he burrowed himself in the library and only came back to
the dormitory when the library closed.
It was the weekend again. The strawberry flowers on the windowsill continued to wither
one after another, the small, blue-green strawberries of different sizes hanging around the
flower pot. Shang Youyou counted the small fruits and licked her lips. “Big Brother, can
they be eaten?”
Shang Jin slid his finger on the cell phone screen and answered, “Not yet.”
“When can we eat it?”
“You can once it’s red.” A lot of people in the friends circle were howling that Shang Jin had
torn apart the partnership on the eve of the exam week. Once the exam week arrived, what
were they going to do.
Shang Jin scoffed and set the phone aside, watching the strawberries on the windowsill
with Shang Youyou.
“Big Brother, I want to go sleep.”
Shang Jin took Shang Youyou upstairs and sat down at Shang Youyou’s little bedside,
waiting for her to fall asleep.
Qin Fei had been in the hospital for a week and he hadn’t heard any news of her giving
birth. Shang Jin touched Shang Youyou’s hair. The little girl obviously wanted her mother,
but was too embarrassed to say it in front of him.
Shang Jin thought of taking Shang Youyou to see Qin Fei tomorrow.
However, the next day before Shang Jin called, his father called him.
“You aunt gave birth last night. In a while, bring Youyou over to see your little brother.”
Hanging up the phone, Shang Jin saw Shang Youyou carefully pushed open his door. At
home when there was only Aunt Zhang, Shang Youyou and him, Shang Jin slept with the
door just ajar, so that Shang Youyou would be able to open the door when she wanted to
find him.
Shang Jin put down the phone and said softly, “Come here.”
Shang Youyou ran to his bed on her little legs and used his legs to crawl up the bed. Shang
Jin hugged her and for a moment, didn’t know how to tell Shang Youyou.
“Big brother?”
“Youyou, we’ll go to the hospital to see the little brother, okay?”
Shang Youyou’s face that was originally excited fell down. She grabbed the quilt corner and
pulled it back and forth, not answering.
“Forget it. If you don’t want to go, then we won’t go.” Now that Qin Fei’s body was weak and
everybody’s attention was also on the younger brother, if Shang Youyou went, she’d also be
neglected. It was better not to go. Shang Jin called his dad again, and Shang Qingping didn’t
say anything. Although this was his third time being a father, he was still very excited.
Shang Jin got out of bed and carried Shang Youyou up. He changed the topic, “Let’s go see
whether the strawberry turned red or not.”
Shang Youyou encircled his neck and nodded.
At breakfast, an unexpected phone call came in.
Shang Jin looked at the place where the number came from. T City?
“Hey, classmate Shang Jin, still remember me?”
The voice was a little familiar. Contacted from T City, Shang Jin immediately guessed the
other person’s identity, “You are Shang Ming?”
“Good memory.” Shang Ming really felt tired. He didn’t know why his brain pulled out the
idea of making this phone call. “Before you had the nerve to tell me that you’d handle
everything with Ye Zhou. Handling everything, but still making him come over to my place
the next day?”
“He went to T City last Saturday?”
“It’s easy to talk to smart people; I don’t need to explain it.” Shang Ming casually turned the
page and said, “Actually, don’t look at Ye Zhou’s good grades, he has a one-track mind. Once
he firmly believes in something, life and death can’t change it. Just like originally when he
was tangled in the rankings. I told him many times, what’s the use of being entangled? So
what if it’s second? He’s still able to go to the same school and same class as the first place.
The strength is almost the same, so what’s the use of caring about what false reputation.
But he just won’t listen.”
“There’s nothing wrong with caring. At least, there’s a goal.”
“It’s only you, this eternally first place, that can make this kind of statement.” Comparing
people to each other really made him angry to death. Shang Ming didn’t continue to nag
about the rankings, and spoke his business, “Shang Jin, to be honest, you know in your
heart how Ye Zhou is towards you. You’re a smart guy, so it should be easy for you to
distinguish between genuine sincerity and false friendship. If he really has a person he
likes, I don’t believe that you, who lives with him day and night, won’t be able to sense it.”
“I know, so am I not giving him time now to let him slowly think about it?” At first, when he
heard Ye Zhou had someone else he liked, Shang Jin did have some impulse. As Shang Ming
said, if Ye Zhou really liked someone, it was impossible for him, who had lived under the
same roof with Ye Zhou for more than a year, to not find any clues.
“Then I’m sorry for messing with your leisurely mood.” Shang Ming really hated to death
Shang Jin’s inexplicable self-confidence. “Since you’re so sure, then you certainly won’t
mind Ye Zhou going on a date to the amusement park with Tang Dongdong on the 20th?”
Shang Jin had a rare choke up.
Shang Ming laughed twice and hung up.
At this moment, Ye Zhou, who was betrayed by his friend, sneezed in the library.
He looked at the date. There were more than ten days from the 20th.
Why did the amusement park have to open on the 20th? Who would go play with the final
exam! Why not at the beginning of the month!
Ye Zhou lay on the table, rubbed his eyes and couldn’t help turning the phone on. His finger
scrolled through the WeChat contacts. Shang Jin’s portrait was replaced with a strawberry
flower. Ye Zhou was a bit jealous of this pot of strawberry, mainly because Shang Jin was
too good to this strawberry. Ye Zhou originally gifted the strawberry seedling thinking that
Shang Jin would raise it casually. He didn’t expect that he would raise it so meticulously.
After classes ended at school, he hadn’t seen Shang Jin for two days.
Shang Jin didn’t contact him and he also didn’t take the initiative to contact Shang Jin.
Not that he didn’t want to, but he couldn’t.
The current him was simply not qualified to respond to Shang Jin’s unreserved love.
Ye Zhou didn’t want any feeling of impureness between him and Shang Jin, even if this
impureness was his so-called love at first sight, even if the object of his love at first sight
didn’t occupy much weight in his heart.
In his opinion, only by completely laying it down can he stand before Shang Jin without any
guilt or burden to tell Shang Jin his own heart.
But why was it so far from the 20th!!
Ye Zhou grabbed his hair and really wished he had a time travel machine, closing his eyes
and opening it, it’d immediately go to the 20th.
The final exam came when the first fruits of the strawberry grew to the size of a yuan coin.
On the first day of exam week, the Shang Ye number that had been surrounded by students
was completely deserted, even those who were passing by desperately wished they could
be farther away, fearing that if they were closer a bit, they’d be possessed by the mourning
god and catch the hardest examination papers.
After seeing Ye Zhou and Shang Jin, they constantly looked out of the corner of their eyes at
both of them, probing whether the relationship between the two people had eased.
The result, of course, was great disappointment.
After three days of continuous examination, a rest period was ushered in, and the 20th that
Ye Zhou had long hoped for was just in this rest period.
On the opening day of the amusement park, the sun shone brightly, and Ye Zhou wore his
baseball cap and sat on the bus to the amusement park with Su Yin.
Ye Zhou’s facial expression was as usual and not particularly excited. Of course, Su Yin had
heard about Ye Zhou’s quarrel with Shang Jin. On the one hand, she was itching to know the
details. On the other hand, she was afraid of raising it up and making Ye Zhou unhappy. So
they talked about Tang Dongdong’s information. “Ye Zhou, Tang Dongdong is afraid of
ghosts. I’ll propose we go to the haunted house in a while. Can you hold up?”
“Hold up what?”
“Just…you shouldn’t be afraid of this type of thing, right? If you’re both scared, and…”
Ye Zhou interrupted her and said, “I’m not afraid.”
“That’s good. And, Ye Zhou…” Su Yin suspiciously said, “Why does it feel like you’re a bit
unexcited?”
Ye Zhou pointed out, “How can that be? I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long
time.”
Su Yin obviously didn’t believe it. Ye Zhou also didn’t explain to her, turned his head and
looked quietly out the window.
At eleven o’clock, the two got off the bus. The amusement park was opened and on top of
that, it was the weekend, so the entrance was a sea of people.
Tang Dongdong wore a white cotton T-shirt and was as clean as ever. He smiled and waved
toward Su Yin. When he saw Ye Zhou next to her, his smile stagnated.
“Hello, my name is Ye Zhou. We’ve met briefly before.” Ye Zhou magnanimously let Tang
Dongdong size him up, looking straight at him until Tang Dongdong took the lead and
shifted away his line of sight.
Su Yin pulled Tang Dongdong and said, “Didn’t I say before that I was going to bring a
friend?”
Tang Dongdong looked at Ye Zhou and reluctantly said hello.
Su Yin fell a step behind Tang Dongdong, leaned toward Ye Zhou and whispered, “He’s a bit
slow to warm up and he’s a bit indifferent towards people he’s not familiar with. Once
familiar, it’s fine.”
Ye Zhou said indifferently, “It doesn’t matter.”
For the current him, whether Tang Dongdong had the appearance of his fancy was already
unimportant.
Many people lined up for the thrilling and exciting rides, while Su Yin, despite Tang
Dongdong’s protest, directly took him to the least-crowded haunted house.
“No way, no way!” Tang Dongdong’s entire body exuded refusal, but Su Yin remained
unmoved, and continue to use psychological methods to provoke him.
“A grown-up man who’s afraid of ghost, laughing to death! Do you want me, this weak
woman, to go in? Won’t your conscience sting?”
When this remark came out, the man who’d originally dithered in front of the haunted
house quietly lined up in file.
Ye Zhou pulled his mouth. Which weak woman could be so strong? He walked over and
said, “Forget it. Since he doesn’t like it, let’s not play it.”
At that instant, Tang Dongdong looked at Ye Zhou just like he was looking at Buddha.
However in the end, Tang Dongdong was unable to resist Su Yin and he was still forcefully
and unyieldingly dragged into the haunted house.
There was also another group of girls who went into the haunted house with them.
Ye Zhou somewhat lamented: now, girls were really more courageous than boys. Those
who came in were mostly women.
As the only two men in the team, Ye Zhou and Tang Dongdong were pushed to the front.
Most haunted houses had a feature: they were dark. Here it was the same. Not only was it
dark, but there was also a cool wind blowing from time to time. There was also some scary
music playing in the passage. Ye Zhou calmly brought out his phone’s light. After not even
two steps, his arm was held.
Through the mobile phone’s light, he could see the side of Tang Dongdong’s face. Ye Zhou
took back his line of sight and continue to move toward the exit light.
Suddenly, something hit his forehead. Ye Zhou touched his forehead and used his phone to
shine overhead. A bloody hand hung in the air. At this moment, the original darkness in the
passage was split by lightning, the white light suddenly illuminating the entire room.
Suddenly, it extinguished and plunged the room into darkness. This rapid flashing of light
and dark was enough for the people in the haunted house to clearly see the interior set.
There were many broken hands and feet suspended above their heads and to their side,
there was a “corpse” dressed in patient’s clothes. Following the thunderclap, a shriek broke
the silence. Like a signal, the whole haunted house echoed with an unbroken succession of
girls’ screams.
Ye Zhou wasn’t scared by the props over his head, but he jumped in fright from the girls’
screams.
Afterwards, Ye Zhou’s ears were ringing with girls’ screams the entire way. At the exit, Ye
Zhou’s head had grown big.
After coming out, everyone had the feeling of getting a new lease on life after a calamity.
Su Yin took a deep breath and said, “Cool!”
Ye Zhou curiously said, “You went into the haunted house just to scream?”
“Yeah, occasionally I want to vent.”
Tang Dongdong with a deathly pale face was still clutching Ye Zhou’s arm.
Ye Zhou looked at Su Yin and asked, “Is he okay?”
Su Yin hated iron for not becoming steel and glared at him. How could this person not know
the way like this. Such a good chance, but he unexpected didn’t show off.
“I’m going to go buy some water.” Saying this, Ye Zhou wanted to hand Tang Dongdong to
Su Yin. Su Yin sighed and said, “I’ll go buy it.”
Ye Zhou escorted Tang Dongdong to sit on a public bench. Calming down for a while, Tang
Dongdong finally relaxed. Face revealing worship, he said, “You’re actually not afraid at all!”
“Because it’s all fake.”
“I know it’s fake, but I’m still afraid.” Tang Dongdong smiled sheepishly. “Doesn’t it feel
weak?”
“No, everyone has something they fear.” Ye Zhou pointed to a little dog passing by. “You
look at that boy. He’s clearly very tall, but when the little dog passes him, he’s all tensed
up.”
Tang Dongdong blinked and smiled. “You’re the first person to tell me that.”
This smile was the same as the one on his cell phone. It carried the cuteness of a little
animal, but it was just cute.
Tang Dongdong seemed to just be afraid of the haunted house and didn’t have any
misgivings playing on the other exciting rides. Playing once through, he felt it was not
enough fun.
Tang Dongdong excitedly said, “Ye Zhou, let’s play again.”
Su Yin almost vomited after she finished the rollercoaster ride. She leaned on the back of
the bench and calmed her rapid heartbeat. “You go. I can’t stand it!”
Ye Zhou didn’t feel at ease leaving Su Yin alone and said, “Wait until she’s rested, then we’ll
go again.”
Su Yin desperately pushed him and said, “I’m alright. You guys go.”
Ye Zhou said, “What are you putting up a strong front for? We’re not in a hurry right now.”
Tang Dongdong echoed, “Yes, you just honestly stay put. I’ll go up ahead and buy something
to drink.”
After Tang Dongdong left, Su Yin patted Ye Zhou’s shoulder and said, “Not bad, his
impression of you is very good.”
Ye Zhou teased, “There’s nothing I can do. My charm is irresistible.”
This was the first day the amusement park was opened, and Ye Zhou and them spent most
of the time in line. The closing time was at 5:30, and at 4 o’clock, Su Yin looked at the Ferris
wheel and as the head of the team, proposed, “Let’s go ride the Ferris wheel and take a
break.”
“Yeah yeah.” Tang Dongdong pounded his legs and and said, “This day is really tiring
enough.”
Ye Zhou followed their line of sight and saw the giant Ferris wheel slowing turning in the
air. “I won’t ride it.”
Su Yin was astonished. “Why, this is the Ferris wheel!” In romance, the Ferris wheel
definitely played a prominent role!
“Right, so there’s no need.” Ye Zhou touched the phone in his pocket and said, “I’ll come
back next time.”
Tang Dongdong snickered. “Could it be that Ye Zhou, you already have someone you like?”
Ye Zhou smiled without denying it.
“I understand, I understand!” Tang Dongdong hauled the Su Yin who still wanted to gossip
and said, “But today is such a good chance, so why didn’t you bring her?”
“Haven’t caught yet.”
Tang Dongdong patted Ye Zhou’s shoulder and said, “Fight on, brother!”
“Thanks, I will.” At this moment, Ye Zhou finally had a weight off his mind.

Chapter 55
“Big brother, didn’t you say before that you wanted to take me to the amusement park?”
“I’ll take you next time.” Shang Jin put down the book on his leg as he sat by the window.
Shang Youyou pouted in dissatisfaction. Clearly they’d agreed a few days ago, but in the
end, the situation suddenly changed today.
A lot of ripe strawberries hung in the pot on the windowsill, brilliantly red and waiting for
people to collect.
After seeing the strawberries, Shang Youyou continued to complain. Clearly they’d agreed
before that when the strawberries turned red, they could be eaten. As a result, she’d looked
forward to it for so many days, and finally, the first strawberry ripened. But her big
brother’s words couldn’t be trusted!
Not only that, some time ago, he’d said that he would take her to the amusement park when
it opened. Breaking her fingertips, she waited to this day with great difficult, but her big
brother said they wouldn’t go.
Shang Youyou walked before Shang Jin and hmphed. Circling around the table once, when
she passed Shang Jin, she gave another hmph.
Shang Jin didn’t lift his eyelids and continued read the book in his hand.
This time, Shang Youyou’s ‘hmph’ was even louder, with both hands crossed over her chest.
Constantly sweeping Shang Jin out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Shang Jin didn’t
look at her. She flung down her hands and Shang Jin lifted them off. Shang Youyou
immediately crossed her arms and pretended to look very angry, but Shang Jin just turned
a page in the book.
Seeing Shang Youyou was really angry, both stamping her feet and snorting, Shang Jin put
down his book and beckoned at her. “Come here.”
Shang Youyou could see Shang Jin was calling her. She very stubbornly hmphed.
Shang Jin called again, “Youyou, come here.”
Shang Youyou flew toward Shang Jin and mouth still unwilling, said, “What’s the matter…”
“After two days, it’s Brother Ye Zhou’s birthday. Let’s give this to him, okay?” Shang Jin put
the book on the table, and held Shang Youyou in his lap to discuss it with her. “Because it’s
a gift, so we can’t eat it.”
Shang Youyou nodded, not really understanding. She played with Shang Jin’s finger and
asked, “Then what about the amusement park?”
“There’s too many people today, and it’s very hot, so I’ll take you there in the fall.” Shang Jin
stretched out his little finger and said, “Let’s pinky swear. This time, I didn’t consider it
properly.”
Shang Youyou stretched out her finger and reluctantly agreed.
Hearing that Ye Zhou would go out on a date with Tang Dongdong, Shang Jin did intend to
bring Shang Youyou to the amusement park. But on this day, Shang Jin stopped.
The decision to give Ye Zhou time was because he had a basic understanding of and trusted
in Ye Zhou.
If he really did go today, whether he met Ye Zhou or not, his trust in Ye Zhou would be
greatly compromised.
The amusement park closed at half past five. Su Yin and Tang Dongdong also wanted to go
to the night market that evening. Ye Zhou ignored Su Yin’s eye-cramping glances and went
straight back to school.
There was no class the next day, and Ye Zhou spent the day reviewing books in the library.
For a period of time before, because his heart couldn’t stay still, it’d almost affected his
studies.
He’d also been paying a lot less attention to the strawberries these days. Fortunately, he’d
taken care of them well early on, and coupled with the good sunshine and temperature, the
strawberries had grown to three to four centimeters in size. With each flower brushed by
Shang Jin with borrowed powder and moreover, with industrious little bees visiting, there
actually weren’t any strangely-shaped strawberries.
“Zhou, if you don’t pick this strawberry, it’ll rot.” Zhou Wendao pointed to two strawberries
that had already turned red. “Let me have a taste of your own hand-grown strawberries.”
Ye Zhou smiled insincerely and said, “Fine, one hundred for one.”
“That’s too expensive.”
“There are a lot of people outside who want to buy!”
“That would be when you and Shang Jin are okay, right now…” Zhou Wendao suddenly
covered his mouth. How could he speak his true thoughts out? Shang Jin and Ye Zhou had a
conflict. Although he didn’t know exactly what happened, but it obviously wasn’t that kind
of little fuss that happened last Christmas for Ye Zhou to actually use this kind of tone to
talk about something Shang Jin had given him.
Ye Zhou looked at the strawberry without speaking.
Zhou Wendao wailed in his heart: it’s over, it’s over. He’d really misspoken this time.
“Go review. We have a test tomorrow.”
Zhou Wendao breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly stopped after two steps. “Zhou,
tomorrow is your birthday, right?”
Ye Zhou heart thumped. “Yeah.”
“After we finish the test tomorrow, let’s go eat together! Let’s celebrate your birthday.”
“No need.” Ye Zhou’s first reaction was to refuse, remembering that the 403 dorm had
gotten together to eat at this time last year. If he made it seem special this year, he was
afraid that Zhou Wendao would get to the heart of the matter, so he explained further,
“Even if the tests tomorrow are finished, there’s still tests on the the day after tomorrow,
and reviewing is the most important. After that, we can eat at any time.”
“Isn’t it just the exams,” Zhou Wendao said unconcerned, “Besides, even if there’s the
exams, does that mean you won’t eat? Wait for me to call the brothers and comrades.
Tomorrow night…”
“Eh ー” Ye Zhou held his forehead. Zhou Wendao’s mouth was too fast.
Once Ye Zhou got up on his birthday, many people dropped by to tell him happy birthday.
However, even if many people knew Ye Zhou’s birthday, when they met Shang Jin in the
exam room, no one dared to tell Shang Jin.
One test down, Ye Zhou was surrounded by people and taken to the canteen. While the
people were off guard, Xu Yangjun extracted himself from the crowd. In the canteen, before
Ye Zhou could open his mouth, Zhou Wendao called for beer and Ye Zhou passed the menu
to them. Sitting to one side, he took out his phone and opened up WeChat to look at the
birthday greetings sent by his former friends.
After going through each one, Ye Zhou opened Shang Jin’s chat box.
It’d be a lie to say that he wasn’t disappointed in his heart, but he thought that the other
person didn’t necessarily know his birthday and dispelled it.
His fingers tapped on the phone, then he took a deep breath and pressed the Send button.
Ye Zhou: At 8pm, meet at the bamboo grove.
As for which bamboo grove, Ye Zhou believed that Shang Jin must know.
Almost immediately, Shang Jin’s reply came back.
Shang Jin: OK.
Ye Zhou heaved a long sigh of relief. These few days, Shang Jin didn’t know anything about
the decisions he’d made on his own. So for that night’s matter, Ye Zhou’s heart also wasn’t
certain that it was within his grasp.
After all, Shang Jin had taken the initiative to confess to him, but he’d shunned it like a
snake. Now that it was his turn to seek out the other, Shang Jin could have completely
ignored him if he was unhappy.
“Zhou, what are you looking at? Everyone is here, so why are you looking at your phone?”
Zhou Wendao hooked Ye Zhou’s neck. Before the dishes arrived, he opened the beer first
and poured. “Come, come, come, let’s do your birthday toast first.”
“Fine, fine, if I want to drink, then I’ll drink.” Ye Zhou’s heart was hanging on that night’s
matter, so where would he be in the mood to play with them. He took a small sip to send
Zhou Wendao away.
How would Zhou Wendao let him off so easily? He still thought to urge him again, but was
pulled away by Wen Renxu beside him. “You also know that today is Ye Zhou’s birthday,
not yours. If you want to drink on your birthday, then everyone will accompany you. Since
it’s Ye Zhou’s birthday, we should listen to him today.”
If this was as usual, Ye Zhou would be unwilling to sweep away their excitement, but today
wasn’t the same. He raised a glass of wine aloft and pompously declared, “For you guys to
do better on tomorrow exams, everyone can only drink one bottle at most today.”
When this was said, half the people at the table hung their heads in dejection.
“What are you doing? One after the other.” Xu Yangjun, who arrived late, put the cake in the
middle of the table. “Zhou, this is everyone’s regard: happy birthday!”
“Thank you.”
Since Ye Zhou kept using the next day’s exams as an excuse, the dinner ended at 7:30pm.
Ye Zhou slipped away from the group when everyone wasn’t paying attention to him. In the
wildflower field behind the gardens, he picked a bunch of wildflowers of all sizes and
variety and tied them together with a ribbon. Holding the bouquet of flowers in one hand
and holding the handlebars with the other, he hurried from the crowd toward the bamboo
grove.
When the time arrived and there was no one in the bamboo grove, Ye Zhou put the bouquet
on the stone stable and sat to one side, tapping his fingers on the table.
After waiting for five minutes, he finally heard the rustling of footsteps.
“You came.” Ye Zhou said as if they’d returned to that night, but with the roles reversed.
In the quiet bamboo grove, one could almost hear his own heartbeat. Ye Zhou thought
about whether Shang Jin that day was like he was now: apprehensive.
A person who liked to hold everything in his grasp had handed the right to choose over to
someone else for the first time. This required more courage and determination than the
average person.
Ye Zhou was the same today.
“Shang Jin, you said you lost last time…” Ye Zhou licked his lip and continued, “That’s
wrong. You didn’t lose. I didn’t win either.”
Shang Jin sat on the stone bench, his eyes fixed on Ye Zhou without showing any intention
to speak.
Ye Zhou grabbed his hair and for a moment, not knowing where to start.
“Tang Dongdong…”
When this name came out, Shang Jin knitted his brows.
Ye Zhou hurriedly said, “I’ve never liked anyone before. When I first met Tang Dongdong,
my heart beat quickly, and I thought this was love at first sight. I started looking for Su Yin
to ask for his information, and even used your photos to exchange for Tang Dongdong’s
photos… We started in a misunderstanding, and I didn’t want to explain anything.”
“And…I admit that I didn’t like you at first. You were so excellent and always suppressed
me. You could always do your best at any time and in everything, unlike me, who always
cling to some false title and seem to only be able to prove myself that way. So I despised
you and was jealous of you at the same time, jealous that you’re able to easily obtain what I
couldn’t even when I strived to my utmost.” This was the explanation for his conversation
with Su Yin that day, but looking at Shang Jin’s expression, it didn’t seem to have much
effect.
Shang Jin stood up and said, “If this is what you wanted to tell me today, then I don’t think I
need to hear this.”
Ye Zhou saw that he wanted to leave and also stood up. He couldn’t help but raise his voice.
“Yeah, I’m jealous of you, but…I like you more. If it’s you, I’m willing to be second in this life
for you. Even if you’re the mountain I can never cross. Even if…I’d always be ridiculed for
being the eternal second…”
Shang Jin was slightly moved.
Knowing Ye Zhou for so long, Shang Jin certainly knew Ye Zhou’s obsession with the first
place. Many people thought that first place was similar to second place, but for Ye Zhou,
because he’d never gotten it, his craving for first place was something that ordinary people
couldn’t comprehend. The second place had followed him like a magic curse. Now, Ye Zhou
actually uttered these kind of almost giving up words, giving up the goal he’d been striving
for and willingly accepting his fate.
“I’m ashamed to say that I thought I like Tang Dongdong, but rarely thought of him. I said I
hated you, but I’m concerned about you in everything. I’m not even clear on my own heart.
No wonder Shang Ming said I was stupid.” Ye Zhou took the flowers in his hand, but
hesitated. “Shang Jin, are you willing to give this fool a chance?”
Ye Zhou clutched the bouquet, waiting for Shang Jin’s “judgement”.
One step…
Two steps…
Shang Jin stopped in front of Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou watched him pull two flowers from his own hand and said softly, “Two are
enough.”
If the girl is really interested in him, he just needs to take two wildflowers and his
confession would be successful.
Ye Zhou suddenly remembered what he had said.
The detail he’d not understood last time became clear.
No wonder Shang Jin had picked two flowers for him.
So Shang Jin taking two of his flowers, did it mean that he was really interested in him?
Ye Zhou carefully looked at Shang Jin. Shang Jin gently knocked on Ye Zhou’s head with the
two flowers in his hand and said, “Where did you pick the flowers? Ugly to death.”
Obviously, these words were asking for a beating, but Ye Zhou heard them and suddenly
laughed out loud.

Chapter 56
Shang Jin sat down at the stone table and said, “Auntie just gave birth and Youyou’s mood
isn’t very good, so I have to go home everyday.”
Ye Zhou had a sudden realization. Before, he thought that Shang Jin had avoided him
because he’d rejected Shang Jin.
Thinking about it, it also made sense. According to Shang Jin’s personality, no matter what
happened, his first reaction would be to face the difficulty and overcome it rather than
escape it.
“So it’s like that,” Ye Zhou responded, looked at the time and said, “It’s not early now.
Youyou must be waiting for you anxiously. You should go back quickly.”
“It’s still not a rush at this moment. I have to give you something before we go back.” Shang
Jin took the lead and Ye Zhou followed behind him. They walked to the temporarily-parked
car with its half-open window by the side of the road. Shang Jin opened the passenger door
and carried out a birdcage.
Ye Zhou joked, “I said you threw it away.”
Shang Jin lifted the corners of his lips, put the cage on the front of the car and unlatched the
triangular lock. He handed the flowerpot full of strawberries to Ye Zhou and said, “Happy
Birthday.”
“You…you know.”
“I said I like you. If I didn’t even know your birthday, how does that count as liking?”
Ye Zhou faintly felt that he had been stabbed.
Sure enough, he didn’t like Tang Dongdong. Otherwise, how could he not even remember
his birthday?
Ye Zhou took the flowerpot and the sweetness of the strawberries lingered at the tip of his
nose. The light wasn’t too good, but Ye Zhou could still see that most of the strawberries
were ripe. “Thank you. Mine also grew a lot of strawberries. Some have ripened, but I
haven’t had time to taste them. I don’t know if they’re sweet or not.”
Shang Jin reached out and picked a strawberry from the flowerpot. He casually wiped it and
directly popped it into his mouth. Perhaps because the strawberry was entirely grown by
him, Shang Jin felt that it was more delicious than the strawberries he’d eaten before.
“Eh, this hasn’t been washed yet!” Shang Jin moved too fast and Ye Zhou couldn’t stop it. He
couldn’t help but remember that he’d given Shang Jin an apple that hadn’t been washed
clean, but Shang Jin had still enjoyed eating it. People truly can’t be judged by their
appearances. Obviously, he looked like a nit-picky person, but in reality, he was very laid-
back. Ye Zhou glanced sidelong at him and said, “You said this is my gift. I haven’t eaten it
yet, so how could you, the gift-giver, move your mouth first!”
“Move your mouth…” Shang Jin looked around, suddenly approached Ye Zhou and quickly
kissed him. The tip of his tongue pressed between Ye Zhou’s still-parted lips, swept around
his mouth and then released him. He smiled and asked, “Sweet or not?”
After the initial surprise, Ye Zhou quickly responded. Regardless of whether Shang Jin was
talking about the strawberry or that kiss, he pursed his lips and grinned, “It was just too
fast. I need to taste it again to know if it’s sweet or not.” Saying this, he placed the flower
pot on the hood of the car, grabbed Shang Jin’s collar and kissed him.
After a good tasting, the two people didn’t reach a conclusion on the sweetness. Ye Zhou’s
forehead rested on Shang Jin’s shoulder, catching his breath. After a while, he finally
realized that the two people were outside. He let go of Shang Jin and said, “Someone might
come over.”
“Not at all.” When Shang Jin parked, he’d deliberately chosen a relatively remote location to
park. The road was empty at this time and the only animal was a moth under the dim street
lamp.
“It’s getting late. You should go back soon.” Ye Zhou put the pot back in the cage. “I have to
go back to the dorm too. I’ve already been out for a while.”
Just finished, Shang Jin’s phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and seeing it was from
home, it seemed that the time really can’t be dragged out.
He sat in the driver’s seat and pressed down the window. Ye Zhou held the cage and said,
“See you tomorrow.”
“Ye Zhou.” Shang Jin suddenly called his name.
“Yeah?”
“You’re not the eternal second.” Shang Jin pointed to his own heart and said, “Here, you will
always be the first.”
Ye Zhou blanked, and his nose was somewhat sour. Shang Jin really…always knew what he
wanted to hear the most.
He concealed it and said, “Quickly go! So many words!”
Shang Jin didn’t look at Ye Zhou this time and directly drove away.
Ye Zhou held the plant in the cage and sat on the stone steps beside him. His chin leaned on
the cage and he giggled.
What should he do? He had some regrets: why did he have to confess today! He definitely
wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight, so where would he have mind for tomorrow’s exam!
Calming down his excitement, Ye Zhou brought the strawberry back to the dorm.
“Zhou, you just went…” Liu Yutian said halfway when he saw a familiar cage in Ye Zhou’s
hand. Instinctively, he looked at the flower stand where Ye Zhou’s pot was resting. Then the
one in Ye Zhou’s hand was…
Ye Zhou simply explained, “I just met Shang Jin. He gave it.”
Liu Yutian’s face changed. He pulled Ye Zhou into the dorm and closed the door. “Zhou, tell
me the truth: what happened between you guys?”
This kind of thing wasn’t easy to say. Ye Zhou simply said the result, “We’re quite fine.”
“Who are you deceiving! If it’s fine, how did he give the strawberry to you!” Liu Yutian
worried, “This is the gift you gave him. He gave it to you, what does that mean?”
“What does it mean?” Ye Zhou was unclear. Although this pot of strawberry was gifted by
Ye Zhou, and Shang Jin re-gifting it sounded very stingy, but he’d gifted a seedling, while
Shang Jin returned the fruit that he’d carefully cultivated. For Ye Zhou, no matter how
expensive the gift was, it couldn’t compare to the other’s sincerity. The intention in the gift
was important, not the price.
“This is the same as breaking all ties!”
Breaking all ties…
Ye Zhou said with a face filled with black lines, “We’re really alright. Stop making wild
guesses. Tomorrow’s the exam. I’m going to shower and sleep.” His mood today was quite
good, but he didn’t want to listen to them babble nonsense by his ear.
Originally thinking that he couldn’t sleep that night, but maybe because he’d solve the thing
that had been hanging in his heart, he slept more soundly than usual.
In the morning of the exam, Ye Zhou got up and saw that Shang Jin had sent him a message.
It said that his newborn little brother would be coming back from the hospital today, and
he’d have to go home after the exam. He guessed that they wouldn’t be able to exchange
two words.
Although he had a bit of regret, Ye Zhou didn’t say anything. After all, there was a long time
later.
He got up early to review the textbook again. Before going to the exam room, he saw the
Shang Ye number that he hadn’t touched for more than half a month. There was a layer of
dust on the surface and the windows were blurred.
Maybe because the relationship had changed between the two, when Ye Zhou saw the
Shang Ye number, he actually felt a strange kind of sweetness.
“Tsk tsk tsk…” Ye Zhou circled around the body and stopped behind the car. He stretched
out his finger and drew a circle around the ‘Shang’ character. Shang Jin’s word and the
person were the same: confident and casual. “I never thought we had such foresight.”
It now appeared that this car could really be regarded as their “token of love”. Only their
feeling at that time was of friendship, and now, it’d developed into love.
When Liu Yutian went downstairs, he saw Ye Zhou staring with “great bitterness and deep
hatred” at the two characters “Shang Ye”. Zhou Wendao was about to say hello when Liu
Yutian grabbed his collar and dragged him into the dormitory building.
“What are you doing?” Zhou Wendao flung off Liu Yutian’s hand, “If you have words, just
say it and lay off the hands.”
Liu Yutian whispered, “I suspect Zhou will smash the car.”
Zhou Wendao turned pale with fright. “Smash…smash what???”
“Didn’t I tell you yesterday that Shang Jin returned Ye Zhou’s gift to him? It looks like he
wants to break off all ties.”
“So serious?”
“I’m in the same dorm as them, so how can I not be clear on what’s their situation?” Liu
Yutian stuck his head out of the dorm doorway. Ye Zhou had left. He waved to Zhou
Wendao and said, “Let’s go to the car and see.”
The two people made several laps around the Shang Ye number and found nothing unusual.
Zhou Wendao doubtfully said, “Are you overthinking it?”
“Wait until the exams are finished, you’ll see.”
Ye Zhou knew nothing about their discussion behind him. He came to the exam room as
soon as he finished eating. Today, Shang Jin would leave when he finished the exam and he
also didn’t know if he could say a word or two if he came earlier.
However, it wasn’t until the beginning of the exam that Shang Jin arrived late, just taking
his seat before the proctor came over. It truly meant that they didn’t even say a word.
Ye Zhou seriously doubted whether he’d made up a dream last night.
The exam took one and a half hours. If one answered fast, then they could leave early. Ye
Zhou was still checking his answers when he saw Shang Jin was the first to hand in the
paper.
Ye Zhou looked at him worriedly. It was reasonable to say that even if the newborn brother
was just brought home, he didn’t need to be so anxious. It seemed that today there really
was no way to speak a word.
Ye Zhou checked the paper twice and confirmed that there was no problem. He also
submitted the paper in advance. Figuring it was still early, he thought it’d be good to clean
up the Shang Ye number now.
The school building at exam time was unusually quiet. Ye Zhou walked softly out of the
school building and went by the grove next to the parking shed. Suddenly, he was pulled
inside.
“Who ー” just uttered a sound, he heard a familiar chuckle. Ye Zhou turned around to see
Shang Jin who had left 15 minutes ago.
Not waiting for Ye Zhou to ask, Shang Jin preempted him. “Why are you so slow?”
“We must check everything before handing it in.” In broad daylight, in the grove next to the
only path from the school building, Ye Zhou was nervous with a tinge of excitement. “Did
you specifically wait for me?”
Shang Jin repudiated, “If I knew you were so slow, I wouldn’t have wait for you.”
Ye Zhou curled his lips. “Who are you waiting for?”
Shang Jin used his thumb to caress Ye Zhou’s lower lip. “Are you free tomorrow?”
“Why?”
Shang Jin moved away his gaze and said, “I heard that an amusement park just opened. I
bought tickets.”
Ye Zhou’s eyebrows rose and a hint of awkwardness flashed across Shang Jin’s expression.
He deliberately said, “There’s an exam in two days. How can I go out and play with the
exams going on?”
“Is that so? Then I’ll take Youyou.”
Ye Zhou teased, “Youyou doesn’t need a ticket. Since you bought two and I don’t want it to
go to waste, I’ll reluctantly go with you.”
Shang Jin smiled. “No need. I remember that the ticket is refundable. It’s not a bother to
return one.”
“Hey!”
Shang Jin took a quick kiss on his lips. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow.” When Ye Zhou still
hadn’t returned to his senses, he quickly withdrew. “I’m going first.”
These two “surprise attacks” made Ye Zhou deeply aware that there was a large generation
gap between the two of them.
Shang Jin was indeed a person who wasn’t afraid of gossip. He didn’t know how to restrain
his behavior in public!
Although it was undeniable that the process was very exciting, but could the next time not
be in a private environment?
The test bell rang, and Ye Zhou rode back to the dormitory. On the way, he took a bucket,
cleaning rags, and a feather duster from the dormitory.
Ye Zhou put on a mask and raised the feather duster to get rid of the dust on top of the car.
Suddenly, he was pulled back from both sides. One man held his waist and one man seized
his feather duster.
Ye Zhou: “???”
Chapter 57
“Zhou, if there’s something to say, just say it!” Zhou Wendao put the feather duster behind
him, and Liu Yutian let go of Ye Zhou and quickly pushed the pedicab away.
“What are you doing? Hey hey, where are you pushing it!” Ye Zhou wanted to stop Liu
Yutian, but was stopped by Zhou Wendao.
The two people were tangled up. Zhan Xing was passing through with a popsicle and
curiously asked, “What are you doing?”
“Zhou wants to smash the car!” Zhou Wendao showed him the ‘evidence’. “See!”
Zhan Xing heard this and his face changed. He pulled the feather duster over and smashed
it over his knees. The feather duster was instantly broken in half. Zhan Xing tossed the
‘corpse’ of the feather duster into the trash can. After throwing it away, he earnestly said,
“Zhou, calm down. People always make wrong decisions when they’re impulsive!”
“My…” Ye Zhou stared blankly at the duster he’d just bought that hadn’t even been used
once and was now buried in the trash can. His heartache was to the extreme. He took a
deep breath and said, “I’m really fine with Shang Jin. I was just going to wash the car. Don’t
you see the bucket next to me?”
“Who uses a feather duster to wash a car,” Zhou Wendao said with a ‘seeing through
everything’ expression, “Well, it’s almost summer vacation anyway. At that time, the two of
you will be separate for a while. After you calm down, you can communicate properly with
a level mind.”
Zhan Xing echoed, “If it’s really not enough, I can change dorms back with you.”
What? Change dorms???
They’re good, they didn’t need to change dorms now!
“No need, no need.” Ye Zhou said weakly, “Why do you never trust me? Is my credibility
that low? I really reconciled with Shang Jin.”
Liu Yutian pushed the car into the gap between two cars, ensuring that Ye Zhou couldn’t
easily hit the car. Coming back, he heard this sentence and said without much confidence,
“Then why doesn’t Shang Jin come back?”
“Because…” Ye Zhou stopped for a moment. Shang Jin’s family was a special, reorganized
family after all. Ye Zhou didn’t want to publicly announce Shang Jin’s family situation and
also couldn’t find a good excuse at the moment. “Because…”
Liu Yutian said with a look of ‘see, I knew you were lying’ and said, “Fine, don’t be angry. I’ll
invite you to eat ice cream to get rid of your anger.”
Zhan Xing said, “Yeah, you don’t need to worry about the car. I’ll help wipe it for you.”
Ye Zhou sighed as his shoulder was held by Liu Yutian who pushed him to the canteen near
the dorm.
When they came back, he saw that Zhan Xing and Zhou Wendao were working together to
help him clean the car.
Forget it. In the end, as long as the car was clean, the process didn’t matter.
Ye Zhou hatefully took a bite of ice cream to comfort himself.
At noon, Ye Zhou was lying in bed and sent a message to Shang Jin.
Ye Zhou: I was going to wash the car today. They thought I was still angry with you and
that I was trying to smash the car, so they broke my newly-bought feather duster.
Shang Jin: Feather duster can’t break a car.
Ye Zhou: Right? A little bit of intelligence can see it!
Shang Jin: So you should forgive them.
Ye Zhou pulled his mouth. Shang Jin’s mouth was too poisonous. Wasn’t this saying that
they had no IQ?
Ye Zhou: How’s your family’s little princess?
Shang Jin soon sent a picture.
In the picture, he could see Shang Youyou with messy hair sitting in melancholy on the sofa
corner. Zooming in on the picture, he could see tears hanging from Shang Youyou’s eyes,
looking very pitiful.
Ye Zhou: You didn’t coax her??
Shang Jin: Coaxed, but it’s useless. She really dislikes her new brother and doesn’t even
want to see him.
Ye Zhou: I think Youyou isn’t the type who can’t accept a stranger, and besides, your little
brother isn’t a stranger. When she came to the school, she wasn’t the least bit afraid.
Shang Jin: I’ll talk to her later.
Shang Jin put down his phone. Today, Shang Youyou heard that Qin Fei was going to bring
her brother back and she didn’t even go to kindergarten. Because he was delayed for a good
while in the morning, he barely entered the exam room on time. When he returned home
after the exam, Qin Fei held the little guy in her arms while Shang Youyou shrank in the
corner of the sofa, far from them. After seeing Shang Jin return back, it was like she’d found
her relatives, and she threw herself into his arms.
Although Shang Youyou ignored Qin Fei, but as long as she was close with someone in the
family, there was no need to worry too much. Unfortunately, this harmonious situation
lasted until Shang Jin finished his meal and went to the crib to see the little one.
Shang Jin’s little brother was named Shang Wenyue, but since he was still young, everyone
called him Little Ji.
The child’s features hadn’t spread out and Shang Jin couldn’t see who his brows and eyes
looked like. However, his eyes were quite big, filled with the black pupils, limpid and bright.
The baby fat on his face made Shang Jin couldn’t help but poke it.
It was this moment that was seen by Shang Youyou. Then she felt that her only ally had
been hooked away by new brother and her entire world collapsed. She resisted crying,
sniffed her nose and hid alone in the corner of the sofa.
No matter how much Shang Jin coaxed afterwards, there was little effect.
Originally, Shang Jin wanted to go to the amusement park with Shang Youyou the next day,
but when he woke up in the morning, Shang Youyou dressed and let Aunt Zhang comb her
hair. Obediently standing in the doorway, she said she wanted to go to school.
Shang Jin held Shang Youyou up and said, “Big brother will take you to the amusement park
today, okay?”
Shang Youyou shook her head and struggled down. “I want to go to kindergarten. I miss my
friends.”
Shang Jin had no choice but to send Shang Youyou to school first. After that, he went
around to university and sent a message to Ye Zhou.
On Ye Zhou’s side, he picked all the ripe strawberries in the two pots early in the morning,
washed them and put them in a lunch box. Then, he took out two sticker sheets from the
drawer. He’d bought the princess stickers and strawberry stickers from the back street of
the school yesterday. He peeled off a princess sticker and stuck it on the lunchbox, placing a
few strawberry stickers next to the princess. He hoped that when Shang Youyou saw them,
she’d be a little happy.
In the end, there was only a child seat in the backseat of Shang Jin’s car, but he didn’t see
Shang Youyou. “What about Youyou? Didn’t you say yesterday that you would bring her
with you?”
Shang Jin helplessly said, “Yesterday, I touched Little Ji and she wasn’t happy.”
“Heheh,” Ye Zhou pulled out his phone and quickly clicked at Shang Jin. “I didn’t expect that
you’d actually have such a look. It seems like you’re also not omnipotent.”
“I’ve said before that I’m not god. A human can’t be omnipotent.”
Ye Zhou proudly said, “You didn’t bring Youyou with you today. If you’d brought her, I
promise I’d be able to coax her in a few minutes.”
“Really?” Shang Jin cast him a sidelong glance and said, “Not a problem. When we go back,
you’d get a chance.”
Ye Zhou didn’t understand.
“I’m taking her out to dinner tonight.” Shang Jin rapped on the steering wheel and said,
“You can ‘properly’ enlighten her.”
Ye Zhou coughed and said, “Who’s afraid of who.”
Today was Wednesday and there were fewer people in the amusement park than on the
grand opening but not by much.
After all, he’d come here to play just a few days ago, so Ye Zhou was familiar with this place.
He took the park guide and walked while thinking of what attraction they should play first.
Passing by the haunted house, Ye Zhou halted. He glanced at Shang Jin and his heart itched.
“Why don’t we go to the haunted house?”
Having lived with Shang Jin for so long, Ye Zhou still didn’t really know what Shang Jin’s
attitude toward the supernatural was. Of course, it’d be best if Shang Jin could be as scared
of ghosts as Tang Dongdong was. He could demonstrate his heroic spirit and also have a
good laugh. Ye Zhou stared at Shang Jin’s expression to not miss a trace of change.
Shang Jin did not lift his head and directly refused.
Ye Zhou was very happy in his heart and tried to persuade him at all costs. “Let’s go. It’s
okay, if you’re scared, I can lend you my stalwart chest!”
Looking at Ye Zhou’s secretly delighted expression, Shang Jin said, “No, I just think that it’s
unsuitable to go to the haunted house as the first event.”
“Coming here, isn’t it playing whatever you want to play? There’s still an order?”
“After we’ve gone to the other attractions, it’ll be hot. At that time, we can go the haunted
house. It’d certainly be the most suitable to use its air conditioning then.”
Ye Zhou opened his mouth, but what Shang Jin said was so reasonable that he could not
refute.
“Come on, let’s ride the rollercoaster first.” Shang Jin closed the guide and pulled Ye Zhou to
line up.
“On the opening day, Tang Dongdong, Su Yin and I came here once.” Ye Zhou suddenly
wanted to tell Shang Jin about this matter, but because his heart was level, he didn’t feel the
least bit guilty saying it.
Shang Jin casually asked, “What, did you see him and found that he didn’t look like what
you thought and were disappointed?”
“That’s not it. He was the same as I’d imagined.” He’d played with all his heart that day, but
when he was going through these attractions, he always thought that it’d be good if Shang
Jin was also there with him. He hadn’t even thought for a week and he’d realized it.
Obviously, the interval was so short, but Ye Zhou felt like it was very, very long. “But I really
don’t have any feelings for him, so it was almost like hanging out with Zhou Wendao and
them.”
Hearing Tang Dongdong’s name all along, Shang Jin became curious about the other person.
“Do you have a picture of him? Let me see.”
“Yes.” Ye Zhou finished responding and carefully looked at Shang Jin. He explained, “This
one I forgot to delete from before.”
“I’m not such a petty person.” Shang Jin drew closer to Ye Zhou, rested his chin on Ye Zhou’s
shoulder and looked at the phone with him.
Most of Ye Zhou’s photos were of scenery and there weren’t too many people. It took
awhile to pull up Tang Dongdong’s photo.
“Here.”
Shang Jin took the cell phone and looked left and right, but didn’t see anything special.
Shang Jin couldn’t help but ask, “I’ll be presumptuous and ask you a question: what do you
like about him?”
How was Shang Jin able to seriously discuss the person he’d liked before?? Looking at
Shang Jin, he was really asking a simple question and wasn’t being jealous.
Ye Zhou also wasn’t clear what he liked about Tang Dongdong. Since Shang Jin asked, Ye
Zhou earnestly replied with his first feeling, “I think I might be a face-con…” 1 Saying this, he
felt ashamed. Ye Zhou had always believed that those who only look at appearances were
shallow. He didn’t expect that he’d become a member of the face-con army. However,
towards Shang Jin, he knew in his heart that he was attracted to the person Shang Jin, and it
had nothing to do with his looks.
Shang Jin said incredulously, “Face-con??”
Ye Zhou said in embarrassment, “Yes, can you stop emphasizing it?”
“No, I just think you have the wrong perception of a face-con.” Shang Jin put Tang
Dongdong’s photo next to his cheek, pointed at the photo and pointed at himself, and said,
“I’m not trying to insult Tang Dongdong, but you say you’re a face-con: your conscience
really doesn’t hurt?”
Ye Zhou looked at Shang Jin and looked at Tang Dongdong’s photo again. For a moment, he
didn’t know how to respond.
1. Face-con: (颜控) Face complex, people who love based on appearances ↩

Chapter 58
After this, Shang Jin’s interest flagged, and even rode the rollercoaster without expression.
“What happened to you?”
Shang Jin shook his head and couldn’t say whether he was frustrated or happy. If you said
that he lost in character to someone else, then fine, but to lose in appearance, how could he
be reconciled. But in turn, this also meant that Ye Zhou was attracted to his character.
Ye Zhou took out the lunch box from his bag and said, “I picked the strawberries in the two
pots and washed them this morning. Eat them?”
Shang Jin looked at the lunch box and suddenly released his tension. “Your aesthetic is
really unique.”
A blonde princess was affixed to the transparent lid and strawberry stickers framed her.
This style didn’t match with a grown man.
“You’re so annoying!” Ye Zhou shoved the box into his hands and explained, “I thought
Youyou would come so I specially bought these stickers.”
Speaking of Youyou, Shang Jin was a little worried. He walked over to a bench and sat
down, saying, “We’ll pick up Youyou early in the afternoon.” Usually her little mouth
couldn’t stop talking, but she was very quiet in the car today. Sometimes, this kind of quiet
child was more worrisome than a noisy one.
“Sure, anyways, playing here and there, it’s all similar.” Ye Zhou leaned back in the chair
and the sunlight pricked through his closed eyes. He just wanted to sit on the Ferris wheel
today that he didn’t ride last time.
Shang Jin had little interest in these places. He’d proposed it because Ye Zhou and Tang
Dongdong had come during the grand opening. If he didn’t come with Ye Zhou once, he’d
always have an indescribable feeling of not being able to compare.
After eating half the box of strawberries, Ye Zhou was being lulled to sleep from basking in
the sun. He yawned and pushed Shang Jin. “Let’s go to the haunted house and cool down.”
There weren’t many people in the haunted house at noon, with only seven people in this
round, including Ye Zhou and Shang Jin. The majority of them were boys with only two
girls.
One of the younger sisters hid behind her boyfriend. The boyfriend clasped the girl’s hand
and said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
Ye Zhou looked at Shang Jin and somewhat regretted that Shang Jin wasn’t afraid.
Shang Jin misunderstood his ‘craving’ look and said, “They’re all fake. Don’t tell me you’re
afraid of these?”
Ye Zhou immediately black-lined. He glared at Shang Jin and said, “I think you should really
be alone for a lifetime.” This was also because Ye Zhou wasn’t afraid of these things. If it
were a girl and her boyfriend had said such a thing in an exaggerated sarcastic tone before
she entered the haunted house, she’d definitely leave him behind over summer vacation.
Shang Jin shrugged his shoulders and said, “Then I’m really sorry. The goods have been
sold and can’t be returned.”
“Can’t you say a comforting word or two like I did before?”
“You’re not so weak. What would I comfort you on?” Entering the haunting house, they
were surrounded by darkness. Shang Jin pulled Ye Zhou’s hand and said, “Let’s go.”
Ye Zhou passively let Shang Jin pull him forward. He didn’t know why, but hearing Shang
Jin’s remark, he actually felt happier than if he’d heard comforting words.
Could this be the so-called ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’?
“What can you see in this darkness?” This was the first time Shang Jin came into a haunted
house. He’d thought that he’d see a lot of skeleton props or monster corpses, but he didn’t
expect that after entering, there was only darkness and more darkness. “This music is too
bad.”
“Are you taking it as seeing a movie? Still want Dolby surround sound.” Ye Zhou moved his
hands and replaced it with a ten-finger clasp. Shang Jin scratched his palm with his thumb,
and Ye Zhou felt like a feather directly scratched his heart, his entire body feeling itchy, but
he didn’t know where it itched. “Don’t move around.”
Shang Jin chuckled and pulled him forward, finally coming to a place with a little light.
The gloomy music was replaced by thunder. Ye Zhou was familiar with the scene here and
he prompted, “Lower your head, be carefully of bumping it.”
“What?” Shang Jin just asked, only to hear a scream coming from the front.
The originally orderly team fell into chaos. The young couple at the front desperately
bolted forward. The team at the back began to scramble and the screams spread. In less
than a minute, only Ye Zhou and Shang Jin were left standing together.
With a flash of light, Shang Jin looked at the limb prop shaking over his head. He reached
out and blocked it for a moment, then held it and said, “What does this do?”
Ye Zhou hit him with his free hand and said, “Let go of it. Who knows what’s the quality of
this prop. What if you broke it?”
” It’s pretty bad if it breaks from a light touch.”
After the ‘bloody’ operation room was a dark corridor.
This time, there was no music in the corridor, and they could only hear the quiet sound of
the two people’s footsteps.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps increased by one, and Ye Zhou seemed to feel a tug on his
clothes. He was now holding hands with Shang Jin, and Shang Jin was holding his mobile
phone in the other hand. The extra hand was definitely not Shang Jin’s.
He stopped and dragged Shang Jin to a standstill. Turning his head, he said puzzled, “What’s
wrong?”
“Just now, someone pulled my clothes.” Ye Zhou glanced backwards and couldn’t see
anything at all in the pitch-black hallway.
Shang Jin flashed the light from his phone, but found no trace of anyone. He certainly didn’t
doubt that Ye Zhou had an illusion, but pushed Ye Zhou in front of him and said, “You go in
front.”
The two people just started walking when the extra footsteps appeared again, as if
specifically wanting them to discover it without any intention of hiding.
Shang Jin swept the back with his peripheral vision and suddenly pulled Ye Zhou into his
arms, kissing Ye Zhou’s lips before he had a chance to respond.
Ye Zhou was stupefied, finally reacted and began to struggle. “What are you doing?”
Shang Jin conveniently let go of him and very calmly said, “Let’s go.” As if the man who’d
just ‘ambushed’ him wasn’t him.
Ye Zhou exhorted, “Can we not do this in public next time? In case someone sees.”
After such an interruption, Ye Zhou also forgot about the footsteps behind, but oddly
enough, the footsteps really disappeared after that kiss.
After the two walked out of the haunted house, a traumatized voice suddenly came from
the dark, “Scared me to death. Gays are worthy of being gays, not going the usual way and
still flirting in a haunted house.”
Another voice ridiculed, “You dressed up as a ghost but didn’t scare anyone, but were
scared by others. Aren’t you disgraceful?”
The two people simply ate and began to line up under the Ferris wheel.
Shang Youyou’s school let out at four, and the two people planned to arrive at the school at
3:30.
Next to the Ferris wheel was the carousel where many children flocked and a person
dressed up in a costume was selling balloons beside it.
Shang Jin said, “I’m going to go buy a balloon and give it Youyou.”
“Go ahead.” Shang Jin just took two steps when Ye Zhou reminded him, “Buy a cute one.”
Five minutes later, Shang Jin held a pink kitty balloon and said to Ye Zhou, “Tie it to my
hand.”
“Forget it. It’s better to tie it to my hand. You have to drive in a while, so it’s better if I take
it now.”
In line for half an hour, it was finally their turn.
Maybe it was because they’d basked in the sun all day so they were a bit exhausted. When
they came into Ferris wheel, they were solely engrossed in the blowing air conditioner, and
there wasn’t a bit of romantic sweet atmosphere at all.
“It’s not even July yet. Why is it so hot?” Ye Zhou drew a napkin from his backpack and
handed one to Shang Jin. He also wiped the sweat off his face. Wiping his hands with a wet
wipe, he took out the rest of the strawberries. “Let’s take care of these strawberries. If we
leave them any longer, they’d spoiled. These were hand-grown by us and can’t be wasted.”
At the highest point, Ye Zhou suddenly remembered that the people in the dorm hadn’t
resolved their misunderstanding. He took out his mobile phone and turned on the selfie
mode. He took a picture of Shang Jin holding a strawberry and half of his face. Then, he
directly sent it to his circle of friends with the location at the amusement park.
Ye Zhou: Amusement Park Tour [photo]
Ye Zhou who seldom sent out friend posts, once he sent it out, the likes and comments
came in like waves, one after the other.
Zhou Wendao: Fuck!!
Chen Shao: !!!
Xu Yangjun: Reconciled??
Wen Renxu: Hidden deep enough!
Zhan Xing: Shit, shit, we’ve moved half your stuff!! Quickly switch it back!
Ye Zhou pulled his mouth. These people wouldn’t have changed the dorms again while he
was away, right!
Ye Zhou replied to Zhan Xing: Change it back for me!!
Liu Yutian: Changing it right now!
Classmate A: So the Shang Ye number can be used??
Schoolmate B: Thank heavens!
Schoolmate C: Great! Tomorrow I’ll go pray. This time’s exams are like death!
After a large expanse of comments, he saw the last one.
Su Yin: Male God? Ferris wheel? Ye Zhou, you wait for me!
Ye Zhou’s heart thumped. He’d actually forgotten about Su Yin. It seemed that he’d have to
explain to her next time that he had no feelings for Tang Dongdong, but that he’d been
unable to hold his position and was successfully drawn in by Shang Jin.
Shang Jin finished eating the strawberries and put the box back in his backpack. He looked
up and saw Ye Zhou looking down at his phone. He coughed and Ye Zhou didn’t respond.
Shang Jin simply sat down next to Ye Zhou. “What are you looking at?”
Ye Zhou smiled. “They didn’t believe that we were already fine yesterday. I just made a
friend post today.”
Shang Jin opened his circle of friends and gave Ye Zhou’s post a Like.
Shang Jin, who never praised others, just gave a thumbs-up. After seeing the two friends
collaborating, it improved the credibility of Ye Zhou’s photo.
At this point, A Uni’s black exam week that lasted nearly half a month had finally
announced its end!
At the same time, the roommates in 403, 404, and 405 also put down their hanging hearts.
Ye Zhou looked at Shang Jin and wondered if, after they returned back today, he should let
the dormmates know the truth about his relationship with Shang Jin. After all, they were
friends and they had to stay together for two years. Ye Zhou didn’t think to deceive them,
and also was unwilling to deceive them.

Chapter 59
After the half-hour rest in the Ferris wheel, Ye Zhou felt that he had finally come back to
life.
“Let’s go pick up your family’s little princess.” Ye Zhou looked around and couldn’t find a
gift for Shang Youyou. “Before picking her up, let’s go to the mall first and buy some
presents for her.”
“There’s no need to go through all this trouble. There’s not enough room at home for all the
toys.” The car was parked in the open parking lot, and a blast of hot air came out when the
door opened. Shang Jin stood outside and waited for the heat to dissipate a bit. Turning on
the air conditioner, he waited for the temperature to fall before letting Ye Zhou come in.
When the balloon was in the sky, it didn’t seem big, but it took up a bit of space in the car.
Ye Zhou held a doll in his arm and after the window closed, Ye Zhou directly placed the
balloon in the back. Ye Zhou pulled the seatbelt and said, “You don’t understand this.
Youyou’s still small and she’s also a girl. For a girl, no matter how many gifts, it’s never
enough. But I also don’t know much about presents for little girls. What does she like?
Dolls, Barbie, Lego?”
“I feel like we have all of them at home.” Shang Jin drove out of the parking lot and went to
the nearest road, taking it to the city’s largest shopping mall. “Let’s go and see.”
As a boy, he didn’t know much about little girl’s toys.
Ye Zhou felt that all the Barbie dolls looked similar, just like the princess sticker he’d
bought before. He looked at what the little girl next to him bought and he bought the same
one. He’d also heard the store clerk recommend this princess doll.
On the other side, Shang Jin chose a Lego castle set.
Ye Zhou looked at the age 6-12 on the box and pulled his mouth. “Are you sure Youyou can
play this?”
Shang Jin pointed to the characters on the box and said, “Look, there’s two princesses on it.
She’ll certainly like it.”
“Don’t forget that Youyou isn’t even four years old yet.”
Shang Jin objected, “It doesn’t matter. At worst, I can help her put it together.”
“Why don’t you just admit that you want to play it yourself?”
Shang Jin pretended to not hear anything and went to the cash register.
When they arrived at the kindergarten, it was already half past three. At this time, there
were already a lot of parents standing at the kindergarten door. When Shang Jin and Ye
Zhou stopped towards the middle with a balloon tied to Ye Zhou’s hand, they suddenly
attracted many people’s attention.
The longer he stayed with Shang Jin, the more Ye Zhou became accustomed to the gazes
around him. He could now yawn and lean directly on Shang Jin’s shoulder to close his eyes
and rest.
The two people idly chatted.
After the school bell rang, Ye Zhou and Shang Jin stood up together. The children continued
to come out of the classroom one after another. Ye Zhou opened his eyes and looked
around until there was no one left at the end. Then, Shang Youyou slowly walked out
carrying a small schoolbag.
“Youyou.” Shang Jin walked over in a few steps and tried to hold her up, but Shang Youyou
avoided him and walked slowly in front of him.
Shang Youyou’s head hung down. She knew her brother was behind her and wasn’t
worried about getting lost. She was just so angry that she didn’t want to care about anyone.
Suddenly, a kitty balloon appeared in front of her. “Why is this little princess not happy?”
Shang Youyou stared at the kitty balloon and said, “It’s clearly pink. Why is it a man’s
voice?”
Ye Zhou snickered and lifted the balloon away. He crouched down to the same level as
Shang Youyou and said, “Still remember me?”
“Brother Zhou Zhou…”
“The balloon’s for you.” Ye Zhou tied the balloon loosely around Shang Youyou’s wrist and
leaned in next to her ear. “Your brother specially bought it for you.”
Shang Youyou lifted her head and admired the balloon. She took a few small steps to Shang
Jin’s side and took Shang Jin’s hand.
“Didn’t I say, your family’s little princess could be coaxed.” Ye Zhou walked to Shang
Youyou’s other side and held her hand, saying, “Come, little princess, swing.”
Ye Zhou and Shang Jin raised Shang Youyou up and Shang Youyou finally laughed.
In the car, Shang Youyou sat in the child seat and saw the Lego toy on the left and the
princess doll on the right. Picking up the doll’s box, she asked tentatively, “Is this for me?”
Shang Jin looked at Shang Youyou in the rearview mirror and said, “It’s Brother Ye Zhou’s
gift for you. Do you like it?”
“Thank you, Brother Zhou Zhou.” Shang Youyou’s gaze swept the Lego box and said, “Then
this, is Brother Zhou Zhou giving it to little brother?”
“This is what your big brother bought for you.” At the red light, Ye Zhou directly turned
around. “We specially picked them for little princess Youyou.”
Shang Youyou laboriously wanted to hold both boxes in her arms, but her arms were too
short and both boxes were large. There was also a balloon joining in, and as a result, she
was barely able to cling to one. However, because none of these two gifts were for her little
brother, it made her very happy. She couldn’t look enough, and she began to chatter
nonstop. “Brother Zhou Zhou, how did you know that I like Princess Elsa? Big brother, this
castle is where Princess Elsa and Princess Anna lives. I really like it.”
“As long as baby likes it.” Ye Zhou had a general sense that Shang Youyou wasn’t a person
with a strong desire to monopolize. The things she likes, she was also happy to share them
with others. But now, she was afraid they wouldn’t forget her new brother when giving her
gifts. He feared that she still lacked a sense of security and was afraid that their love would
have to be divided.
It was still early, so the two took Shang Youyou to play in an indoor toddler playground.
The two people sat to one side while Shang Youyou took off her shoes and went to
children’s playground, climbing up and down on the slide with the other children.
After playing for more than an hour, the early morning gloom had completely disappeared
from Shang Youyou’s face.
They took Shang Youyou to a kitty-themed children’s restaurant in the evening, and most of
them were girls. This was the first time Ye Zhou and Shang Jin had come here. If they hadn’t
brought Shang Youyou, they’d certainly be out of place in the restaurant.
Looking around, she saw that it was all covered in pink, with kitty patterns and kitty dolls
everywhere. Shang Youyou was delighted and had to take a photo in front of the giant kitty
model.
Shang Youyou looked at the child at the next table eating ice cream with a small spoon and
tugged Shang Jin’s clothes. “Big brother, can I eat ice cream?”
“Of course, you can buy whatever you want today.”
After ordering, Shang Jin got up to use the restroom. Ye Zhou sat next to Shang Youyou and
asked, “Baby, I heard that you have a new member in your family.”
Mentioning this, Shang Youyou’s small mouth immediately flattened.
Ye Zhou said lightly, “It’s better to have a younger brother. Later, there’s someone to play
with you.”
Shang Youyou huffed, “It’s not good. Everyone only likes little brother and doesn’t like
Youyou.”
“How could that be?” Ye Zhou lowered his head and touched Shang Youyou’s small face.
“There’s no limit to liking, this kind of feeling. Everyone won’t stop liking you because they
like your little brother.”
Shang Youyou didn’t understand.
“Does Youyou like me?”
Shang Youyou immediately replied, “Like.”
“I like Youyou too, but…” Ye Zhou’s topic took a turn, “We didn’t have any feelings between
us before you knew me. It was because you gave me a flower that let me know that Youyou
likes me. So we both became good friends. You wouldn’t stop liking your big brother
because you like me, right?”
Shang Youyou’s head shook like a rattle and hurriedly explained, “I like big brother. I like
Brother Zhou Zhou too.”
“Isn’t that so? Your mom and dad likes your little brother, but likes Youyou too. If Youyou
can take the lead like you did with me and take your little brother’s hand, then your little
brother will like you too, so Youyou will have one more person who loves you. Isn’t that
better?”
Shang Youyou pursed her lips and said, “But I don’t like my little brother.”
Shang Jin just came back and heard this sentence. He sat down across from Ye Zhou and
watched what nonsense Ye Zhou could spout out.
Ye Zhou exaggeratedly said, “Little brother likes you so much, but you actually don’t like
him, how sad he feels!”
Sure enough, the kind-hearted Shang Youyou’s heart softened, but she also wasn’t so easily
fooled. “Brother Zhou Zhou, you haven’t seen my little brother, so how do you know he
likes me?”
“Because…” Ye Zhou’s fingers tapped on the table, all sort of lies and excuses circling
around in his head, and gave Shang Jin a look in passing.
Shang Jin casually invented some nonsense, “Because Brother Ye Zhou gave Princess Elsa to
you today, Princess Elsa told this secret to Brother Ye Zhou to thank him.”
Ye Zhou glared at Shang Jin. What rotten reason was this? Can’t even deceive a three-year-
old kid!
But Shang Youyou believed it. She excitedly knelt up in her seat and said, “Really, Brother
Zhou Zhou?”
“Really, really,” Ye Zhou followed her lead and said, “When you go home today, you can try
reaching out to your brother first, even just a finger is fine. He will surely hold it because he
wants to be your friend.” Anyways, a baby would clutch at anything within their reach. Ye
Zhou wasn’t worried at all that the lie would be uncovered.
After dinner, Shang Jin sent Ye Zhou back to school first and then brought Shang Youyou
home.
Opening the door, Qin Fei was holding Little Ji and listening to music on the sofa. Shang
Youyou slowly walked to Qin Fei under Shang Jin’s encouraging eyes.
“Youyou, you’re back.” Qin Fei said with a smile and kissed Shang Youyou’s cheek. She
asked, “Did you have fun today?”
Shang Youyou nodded and looked at Little Ji in Qin Fei’s arms. He was looking around with
his open eyes. Shang Youyou stuck out a finger and Little Ji immediately grabbed it. Shang
Youyou looked back at Shang Jin in surprise. “It’s true!”
Shang Jin half crouched and rubbed Shang Youyou’s head. “Because big brother is in school
and can’t accompany Youyou often, so little brother is afraid that Youyou would be lonely
and specially came to be with you. After you come home everyday, you can see Little Ji.”
“Okay!”
When Ye Zhou got out of the car, he went around to a fruit store and bought a big
watermelon. Then he ran back to the dormitory.
At 8 o’clock in the evening, Ye Zhou summoned the familiar friends to 405 and solemnly
said, “I have something to announce.”
Zhou Wendao looked at the watermelon on the table and drooled. He quietly stretched out
his hand to take a piece and got swatted by Chen Shao. “Zhou’s saying something. Be
serious a bit!”
Ye Zhou took a deep breath and said, “I’m with Shang Jin.”
After a moment of quiet in the entire dorm, it immediately became relaxed, as if the tense
atmosphere just then was an illusion.
Zhou Wendao picked up a piece of watermelon and took a bite. “When were you two not
together?”
“Yeah, and I was thinking what you were going to say. Scared me.” Liu Yutian took care of a
watermelon slice in two bites and immediately grabbed another one. “It’s good you
reconciled. You made things so serious, I thought you were going to hold a break up
conference.”
“Actually…” Zhang Xing swallowed the watermelon in his mouth and wiped his mouth with
a tissue. “Actually, I’d rather know if you two had sexual discord in the end.”
Wen Renxu joined the liveliness and said, “I’d rather know who’s the top? Who’s the
bottom?”
Xu Yangjun emerged from behind and said, “I want to know even more: are you
comfortable or not?”
Ye Zhou angrily said, “Can’t you be a little purer? I said earlier that Shang Jin and I haven’t
taken that step yet!!”
“You two have been together for so long but haven’t slept together?” Zhou Wendao said in
surprise, “You’re such turtles! You guys won’t get pregnant, so why are you so reserved?”
Ye Zhou flew into a rage out of humiliation, “Since we can’t get pregnant, what do you want
to know if it’s comfortable for? Why don’t you go try for yourself! What’s in your head? No
wonder you need to cram for the exams!”
This poked at everyone’s sore spot and they all scattered like the birds and beasts, not
forgetting to grab a few slices of watermelon before leaving.
“What people are these?” Ye Zhou said indignantly.

Chapter 60
After Shang Youyou’s affair was settled, Shang Jin moved back to the the dormitory the next
day.
When he returned, the other people in the dorm were reviewing in the library, but Ye Zhou,
who had always resided in the library, was in the dorm.
“You didn’t go to the library?” Shang Jin took out the textbooks from his bag one after the
other, and the table that he’d tidied up before leaving quickly became a mess again.
“It’s still reviewing no matter where I review. There’s no difference.” Ye Zhou leaned back
in his chair and glanced at Shang Jin from time to time. “How’s Youyou? Did she change her
view about her little brother?”
Shang Jin turned around and leaned on Ye Zhou’s table. “After we got back yesterday, Little
Ji grabbed Youyou’s finger and Youyou thought that Little Ji liked her very much. She also
‘reluctantly’ became friends with Little Ji. Your nonsense actually worked.”
“I was telling the truth. You’re the one who talked nonsense yesterday! Do you understand
that what I did is called a white lie? Youyou, this pure and kind little girl would usually
believe it.”
Shang Jin flicked Ye Zhou’s forehead and returned to his seat. He searched for a book and
began reviewing. Ye Zhou also continued to read his textbook.
The dorm was quiet for a moment.
But the silence was soon broken by a telephone ring.
Shang Jin looked at the caller ID on the phone and frowned.
Liang Jingmin.
‘One doesn’t visit the temple without a cause’. But this call was expected, and was even
later than Shang Jin had expected.
“Why don’t you answer?” With a kick of his leg, Ye Zhou moved the swivel chair over to
Shang Jin’s side. He leaned against the ladder and looked at the vibrating phone on the
desk. “Who is it?”
“Trouble.” Shang Jin snorted and said, “What are you doing?”
Ye Zhou looked at him and quietly returned to his desk. Shang Jin had once answered the
phone with a very bad tone and it had left an impression on him at that time. Hearing Shang
Jin’s tone, Ye Zhou reflexively thought of whether or not it was that person again.
“I have an exam tomorrow.”
“It’s just a final exam. Isn’t it easy for you?” Liang Jingmin said disdainfully. “Come have a
meal with me in a while. Mom’s inviting you to eat today.”
Shang Jin raised his eyebrows. This was the sun rising from the west: Liang Jingmin
actually took the initiative to invite him to eat. Shang Jin sneered, “You’re inviting? It won’t
still be me who’s paying at the end, right?”
Liang Jingmin choked. She took a deep breath and said, “I’m your mother. Don’t say that
today I invited you to eat, even if you as my son invited me to eat, isn’t that as it should be?”
“Don’t be so haughty. Ye Zhou’s more like my mom than you!”
Ye Zhou who had been listening to Shang Jin’s words with perked ears: ???
Did he just hear something that he’d never thought he’d hear in this life, this title that Shang
Jin had bestowed on him for the second time?
Shang Jin wouldn’t, because he lacked motherly love, just have his heart moved because
he’d taken care of him, right?
Thunderstruck by this idea, Ye Zhou covered his heart and glanced at Shang Jin. It didn’t
look like he was craving for motherly love and pinning this feeling on another person. For
Shang Jin, since it cannot be obtained, then he didn’t need it.
Shang Jin hung up the phone and stood up. Seeing that Ye Zhou was looking at him with a
strange look, he asked, “What are you looking at?”
Ye Zhou blurted out, “You’re not really taking me as your mother, right?”
“What as what?” Shang Jin was baffled. “How could I compare you to that kind of person?”
Ye Zhou awkwardly coughed and said, “That…why’s she looking for you?”
“She didn’t say on the phone, but…” Shang Jin snorted. “It’s easy to figure out. Isn’t it
because Auntie’s baby was born and she wants to raise my sense of crisis?”
Ye Zhou was unclear. “What sense of crisis?”
“Yeah, what sense of crisis? What can a newborn child do? She has no ability so she thinks
about other people’s land and wealth. Ridiculous.” Not even an hour after he came back,
Shang Jin stood up again, grabbed his phone and card, and said, “I’m going first. I won’t be
back for lunch.”
“Eh…”
“Hm?”
“Nothing.” Ye Zhou pulled his attention back to the book and no longer spoke.
Shang Jin looked at him, then at the time and said, “It’ll take three hours at most. I’ll be back
then.”
Ye Zhou pursed his lips and hmphed. “I didn’t ask you.”
Liang Jingmin’s meeting was at a very cheap restaurant. Once Shang Jin saw this
environment, he knew that perhaps Liang Jinmin was really planning to treat him today.
This time, it was a private room again.
Shang Jin didn’t mind. After all, there were some words that really weren’t good to speak
out in public.
After pushing the door open, Liang Jingmin smiled at Shang Jin and said, “I just ordered.
Have some tea first.”
Shang Jin casually pulled out the nearest chair and sat down. He said a bit bluntly, “You
invited me to have a meal, but don’t ask me, this guest, what I want to eat?”
“We’re all a family. What does it matter?” After the private room door closed, Liang Jingmin
asked impatiently, “I heard that in your family, that person was born?”
Shang Jin lifted the tea cup, blew on the floating tea leaves and took a sip. He calmly said,
“You’ve already heard, so why are you still asking me?”
Liang Jingmin frowned and said, “You’ve almost graduated. What’s he doing with another
son?”
Shang Jin laughed and said, “He wasn’t born to me. You ask me, then who should I ask?”
Liang Jingmin was speechless. The next second, she said while ‘hating iron for not
becoming steel’, “How could you not understand? When your dad was in his
entrepreneurial period, he treated you like a plant: feed you when you’re hungry, clothe
you when you’re cold. It’s fine as long as you live. At that time, he had no time or energy to
invest feelings in you, so your father-and-son relationship isn’t deep. But this child is
different. You father now has a stable career and he’s getting older. Thinking of the parent-
child time he’d once missed, now he wants to put his feelings into this child. Then, don’t you
see who’d be close and who’d be neglected?”
Shang Jin looked at the constantly floating tea leaves and asked, “So what?”
“You ー”
“I say, can you not find me for every little thing?”
“Is this a trivial matter? Afterwards, what if your dad gives his little son the business he’d
built up all his life?”
“Yes, he wants to give the business to his youngest son, so all the more you shouldn’t come
to me at this time.” Shang Jin rapped the table and indifferently said, “After all, I, this person
who can’t get a part of the family property, needs to get the highest scholarship to keep my
pitiful life, isn’t it?”
Liang Jingmin hatefully said, “How could you not be like me at all? There’s obviously a
shortcut, why not take it!”
Shang Jin said contemptuously, “So, did your shortcut lead to success?”
Liang Jingmin finished her cup of water in one go. She set down the glass and said in ill-will,
“You will regret not listening to me. Young people just don’t know how tall the sky is and
just think of how capable they are. When your head is broken and blood is flowing, then
you’d know how right I am.”
“Oh, right. After you reminded me so much, I feel more and more that I have no advantage
in front of dad.” Shang Jin said with a smile, “Because I’m in a relationship and it’s with a
boy. You say, if dad knows of this, would he drive me out of the house or not? But it won’t
matter if I’m driven out. I still have this mother. At that time, I’ll go directly to your home
and we won’t need to stand by politeness. I can take your home as my home, right?”
Liang Jingmin was so angry that she began to tremble. She tried to suppress her anger and
said, “Shang Jin, do you know what you are doing? You’re not a little child anymore. You
can’t casually act in a fit of pique.”
“I’m not acting in a fit.” Shang Jin shrugged, opened the private room door and said,
“Waiter, when can we be served?”
“I’m sorry, we’ll serve you right away.”
During the entire meal, Shang Jin ate without any worries, while Liang Jingmin simply
couldn’t even eat a few mouthfuls.
After the meal, Shang Jin wiped his mouth and stood up. “Thank you for the meal, I’m
leaving first.”
The place where Liang Jingmin picked this time was near, and by the time Shang Jin
returned to school, only two hours had past.
Walking to the ground floor of the dorm, Shang Jin always felt that someone was calling
him.
“Shang Jin, over here!”
Shang Jin looked around and finally saw Zhou Wendao and Zhan Xing behind the ShangYe.
He walked over suspiciously and asked, “Why are you two hiding here?”
“Come over quickly.” Zhan Xing beckoned to him and pulled him behind the car. Then he
pulled his shoulder and, like a thief, took something out of his pocket…a USB drive?
Zhou Wendao took the USB drive and put it in Shang Jin’s hand. “This is what we specially
prepared for you.”
Shang Jin squeezed the thing in his hand and said, “What is it?”
Zhou Wendao coughed. “You and Ye Zhou should best see it in a place with no one else.”
“The main point is: it’s been nearly a year and you two haven’t even made any progress…”
Zhan Xing cupped a hand to Shang Jin’s ear and said, “Yesterday, I asked Zhou a few words
and he lost his temper. Eighty percent, it’s because his desires aren’t satisfied.”
Shang Jin held his forehead and was immediately clear on what was inside. “OK, I know. If
there’s nothing else, I’m going back first.” For the thing inside, Shang Jin really couldn’t say
the two words ‘thank you’.
Zhou Wendao urged him again and again, “This is what we got with great difficulty. You
must take a look.”
Shang Jin put the USB drive in his pocket and shook his head helplessly. What was this
group of people thinking all day long.
Back in the dorm, Ye Zhou was eating a bowl of rice while reading a book. Shang Jin put the
USB drive on the table and said, “Why are you eating so late?”
“Wasn’t hungry.” Ye Zhou moved to Shang Jin’s side and picked up the USB drive on the
table. “What’s this?”
Shang Jin curled his lips and said, “Open it and see. You’ll know once you see it.”
Ye Zhou’s hand stopped and he guardedly said, “Abnormal. There must be something fishy.”
Shang Jin said innocently, “This isn’t mine. I really haven’t seen it.”
Ye Zhou’s mouth twitched. He was curious, but seeing Shang Jin’s expression, he felt that
things weren’t simple.
Shang Jin threw the USB drive into the drawer and said, “Go review. After the test, you can
think of this nonsense again.”
Ye Zhou was unwilling, but he could only suppress the curiosity at the bottom of his heart
for now.

Chapter 61
In early July, all the exams were finally over and most of the people in the dorm had gone
back home. In the end, only Ye Zhou and Shang Jin still remained.
The dorm would be closed tomorrow, and Ye Zhou showed no signs of packing. Shang Jin
had to ask, “When are you going home this time?”
“I didn’t buy the ticket. Too lazy to go back. I’ll just find a part-time job here.” Ye Zhou
looked through the tourist guide in bed and said, “Or I can also go traveling. Anyways, I
don’t want to go back.”
Shang Jin was astonished. “The dorm will be closed tomorrow, and you’re still so casual
about everything now? When did you become such a person without a plan?”
“Sometimes I also want to be willful, emptying my mind and doing whatever I want.” Ye
Zhou put the phone aside and said, “But it’s such a hot day that I can’t raise the interest to
go traveling. You say, what if I just go to the city library and read books everyday, how’s
that? I can enjoy the coolness and enrich myself. I don’t know if the library is recruiting
librarians or not. I can help them organize the books for free.”
“Then where would you live?”
“The hotel I guess.”
“Even if you’re not short on money, you shouldn’t spend it like that.” Shang Jin walked to Ye
Zhou’s bed and leveled the two people’s gazes. “How about going to my house?”
Ye Zhou suddenly sat up and desperately waved his hands. “No, not going, not going!”
“I’m not charging you rent. What are you worried about?”
If the two were really ordinary friends, Ye Zhou may not be reserved. However, the
relationship between the two wasn’t usual. It was impossible for Ye Zhou to not feel guilty
towards Shang Jin’s family, so how would he dare go live at Shang Jin’s house. When they
come out later, how much more awkward it’d be. Ye Zhou insisted, “I’m really not going.”
“It’s not with my family, but another place. My dad bought it for me to use when I get
married later…” Shang Jin intentionally pointed out, “So there’s nothing wrong with
bringing you there.”
Use for marriage…
Nothing wrong with bringing you there…
Ye Zhou’s heart beat twice rapidly. It felt like a proposal.
Ye Zhou quieted his mind and asked, “You family really doesn’t go there?”
“They never have before, but there’s a little…”
Ye Zhou’s heart hanged. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s been too long since anyone’s been there, so we probably have to clean up a bit.”
“Little thing.” Tidying out a house was a piece of cake for Ye Zhou and he usually does it
easily.
Shang Jin’s new house was located at the center of the city. Considering a young person’s
life, from the close-by shopping streets and easy transportation, everything was very
convenient. It was even half an hour away from their school.
Shang Jin and Ye Zhou arrived at the door of the new house early in the morning.
Shang Jin really didn’t exaggerate. No one had lived there for a long time, and they walked
into a layer of dust once they stepped in. Fortunately, all the furniture were covered with
dust covers and they simply had to clean the floor.
The two men wore masks and spent the whole morning before they barely finished the
preliminary cleaning of the house.
Ye Zhou lay on the sofa and gasped, “Why would you buy such a big house? Exhausted to
death.”
Shang Jin opened his mouth, but hesitated.
Ye Zhou gave him a questioning look. “Hmm?”
“It’s nothing.”
“So hungry.” Ye Zhou had rested enough and stood up. He pulled Shang Jin’s arm and said,
“Let’s go down and eat.”
Shang Jin lay on the sofa and said, “Don’t want to move, call for takeout.”
“Quickly get up. Let’s go down and move around a bit.” Ye Zhou pulled Shang Jin’s arms and
dragged him off the sofa.
Shang Jin was dragged out the door by Ye Zhou, and even though he just came here, Shang
Jin could imagine the scene ten years later.
If he spent a lifetime with Ye Zhou, Shang Jin wouldn’t begrudge it at all.
When they got off the elevator, Ye Zhou suddenly remembered one thing. “Is it okay for you
not to go home?”
“It’s fine. They’re still comfortable without me.”
He was quite accustomed to Shang Jin’s words, but Ye Zhou couldn’t help but feel a bit of
heartache.
The house was finally cleaned after spending a whole day.
The sheets that were washed in the morning had dried themselves by the evening. Ye Zhou
spread them on the bed and the scent of liquid detergent filled the air. He threw himself on
the bed and wanted to go straight to sleep.
Shang Jin came out of the bathroom and saw that the bed in the master bedroom was made,
but Ye Zhou wasn’t there. He had to turn to the next room before he saw Ye Zhou’s figure.
He leaned against the door and said, “Why did you make two beds?”
“Huh?” After a tiring day, Ye Zhou’s chaotic brain hadn’t reacted yet.
“Why did you make two beds?” Shang Jin repeated again with a smile that wasn’t smiling,
“Such a waste.”
Realizing the meaning of Shang Jin’s words, Ye Zhou’s face warmed up. He said mulishly, “I
don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Shang Jin walked to the bed in a few steps and dangling a USB drive, said, “Do you want to
see it?”
Seeing this familiar USB drive again along with Shang Jin’s words, Ye Zhou immediately
knew what was inside. “You’re too mensao!1 You actually hid a little movie!”
Shang Jin said innocently, “How am I mensao? But there’s someone whose desires are
unsatisfied, and others can’t stand to see it anymore and kept pestering me to take it.”
Ye Zhou said furiously, “Who’s talking rubbish!”
Shang Jin took off his shoes and lay down. Looking at Ye Zhou, he mocked, “Is it really
rubbish?”
Ye Zhou pushed him away and said, “You lie down on the bed without changing your
clothes?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Shang Jin draped over Ye Zhou’s body and said, “Anyway, it’ll get dirty
in a moment.”
It wasn’t the first time the two kissed, but none was as passionate and strong as today.
Their tongues intertwined and even kissing was like a competition.
After a long while, Shang Jin released Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou’s face was flushed and his breath unsteady. He reach out and wiped the sweat off
Shang Jin’s face. Shang Jin, who’d always been calm, had an expression full of aggression at
the moment, as if he were beast wanting to devour his prey.
Ye Zhou clung to Shang Jin’s neck, lifted his body and planted a light kiss on Shang Jin’s lips.
This action was like a fuse.
Shang Jin once again kissed Ye Zhou’s lips, his hand moving from Ye Zhou’s face and
wandering downwards.
Ye Zhou was wearing a loose cotton T-shirt for the cleaning today, and Shang Jin’s hand
easily slipped under the hem of his shirt.
“First…the clothes first…oh…” Ye Zhou couldn’t even say a complete sentence and was
immediately sealed by Shang Jin’s lips with a kiss.
After a long kiss, Shang Jin finally found out that the clothes were in the way and couldn’t
reach the limit of skin contact.
“Raise your hands.” Shang Jin directly lifted Ye Zhou’s clothes and after exchanging a brief
kiss, he released Ye Zhou and in less than one second, Ye Zhou’s cotton T-shirt was thrown
at the bedside.
Shang Jin once again kissed Ye Zhou, but this time, it was just a flirting taste. Gradually, the
kiss trailed down and Shang Jin’s lips lingered on Ye Zhou’s neck. He kissed Ye Zhou’s
throat and Ye Zhou gave a light groan. Shang Jin smiled and he continued down.
Ye Zhou’s hand threaded through Shang Jin’s hair and he urged, “What are you dilly-
dallying for…?”
Shang Jin spent a long time on Ye Zhou’s neck, and suddenly he sucked heavily.
“Hiss…” Ye Zhou couldn’t help but cling to Shang Jin’s head. After Shang Jin released him, he
angrily said, “What are you doing?”
Shang Jin raised his head and looked at the red mark on the collarbone. He said
meaningfully, “Planting strawberries.”
Ye Zhou blanked and suddenly laughed out loud, “That makes me want to plant one too.”
Shang Jin rolled over and lay on the bed. “Come.”
Ye Zhou sat to one side. Shang Jin’s clothes were still worn on his body. Because he was
wearing sweatpants, he could see very well that the little brother below was quite spirited.
Ye Zhou touched on that part of Shang Jin’s body. Shang Jin hadn’t expected Ye Zhou’s
action and gave a smothered moan from this sudden raid.
As if finding delight in it, Ye Zhou directly stripped off Shang Jin’s pants.
Through the thin layer of underwear, it better highlighted the shape of the lower body.
Ye Zhou didn’t remove Shang Jin’s underwear, but put his hand directly into it. This was Ye
Zhou’s first intimate contact with another man’s part, the hot sensation burning into his
heart.
Feeling the touch of his lover, even if Shang Jin was determined to be stronger, he also
quickly reached his limit. He pulled Ye Zhou under him and began to pull down Ye Zhou’s
pants.
“Hey, I haven’t planted strawberries yet!”
“You can plant them after we’re finished!” said Shang Jin, directly pulling down Ye Zhou’s
pants along with his underwear down to his knees. Ye Zhou’s cock was already erect, and
Shang Jin held it in one hand and began to move up and down.
“Mmh…” Ye Zhou’s hand grasping Shang Jin’s lower body loosened, and he unconsciously
clung to Shang Jin’s back, his mouth constantly letting out light moans.
However, at the moment when Ye Zhou was about to release, Shang Jin stopped his hand,
leaving him in a position of not being able to go up or down, his heart itching intolerably.
Ye Zhou gritted his teeth and said, “Shang Jin…you…”
Shang Jin wasn’t much better than Ye Zhou. Beside when Ye Zhou had touched his cock
before, he hadn’t gotten any relief at all. He took the lubricant from his bag and poured a
little into his hand.
Ye Zhou was rubbed lightly by Shang Jin’s body when he felt a sudden coolness behind him.
He squinted his eyes and saw an extra object on the bed. A bit distracted, he said, “When
did you buy it?”
Shang Jin whispered in his ear with a low voice, “When we went to the supermarket.”
“Mensao…mm…” Ye Zhou felt Shang Jin’s finger trying to enter his back hole and
immediately took a deep breath and tried to relax his body. He hadn’t eaten pork but he’d
seen pigs run. When he’d found out about his sexual orientation, he’d read up on the
general knowledge about this. It was the first time for the two of them, and Ye Zhou didn’t
want to hurt himself.
The sweat on Shang Jin’s forehead fell, and he patted Ye Zhou’s ass to make him lie with his
back facing him. Generously pouring lubricant into his hand, after one finger could slide in
smoothly, he added another finger.
Ye Zhou once again saw that Shang Jin wasn’t omnipotent.
At least when he was loosen the back, he didn’t know to help him appease the little brother
in the front.
Even though Shang Jin’s actions were gentle, but Ye Zhou still felt an ache. The little brother
in front that had been on the verge of release had already gradually wilted, and now he
could only rely on himself for satisfaction.
Once the fingers could smoothly thrust in, Shang Jin covered Ye Zhou’s body and began to
rain kisses on Ye Zhou’s neck. The empty hand held Ye Zhou’s hand and helped him.
Ye Zhou turned his head and exchanged a kiss with him. “All right?”
Just after the words fell, Ye Zhou felt a hard object behind him.
Ye Zhou’s heartbeat was like thunder, and his entire body’s sense was concentrated on the
back hole. Although his back was facing Shang Jin, but Ye Zhou seemed to be able to see
Shang Jin entering his body inch by inch.
“Mm…” Ye Zhou bit his lower lip and groaned. Shang Jin immediately stopped, waiting for
Ye Zhou to slowly untense before gradually entering bit by bit.
Shang Jin thought he was being gentle to slowly enter, but in Ye Zhou’s view, it was like
being cut by a thousand knives. He said fiercely, “You come in all at once…give me a good
time.”
Shang Jin kissed Ye Zhou’s ear and suddenly slammed in.
“Ah…” Ye Zhou couldn’t help but clench the sheets under him. The red flush on his face
faded, leaving only a deathly pale.
Ye Zhou felt unbearable, and Shang Jin wasn’t any better than Ye Zhou. He kissed Ye Zhou’s
neck with all his strength and whispered, “Ye Zhou…Ye Zhou…Zhou… Zhou…”
Ye Zhou slowly recovered. Hearing Shang Jin’s call in his ear, he had a moment of
absentmindness.
At school, most people affectionately called Ye Zhou “Zhou”, but Shang Jin, this serious
lover, always called Ye Zhou “Ye Zhou”. Hearing for the first time such an intimate name, Ye
Zhou seemed to feel like waves of heat kept washing over him and the pain gradually
disappeared, replaced by the satisfaction of being one.
“I’m fine.” Ye Zhou wanted to turn around and touch Shang Jin’s face, but with their current
fit, it was obvious that he wouldn’t be able to move freely while Shang Jin was still in his
body. “Slowly, move a bit.”
Shang Jin pressed one kiss after another on Ye Zhou’s body and felt Ye Zhou start to relax.
Moving his body, his hand moved around to Ye Zhou’s front and helped him comfort his
already soft little brother.
After thrusting for a while, Ye Zhou finally got used to it and moaned when Shang Jin
accidentally hit his prostate.
He just moaned and immediately covered his mouth. Did he really just let out that tone of
voice? Too shameful!
It was like Shang Jin had heard a signal and he tried hard to hit that direction again.
“Mm…” Ye Zhou bit the corner of the quilt, trying hard to suppress his voice. Even if he likes
Shang Jin, he didn’t want to let out this kind of unbearable cry in front of Shang Jin.
As the exceptional one who understood Ye Zhou, Shang Jin could tell his thought from this
one action and also didn’t force him. Feeling the back hole began to tighten, Shang Jin knew
Ye Zhou wanted to shoot, and he worked harder toward the place where Ye Zhou liked.
“Mm…I can’t…” Ye Zhou gasped in a hurry and once Shang Jin thrusted again, his brain
blanked and then he shot out.
Shang Jin thrusted again for a while and holding Ye Zhou, he also shot out.
Ye Zhou calmed down and breathed for a moment, lying down on the bed. “I think I’m
already a dead fish.”
Shang Jin chuckled and came down from Ye Zhou’s body. His hand kept stroking Ye Zhou’s
back and sometimes, moved up to Ye Zhou’s cheek.
Ye Zhou said in distaste, “Don’t put the hand that’s been there on my face.”
Shang Jin joked, “That’s been where?”
“You’re so annoying!”
After being refreshed, Shang Jin found that his body was sticky and uncomfortable. He sat
up and said, “Let’s go take a bath.”
Ye Zhou placed his hand on him and said, “Help me get up.”
Shang Jin teased, “Princess carry?”
“Not even if you beat me to death!”
But Ye Zhou’s strength wasn’t bad, so after a rest, he could walk by himself.
The bathroom in the master bedroom had an oversized bathtub. When Ye Zhou entered,
Shang Jin had already filled it with water.
“Take a bath and go to sleep.” It was the first time for both of them. Shang Jin had no
experience and feared he’d hurt Ye Zhou.
But Ye Zhou thoughtlessly leaned in Shang Jin’s arms and let Shang Jin help him clean up.
Done once, the back hole was already quite loosened. He didn’t feel too much when the
fingers entered again.
Ye Zhou turned and encircled Shang Jin’s neck. “It wasn’t easy to loosen the back. It’d be too
wasteful to do it just once. Why don’t we have another go?”
Shang Jin, of course, deferred to his wishes.
After this bout, Ye Zhou was completely beat. Shang Jin held him under the water in the
shower and carried him to the bed.
After simply cleaning up the bathroom, he held Ye Zhou and fell into a deep sleep.
Waking up in the master bedroom the next morning, Ye Zhou rubbed his eyes and felt his
skin touch the dry, soft sheets. He realized that he had too much foresight to make two
beds.
Shang Jin was sleeping on his back with his face turned toward him. There was a bite mark
on his shoulder that he’d left yesterday in the passion of the moment.
Ye Zhou leaned in closer to Shang Jin, tracing Shang Jin’s features with his eyes.
He still remembered that Zhou Wendao had once sent him Shang Jin’s sleeping face. At that
time, he had irritably deleted it. How could he have expected that in less than a year, he’d
actually wake up next to Shang Jin?
He had to sigh that heaven’s arrangement was outside of people’s expectations. Suddenly, a
loud phone ring echoed in the quiet bedroom. Shang Jin frowned and rolled over, covering
his face with the quilt. Ye Zhou sat up and picked up the phone from the nightstand beside
Shang Jin.
The thin quilt slipped down to reveal Ye Zhou’s upper body covered in marks. He didn’t
know when these marks would disappear. The hateful thing was that they were on his
collarbone. How could he wear clothes like this!
Ye Zhou glared at the still sleeping Shang Jin and looked at the phone.
The screen showed that caller was Shang Jin’s dad.
Ye Zhou pushed Shang Jin and said, “Wake up, it’s your dad calling.”
Shang Jin irritably lifted the quilt and took the phone from Ye Zhou’s hand. He closed his
eyes and used his just woken up, low voice to say, “Hey?”
Ye Zhou patted Shang Jin and whispered, “I’m going to go shower first.”
Shang Jin waved his hand.
Last night, he’d been too tired after finishing, and the two people had simply let the water
run over them. Ye Zhou always felt that he wasn’t clean. When he turned on the shower and
just washed his hair, Shang Jin pushed opened the door and entered.
Ye Zhou: “???”
Shang Jin said nothing and squeezed in with Ye Zhou who’d just used the shower gel and
stood under the shower.
“What’s wrong??”
“Is your body alright?”
Ye Zhou said with a hot face, “It’s okay. I have good physical fitness.”
“That’s good.” Shang Jin finished this sentence and didn’t speak again.
Ye Zhou hung on this matter in his heart. When he squeezed the shower gel, he was absent-
minded and as a result, he squeezed out the shampoo instead.
Looking at the shampoo in his palm, Ye Zhou glanced at Shang Jin and directly smeared it
on Shang Jin’s hair.
Shang Jin: “……”
Half an hour later, the two peopled finished washing.
Shang Jin dressed and scratched his not yet blown-dry hair. “It looks like we won’t be able
to live here.”
Ye Zhou indifferently said, “If we can’t live here, then we can’t live here.”
Shang Jin handed the bank card in his bag to Ye Zhou and said, “You take this card and
reserve a hotel room first. Bring your laptop and after you’ve settled down, look for a place
to rent.”
“It’s not like I don’t have money to book a hotel. I don’t need you to give me money.” Ye
Zhou declined and said, “What’s wrong?”
“I’ll probably be driven out of my house right away.” Obviously it was a very serious matter,
but in Shang Jin’s mouth, it was as simple as going out to eat a meal. “Just take my card first.
This is my own money and isn’t related with my family. We’d probably have to stay at the
hotel for a while before we can find a place.”
Ye Zhou worriedly said, “What’s going on? What happened?”
Shang Jin kissed Ye Zhou’s forehead and said, “After you find a hotel, send me the address.”
Shang Jin didn’t want to say, and Ye Zhou didn’t ask anymore. After Shang Jin left, he
packed the two people’s things. Thinking of Shang Jin’s words, he also didn’t dare to
casually spend the money. He went to an inexpensive hotel and booked it. After sending the
location to Shang Jin, he started looking for a place to rent.
On the other side, Shang Jin got out of his car and opened the house door.
Shang Qingping, who’d always had the attitude of not caring about him, had unyieldingly
told him to come home, and it was also not long after he’d met Liang Jingmin. Shang Jin
didn’t need to think about it to know what was going on.
He’d only thought that for the sake of the “big picture”, Liang Jingmin wouldn’t tell Shang
Qingping about him dating boys, but he didn’t expect that she’d tell him.
The atmosphere at home could no longer be described as low pressure. Shang Qingping sat
in the middle of the sofa. Qin Fei sat trembling by his side, and when she saw Shang Jin, she
gave him a meaningful glance.
“Dad, Auntie.” Shang Jin sat down as if nothing had happened. “Where’s Youyou and Little
Ji?”
Shang Qingping slammed the table and furiously said, “And let them see the embarrassing
things you, this brother, are doing?”
Shang Jin grimly said, “I’ve always done things with a clear conscience and I don’t feel like
I’ve done anything to lose face.”
“Still daring to quibble!” Shang Qingping stood up and angrily panted, “Fooling around with
men isn’t called losing face! When your mother asked me, I didn’t know how to answer her.
After so many years, this is the first time I couldn’t lift my head in front of her. The son who
I’d thought was outstanding would actually do such a disgraceful thing.”
Still disgraceful, Shang Jin sneered. Compared to him liking men, Shang Qingping was even
more concerned about lifting his head in front of Liang Jingmin. “No matter what you say,
anyway, I’m serious about my feeling.”
“Serious my ass! Can two men live together forever?”
Shang Jin smiled mockingly and said, “But a man and a woman may not be able to live
together for a lifetime. This matter, dad, you should know best.”
“You ー” Shang Qinping raised his hand, but when he saw Shang Jin’s expression, he really
could not strike down. He didn’t know when it started, but the child he’d always neglected
had already grown up. He reluctantly put his hand down and said, “You’ve grown up and
want to spread your wings? Fine, you should fly and don’t come back!”
“I have no intention of quarrelling with you. But dad…” Shang Jin stood up and took out the
bank card and the key to the downtown house that Shang Qingping had given him from his
backpack and put them down on the table. He said, “Since you haven’t cared for me for so
many years, don’t worry about me this time either.”
This sentence was like a needle that punctured Shang Qingping’s balloon-like anger. He
dropped his hand and could no longer say a word.
Shang Jin left the house and didn’t call Ye Zhou. Instead, he sat on a nearby park bench and
stared at the sky in a daze.
For so many years, he’d thought he’d long since stopped holding resentment and blame.
However, some emotions were buried deep, and in the end, wouldn’t fade away.
1. mensao (闷骚): outwardly cold but deeply passionate inside ↩

Chapter 62
Ye Zhou sat on the bed with his legs crossed and looked at the computer while
absentmindedly recording in the small notebook.
He saw that it was already lunch time, but Shang Jin hadn’t called yet. The words he’d said
before leaving were unclear. Although Ye Zhou had a vague suspicion in his heart, he didn’t
dare to think further in that respect. He took out his cell phone and his finger hesitated over
Shang Jin’s number several times, both afraid that he’d disturb the other if he called him
now and also unable to stay calm because he didn’t heard any news from him.
Ye Zhou sighed and decided that if he hadn’t heard from Shang Jin in half an hour, he’d call.
Fortunately, a quarter of an hour later, Ye Zhou heard a knock on the door.
“Ye Zhou?”
Ye Zhou jumped out of bed and didn’t even took the time to wear his shoes. He couldn’t
wait to open the door and seeing Shang Jin intact in front of him, he said in relief, “You’re
back.”
Shang Jin placed the bag in his hand on the table and said, “I just bought food on my way
back.”
Ye Zhou didn’t care if there was food or not. If he was unable to understand the situation,
where would he have the appetite to eat? “Why did you go home?”
Shang Jin took out the lunch box from the bag, broke apart the disposable chopsticks and
lightly said, “Our matter was known by my dad, so I might as well share it with him. Eat
quickly, it’d be cold soon.”
After hearing this, Ye Zhou had even less appetite. He said in disbelief, “You…you…you just
said it?”
“Anyways, whether I say it early or late, I still need to say it.”
“You…you…” Ye Zhou “you” for half a day but couldn’t complete the sentence. He sat on the
bed dejectedly, but no matter what was said, his heart couldn’t calm down. Stifled for a long
while, he spat out, “You’re really too impulsive.”
Shang Jin didn’t seem to take it seriously at all. He pulled Ye Zhou over, put the lunch box
into his hand and said, “Seeing you like this, you probably didn’t eat this morning, right? Eat
a little something first, then talk.”
Ye Zhou simply wanted to admit defeat to Shang Jin. Coming out was such a big event, but
only Shang Jin could be so calm, even reminding him to eat. He managed a mouthful of rice
and asked, “And then?”
“What ‘and then’?” Shang Jin held the vegetable with his chopsticks and said, “Am I not here
now?”
Ye Zhou asked tentatively, “Were you driven out?”
Shang Jin shrugged his shoulders and declined to comment.
Since matters had already come to this, it was useless for Ye Zhou to say more. Thinking
about it, which normal family could possibly accept this? It was good that it didn’t come to
knives and guns. His thoughts came to his parents and Ye Zhou said, “I should come out
with you.”
Shang Jin choked on his food and after easing it, he said, “Don’t be impulsive.”
Ye Zhou sneered and enigmatically said, “Oh, you also know that casually coming out is
impulsive?”
“You and me are different.” Ye Zhou’s family was very strict. Even when Ye Zhou got second
in the exams, they’d already given him so much pressure, not to mention that Ye Zhou
wanted to be together with a man. At that time, being driven out would be light. It was
possible that they’d shut him in or force him to see a doctor; that would be difficult to deal
with. “My family…even if they know, there’s nothing they could do to me. You should wait
two more years. It was an accident for me this time.”
“I know. I’m not stupid.” Ye Zhou turned the computer screen to Shang Jin and said, “I’ve
seen a few places that I felt are good. Let’s go and have a look in the afternoon.” Just the day
before yesterday, Ye Zhou had boasted that he’d live in a hotel over summer vacation, but
now, he only wanted to quickly find a place to move in. After all, Shang Jin was driven out
and certainly had no source of income. Although he himself had savings, but for students
who hadn’t yet earned money, any bit of money spent was money gone. They had to be
economical in everything.
Shang Jin scrolled with the mouse and looked at it briefly. “I’ll listen to you. Eat quickly.”
Both them were people who took action. After a few places had been identified, they began
to call the landlords to make appointments. Because it was so sudden, only two of the
landlords had time in the afternoon.
In the white light of the July sun, the cicadas along the road noisily called, driving people’s
mind to distraction.
Seeing that it was such a hot day, Shang Jin proposed to call a taxi, but the result was Ye
Zhou insisted on taking the bus. Standing in front of the bus stop under the scorching sun
with no people walking on the road, Ye Zhou used his hand to fan himself and suggested,
“After we rent a place, we should go to the school and bring the Shang Ye number over.”
“Of course. Renting a place would inevitably require buying things. It’d be convenient to
have the car.”
Due to the special relationship between the two people, it was certainly not possible to
choose the cheapest place to rent. However, if they rent something too large, it’d be a bit
too expensive. In the end, they could only choose the one-bedroom single apartments.
When Shang Jin and Ye Zhou arrived at the door of the house, the landlady only knew that
the tenants were two people. The landlady quickly said, “Although we’re apartments for
single, if you want to rent it, we can provide you with a single bed. Tidy it up a bit and two
people could definitely live there.”
Shang Jin circled around the place and actually made two rounds. He felt that it wasn’t bad.
After all, he was accustomed to staying in the dorm, and this kind of one-bedroom place
was still better than the conditions in the dorm.
Catching Shang Jin before he accepted, Ye Zhou said, “Let us think about it. In two days,
we’ll give you a response whether we’ll rent or not.”
“That’s good.” The landlady was a very amiable-looking aunt. She looked at Ye Zhou and
began chatting with him. “We have a good environment in this community and the station
is right outside. Don’t look that the rent is higher than that of other families, but this
decoration took a lot of effort. My daughter is an interior designer, and she’d originally
designed this house for herself to live. As soon as the decoration was finished, she found
her partner and this house was left empty. I plan to rent it out now that she’s married.”
Ye Zhou could also see this point. The house wasn’t simply decorated like a normal rental.
The wallpaper and furniture were carefully matched, and the lighting and flooring all
revealed the decorator’s intentions. Although it was designed by a female designer, but the
place was overall very grand. The only drawback was that the rent was really a bit high.
“OK, auntie, we’ll think about it. Thank you.” Ye Zhou smiled and said goodbye to the
landlady, pulling Shang Jin toward the station.
Shang Jin looked at Ye Zhou holding the calculator and figuring out the numbers, and said,
“I think the house just now was quite good. Why don’t we settle on it? It’s already furnished
and we could bring our bags and start living there. And it’s practically a new house.”
Ye Zhou replied half-heartedly, “It’s good. The price is also good.”
“Money isn’t a problem.”
Ye Zhou gave him a supercilious look. “The man who was driven out of his house isn’t
qualified to say this.”
Shang Jin smiled and said, “I mean it. You certainly haven’t gone to look at the balance on
my card, right?”
Ye Zhou glanced suspiciously at him. After getting off the bus, he rushed to the ATM and
cautiously checked it. Then, he was stunned.
No wonder Shang Jin had nothing to fear. He really wouldn’t lack money for a long time.
“You…you…your family’s allowance money is too ridiculous, right?”
“Who told you this was from an allowance?” Shang Jin snorted. “This is what I earned
myself.”
“How did you earn it? Take me with you!”
Shang Jin mysteriously said, “Knowledge is money.”
Ye Zhou: “???”
Shang Jin opened the door to the hotel room and Ye Zhou continued to follow and pester
him.
“I’m afraid if I say it, your mind would become imbalanced.”
“Why??”
Shang Jin directly kissed him, blocking Ye Zhou’s mouth. After he was satisfied, he finally
helped Ye Zhou mercifully decipher it. “In middle school, I was always first. When I entered
high school, not only was the tuition free, but I was also awarded money. The college
entrance exams, I was still first in the city. Because I applied for a local university, A Uni
gave some award money, our city also sent some award money, and my high school also
gave some. On top of that, as a finance major, when I was a freshman, I thought that this
money wasn’t used for anything, so I took it to the stock market to test the waters. But I
didn’t expect that my luck would be good and all the stocks I bought all rose. Moreover, I’d
usually participate in any competition that weren’t too strenuous and paid cash prizes. Of
course, if the prize was a phone and such, I’d also participate.”
After Ye Zhou finished listening, it didn’t stop at being imbalanced: he was simply jealous to
death.
“No wonder my family has always complained that I couldn’t get first place. If I knew that
the gap between the first and the second was so big, I would also not be resigned!”
Shang Jin laughed aloud. He pulled Ye Zhou under him and placatingly kissed him. “It
doesn’t matter. Anyways, what’s mine is yours too.”
Ye Zhou said lividly, “Could what you get yourself be the same as what others give you?”
Even if Ye Zhou couldn’t reconcile with it, in the end, he could only sigh a sentence: this was
life!
The next day, the two men looked at several apartments again, and still thought that the
new apartment that they saw yesterday was better. Finally, Shang Jin hit the auctioneer’s
hammer and the two of them made an appointment with the landlady.
After signing the contract, the landlady said, “Little Ye, when are you planning to move in? I
can bring you a bed tomorrow. What do you think?”
This time, Ye Zhou refused directly. “We don’t need a bed. We two boys are very casual and
it’s fine to just make our bed on the floor. An extra bed would also take up space.”
“OK, if you have any questions later, you can call me directly.” The landlady explained a
couple of words and then left.
Closing the door, Shang Jin had already gotten a rough approximation of the apartment.
“Everything is good, just no internet.”
In the modern society, there’s no joy without internet!
With no time to lose, Ye Zhou immediately pulled Shang Jin to get the internet installed and
then went to the supermarket to buy the daily necessities. Using the Shang Ye number, they
dragged a huge pile of purchases back to their small family home and put it into place.
After taking a bath in the evening, the two people lay in bed. Shang Jin leaned over and kept
stroking Ye Zhou’s back. In just one short week, the two people actually started living
together. Shang Jin originally didn’t think of it, but when he really came to this step, he
thought it was quite good. “I think when we start school, we’ll still live here.”
“Yeah, it’s not too far from school.” Ye Zhou and Shang Jin had the same kind of too realistic
kind of feeling. He exclaimed, “At this speed, we’re really fast enough. From confession to
living together, it’s not even half a month.”
Shang Jin said, “We’d still come to this day in the end, so it’s better to adapt earlier.”
“Heheh…” Obviously the two had just been together for half a month, but reading between
Shang Jin’s words, he could always see the shadow of the future. Ye Zhou couldn’t help but
lean over and kiss Shang Jin.
The two people ‘you kiss me, I kiss you’, having a good time. However, after half an hour, no
matter how fun it was, they still got tired.
Ye Zhou leaned against Shang Jin and said, “Don’t you think the house is too quiet…”
Without internet, the computers couldn’t be used at all. After a tiring day, the two people
were too tired to read.
“Why does it need three days to install broadband…”
Shang Jin thought of something and sat up. “We can watch a movie.”
Ye Zhou perked up. “You have it on your computer?”
Shang Jin took out a familiar USB drive from his backpack and plugged it into the computer
under Ye Zhou’s dumbfounded gaze.
“Dang, you’ve been carrying it all along!”
“Of course. Other people’s things must be kept safe.” Shang Jin held the mouse over the
folder and opened it. If he hadn’t looked, he wouldn’t have known, but once he’d seen it, he
was shocked. How many little films were there in this folder? Shang Jin nudged Ye Zhou
with his shoulder and said, “The choice is yours. Which one do you want to see?”
Ye Zhou dithered, “Really watching.”
Shang Jin pushed the computer directly to him. Ye Zhou looked at Shang Jin and thought
that what two people should and shouldn’t do were all done. Wasn’t it just watching a little
film? What was unreasonable about it? “Then this one.”
Shang Jin clicked with the mouse and soon, the film began on the screen.
When they hadn’t reached the highlight of the show, Ye Zhou felt his body was a little hot.
He glanced at Shang Jin uneasily. The other was completely calm, like watching an
academic lecture.
However, when one of the male protagonists came out, the tense atmosphere immediately
dispersed, and Ye Zhou couldn’t help but ridicule, “Are you sure that gay men can still get
hard from seeing this kind of movie?”
The man in the video was a completely wretched middle-aged uncle, but the zero [bottom]
under him looked pretty good. It was really a flower inserted in cow dung.
Shang Jin closed the video and said, “Luckily we didn’t see it before we did it.”
Ye Zhou hurriedly stared at Shang Jin to wash his eyes. After looking, he didn’t forget to
praise, “I find that you’re more handsome.”
Shang Jin’s face filled with black lines. “Don’t compare me with others.”
Ye Zhou immediately fell down laughing on Shang Jin.

Chapter 63
After the internet was properly installed, Ye Zhou finally felt alive.
As for the eye-burning things in the USB drive, Ye Zhou immediately formatted it in a fit of
rage.
There were two months of summer vacation and Shang Jin and Ye Zhou, with nothing to do,
thought about working part-time.
“Your matter has also made me feel a sense of crisis. Now, making money is the top
priority.” Ye Zhou typed on the computer and looked up information on part-time online
tutoring. “What about becoming a private tutor?”
Shang Jin was leaning on the bed when he thought of something and put down his book.
“Private tutor? I have a way.”
Growing up, Shang Jin was a mythological existence both at school and in the community.
After all, there wasn’t a family without a child. As long as there was a child, there was no
way they wouldn’t know about the eternally first Shang Jin.
When Shang Jin became the college entrance exam champion, the community had pulled
out a glorious banner, proclaiming that this was the literary city where the champion lived.
At that time, there were some parents with middle school children who wanted to ask
Shang Jin to be their tutor. Shang Jin disliked troublesome things, so he’d evaded.
But those parents wouldn’t give up so easily. Until now, during summer and winter
vacations when they saw Shang Jin, they’d probe and ask if he’d tutor.
“Locals are good.” Ye Zhou leaned next to Shang Jin and said, “Help me to pull in a client
too.”
Shang Jin looked at the contacts in his phone and cast him a glance. He said, “What
compensation do I get for helping you?”
Ye Zhou encircled Shang Jin’s neck, kissed his face firmly and said, “With my body!”
“Deal.”
The name ‘eternal second’ didn’t sound good, but able to get second time after time was
just as precious as getting first test after test. Shang Jin didn’t have to spend too much effort
and was able to draw in several parents to fight over them. And for parents who weren’t
lacking in money, as long as their children’s performance could be improved, the price
didn’t matter at all.
Everything seemed to be going well, but when Ye Zhou heard that the parents lived in the
same community as Shang Jin’s family, he couldn’t laugh.
“What if we meet your family?”
Shang Jin indifferently said, “If we meet, then we meet.”
Ye Zhou was entangled for a while and eventually bowed down to the charm of money. He
could only comfort himself, “As they say, don’t air your dirty laundry in public. Your family
probably won’t spread our matter around.”
On the first day, Shang Jin and Ye Zhou drove the Shang Ye number to the foot of where Ye
Zhou would be tutoring. From far away, they could see a young adolescent girl standing in
front of the gate.
“This is the child you’ll be tutoring. She’s almost in her third year of middle school and in
her rebellious period. Although the pay is high, but it’s also not easy to handle. Can you?”
Although it was a question, but Shang Jin wasn’t worried at all.
Ye Zhou snorted and said, “I can even conquer you, so how can I not handle a mere middle
school student?”
The little girl’s face was cold. When she saw two people coming over, she immediately
looked up impatiently and was stunned.
“Little Qiu.” Shang Jin pushed out Ye Zhou and said, “This is Ye Zhou, my friend.”
Ye Zhou hurriedly smiled and greeted, “Hi, Little Qiu. My name is Ye Zhou.”
Quicker than words could tell, the little girl’s hostile air was completely put under wraps.
The rebellious girl turned into a shy flower in a second, and with a blushing face, she said,
“Hi, Brother Shang Jin, Brother Ye Zhou.”
Ye Zhou raised his lips. “These two months will have a lot of advice.”
Shang Jin saw that there wasn’t any problem and put down his heart. He patted Ye Zhou’s
shoulder and said, “Then I’ll go first. After the tutoring, give me a call.”
“Brother Ye Zhou, please come in. Bye, Brother Shang Jin!” Little Qiu’s family lived on the
first floor. She opened the door and called out in an unusually sweet voice, “Mom, the
brother tutor is here. Where’s my textbooks!”
At that moment, Little Qiu’s mother looked at her daughter like she was an alien.
Half a month later, the matter of Shang Jin and Ye Zhou being private tutors was passed to
the Shang family.
“Riding a pedicab everyday, who’s he showing it to?” Shang Qingping slammed the table
loudly. “Isn’t he ashamed to bring his boyfriend with him! I think he’s just showing it to me.
I have neglected him for so many years, so he found a guy to anger me.”
Qin Fei couldn’t let it pass and indignantly said, “You, as his father, should know best what
kind of person Shang Jin is. Although I haven’t known him for long, even I can see that
Shang Jin isn’t an impulsive person. You still can’t see it?”
Shang Qingping couldn’t refute and gave a heavy grunt.
Qin Fei persuaded, “I’ve inquired and Shang Jin’s friend is called Ye Zhou. Sister Zhang who
hired Ye Zhou was full of praise for him. Not only does he teaches well, his character is
without question. The key is that he’s really knowledgeable. Even the Zhang family’s big
brother who usually has eyes on top of his head would look at Ye Zhou twice and even
asked him if he was interested in joining his company after graduating. It’s not like you
don’t know how willful Little Qiu is. Now, she listens to Ye Zhou the most. I heard that year
that Ye Zhou was D City’s runner-up. Even if Shang Jin wanted to find someone to anger
you, a kind of person like Ye Zhou wouldn’t go along with it. The two people’s feelings must
be serious.”
“Brother Zhou Zhou?” Shang Youyou just heard Ye Zhou’s name as she was coming
downstairs. She bounced and skipped over to say, “Brother Zhou Zhou is really good. It was
Brother Zhou Zhou who bought Princess Elsa for me last time.”
Shang Qingping was in a temper. Who knew that the two people in the house would
inexplicably instigate a rebellion and help the enemy. He said to Shang Youyou in a poor
tone, “What do children know! Go up!”
Shang Youyou pouted her lips and hmphed. “Daddy is an idiot!”
“Hmph, I think he’s a fox spirit!” The soldier fighting alone, Shang Qingping, furiously said,
“Else, how would you all be bewitched by him out of your senses!”
The next few days, he didn’t know how but Ye Zhou’s name often appeared in his ears.
On this day, Ye Zhou finished the session and declined Zhang family’s good intention to
invite him to stay for dinner. He went the community’s exercise center near Shang Jin.
In the evening, many people had eaten and were exercising here.
Shang Qingping inquired about the time and went home early. He sat down at the stone
bench farthest from Ye Zhou and watched Ye Zhou greet the people around him.
Obviously, he’d been here for over half a month tutoring, but how did it feel like he’d been
living here for a few years?
“Little Zhou, waiting for Shang Jin?” Grandma Wang carried two watermelons and was
about to set them down on the ground to rest.
The watermelons hadn’t set down yet, Ye Zhou came over and hastened to help her. He
enthusiastically said, “Grandma, let me help you carry them.”
Grandma Wang smiled. “This child, I have to trouble you every time.”
“It’s nothing, just the lift of a hand. But Grandma, next time, don’t buy too much at one
time.”
Halfway through, a group of half-grown boys with a basketball surrounded Ye Zhou and
said, “Brother Ye, come play a while?”
“Next time. Shang Jin’s coming.”
One of the children asked puzzledly, “Brother Shang Jin’s family lives here. Why is he living
outside?”
Ye Zhou placed the two watermelons in one hand and used the empty hand to rub his head
and said, “You don’t understand this. A man has to start his independent life!”
Not long after Ye Zhou left, Shang Jin arrived at the appointed place. Seeing that Ye Zhou
wasn’t there, he was sure that Ye Zhou was definitely helping others. He was going to find a
bench to sit down when he ran right into Shang Qingping’s line of sight during his search.
His dad was a busy man and certainly wouldn’t sit in the community without reason.
Shang Jin confidently walked over, but Shang Qingping was like he’d been caught in the act
and was somewhat guilty.
“What are you doing here?”
“Cooling off.”
“Then you continue.” Shang Jin was about to leave and was stopped by Shang Qingping.
Shang Qingping patted the stool next to him and said, “Sit.”
Ye Zhou may come back at any moment. Shang Jin said absently, “I like to stand.”
Shang Qingping was aware of losing face, and he said enigmatically, “What? You want me to
look up to you?”
In a public place, Shang Jin also didn’t want things to get too ugly. He could only sit down,
but his eyes still kept looking around.
Shang Qingping said in an unpleasant tone, “Where do you live now?”
“Rent an apartment.”
Shang Qingping put a key and card on the table and said, “Take it.”
Shang Jin didn’t even look and said straightforwardly, “I don’t want it.”
Shang Qingping took a deep breath and said, “I never said that I had to cut off your financial
source.”
“No.” Shang Jin looked directly at Shang Qingping and said, “I just think that what Ye Zhou
said is quite reasonable. After all, what I obtain by myself is different from what others give
me.”
Shang Qingping angrily said, “Am I an other person?”
“It’s still not what I relied on myself to obtain.” Shang Jin pushed the key and the card to
Shang Qingping’s hand and said, “Dad, I’m not angry. I just feel that if I want to get the life I
want, I must rely on my own hands to get it. I know what I want and I’m also confident that
I can live the the life I want.”
Hearing these words, Shang Qingping lost spirit.
This child wasn’t the least bit like him or Liang Jingmin. He was so young, but he seemed
exceptionally mature. His voice wasn’t loud, but it held conviction.
Shang Qingping sighed. As Shang Jin had said, Shang Jin hadn’t gotten anything from him
since childhood. Now, he wasn’t qualified to intervene in his choice.
Shang Qingping collected the things on the stone table, stood up and said in displeasure,
“Passing by the door everyday, but don’t know to go home for dinner.”
“I can. I’ll bring Ye Zhou with me.”
“Don’t go too far!” Shang Qingping’s mask broke again. “You must give me time to adapt!”
“That’s fine. Ye Zhou likes to eat flavorful dishes. When the home makes it, then I’ll go home
again.”
Shang Qingping didn’t speak again and left before Ye Zhou returned.
After two minutes, Ye Zhou walked over, swinging his arms, and said, “The two
watermelons are really a little heavy.”
“Who made you get into the habit of being Lei Feng?” 1
“I carried it and even I’m a little tired, not to mention Grandma Wang.” Ye Zhou smacked
his lips and said, “I also want to eat watermelon.”
Shang Jin raised his eyebrows and said, “You helped Grandma Wang carry the watermelons
for so far and she didn’t give you a piece to eat?”
Ye Zhou proudly said, “Don’t take from the masses a single needle or thread! Haha, we’ll
buy one later and then you can bring it home.”
“Yeah, let’s go home.”
1. Lei Feng (雷锋): Model of altruism and dedication for the Communist Party ↩

Chapter 64
“Ai ya ya.” School was going to start soon. Ye Zhou was lying in bed and happily counting a
stack of money. “Looking at them gives a sense of surety.”
Shang Jin glanced at him and continued to look at the game on the screen.
Ye Zhou sat up and taking out two pieces, scraped Shang Jin’s cheek and said, “Beauty, give
this young master a smile and this is yours.”
Shang Jin immediately took out a wad of money from the drawer and threw it on Ye Zhou.
“You want to humiliate me with money?” Ye Zhou yelled, “I tell you, you’ve succeeded!” Ye
Zhou finished saying and stuffed all the money on the bed into his own private stash.
At the end of the instance, Shang Jin turned to see Ye Zhou with his head down, his bangs
completely covering his eyes. He reached out and raised up his hair. “You have to cut your
hair.”
“Really?” Ye Zhou held his private stash and said, “Let’s go out to get a haircut in a moment,
and we can deposit the money along the way.”
Since Shang Jin didn’t ask for a penny from his family, Ye Zhou started his penny-pinching
mode. Once he’d spent money extravagantly, but now he began to budget how to spend the
money. Even the money his parents gave him, he no longer touched it.
In certain places, the two people were surprisingly familiar.
Thinking that one day he might have a falling out with his family, he was being economical
now, trying to be separate from his family. This way, he’d have more confidence even if he
left.
The two aunties asked me if I was still tutoring after I start school. I feel that time is a bit
tight and I rejected it.” In fact, Ye Zhou’s heart was dripping blood. He seemed to see the red
bills bid farewell one by one. Originally, Ye Zhou had only tutored Little Qiu in middle
school math and English. Later, when he was chatting, Ye Zhou accidentally mentioned that
he’d helped Shang Ming improve his score by 50 points in the third year of high school, and
another aunt with a child in the third year of high school persuaded him to tutor her child.
Ye Zhou had only graduated two years ago, so he was more comfortable with the high
school curriculum. For that high school senior student, he crammed him well in that half
month of summer vacation. Then the high school senior took the exam in August. His score
that couldn’t be raise in life and death actually raised by 20 points. His parents were so
happy, they gave Ye Zhou a big red envelope. “But I added the two students’ WeChat and
told them that if they had any questions, they could send a text to me. When I go back for
Lunar New Year, I’ll look for my senior year materials.”
Shang Jin smiled. “If you let Sun Xiaohao pass the college entrance exam, I think Uncle Sun
would send you a banner.”
Ye Zhou complacently said, “Thinking of that year, Shang Ming’s parents wanted to send me
one, but I put a stop to it.”
“Why?” Although he’d never seen Ye Zhou’s parents, Shang Jin could feel from Ye Zhou’s
words that they’d be people who loved face. If a friend’s parents visited their home to
express their gratitude, that’s giving enormous face.
Ye Zhou curled his lips and said, “Even if they went, they would only say that it was
nothing.”
Seeing Ye Zhou’s mood wasn’t high, Shang Jin simply changed the topic.
On the day that school started, Ye Zhou suddenly received a message from Su Yin. What
should come, would come. Su Yin being able to endure it to now was already not easy.
Although the two people rented a place outside, they didn’t withdraw from the school
dorm.
While Shang Jin rested in the dorm, Ye Zhou arrived at the place agreed with Su Yin.
“Hey, I haven’t seen you in two months. Great beauty Su, did you get thinner?”
Su Yin coldly hmphed and didn’t accept Ye Zhou’s flattery at all. Not keeping people in
suspense, she asked directly, “What’s going on with you and Shang Jin!”
Ye Zhou coughed lightly and said, “It’s what you see.”
“At that time, didn’t you say that Shang Jin wasn’t in your options??” Su Yin really didn’t
understand. If they were to go back a year ago at this time, she knew best how much Ye
Zhou hated Shang Jin. She didn’t expect that in only a year, the other’s affection would
change and fall in love.
“I…” Ye Zhou shifted his gaze and forced a laugh, “Isn’t it because Shang Jin is my answer?
So I don’t need multiple choices. No other option exists.”
Su Yin shook from the goosebumps covering her body. “What about Tang Dongdong?”
Ye Zhou pledged, “Tang Dongdong and I are simply friends and nothing else!”
Su Yin stared fixedly at Ye Zhou for half a day. Finally, her arms crossed her chest and she
heaved a long sigh. “Forget it. As long as you’re happy.”
He hadn’t expected Su Yin to let him off so easily. It should be known that if someone had
touched the male god with a finger, she’d look like she was asking for your life. He said in
surprise, “You really think so?”
“It’s fine as long as the male god is happy. And…” Su Yin thought of A Uni’s big environment
and said, “Now, no one dares to tear you two apart. If there’s a sign of development, it’d be
strangled in the cradle.”
Ye Zhou clenched his fist and praised A Uni’s feudal superstition in his heart.
Entering the third year, it felt like the surrounding students had a lot of goals. They planned
to start preparing for the graduate entrance exam and planned to start working directly
after graduation, and started to pay attention to each profession.
Ye Zhou and Shang Jin unanimously decided to study for the graduate exam.
Shang Jin looked at the lush strawberry plant and said, “I find that planting is very
interesting. You say, should I study for the agricultural science faculty?”
“Ah???” Ye Zhou was taken aback. His intention of giving this strawberry wasn’t to let
Shang Jin go farm! And a finance student with great ability going into farming…Ye Zhou
thought of Shang Jin wearing a straw hat with sleeves pulled up, crouching in the fields. It
seemed quite interesting. He was sure that if Shang Jin really studied agriculture, he’d
definitely be able to achieve another career. “As you will.”
“Forget it. I’m rather lazy.” Shang Jin knew himself very well. “If I’m in finance, I only need
to use my brain.”
Ye Zhou sat in his chair and slid to his side. “If you like planting, we can buy a bigger house
later and customize a sun room. Just plant a little. This way, it wouldn’t be tiring.”
“Good idea!”
Liu Yutian picked out his ears. The frequency of these kind of words in the dorm appeared
a bit high recently, and he felt a bit stifled. These two people, wasn’t their honeymoon
period coming a little late? They’d been dating for a year and now they’ve only started
being sticky. Think about the rest of their lives! Did they think the honeymoon period last
that long?
Wen Renxu was also born without love. He found that it was increasingly impossible to
squeeze another person in between Shang and Ye.
For example, one day, Ye Zhou was reading a book, suddenly looked up and called, “Shang
Jin.”
Then, Shang Jin picked up a book on the table and put it directly on Ye Zhou’s table.
Ye Zhou opened the book very naturally and continued reading.
From beginning to end, Ye Zhou had only called a name, but Shang Jin could hear exactly
what Ye Zhou wanted from that name.
Don’t you know that this kind of inadvertent behavior was the greatest dog abuse??
Fortunately, these two people also knew to stay elsewhere at night, otherwise, with this
sticky strength, Wen Renxu was really worried that if he wanted to avoid it, it’d take way,
way too long.
On this, Ye Zhou stated he was innocent. He really shied away from doing any intimate
activities in the dorm, not even hugging let alone kissing.
However, for the sake of the mental health of his many single friends, Ye Zhou and Shang
Jin conscientiously returned back to their rented place when they didn’t have class.
So, when Ye Heng walked to A Uni’s entrance at two in the afternoon, Ye Zhou and Shang
Jin were sleeping soundly in bed at the rental house.
Ye Heng’s company was preparing to expand the market in A City, and he’d volunteered to
transfer to the A City branch. After he completed the handover in the remaining two
months, he could come here directly.
He added several days of shifts and it wasn’t easy to finally squeeze out two days to come to
A City in advance. One was to get acquainted with the environment, and the other was to
meet Ye Zhou and get a feel for what Ye Zhou’s life was like these two years in this city.
As a result, he was a little excited and it wasn’t until he stood at the gate of A Uni that he
remembered he hadn’t contacted Ye Zhou.
Ye Heng dialed Ye Zhou’s phone number as he wandered around A Uni.
However, after 40 seconds, only a cold female voice came from the phone. “Sorry, the
number you dialed is temporarily unavailable…”
Ye Heng was unwilling to give up and called again. He received the same response.
“Could it be he’s in class?” Ye Heng said to himself. A Uni was worthy of being a famous
school. The area of the buildings was comparable to his alma mater’s. It wasn’t an
exaggeration to say that finding a person on the campus was like finding a needle in a
haystack. And Ye Heng’s understanding of Ye Zhou was limited to knowing that he was in
the finance department.
He walked a few steps inside. Classes may change, but the dorm wouldn’t change. At the
moment, Ye Heng stopped a kind-faced student and asked, “Classmate, how can I get to the
male dorm for the finance department?”
The boy said awkwardly, “I’m sorry, I’m new. Everyday I’m in military training and I’m not
yet clear on the school layout.”
“It’s okay, thank you.” The weather in September was a bit hot and stuffy. Coupled with the
fact that he wasn’t able to contact Ye Zhou, he itched and murmured, “Really, this Ye Zhou,
not answering the phone and also not replying to the text.”
He didn’t think that after this sentence was just finished, the freshman who was about to
leave turned around and asked, “You’re looking for Ye Zhou?”
Ye Heng was pleasantly surprised. “You know him?”
The freshman looked at him up and down and said, “I don’t know.” After that, he hurried
away like a ghost was chasing behind him.
Ye Heng’s heart thumped.
This person didn’t look like he didn’t recognize Ye Zhou. A freshman that had entered
school not long ago actually recognized Ye Zhou, then there was only one possibility: Ye
Zhou had a certain reputation in school.
Thinking of Ye Zhou who was silent and uncommunicative every time at home and resisted
all of his efforts, and Ye Zhou who in their parent’s mouth became unable to do anything
right, Ye Heng couldn’t help worrying about whether Ye Zhou would be bullied in school.
He’d quietly come over was in fact because he wanted to look at what Ye Zhou usually was
like on campus.
Once again, he dialed Ye Zhou’s phone and no one answered. Ye Heng was uneasy. He
wasn’t sure if Ye Zhou just missed the call or if something had happened and he couldn’t
pick up. He couldn’t care about whether he was bothering someone and directly stopped a
person and asked, “Classmate, how do you get to the male dorm for the finance
department?”
Zhou Wendao had bought a snack and was ready to go back to the dorm when he was
stopped. He straightforwardly said, “I’m from the finance department and I’m going back to
the dorm. Let’s go together.”
“Thank you so much.”
“No need.” Zhou Wendao was a person whose mouth couldn’t stay idle. Even if it was a
stranger, he said familiarly, “Brother, are you looking for someone?”
Ye Heng smiled politely and said, “Yeah, my younger brother is a third-year student in the
finance department. I just called but no one answered.”
“What a coincidence. I’m also a third-year. What’s your brother’s name? Let me see if I
recognize him.”
“His name is Ye Zhou.”
Zhou Wendao said in great alarm, “Ye Zhou??”
Chapter 65
Ye Heng stared blankly. Why did everyone mention Ye Zhou’s name with this tone??
What Ye Heng didn’t know was that Zhou Wendao’s heart was flipping back and forth. Ye
Zhou actually had an older brother? Ye Zhou’s older brother actually came to the
university? Did Ye Zhou’s older brother know about his and Shang Jin’s matter?
Zhou Wendao thought for too long and Ye Heng couldn’t help but interrupt him.
“Classmate?”
Zhou Wendao came back to his senses and quickly cleared his throat. He asked tentatively,
“You…are really Ye Zhou’s brother? Blood brother?”
Ye Heng was baffled, but still replied, “Blood brother, so…do you know Ye Zhou?”
Zhou Wendao lowered his head and sighed. Should he say he knows him or not? Knows
him or not?
It was obviously the behavior of concealing something, and it made Ye Heng mistakenly
think that Ye Zhou was like he’d imagined: he was in a difficult situation at school.
Now that nothing was clear, Zhou Wendao didn’t dare to rashly tell Ye Heng about Ye Zhou
living outside. He asked suspiciously, “Since you’re his brother, you didn’t talk to Ye Zhou
before? It’s just making a phone call.”
“I came in a hurry and forgot to say. I just called and no one answered.”
“So it’s like this…” Zhou Wendao said insipidly. He clenched the snack bag and kept sighing
that if he’d known earlier, he wouldn’t buy snacks today. Well, now he was completely
unprepared to meet a big Buddha. Seeing that he was going to the boys’ dormitory, Zhou
Wendao took a turn to take Ye Heng to the sports field, planning to take him around a lap
before bringing him back. It was best to contact Ye Zhou during this time. He took out his
phone and said, “I’ll try giving Ye Zhou a call.”
Finished talking, he couldn’t wait to dial the phone number. Hearing the beep in his ear, he
kept praying for Ye Zhou to answer the phone.
In the rented room, Ye Zhou’s mobile phone next to the pillow kept flashing, but it was on
mute so that Ye Zhou, who had his head tucked in Shang Jin’s arms, didn’t feel it at all.
“Hehehehe…Big Brother, maybe Ye Zhou is busy right now…” Zhou Wendao put his phone
back in his pocket and rubbed the sweat on his pants. “I’ll take you back to the dorm first.”
“Is Ye Zhou doing okay at school?”
Because Zhou Wendao was anxious, he’d been absent-minded. So when Ye Heng asked
again, he hastily said, “It’s good, it’s good.”
Ye Heng glanced at him with a great deal of distrust in his eyes. With such a perfunctory
answer, perhaps Ye Zhou usually wasn’t okay at all?
After walking for nearly a quarter of an hour, Ye Heng suddenly stopped and said, “We’ve
just been here.”
A sweat dripped down Zhou Wendao’s forehead. No way!! He’d been found out.
Ye Heng looked directly at him and said, “I’m used to remembering the road in unfamiliar
places. Fortunately, I have a good memory. Don’t tell me that a student who’s been here for
two years would get lost.”
Zhou Wendao was short, and was half-a-head shorter when facing Ye Heng, not to mention
now that Ye Heng’s aura was fully opened. His tears quickly flowed like lasagna. Zhou! Your
brother and you aren’t alike at all! Is it easy for me to hide yours and Shang Jin’s
relationship?
Lasagna tears
Zhan Xing passed by right when Zhou Wendao was in a dilemma. He rushed in front of
Zhou Wendao and glared at Ye Heng. “What are you doing? Troubling my brother?”
Zhou Wendao quickly stopped Zhan Xing and explained, “It’s a misunderstanding,
misunderstanding. He’s here to find Ye Zhou.”
Zhan Xing immediately raised an alarm in his heart. Since Shang Jin and Ye Zhou were
together, they’d quarrel from time to time, and all of A Uni’s students would panic and think
everyone was their enemy. Now that Shang Jin and Ye Zhou finally entered their
honeymoon period, what was this strange man looking for Ye Zhou trying to attempt?
He said guardedly, “Why are you looking for Ye Zhou?”
Ye Heng raised this question again: why was it that once he mentioned looking for Ye Zhou,
their expression when looking at him was so…subtle? How bad was his brother’s
reputation at school to cause even a mention of Ye Zhou to make everyone look at him with
such…disgust?
Zhou Wendao whispered, “He’s Ye Zhou’s brother!”
Zhan Xing breathed a big sigh of relief. “That so. Sorry, big brother, but Ye Zhou’s no longer
liv…” Words not yet finished, Zhou Wendao covered his mouth. Zhou Wendao desperately
gave Zhan Xing a signal with his eyes.
Ye Heng easily guessed what he didn’t say. His head exploded. It was exactly what he’d
imagined. His poor little brother must have been bullied so he’d moved outside to live. He
couldn’t help but blame himself. If he’d known this, he would have come to A City earlier.
He asked in the gentlest tone, “Where does Ye Zhou live now?”
Zhou Wendao saw that he couldn’t keep the rental house under wraps anymore and could
only tell the truth. “We don’t know. We haven’t been there.” It was mainly the love nest of
the small couple. They’d all tactfully not gone over to disturb them.
This statement turned into something else in Ye Heng’s ears. His little brother had no
friends, so no one would go visit him when he rented a house outside. Ye Heng decided to
go tomorrow and look at the houses in A City. Ye Zhou had to study for at least two years.
He had to settle here as soon as possible so that he could take his brother to live with him.
“Then, big brother, why don’t we wait in the dorm first?” Zhan Xing remediated, “He
sometimes stays in the dorm.”
When Zhan Xing brought Ye Heng to the entrance of the boys’ dorm, Ye Heng gave a
meaningful look at Zhou Wendao.
Zhou Wendao was scared until his back was soaked with a layer of sweat. It was over.
Taking a deliberate detour was really seen through.
When they arrived at 403, Zhou Wendao quickly beat it. “Zhan Xing, you take big brother
over there. I’m so sleepy. I’ll go to bed first.”
Zhan Xing didn’t notice anything. He knocked on the door to 405, opened it and said, “Big
Brother Ye, this is Ye Zhou’s dorm. This is Ye Zhou’s bed.”
Liu Yutian curiously said, “This is?”
Zhan Xing introduced, “This is Ye Zhou’s older brother.”
“Hi, Big Brother Ye.”
Ye Heng nodded at him and walked to Ye Zhou’s bed. The neat bed was without a trace of
wrinkle and even the quilt was folded into a tofu block. His eyes swept over to Ye Zhou’s
desk and like the bed, it was clean and tidy. He picked up a book that was filled with notes.
The handwriting was neat and clear.
Liu Yutian looked at Ye Heng and asked Zhan Xing, “Since Big Brother Ye came, why hasn’t
Ye Zhou come yet?”
Ye Heng put down the book and said, “I just called but it didn’t go through.”
“Then why don’t I give Shang…”
“Ke ke cough!” Zhan Xing severely interrupted him and kept giving him imaginary eyes.
Liu Yutian looked at Ye Heng and looked at Zhan Xing again. He immediately understood
and changed his words. “I’ll give…Ye Zhou another call!”
Saying he’d call Ye Zhou, in fact, Liu Yutian pressed Shang Jin’s number.
buzz buzz buzz…
Shang Jin frowned and covered his face with the quilt.
Ye Zhou opened his sleepy eyes and pushed Shang Jin. “Phone…”
Shang Jin felt for the phone, squinted his eyes and pushed the green button. In a bad tone,
“What?”
Shang Jin had woken up in anger…
Liu Yutian swallowed his saliva. He swept over Ye Heng out of the corner of his eye and put
on an act. “Ye Zhou, where are you?”
“Ah?” Shang Jin took a look at the screen of the phone and made sure that the other person
was Liu Yutian, then placed it back to his ear.
Listening to Shang Jin’s tone, Liu Yutian madly sweated in his heart and pretended to
calmly say, “Why didn’t you pick up when I just called you?”
Shang Jin was silent for a second and then casually handed the phone to Ye Zhou. “Your
phone call.”
“Hey…”
Liu Yutian was moved to tears. Shang Jin was really Shang Jin. Without having to explain,
Shang Jin immediately knew what he wanted to say.
“Don’t say anything. Your brother is here and is now waiting for you in the dorm. Come
back quickly!” Liu Yutian spoke out like the patter of a machine gun. Soon after, he cast Ye
Heng a glance and pretended to complain, “Where did you go? I gave you so many calls but
no one answered.”
Ye Zhou said in a daze, “What brother…”
“What ‘what brother’, your own brother!!”
“My brother…” Ye Zhou’s head that was on standby finally woke up. He suddenly sat up in
shock. “My brother!”
Ye Heng impatiently said, “Come, let me talk with him.”
That hard-to-refuse imposing manner made Liu Yutian easily hand over the phone before
he had a chance to respond.
“Zhou Zhou.”
“Brother, you…” Ye Zhou picked up his mobile phone from the bedside and saw the 10
missed calls on the screen. “Why didn’t tell me in advance that you were coming?”
Ye Heng said carefully, “Am I bothering you?”
“No, no…” Ye Zhou turned over, got off the bed and said, “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Ye Heng considerately said, “No rush. Why don’t you tell me the address and I’ll go to you.”
Ye Zhou looked at Shang Jin who was still in a deep sleep and hurriedly said, “Don’t, don’t,
don’t! I’ll be right back. Wait half an hour ー no, twenty minutes ー I’ll be right back.
Brother, see you later!”
This was the first time Ye Heng had experienced such an “enthusiastic” Ye Zhou. He was
going to hang up the phone when his eyes accidentally swept over the name of the contact
on the mobile phone screen. He vaguely saw the word “Shang”, but not waiting for him to
look closely, the cell phone was snatched away by Liu Yutian.
Liu Yutian pretended to carelessly ask, “Big Brother Ye, what did Ye Zhou say?”
Ye Heng’s attention was drawn away. He’d calmed down after contacting Ye Zhou and was
a lot more good-natured to Ye Zhou’s classmates. “He said that he would be back in a
minute.”
Liu Yutian said in embarrassment, “That’s good, that’s good.”
On the other side, Ye Zhou kicked Shang Jin with his foot while putting on his clothes. “I
won’t be back tonight.”
Shang Jin opened a corner of the quilt and said in a low voice, “Your brother came?”
“Yeah, my relationship with my brother isn’t so good that I could tell him about the two of
us. So I’ll stay in the dorm today.” Ye Zhou quickly washed up and kissed him before
leaving. “See you tomorrow.”
“Wait.” Shang Jin sat up and said to Ye Zhou, “Your brother came. I have no reason to stay
here so I’ll go with you.”
“No!” Ye Zhou said, unyielding, “You stay here today.”
Shang Jin said, “It should be okay as a regular friend.”
“No.” Ye Zhou remained unmoved. “I’m not sure I wouldn’t give the game away in front of
my brother.” Not to mention that the two people had lived together for almost three
months and many habits had changed. Wen Renxu said that they were unconsciously dog
abusers. What if it was seen through by his brother!
“Okay.” Shang Jin said helplessly. “Your brother came so hastily. Ask him if he’s booked the
hotel. If he hasn’t, just say it and I’ll help him make a reservation.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Walking to the door, Ye Zhou paused again to explain, “Also, don’t call me.
We’ll try our best to pretend to be ordinary classmates in these two days. When my
brother’s gone, our alert can be lifted, okay?”
Shang Jin waved his hand and gave him an “OK” gesture.
Ye Zhou took a deep breath and quickly rushed toward school.
The author has something to say:
Ye Zhou: My relationship with my brother isn’t so good that I could tell him about the two
of us.
Ye Heng: QAQ Zhou Zhou, big brother is so hurt…
T/N: Since I want to finish before the year end, it’ll be daily releases until the end~

Chapter 66
After Ye Zhou went downstairs, he immediately called a taxi and arrived at the dorm
entrance in less than a quarter of an hour.
Ye Zhou took several steps at a time and the three-minute trip was shortened to one
minute. Gasping for air, he pushed open the door to 405. Ye Heng was sitting in his seat,
looking through a book.
“Brother…” Ye Zhou kept panting, “You…why did you…come…”
“Zhou, drink a little.” Liu Yutian hurriedly poured a glass of water for Ye Zhou.
Ye Heng took a napkin from the table and wanted to wipe the sweat on his forehead. In the
end, Ye Zhou instinctively turned his head, and then felt it was a bit impolite. He took the
napkin in his hand and wiped his mouth, whispering his thanks. Gulping down the glass of
water in one breath, Ye Zhou’s breath evened out and he pulled out Shang Jin’s chair and
sat down. “Brother, why didn’t you tell me in advance?”
“I came here on business. Thinking that you were here, I came to see you.”
Ye Zhou relaxed. “That so, when are you leaving?” The words just left, Ye Zhou couldn’t help
but slap himself. What was this question!! He had subconsciously asked what he wanted to
know the most. However, he remedied, “No, I just wanted to say, did you book a hotel? If
you didn’t, I can help you make the reservation.”
Ye Heng who was injured for a second was immediately cured by Ye Zhou’s concern. He
said, “I’m leaving tomorrow morning. I heard that you’re renting a house outside. I’ll go to
your rented house and stay there with you. We brothers haven’t seen each other for so
long, and we should have a good chat in the evening.”
Liu Yutian and Ye Zhou said in unison, “What??”
Ye Heng looked at both of them and said, “What’s wrong?”
Liu Yutian said resentfully, “Nothing, nothing.”
Ye Zhou said with a forceful smile, “Brother, my house is small and lousy. If you go there,
there wouldn’t be any place to sit, not to mention staying. I’ll book a hotel for you!”
“It’s okay. I’m not a picky person. You can live there, so why can’t I live there? Besides, I just
want to see where you usually live.”
“There’s really no need. It’s just a general one-bedroom. There’s nothing to see.” Ye Zhou
also didn’t care to be alone with Ye Heng, feeling uncomfortable. Changing the subject, he
said, “Brother, this is the first time you came here. I’ll show you around.”
Ye Heng was of course very happy to.
“I’ll go to the bathroom first,” Ye Zhou said with a dry laugh, “I was in such a hurry that I
actually forgot to go to the bathroom.”
“Go ahead, don’t panic.”
As soon as he closed the bathroom door, Ye Zhou turned on the faucet, took out his cell
phone and dialed Shang Jin.
After ringing four or five times, the call went through to Shang Jin. “Yeah?”
“You hurry and get up, then tidy up the house. It’s best to pack it up like only one person
lives there. Finally, help me book a hotel. Right, come back to your dorm tonight!”
Shang Jin didn’t ask anything and directly said he knows.
After explaining this, Ye Zhou was finally relieved. He turned off the faucet and opened the
door. Pretending to the end, he came out and washed his hands in the sink. He went over to
Ye Heng and said, “Brother, let’s go.”
Ye Heng didn’t suspect him, nodded to Liu Yutian and followed Ye Zhou to leave the dorm.
Just downstairs, Ye Zhou received a text message from Shang Jin on his phone that showed
the address of the hotel. He couldn’t help but admire Shang Jin’s work efficiency.
Ye Heng waited until Ye Zhou put away his phone and asked, “Zhou Zhou, are you still good
in school?”
“Pretty good.”
Ye Heng quietly observed Ye Zhou’s expression and continued to ask, “If it’s good, then why
did you move out?”
“Eh…” Ye Zhou’s gaze shifted and he vaguely said, “It’s for my own reason.”
Ye Heng also didn’t go to the bottom of the matter. “I’ll be transferring to the A City branch
at the end of the year. By that time, I’ll definitely settle here. Since you don’t want to live in
the dorm, let’s go look at houses tomorrow. We can rent a bigger one and you can move
over. I’m worried for you in the house you’re renting now. When I transfer over, we can
look for a new house. It doesn’t matter if we’re buying or renting. We’ll live together.”
What was called ‘shooting yourself in the foot’… Was it too late now to say that the place he
rented had a very good environment?
Ye Zhou said awkwardly, “But, I’ve paid half a year’s rent for that place…”
Ye Heng said extravagantly, “It doesn’t matter. Your brother will pay you back however
much you spent.”
This wasn’t the matter of having money or not…
The more he talked, the more he couldn’t justify himself, so Ye Zhou could only very bluntly
change the topic. “I’ll take you around the campus first.”
“Sure. Originally, I almost applied here. At that time, I was hesitating between the two
schools.” Ye Heng patted Ye Zhou’s shoulder and said, “Now that you’re in A Uni, it could be
counted as making up for my regrets.”
Perhaps the environment was familiar, so even though Ye Zhou was a bit uncomfortable
around Ye Heng, he still could introduce him to his school.
This was the first time Ye Heng saw such a talkative Ye Zhou. While he was enjoying it, he
began to doubt his previous thoughts.
At half past three, it was just when class let out. Walking past the school building, students
kept streaming by.
A boy from the same dorm saw Ye Zhou and asked, “Ye Zhou, what are you doing? Why
aren’t you with Shang Jin?”
Ye Zhou shot a glance at Ye Heng and quickly replied, “My brother came today, and I’m
taking him around.”
“OK, then I’ll go first!”
Ye Zhou sighed with relief as he watched the other party leave.
Along the way, they encountered many such people. The first sentence was all “Where’s
Shang Jin?” It made Ye Zhou start to review: was he always so stuck together to Shang Jin
that it made everyone flabbergasted when he came out alone?
“It seems that you get along well with everyone.” Ye Heng felt like a weight was off his
mind. What he was most worried about that Ye Zhou was bullied, but now it seemed that
the facts were very different from his own imagination. Didn’t he say? His brother was so
good, how could he not be loved by everyone? Even when he was in college, he couldn’t
have walked along a street and have people keep greeting him along the way.
Just as he said this, another of Ye Zhou’s friends came.
“Yo, Ye Zhou, you’re alone?”
Ye Zhou saw the sports player and immediately greeted him familiarly, “Did you come from
the sports field?”
“Yeah, I just went to play basketball,” The sports player originally greeted him casually, but
when he saw Ye Heng who was leaning close to Ye Zhou, he asked vigilantly, “Where’s
Shang Jin?”
It was Shang Jin again. Ye Zhou’s eyelid twitched and he urged, “He has his own business.
You should quickly go, you!”
However, the more anxious Ye Zhou was in his heart, the more the sports player thought Ye
Zhou was guilty. He shook his head and said helplessly, “You and Shang Jin quarreled
again?”
“Really no!” Ye Zhou pushed the sports player and said, “Go on, this is my brother.”
The sports player heaved a long sigh of relief. “Oh, so it’s like this. Then you take your time
strolling. I won’t bother you.”
Ye Heng, who had been listening to the entire conversation, couldn’t pretend even if he
wanted to. He said suspiciously, “Who’s Shang Jin?” If he remembered correctly, the person
on the phone screen of Ye Zhou’s roommate should be Shang Jin.
After calling Ye Zhou’s phone, he couldn’t reach the other party. In the end, they called
Shang Jin and found him.
But Ye Zhou didn’t lift his head and simply said, “Just a friend of mine.”
“That so.” Ye Heng glanced at his nervously clenched fists and said, “I heard that your
school library is very big. Where is it? Could you take me to see it?”
Ye Zhou couldn’t have asked for anything else. While walking, he said, “I usually love to visit
the library. There are a lot of books and many books aren’t sold outside. Also…”
Listening to Ye Zhou gush on, Ye Heng suddenly stopped and watched him silently.
Ye Zhou touched his face and said, “What’s wrong?”
Ye Heng laughed and said, “Just thinking I’ve neglected my duty too much. I’ve obviously
been your older brother for twenty years, but I feel like I’m meeting you for the first time.”
“How…how can…” Ye Zhou lowered his head and felt embarrassed to speak again.
“Let’s take a rest.”
Ye Zhou brought Ye Heng to the school cafe and ordered two cups of coffee.
When touring the campus, he could keep looking for topics, but after stopping, it felt
somewhat awkward.
As though specifically pointing out Ye Zhou’s distress, Ye Heng said with a smile, “How
come you’re not speaking?”
Ye Zhou took a sip of coffee and said, “No.”
Ye Heng no longer embarrassed him. “Actually, before coming here, I’d always worried that
you were as unhappy as you were at home. Today, I’m so happy to see that you’re
comfortable at school and have so many friends.”
Ye Zhou scratched his head and said, “It’s because everyone is so easy to get along with.”
“You don’t feel at ease when you’re home, so I also don’t blame you for not wanting to go
home.”
Ye Zhou’s lips moved, but finally, didn’t refute.
“Zhou Zhou, whatever you feel about our family, you have to remember,” Ye Heng said
earnestly, “You’re the pride of this brother. Brother has always been very happy to have
such an outstanding little brother.”
Ye Zhou’s nose was sour. Wasn’t it his brother who was his pride? He’d almost forgotten
that once he’d pointed at the picture of Ye Heng on the honor roll and proudly introduced
to his classmates that was his brother. He didn’t know at what point his pride had become
ugly jealousy, a mountain crushing him. Every time he felt he could stand up under heavy
pressure, he would be pinned down in the next second.
Almost…just a little bit…
Obviously it was within sight, but it could never be crossed.
But without knowing, this mountain had never been a mountain, but also a road sign in the
desert, silently waiting in the same place. Only he’d avoided looking at it.
He’d unilaterally turned his brother into an enemy, imprisoning himself and injuring his
closest, most loved one.
Ye Zhou bowed his head and whispered, “I’m sorry…”
“We’re a family. There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Ye Heng rubbed Ye Zhou’s head and said,
“And what I said is true. In my heart, you’re much better than I am.”
Ye Zhou didn’t believe his words of comfort. “No way. Obviously, my older brother is even
more powerful. Since young, you’re the best in everything you do.”
“I think you’re more capable of making friends with a lot of people. In all fairness, I
certainly can’t.”
“I said before that it’s because everyone’s easy to get along with…”
Ye Heng stirred the coffee with a spoon and said, “Now, let’s talk about Shang Jin.”
Ye Zhou was stupefied. Didn’t the topic switch a bit fast??

Chapter 67
One might ask: what should the mood be like after the brothers “buried the hatchet”?
Was it joyously reminiscing on the past or was it exuberantly looking forward to the
future?
No! Neither!
When Ye Zhou’s heart was at its weakest, Ye Heng suddenly said what he was most
concerned about, making him unable to reflect on it at all!
Ye Zhou took a sip of coffee and pretended to ask carelessly, “What about Shang Jin?”
“While on the road, everyone we met asked you about Shang Jin. You two aren’t ordinary
friends, right?”
Ye Zhou’s eyelid twitched. He’d specifically not let Shang Jin come over because he was
afraid that their relationship would be exposed. But now, his brother hadn’t seen Shang Jin,
so how did he begin to suspect? This was unscientific!
He carefully organized his words, “Our relationship…is pretty good.”
Ye Heng looked at his expression and probed, “So good that you can live together?”
Ye Zhou was so scared that he couldn’t hold his spoon and accidentally dropped it in the
coffee cup. He hadn’t drank much coffee and a few drops splashed on his hand.
Originally, Ye Heng was just bluffing him and wasn’t expecting Ye Zhou to have such a big
reaction. Understanding clearly in his mind, he took out a napkin and cleaned the coffee on
Ye Zhou’s hand, rebuking him, “You’re so careless when drinking coffee.”
Ye Zhou with a deathly pale face didn’t understand where he’d been exposed.
Ye Heng sighed and said, “I understand that there’s extremely good friends in the
university who become like Siamese twins. But what’s so taboo about it?”
Ye Zhou vainly wanted to make a final struggle, “We…we’re just…”
“If you and Shang Jin are ordinary good brothers, your roommates wouldn’t have to help
you to cover up once they heard that I was your brother,” Ye Heng interrupted him, laying
down his conjecture point by point, “In the entire dorm room, there’s minimal differences
between your desk and the one across from it, which are in sharp contrast with the
brimming tables on the side. And when you went back to the dorm today, there was a chair
next to me, but you took two more steps and very familiarly pulled out the chair across
from you, subconsciously going to the thing that you’re close to. If I’m not mistaken, the
opposite desk should be Shang Jin’s, right?”
Ye Zhou in thousands, or tens of thousands of calculation, wouldn’t have been able to figure
out that Ye Heng would have been able to see through the secret he wanted to conceal from
these small details.
Ye Zhou took a quick look at Ye Heng and felt like his heart was in a mess. He wasn’t sure
what Ye Heng’s purpose was in saying this, and what he would do next.
“Why do you look like the world’s about to be destroyed?” Ye Heng chuckled lightly, “Do I
look like such an unreasonable person?”
Ye Zhou looked at him in uncertainty, not daring to speak. He hadn’t spoken two sentences
before he’d exposed himself thoroughly. Now, he didn’t dare to say anymore and acted like
a mute.
“You’re not going to explain to me?”
Ye Zhou lowered his head and looked at the tranquil surface of the coffee. Resigning
himself, he said, “There’s nothing to explain.”
“Zhou Zhou, were you born so, or was it ー”
“It’s my own issue,” Ye Zhou hurriedly said, “I knew from early on that I was different from
others.”
Ye Heng sighed in relief, looked fondly at Ye Zhou and said, “For so many years, it’s been
hard on you.”
Ye Zhou shook his head and replied, “At first, I thought this road was very difficult, but
now, it’s not so. I have someone I like and friends who understand me…” Ye Zhou held Ye
Heng’ gaze and said, “And my brother. I’m very fortunate.”
Hearing Ye Zhou added him at the end, Ye Heng’s originally suppressed breath loosened.
But for Ye Zhou to say that he liked someone, Ye Heng still couldn’t let it go. He looked at
the time and said, “Running around for a day, I’m a bit tired.”
Ye Zhou breathed a silent sigh of relief and said, “I booked a hotel. I’ll take brother there to
rest first.”
“When did you book it?”
Ye Zhou wanted to increase the favorable impression for Shang Jin in advance, so he gave
him credit for it. “On the way here, I casually mentioned it to Shang Jin and he booked a
good hotel. It’s not far from the school.”
Ye Heng stopped his steps. What to do? He suddenly didn’t want to go.
“Brother?”
Ye Heng glanced at his adorable younger brother, and lest he be disappointed, forced a
laugh and went with him to the hotel.
Although he didn’t like Shang Jin whom he’d not met yet, but arriving at the hotel the other
had booked, he had to praise that the other really knew how to choose the place.
Both comfortable and with convenient transportation, he could also enjoy the city’s night
view from the French windows of the high-rise hotel.
It was just this double bed that made him irritated. If he had a suite, he would be able to get
his younger brother to stay with him for the night.
Ye Zhou accompanied him to dinner and they strolled around the neighborhood. At nine
o’clock, he proposed to leave.
“Brother, what are your plans for tomorrow?” Ye Zhou hadn’t forgotten that Ye Heng said
he came here for work.
“I’ll be a bit busy at the branch office tomorrow. But even so, I must meet Shang Jin before I
leave.” Ye Heng’s tone would brook no refusal. “You guys decide the time and place.”
Ye Zhou said in a low voice, “Then I’ll talk to him tonight…”
How could he agree without getting Shang Jin’s consent! Although he wanted to refuse such
a thing, but he also couldn’t refuse.
On the way back, Ye Zhou kept sighing. This day’s experience was almost like a
rollercoaster. He felt his mood go up one moment and down the next. Whenever he thought
it was safe, his brother would let loose a bomb and blow his brain blank. And Shang Jin…
how could he persuade Shang Jin to meet his brother in a moment? Obviously if he’d
spoken well, then there wouldn’t have been the need to come of the closet, but the result
turned out to the contrary.
Ye Zhou called Shang Jin and learned that Shang Jin had already arrived at school. He
carefully and apologetically told him to come back home.
This day hadn’t only tormented him, but it’d also tossed Shang Jin around not lightly.
Shang Jin didn’t pay any mind. Ye Zhou told him to go back, and he agreed without any
objections.
“Then…” Ye Zhou slowly leaned against Shang Jin and kissed him. “Can we discuss a
matter?”
Shang Jin asked, “Is it keeping a distance from you tomorrow?”
“It’d be good if it were that,” Ye Zhou said sullenly, “It’s more serious.”
Shang Jin thought for a moment and said, “Your brother discovered our matter?”
Ye Zhou said in astonishment, “How did you know?”
“Guessed.”
Ye Zhou furiously said, “You guys, one and the other, how can you guess so accurately!”
“How did your brother find out?”
Ye Zhou reluctantly repeated Ye Heng’s remarks to Shang Jin. “You say, how can he guess so
accurately?”
Shang Jin flicked Ye Zhou’s forehead and said, “How can this be called accurate guessing?
Obviously, you’re too easy to see through. It’s written on your face that you and I have a
hidden relationship.”
Ye Zhou smacked Shang Jin’s head, “Is now the time to blame me? My brother wants to see
you tomorrow. What do we do!”
“Then just meet. It’s sooner or later. If we meet sooner, I can also build up a good
relationship with him in advance.”
Ye Zhou failed to understand.
Shang Jin mysteriously smiled, “At home, your brother has great influence, right?”
Ye Zhou blinked and said, “Yeah, my parents really care about my brother’s opinion.”
“Coming out of the closet, you need to find an ally.” Shang Jin seized Ye Zhou’s shoulders
and said, “Isn’t this a ready-made one?”
Ye Zhou suddenly felt that he couldn’t surpass Shang Jin in his entire life. When he was
nervous and overwhelmed, Shang Jin actually had already considered it so far ahead.
The next afternoon after school, Shang Jin and Ye Zhou met in the hotel restaurant
downstairs from where Ye Heng was staying.
“Zhou Zhou,” Ye Heng waved to them.
“Brother.” Ye Zhou was going to sit opposite to Ye Heng with Shang Jin, but who knew that
he hadn’t sat down yet when Shang Jin gave him a push to sit by Ye Heng’s side.
Shang Jin sat across from them alone and faced Ye Heng, neither haughty nor servile. He
said politely and amiably, “Big Brother Ye, we’ve finally met.”
Ye Heng evaluated Shang Jin in a glance. He didn’t expect that Shang Jin would push Ye
Zhou toward him. His dissatisfaction with him had gradually lessened to seventy percent.
Shang Jin swept Ye Heng with his peripheral vision and confirmed his guess.
The time was limited and Ye Heng didn’t feel like exchanging pleasantries. He directly
asked what he wanted to ask, “Shang Jin, where are you from?”
“I’m a local.” Shang Jin picked up the herbal tea on the table and helped fill their cups. The
movement was elegant and smooth and it looked like he was used to doing such things. “My
family is a reorganized family. I followed my father and I have two younger siblings.”
Ye Heng first frowned, and when he heard the last word, his eyebrows smoothed out again.
“Then you and Ye Zhou…”
“When I just got together with him, I told my biological mother, who told my father and
basically, everyone in the family knows.”
“I heard that you have outstanding results and your future is limitless. Your family would
let you stray on the wrong path?”
“How is it the wrong path?” Shang Jin asked a question in response, “Big Brother Ye, do you
think that Ye Zhou is now walking on the wrong path?”
Ye Heng looked at Ye Zhou and hastily explained, “Of course not. Zhou Zhou, this…was my
negligence.”
Shang Jin raised the cup and took a sip of tea. “My family is somewhat special. Perhaps
because of this unusual nature, I don’t have much sense of belonging with my family. With
Ye Zhou, I saw something like me.”
Shang Jin didn’t say exactly what it was, but Ye Heng understood that it was the longing for
a family.
His younger brother clearly had a home, but he didn’t feel the warmth of a home, similar to
Shang Jin’s reorganized family. Ye Heng looked tenderly at Ye Zhou who’d been fidgeting
since he’d come in. His attitude toward Shang Jin became a bit better and his brows were
no longer tightly knitted, lest he gave Ye Zhou the feeling of “breaking apart the pair of
Mandarin ducks”.
“But Ye Zhou is more fortunate than I am,” Shang Jin said sincerely, “because he has Big
Brother Ye. Big Brother Ye really cares about him without reservation and wholeheartedly
considers for Ye Zhou.”
Ye Heng touched Ye Zhou’s head and said, “Who let him be my younger brother? If I don’t
care for him, who will?”
Shang Jin sighed with feeling, “With Big Brother here, presumably Ye Zhou also won’t be
bullied.”
“Of course.”
It could be considered a harmonious meal, and even if Ye Heng wanted to make trouble for
Shang Jin, he couldn’t find a specific pretext.
After dinner, Shang Jin tactfully took his leave, “Big Brother, I still have a matter tonight, so
I won’t send you off.”
This was exactly what Ye Heng wanted. He happened to have something to say to Ye Zhou.
“Brother, when you go back, take good care of yourself. The next time you come, call me
directly and I’ll pick you up.”
“Yeah.” Ye Heng was concerned about his brother’s straightforwardness and didn’t feel
good at all. The little bit of goodwill he had towards Shang Jin fell down again. “You have to
take good care of yourself, and you must tell big brother if you get bullied.” Especially
Shang Jin, this kind of shrewd person who, the moment he came, brought up what he was
most concerned about, and then used his family to insinuate that Ye Zhou had been treated
unfairly at home for so many years. In the end, it was up to him to protect Ye Zhou again
and again. His family’s little brother definitely couldn’t match the other’s play. Thinking of
this, Ye Heng felt bitter tears in his heart. If he didn’t see that the other wholeheartedly
cared for Ye Zhou, he wouldn’t easily let the other go.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be bullied.”
Ye Heng shook his head and said in his heart: Even if you were bullied, you may not find
out.

Chapter 68
After sending Ye Heng off, Ye Zhou returned home. Shang Jin was holding half a
watermelon and digging into it with a spoon.
“It’s almost October and you’re still eating watermelon? Is it sweet?” He walked over and
sat on the couch. “I thought that when my brother leaves, I should be relieved, but I didn’t
expect to be a bit reluctant.”
Shang Jin dug a spoonful of watermelon and fed it to Ye Zhou. “I think your brother is pretty
good.”
Ye Zhou went slowly over, took the watermelon from Shang Jin’s arms and agreed, “I also
feel like that. How come I didn’t find it so before?”
“Anyway, he’s coming by the end of the year. After that, you both have time to get along.”
Ye Zhou bit the spoon and teasingly stared at Shang Jin, staring until Shang Jin became
baffled.
“What are you doing?”
“I thought you’d be more petty.” After all, if his brother really came, his time with Shang Jin
would certainly decrease.
Shang Jin was not worried about it at all. He leaned against the couch and played a mobile
game. “What’s wrong with having one more person who loves you?”
He never thought Shang Jin would say such a thing.
Ye Zhou threw the watermelon aside and rolled over to sit on Shang Jin’s lap.
Shang Jin immediately tossed the game to the back of his mind and both his hands lingered
on Ye Zhou’s waist. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Ye Zhou leaned down and kissed Shang Jin’s forehead. “I feel that I like you,
that’s all.”
Shang Jin pulled Ye Zhou closer and pressed a kiss on his mouth.
The next day in class, just when Ye Zhou entered the classroom he was pulled aside by
Zhou Wendao.
“Did your brother leave?”
“Just left yesterday,” Ye Zhou asked, “What’s wrong?”
Zhou Wendao breathed a long sigh of relief and sad, “Your brother is too scary.”
“Really?” Ye Zhou didn’t think he was scary even when he wasn’t close to his brother
before, and he wouldn’t feel like that now.
Zhou Wendao’s arms crossed his chest and he said complacently, “You should also thank
me well.”
“Thank you for what?”
“If it weren’t for me being resourceful, not fearing death and taking your brother around
the school to delay the time, I’m afraid your relationship with Shang Jin would have been
discovered by your brother.”
Liu Yutian came from behind and coughed artificially, “Although it’s fashionable to do good
things without leaving your name, you can’t forget the contributions I made the day before
yesterday. At that time, I gave Shang Jin a call, how was my acting? I immediately pretended
that I was talking to you, but your brother didn’t find out that I called Shang Jin’s phone to
find you.”
Ye Zhou suddenly realized that as he’d said, maybe Ye Heng wouldn’t have guessed that
Shang Jin lived with him just from the changes in the dorm. However, if Ye Heng knew that
they’d called Shang Jin to find him, and moreover, everyone also tried to cover up the truth,
then it was impossible to not suspect. He snorted and said through gritted teeth, “I really
should thank you!”
“No need, no need. We definitely can’t do something like forcing you to repay the favor.”
Zhou Wendao touched his forefingers bashfully together and whispered, “The school just
recently started, so aren’t there a lot of freshman girls? I guess do you have any means to
gather them…”
“Gather your sister!” Ye Zhou gripped Zhou Wendao’s shoulder heavily and said, “Thanks to
you, my brother succeeded in seeing through my affair with Shang Jin and caught me by
surprise.”
“Hehehehe no way, right…” Zhou Wendao gave a hollow laugh. Liu Yutian noticed that the
situation wasn’t right and when Ye Zhou wasn’t looking, he slowly retreated backwards.
The result was that Zhou Wendao was captured. “Brother, we share in the hardship
together.”
Liu Yutian said guiltily, “Then you’d be okay.”
“Luckily, my brother is fair and reasonable. If it’s my parents, you wouldn’t even see my
intact corpse now!”
Zhou Wendao earnestly sought advice. “If we meet your parents next time, what should we
say?”
Ye Zhou smiled insincerely and said, “You want this kind of thing to happen a second time?”
“No, no, no, of course not.” Zhou Wendao hurriedly expressed his loyalty, “And I really did it
with good intentions the day before yesterday. Who knew that your brother was so difficult
to deal with. The trees and building in the school are almost all the same. I really don’t
know how he saw that we passed by the same place twice when this was his first time
here.”
Ye Zhou looked at Zhou Wendao like he was an idiot and said, “If Shang Jin came to the
school for the first time and you took him around in a circle, do you think you can hide it
from him?”
As someone who’d lived with Shang Jin for two years, Liu Yutian said very responsibly,
“What kind of god is Shang Jin? How can he be fooled by me and other such ordinary folks.”
“My brother is similar to Shang Jin.” Thinking about it made his teeth ache. These first
places all gathered around him. “Since young, there were only a handful of times when he
didn’t get first place.”
“Why didn’t you tell us sooner!” Zhou Wendao shook Ye Zhou’s shoulders and said, “No
wonder your brother looked at me with that look.”
Ye Zhou said with lingering fears, “Fortunately, this page has already been turned.”
Seeing that it wasn’t a big event, Zhou Wendao turned to gossip. “Since it’s all on the bright
road, why don’t you both celebrate? It’s just the holidays tomorrow. Aren’t you going to go
traveling or something?”
“Even if we travel, we wouldn’t do it during the Eleventh holiday. It’s so cramped and
crowded; how’s that fun?” Fortunately, Ye Zhou and Shang Jin were very similar on this
point, and the two people hadn’t come across a disagreement.
There were only two classes on Friday afternoon. After class, Shang Jin and Ye Zhou met an
unexpected person on the way back to the dormitory.
“Ye Zhou, long time no see.”
Ye Zhou stepped back unconsciously, and his bike’s rear tire really kissed Shang Jin’s front
tire.
Shang Jin looked at the somewhat familiar face and enigmatically said, “Face-con classmate,
your most amiable face god appears before you. Aren’t you going to look twice?”
Ye Zhou awkwardly coughed and glared at Shang Jin. He pushed the bike and walked
toward the person. “Tang Dongdong, are you looking for Su Yin?”
“Yeah, I’m going home with her. I didn’t expect to meet you.”
It hadn’t been a few months since they last met, but for Ye Zhou, it felt like a long time ago.
However, no matter what was said, Tang Dongdong was once his love at first sight, and
now he was still standing beside his lover, Shang Jin. Ye Zhou had no intention to talk with
Tang Dongdong. He used the excuse that they had something to do and soon left with Shang
Jin.
All along the way, Shang Jin didn’t speak again.
“Tang Dongdong is already past history.” Ye Zhou pretended to accidentally bump Shang Jin
with his shoulder and teased, “Don’t go over old accounts again.”
“No…” Shang Jin still couldn’t understand. “After seeing him in person, I’m more convinced
that he’s an ordinary person who you could find any time on the road. How is he better
than me?”
Ye Zhou flew into a rage of humiliation, “You dare to judge my aesthetic? I’m not done with
you yet.”
Shang Jin shrugged and said, “I didn’t say anything. It’s you who admit it.”
“You’re just…”
The words not yet finished, they were interrupted by Shang Jin’s phone ringing.
Shang Jin stared at the caller ID and didn’t answer. Ye Zhou looked curiously at the phone
screen and saw the display: Liang Jingmin.
“This is…”
“My nominal mother.”
Ye Zhou didn’t speak again and sat on his bike seat, listening to Shang Jin’s conversation.
Liang Jingmin still asked to meet with Shang Jin. Unlike in the past, Shang Jin quickly
agreed.
“But, I’m going to bring someone tomorrow.” Shang Jin looked at Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou blinked at him and was dumbfounded for a moment, then pointed at himself in
disbelief.
Shang Jin gave him a look that made him realize the answer himself.

Chapter 69
Shang Jin just hung up when his bike was brutally kicked by Ye Zhou.
Shang Jin: “???”
Ye Zhou ranted, “Did you ask me before you called me to see your mother?” To think that
when Ye Zhou had agreed to bring Shang Jin to see his brother without consulting him, he’d
agonized over it for a long time. but when it came to Shang Jin, the other looked like it was
as it should be and didn’t consider his feelings at all.
“Don’t worry, she’s not important.”
“Even if she’s not important, she’s still your mother!” Although he could guess from Shang
Jin’s attitude that the relationship between the two wasn’t very good, but in any case, the
other side was still Shang Jin’s mother and Ye Zhou couldn’t help but be more cautious. “Go,
let’s go buy some clothes.”
Shang Jin sneered, “What’s there to buy?”
“We must dress up well. After all, we’re meeting the elders.”
“Dress up well…” Shang Jin heard this and looked at Ye Zhou with a sudden smile, “We
really should dress up well.”
Ye Zhou: “???”
The two people returned to their apartment to rest for a while, and then Shang Jin pulled
Ye Zhou to the mall.
Ye Zhou’s mind couldn’t keep up with Shang Jin’s actions. He wondered, “Didn’t you just
look like you were against this? Did you suddenly change your nature?”
“Actually, you reminded me.”
Looking at the elevator stopping at the fourth floor, Ye Zhou pulled at Shang Jin and said,
“We still have save money now. What are you thinking looking at such expensive clothes?”
This wasn’t because Ye Zhou was miserly. He’d never been a stingy person. Due to his fairly
well-off family conditions and frequently getting scholarships, he was usually extravagant
when spending money. But what a person could bear had its limits. When he bought
clothes, he’d spend one or two thousand on clothes at most, but he wouldn’t choose these
brand name clothes that would press down his entire body.
“Carefully choose well.” Shang Jin entered the shop and helped pick out some clothes for
him and let him change in the fitting room.
After he came, Ye Zhou looked at the man in the mirror and his face filled with black lines.
“Is this because you fear that people won’t know that this isn’t a famous brand? Why would
you choose this kind with such a big logo and such a flashy style?” Ye Zhou had always used
a simple and casual style. As a result, when Shang Jin brought him to a designer brand
today, Ye Zhou felt a little unaccustomed.
“Very good.” Shang Jin directly said to the customer service personnel, “Wrap up this one.”
“Hey, hey! Listen to my opinion!”
Shang Jin told him to take a turn for him to see and evaluated, “It’s quite good-looking.
Occasionally try out a different style.”
“But this is too expensive. 10,800 gone in just a few minutes.”
Shang Jin laughed mysteriously, “This is the effect we want.”
Ye Zhou wasn’t too clear now, but he understood once he met Liang Jingmin on the second
day.
Arriving at the appointed restaurant private room, Liang Jingmin glanced at him and stared
at his clothes.
Obviously, the other recognized these brand name clothes and was calculating the price in
her mind.
Shang Jin looked at the place Liang Jingmin had chosen and he knew in his heart that he’d
end up paying this time. After taking a seat, he asked the waiter for a menu.
Liang Jingmin originally wanted to take the menu, but was intercepted by Shang Jin on the
way. He handed the menu to Ye Zhou and said, “See what you want to eat.”
Ye Zhou was a bit embarrassed. He said hesitantly, “That’s not so good. Why don’t we let
Auntie choose first…”
“Don’t call her Auntie. Our relationship isn’t so close; just call her Ms. Liang.”
Liang Jingmin couldn’t bear anymore. She fiercely slammed the table and said, “Do you still
have this mother in your eyes?”
The corner of Shang Jin’s mouth hooked up and he replied, “How would I dare not see you?
Thanks to your blessing, my dad found out about Ye Zhou and me and has already driven
me out of the house.”
“So you just went out like that?” Liang Jingmin didn’t expect Shang Qingping could be so
callous. She clenched her fists and said, “Drive you out of the house? Based on what? You’re
his own son. Even if he drove you out, he has to give you something, and it can’t be little.
After we finish eating, we’ll make a trip to the Shang house. Want to drive out the eldest son
to make room for the youngest son? Don’t think about it!”
Ye Zhou finished ordering and quietly watched Liang Jingmin. Although the other party
didn’t seem easy to get along with, but these words could also be considered as thinking for
Shang Jin. How could the relationship between the two be poor to that extent?
Liang Jingmin took a drink from her glass of water to soothe her anger. She once again
turned her attention Ye Zhou. “You’re Ye Zhou?”
“Yes.”
Liang Jingmin glanced him up and down and suddenly smiled, “I just made you see a joke.
Shang Jin’s dad neglects him too much and Shang Jin doesn’t do so well when it comes to
etiquette.”
Ye Zhou’s brows wrinkled. Did she have to slander her own son so much?
However, thinking of his own parents, it was really better not to mention it. Shang Jin and
him, in some respects, could really be considered fellow sufferers empathizing with each
other.
“I think Shang Jin is very good like this. Being straightforward is always better than some
who wears a hypocritical mask and is always extremely cordial towards everyone, but who
knows when they’d stab someone in the back.” Ye Zhou, who’d never been fussy when
dealing with people, didn’t want to deal with Liang Jingmin now. Her own son, Shang Jin
didn’t like her, so there was even less of a need for him to tuck his tails in between his legs
and behave in front of Liang Jingmin.
Shang Jin lowered his head and lightly coughed. He helped pour a glass of water for Ye
Zhou and said, “Saying so much, you should be thirsty, right?”
Ye Zhou gave him a great deal of face and drank a big mouthful.
Liang Jingmin took a deep breath and said as gently as possible, “Ye Zhou, what are your
parents’ high positions?”
“It can’t be called high positions. They’re just ordinary middle school teachers.”
Liang Jingmin obviously didn’t believe it. “Middle school teachers’ treatment is so good now
that they can buy clothes over ten thousand at will?”
Ye Zhou froze for a moment. He didn’t expect that Liang Jingmin’s focus on his clothes was
to determine his family background.
No wonder Shang Jin had taken him to buy such expensive clothes yesterday. If what he
wore was too ordinary, he’s afraid that Liang Jingmin’s attitude towards him wouldn’t be
good.
Ye Zhou pulled his cuffs and said, “This suit? Shang Jin bought it for me. My parents are
middle school teachers and could only take home several thousands in hard-earned wages
each month.”
Shang Jin looked at him in reproach.
In the next second, Liang Jingmin’s expression turned malevolent, as if the money spent
was her own. Shang Jin had given clothes that cost ten thousand so easily to a totally
unrelated stranger. With these thoughts in mind, her eyes on Ye Zhou became as sharp as
needles. Before, she’d thought that he was a rich second generation, but she didn’t expect
that he was a poor student. She stared at Ye Zhou and said sarcastically, “I think your
parents must not have educated you. Using your body to exchange for wealth is a
despicable method.”
Ye Zhou sneered, “Not mentioning what my parents taught me for now, but Ms. Liang, you
just gave me a vivid lesson in what it means to ‘favor the rich and disdain the poor’.”
Liang Jingmin restrained her anger and said, “Believe it or not, I’ll tell your parents about
what you’ve done. I hope that at that time, you can still have such a glib tongue in front of
them.”
Shang Jin’s face changed and he wanted to speak, but was held back by Ye Zhou. “You can
go make a big proclamation. It’s best if you make it so that they severe their relationship
with me. Then I can wrap around Shang Jin, spend his money and live in his house. After all,
it was because of you, Shang Jin’s mother, that I fell to such a stage. Oh right. Shang Jin was
already driven out by his father and he doesn’t have his own house. At that time, Shang Jin
and I will come to your house to eat and drink. On the way, we can help you promote in the
neighborhood that you have a gay son.”
Liang Jingmin kept gasping in anger, “Simply shameless.”
Ye Zhou took out his cell phone and said, “This is my parents’ number. You can call them
now.”
Liang Jingmin fiercely glared at Ye Zhou, but didn’t take the phone.
Ye Zhou sneered and took the phone back. “If my family has money, you wouldn’t say
anything further and agree to let me be together with Shang Jin. If my family has no money,
you would oppose it to the end. Auntie, no, Ms. Liang, I’m really glad that Shang Jin didn’t
follow you back then. Otherwise, based on Shang Jin’s appearance, he might have been sold
by you to someone. Using your body to exchange for wealth is a despicable method. This
phrase, why does it sound so familiar? Who said it?”
Liang Jingmin was jabbed at her sore point and stood up suddenly. She walked in front of
Ye Zhou and raised her hand to hit him.
Shang Jin pulled Ye Zhou aside and grabbed Liang Jingmin’s arm with his other hand. “It
doesn’t seem like we can eat at the same table peacefully. For the sake of everyone’s
appetite, we won’t disturb your meal.”
Saying this, Shang Jin seized Ye Zhou’s shoulders and opened the door to the private room,
just happening to run into the serving staff.
“The dishes I ordered, what a pity.” The spicy smell wafted to Ye Zhou’s nose and caused
him to gulp involuntarily.
“We can come eat next time.” Shang Jin just left the hotel and Liang Jingmin called him. He
didn’t even look and directly hung up.
Ye Zhou said resentfully, “What did she call for?”
Shang Jin shut off the phone and said, “What else could it be? Money for the meal.”
The just-quelled fury ignited again. Ye Zhou said indignantly, “She still has the nerve to call
herself your mother? Has she taken on a mother’s responsibility? Opening or closing her
mouth, it’s money, money, money. Eating a meal, she’d actually chase after her son to pay
for it!”
Shang Jin rubbed Ye Zhou’s hair and said, “Why are you so angry? I don’t feel anything.”
Ye Zhou hatefully glared at him and said in annoyance, “I’m even angrier after seeing you
like this!” Ye Zhou couldn’t imagine how many times Shang Jin was hurt by Liang Jingmin’s
attitude before he became so indifferent. “I really don’t know how much effort it took for
you to not go astray in this environment, but still be able to get first in every class.”
Shang Jin wasn’t to be outdone and countered, “You still have the nerve to talk about me?
You’ve been working so hard for so many years but your family still ignores your
achievements. You can still grow up to be a red-roots socialist successor.”
“I, that’s…” Ye Zhou said halfway and didn’t understand what he was arguing with Shang Jin
about, “Are we comparing who’s more miserable?”
Shang Jin laughed. “Yeah, but this time, you won.”
“No way,” Ye Zhou said, “I didn’t expect that I’d lose to you when it comes to being more
miserable.”
“No, you won.”
“It’s you who won.”
“You won.”
“You won!” Ye Zhou fiercely said, then laughed out loud. “What are we doing?”
Shang Jin pulled Ye Zhou’s hand and said, “Hungry? Let’s go eat.”
“OK!”

Chapter 70
Early morning the next day, Shang Jin received a phone call from his home.
Shang Qingping said disgruntledly, “Do you still know to go home?”
This voice was so loud that even Ye Zhou, who was reading to the side, put down his book
and cast him a worried glance.
Shang Jin stood up. Calculating the time, he hadn’t gone home for nearly three months. “If
you want me to come back, I have to bring him with me.”
“Didn’t I tell you to give me time to adapt?”
“Did you give me time to adapt when you found Auntie?”
In a sentence, he blocked Shang Qingping and left him completely speechless.
After a while, the phone changed hands and Qin Fei said softly, “Shang Jin, your dad has
accepted it. He called you today because he wanted you to bring Ye Zhou over. He’s mature
enough to know that he hadn’t handled it well before, but he also can’t put down his face.
Just take it as giving him a way out and come eat dinner tonight.”
“That’s fine.”
Shang Jin turned around and looking at Ye Zhou’s trusting eyes, he suddenly felt a sense of
guilt. He coughed and said, “Tonight…”
Ye Zhou curiously said, “What’s wrong?”
Shang Jin rapidly said, “Let’s go have a meal at my house today.”
“Ah??” Ye Zhou said incredulously, “I just met your mother yesterday, and you’re asking me
to meet your father today?”
“You need to meet them sooner or later. I think the sooner the better.” Shang Jin sat beside
Ye Zhou and held Ye Zhou’s hand in his palm. “It’s not like we’d separate after a long time.
Since delaying can’t solve the problem, it’s better to let them accept it earlier and get
accustomed to us being together a bit earlier.”
Ye Zhou thought it sounded quite reasonable, but: “It’s too sudden…”
“It’s okay. You still have a day to prepare. They said that we should come over for dinner.”
Saying it like that, Ye Zhou also wouldn’t go so far as to decline. He thought about going to
the mall in the afternoon to buy a gift, but in the end, he was overruled by Shang Jin.
“You’re still a student. Even if you bought it, they also wouldn’t accept it. Don’t waste your
money.” Shang Jin pulled him to the fruit shop and said, “It’s enough to buy two pounds of
apples.”
In the evening, Ye Zhou really carried two pounds of apple to the community.
“Little Ye, long time no see!”
“Little Ye, do you have time over the Eleventh holiday? Could you help tutor Little Hao for
two days? His grades can’t go up again.”
“Brother Ye, come play ball!”
“Brother Ye Zhou, come visit my house?”
Shang Jin watched Ye Zhou smile and greet his neighbors along the way, his mouth never
staying idle.
Finally in Shang Jin’s building, Ye Zhou rubbed his cheeks already numb from smiling and
said, “The people in your community are really enthusiastic.”
Where was it the enthusiasm of others? Everyone was just enthusiastic about him. Shang
Jin helplessly looked at Ye Zhou and said, “Let’s go up quickly.”
When they really arrived at Shang Jin’s door, Ye Zhou unconsciously became nervous. He
stood behind Shang Jin and straightened out his clothes. When Shang Jin opened the door,
all eyes in the living room focused on them.
“Big brother! Brother Zhou Zhou!” Shang Youyou was the first one to jump out. Pulling a
person in each hand, she brought them to the living room.
Ye Zhou looked at the two people on the sofa and called, “Uncle, Auntie, I’m sorry to bother
you.”
Shang Qingping looked at the newspaper and didn’t even lift his eyelids.
Shang Jin coughed and Shang Qingping reluctantly grunted.
“Little Ye, come sit on the sofa.” Qin Fei stood up and said, “Are you hungry? We’ll be eating
soon.”
“Brother Zhou Zhou, I’ll take you to see my little brother.” Shang Youyou took Ye Zhou’s
hand and led him to the crib. Little Ji wasn’t asleep, but was looking around with open eyes.
“Every time, he grabs my hand and holds tight.”
Ye Zhou touched Shang Youyou’s head and said, “That’s because he likes you.”
Shang Youyou said awkwardly, “So I also like him a little bit.”
Obviously she liked him a lot, but she was still pretending to be so-so. It made Ye Zhou
couldn’t help but pinch Shang Youyou’s little face and said, “Our little princess is really
kind.”
Shang Youyou beamed and hugged Ye Zhou’s hand. “Brother Zhou Zhou, I’ll show you my
toys.”
Shang Jin exchanged two words of greeting with his dad, walked behind Shang Youyou and
picked her up. “We can play later. Let’s eat first.”
Shang Youyou embraced Shang Jin’s neck and said to Ye Zhou, “Then after dinner, I’ll take
Brother Zhou Zhou to see my toys.”
At the table, Shang Qingping still had a rigid appearance. Ye Zhou sat next to Shang Jin and
was somewhat cautious. Shang Jin kicked Shang Qingping under the table before Shang
Qingping said in embarrassment, “Little Ye, eat more.”
Ye Zhou was quite flattered.
There were several flavorful dishes on the table, which should be specially prepared for
him.
The meal went quite smoothly. At least with yesterday’s experience, Ye Zhou had originally
prepared for a hard battle today. Although Shang Jin’s dad wasn’t very friendly to him on
the surface, but it was much more comfortable than with Shang Jin’s mother.
After dinner, Qing Fei took Shang Youyou away while the Shang father and son and Ye Zhou
sat on the sofa.
With the financial news on the television, they actually chatted very happily.
During the advertisement, Shang Qingping said, “Shang Jin, you should go wash the dishes.”
“Not going.” There were three people in the living room. If he left, that would leave only Ye
Zhou and Shang Qingping.
Shang Qingping said in displeasure, “I tell you to go, just go.”
Ye Zhou pushed Shang Jin and said, “Just go.”
Shang Jin stood up and looked at Shang Qingping.
Shang Qingping said angrily, “Can it be that I’d eat him?”
Watching Shang Jin enter the kitchen, Ye Zhou took a sip of water and waited for the follow
up from Shang Qingping.
Shang Qingping finally straightened his back and took on the posture of an elder. “You’re
now in your third year. What are you planning to do afterwards?”
“Both he and I are preparing to sit for the graduate exam.”
Shang Qingping lightly tapped his fingers on his knee and said, “That is, you have a long
way to go in school.” Words finished, he started rummaging in a small box on the coffee
table.
Previously, there was Liang Jingmin who couldn’t part with money, so Ye Zhou thought that
Shang Jin’s father might also be worried about money. He said in a hurry, “However, Shang
Jin and I will take on part-time jobs. For graduate students, our goal is to get a
recommendation, so we’d no longer have to spend the money at home.”
Shang Qingping, who was about to bring out the house key, looked down in
embarrassment. Did he seem so short on money that he can’t even provide for his son’s
graduate degree?
He put the key on the table and said, “This apartment was originally bought for Shang Jin.
You have to go to school for a long time and you can’t always rent an apartment. Shang Jin,
that kid is tough. I don’t make money for him to spend, and he still says that he doesn’t
want a cent of mine. If you’re going to school, then just study well. Why do you have to hold
a money-making heart?”
“Uncle, we can understand that you as a father want his children to have a carefree life, but
what we get is not the same as what others give.”Ye Zhou returned the key and said, “Uncle,
please have more confidence in the youth. An apartment this size and in this district,
believe us: we can earn it before we are thirty.”
Shang Qingping was startled. A City’s housing prices remained high and many people
couldn’t afford an apartment in a lifetime, not to mention a nearly 200 square meters
apartment in the downtown district. However, whether it was Shang Jin or Ye Zhou, they’d
never wavered in front of money.
The word ‘money’ had caused his life to undergo tremendous changes. He thought that
people living in such families should know more about the importance of money.
He didn’t think that his son wouldn’t cherish it, and even more miraculously, he’d also
found someone like him.
This time, Shang Qingping sincerely accepted Ye Zhou because having someone who
understood Shang Jin accompany him in this life was far more important than the gaze of
outsiders.
“Since you’re not accepting the apartment, then the car should be fine.” Shang Qingping
took out the car key. “You two are living outside and having a car is more convenient.”
Ye Zhou said solemnly, “It’s alright. We have a car.”
The veins on Shang Qingping’s forehead violently pulsed. “Don’t tell me it’s that gaudy
pedicab.”
Ye Zhou was speechless, muttering in his heart that one mustn’t discriminate. A pedicab
was a car too. You can’t kick it out of the ranks because it had one less wheel.
Shang Qingping said with a stiff face, “Tell you to take it, just take it.”
Shang Jin came over and plucked the key that Shang Qingping was trying to force on Ye
Zhou. “Why are you still forcing it on him?” Then he threw the key on the coffee table.
“You ー”
Ye Zhou rushed to smooth things out and said, “We rented a place close to school and it’s
not worth it to drive a car. We’d arrive before the car even warms up.”
Shang Qingping dropped it after this, but still insisted on giving them the car key. “There’d
be a time when it’s useful.”
This time, Shang Jin didn’t decline and voluntarily put the key in his pocket.
On the way home, Ye Zhou pulled Shang Jin’s hand. Looking at the round moon in the sky,
he said, “Really good.”
Shang Jin pinched Ye Zhou’s fingers and puzzled, “Huh?”
“I thought that it was the beginning of hell when I was caught taking a sneak shot last year.”
Until now, Ye Zhou could still recall that desperate state of mind. “I never thought that hell
and heaven were only separated by an idea. One way, it’s hell. Another way, it’s heaven.”
Recalling the past, Shang Jin couldn’t help but laugh. Originally, he’d just been bored and
planned to tease Ye Zhou a bit. He didn’t expect that this teasing would pull him in.
In the quiet street, the two people walked hand-in-hand, their shadows drawing longer and
longer by the moonlight.
The author has something to say: It’s finished ~ This story was really pleasant to write.
Thank you all for accompanying me along the way ~ Your encourage is my motivation to
keep going until the end =3= Group kiss and I’ll write the extras, but there shouldn’t be
much ~ I haven’t thought out the new text yet. Everyone, I’ll see you again ~
T/N: See you in the extras ~

Chapter 71
A City entered exam week again as the first snow came.
When Ye Zhou went to the library at this time, he often found that someone was observing
him.
He looked down at his clothes, took out his cell phone and swept his gaze over his cheeks
and hair from the black screen to make sure there wasn’t the slightest thing out of place.
Then, he locked the bike in the shed.
At the library entrance, several students were standing together and stepped forward in Ye
Zhou’s direction. When Ye Zhou looked at them, they immediately shifted their gazes and
pretended to chat.
Freshmen. For Ye Zhou, even though it was only two grades lower, but there were
fundamental differences between new students and the old foxes.
Ye Zhou walked over, slung his arm over one guy’s shoulders and said, “Looking for me for
something?”
“Ye, Ye, Ye…Senior Ye Zhou,” said the accosted boy with a blushing face. He stuttered,
“There’s one thing we wanted to ask you.”
“What is it?”
Another student plucked up his courage and asked, “These last two days, why wasn’t Senior
Shang Jin with you?”
“Shang Jin has to do something these few days.” The electricity in their rented place had
stopped for two days, and it just happened that Shang Jin’s cousin was coming over to A
City to stay for a month. Qin Fei wasn’t too familiar with Shang Jin’s cousin so Shang Jin
temporarily stayed at home.
Since he had no classes and the weather was bad, Shang Jin was too lazy to run between the
house and school, and he reviewed at home everyday. Before going, Shang Jin asked Ye
Zhou to go home with him. Ye Zhou was ten thousand times unwilling, of course. So now, Ye
Zhou was living in the dorm while Shang Jin lived at home. It wasn’t surprising that it
shaped up like a situation where the two were separated.
He remembered that when he moved back in alone, it caused a great stir in their class.
Zhou Wendao said in great alarm, “Did you fight with Shang Jin??”
The sports member said sullenly, “Why do you have to pick the exam time to have a fight
every time!”
“I really didn’t fight with him!” Ye Zhou said, “You can’t wish me well?? Twice every three
days, you say that we fought and broke up in front of me. If there’s a day when we really
break up, then it’s because we were cursed by you guys!”
After this statement, everyone shut their mouths in tacit understanding.
It wasn’t only their finance class: the entire school didn’t want Shang Ye to split up.
However, this sentence also indirectly showed that the two Shang and Ye were really fine.
But just because the finance class knew, it didn’t mean that everyone in school knew.
As a matter of fact, the freshman had only heard rumors from his school brothers and
began to fear that the sky was falling, like the grass stirred up by the wind.
“Don’t worry. Shang Jin and I are quite well. Go worship your test god in peace.”
The three younger brothers heard this and loosened a huge sigh of relief. One of them said,
“During my senior year, I let loose a bit and muddled along for almost half a year. At that
time, I saw the publicity video talk about A Uni’s test god blessing, and I had the mind of
cutting off all retreat and filled in here.”
“I also came after seeing the promo. Although I studied seriously everyday, but I still get
nervous when facing the exam. When I was hesitating over several schools, I watched A
Uni’s promo and filled it in immediately.”
“Isn’t it? I heard that it wasn’t just exams: the Shang Ye number is also very effective for
competitions and such!”
Ye Zhou was completely stupefied. “What are you talking about?”
The younger brother who had his shoulders captured by Ye Zhou took out his mobile
phone, searched in A Uni’s official microblog and found the forwarded post.
The original post was a video uploaded by a student union member. After A Uni’s official
blog forwarded it, it became a bit hot.
The beginning of the video introduced A Uni’s history, culture and philosophy. Most of
progress bar passed in a serious tone. At the end, there was only a voice that said, “The
most important thing is that our school has a car: the unrivaled in this world test god car!
Students, are you afraid of exams? Don’t worry, as long as you come to A Uni and enter the
Shang Ye religion, the test god will always cover you! Self-tested effectiveness!”
Then following were a crowd of A Uni students confirming this.
Ye Zhou drew out his mouth, questioning the school he’d applied to for the first time. What
kind of group of feudal superstitious students was this? He solemnly said to the three
people, “The most important thing for the exams is to study regularly and review at the end
of the year. Don’t always stake your hopes on external things.”
“Yeah!” The three men nodded vigorously and then said, “Quick quick, it’s almost the exam
time. Let’s go around and take a look first at the the Shang Ye number.”
Ye Zhou’s face filled with black lines. Of course, what he’d just said had all been in vain.
What Ye Zhou didn’t know was that in his senior year, the student union members would
directly seek out Ye Zhou and Shang Jin and take a video of them, hoping that they’d be able
to leave some residual energy before they graduated.
After a long day in the library, Ye Heng called in the evening and said that he should be
there in another week.
When Ye Zhou chatted with Shang Jin, he casually brought up this matter. As a result, Shang
Jin came to school the next day.
“Let’s help your brother look for a house.”
Ye Zhou smirked. “I never thought that we would go together. Yesterday, I checked his
company’s address and selected several neighborhoods around there.”
Shang Jin took Ye Zhou’s little record book and roughly understood Ye Heng’s position in
his company by looking at the names of the several communities. “These won’t do.”
Ye Zhou said in dissatisfaction, “I searched all night.”
“What do you think is the most important thing for your brother when renting?” The two
people came out from the dormitory. Shang Jin looked at the gloomy sky and said, “Let’s
drive the pedicab over.”
“Don’t drive the pedicab. There’s people who have exams today, so what if they come to
worship the Shang Ye number? Let’s go by bus.”
Shang Jin opened the weather forecast on his phone and saw that there wasn’t news of rain.
“Then let’s just ride our bikes.”
Riding bikes to look at houses?
“You want to be tired to death?”
Shang Jin gave him a sidelong glance and said, “You haven’t answered me yet. What’s the
most important thing for your brother when renting?”
“Of course, it’s being close to the company with convenient transportation. After that, it’s
the community’s environment, the type of apartment and so on.”
“That’s you renting.” Shang Jin couldn’t help but sympathize with Ye Heng, who was just
like him during the period when Ye Zhou kept insisting he liked Tang Dongdong. Ye Heng
came to A City most likely because of Ye Zhou. If he couldn’t live with Ye Zhou, then he must
at least be close to him. “Let’s look in the community where we rented.”
“But it’s a little far from my brother’s company. It’s almost half an hour’s drive.”
“What does half an hour count for?”
Ye Zhou doubtfully followed him back to the community. Ye Zhou’s relations with the
neighbors were very good, so he immediately asked the chatting people, “Auntie, do you
know if there’s an apartment for rent in the community?”
The auntie gossiped, “Little Ye, where you’re living isn’t good?”
“No, it’s very good. It’s for my brother. He’s coming here to work and also wants to rent an
apartment.”
“I remember that Old Wu’s family seems to be renting, but his house is two bedrooms and
one living room. Is your brother alone?”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a bit bigger.” His brother wasn’t short on money; Ye Zhou didn’t
even think about helping him to save money. The main point was that his brother lived
comfortably.
After inquiring with three families, Ye Zhou and Shang Jin looked at one after the other, and
finally decided on the two-bedroom apartment nearest to theirs. They paid the deposit
first, with the rest to be paid by his brother when he came.
A week later, Ye Heng was about to arrive at A City. Shang Jin had something and couldn’t
accompany Ye Zhou to go meet him at the airport, but he didn’t forget to explain before
leaving, “If your brother asks about the apartment, just say that you wanted your brother to
be a bit closer.”
Ye Zhou had already understood by now, but he also wanted to help Shang Jin say a few
words in front of his brother to increase his good impression.
Thinking so, Ye Zhou still intended to follow his words because he trusted Shang Jin.
“How could I make you do such a troublesome thing as helping me to rent a place? It’s your
final exam period, right?” His mouth said this, but in the face of Ye Zhou’s good intentions,
where would Ye Heng feel ungrateful? “How much is the advance? Big brother will give you
double.”
Ye Zhou was somewhat discomforted with the way the other always treated him as a child.
He said disgruntled, “Talks of money hurt feelings.”
“Fine, don’t talk about money. If there’s something you want in the future, just tell me.”
Ye Zhou, who had always been self-reliant, felt that he really was a M. Suddenly, someone
came who was completely deferential to him, but how come he still felt a bit awkward? He
hoped that the other could treat him like Shang Jin: mocking him with nothing to do.
Ye Zhou glanced at Ye Heng and said, “The apartment I rented for you is in the same
community as mine.”
Ye Heng’s lips hooked up and said, “This was what Shang Jin proposed, right?”
Ye Zhou was stunned.
Where was it this time!
Where was the flaw exposed!
He hadn’t spoken out the great pile of words he’d organized when he was somehow seen
through by his brother.
“He really is…” Ye Heng shook his head and didn’t continue talking.
Ye Zhou grasped his heart and clawed his liver, wanting to know his next words. He really
is what? Meddling with other people’s business or did well?
Walking into the community with Ye Heng, the moment Ye Zhou entered, he was warmly
greeted by the every neighbor along the way. Ye Heng was slightly surprised. At first, he
only thought that Ye Zhou had good relationships at school. He didn’t expect it was the
same in the community. Especially with this kind of new residential building, neighbors
sometimes didn’t know each other.
Why did he never speak at home?
Ye Heng wanted to ask, but when the words came to his lips, the answer was already in his
heart.
“Brother, this apartment has two bedrooms. This is a bedroom and this one can be a study.”
As soon as he entered the apartment, Ye Zhou took him for a tour, observing his brother’s
reaction from time to time.
Ye Heng patted his shoulder and said, “Very good. I’m very satisfied. Sure enough, there’s
an extremely reliable little brother over here.”
Ye Zhou’s tail stuck up from the praise.
“What about you guys? Where do you live?”
Ye Zhou walked to the balcony and pointed it out to him, “From this side, go to Building 3.
It’s there.”
Ye Heng knitted his brows. “The only downside is that it’s a bit far from you.”
Ye Zhou: “Excuse me??”
What was far about being less than 50 meters away??
“Is Shang Jin free tonight? Let’s have a meal together.”
Ye Zhou directly helped make a decision for Shang Jin, “That’s a must!”
Ye Heng strolled around the two-bedroom apartment and said, “I can thank him then.”
Although he didn’t want to admit it, but he had nothing to nitpick about Shang Jin’s work.
The author has something to say:
An extra that’s not like an extra~
Thank you for your landmines and nutrient solutions ~ mwah mwah ~
Chapter 72
Unfortunately, when Ye Heng proposed having a meal, Shang Jin had to refuse because he
really couldn’t make it. However, when he turned it down, he added, “Big Brother Ye should
come over and eat at home tomorrow.”
This one ‘eat at home’ phrase made Ye Heng original dissatisfaction immediately dissipate.
Shang Jin always discovered what Ye Heng wanted to know the most.
Ever since Ye Zhou and Shang Jin started renting outside, the two people had also begun
learning how to cook.
Of course, most of the time, they still eat at the canteen. Only on their rest days would they
go to the supermarket to buy food, and then studied and cooked according to the recipe.
Shang Jin was able to finally send his annoying cousin away due to the upcoming New
Year’s Day.
On the way back, he turned toward the supermarket and thought that even if he asked Ye
Zhou, Ye Zhou probably wouldn’t be sure what his brother liked to eat, so Shang Jin took
the liberty to buy some of the more higher-quality ingredients.
He ran into Ye Zhou at the entrance of the community.
“Why didn’t you call me if you were doing the grocery shopping?” Ye Zhou walked over and
quickly took the things from Shang Jin’s right hand. Shang Jin’s hand was reddened from
carrying the heavy things for so long. “You bought too much.”
“I wasn’t sure what your brother likes, so I bought chicken, duck, fish and meat.”
Ye Zhou took a peek in the bag and said, “So much? Can we finish eating?”
“We can. There’s a variety, but in small quantities.”
When they came home, Ye Zhou took out the ingredients before he understood what Shang
Jin meant by ‘there’s a variety, but in small quantities’.
It was chicken, duck, fish and meat, but in fact, it was a fish fillet, a duck breast, several
chicken wings, and a piece of pork belly. Incidentally, there was also a bag of shrimp and
some green vegetables.
Ye Zhou changed into casual clothes and took the apron off the hook. Wrapping it around
himself, he rolled up his sleeves and said, “Today, let me display my skills!”
“Don’t, I should do it.”
Ye Zhou said, “Didn’t you say that I made progress in cooking?”
Shang Jin coughed and said, “It’s only progress.”
Progress meant better than the last time, but it definitely wasn’t saying that the level was
truly high.
Ye Zhou sheepishly took off the apron and said, “If you don’t give me the chance, how can I
train to be a great chef?”
It was also annoying to mention this. When they started living together, the two people
knew nothing about cooking. But Shang Jin practiced a few times with the recipes and was
already doing a pretty decent job and even the taste was quite good. As for Ye Zhou, he
seemed to be completely abandoned by God in this respect. He couldn’t be called a kitchen
killer, but it didn’t taste very good.
The ordinary people consoled themselves that ‘the most capable do the most work’. With
regards to cooking, out of the two, there was one who could do it well. But Ye Zhou
obviously couldn’t be judged with ordinary people’s thinking.
Ye Zhou argued with conviction, “It’s because I can’t cook well that I should practice more!
How can I shrink back when faced with difficulties? You and I are both ordinary college
students. Based on what that you can do it but I can’t!”
Relying on the perseverance that grew in the face of suppression, the Shang Ye kitchen was
taken over by Ye Zhou most of the time.
It was the first time Shang Jin so hated Ye Zhou’s stubbornness. The lazy him also couldn’t
monopolize the kitchen rights even if he wanted to. The more Shang Jin said it was difficult
to eat, the more Ye Zhou did it enthusiastically.
Fortunately, Ye Zhou really did as he said and got better the more he practiced, but it’s a
pity that this was only better compared to Ye Zhou’s previous level.
Shang Jin sighed and said, “Today isn’t the time to show off your culinary skills.”
Ye Zhou was clearly aware of this kind of thing, but it was just his level was so put down
that for Ye Zhou who was eager to excel, it couldn’t be said that it didn’t strike a mental
blow.
Looking at his crestfallen appearance, Shang Jin picked up a potato on the table and tossed
it to him. “But today’s the day to show off your knife work.”
Ye Zhou reluctantly replied, “That’s fine, too.”
When Ye Heng came, the little apartment was full of life.
The scent of the kitchen filled the living room. There were pots of flowers on the
windowsill and there were very few of the two men’s knick-knacks scattered around the
room. If one were to say what there was most in the room, it’d probably be books. You
could see books lying on the table, on the bed, on the sofa and coffee table.
“Brother, wait first. We’ll be done in a moment.” After opening the door, Ye Zhou went into
the kitchen to help.
Ye Heng followed him and appeared in the kitchen doorway. Shang Jin’s hair was a mess.
His sleeves were rolled up to his elbow and a white half-length apron was tied at his waist.
He seemed more in touch with life than when Ye Heng had first met him. However, when
Shang Jin saw him, his appearance returned back to when he’d met him.
“Big Brother Ye.”
The kitchen was small and it was slightly crowded with two people. If there was another
person standing in the doorway, it’d feel like they wouldn’t be able to walk.
Ye Zhou pushed Ye Heng into the living room and said, “Brother, you can watch TV. We’ll
have dinner in a moment.”
“OK.” Ye Heng walked back to the small living room and sat on the sofa. His hand touched a
book and he picked up, seeing two distinct handwriting in the pages.
One confident and at ease and one neat and handsome.
Half an hour later, Ye Zhou came out with the dishes and soon filled the round table.
Ye Heng looked at this full table and said, “It’s just three people. Why did you prepare so
much?”
“Don’t worry, we can finish it.” Ye Zhou set the table with bowls and chopsticks. He sat
down and urged Shang Jin, “What are you doing? Still not coming?”
Shang Jin came out with a bottle of red wine. Looking at the information on the wine, he
said, “I got this bottle from home.”
“It’s not good to take things in passing.” He said this, but Shang Jin’s dad definitely wouldn’t
blame him and probably would be happy instead. Since Shang Jin really didn’t spend the
family money and didn’t use the family car, Shang Jin’s father had turned around and used
all sorts of methods to get him to accept things.
After the meal, both hosts and guest were extremely satisfied. Like Ye Zhou had said, they
completely finished it all.
Ye Heng was obviously satisfied with the results of this inspection. After dinner, his attitude
toward Shang Jin was much better.
“Zhou Zhou, you can’t rush the matter of coming out.” On this point, Ye Heng felt a bit guilty
toward Shang Jin. He himself hoped that the other could take responsibility in front of his
parents, but he had another attitude towards his own brother. “Our parents really don’t…”
“I understand.” Shang Jin took a sip of honeyed water, “This kind of thing is hard to accept
for the usual family. I also told Ye Zhou to not be impulsive and wait until his graduation.”
“You’re both good boys.” Ye Heng patted Shang Jin’s shoulder. “I’ll do my best to work on
my parents in these two years so that they’d be prepared.”
“Thank you, brother.”
Ye Zhou came out from the kitchen with a plate of fruit and briskly said, “Come eat oranges.
Shang Jin, where did you buy them? They’re so sweet.” Saying this, he broke off a segment
and stuffed it into Shang Jin’s mouth. “Isn’t it very sweet?”
If Ye Heng wasn’t there, Shang Jin really wanted to say ‘you’re sweeter than the orange’.
The only single dog, Comrade Ye Heng, very tactfully said, “OK, there’s plenty of time to
catch up later. Let’s stop here for today.”
The author has something to say: Relatives came home these few days and I may not be
able to update ONZ

Chapter 73
It was their senior year’s winter vacation, their last winter vacation in college.
Ye Zhou planned to bring up what he’d been worried about in his heart during the Lunar
New Year and simply come out of closet.
“Coming out of the closet?” Shang Jin’s first reaction was to reject it, but he thought over it
again and there didn’t seem to be any reason to object. They basically had no classes as
seniors in their last semester, and they’d enter graduate school immediately afterwards.
Frankly, Ye Zhou would return home less and less in the future, and even though they
hadn’t graduated yet, they were still truly independent. Even if he was driven out, there
was nothing to worry about. Shang Jin turned his attention back to the computer and said,
“Come out if you want to.”
Ye Zhou took a deep breath. He hadn’t returned yet, but he couldn’t help but imagine his
parents’ reaction in his mind.
Shang Jin set the computer aside and sat side-by-side with Ye Zhou. He held Ye Zhou’s hand
and said, “Don’t worry. They definitely won’t accept it.”
Ye Zhou clicked his tongue and said, “Do you comfort people like this?”
“I’m not comforting you.” Shang Jin leaned back on the couch and said, “I’m just letting you
know how big the challenge you’ll be facing next is. But so what? Classmate Ye Zhou has
never been afraid of challenges.”
Ye Zhou said without confidence, “The decision is in the other’s hands and I’m helpless.
How can I challenge it? It’s going to wait for the verdict. Until now, my parents have always
valued face as important as the heaven. I think they’d say I caused them to lose face.”
Shang Jin let out a small laugh and said, “You’ve never earned any face for them yet, so how
can you lose face?”
Even if it were so, speaking so plainly doesn’t make your heart ache??
What’s even more surprising was that he was actually comforted. Since young, his parents
resented that him being second made them lose face. In any case, they’d already lost face so
many times that it didn’t matter if it’s one time more.
Thinking so, Ye Zhou suddenly didn’t feel burdened with guilt anymore.
After speaking with Shang Jin, Ye Zhou planned to also tell this to his brother.
Once Ye Heng heard this, he worked extra shifts before the end of the year and finally
squeezed in a few days of vacation, buying the same return ticket with Ye Zhou.
After all, he understood his parents. They wouldn’t get physical, but they were absolute
experts in emotional abuse.
Shang Jin drove the Ye brothers to the airport on the day of their return.
Ye Zhou’s mood wasn’t particularly high and was moody along the way, saying very little.
Shang Jin gently hugged him and said in his ear, “Don’t worry, I’m behind you.”
Ye Zhou laughed and pushed him away. Not wanting Shang Jin to worry, he joked, “Are you
my shadow?”
“I’d like to be.” Ye Zhou’s heart was softer than his. If he could, Shang Jin wished he could
replace Ye Zhou to go through this ordeal. But there were many things in the world that
one must complete alone. “When you come back, I’ll come pick you up.”
Ye Heng suddenly had the defeated feeling of his little brother’s husband being too capable
and he, this older brother, didn’t have room to show off his skills. He interrupted the two
people who still wanted to continue on and said, “OK, what can happen with me here?
Shang Jin, you should go back.”
If it were up to Ye Zhou, he would never choose this mode of transportation.
But for Ye Heng, this kind of ‘time is money’ person, it was better to spend less time on the
road. As a result, since Ye Heng came to A City, how Ye Zhou went home was upgraded
from train directly to airplane.
Ye Zhou only felt that he hadn’t slept on the plane and had already arrived at his
destination.
Out of the airport, they saw their family car in a glance. Ye Zhou absentmindedly followed
behind Ye Heng. Seeing Ye Heng follow Mother Ye into the backseat, Ye Zhou took the
passenger seat.
Once Ye Zhou decided to do something, he usually did it quickly.
Along the way, he finished arranging his lines for the evening, and his answers to his
parents’ occasional questions were unusually perfunctory.
Receiving a half-hearted answer once again, Mother Ye held back her anger and said, “What
are you thinking about all day and night?”
Ye Heng said hurriedly, “Zhou Zhou didn’t sleep well last night and it also very
uncomfortable on the plane.”
Mother Ye still wanted to say a word or two more, but was directly interrupted by Ye Heng.
When they got home, while Dad Ye was cleaning up and Mother Ye was cooking, Ye Heng
went to Ye Zhou’s room and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Ye Zhou put the clothes he’d brought back in the closet. This time, maybe because he hadn’t
come back early, his room was actually cleaned up by his parents.
“I want to tell mom and dad today.”
Tell?
Tell what?
Do you still need to ask?
“If you say it today, then the home will be in a depression for the rest of the time.” Ye Heng
deliberated and said, “What do you think about not telling our parents for now? You’re also
uncomfortable. You might as well tell them two days before leaving. This leaves two days as
a buffer for them. Talk about it before we leave.”
“But…”
“Listen to me this time.” Ye Heng left no room for negotiation. “No matter how hard it is,
bear with it.”
This was the first time Ye Heng had been unyielding with him, and Ye Zhou could only
reluctantly agree.
However, plans couldn’t keep up with the changes.
Because Ye Zhou’s cousin had a baby earlier this year, the Ye family’s relatives rushed back
from various places and since it coincided with the New Year, they simply gathered in D
City to celebrate the Lunar New Year and also to visit the tourist attractions.
Ye Zhou, who’d thought that he would finish his task after two days, looked at his seven
aunts on his dad side and seven aunts on his mom’s side gathered in their home day after
day and simply didn’t give him a chance to come out.
Hearing the noise in the living room even through the closed door, Ye Heng said,
“Otherwise, don’t say it during the New Year.”
Arrow drawn in the bow, words ready in his mouth: all his mental preparation had all
become futile. Ye Zhou felt stifled in his heart, unable to go up or down. He lay down in bed
and vented, “It can only be this way.”
Ye Heng touched his head and walked out of the bedroom.
The moment he opened the door, Mother Ye laughed in the living room, “I was just talking
about you. Where did you run off to? Your cousin wants to take the college entrance exam
next year and I was going to have you help him look for reference material.”
Ye Heng knitted his brows and said, “I’ve graduated many years ago. Zhou Zhou has some
review material he still keeps in the cupboard. Wouldn’t it be fine to give it to the cousin?
Besides, I have no experience teaching people.”
‘Your family’s Ye Heng is so modest.” Auntie Ye pulled her son addicted to games over and
said, “You should learn more from your Brother Ye Heng. Look at him now, he’s a company
executive. If you don’t study well, afterwards, even if you want to be a janitor, no one would
want you.”
Ye Heng picked up the smartphone addict cousin’s phone and said, “Xiaoshan, go find your
Brother Ye Zhou. His original review materials are well-kept.”
Wei Xiaoshan sneered and curled his lips. “I won’t look for him.”
This contemptuous attitude made Ye Heng furious. It was because of the adults’ contempt
that the children learned from it. Ye Heng seldom attended family gatherings and hadn’t
found this point before. “Where does your confidence come from to say such words?
Growing up, if your grades even beat Ye Zhou’s once, I wouldn’t waste words on you. But as
a student with the lowest rank, how are you qualified to look down on a top student?”
Ye Heng’s figure in the Ye family had always been lofty. Not only was Wei Xiaoshan
subdued, but even Mother Ye and Auntie Ye who were chatting on the side were stunned.
Ye Heng’s voice wasn’t loud, but because he’d forgotten to close the door just now, Ye Zhou,
who was complaining to Shang Jin about not being able to come out, also heard it. He
quickly put his cell phone in his pants pocket and hurried out, even though he knew that
going out was of no use.
Mother Ye came back to her senses and said disapprovingly, “Ye Heng, what are you
saying?”
“Ye Heng, the child isn’t sensible and speaks without thinking.” Auntie Ye acted as the
mediator: “Xiaoshan, still not quickly apologizing to your Brother Ye Heng?”
Ye Heng said, “Don’t apologize to me. The one he should be apologizing to is Zhou Zhou.”
Mother Ye interrupted, “What apology? The child isn’t sensible, does that mean the adult is
also insensible?”
“If the adults are sensible, then would they let a child say such…”
“Forget it, brother. There’s nothing to say.” Ye Zhou pulled Ye Heng into his room. Mother
Ye gave him an image of incompetence, so he also didn’t blame the brothers and sisters for
their bad attitudes. After all, many people worship the high and trample the low.
Ye Heng looked at him and sighed, “It’s my bad.”
“It’s unrelated to you.”
Less than half an hour later, Ye Zhou’s bedroom door opened. Mother Ye said with a furious
look, “You two get out here for me.”
The just-lively living room now only had the sound of a variety show playing on the TV.
Mom and Dad Ye sat in the middle of the two-person sofa. Auntie Ye’s family had already
left.
“What were you two doing today?” Mother Ye slapped the table and wrinkled her brows at
the two brothers standing in front of the coffee table. “Don’t you know how much face I lost
in front of the relatives today? Ye Heng, especially you. I praise you in front of the relatives
everyday, and this is how you display it?”
“I never told you to praise me before the relatives.”
Father Ye said with a stiff face, “Ye Heng, is this how you talk to your mother!”
Seeing the gunfire all concentrated on Ye Heng, Ye Zhou quickly stepped out and said,
“Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you.”
“Ye Zhou!” Ye Heng dragged him back and shook his head at him.
Those with eyes could see that now was definitely the most unwise time to come out, but
his brother was scolded entirely because of him. It made no sense for him to hide behind
his brother.
“In fact, I wanted to say this matter long ago.” Ye Zhou took a deep breath and stepped out
from behind Ye Heng. His tightly clenched fists at his hem slowly loosened. “I…I discovered
during high school. In fact, I’m gay.”
Mother Ye said in disbelief, “Gay?”
Ye Zhou whispered, “That’s…liking men.”
Mother Ye gasped hoarsely, her fists clenched tightly as if her anger was brewing and she
was resisting.
“You…you…” Father Ye’s finger pointed at Ye Zhou, his whole hand trembling from anger.
“Mom, your school’s Teacher Li also has a child who’s gay. Didn’t you console her at that
time, saying that homosexuality wasn’t a disease? That the environment they’re living in is
already difficult and as parents, they should be more understanding?” Ye Heng pulled Ye
Zhou behind him and said, “Mom, Dad, you should also be understanding.”
“Understand, my ass!” Mother Ye stood up and suddenly realized, “No wonder you took out
the data to persuade me back then. Doing all of this was all just a lead up for Ye Zhou!”
When Ye Heng came back last year, Mother Ye happened to bring this up during the meal
and was unable to understand at first. Later, Ye Heng advised her, and the next day, she
took these arguments to comfort Teacher Li.
“Whatever my purpose was, you agreed with me.”
“Of course it doesn’t hurt when you’re not the one cut by the knife. Other people’s matter,
of course I can easily say a few good things for them to hear, but does that mean that I can
accept homosexuality when it happens to my own son?” Mother Ye stood up and pushed Ye
Heng away. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was full of power. “Ye Zhou, you ask your
conscience: aren’t you letting us down by doing this? Just because of her son’s matter,
Teacher Li isn’t able to raise her head even now. Do you want to make your father and me
become the laughingstock of others?”
“So…” Ye Zhou slowly raised his head and, facing Mother Ye’s sharp eyes, said, “For your
face, my happiness isn’t important?”
“Happiness? What happiness is there in loving in the shadows your entire life? Can you
raise your head and tell people that you are gay?” Mother Ye fiercely jabbed at Ye Zhou’s
chest and said, “Do you understand? Rumors and slanders can kill people! How long can
you bear it? Your future lover, how long can he bear it? And for me and your dad in this
small place, I can’t wait for the entire community to know, for the entire school to know.
We’ve always been law-abiding citizens. Why do we have to suffer such a calamity for no
reason? The reputation we’ve built up in a lifetime will all be destroyed in your hands.”
“I’m not stealing, robbing, violating a principle or breaking the law. Just because my
sexuality is different from the ordinary people, it’s somehow shameful?” Ye Zhou knitted
his brows and retorted, “In a world so large, how can everyone be the same? This is a
society that seeks common ground, putting differences aside. I won’t despise myself, and no
one can look down on me. Haven’t you always said in front of others that your younger son
wouldn’t do and could only make you lose face? So even if I’m homosexual, other’s
shouldn’t be surprised.”
Slap! Mother Ye’s palm struck Ye Zhou’s face. “Don’t study diligently and only know how to
go on the crooked path!”
Her action was too fast that Ye Heng couldn’t react at all. A handprint soon appeared on Ye
Zhou’s face.
“Violence won’t resolve anything.” Ye Heng pulled Ye Zhou to his side and stood in front of
him. “It isn’t that Ye Zhou isn’t trying hard; it’s just that you can’t see his efforts. Mom, dad,
you’re both teachers. You should know that the gap between the first and second is very
small. So what if it’s second place? You can’t deny that Zhou Zhou is a child with exceptional
grades. Why do you always have to use the rank to pressure him?”
“It’s because we’re teachers and know that the difference is small, so we place such strict
demands on him. The difference is so little. If Ye Zhou could strive a little, how could he not
surpass it!”
How could he not surpass it?
This point, Ye Zhou also wanted to know the most.
“My ability is limited, so I helped you bring back a first place.” Ye Zhou laughed mockingly,
“I found a person who wins every test. Since young, regardless of whether it’s cultural class
or physical education, he’s always first. My current boyfriend is A City’s champion for the
college entrance exam that year.”
Mother Ye was extremely furious, laughing, “It’s still me who’s wrong in the end?”
Ye Heng just opened his mouth, wanting to help Ye Zhou, when Father Ye suddenly stood
up and pointed at Ye Zhou. “You get out! Just take it as we didn’t raise you! Be gay if you
want to, kill people if you want to, set fire if you want to! Afterwards, you have nothing to
do with us.”
Ye Zhou looked at them, turned around and opened the door.
“Zhou Zhou ー”
“Ye Heng, stop there for me!”
Ye Heng didn’t chase after him. He sighed and said, “Mom, dad, can’t you just let me alone
follow the life you planned? I gave up what I liked just to be the son you’re proud of. It
should be enough to have one son to be proud of. Let Zhou Zhou do what he likes.”
Father Ye and Mother Ye didn’t say anything. Ye Heng saw Ye Zhou’s coat and said, “Zhou
Zhou didn’t take his coat. I’ll go give it to him.”
Ye Zhou had run out in the heat of anger. At the end, his dad had equated homosexuality
with murder and arson and made him unable to accept it anymore. He gave up on
continuing to fight with them. Their views were different, and no one could approve of the
other.
Really coming to this step, Ye Zhou thought he’d be uncomfortable, but he didn’t expect that
he was even more relieved. Having been stifled for too long in this family, he’d finally
erupted. No wonder so many people like to talk back. Although the result was probably
pouring oil on the fire, but the process was invigorating!
It wasn’t good to cause Shang Ming to cause worry over the New Year, so Ye Zhou didn’t
bother Shang Ming and called Shang Jin’s phone instead. He’d left too fast and forgotten to
bring his coat, but fortunately, his phone was on him. Light snow drifted in the sky. Ye Zhou
shrunk his neck and listened to the ringing of the phone. After three rings, it connected.
“Ye Zhou?”
Ye Zhou quickly walked to the nearest coffee shop and ordered a cup of coffee. He said,
“Fast, congratulate me. I finally got driven out of my house.”
“Didn’t you say that you wouldn’t come out during New Year’s?”
“It’s hard to explain in a few words. When my family’s relatives just left, my heart was
determined and I came out.”
“Then tonight…”
“Let’s talk about it later. At worst, I could go to a McDonald’s and make do for a night.
Anyways, tomorrow’s flight…” He hadn’t said ‘ticket’ yet when Ye Zhou suddenly
remembered that he didn’t bring his identification. To be exact, he only had his cell phone
on him right now.
Ding-dong, a message came in, then Ye Zhou heard Shang Jin say, “I booked a flight for you
at seven o’clock. I’ll pick you up in the evening.”
Ye Zhou held his forehead. “I didn’t bring my ID…”
Shang Jin paused, then, “I’ll drive to D City and pick you up.”
“Don’t!” The two places weren’t close. Ye Zhou didn’t feel at ease letting Shang Jin drive
long distances. “I’ll go with my brother tomorrow. He’d definitely bring my ID…” His words
not finished yet, his head got knocked.
“You’re really secure in knowing I have your back. Fancy that I was so anxious to bring your
clothes over.” Ye Heng handed the card over to him and said, “Where were you thinking of
running off to without your ID card?”
The author has something to say: cough cough, wanting to secretly steal towards the
Snail King’s chrysanthemum, stop the thunder kiss~ Your action is very dangerous ah~~
Thank you for the mines and the nutrient solution~ the update was a bit late~
T/N: Yeah, not sure what the author note means… And author, HOW IS THIS AN EXTRA??
(ノ ಠ 益 ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

Chapter 74
Ye Zhou was delighted. He took his ID card and said, “Thank you, brother.”
“Where were you planning to go tonight? Should I help you book a room?”
Ye Zhou hurriedly said goodbye to Shang Jin and hung up the phone. He looked at the text
on the phone that showed the flight information. “No, I’m going back to A City.”
“Wasn’t your flight for tomorrow?”
“Shang Jin just bought me a ticket for this evening…”
Ye Heng sat next to Ye Zhou, ordered a cup of hot cocoa and marveled, “He’s afraid that
you’d be wronged.”
Ye Zhou stirred the coffee with a small spoon. “How would it come to being wronged and
not? I’ve long expected this result. Actually, I’m not really sad either.”
“You really didn’t find Shang Jin because you were pissed off?”
Ye Zhou said incredulously, “How can that be?” If Ye Heng knew the “ill-fated relationship”
between him and Shang Jin, he would never ask such a question. If it wasn’t sincere, even if
he were beaten to death, he would be unwilling to find his “enemy” to put on an act.
“Then I’ll send you to the airport in awhile.” The waiter brought the hot cocoa to Ye Heng.
Ye Heng took a sip and said, “Now, I also don’t want to bother with going back.”
“Why don’t you take a walk with me? Anyways, going back now is just asking for abuse.”
Ye Heng sighed, “I’m not the same as you.”
Ye Zhou said sourly, “Oh that’s true! You’re the parents’ pride.”
Ye Heng smiled and shook his head. He wasn’t referring to his parents’ attitude toward him,
but his feelings toward his parents.
“Although our parents seem to be good to me, it’s just because I can satisfy their vanity. You
see, once the image they maintain is tarnished, they immediately turn their faces. What
they want is only to let light shine on their faces that people could talk about. Of course,
now that they’re old, many things they can see through, but can’t lay bare, maintaining the
harmony on the surface. In fact, ever since leaving home, I never thought of coming back.”
At that time when he was filling out his choice, Ye Heng wanted to choose the literature
major, but Mother Ye made him fill in the finance major. Because Mother Ye had failed to go
into business when she was young, she wasted her whole life in school after she married
his father. When she had children, she began to impose on her children what she’d not
accomplished, hoping that her children could them achieve their ideals. Ye Heng wanted to
resist, but he saw Ye Zhou writing assignments in the study room. Originally feeling a bit
guilty toward Ye Zhou, he feared that Mother Ye would force these things on Ye Zhou, so
he’d agreed.
Who knew that when the time came around, this younger brother actually voluntarily filled
in the finance major. But now, he’d already thought it through. After all, the economic
foundation decide the superstructure. Being able to grasp the economic side, he had the
absolute power to decide and it would be harder for his parents to intervene in any of his
affairs.
Ye Zhou lifted his head and looked at Ye Heng in astonishment. This was the first time he’d
heard Ye Heng speak so much. It should be known that growing up, he’d always envied that
Ye Heng was the treasure in his parents’ palms. He didn’t expect that what Ye Heng felt
towards their parents seemed to be not that deep.
“Things such as emotions are best known by the person experiencing it.” Ye Heng looked at
the snow drifting outside the window and leaned on the bench. He said, “But I still want to
tell you whether they agree or disagree, the days are always yours.” The most important
point, Ye Heng didn’t say. In the TV shows, they always said persevering until the end
would move others’ unyielding hearts. But life wasn’t a TV show. What Ye Zhou wanted
was feelings, but their parents only wanted benefits. Taking feelings to exchange for
benefits was simply tarnishing Ye Zhou’s sincerity.
Ye Zhou’s two hands propped up his chin. He stared at Ye Heng and said, “I suddenly feel
that it’s really nice to have an older brother.”
Ye Heng was startled for a moment, then he reached out and flicked Ye Zhou’s forehead.
“You finally discovered it.”
Ye Zhou touched his forehead that didn’t hurt at all, and chuckled, “I’ve already discovered
it long ago.”
When the time came, Ye Heng directly sent Ye Zhou to the airport.
When he returned to A City again, Ye Zhou truly had a sense of unreality. He had just
finished arguing with his family in the afternoon, and in the blink of an eye, he’d returned
back to his familiar place.
“Ye Zhou.”
He had only not seen the person in front of him for a week, but Ye Zhou felt that they’d been
separated for a long time. He ran before Shang Jin and stopped half-a-meter away from him.
“I…”
Shang Jin frowned and gently touched his face with his hand.
Ye Zhou’s face was already a little numb from the cold wind outside, so even if it was
touched by Shang Jin, he didn’t feel much. Looking at Shang Jin’s expression, Ye Zhou held
off his intention to speak. He shrank his neck and said, “Let’s go back first.”
There were few people outside the airport at night. Shang Jin pulled Ye Zhou’s hand and led
him to the parking lot. When they got into the car, Shang Jin pinched Ye Zhou’s chin with his
fingers and used the car light to look at Ye Zhou’s cheek again.
“It’s nothing. It’ll be fine by tomorrow.” Worried that Shang Jin misunderstood him, Ye
Zhou explained, “My mother hit too suddenly, and I didn’t expect it. Otherwise, I would
definitely dodge. Am I silly enough to stand and let people hit me?”
“You’re not silly?” Shang Jin kissed Ye Zhou’s cold face, released him and fastened his seat
belt, starting the car. “I heard Big Brother Ye say that you came out when your mother was
in a temper. You say, are you silly or not? You have to pay attention to strategy when doing
things. Sometimes, you’re very clever, and sometimes, you’re stupid to death.”
Ye Zhou whispered, “My brother actually ratted me out.”
Shang Jin snorted. That was of course because Ye Heng couldn’t bear to scold Ye Zhou
before him, so he’d told Shang Jin these things.
Returning to their rented apartment, Ye Zhou saw that there was no signs that Shang Jin
had left and asked, “You didn’t go home?”
With his back to him, Shang Jin put the eggs in the egg cooker and casually said, “This is
also home.”
Ye Zhou’s heart was suddenly extremely erratic..
The next day, Ye Zhou was awakened by voices on the phone. He turned over and heard
Shang Jin whispering in the phone. After the other hung up, Ye Zhou asked out loud, “Who
was it?”
“My dad said to have lunch together at noon.” Shang Jin put on a sweater, looked at the time
and said, “Big Brother will arrive at the airport at three in the afternoon.”
“Yeah, let’s pick him up after lunch.”
When Shang Jin grabbed his coat from the closet, he suddenly remembered something and
asked, “Big Brother is already 30 years old, right? Why doesn’t he have a girlfriend yet?”
“I also find it strange. After all, my brother is also talented and good-looking. How could he
be in A City for so long and yet, I’ve never seen him even walking close with a woman?”
Compared with Ye Heng, as the younger brother, Ye Zhou was a little faster.
“Ask him when you see him. Get up quickly. We’re going back in a bit.”
Of course, he couldn’t be too late the first time spending New Year at Shang Jin’s home. Ye
Zhou carried the fruit and milk to visit.
“Uncle, Auntie, Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year.”
“Brother Zhou Zhou, Happy New Year!” Shang Youyou came running over, hopping and
skipping, and held Ye Zhou’s leg, smiling up at him with her head upturned.
Shang Jin took the things from Ye Zhou’s hands and Ye Zhou picked up Shang Youyou and
said, “Little princess, Happy New Year.” In passing, he took out a small red envelope from
his pocket and said, “This is for you, wishing the little princess’s new year will be healthy
and safe.”
Shang Youyou directly took it in her hand and said, “Thank you, Brother Zhou Zhou.”
After playing with Shang Youyou for a while, Shang Youyou was taken away by Qin Fei.
Before she left, Qin Fei also gave Ye Zhou a red envelope in return. This made Ye Zhou feel a
little embarrassed. He was already so grown up, how would he dare to accept the red
envelope. On the contrary, Shang Jin calmly said, “Just accept it.”
“I know about your family’s matter.” Shang Qingping put down the newspaper, looked at Ye
Zhou and said, “Sometimes, parents also need time to adjust.”
Ye Zhou nodded, but actually didn’t putting it in his heart. Even after so many years, it was
difficult for the parents’ deep-rooted ideas to change. Just like these twenty years, they still
thought that the ranking was very important.
“It’s nothing to be driven out.” Shang Qingping folded the newspaper and threw it on the
coffee table. “As a child of the Shang family, once you finish graduate school, you can
continue studying if you want. Or if you don’t want to study, you can take over the family
business…”
Shang Jin interrupted Shang Qingping, “Don’t arrange our life at will.”
Shang Qingping said sheepishly, “I’m just offering you a path, that’s all. Besides, if you don’t
take over my company, who would it be dumped to?”
Shang Jin didn’t want to have a dispute during the New Year. His dad’s health was now very
good. If he wanted to resign from the head, it’d be at least ten or twenty years later.
The few people sat together and talked about current affairs. At 11:30, Qin Fei called them
for lunch.
As the one who exceptionally liked Ye Zhou, Shang Youyou insisted on sitting next to Ye
Zhou, while Shang Jin sat on the other side of Shang Youyou. The two boys waited on the
little princess in the middle, getting the dishes she pointed at.
Although Ye Zhou couldn’t concentrate on eating because he was taking care of Shang
Youyou, but his mood was much better than at home.
After lunch, Ye Zhou saw that there was still a while until his brother arrived in A City, so
he sat in a corner of the living room and accompanied Shang Youyou to play with her toys.
The tablet beside them was also playing Shang Youyou’s favorite animation film.
Halfway through the game, Shang Youyou suddenly stood up and turned her small head in
a circle around the living room to look for something. She ran to the flowerpot in front of
the door, knelt down and picked a flower. Then, with her little hand behind her back, she
shyly walked in front of Ye Zhou and giggled with her head down.
Ye Zhou wasn’t clear what was going on.
And the Shang family’s father and son on the sofa were also attracted by Shang Youyou’s
actions.
Shang Youyou took out her hand and held the flower out. “Brother Zhou Zhou, can you
marry Youyou later?”
Ye Zhou was a bit dumbfounded.
The Shang family’s father and son’s faces simultaneously darkened.
The wedding march just started playing on the tablet. Ye Zhou glanced at the video content
and instantly realized. He smiled and said, “This is the first time I’ve been asked to marry.
I’m very happy.”
Shang Youyou’s blossoming smile became even more brilliant.
“But that’s not okay.” Shang Jin walked behind Ye Zhou. Looking down at Ye Zhou sitting on
the floor, he bent down and held Ye Zhou’s left hand. With something in his right hand, he
quickly slipped it on Ye Zhou’s hand and then put Ye Zhou’s hand back in its original place.
Shang Youyou frowned and said, “But I can’t be a family with Brother Zhou Zhou. Only by
marrying can we be a family.”
Shang Jin crouched down and said, “Who says? Your Brother Zhou Zhou is my family.
Youyou is also my family. Then Youyou and Brother Zhou Zhou are already a family, and
there’s no need to do anything else.”
The little princess Shang Youyou always felt she was being tricked, but couldn’t find any
way to refute. She looked at Ye Zhou for confirmation. “Is it?”
At this time, the other party already had his brain scalded empty by the warmth on his ring
finger. Shang Youyou called again before he came back to his senses. He pretended to be
calm and said, “Of course, we’ve long been a family.”
Only then did Shang Youyou give in.
Shang Jin touched Shang Youyou’s head and said to Ye Zhou, “Big Brother should be coming
soon. Let’s go to the airport.”
Ye Zhou didn’t even look at the time and frantically went to the entrance to change his
shoes.
Shang Jin followed behind him and bid farewell to Shang Qingping. The two men went out
together.
The elevator arrived at the basement level, and there was hardly anyone in the quiet
parking lot.
Ye Zhou fell one step behind Shang Jin and looked at his back, thinking that he would say
something. However, Shang Jin was Shang Jin: no one could stay as calm as him.
Passing through the dim light in the basement, he could still see the light glinting on his
ring finger. Ye Zhou took a glance at the unperturbed culprit, couldn’t hold back and kicked
him.
Shang Jin’s grey woolen shirt was immediately stamped with a footprint.
Shang Jin had no choice but to turn around and say, “Don’t use violence.”
Ye Zhou put his hand in front of him and bitterly pointed at the extra thing on his ring
finger for an explanation.
“In fact, I wanted to give it to you yesterday.” Shang Jin took his hand and led him slowly
toward the parking space. “Ye Zhou, set up a home with me. The owner of this home is you
and me too. No one will drive us out of this home. This home belongs to the two of us. Once
one of us leaves, then the home is not a home.”
As soon as the voice fell, Ye Zhou only felt thousands of emotions boiling in his heart.
Ye Zhou shifted his fingers, letting their ten fingers intertwine.
“When did you buy the ring?”
“Yesterday.”
Ye Zhou lowered his head and his lips slightly curved up. He was driven out of the house
yesterday and Shang Jin gave him a home today.
Growing up, perhaps both people had been treated unfairly, and they’d both complained
about being wronged. Until today, Ye Zhou was suddenly glad that he had suffered those
injustices: like the strawberry candy after the lemon, the sweetness went to the bottom of
his heart.
Ye Zhou said softly, “Thank you.”
Shang Jin grumbled, “Change it.”
“I love you.”
“Me too.”
《The End》
~~~
T/N: The cavities~ Hope the sweetness was worth the wait!
Wishing my dear readers: Happy New Year! Thank you for all your comments and support
and for making this an amazing year.
Everyone Thinks That I Like Him Extra
I found this on the author’s Weibo the other night. This really is the last extra >_<
Afterwards…
About Sister-in-Law~
It seemed that there wasn’t much difference between the life of a graduate student and
previously. Even the campus was still A Uni’s main campus. The two didn’t live in the
graduate dormitory and continued to live in their rental apartment.
Ye Heng’s work on this side was going very well and he was now thinking about buying a
house.
In this regard, Ye Zhou and Shang Jin were strongly in favor. Shang Jin had raised this
matter when Ye Heng came to A City. After all, A City’s housing prices would only rise
higher and higher. But Ye Heng had downplayed it and pushed it off.
As for the reason for dismissal, Shang Jin was completely speechless and helpless.
“I’ve decided to buy it next door to you.”
“Ah?” Ye Zhou was astonished, “We’re not planning to buy a house now.”
Ye Heng calmly said, “Then I’ll wait.”
“Brother, your waiting is all money. Do you expect the price in A City to fall?”
Ye Heng raised his eyes and swept Ye Zhou and Shang Jin with a glance and said,
“Otherwise, I’ll help you with an advance first?”
Ye Zhou immediately shook his head, “No way.”
Ye Heng sighed, “Then I’ll keep thinking about it.”
Ye Zhou saw Ye Heng’s thoughtful look and secretly nudged Shang Jin with his arm.
Shang Jin remained unmoved.
Ye Zhou glanced at Shang Jin and lightly coughed. “That, brother, compared to the house,
why don’t you find me a sister-in-law first?”
Ye Heng smiled, “This matter depends on fate. Hurrying it still can’t be hurried.”
“The key is you’ve been here for two years…” Ye Zhou scratched his head and said, “I
haven’t seen you very close to any woman. If you like men…” Originally, Ye Zhou intended
to let Shang Jin speak on this matter, but in the end, Shang Jin always played stupid and he
was anxious on the side. He clearly knew that when he talked to his brother, he always
came out on the losing end.
“Stop!” Ye Heng shot him a glance and said, “Don’t think that you’re gay so everyone around
you should like men.”
One sentence completely stoppered Ye Zhou’s words.
“Ye Zhou got confused from concern.” Shang Jin finally took up the topic. He touched Ye
Zhou’s head and said, “Big Brother is an adult and naturally knows what he wants.”
Ye Zhou curled his lips. “It’s me meddling.”
Ye Heng couldn’t bear to see Ye Zhou’s good intentions being let down and explained, “It’s
really that I haven’t met the right woman yet. The older we are, the less pure we are
towards love. The two people being together, they not only think about personality,
ideology or attitude in life, but sometimes even consider family conditions and too many
external factors can affect it. It’s better for you to completely abandon the interference
from the outside world and stay pure.”
Ye Zhou blinked, not really understanding.
Ye Heng threw a question to him, “What do you think about most when you’re with Shang
Jin?”
“Whether I like him or not…” Bringing this up, he’d struggled for quite a number of days
over who he’d really liked.
“It’s good to be young.” Ye Heng left this lament and went straight away.
The next day, Ye Zhou picked up a call on his way to school. A younger school brother he
knew wanted to borrow his previous notes. Ye Zhou thought that the time was still early
and decided to go over and give it to him directly.
“You don’t have to stay with me.” The two men rode their bikes back to the school building
where they often attended classes.
“It’s okay anyway.” The weather in October was good for cycling. While bathed by the sun,
Shang Jin narrowed his eyes and his voice was lazy. “How does a freshman who just started
class know you?”
“The last time my bike got a flat tire, I didn’t notice it, and the kid lent me a pump. Turns out
he’s in the finance department. Since I didn’t throw away my notes, I was going to give it to
him.” Ye Zhou quickened his riding speed and said, “It’s best to give it to him before class
starts.”
However, perhaps in the past few years, the two people were really good at stepping into
the classroom on the dot, so when they just arrived at the classroom, the school bell rang.
The two sat down in the last row, intending to give the freshman brother the notebook and
quietly slipping out the back door.
The ideal was beautiful, but the reality was cruel.
Ye Zhou and Shang Jin just stepped into the classroom when they immediately came under
the watchful gaze of all the students.
Even if the two people had become graduate students, their fame still didn’t decrease, but
increased.
Of course, this was also thanks to the Shang Ye number. After graduating, the two men
originally planned to ride the Shang Ye number home and end its riding career over the
past few years.
But for A Uni’s students, the riding career may be over, but the test god career still
remained.
Ye Zhou waved his hand and said that the car would stay at school.
The people at school heard that Shang Ye was “donating” the car to the school and the next
day, they sent people to ride it back and parked it in a very eye-catching location. It was
surrounded by railings and since then, had become the beautiful scenery of the finance
department.
Ye Zhou being stared at by so many gazes, whispered, “Can we leave in a bit?”
Shang Jin looked at the time and said, “It’s still early even if we leave to go see our mentor.
Let’s just self-study.”
“That works.”
His voice just fell when the teacher of this class came in.
Ye Zhou and Shang Jin originally had their heads down, but hearing the exclamations
around them, they couldn’t help but look at the podium.
Shang Jin raised his eyebrows and suddenly understood.
Ye Zhou looked for a bit and then lowered his head.
Shang Jiin gave him a glance and said in his heart, Ye Zhou was really not interested in
women at all.
The female teacher at the podium had a temperament even better than her outstanding
appearance. Her outfit was very simple without gorgeous jewelry. She only wore a ponytail
and the clothes on her body was also very clean, her face only having a touch of makeup.
Raising her hand or lifting her feet, it carried the feeling of being above the common
populace, as if she was only suited for seclusion in the mountains rather than the active
hustle and bustle of the city.
Shang Jin slanted his head and looked at the textbook of the student in front of him.
Literature class.
“Hello everyone. My name is Jiang Yuchi. I will be the literature teacher for everyone this
semester.” Saying this, Jiang Yuchi wrote her name on the blackboard. “This is my phone.
Everyone can note it down and if you have any questions in the future, you can contact me.”
Shang Jin held his chin and looked at the words on the blackboard. Words were like the
person: there was a kind of freedom in the gracefulness.
“We won’t start this class with a lecture. Let’s get to know each other.”
Perhaps because of Jiang Yuchi’s temperament, no one dared to impudently ask questions,
so after Jiang Yuchi finished, the classroom suddenly fell into a mysterious silence.
Jiang Yuchi didn’t feel embarrassed. She took out the roster and said, “Since everyone is so
shy, then let me get to know everyone first.”
In the following time, it was almost all student self-introduction time. From their words, it
felt like these students were very reserved.
Ye Zhou turned a page and whispered, “This bunch of people are really quiet. I remember
when we were in class, it was so lively.”
After marking down the names of the entire class, Jiang Yuchi said, “If you don’t have
anything to ask, then let’s start class now.”
Shang Jin suddenly opened his mouth, “Does teacher have a boyfriend?”
In a flash, the group of freshmen looked at Shang Jin like looking at a warrior.
Worthy of being a senior: not being afraid of danger at any time.
Ye Zhou desperately pulled at the hem of Shang Jin’s clothes under the table, not
understanding what Shang Jin was trying to pull all of a sudden.
Jiang Yuchi, who had been smiling, eyes narrowed like arrows in an instant. Her expression
hadn’t changed, but her eyes no longer held a smile. “Classmate, want to be my boyfriend,
catch up with my education first.”
Shang Jin frowned.
Jiang Yuchi lightly spat out two phrases, “Ph.D, C Uni.”
The whole class drew in a breath.
Shang Jin nodded and didn’t speak again.
Jiang Yuchi glanced at the roster and said, “You’re not a student of our class, right?”
Ye Zhou was afraid that Shang Jin would say something that shouldn’t be said, and
hurriedly said, “Teacher Jiang, we’re not students in this class, but we rather like literature,
so…”
Jiang Yuchi knew that there were some students in the university who’d drop by to listen.
She put the roster down and said, “I hope in my class that we do not ask any personal
questions. Similarly on the phone, please talk about content related to the lecture.”
After class, Ye Zhou gave the notes to the schoolmate and pulled Shang Jin out of the
classroom. Seeing Shang Jin was still absent-minded, he furiously said, “What nerve did you
struck? Why were in messing around in other people’s class?”
Shang Jin smiled, “What, worried that I fell in love with someone else?”
“Pei!” Ye Zhou nudged Shang Jin’s thigh with his knee. “You’re not someone who’d do
something without a purpose.”
Shang Jin’s hand casually rested on Ye Zhou’s shoulder and said, “Before, I felt that she was
very gentle and refined when I saw her, and she’s also a literature teacher. So I thought that
she should be able to chat with big brother, but I changed my mind now. Teacher Jiang is a
bit proud and so is big brother. They’re not suitable.”
Mentioning Ye Heng, Ye Zhou’s interest arose. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I didn’t look
twice just now.”
“It’s not suitable anyway. It’s useless to look more.”
Ye Zhou still felt a little discouraged, but since then, he started to pay a lot of attention to
the women around him.
After observing for a while, he still felt that no one was very suitable for his brother and
gradually left this matter behind him.
In the late autumn, the weather gradually turned cold. Ye Zhou and Shang Jin rode over on
their bikes and felt the cold wind biting their faces.
Ye Zhou and Shang Jin went out and forgot to bring an umbrella. When it was time to go
home, the rain poured down heavily.
“Shoot, how can we go back?” Ye Zhou sneezed and pulled up his jacket’s zipper. They
stood at the door of the school building, watching the rain. It still hadn’t stopped after a
short while.
Shang Jin looked at the time and said, “Why don’t we ask big brother to come around on his
way back?”
At this time, it was really fortunate that they lived in the same community.
Ye Zhou took his phone out. Now was just the time when Ye Heng would be coming home.
He hurriedly made a call and simply said a few words before he prepared to sit in the
empty classroom to wait for Ye Heng.
“Teacher Jiang, you’re just going home?” Brushing by the other person in the hallway, Ye
Zhou habitually greeted the person he knew.
Jiang Yuchi was startled for a moment, not expecting the other party to say hello to her.
After all, they’d only met once. She smiled courteously, “What about you? Still haven’t gone
home yet?”
“Yeah, we’ll leave later.” Ye Zhou looked at Jiang Yuchi’s back and said, “She didn’t look at
you the whole time. It seems that she’s still brooding over what happened last time. I have
to say did you really have to ask her if she had a boyfriend and make such a big ruckus
instead of asking the other people in private?”
Shang Jin didn’t feel that he was wrong. “What everyone thinks isn’t necessarily true. This
kind of thing, you can only ask the person involved to get the fastest, most effective and
authentic answer.”
Ye Zhou just wanted to refute, then he thought of himself and Shang Jin and silently closed
his mouth.
The two people stayed in the classroom for 15 minutes, then received a call from Ye Heng.
They went to the door of the school building and saw Jiang Yuchi was standing to the side.
“Teacher Jiang, you also didn’t bring an umbrella?”
“Well, I was in a hurry today and forgot.”
“Where do you live? My brother is coming over to pick us up. Why don’t we give you a
ride?”
Jiang Yuchi hesitated for a few seconds and said, “That’s a hassle. You don’t have to send me
home. Just drop me off at a convenient place to take a taxi.”
The black car stopped at the school building entrance. Ye Zhou thought that Jiang Yuchi
wouldn’t want to squeeze in the back seat with them and said, “Teacher Jiang, you should
sit in front.”
The rain was too heavy and Jiang Yuchi also wasn’t unreasonable. After Shang Jin and Ye
Zhou entered the back seat, she opened the passenger door.
As soon as they got in the car, Ye Zhou explained, “Brother, this is a teacher from our
school, taking a ride.”
Ye Heng nodded. After Jiang Yuchi got into the car, he took out two paper towels and gave it
to her.
“Thank you.” Jiang Yuchi wiped the rain from her hair and her eyes swept over Ye Heng.
This glance made her freeze on the spot.
Shang Jin and Ye Zhou were leaning their heads against each other as they looked at their
phones when the sudden silence in the car made Shang Jin look up. He bumped Ye Zhou
and made him raise his head.
Ye Zhou leaned in next to Shang Jin’s ear and said in a very small voice, “What’s the
situation?”
Shang Jin shook his head.
Ye Heng didn’t pay attention to the other person’s strangeness and started the car. He
asked as they were leaving campus, “Teacher, where do you live?”
It was as if Jiang Yuchi was waking up from a dream. She tidied her hair and said, “In the
Tiancheng District.”
“That’s not far. I’ll send you back first.”
“Thank you.” Jiang Yuchi once again looked at Ye Heng and said, “That, my name is Jiang
Yuchi. I’m actually not their teacher. You can call me Little Jiang.”
“The depths of the water flow slowly, the noble person speaks measuredly: the name is
good.” (T/N: He’s expounding on the meaning of her name, which gets lost in translation.)
Jiang Yuchi clenched her slightly trembling hands and asked, “You’re Senior Ye Heng,
right?”
Both Ye Zhou and Shang Jin in the back seat pricked up their ears, and even their breaths
were soft.
Ye Heng stopped at the red light and looked at her strangely.
Jiang Yuchi tightly grasped her knapsack strap and said nervously, “Senior Ye Heng was
very famous at C Uni when I started. I’m behind you by two years.”
Ye Heng looked at her and thought for a moment. He recalled, “It’s been ten years. You’ve
changed a lot and I didn’t recognize you for a moment.”
“Do you remember me?”
At the same time, Ye Zhou leaned against the back of Ye Heng’s seat and asked, “What’s the
matter? Do you know each other?”
Ye Heng slowly started. It’d been too long ago and there were a lot of things he really didn’t
remember. But at the beginning of his junior year, he’d helped a girl and had a bit of an
impression. “Teacher Jiang could be counted as the only school sister I welcomed.” At that
time, he was pulled over by a friend from the student union to help. After welcoming one
student, he was pulled away to do something else.
Ye Zhou sighed, “It’s really fate to meet again after such a long time.”
“Who says it’s not?” Ye Heng smiled, “But Teacher Jiang is quite formidable. An average
person can’t become a professor at A Uni.”
Shang Jin interjected, “Big Brother, Teacher Jiang has a Ph.D from C Uni.”
“Really formidable.”
“Not really. I can only study, so I kept studying,” Jiang Yuchi whispered, “Education doesn’t
count as much.”
Shang Jin leaned his head on Ye Zhou’s shoulder. This teacher was really interesting. When
a student asked her, she said coldly that if he wanted to chase her, he should catch up with
her education. When Ye Heng was here, education didn’t count as much. It really was a
terrible double standard.
Ye Zhou seemed to have thought of the same thing as Shang Jin. He pushed Shang Jin off
and winked at him.
Tiancheng District was one of the most famous large-scale real estates in A City. It covered
a wide area and even had several bus stops in the community.
Ye Heng asked, “Which one do you live in? This is my first time here so help point out the
way for me.”
Jiang Yuchi straightened her back, looked out the window intently and pointed ahead
before turning.
Going around seven bends and eight curves for more than ten minutes, they finally stopped
in front of residential building number 11.
Before getting off the car, Jiang Yuchi took a deep breath and said, “Senior Ye Heng, take
care on the way back. Thank you for today. I’ll invite you to a meal another day.”
Ye Heng waved his hand and drove to the intersection. Through the blurry window, he
looked at the map of the neighborhood and said, “How did she turn a two-minute road into
ten minutes?”
Shang Jin coughed and said, “Who knows.”
Ye Zhou snickered, “God knows.”
Ye Heng looked at the two men through the rearview mirror and shook his head.
In fact, the protagonists are still the two Shang and Ye~ By the way, the sister-in-law was
brought out~ I will not write more afterwards~
Onz what about the new text? Try my best by mid-September~

Everyone Thinks That I Like Him

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Everyone Thinks That I Like Him

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Next chapter is a long one!

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1. Chinese inch (寸 cun), around 3.3cm. ↩

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1. CP = couple; GJ = good job ↩ ↩

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1. Face-con: (颜控) Face complex, people who love based on appearances ↩

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1. mensao (闷骚): outwardly cold but deeply passionate inside ↩

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