Author Archives: Thandar

He looked up at the title at the top and confirmed he hadn’t opened the wrong thread. Then he carefully looked at the photo of himself in the original post. Honestly, it was a pretty good shot—handsome, even. Shao Ye couldn’t help but long-press to save it. While he was at it, he even gave a like to the guy in the first comment who said he wasn’t small, but actually quite big.

Good eye.

“Little boyfriend?”

What part of him was little?

The world was getting ridiculous. Maybe later he should call his parents and ask if he had a long-lost twin brother.

Taking a deep breath, Shao Ye scrolled down. He thought maybe the comments would all be roasting the original poster.

But reality didn’t quite match his expectations. Aside from a few clueless anonymous students asking if it was true, most people were actually providing “evidence” to support the claim.

One student replied: “Every time he went to pick a fight with Si Xu, he said he was the president’s person. I thought he was just a lackey—turns out he’s the boyfriend? What a twist.”

: Si Xu: I didn’t know either! He never told me!

: When he brought the medal to the president yesterday, didn’t you see how the president was smiling? Like a blooming flower.

: I’m in the student council. Once he came looking for the president, but the president had gone to a meeting with the principal. I deliberately told him the president was in the cafeteria. Now I’m kind of scared—am I going to get kicked out of the student council tomorrow just because I stepped into the president’s office with my left foot first?!

Damn! No wonder he couldn’t find the president after circling the cafeteria three times that day—he’d gotten so mad he ended up eating three servings of mango pudding. He was definitely going to tell the president about this tonight!

Wait…

Was something off here? Whatever, forget it!

Shao Ye scrolled through a few more pages. There was no reversal—if anything, more and more people were convinced he was the president’s boyfriend.

He slowly lowered his phone, sinking into a strange, hollow state. He felt like he should say something, but had no idea where to start.

His desk mate made a fist like a microphone and held it in front of Shao Ye’s mouth. “Student Shao Ye, do you have anything to say? Everything you say may be used as evidence in court.”

After thinking for a long time, Shao Ye looked up and asked, “Why are they slandering my innocence?”

His desk mate blinked, nearly failing to process it. “So… is what the post says true?”

Shao Ye thought back and nodded. “Yeah, probably. But that’s not the important part.”

Then what is the important part?

His desk mate stared at him suspiciously. “So… are you… innocent?”

Shao Ye: “…”

Under that stare, he felt a bit unsure himself. “More or less?”

Well then—what else was there to say? Might as well skip straight to wishing them a long and happy relationship.

“This is a setup. It has to be a setup.” Shao Ye muttered, swiping through the screen. “They’re jealous that the president values me, so they’re trying to make him distance himself from me with this kind of rumor.”

He sighed. “Has human nature really become this sinister? When I get back, I’ll have the president ban them all.”

His desk mate gave him a complicated look, lips twitching like he wanted to say something but held back.

Shao Ye paused mid-typing and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

His desk mate quietly took a few steps back to maintain a safe distance before answering, “Do you know what you look like right now?”

“Like what?”

“Like a scheming consort whispering in the emperor’s ear.”

Shao Ye: “…You’ve been corrupted by them.”

In the end, Shao Ye didn’t send the post to Xi Guanming—but he refused to admit it had anything to do with what his desk mate said.

After rehearsal, the class monitor came up to him and warned, “If you mess up during tomorrow’s performance at the arts festival, I’m reporting you to Xi Guanming—telling him you’ve been playing with the feelings of multiple girls in our class.”

Shao Ye: “?”

He asked, “When did I ever do that? And why report me to the president?!”

“We have high expectations for you. If you mess up, that’s basically playing with our feelings. And as for reporting to the president—stop pretending.”

Shao Ye went blank. He already knew where this was going.

“Didn’t expect it,” the class monitor said, standing on tiptoe to pat his shoulder and give him a thumbs-up. “You really can’t judge a book by its cover, Brother Ye. Put in a good word for us in front of the president—our class is definitely getting the honor flag this semester.”

Shao Ye: “……”

He had a mountain of curses he wanted to unleash, but there were too many, all stuck in his throat. In the end, they condensed into one long, bitter sigh.

The goal he had always wanted to achieve… seemed to have been reached in a very strange way. So did that count as success or not?

Sigh.

Those people in the thread were saying they’d have to be careful not to offend him in the future, that he’d definitely go crying to the president. Seriously—how could they say something like that about him?

The arts rep walked over, glanced at Shao Ye—whose grin was practically stretching to his ears—and whispered to the class monitor, “Why is Brother Ye smiling like that?”

The class monitor shook her head. “I don’t want to know. It feels like petty villain energy. My fists are itching.”

Even on the way back to the dorm, Shao Ye was still thinking about it. So many people believed he was the president’s boyfriend—but he wasn’t. Sooner or later, the truth would come out.

If people joked about it in front of the president… Shao Ye had a bad feeling it wouldn’t end well for him.

But what if he really became the president’s boyfriend…

Shao Ye quickly shut that thought down and internally scolded himself. Shao Ye, you’re not human. How could you even think that?

The student council was checking safety conditions for the arts festival venue, so Xi Guanming came back late. Shao Ye was lying on the bed playing on his phone, completely absorbed, not noticing his return.

Xi Guanming walked over silently and looked down at him. Shao Ye’s feet dangled off the edge of the bed, his toes curling and uncurling. Xi Guanming’s gaze traveled upward from his calves to his thighs, then to his rounded, lifted hips.

He walked over, picked up the glass on the table, deliberately making a slight noise to get Shao Ye’s attention, and then asked, “What happened? You look so happy.”

Hearing his voice, Shao Ye immediately put down his phone and sat up, shaking his head like a rattle drum. “N-no, nothing.”

So clueless—his face was already that red, and he still said nothing was wrong. Who would believe that?

But Xi Guanming didn’t expose him. He just smiled and said, “Go to bed early tonight. Do well at the arts festival tomorrow.”

“Got it.” Shao Ye glanced at his phone one last time before reluctantly setting it aside.

Just now, he had been fiercely arguing with people anonymously on the forum, posting under the trending thread that Shao Ye was currently only the president’s subordinate, and asking everyone to respect the person involved and stop spreading rumors.

The fellow students hadn’t expected that after more than twenty pages of discussion, someone could still come out and spout nonsense with a straight face. If this was how Xi Guanming treated his “underlings,” then they would all be willing to become his underlings.

As soon as that was said, Shao Ye didn’t dare say another word. Not only had he failed to control the public opinion, he’d even gained a bunch of competitors. It was terrifying.

Shao Ye backed off, but the others refused to let it go. They kept throwing out all kinds of “evidence,” trying to prove that Shao Ye was definitely the president’s boyfriend. Some of them even wished they could drag Xi Guanming out to livestream and give Shao Ye an official title.

Shao Ye knew he should be angry at their nonsense, but looking at all their so-called evidence and analysis, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but lift. Did he and the president really look that convincing together? It was kind of embarrassing.

Realizing he was about to laugh out loud, Shao Ye quickly took a deep breath and adjusted his expression. This was anger. It had to be anger.

He secretly brainwashed himself, telling himself he’d just lost control of his expression because he was mad.

Still, those students were really good at shipping. They even knew he and Xi Guanming were living in the same dorm. Luckily, they didn’t know they were now sleeping in the same bed. If they did, who knew what outrageous things they’d say.

When he went to the bathroom to wash up, Shao Ye glanced at the still-collapsed bed and wondered why the school maintenance department had become so inefficient. Was fixing a bed really that hard? He’d have to mention it to the president.

But as soon as he came out of the bathroom, he forgot all about it. It takes three days to form a habit, and now he could naturally climb into Xi Guanming’s bed after washing up.

Maybe it was because the forum calling him the president’s “little boyfriend” had hit him too hard, plus he’d napped too long in the afternoon and had a cup of milk tea at night. For once, Shao Ye, who usually fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, experienced insomnia.

More than half an hour after lights out, his brain was still unusually active. He lay there counting sheep, from one sheep to two hundred seventeen, then somehow back to one hundred nine.

Suddenly, Xi Guanming’s voice came from beside him: “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“Probably drank too much milk tea,” Shao Ye sighed. His deskmate had said it worked better than coffee. He hadn’t believed it, but now he had to.

Xi Guanming turned onto his side and asked softly, “Do you need help?”

Help how? Was the president going to tell him a bedtime story?

Before Shao Ye could answer, Xi Guanming’s hand had already slipped under his blanket.

Shao Ye’s body stiffened. Now he understood how Xi Guanming planned to “help” him.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly. His body tensed slightly, fingers gripping the bedsheet tightly as he struggled to suppress any sound.

When it was over, Xi Guanming got up and turned on the light. Shao Ye lay on the bed, the blanket having been pulled aside during everything. The dim, warm yellow light fell over him, as if coating his skin in a layer of honey.

Shao Ye stared blankly at the wall lamp above, suddenly recalling how he had been arguing fiercely with people on the forum not long ago, and felt a bit guilty.

“Can you sleep now?” Xi Guanming sat beside him, his gaze openly tracing every line of muscle on his body.

Shao Ye pressed his lips together, his throat moving slightly. He didn’t dare say that after a brief moment of calm, he now felt awake again.

He felt like he’d let down the president’s goodwill. He didn’t dare meet Xi Guanming’s eyes, his gaze drifting elsewhere… only to land on Xi Guanming’s lower body, which startled him.

It looked like the president wasn’t exactly sleepy either.

His mouth fell open, making him look even more foolish. Noticing his expression, Xi Guanming, who had been wiping his hands, looked up and asked, “Still can’t sleep?”

Seeing Xi Guanming pause, as if about to “help” him again, Shao Ye hurriedly said, “No more, really, no more.”

It wasn’t that he lacked stamina. He had to perform on stage tomorrow. If something went wrong, the class monitor would definitely go complain to the president and ruin his reputation. He should’ve let the class monitor play the thirteenth dark wizard back then.

“Alright,” Xi Guanming said, sounding rather regretful.

Rationally, Shao Ye knew he should go to sleep. But his eyes kept drifting toward Xi Guanming.

The boss was in trouble. How could a subordinate just ignore it? What kind of future would that subordinate have?

After struggling internally, Shao Ye finally gathered the courage to ask, “President… do you need help?”

“Hm?” Xi Guanming looked up at him.

“Well… that.” Shao Ye blinked at him.

Xi Guanming understood and smiled. “If you’re willing.”

Shao Ye quickly got up on his knees beside him. Xi Guanming leaned back against the pillow, one leg slightly bent, watching Shao Ye’s every move with a calm expression.

Shao Ye pressed his lips together, not daring to use much force with his hands. His expression was serious and proper, lips drawn into a straight line, like a devout believer facing a sacred object.

How could he be this cute? He should just pin him down and— Xi Guanming ran his tongue over his teeth again and again, suppressing the surge of wild thoughts in his mind.

After trying for a while with little effect, Shao Ye frowned and asked in frustration, “President, am I just bad at this?”

Xi Guanming smiled. “A little.”

Shao Ye looked even more defeated. He couldn’t believe he was worse than the president even at this.

“Is it too late for me to learn now?” he asked sincerely.

“It’s not too late,” Xi Guanming said, sitting up straighter and adjusting his posture slightly. “But there’s an easier way.”

“What way?” Shao Ye asked innocently.

“Take off your clothes, turn around, and lie on the bed.”

Shao Ye did as he was told. But as soon as he lay down, he realized this scene felt familiar, like something that had just happened not long ago.

He wasn’t about to get spanked again, was he? That didn’t make sense. He’d been behaving well lately and hadn’t interfered with Jiang Yan anymore. Could it be that the president knew about the forum?

“Put your legs together,” Xi Guanming’s voice came from behind him.

Shao Ye obediently brought his legs together. A flicker of something dark passed through Xi Guanming’s eyes. His palm itched, and in the end, he couldn’t resist—he brought it down in a smack.

He really did get hit again.

“President, why did you hit me again?” Shao Ye asked, full of confusion. He didn’t dare admit that it had actually felt a little… good.

“Sorry, couldn’t help myself,” Xi Guanming replied with a smile.

Shao Ye opened his mouth to say something else, but in the next moment he completely forgot what he wanted to say.

He clutched the pillow under his head tightly with both arms, not daring to relax his legs at all. Even when they were forced apart, he immediately pressed them back together.

Xi Guanming noticed his reaction. His gaze deepened as it trailed down from the back of Shao Ye’s neck. His spine was straight, his shoulders broad, his waist narrow. A thin sheen of sweat covered his skin, glistening under the light. There was a small red mole on his left trapezius. Xi Guanming fixed his eyes on it, suppressing the strong urge to bite down on it.

Not yet.

But soon.

No need to rush.

Food that’s been waited on for a long time always tastes better.

Lying face down on the bed, Shao Ye gradually regained his scattered thoughts. In a daze, he felt like the president’s “method” didn’t seem that effective after all. So much time had passed, and the results weren’t exactly obvious.

After who knew how long, Xi Guanming finally let go of his waist. With a satisfied tone, he said, “Thank you, Shao Ye.”

What was he supposed to say?

After thinking for a moment, Shao Ye replied, “Y-you’re welcome?”

A low, magnetic laugh sounded behind him. Xi Guanming took two wet wipes from the bedside table and carefully cleaned the cream from the mango pudding.

From the moment he realized how Xi Guanming planned to help him “fall asleep,” Shao Ye had already suspected he wouldn’t be able to sleep at all—and he was right. The inside of his thighs felt strange, a little itchy. There was no way he’d dare let the president help him like that again. He shut his eyes tightly and pretended to sleep.

Xi Guanming, having at least gotten a small “appetizer” tonight, knew he was faking and didn’t tease him further.

Shao Ye kept up the act all the way until the next morning. Early on, he went with his classmates to the auditorium to watch performances. By the time it was their class’s turn, it was already afternoon. A large group of them rushed backstage, changed into costumes, and went on stage.

After delivering all his lines, Shao Ye was “cursed” and fell backward with a thud onto a small cart padded with soft cushions. Then he lay there silently, waiting for the “grass” on his head to sprout so he could make his honorable exit.

Soon enough, the poor wizard—who couldn’t be awakened by true love’s kiss, who had fallen into eternal sleep, and now even had grass growing on his head—was pushed, cart and all, into a cluttered storage room backstage.

Shao Ye thought the little cart was actually pretty comfortable. He hadn’t slept at all the previous night, and his nerves had been tense the whole time—especially to avoid the class monitor reporting him for “playing with girls’ feelings.” Now that his part was over, he finally relaxed, and exhaustion hit him like a flood.

A classmate called for him to get up, but he shook his head and told them to go ahead. He wanted to nap on the cart for a while.

The play on stage continued, the princess and prince’s dialogue drifting into the small storage room.

He heard the princess sobbing:
“I crossed mountains and deserts to break his curse, traveled through endless barren sands and the cold, dark depths of the sea. I risked my life countless times and finally found a way to open the black castle.

“But now, I can no longer give him a true love’s kiss. No one in this world will ever love him again. He is doomed to sleep forever in that dark castle.”

“Oh, my dear princess,” the prince replied, “do not be sad. Your tears are the sharpest weapon in the world, piercing my heart with ease.

“You need not feel guilty or pity him. He fell asleep carrying your most precious love with him. He will never wake, and so the love he once received will last forever. My princess, do not blame yourself—this is fate.”

Half-asleep, Shao Ye listened to the overly dramatic lines and, for a moment, vaguely felt as though he had truly been cursed—doomed to sleep forever in this storage room.

The door opened, then closed again. Footsteps approached, stopping beside his cart. A long shadow fell across his face, and then a hand covered his eyes.

Was someone trying to play a “guess who I am” game with him?

How childish, Shao Ye thought, and actually started thinking seriously about who it could be.

The footsteps sounded familiar. It should be—

Before he could figure it out, a pair of soft lips pressed briefly against his.

It was a very light kiss, gone as quickly as it came.

Shao Ye froze. His muddled mind felt like someone had suddenly set off a string of firecrackers inside it, crackling wildly.

He heard the owner of that shadow say, “Wizard, you can wake up now.”

He snapped fully awake, eyes flying open—only to see darkness.

“President?” He stopped halfway through sitting up and called out instinctively.

Xi Guanming removed the hand covering his eyes. Light flooded back in. At first everything was blurry, but after a blink, his vision cleared—and there was Xi Guanming, smiling.

Shao Ye stared at him blankly, recalling what had just happened.

“Why didn’t you go back to the dorm to sleep? Weren’t you afraid you’d get locked in here?” Xi Guanming asked.

It was as if Shao Ye hadn’t even heard the question. Carefully, he asked, “President… you just kissed me, right?”

“Yes,” Xi Guanming answered, without the slightest attempt to hide it.

“Why?” Shao Ye asked instinctively.

Xi Guanming let out a soft laugh, lowered his head, and asked in return, “Didn’t they say only a true love’s kiss could wake you?”

“Yes, but that was—”

Before he could finish, Xi Guanming cut in, “Seems like it really works.”

Shao Ye blinked, feeling like his brain had been overloaded. He tried to piece together what had just happened.

But it had been too brief—there wasn’t much to piece together.

A true love’s kiss…

You don’t hear of any story where a boss gives his subordinate a “true love’s kiss.”

—The president definitely likes him. I swear on the three remaining hairs on our homeroom teacher’s head.

At that moment, the comments from the forum suddenly flooded into Shao Ye’s confused mind. It felt like everything clicked into place all at once.

Without thinking, he blurted out, “President, do you mean… I can actually be your boyfriend?”

Xi Guanming paused slightly. Before coming here, he had imagined many possible reactions from Shao Ye, but never that he would jump straight to this conclusion. It seemed that confession wasn’t the trumpet of a charge, but the flag of victory.

He rolled the words over in his mind and asked, “Boy…friend?”

That didn’t quite sound right.

Shao Ye didn’t catch the teasing tone in his voice and continued, “President, didn’t you see the posts on the forum?”

“What posts?” Xi Guanming asked. He had been busy lately and hadn’t paid much attention to the school forum, though he could guess the kind of gossip they posted.

“It’s nothing,” Shao Ye said, shaking his head.

Xi Guanming took out his phone, opened the forum, and saw several trending posts pinned at the top. He tapped into the one with the most replies. His gaze lingered on the photo in the first post for a couple of seconds before he saved it and continued scrolling.

“They’re all talking nonsense,” Shao Ye said. “It has nothing to do with me.”

Xi Guanming skimmed quickly. Without paying too much attention, he used his permissions to privately message the person who claimed to have secretly taken many photos of him and Shao Ye, asking for the originals. At the same time, he asked, “Really nothing to do with you?”

How was he supposed to answer that?

Yes… or no?

Staying in the president’s dorm had been his own idea. He had broken the bed. He was the one who hung the medal around the president’s neck.

If he said it had nothing to do with him, that didn’t seem very convincing.

But if he said it did… that would be unfair!

Xi Guanming didn’t seem to need an answer anyway. After casually skimming a few more posts, he put his phone away and asked, “So, Shao Ye… do you want to be my boyfriend?”

Shao Ye felt like his heart was about to leap out of his chest. This wasn’t just butterflies anymore—it was like a dozen bulls tap dancing inside him.

His mind was a complete mess, unable to find a single coherent thread. When he finally opened his mouth, the first thing he asked was, “President… are you gay?”

The moment he said it, even he realized how stupid the question sounded.

Xi Guanming: “…”

“What do you think?” he asked.

Shao Ye coughed, rubbed his nose, and, at the thought that the president might like him, felt ridiculously pleased. If he had a tail, it would already be sticking straight up.

The president had asked if he wanted to be his boyfriend… Shao Ye couldn’t help putting on airs and asked, “President, what are the benefits of being your boyfriend?”

Xi Guanming found it amusing—so adorable. He really ought to pin him down and give him a spanking first, then keep him busy for three days and nights, until his voice turned hoarse, his eyes filled with tears, and his body was covered in marks… that would definitely look nice.

Dark thoughts circled through Xi Guanming’s mind, but on the surface, he remained calm. Smiling, he said, “If you’re not my boyfriend, then you don’t even get to be my subordinate.”

Shao Ye: “…”

What kind of deal was that?! Not sincere at all!

“Have you decided?” Xi Guanming asked again.

“…Then I’ll be your boyfriend,” Shao Ye said, sounding reluctant, though the corners of his mouth had already lifted high.

Xi Guanming extended his hand. “Alright, boyfriend. Get up. Let’s go back to the dorm and sleep.”

Shao Ye responded with an “oh,” took his hand, and quickly climbed off the cart with a bit of leverage. Though honestly, he didn’t think he’d be able to sleep anymore.

Boyfriend… hehe!

After leaving the storage room, they walked into the brightly lit hallway, where students occasionally passed by. Shao Ye kept holding Xi Guanming’s hand, letting out a small laugh every now and then.

To be honest, that laugh didn’t exactly sound like it belonged to a decent person.

Xi Guanming glanced at him and couldn’t help smiling too. He walked him to the entrance of the auditorium and said, “There’s still some work to handle on the student council side. You go back to the dorm first. I’ll come later.”

Shao Ye lingered, reluctant to leave. “President, can I stay with you?”

“Not sleepy anymore?” Xi Guanming asked.

Shao Ye shook his head. With his heart in this state, how could he possibly sleep?

Xi Guanming nodded. “Alright, then come with me.”

The arts festival was going smoothly. Most of the student council members had finished their tasks and were chatting in the backstage lounge. When they saw Xi Guanming walk in holding hands with Shao Ye, who was dressed in a black wizard robe, they immediately exchanged knowing looks.

They had guessed right—this really was the president’s partner. Later, they’d have to secretly take a photo and slap it on the forum to shut up those stubborn deniers.

As soon as Shao Ye entered, someone quickly offered him a seat. Another handed him a cup of water and said, “Ma—uh, classmate, have some water.”

It was Shao Ye’s first time receiving this kind of treatment at Golden Laburnum, and he felt a bit awkward. Over a dozen pairs of eyes were fixed on him, like he was some kind of national treasure.

When he didn’t drink, someone else asked, “Classmate, want some snacks? Some fruit?”

“Is there fruit?” Shao Ye asked. He had already scanned the room—there were only two bags of sunflower seeds.

“Not right now, but I can go buy some. What would you like?”

Shao Ye didn’t hold back at all. “Then get a bit of everything.”

Leaning back in his chair, he sighed inwardly. So being the president’s boyfriend felt this good?

Xi Guanming watched him bask in borrowed authority without saying anything.

But these student council members were all sharp. After warming up to him, they began asking questions about their relationship with clear ulterior motives. Shao Ye, when he got going, was liable to say anything, so Xi Guanming finally had to interrupt:

“Stop teasing him. Go check how many performances are left. It’s about time to wrap up—finalize the awards and hand them out so the students can go home early.”

“Oh? The president’s being protective?” someone nearby joked.

Xi Guanming gave a soft “mm” and didn’t deny it.

Shao Ye lifted his chin. If he wasn’t protecting him, was he supposed to protect those others instead?

The student council members had nothing to say and could only go back to what they were doing.

The arts festival ended successfully. Shao Ye’s class play was especially innovative and ended up winning a gold award. It wasn’t particularly useful, but at least it would add a line to a résumé.

Shao Ye and Xi Guanming walked back toward the dorms. On the way, they ran into Zong Xingze, who had just delivered a small gift to Jiang Yan and was about to head home. Seeing Xi Guanming, he immediately said, “President, I heard something pretty funny. People are saying you and your little follower here are together.”

Zong Xingze had really wanted to see Xi Guanming’s expression change dramatically upon hearing this. But after he spoke, he realized that not only did Xi Guanming not react, even Shao Ye beside him looked calm.

Silence. Complete silence. Only the rustling leaves overhead, oblivious to the atmosphere.

Zong Xingze felt so awkward his toes curled. He forced a stiff smile and asked, “That joke wasn’t funny?”

Xi Guanming extended his hand. With a smack, Shao Ye immediately placed his own hand into it, their fingers interlocking. Zong Xingze froze, suddenly feeling even more like a clown.

Recovering, he shouted in shock, “Wait, Xi Guanming, are you crazy? You’re really with him? You’d actually go for someone like him?!”

For Zong Xingze, the idea that Xi Guanming liked men should have been good news, since it meant one less strong rival in pursuing Jiang Yan. But at that moment, his only thought was that something must be wrong with Xi Guanming’s brain.

Shao Ye wasn’t happy. What kind of way was that to talk?

He nudged Xi Guanming’s shoulder and said, “President, don’t talk to him anymore.”

Xi Guanming nodded. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

Zong Xingze: “…”

That was some unbearably sweet PDA. Ugh!

No one cared about how Zong Xingze, suddenly force-fed such a huge amount of sweetness, would cope. He was left standing alone in the chilly evening breeze, quietly falling apart.

As soon as they entered the dorm, scenes from the previous night replayed in Shao Ye’s mind. The president had been secretly taking advantage of him, hadn’t he?

Who would’ve thought the upright and reliable president was actually this kind of person!

Xi Guanming, however, acted as usual. He took off his coat and glanced back, noticing Shao Ye staring at him with a strange look. He didn’t mind and let him stare, asking, “Are you going home for the break?”

Shao Ye snapped back, shook his head quickly. “No.”

His parents were rarely home, so home and school made little difference to him. Actually, school was better since it had mango pudding.

Xi Guanming continued, “Then how about coming home with me?”

Shao Ye froze. Go home with the president?

Go home… to do what?

Having been a “lackey” for so long, he wasn’t quite used to his new role.

“Hm? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Xi Guanming asked.

Shao Ye turned in place a couple of times, muttering, “Isn’t this too fast? It’s my first time, I’m a bit nervous. Shouldn’t we go to the supermarket first and prepare properly?”

Xi Guanming looked at him in surprise. “You even know that?”

“Of course!” Shao Ye puffed up his chest proudly. “This kind of thing is important. You have to be careful. Maybe we should look up what to buy online so we don’t miss anything.”

Xi Guanming had thought that before he made things clear, Shao Ye would have zero awareness of this kind of thing, even though Shao Ye wasn’t exactly straight.

And yet he even knew to prepare in advance. Had he been secretly researching this behind his back? Was he really that eager?

Xi Guanming felt an overwhelming sense of fondness, the delight showing in his eyes and brows. He asked, “Where did you learn that?”

“From my dad,” Shao Ye answered.

At that moment, a faint crack finally appeared in the usually composed Xi Guanming’s expression. He cautiously asked, “…Your dad?”

Shao Ye nodded. “Yeah. The first time my dad went to my grandpa’s house, he bought two boxes of apples, but the ones at the bottom were all rotten. My grandpa has been laughing at him for over twenty years.”

Xi Guanming covered his forehead, silently laughing. It was hard to say which of them was more eager. One had just confirmed the relationship and was already thinking about meeting the parents, while the other was thinking about… something else.

He pressed his lips together and said, “It’s just me at home. No one else.”

“Oh…” Shao Ye stopped overthinking.

Xi Guanming asked, “So, are you coming or not?”

“I’m coming!” Shao Ye agreed immediately, going to the bedside to pack some clothes. After a moment, he asked, “But I want to grab a mango pudding from the cafeteria to bring along. President, do you want one too?”

Standing behind him, Xi Guanming’s gaze slid slowly down Shao Ye’s back. With a faint smile, he said, “I already have my mango pudding. Bring a bottle of red wine instead.”

---

Author’s note:

[According to my rigorous statistics, after the president and No. 6 got together, 17 people need to eat… something upside down, 39 need to livestream eating keyboards, 87 need to crawl on the ground barking like dogs, 211 need to spin while washing their hair, and 56,211 need to enjoy lifelong prosperity with balanced meals]

: Something weird slipped into that last one…

: Who would’ve thought the president would actually confess to No. 6! Anyone who says he was just playing around, I’ll pour boiling water on their money tree

: A thousand years later, a young man enters a dark castle and falls in love at first sight with a sleeping wizard, offering a belated kiss of true love… destined fate! So shippable!

: During those thirty seconds when No. 6 said he’d go to the supermarket, President, were you thinking about which size to use or what flavor?

: Didn’t expect you to be like this, President

: The president personally confessed and proved it. What does the “Qingming Sect” think now?

: What do we think? We celebrate too!

: The neighboring thread is full of CP fans now. Even if moderators ban a batch, some will slip through

: True

: Wait, this is such big news for No. 6, but the stream data seems to be dropping. Aren’t people coming to celebrate?

: It exploded

: ?

: No need to be that dramatic just because you’re not celebrating

: What exploded?

: The auditorium exploded

: Which one?

: Auditorium 125 exploded

: ?????

: What about 34?

: 34 was eliminated earlier

: Is this really something I get to watch for free in a campus drama?

: Incredible, truly incredible. I apologize for ever saying the official storyline was cliché

: Official: we didn’t expect this either

: That “official” accent sounds suspicious

: It’s official alright, whether it’s serious is another question. Someone stamp it

: “Xi-Wang Field tonight do stamp.jpg”

≽^•⩊•^≼

Thandar: Damn this author so good at avoiding censorship lol

Next

Shao Ye wasn’t sure whether Xi Guanming was joking with him again. He stood there, looking at him without saying anything.

For once, Xi Guanming felt a trace of guilt, but it was quickly drowned by a wave of pleasure. He looked up at Shao Ye and said, “This time I’m not lying to you. Really.”

“Then… then I don’t want it,” Shao Ye said, lacking confidence.

“Really?” Xi Guanming asked. His gaze, almost tangible, slowly slid down from Shao Ye’s chest and paused lower.

Startled, Shao Ye panicked a little. There was no way he was that perverted, right? Just a few words and he’d react like that? He instinctively looked down.

Nothing.

Xi Guanming took in the entire reaction. By the time Shao Ye looked back up, his gaze had already withdrawn. Smiling, he said, “I’m not teasing you anymore. You trained pretty hard today, right? Get a good rest tonight.”

Without thinking, Shao Ye replied, “It wasn’t that tiring. About the same as my usual workouts.”

Xi Guanming nodded, his eyes sweeping over Shao Ye’s body with a hint of meaning. “Got it.”

That night, Shao Ye lay on Xi Guanming’s bed as usual. He wrapped himself tightly in his blanket and silently swore that he absolutely would not crawl into the president’s blanket again.

After showering, Xi Guanming got into bed. He carried the same scent as Shao Ye and suddenly asked, “Have you thought about your future? Any plans?”

“Plans?” Shao Ye tilted his head and thought seriously. “Does sticking with you count as a plan?”

Xi Guanming smiled. “Sticking with me? To do what?”

“To be your subordinate!” Shao Ye patted his chest through the blanket. “Anything dirty or tiring, you can leave it to me!”

“Why are you so set on being someone’s subordinate?” Xi Guanming couldn’t quite understand. He had seen many people, but Shao Ye was the only one who treated being a subordinate as a goal. Most others, even when working as assistants, still wanted to become leaders someday.

Shao Ye adopted a solemn posture, like he was about to give a speech under the national flag. “The first time I saw you, President, I was completely impressed by your work ability and personal charisma. Being able to work by your side is the fortune of three lifetimes.”

“Tell the truth,” Xi Guanming said, flipping over and pressing down above him. He supported himself on his elbows, keeping some distance, but his deep gaze locked onto Shao Ye’s eyes as if he could see through him completely.

“It is the truth,” Shao Ye said, though under that gaze he felt inexplicably uneasy. His voice grew quieter until he finally admitted in a small voice, “It’s just that… if I go out and say I’m your person, everyone has to behave themselves. And the school won’t force me to apologize to idiots anymore.”

Xi Guanming nodded, unsurprised, then asked, “There should be plenty of people in this school who could give you that, right? Why choose me?”

For example, Si Xu or Zong Xingze. In some ways, their presence among students was even more prominent. If Shao Ye said he belonged to them, the effect would be similar.

Shao Ye replied without thinking, “There aren’t plenty. There’s only you.”

Clearly pleased, Xi Guanming let out a low laugh, the vibration in his chest almost echoing in Shao Ye’s ears.

He lowered his head, lifted a hand, and lightly flicked Shao Ye’s forehead. “If you want to be mine, being a subordinate isn’t the only way.”

He was too close—so close it almost felt suffocating. Shao Ye could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his chest. Avoiding Xi Guanming’s gaze, he asked stiffly, “Then what else is there?”

Xi Guanming smiled but didn’t answer. “You’ll have to figure that out yourself.”

Figure it out himself?

Wasn’t that asking too much of him?

---

Up until the day the sports meet began, Shao Ye still hadn’t figured it out.

Golden Laburnum Academy didn’t have that many students, and the competitions were split between middle and high school divisions, so it shouldn’t have been too grand—but the school had money. The atmosphere was loud and festive, with drums, banners, and cheering crowds… well, as many people as there were.

Amid the roaring cheers, Shao Ye sprinted across the finish line. Grabbing the red ribbon tied around his waist, he waved it toward the crowd. When he turned his head, he saw Xi Guanming walking toward him from a short distance away, holding a water bottle.

The cool autumn breeze brushed past his face, yet his heartbeat, which should have been calming down, began pounding wildly again like a drum.

The awards were still presented by that same old man from the school. The moment Shao Ye received his medal, he ran straight toward Xi Guanming.

Back in spring, he hadn’t had the chance to properly show off the medal that symbolized his strength. Now, he could directly hang it around the president’s neck.

How inspiring.

Shao Ye felt a bittersweet tear well up inside.

Then, a moment later, he realized there wasn’t really anything bittersweet about it.

When he handed the medal over, Xi Guanming was organizing the afternoon events with other student council members below the podium. With both hands occupied by documents and a pen, he couldn’t take it, so he pressed his lips into a smile and lowered his head slightly.

Shao Ye immediately understood and hung the medal around his neck.

The surrounding student council members stared wide-eyed. “Ehh—”

Shao Ye thought they were acting weird. Honestly, the president must get tired dealing with them every day. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to comfort him now—he still had another event to attend. He waved goodbye and dashed off.

The “Ehh—” from the student council members grew even louder.

The sports meet lasted a day and a half. The remaining half day was for preparing for the arts festival.

The class monitor told everyone to go eat well, get a good rest, and recharge. That night, they would meet at the gym to rehearse their short play one last time before performing the next day.

Shao Ye slept until past six in the evening. After being woken by a phone call, he threw on his wizard robe and sprinted toward the gym like a black whirlwind.

Inside the gym, everyone was already in costume and in position. Shao Ye went up, delivered his domineering curse speech, then went offstage and sat on a small cart by the wall, waiting for his next entrance.

At that moment, his desk mate quietly crept over and whispered, “Brother Ye… do you actually like Xi Guanming?”

“What?” Shao Ye didn’t hear clearly.

His deskmate repeated, “You like Xi Guanming?”

This time Shao Ye heard it loud and clear. He was so startled he practically sprang off his stool, blurting out, “What the hell! Don’t talk nonsense!”

His deskmate crouched there, staring at him blankly, confused. “No, why are you reacting so strongly? I was just asking casually.”

“How did your ‘casual question’ turn into asking if I—I—I like Xi Guanming?” Shao Ye started stuttering again. “Why don’t you ask if I like Si Xu instead!”

Deskmate: “…”

Everyone in school probably knew about Shao Ye offending Si Xu. The deskmate twitched his mouth and said, “That would certainly be… unconventional.”

After saying that, he couldn’t help but seriously consider whether, for Si Xu, this counted as a “man, you’ve successfully provoked me” moment.

Shao Ye narrowed his eyes and looked at him dangerously. “Don’t change the subject. Why are you suddenly asking this? Is there some kind of conspiracy? Villain, prepare to die!”

His deskmate quickly cleared himself. “It’s not just me saying it. The whole school forum is talking about it.”

“The whole forum? Talking about what?” Shao Ye was full of question marks.

His deskmate asked, “You haven’t checked the school forum?”

Shao Ye looked disgusted. “I never look at that stuff.”

Actually, when he first enrolled, he did check it occasionally. But the front page was always full of anonymous posts complaining about terrible roommates. Complaining alone was pointless. Just reading it made him annoyed. A real man would deal with it directly.

His deskmate didn’t know what to say. The forum was practically exploding with shipping discussions, and yet the person involved had no idea.

“Why don’t you take a look now?” he suggested carefully.

“Sure.” Shao Ye glanced at the front of the classroom. It didn’t look like he’d be needed anytime soon, so he took out his phone and logged into the forum.

As soon as he entered, he saw a trending post pinned at the top with dozens of pages of replies:

【Putting everything else aside, the president’s little boyfriend really runs fast. I chased with all my strength and still couldn’t catch up】

The president’s little boyfriend?

Little boyfriend?!

He followed the president around all day, eating and sleeping together. Where did this boyfriend come from?!

Shao Ye’s brows instantly furrowed. Who was shameless enough to ruin the president’s reputation on the forum? If he found them, he’d definitely make them regret it.

With the mindset of delivering justice, he opened the post with a serious expression.

Three seconds later, the main post loaded—and it was a snapshot of himself crossing the finish line at the sports meet.

Below the photo, the original poster had written: “This little boyfriend’s chest muscles look pretty big.”

Shao Ye: “?”

---

Author’s note:

[Qingming (CP name of two leads) thread: Am I the only one who thinks No. 6 is really manipulative?]

Not only manipulative, but also pretending to be innocent. How did the president get fooled by someone like that?

: Uh…

: This is the first time I’ve heard this take. My brain just short-circuited

: It’s true though. In front of so many people, he hung the medal around the president’s neck. Wasn’t that just claiming him, telling everyone they have a special relationship? And now the whole school thinks they’re involved. Yet when he sees people calling him the president’s boyfriend on the forum, he looks shocked. What’s he shocked about?

: Be honest, OP, are you secretly a CP fan in disguise?

: Don’t insult my integrity

: When you put it like that, it does sound kind of manipulative. When the president asked why he chose him out of so many people who could back him up, he immediately said “only you.” If I were the president, I wouldn’t be able to resist either

: And I suspect his earlier friendship with Jiang Yan had ulterior motives too. If Jiang Yan knew he liked the president, given her personality, she’d never accept the president’s pursuit

: Also the dorm bed—No. 6 definitely didn’t report it for repairs. Otherwise it wouldn’t still be broken. He probably told the president he reported it just to make him ignore it, so he could keep occupying the president’s bed

: And before, he “accidentally” exposed himself in front of the president several times. Wasn’t that just to attract attention?

: I’m starting to be convinced by OP, someone help

: Does the president know he’s this scheming?

: Definitely not. The president just trusts people too easily, that’s why he’s being played by No. 6

: stunned.jpg

: Pure, upright, naive top × scheming, manipulative, big-chested bottom?

: Are we even talking about the same president and No. 6?

: This is more out-of-character than Si Xu and Zong Xingze suddenly being a couple

: Not gonna lie, it’s kind of shippable… I’m getting ideas

: ?????

: Did I enter the wrong thread? checks title nope

: OP claiming not to be a CP fan sounds pretty weak

: And yet the shipping angle is very… creative

: She’s not a CP fan, she’s just objectively describing facts

: “Objectively”

: Explain to me what “objective” means!

: Didn’t the moderators just ban a batch of CP fans? What’s going on in this thread?!

: They’ll keep coming endlessly

: @moderator time to boost your stats

≽^•⩊•^≼

Shao Ye felt completely numb, as if his brain and body had both been hollowed out by Xi Guanming just now. He dressed mechanically, got out of bed to wash up, didn’t say a word to Xi Guanming, and pushed the door open to leave the dorm.

His steps felt light and unsteady as he drifted into the classroom like he was sleepwalking, arriving right as the bell rang.

He lay face-down on his desk, propping his textbook up to hide his head. He didn’t hear a single word the teacher said at the front of the room—but that wasn’t unusual. He rarely paid attention in class anyway.

The images replayed uncontrollably in his mind. What he could see hadn’t actually been excessive—what crossed the line had all happened under the blanket. He remembered the feeling clearly: Xi Guanming’s slightly cool fingers slowly tightening, far more pleasurable than anything he’d ever done himself.

Wait, wait, wait—he couldn’t keep thinking about this!

But…

How could the president act so calm about it? Could it be that this wasn’t his first time doing something like that?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

Before he knew it, the class had ended. Usually, even during the short ten-minute break, Shao Ye would run downstairs to get some fresh air. But today, he stayed glued to his seat.

His desk mate gave him a strange look and asked, “Why is your face so red? Are you sick? Got a fever?”

Shao Ye lifted his head. Facing his desk mate, he opened his mouth as if to say something—but after a long pause, he only let out a sigh.

His desk mate reached out to feel his forehead, but Shao Ye dodged him. The desk mate pulled his hand back and asked again, “What’s wrong with you?”

Shao Ye cleared his throat and said, “If… a guy did something to you… would that be normal?”

“Did what to me?” his desk mate asked, completely confused.

Seriously, could you not leave out the key part of the question?

“Did what to me”—give me a million dollars, or give me a slap? That’s a pretty big difference.

“Did to you…”

Shao Ye opened his mouth, but the rest of the sentence wouldn’t come out. In the end, he waved his hand. “Forget it. It’s nothing.”

Looks like he’d have to figure this out on his own.

His desk mate was speechless. He’d been left hanging with curiosity and got nothing in return.

“You sure you don’t have a fever?” he asked again, still uneasy. Shao Ye was definitely acting strange today.

Shao Ye waved him off. “No, no. Go do your thing.”

“If you’re not sick, then go downstairs and train! Everyone in our class is waiting for you!” his desk mate urged.

Shao Ye: “…”

Right—he’d forgotten. They had relay practice today.

The school was worried about rain, so they had swapped the schedule: the sports meet would be held first, followed by the arts festival. Translated on Hololo novels. After that, students would get a long break.

With the fun days approaching, most students at Golden Laburnum had no interest in studying. They were either preparing to shine at the sports meet or planning something flashy for the arts festival.

Since the sports meet had been moved up by three days, training became more intense. Shao Ye ran during the day, rehearsed the play at night, and had far less free time than before. Even when Jiang Yan started attracting a swarm of admirers again, he had no time to deal with it—and honestly, no desire to.

Because whenever he had even a moment of free time, those scenes from that morning would flash through his mind again.

He couldn’t make sense of it. What exactly did the president mean by it? Was it some kind of reward for doing a good job as a subordinate?

But… had he really done that well?

Was it something just for him, or did everyone get treated like this?

The more he thought, the more confused he became. His mind wouldn’t stop spinning. During rehearsal that night, he forgot his lines several times.

The class monitor sighed heavily from below the stage, rolling up her script and tapping it loudly on the table. “Brother Ye, my dear brother, you don’t want to end up as a mute witch, do you?”

The arts rep chimed in, “Mute might be too much for him. In his current state, he can barely play a vegetable.”

Shao Ye apologized repeatedly, saying he had something on his mind.

“What are you thinking about? Fell in love?” the class monitor asked eagerly.

The arts rep shot that down immediately. “When would he have time to fall in love? The moment he has free time, he runs to the student union.”

The class monitor rolled her eyes. “Then maybe he’s in love with the president?”

The arts rep thought about it seriously. “That… actually seems possible. So the president is like… a maid?”

The class monitor said thoughtfully, “Given our school’s situation, probably a male servant.”

The arts rep corrected her, “Wrong. With our school’s situation, he’d at least be a nobleman.”

They were laughing among themselves, but when they looked up again, they saw Shao Ye’s face had turned as red as if he were about to boil.

Unable to endure the girls’ interrogation, Shao Ye bolted before rehearsal even ended.

On the way back to the dorm, he kept thinking about what he should say when he saw the president. Should he ask about what happened that morning, or pretend nothing had happened?

Before he figured it out, he was already standing outside the dorm room. He lingered in the hallway for a long time, working himself up mentally, until he received a message from Xi Guanming: “How long are you going to stand outside?”

Only then did he have no choice but to push the door open.

Inside, Xi Guanming was sitting in a chair, head lowered, reading a document. He didn’t look up when Shao Ye entered.

Shao Ye wanted to act just as indifferent, but his body betrayed him. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes drifted uncontrollably to Xi Guanming’s right hand holding the papers.

Those fingers were pale and slender, like a perfect work of art. Before this, Shao Ye had never imagined those hands could do something like that to him. Just thinking about it now made his spine tingle.

He swallowed hard and forced himself to look away—only to notice that the bed he had broken last night was still collapsed.

Shao Ye walked around it, confirming he wasn’t mistaken. Translated on Hololo novels. When Xi Guanming finally put down his papers, Shao Ye pointed at the bed and asked, “President, didn’t the school send someone to fix it?”

Xi Guanming followed his gesture and said, “No. Did you call someone?”

Shao Ye scratched the back of his head, puzzled. “Yeah, I did. They said they’d come today.”

“Maybe something came up and they forgot,” Xi Guanming said.

Shao Ye nodded, not suspecting anything. “I’ll remind them tomorrow. I’ll sleep on the floor tonight.”

Xi Guanming raised an eyebrow and asked, “What? Do you dislike it?”

“No, no,” Shao Ye quickly denied. If he got saddled with that accusation, his career as a lackey would be over on the spot.

“Then why do you want to sleep on the floor?”

“I just… well… I was worried I might crowd you, President.” Shao Ye widened his eyes, trying to make his sincerity look more convincing.

His acting skills probably only worked when playing a plant or a corpse. Xi Guanming found it amusing and couldn’t help but laugh. “No. I think this bed is just right for two people.”

“Oh, okay.” After saying that, Shao Ye pressed his lips together and asked quietly, “President, about this morning…”

Xi Guanming didn’t play dumb. He asked directly, “What about this morning? Were you uncomfortable?”

Shao Ye was a bit stunned. How could the president be this calm about it?

Well… no wonder he could be president.

“…It felt good, but why did you do that?” Shao Ye had held this question in all day and finally asked it.

Xi Guanming apologized, “Sorry. You were too cute at the time. I couldn’t hold back.”

“Huh?” Shao Ye stood there, not quite understanding.

This wasn’t the first time Xi Guanming had called him cute, but Shao Ye had never felt that word had anything to do with him.

What part of him was cute?

“Like you are right now,” Xi Guanming said.

There he went again!

Shao Ye’s face burned red. His hands clenched into fists, not knowing where to put them.

Xi Guanming continued, “Even cuter.”

Shao Ye didn’t understand why he kept saying that. His eyes darted everywhere, not daring to look at him.

Xi Guanming leaned back slightly against the chair, relaxed, one hand resting on the cabinet beside him, fingers tapping lightly as he asked, “So, do you mind?”

Mind what?

Shao Ye felt like his brain was overheating. Should he say he minded or not?

If he said he minded, would the president get angry? Would that count as lying?

If he said he didn’t mind… well, that didn’t seem like a problem. It seemed like they both enjoyed it. Even if he didn’t quite know what exactly the president enjoyed, it could still be considered a win-win.

Using his not-so-sharp brain, Shao Ye weighed the pros and cons. He vaguely sensed something was off about this situation, but couldn’t figure out what or why.

A man helping another man with this kind of thing was a bit strange, but not outrageously so. Maybe the president just had this preference? As someone striving to be a top-tier subordinate, he should be understanding and willing to make sacrifices.

And… it actually felt pretty good.

Shao Ye hesitated, “I don’t mind… I guess.”

“Then come here and let me help you again?” Xi Guanming beckoned him over with a smile.

Shao Ye’s expression froze. He hadn’t expected that after “sacrificing” himself once in the morning, he’d have to do it again at night. Fortunately, his body was strong enough to handle it. Though he said, “That’s not a good idea,” his body still walked stiffly toward Xi Guanming.

Xi Guanming lowered his hand, leaning on the cabinet as he laughed uncontrollably. After laughing, he said, “I was joking.”

Shao Ye: “?”

He stopped abruptly, looking at Xi Guanming with clear accusation for the first time, mixed with a bit of grievance.

Seeing this, Xi Guanming wiped the smile from his lips, sat upright, and said in a tempting tone, “But if you want it now, that’s not impossible either.”

---

Author’s note:

[What exactly did the president do to No. 6? It’s bad enough they won’t show it, now we can’t even hear it?]

: Chilling. True chilling isn’t loud arguing… I forgot the rest

: Go read some fanfiction. A big creator just posted fan art of No. 6 in a qipao, super spicy

: It really is spicy, I want to send it to the president

: If the president wants to see it, he can just make No. 6 wear it. No. 6 definitely wouldn’t refuse

: Why do creators always write tragic endings? It makes my heart go cold

: Any completed recs?

: Growing Pains, Stockholm, Gone Love, Dangerous Parasite, Inferior Love

: I like Dangerous Parasite

: Is that the one where No. 6 returns to reality and finds all his appliances acting weird?

: Yes! Love the android chapter

: Someone even drew illustrations for it

: extremely abstract rough sketch of a robot dog pulling a cart.jpg

: Stop! Friendly fire! Don’t post that!

: My eyes!!!

: Offering money for a pair of eyes that haven’t seen this

: Does that artist take commissions? I’ll pay 3000… and then report it

: I read a 600k-word explicit fic last week. The whole story was about No. 6 going home with the president and getting bullied by the president’s family. Kneeling punishment by the grandfather during the day, by the president at night, enduring everything silently, then losing a child after being pushed down the stairs, only for the president to find out at the end. One satisfying chapter and it ended. I couldn’t relate at all. If it were really No. 6, he’d punch the guy to the underworld and then complain to the president

: There’s even a child?!

: It’s that kind of trope

: And you still finished it? Respect

: The smut was well-written though…

: Too out-of-character, I can’t handle it

: Breaking characterization is a dealbreaker

: +1

: +2

: +10086

: You guys are ridiculous. You all say it’s unacceptable, but when I checked my DMs, I had 999+ people asking me for links

≽^•⩊•^≼

Previous

“This… isn’t very appropriate, President,” Shao Ye said, sounding a bit hesitant. Sleeping in the president’s bed—wasn’t that a bit overstepping?

Xi Guanming simply replied, “What’s inappropriate about it? We’re both men.”

“That’s true,” Shao Ye said.

He sounded reluctant when he agreed, but his actions—carrying his quilt and pillow over to Xi Guanming’s bed—showed no reluctance at all.

Although Shao Ye’s history grades barely passed, he knew one thing: from ancient times to now, any subordinate who got to share a bed with the boss was no ordinary subordinate.

The dorm bed was bigger than the one in the lounge, about 1.2 meters wide, but it was still a bit cramped for two grown men.

That night, when Shao Ye showered, he deliberately used extra body wash, scrubbing himself until he smelled fresh and clean. After getting into bed, he hugged his blanket and curled up at the edge, trying to take up as little space as possible so the president could sleep more comfortably. But with his build, no matter how much he curled up, he still took up at least half the bed—unless he lost a limb.

Shao Ye realized this too and said to Xi Guanming, “President, if I accidentally crowd you while we’re sleeping, just wake me up.”

Xi Guanming had been leaning against the headboard reading, but ever since Shao Ye came out of the bathroom, the page hadn’t turned. Hearing his thoughtful suggestion, he closed the book and turned his head toward the person already lying beside him, recalling how Shao Ye looked when asleep the past few nights. He softly repeated, “Wake you up?”

“Mm,” Shao Ye nodded seriously, then added, “Or you can just kick me off the bed.”

“Got it,” Xi Guanming said, placing the book on the bedside table and turning off the light.

The room was instantly plunged into darkness. Shao Ye wasn’t sleepy at all. He stared up at the pitch-black ceiling, and after a while, his vision filled with faint patches of red and green light. He called softly, “President?”

Xi Guanming responded quickly, “Another question?”

“Can I ask?” Shao Ye said.

“Go ahead.”

Shao Ye rolled over to face him and asked quietly, “President, why exactly did you punish me today?”

Xi Guanming asked in return, “You don’t know?”

“Is it because I got involved in a fight?”

Xi Guanming said, “From now on, don’t involve yourself in anything related to Jiang Yan.”

“Why?” Shao Ye asked. Earlier, the president had said he would find someone else to help Jiang Yan, but Shao Ye hadn’t seen anything like that.

Xi Guanming didn’t explain. He just said two words: “Be obedient.”

Shao Ye said with some frustration, “President, love is something you have to fight for yourself. How can you not take any initiative? You’ll lose out like this!”

Xi Guanming turned onto his side as well, facing him. Cool moonlight spilled across the crowded bed, and his eyes seemed filled with scattered starlight.

Warm breath brushed against Shao Ye’s face as he heard Xi Guanming ask with a faint sigh, “Am I really not proactive enough?”

Shao Ye carefully thought about what Xi Guanming had done for Jiang Yan. Translated on Hololo novels. Aside from giving her a handkerchief, there didn’t seem to be much else. Compared to what Si Xu and the others had done, wasn’t the president’s “initiative” a bit… invisible?

He asked uncertainly, “You… were proactive?”

Xi Guanming fell silent for a moment. Then he raised his hand and flicked Shao Ye on the forehead, not holding back at all. Shao Ye clutched his forehead and asked in confusion, “President?”

“Why must I be with Jiang Yan?” Xi Guanming asked.

“Because you like her,” Shao Ye said as if it were obvious. If you like someone, you should be together—otherwise, was she supposed to end up with Si Xu? Absolutely not!

Xi Guanming admitted that he was partly at fault here. In the beginning, he had deliberately let Shao Ye provoke Si Xu and the others, so when Shao Ye asked, he had tacitly gone along with it. Back then, he never imagined things would develop this far.

All he could say was, “My feelings for her aren’t what you think.”

“Hm? That sounds familiar,” Shao Ye muttered, thinking hard.

Then he remembered—this was exactly what unfaithful men said when they were caught.

“What are you thinking about?” Xi Guanming asked.

Shao Ye coughed awkwardly. He couldn’t exactly say the president sounded like a scumbag, so he just grinned foolishly and asked, “Then what is it like?”

Xi Guanming said, “What I feel for Jiang Yan is more appreciation—for a diligent, hardworking, resilient student.”

“Really?” Shao Ye was only half convinced.

It wasn’t true. There wasn’t even that much appreciation. He was simply bored and wanted something interesting to pass the time.

But that wasn’t something to tell him yet.

“That’s not important,” Xi Guanming said.

Shao Ye opened his mouth. He thought it was very important—otherwise, what had all his efforts been for?

Xi Guanming continued, “Shao Ye, have you ever thought about this? If I had a girlfriend, besides attending classes and handling student union matters, I’d have to spend time with her—eating together, talking, going on dates. I wouldn’t have time to deal with your problems anymore. If you got into trouble with Si Xu and the others, I might not be able to help you in time.”

He paused, giving Shao Ye enough time to process this frightening idea, then added, “And… if you had a conflict with my girlfriend, or with one of her friends or classmates, who do you think I should help?”

Shao Ye froze. He had never considered this before.

“Then…”

He stammered, unable to finish. Translated on Hololo novels. What Xi Guanming said made perfect sense—there was no way to argue against it. A girlfriend should be more important than a subordinate, right? If Xi Guanming stopped looking after him, what was the point of having him as a boss?

“Do you still want me to be with Jiang Yan?” Xi Guanming asked.

“But…” Shao Ye’s already not-so-bright mind went through another storm. He struggled to say, “But even if you don’t get with Jiang Yan, you’ll have another girlfriend in the future, right? Then… you still wouldn’t have time to deal with me?”

In the faint moonlight, Xi Guanming saw the worried, confused expression on his face and felt an itch in his chest. How could someone be this adorable? he thought. The first time he met him, he should have dragged him onto the bed and taught him properly.

“Maybe,” he said.

Shao Ye’s entire face scrunched together. This didn’t make sense. Why would a girlfriend conflict with a subordinate? Was that even logical?

“It might not necessarily be a girlfriend,” Xi Guanming suddenly said.

“Huh?”

“If she’s not his girlfriend, then what else could she be?”

Xi Guanming didn’t continue that topic. He said, “Alright, it’s late. Go to sleep.”

Shao Ye had thought that question would keep him awake all night. But less than five minutes after Xi Guanming said that, he had already thrown all thoughts of Jiang Yan and girlfriends out of his mind and fallen fast asleep.

He wasn’t a very still sleeper, something Xi Guanming had observed over several nights. Xi Guanming simply waited patiently for a bit, and Shao Ye soon kicked off the blanket on his own, stretched his arms, then his legs. Xi Guanming lowered the air conditioning temperature slightly, and Shao Ye drifted over by himself. Xi Guanming wrapped an arm around his waist, like holding a warm, fluffy bear.

A good night’s sleep.

Sunlight streamed into the quiet dorm. Shao Ye yawned and slowly woke up.

It was rare that when he woke, Xi Guanming was still in bed. Xi Guanming also seemed to have just woken up. The collar of his sleepwear was slightly open, faintly revealing the firm muscles beneath. A thought flashed through Shao Ye’s mind, but he didn’t catch it. Instead, he spoke first: “Good morning, President.”

“Morning,” Xi Guanming replied.

Shao Ye glanced down at the blanket covering them and casually asked, “President, why are you in my blanket?”

Xi Guanming looked back at him calmly. “Is it possible that this is my blanket?”

“Ah…” Shao Ye froze, all the words he had prepared to show loyalty dying before they could be spoken.

“And—”

Shao Ye widened his eyes, waiting seriously for what came next.

“Down there,” Xi Guanming said.

Down there? Down where?

Oh… something seemed to be poking him.

Ah?

Ah!!!

Shao Ye’s mind went completely blank, his scalp tingling. Yesterday’s spanking had already felt embarrassing enough. He hadn’t expected something even more embarrassing.

At that moment, it felt like his entire life was flashing before his eyes.

Though admittedly, the “flashback” seemed a bit short.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Shao Ye apologized repeatedly. It was a natural physiological reaction, not something his brain controlled. He hurriedly tried to get out of bed, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the president.

But Xi Guanming stopped him, his other hand quickly slipping under the blanket.

“No need to apologize. I understand,” Xi Guanming said with a tolerant smile, as if a faint halo surrounded him. “It just proves that you’re healthy and functioning normally.”

His fingers were slightly cool, long, and nimble.

Shao Ye felt dazed, as if sitting on a soft cloud, so soft it made him uneasy, like he might fall off at any moment. By the time everything ended, he couldn’t even remember how it had happened.

He sat on the bed in a daze, eyes unfocused, completely blank.

Was he dreaming? Even in his dreams, he wouldn’t dare imagine something like this.

Had the president already become this close with him? If he kept working harder, wouldn’t that mean—

Shao Ye quickly stopped his dangerous thoughts.

Seeing that he wouldn’t snap out of it anytime soon, Xi Guanming lifted the blanket and got out of bed first, went to the bathroom to wash up, and when he returned, Shao Ye was still in the same position. A faint ambiguous scent lingered in the air.

Xi Guanming opened the window, then walked to the bedside. Bending down, he patted Shao Ye’s cheek with a hand still cool from water droplets. “Alright, Shao Ye. That’s enough reminiscing. Time to get up, or you’ll be late.”

---

Author’s note:

[Good news, No. 4 has also been eliminated.]

Couldn’t handle the bullying, so they withdrew from school voluntarily.

: How is that good news? It’s not like No. 6 got eliminated

: No. 6 has the president backing him now, it won’t be easy to eliminate him

: But No. 6 has made a lot of enemies too, he’s offended three out of the campus F4

: Would the president really go against the F3 just to protect him?

: Damn F3! I was thinking Ctrl+…

: Does the president stand a chance 1v3? Does this count as “a beauty causing a hero’s rage”?

: Be precise, it’s a handsome causing it

: I’m so done. Watching swans at night, waking up to watch swans again. What’s so great about these two lousy swans? Why does No. 6’s stream have such high stats?

: I like watching swans, what’s it to you?

: The official side should at least give those two swans at the artificial lake some enrichment. They work every day, it’s exhausting

: Stop going off-topic, let’s talk about No. 4

: No. 4 was too soft, couldn’t handle the pressure. Lasting this long was already impressive

: Feels like the situation at the Academy is getting more and more intense (except for No. 6)

: At the beginning, betting points on her and No. 6 had the lowest odds. Who would’ve thought No. 6 got the comeback script

: “The Rise of the President’s Personal Right-Hand Man”

: No. 4 looked unlucky from the start. Anyone who bet on her must be crazy

: Then who did you bet on?

: I bet on No. 4

: …Ah…

≽^•⩊•^≼

Thandar: AHHHHHH A DAMN HAND JOB AHHHHH 🤤🤤🤤

Next

When Shao Ye heard Xi Guanming say that he also liked mango pudding, he didn’t notice the ambiguity in his words at all. It was like an old, broken speaker suddenly getting power again—he perked right back up.

This could be the perfect chance to make up for his mistake.

He immediately pulled his head out of the pillow and said to Xi Guanming, “I’ll go to the cafeteria and buy one for you right now.”

Xi Guanming’s right hand rested a little below his lower back, his fingertips tracing slow circles over his skin, light and heavy by turns.

Shao Ye couldn’t help reacting a little in ways he shouldn’t. He tried to avoid Xi Guanming’s touch, but the other hand was wrapped firmly around his waist, leaving him no room to move.

Xi Guanming said leisurely, “But the cafeteria is already closed.”

“Oh, right,” Shao Ye turned his head to glance out the window. It was already dark, probably around ten o’clock. He added, “Then I’ll go first thing tomorrow morning when it opens. I’ll make sure you get the very first mango pudding.”

Xi Guanming said, “I want it now.”

Shao Ye frowned, troubled. He stretched his arm toward the phone on the bedside table but couldn’t quite reach it.

He turned back and said, “President, let go for a second. I’ll grab my phone and ask in the group if anyone in the dorm has mango pudding and can send one over. It might not taste as good as the cafeteria’s, though.”

Not only did Xi Guanming not let go, his fingers slid a little lower. Leaning forward, he blew softly against Shao Ye’s reddened ear and said, “I don’t think the cafeteria’s is that good either.”

Since his fingers had reached the spot on Shao Ye’s backside that had just been smacked earlier, all of Shao Ye’s muscles tensed uncontrollably. Was he going to get hit again?

“Then which one do you like? I’ll order it for you,” Shao Ye asked, while subtly scooting his body toward the other side of the bed.

As expected, his backside got smacked again. This time it was much lighter than before, carrying more of a teasing tone, though Shao Ye didn’t think of it that way at all. Inside, he was practically wailing—why did helping order mango pudding get him hit again?!

“Lie still,” Xi Guanming said, giving two light taps. The feel really was good. One day, he thought, he would eat this whole “mango pudding.”

“You’re still hitting me?” Shao Ye asked miserably. This kind of punishment was honestly too embarrassing. He tried to negotiate, “President, how about we switch to somewhere else?”

Xi Guanming seemed in a much better mood than when he first came back. With a hint of idle amusement, he asked, “Does it hurt? Where do you want to switch to?”

Definitely not the head. The face wasn’t good either. After thinking, Shao Ye suggested hopefully, “How about hitting my palm instead?”

Xi Guanming replied, “If I ruin your hand, how are you going to write your self-reflection later?”

Shao Ye: “……”

Wait, he had to write a self-reflection too? That didn’t seem right.

He opened his mouth but couldn’t find anything to say. Translated on Hololo novels. In the end, he fulfilled his duty as a subordinate and flattered him with a fawning smile, “The president really thinks things through.”

Xi Guanming let out a faint, unreadable laugh. He withdrew his hand, straightened up, and looked down at the large figure on the bed. “Turn over.”

“President, you finally decided to switch where you hit me?” Shao Ye’s eyes lit up with anticipation.

“I’m applying medicine,” Xi Guanming said, reaching for the bottle and cotton swabs on the cabinet.

“So… no more hitting?” Shao Ye asked cautiously. He tried not to show how happy he was, though his eyebrows were practically flying upward.

Xi Guanming asked, “What, you want a couple more hits?”

Shao Ye shook his head frantically. Seeing Xi Guanming sit down by the bed, he said, “President, I can apply the medicine myself.”

Xi Guanming didn’t respond. Shao Ye didn’t dare say more. He turned over, then felt it wasn’t quite proper to face him like this, so he pulled the blanket over to cover the important parts.

Xi Guanming glanced at it, then lowered his head and applied the medicated cotton to his chest.

“President, you’re really good to me,” Shao Ye said, lying there with a silly grin.

Xi Guanming gave a noncommittal “mm.”

Shao Ye stared at his sharp profile, lost in thought. Thinking of the earlier smack, he felt like his backside was still warm. After hesitating for a while, he asked, “President, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead,” Xi Guanming replied casually.

He soon regretted answering so quickly, because Shao Ye asked, “If the vice president made a mistake, would you hit him like this too?”

Xi Guanming: “……”

He almost jabbed the cotton swab into Shao Ye’s navel. Expressionless, he tossed the swab into the trash can, then looked up with a smile. “Shao Ye, I think the punishment you just got wasn’t enough.”

Shao Ye looked at him blankly, completely unable to understand what he meant.

He tried to imagine Xi Guanming making the vice president take off his clothes and lie on the bed. No—he couldn’t even picture it. Goosebumps broke out all over him.

Risking another smack, Shao Ye asked, “President, you wouldn’t hit him, right?”

Xi Guanming didn’t really want to continue this topic, but he worried that someday Shao Ye might go ask the vice president directly whether he’d ever been spanked.

Given how he was, it wasn’t impossible.

In the end, Xi Guanming reluctantly nodded.

Seeing that, Shao Ye felt like his life was suddenly full of light—but something still seemed off. Was he really happy just because the president only hit him and no one else?

Well… that was worth being happy about. If he didn’t hit anyone else but only hit him, what did that mean? It meant the president already saw him as one of his own!

Shao Ye quickly convinced himself. Tugging at Xi Guanming’s sleeve, he asked, “President, can I ask one more question?”

Xi Guanming looked at him with mild helplessness. This time he put the cotton swabs aside first, took out ointment instead, and said, “Think carefully before you ask.”

“I… between me and the vice president, who do you think is more useful?” Shao Ye asked, a little embarrassed.

Xi Guanming squeezed out a bit of milky ointment and slowly spread it over his chest, asking, “Why are you asking that?”

Shao Ye clenched his fist. “I’ve always taken the vice president as my role model. I want to become someone just as useful to you. I want to know how big the gap between us still is.”

As if! One day he would definitely surpass the vice president and become the most outstanding subordinate by the president’s side. Translated on Hololo novels. Before, most student union matters weren’t things he could really get involved in, so he’d switched strategies and taken a different path—starting with Jiang Yan, hoping she could give him a boost.

But as for the result… it was hard to say. Although he hadn’t managed to match the president with Jiang Yan, the president seemed quite satisfied with him.

Xi Guanming’s hand, which had been rubbing his chest, paused. He looked up at Shao Ye’s face, which carried three parts seriousness and two parts jealousy, patted his chest muscles, and said, “Don’t worry. You don’t need to compare yourself to him. You have a lot of potential.”

Shao Ye’s eyes reflected the overhead light, shining brightly. He hurriedly asked, “President, can you tell me specifically what kind of potential I have? I can try to develop it more myself.”

Xi Guanming smiled, casually kicked the bed leg, then stood up and looked down at the person on the bed. He wiped the excess ointment off his hands with a tissue, gave a meaningful smile, and said, “I’ll tell you in the future.”

“I’m going to take a shower. Put your clothes on yourself,” he added, then turned and walked into the bathroom.

Shao Ye responded obediently. After Xi Guanming left, he suddenly sprang upright from the bed like a carp flipping up. Before he could even steady himself, there was a loud crash. The entire upper half of the bed collapsed.

Shao Ye: ?!!

Sitting on the slanted mattress, he instinctively looked toward the bathroom. With such a loud noise, Xi Guanming inside should have noticed, yet there was no reaction.

Shao Ye climbed off the mattress, crouched on the ground, squinting as he carefully inspected the underside of the bed. Since coming to the academy, this was the first time he had seen something like this.

After hesitating for a moment, he took out his phone, snapped a picture, and posted it to his social feed.

[What’s going on with the school’s procurement department? This quality is terrible. pointing fingers.jpg]

Rather than reflect on himself, it was better to blame others.

The comments below immediately exploded, all asking what exactly he had done to collapse even a Golden Laburnum bed.

In the bathroom, the sound of running water covered low, heavy breathing. More than half an hour later, Xi Guanming came out. He was wearing only a black bathrobe, his half-damp hair clinging to his temples. He looked less strict than usual, more relaxed and at ease. Seeing Shao Ye still crouching on the ground, he walked over and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shao Ye turned and pointed at the bed. “President… the bed, it collapsed.”

“Oh?” Xi Guanming looked surprised. “How could it collapse? It’s been perfectly fine for years.”

Shao Ye pressed his lips together, finding it hard to explain. He said urgently, “I don’t know either! I just tried to sit up, and it suddenly went boom and collapsed. It really has nothing to do with me, President!”

Xi Guanming lowered his head to look at the bed, then at him.

Shao Ye widened his innocent eyes. After meeting Xi Guanming’s gaze for a moment, he cautiously raised his hand and gestured, saying weakly, “Maybe… there’s a tiny bit of relation? Just this little…”

Absolutely no more than that!

Looking at the almost invisible gap between Shao Ye’s thumb and index finger, Xi Guanming smiled. “It’s fine. As long as you didn’t get hurt.”

Hearing this, the weight in Shao Ye’s chest finally lifted. He immediately stood up and said, “Then tonight—”

He was about to say he could just sleep on the floor, but Xi Guanming spoke first: “Tonight, you sleep in my bed.”

---

Author’s note:

[During Qingming season, the rain keeps falling… the president and No. 6 have no door!]

: Great poem! (applause.jpg)

: The official side has really gone too far. As soon as the camera cuts back, even the bed has collapsed

: Wait, even a Golden Laburnum bed can collapse?

: How did the bed even collapse?

: Must be from fighting, what else could it be? I don’t know what those CP fans are yelling about

: All the major forums are a mess, only our place is still pure

: Can’t they see the president is just using No. 6?

: They’re just being stubborn, otherwise how could they keep shipping

: By the way, why does our thread suddenly have so many followers? Who bought fake fans?

: Who would buy followers? It’s definitely passersby who watched the stream and came to their senses, realizing these two have no chance

: As expected, rational viewers are still the majority

: Objectively speaking, the president’s attitude toward No. 6 has improved a bit. Before, he clearly treated him as disposable, using him and tossing him aside. But for some reason he suddenly changed his mind, like he plans to keep using him long-term

: I agree. I’ve always felt the president had ulterior motives toward No. 6. After recent streams, that feeling is even stronger

: The president actually has pretty serious cleanliness issues. The first time he touched No. 6’s hand, he went back and washed for a long time. Now he’s letting No. 6 sleep in his bed. Do you think he’s that kind? I suspect he broke the bed on purpose so No. 6 will have to compensate until he’s left with nothing

: Although people keep saying the president in No. 6’s stream has altered data, I don’t think so. The reason he treats No. 6 this way must be that something about No. 6 attracts him more than Jiang Yan does, like how perverted killers are often drawn to innocent little rabbits

: Little rabbit? More like a brown rabbit!

: More like a big brown bear

: No. 6’s chest muscles are indeed pretty good. I understand the president touching them, I’d want to as well

: Honestly, after touching, he didn’t even share his thoughts

: Um, can I ask… this is the Neverland Sect thread, right? The Sect is supposed to defend the president and fight antis, right?

: Defend my ass! I think you’re shipping them harder than the CP fans above

≽^•⩊•^≼

Previous

On September 5, a fire broke out at Xingchen Internet Café, and Lin Wu received the first strange text message.

On September 6, the outcome of the fire changed, Lin Wu gained a new set of memories, and he received the second message.

During this period, Lin Wu kept sending messages to the unknown number. After repeated testing, he discovered that messages could be sent successfully only between 10:12 p.m. and 10:27 p.m., but the other side never replied.

Over the past few days, Lin Wu noticed that his memories from when he was seventeen had become clearer.

For example, on September 7, his life consisted of going to school, getting out of school, answering teachers’ questions, and picking Luo Xiaorong up to go home. These things would appear at night as vividly as if they had happened earlier that very day. After carefully analyzing it, Lin Wu guessed that his present and his past existed on two parallel timelines, both moving forward, with the past able to affect the present.

From September 7 to September 8, there had been nothing particularly unusual in his memories, nor had he met anyone unusual.

Today, the 9th, just when he thought nothing would happen again, the memories changed.

The bus stop, Xinwen Bookstore, the alley after getting off the bus…

A boy with a bandaged arm appeared in his memory.

【Someone asked me to find you and pass along a few words.】

【At 8 p.m. on November 19, Xiao Hulu will be in a car accident. At 10 p.m. on December 15, Luo Xiaorong will be in a car accident.】

The boy looked him over as he spoke, completely without reserve.

The moment the boy appeared, Lin Wu knew this was the unknown number he had been texting.

“So he really did say it…” Lin Wu felt dazed. He thought back to three days earlier, when he had urgently begged the unknown number to carry the message for him. At the time he had been too anxious. Looking back afterward, everything he said would have sounded absurd to any normal person. He had never expected the other side to truly pass it on.

Lin Wu recalled the boy’s appearance.

He was very tall, probably around 1.89 meters, handsome, with the sort of looks and bearing that made it obvious he had grown up in a well-off family, raised with care. Translated on Hololo novels. Back in high school, Lin Wu had disliked interacting with people like that. It was not that such people were bad, but that they were too good in every respect. Being around them made him feel cramped and awkward, as if they belonged to entirely different worlds.

He tried to recall how he himself had felt at seventeen. Angry, irritated, indignant…

The boy had faithfully conveyed the text message, but the whole thing had been too irrational. His seventeen-year-old self had not believed it.

Lin Wu frowned. He could not judge his younger self with his current mindset. In that situation, it would indeed have been hard for anyone to believe. He had thought that conversation had amounted to nothing. But then many more scenes began surfacing in his mind.

They flashed forward like a movie, until November 19—

On November 19, seventeen-year-old Lin Wu suddenly thought of the conversation in the alley as he was leaving the house. The two “car accidents” the boy had warned about sounded like a vicious prank, but Lin Wu was narrow-hearted, and both supposed pranks involved the people he cared about most. After thinking it over, he turned away after stepping outside and went to Wang Jiahui’s building.

“Brother Lin Wu!” Wang Jiahui had just started high school. Like Hao Shuqin, she had a round face. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she had a piece of bread in her mouth, ready to ride her bike to school.

“What time do you get out tonight?” Wang Jiahui had not gotten into No. 1 High and was attending Lide instead. Lin Wu asked about her schedule.

“Around 6:30. After school I usually grab something to eat with classmates, so I get home around 8.” She looked at him curiously. “What’s wrong?”

“I checked my horoscope today. It said things looked bad. When you cross the street, you need to watch carefully, especially around 8 p.m. tonight. Make sure it’s safe before you cross.” Lin Wu chose his words carefully. He did not mention the prank directly and could only pin it on a horoscope.

“Haha, you read horoscopes?” Wang Jiahui burst out laughing. Lin Wu seemed completely mismatched with anything to do with horoscopes.

“Do you understand?” Lin Wu asked seriously.

“I do.” Wang Jiahui did not really take it to heart.

“Around 8 p.m., you absolutely must watch the road carefully!” Lin Wu reminded her again.

“Okay, Brother Lin Wu, after school I’ll definitely pay attention to the road and make sure there aren’t any cars around before crossing.” She could only promise once more.

Wang Jiahui rode off to school on her bike, while Lin Wu took the bus. After they finished speaking, she pedaled away cheerfully.

At 7:50 that evening, Lin Wu still felt uneasy. Wang Jiahui had no phone, and neither did he. During a break between classes, he used the school’s public telephone to call Wang Manshan.

“Has Huihui gotten out of school yet?” Lin Wu asked.

“Not yet. Should be soon. She usually gets back after 8.” In the residential compound, Wang Manshan was lying on the sofa watching television.

“Could you go meet Huihui at the bus stop? It gets dark early now, and I’m worried it isn’t safe for her.” Lin Wu reminded him.

“Not safe?…” Wang Manshan was surprised by the suggestion, but one of the streetlights between the bus stop and the residential compound was broken. After thinking it over, he got up. “Alright, I’ll head down.”

“Okay!” Lin Wu finally let out a breath of relief.

After hanging up, he thought the matter had been taken care of. But when he got home after school, the residential compound was ablaze with lights. The main road was packed with police cars and ambulances. Many residents had rushed downstairs in their pajamas to watch. Not long after, medical staff carried a stretcher out of a distant alley and hurried it into an ambulance.

Lin Wu’s heart gave a violent jolt.

Then he saw Wang Manshan and Hao Shuqin following behind, crying in utter anguish.

Wang Jiahui was dead.

Her throat had been slit, and her death was horrifying.

Lin Wu felt as if everything around him had frozen. A deep terror seized him, and at the same time he thought of the warning in the alley.

He wanted to find that boy, but he could not.

On December 15, Lin Wu stayed by Luo Xiaorong’s side every second. At 10 p.m., Luo Xiaorong never left the house. He thought her car accident had been prevented, but two days later, Luo Xiaorong was also found dead with her throat slit.

……

“That shouldn’t have happened…” A sharp pain shot through Lin Wu’s head.

In the original timeline, Wang Jiahui had survived the attack but been left in a vegetative state for twenty years. Luo Xiaorong had not been murdered by throat-slitting, but had died in a traffic accident.

After the timeline changed, both of them were murdered.

Lin Wu frantically searched through the memories involving Wang Manshan and Hao Shuqin. After Wang Jiahui’s death, the two of them sank into a long period of despair. Lin Wu, consumed with guilt, told them about the warning from the alley.

“It’s alright. This isn’t your fault.”

The two of them comforted him instead. After Luo Xiaorong’s death, they cared for him just as they had in the original timeline. He got into university just as before, but in his sophomore year, Wang Manshan and Hao Shuqin still could not emerge from the shadow of their grief and ended their own lives.

Lin Wu searched the news: Xuhu serial murder case.

In the original version of the case, the killer had committed five attacks. The second and third victims survived. Wang Jiahui had been the third victim.

In the altered case, the killer committed six attacks. The second victim survived. Luo Xiaorong became the fourth victim.

Lin Wu thought of the butterfly effect.

Butterfly effect: a tiny change in the initial conditions eventually causes enormous changes throughout the entire system.

Working backward, he realized the difference in these two events lay here: on November 19, he had gone to find Wang Jiahui, and on December 15, he had stayed by Luo Xiaorong’s side without leaving. That was how Luo Xiaorong avoided the traffic accident, only to be murdered two days later.

Seventeen-year-old Lin Wu had none of thirty-seven-year-old Lin Wu’s memories. After everything happened, he blamed it all on his own carelessness. Translated on Hololo novels. Over these twenty years he had become gentle and courteous, tried hard to become a normal person, but Lin Wu could feel that “he” had long since been riddled with scars inside.

Mechanically, Lin Wu went to the sink.

There he saw the new version of himself:

In the mirror, his light brown sleepwear had become dark gray, and his frame was even thinner than before.

He was still a physics professor at Jianghe University, but aside from physics, there was no longer anything in life he cared about.

In a daze, Lin Wu heard a bell chime, and at the same time a strange passage of text appeared in his mind—

【It is a new road, and also an old road. So long as it has not yet happened, everything may still be changed. The moment a variable appears, everything heads into the unknown. Before the piece is placed, the variable cannot be foreseen. Only the outcome can be touched. Everything is changing. It may grow better, or it may grow worse. Once the piece is played, regret comes too late.】

The words appeared like an old yellow talisman, then slowly faded, but the meaning remained etched into his mind.

“Variables and outcomes…” Lin Wu was a physics professor. After only a brief moment of distraction, he immediately began scribbling on scratch paper.

He did not know why this passage had appeared, nor why his phone could connect to the past. But following the logic suggested by the passage, the present and the past had already become entangled.

On September 5, the fire at Xingchen Internet Café. Whether in 2004 or 2024, that event could no longer be changed. Therefore, it was a move already placed, and once placed, regret was useless.

On September 9, his seventeen-year-old self changed, and as a result warned Wang Jiahui of the car accident. Through the butterfly effect, Wang Jiahui and Luo Xiaorong were both murdered. These things happened in 2024, but had not yet occurred in 2004, so they were “outcomes.” Outcomes would continue changing with the choices made in 2004. They might grow better, or they might grow worse.

As for the variables…

The moment he changed the fire, he belonged both to the present and to the past. The two timelines had already become entangled. Only further changes in 2004 could generate new outcomes. He could not predict matters connected to the unknown number. Though the other person existed in the past, he also belonged to the present.

The two of them were changing simultaneously. Nothing about either of them could be known until the moment a move was made.

At that moment, Lin Wu desperately wanted to contact the unknown number again, or else hoped that person would meet his seventeen-year-old self once more, because only change could create new possibilities.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

Next

An hour later, Lin Wu walked out of the canteen office. Wang Manshan and Hao Shuqin were waiting outside. The moment Wang Manshan saw him, he stepped forward anxiously.

“How did it go? Are you alright?”

An hour earlier, Wang Manshan and Hao Shuqin had come to the market to buy daily necessities and had unexpectedly run into Lin Wu and Luo Xiaorong. When Lin Wu saw them, he froze for a moment, then politely greeted them.

“Uncle Wang, Teacher Hao, I left something in the canteen. Could you help me take my mom home…”

The Third District residential area and the First District were in the same compound, only seventy meters apart in a straight line.

“It’s fine, go back and get it,” Hao Shuqin said, immediately linking arms with Luo Xiaorong. Then, as if remembering something, she added, “I pickled some sweet garlic the other day. I was going to bring you some. After you get your things, come by my place.”

The two families were very close. After Lin Haiming passed away, Hao Shuqin often found reasons to help Lin Wu, and Lin Wu would tutor Wang Jiahui in math during school breaks.

“Alright.” Lin Wu smiled and agreed.

After the three of them left, Lin Wu went straight back to the canteen, picked up a slop bucket from the kitchen, and dumped it over Lu Meiling’s head.

Once he realized Luo Xiaorong had been bullied, he had never intended to let the matter go lightly.

“Ahhh!!!” In the courtyard, Lu Meiling felt the sticky mess covering her and screamed in shock.

“Hey! Why are you pouring slop on someone!” The others reacted and rushed to grab Lin Wu.

The slop bucket spun on the ground with a squeaking sound, taking a full ten seconds before it finally stopped.

“I’m calling the police! This is assault!” Lu Meiling was partly scared, but more furious at being humiliated in front of so many people.

“If you don’t call, you’re a coward!” Lin Wu showed no fear at all.

“You!” Lu Meiling was about to borrow a phone when the head chef quickly stopped her. “It’s just a small dispute between employees. Why call the police?” The steel factory was currently participating in a provincial evaluation for “green factories.” If this blew up, it could affect their score.

“I won’t accept this! Why does he get to dump slop on me?” Lu Meiling touched her hair and pulled out a handful of red oil and fish bones. She had been sitting with a loose collar, and now even inside her shirt was soaked with slop, dripping down her body.

“What’s going on?” A table of officials in the front hall had heard the commotion and came over, their expressions serious.

“Director Kong…” The head chef immediately grew tense upon recognizing the administrative director.

Ten minutes later, everyone was gathered in the canteen office.

“I was just thinking of mutual help, and he suddenly came over with a slop bucket…” Lu Meiling exaggerated the story, glossing over her own laziness.

The administrative director was sharp and quickly caught the key point. “She’s assigned to make buns, not wash dishes. Why didn’t you go help her make buns? Isn’t that also mutual help?”

“I…” Lu Meiling, who liked to cut corners, found herself unable to wriggle out in front of someone like him.

After addressing her, the director turned to Lin Wu. “You’re Lin Haiming’s son?” He remembered Lin Haiming, who had a lame right leg and had worked in the boiler room.

“Yes.” Lin Wu had already calmed down after the earlier surge of emotion.

The director looked at everyone, thought for a moment, then said, “Lu Meiling was wrong for cutting corners, but you also poured slop on her. Let’s leave it at that. In the future, you can’t bully people like this. Understood?”

As he finished, he gave Lu Meiling a stern look.

“I understand,” she said quickly. She had never truly intended to call the police.

“Then it’s settled,” the director nodded, then looked at Lin Wu. To him, this was a trivial matter.

“It’s not settled,” Lin Wu said.

“What do you mean?” the director frowned.

“When my father was alive, he was always an outstanding worker. The factory gave my mom this job, and I’m grateful. But she was also made to appear in promotional photos for the factory. You can’t act one way in public and another in private. You show concern for employees’ families on the surface, but behind the scenes you let people bully them. Maybe leadership doesn’t know about it, but in reality, my mom has been bullied.”

Lin Wu was referring to an interview in March, when the factory had been featured by provincial television. Translated on Hololo novels. To showcase its “humanistic care,” Luo Xiaorong had been arranged to appear. Later, a report titled “Love Among the People: Xuhu Steel Factory Cares for Disabled Family Members of Deceased Employees” had been published.

Such reports were common and didn’t cause much stir, but they existed in black and white.

Lin Wu had only learned about it afterward. If he had known beforehand, he would never have allowed it. Those interviews didn’t just bring sympathy, but also curiosity and subtle discrimination. All he wanted was a simple life, without more harm coming to Luo Xiaorong.

“What do you want?” the director straightened, not expecting Lin Wu to bring up the report.

Lin Wu looked at Lu Meiling. “Just like I said before. One bucket of slop a day. For a month.”

An eye for an eye. To him, that was fair.

“No way!” Lu Meiling stared at him. If that happened, she would have no face left to show.

“That’s not acceptable.” The director rejected it outright. It bordered on public humiliation. After thinking, he said, “Your mother will be transferred to work inside the factory. The hours are regular, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and the pay stays the same, thirty a day. As for the rest…”

He looked at Lu Meiling and the others. “Lu Meiling will be fined six hundred. That money goes to Luo Xiaorong as compensation for a month of dishwashing. The head chef and canteen manager are responsible for poor supervision. Each will be fined two hundred, and this will be recorded in their performance evaluations.”

Xuhu Steel Factory was the largest state-owned steel plant in the area, with both internal and external canteens. The “internal canteen” he mentioned was farther away but had shuttle transport and better working conditions.

“Director Kong…” Lu Meiling panicked at the mention of fines.

“If you don’t like it, leave!” the director snapped, then turned sternly to Lin Wu. “This matter is settled. I don’t want to hear phrases like ‘one thing in public, another in private’ again. The factory has its own rules and processes. If everything gets escalated over people’s heads, the entire system would fall into chaos.”

Lin Wu’s words had been subtle, but the director understood the implication: if this wasn’t handled properly, he might go to the media. Whether he actually would or not didn’t matter. People with nothing to lose were dangerous, and he didn’t want trouble during the evaluation period.

Of course, even though the issue was resolved smoothly, as the one being pressured, his impression of Lin Wu dropped sharply.

“Do you have any other objections?” the director asked.

Lin Wu had originally planned to have Luo Xiaorong quit entirely, fearing continued mistreatment. He hadn’t expected the factory to transfer her instead.

After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Is the work environment there good?” He meant interpersonal treatment.

“I’ll hold a meeting tomorrow. No one will bully your mother. There are surveillance cameras in the kitchen. You can check them anytime,” the director said coldly.

“Alright.” Lin Wu nodded, accepting.

“And the ‘one thing in public, another in private’ remark?” the director pressed.

“I won’t bring it up again.”

“Make sure you keep your word.”

Lin Wu knew this had left a bad impression, but he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered to him was what he cared about.

……

After Wang Manshan and Hao Shuqin returned, they heard that Lin Wu had been stopped by the administrative director and hurried over in a panic.

At 9:40, Lin Wu walked out of the canteen office.

“They’ve gone too far! I’m going to find the factory leadership tomorrow and demand an explanation!” Hao Shuqin had already asked around about what happened and was so angry her chest hurt.

“It’s fine, it’s already been resolved…” Lin Wu let out a breath and briefly explained what had happened.

At that moment, Lu Meiling and the head chef came out of the office. When they saw Lin Wu, Lu Meiling’s eyes were filled with tears, her face full of resentment, while the others looked at him with complicated expressions, especially the head chef and the canteen manager, who had just been formally disciplined.

Lin Wu glanced at them, unconcerned.

“Where’s Huihui?” he asked, changing the subject.

“She’s at home doing homework…” The three of them walked back under the moonlight. Hao Shuqin was still thinking about what had happened and sighed. “It’s good she’s being transferred. This place is too chaotic. The staff canteen is quieter. From now on, your mom will get off work at the same time as your Uncle Wang. Let him take her on the shuttle after work so it’s safer. You won’t have to worry…”

As she spoke, she nudged Wang Manshan.

“Your mom can just come with me. I’ll walk her right to your building,” Wang Manshan nodded.

Luo Xiaorong had moderate intellectual disability. She could manage basic routines after repeated instruction and could take the shuttle between two fixed points. Even so, Lin Wu thanked them sincerely.

“Thank you.”

“We’re family, no need for that,” Hao Shuqin waved it off.

The path they took passed Lin Wu’s home first, then Wang Manshan’s. When they reached the bottom of Lin Wu’s building, Hao Shuqin took a jar from Wang Manshan and handed it to him.

“This is some sweet garlic I pickled. I figured you wouldn’t have time to come get it, so I brought it down.”

It was an old yellow peach canning jar. Translated on Hololo novels. Lin Wu had thought they bought canned fruit on the way and had even offered to carry it earlier, but Wang Manshan had refused. He hadn’t expected it to be filled with pickled garlic.

“Thank you…” Lin Wu accepted it, slightly stunned.

“Alright, go on upstairs,” Hao Shuqin said, then added after a moment, “Don’t be so impulsive next time.” She was referring to the slop incident. Lu Meiling was petty, but if Lin Wu had gone any further, she feared something irreversible might have happened.

“I understand.” Lin Wu had seemed impulsive when he poured the slop, but he had calculated that Lu Meiling wouldn’t call the police.

Even if she wanted to, the canteen would rather avoid trouble. That was how such stability-seeking enterprises usually handled things. Lin Wu had acted after weighing everything. He didn’t mind causing trouble, but Lu Meiling wasn’t worth any lasting consequences. Thinking of it, he even felt a bit of regret, the slop could have been filthier.

Three minutes later, Lin Wu opened the door.

Their home was thirty-six square meters. A narrow corridor greeted him, with a main bedroom at the end and a smaller bedroom beside it. That was the entire layout.

Because of Luo Xiaorong’s condition, they always used a gas stove. When Lin Wu wasn’t cooking, he locked the gas tank. Electrical outlets were checked regularly to prevent any fire hazards while she was alone.

Now, the corridor was dark, but light shone from Luo Xiaorong’s room.

Lin Wu set the jar of garlic on the windowsill in the hallway and went into her room. She had already changed into a tank top and shorts, something Lin Haiming had taught her when he was still alive.

She was lying on the bed drawing. When she saw Lin Wu, she beamed.

“Wuwu is back?”

“Mm.” Lin Wu nodded, put his schoolbag in his room, then came back and sat beside her.

He checked the back of her hands. The redness had already faded.

“If it’s not your job, don’t do it. If someone bullies you, you have to tell me right away, understand?” he said gently.

“No one bullied me.” Because of her condition, Luo Xiaorong’s expressions were slightly off compared to others. She didn’t really understand what he meant by “bullying.”

Lin Wu sighed. “You don’t need to go to the canteen tomorrow. I’ll take you to the staff canteen. You’ll work there from now on. If anyone asks you to wash dishes or clean tables, you must tell me immediately.” He had already borrowed Wang Manshan’s phone earlier to ask his homeroom teacher for leave.

The teacher had been displeased about a Monday absence, but since Lin Wu’s grades were good, he turned a blind eye.

“How about we just stop working altogether?” Lin Wu asked again. They had had this conversation many times.

“No! I have to earn money. I can’t be a burden!” Luo Xiaorong immediately became alert and stopped drawing.

“You’re not a burden,” Lin Wu said quietly.

“No! I have to work, I have to earn money!” she shook her head firmly.

“Alright…” Lin Wu thought, today was September 9. If he could just endure ten more months, until after the college entrance exam, he would be an adult. Then he could support her, and their lives would only get better.

At ten that night, Lin Wu washed up and went to bed. Before sleeping, he suddenly thought of the boy in the alley—

【November 19, 8 p.m., Xiao Hulu will have a car accident. December 15, 10 p.m., Luo Xiaorong will have a car accident.】

“Xiao Hulu” was Wang Jiahui’s nickname. Anyone who knew the Wang family knew it.

Lin Wu closed his eyes. Ever since childhood, people had often joked about Luo Xiaorong’s condition. It still happened even now. The boy’s words tonight felt like a stranger suddenly telling you your mother would die tomorrow.

It was ominous, absurd, and offensive.

When he first heard it, he had been furious. He couldn’t understand why someone would be so malicious. But after Luo Liang appeared, everything made sense. It was just another prank from that group.

November 19. December 15.

Lin Wu memorized the dates. He knew he shouldn’t take it to heart, but thinking about it still made him angry.

At that same moment, in 2024, thirty-seven-year-old Lin Wu heard a bell-like chime and slowly opened his eyes.

He glanced at the time.

22:12.

Since September 6, his memory had refreshed once again.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

Route 22 ran for fifteen kilometers end to end, passing through places like the wholesale district and the labor market. Not long after the two of them got on, another big wave of passengers boarded, making the already crowded bus even more packed.

Qin Weidong and Lin Wu were standing near the back door. Qin Weidong held onto a hanging strap, while Lin Wu gripped the pole beside him. The two of them swayed along with every stop and lurch of the bus.

Qin Weidong couldn’t stand being jostled. When he went out, he either took a taxi or got picked up by the family driver. It had been a long time since he’d ridden a bus. Now the whole bus smelled of cheap leather and sweat. After standing there for a while, he started feeling dizzy and nauseated.

To distract himself, he began studying Lin Wu.

Lin Wu was standing diagonally across from him, and from this angle Qin Weidong could clearly see his face. His eyelashes were long, his eyelids slightly hooded, his nose bridge straight and high. His features looked clean and finely cut, better-looking than Qin Weidong had imagined.

At that moment, the driver slammed on the brakes. Lin Wu pitched forward with the force of it, and when he steadied himself again, all Qin Weidong could see was the back of his head.

Taking advantage of the fact that the other person couldn’t see him, Qin Weidong brazenly looked him over from head to toe, then fell into thought again.

The bus was too crowded to start talking now, but his whole purpose was to ask about the strange number. He couldn’t just keep following him forever, could he?

Qin Weidong racked his brain and racked it some more, but after another sudden brake, he couldn’t think anymore. The smell on the bus was too awful. Standing in the back and swaying the whole way, he felt as if his insides had all been churned together. He wanted to throw up.

He found himself hoping Lin Wu would get off soon.

One stop, two stops…

After seven stops, Lin Wu still showed no sign of getting off. A middle-aged woman boarded in a rush and bumped into him, and Lin Wu merely shifted aside, clearly used to scenes like this.

Three more stops passed, and Qin Weidong had had enough and was about to get off. Just then Lin Wu moved toward the back door to wait by the exit, bringing the two of them very close. The doors opened, wind rushed in from outside, and Lin Wu got off with the crowd.

Qin Weidong froze for a second, then hurried after him.

The air outside felt wonderful. Qin Weidong took several deep breaths and realized this was Xuhu Park Station. Translated on Hololo novels. Lin Wu had already crossed the street and gone into Xinwen Bookstore across the road.

“So he’s going to the bookstore.”

Xinwen Bookstore was the largest general bookstore in Xuhu. Watching Lin Wu’s back, Qin Weidong did not follow immediately. Instead, he looked around nearby, then dashed toward the public restroom behind him.

Three minutes later, after throwing up miserably, Qin Weidong came staggering out looking drained. He sat for a while at the park entrance, and once he felt more recovered, headed over to the bookstore across the street.

Xinwen Bookstore had two floors. After entering, Qin Weidong worried Lin Wu might already have left. Fortunately, his luck was good. After only half a turn around the place, he found him in the second-floor study-guide section for high school students.

The bookstore had display copies for customers to browse freely.

In the high school study section, Lin Wu was sitting at a table reading a book. It was an oversized reading table about three meters long, and now quite a few people were seated there reading. Warm sunlight streamed in, the curtains lifted gently in the breeze, and the atmosphere was quiet and comfortable.

Qin Weidong felt that this place, like the bus, was no good for talking. After a moment’s thought, he pretended to browse books and walked behind Lin Wu, stealing a glance at what he was reading.

Then he sat down diagonally across from him. From time to time he looked at him, but Lin Wu was always surrounded by people, leaving him no chance to ask about the strange number.

In the end, Qin Weidong could only turn his attention to the novel in his own hands. It was a highly original suspense story, and gradually he became absorbed in it.

From four to seven, the customers in the bookstore changed over wave after wave. Just as he finished a climactic part and habitually looked up toward Lin Wu, he suddenly discovered that the seat opposite him was empty!

Bang!

Qin Weidong shot to his feet, hurried downstairs, shoved the book back where it belonged, and ran outside in a panic. Cars flowed continuously past the bookstore. He searched quickly, and finally spotted Lin Wu at the bus stop in front of the store.

“Hey!” Qin Weidong decided he wasn’t waiting for the right moment anymore. He was just going straight over.

He had only just reached the stop when Route 22 arrived.

Lin Wu took out his student transit card and boarded.

Qin Weidong: …

Route 22 again!

He stood there with a twisted expression, looking caught between getting on and not getting on. The driver was about to close the doors, then saw him and asked, “Are you getting on or not?”

“Yes!” Qin Weidong boarded as if marching to his death.

The rush hour had passed, and there were three empty seats on the bus. He found one he liked and sat down, then searched for Lin Wu.

Lin Wu was sitting on a two-seat bench farther ahead. In front of him sat a middle-aged man, and beside him a middle-aged woman. The man and woman knew each other and were chatting about family matters. Clearly, this was once again not the right moment to talk.

Qin Weidong swallowed down all his questions again and opened the window beside him as much as possible to get some air.

When they had come earlier, they were heading east to west. Now they were going west to east.

There were twelve stops between Xuhu No. 1 High and Xuhu Park. Qin Weidong counted them patiently. When the bus reached Xuhu No. 1 High, he assumed this long bus ordeal would finally end.

Lin Wu did not get off.

So Qin Weidong had no choice but to keep following, enduring the motion sickness. In this way they went another seven stops before Lin Wu finally moved.

Qin Weidong stood up at once.

Lin Wu got off, and Qin Weidong followed. They had now reached the outskirts of Xuhu. Around them were two residential areas and three urban villages. Beyond that lay the Xuhu railway line, with coal trains rumbling past. The roar of the trains was irritatingly loud.

Qin Weidong looked around and felt that if they went a few more stops, they would probably start seeing cornfields. Just then Lin Wu turned into an alley up ahead, and Qin Weidong hurried after him. But halfway through, he suddenly lost sight of him again!

Qin Weidong turned around blankly. Where did he go?

“Looking for me?”

A cool, clear voice sounded from behind him.

Qin Weidong turned around. Lin Wu was standing in the middle of the alley. Behind him, not far away, was the road where they had just gotten off the bus. The streetlights from the road filtered faintly into the alley, casting a weak glow.

“You knew I was looking for you?” Qin Weidong looked him over face-to-face. His first thought was that the line of the other man’s jaw was pretty good.

“You’ve been following me since school let out.”

Lin Wu had noticed him while waiting for the bus after school. Qin Weidong was tall, dressed in casual clothes, with a bandage around his arm. At the bus stop he stood out like a crane among chickens.

At first Lin Wu had not thought Qin Weidong was following him. But later, on the bus, the other person looked at him. In the bookstore, he looked at him. Then when Lin Wu left the bookstore, the other man hurried after him…

At that point, Lin Wu could no longer treat it as a simple coincidence.

His mind ran quickly through everything. He did not know this person.

“I was following you,” Qin Weidong admitted when he saw he had been exposed, not trying to hide it. “Someone asked me to find you and pass on a message.”

A single opening line. So simple. He had finally gotten the chance to say it.

“What message?” Lin Wu asked.

“On November 19 at 8 p.m., Xiao Hulu will be in a car accident. On December 15 at 10 p.m., Luo Xiaorong will be in a car accident.”

Qin Weidong had read those texts so often by now that he had memorized the names and times. Translated on Hololo novels. After relaying them, he was about to ask about the strange number, but the moment Lin Wu heard the names Xiao Hulu and Luo Xiaorong, his eyes sharpened as he looked at him.

“Who told you that?”

“A strange stranger,” Qin Weidong said, startled.

Lin Wu’s first impression of him had been quiet, obedient, and withdrawn. But now, as the other lifted his head, Qin Weidong saw anger, vigilance, and even a trace of fury in his eyes. It was completely different from before.

Though those emotions were subtle, Qin Weidong clearly felt them.

“Who told you?” Lin Wu stared at him and asked.

“It’s… kind of hard to explain…” Qin Weidong touched his phone, planning to just show him the number directly. Just then, an excited voice came from behind:

“Brother Qin?”

Qin Weidong turned around. The newcomer was about 1.7 meters tall, slightly chubby, with dyed red hair in a messy, explosive style, wearing a skull-pattern jacket. At a glance, he looked like a delinquent student.

“Luo Liang?” Qin Weidong said, surprised.

Luo Liang was from the vocational school. They had run into each other a few times during fights, and over time had become familiar. Of course, that familiarity was mostly one-sided. Qin Weidong only knew his name and where he studied, nothing deeper.

“My place is around here. When I passed by just now, I thought it looked like you. Didn’t expect it really was!” The alley was about fifty meters long. He had just happened to pass by and noticed him.

“We were just up ahead…” Luo Liang grew more excited as he spoke, but when he saw Lin Wu, his expression turned strange. “Lin Wu?”

“You know each other?” Qin Weidong asked curiously.

“Kind of…” Luo Liang answered vaguely.

In the alley, Lin Wu glanced at Luo Liang, then at Qin Weidong. His gaze swept from Qin Weidong’s brow all the way down to his feet, a warning in his eyes. Then he turned and left without another word.

Qin Weidong: ???

He had taken two bus rides, spent three hours in the bookstore, and now, after all that effort, he was left with nothing but a warning… and a hint of disdain.

What was this supposed to be?

“He’s just a weirdo. Forget about him,” Luo Liang said, not knowing what had happened between them but thoughtfully trying to smooth things over. Then he added, “A few of us are up ahead having barbecue skewers. Want to join? After that we can go play some billiards.” Delinquent students didn’t have many entertainment options, usually just internet cafés, pool halls, or roller rinks.

“I’ve got something to take care of. Another time,” Qin Weidong said. He had no mood for socializing.

Luo Liang knew his temperament and didn’t push. He eagerly pulled out his phone. “Let’s exchange contact info?”

“Sure.” Qin Weidong generally didn’t embarrass people unless necessary.

He gave his number, and Luo Liang entered it digit by digit before calling him.

Qin Weidong’s phone rang. He saved the contact.

“Let’s hang out next time,” Luo Liang said as he followed Qin Weidong to the roadside and helped him hail a taxi.

“Sure, next time,” Qin Weidong replied casually.

At 8:30, he returned to the dorm. Hu Wei hadn’t come back yet, and the other roommates were out. In the four-person room, he was alone.

After washing up, Qin Weidong lay on his bed and thought of Lin Wu, or more precisely, that final look Lin Wu had given him, the one filled with warning and disdain.

He might not be a model student, but he wasn’t that bad, was he?

Qin Weidong got out of bed, took out a small round mirror from the dorm, and looked at himself.

His features were pretty handsome. He didn’t look like some vicious thug either.

……

The steel factory residential district and nearby villages together housed over thirty thousand people. It wasn’t convenient for them to go into the city, so most of them bought food and ate at the nearby steel factory market, a large open market built around the factory.

The Third District residential area was about three hundred meters from the market. After leaving the alley, Lin Wu didn’t go home but headed straight to the steel factory market.

There were over a hundred shops there, selling clothes, small appliances, hardware, groceries, food… all kinds of things. At eight in the evening, many of the meat and vegetable stalls had already closed, leaving only snack shops and supermarkets still lively.

Wearing white cloth shoes and carrying his schoolbag, Lin Wu stepped over puddles and scattered vegetable scraps until he reached the steel factory canteen.

The canteen was operated by the factory itself. It was larger than other eateries, mainly selling buns, steamed bread, rice dishes, and stir-fries. It was the most popular and bustling place nearby.

As soon as he entered, Lin Wu went straight to the kitchen. It was over seventy square meters, filled with professional stoves and two large refrigerators stocked with fresh meat and frozen fish.

When he arrived, three middle-aged men were playing cards, and two middle-aged women were sitting at a low table eating steamed buns and millet porridge. They were all kitchen staff. Now that the rush hour had passed, the atmosphere had relaxed considerably.

“Where’s my mom?” Lin Wu asked after looking around.

Luo Xiaorong was thirty-nine years old and had a severe intellectual disability. She struggled with many aspects of daily life, but she had one strength: she was very good with handicrafts. When Lin Haiming was still alive, his salary was enough to support the family, and Luo Xiaorong spent her days sleeping, daydreaming, or occasionally doing embroidery to earn a little extra money.

After Lin Haiming passed away, the family had little savings, and Lin Wu still had to attend school.

Considering their situation, the factory leadership arranged a job for Luo Xiaorong at the canteen making buns. She worked from 2 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. If it wasn’t busy, she could leave early. She was only responsible for making buns and didn’t handle anything else.

Lin Wu finished evening study at 8:50 and got home around 9:30. At first, Luo Xiaorong would go home alone after work, but the market area was chaotic. Earlier that year, she had been followed by a man on her way home.

Though she had an intellectual disability, she could sense something was wrong when the man tried to undress her, and she screamed loudly. Her cries drew attention from passersby, and the man fled. Fortunately, nothing serious happened.

After that incident, Lin Wu didn’t want her to keep working. They still had twelve thousand yuan saved. He calculated that if he studied hard and got into a top university, he could receive a fifty-thousand-yuan scholarship. Once in college, he could support her by working part-time.

“I want to work!” Luo Xiaorong had limited understanding, but after working, she had heard others say things like “college is expensive” and “mental illness is a burden.” Lin Wu told her she wasn’t mentally ill, so she didn’t think she was. She just wanted to earn more money and not be a burden.

In some ways, Luo Xiaorong was very stubborn.

After hearing her out, Lin Wu pressed his lips together and said, “Then I’ll come pick you up from now on.”

The canteen closed at ten, sometimes as late as eleven. So Lin Wu spoke with the management. After finishing work, Luo Xiaorong would stay at the canteen until 9:30, and Lin Wu would come to pick her up so they could walk home together.

Today was Sunday. Instead of waiting until 9:30, Lin Wu had come right at her usual time to get off work.

“It’s Sunday today.” The head chef was one of the three men playing cards. He hadn’t expected Lin Wu to come early and looked a little uneasy.

“Where is my mom?” Lin Wu stared at him and asked.

Lin Wu was usually quiet, but when he got angry, the way he stared at people was fierce. The head chef felt a chill under that gaze, then stiffened his neck and said, “Your mom’s in the yard. Where else would she be!”

Behind the kitchen was a courtyard, and beyond that the staff dormitory. As soon as he heard this, Lin Wu ran straight toward the yard.

The canteen courtyard was about a thousand square meters, paved with bluestone bricks. There was a water pipe in the yard with a warm yellow bulb hanging above it. When Lin Wu arrived, Luo Xiaorong was sitting in front of a basin, washing dishes. The dishes, both from customers and staff, were greasy and piled into a small mountain.

She was facing the staff dormitory. Inside, there was a television, and two dishwashers were sitting there watching it.

Through the window, Luo Xiaorong could catch glimpses of the screen. As she watched, she giggled.

Seeing this, anger surged in Lin Wu’s chest, but he forced himself to stay calm. “Mom.”

“Wuwu is here!” Luo Xiaorong liked calling him “Wuwu,” sometimes “Little Wu.” When she was unhappy, she would call him by his full name.

Lin Wu didn’t like those nicknames. He thought they sounded overly sweet, but Luo Xiaorong liked them, and after resisting a few times when he was younger, he had let it be.

“I’m here.” Lin Wu asked as evenly as he could, “Why are you washing dishes?”

“I want to watch TV. Meiling said if I wash dishes here, I can watch TV and play with water at the same time!”

Lu Meiling was one of the dishwashers. As Luo Xiaorong finished speaking, the dormitory door opened, and two round-faced, slightly chubby young women, around twenty years old, walked out.

One of them looked a little awkward when she saw Lin Wu. “Lin Wu, you’re out of school?”

“Mm.” Lin Wu asked gently, “Sister Meiling, can my mom really watch TV and play with water like this?”

“There’s been a lot of work today… Sister Xiaorong said she wanted to help me…” Lu Meiling trailed off. She could brush off Luo Xiaorong, but Lin Wu was clearly not someone easy to fool.

“How long has this been going on?” Lin Wu lowered his eyelashes slightly and asked calmly.

“How long… what do you mean…” Lu Meiling faltered.

“Mm?”

“A month, maybe. Sister Xiaorong is really nice. She often helps me on her own…”

At that moment, the others from the kitchen heard the commotion and came over.

“Lin Wu, Xiaorong just has a kind heart. It’s mutual help. Meiling is still young. Don’t hold it against her. Don’t worry, this won’t happen again!” The head chef knew it couldn’t be hidden anymore and immediately patted his chest in assurance.

“Uncle Zhao, you’ve known about this all along.” Lin Wu looked at him.

The head chef froze. “It’s just… mutual help.”

“Mm.” Lin Wu gave a soft acknowledgment, then turned to Luo Xiaorong. “Mom, let’s go home.”

“I haven’t finished this yet…”

Lin Wu looked at the pile of pots and dishes in the basin. There were easily over two hundred pieces, almost like the scale of a village banquet.

“Sister Meiling said she’ll do it herself,” Lin Wu said.

Lu Meiling quickly reacted. “Sister Xiaorong, just leave it! I’ll handle it myself!”

Lin Wu pulled Luo Xiaorong up from the ground. It was September, not cold, but she hadn’t worn gloves. Her hands had been soaking in greasy cold water for so long that the backs of them were already red.

Lin Wu wiped her hands with his school uniform and tucked them into his pocket.

“Let’s go home,” he said.

“Okay!” Luo Xiaorong smiled foolishly, not understanding what had happened.

The two of them left, and the others exchanged looks.

“Wasn’t he rumored to have killed someone? That’s all the temper he’s got?” one of them asked. There had been rumors in the compound that Lin Wu had killed someone. Someone had even called the police, and Lin Wu had been taken to the station, only to be released within half a day, proving he hadn’t done anything.

But with his disabled father and intellectually impaired mother, and his somewhat gloomy demeanor, people still treated him as a potential criminal. They didn’t say it to his face, but they avoided provoking him whenever possible.

“It’s just nonsense people say. He’s only seventeen, what kind of temper could he have?” Lu Meiling, who had stirred things up earlier, now felt relieved that he had left. She grabbed a pair of gloves from the rack and sat down on a stool in the yard. “If I’d known, I would’ve had her start earlier. There’s still so much left…”

She had just finished complaining when a surprised voice sounded from the yard:

“Lin Wu?”

Lu Meiling looked up.

Lin Wu had come back, carrying a slop bucket in his hand.

Before she could react, he tipped the bucket over her head. Leftover food scraps mixed with pork grease poured down onto her.

“Ugh!” Lu Meiling gagged in disgust and looked up.

“I’ll pour one bucket on you every day from now on, until it’s been a full month.”

Under the warm light, Lin Wu looked at her coldly.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

Previous

【There?】

【?】

【.】

………

Over the next two days, Qin Weidong kept sending messages to Lin Wu from time to time. Whether during the day or at night, every single one failed to send. In the end, he even began to suspect that the previous conversation had been his imagination.

But the message records were right there. It had really happened.

On the morning of September 9, Qin Weidong had just woken up when he received a call from Hu Wei.

“Brother Qin, my dad’s here. I can’t make it over today…”

“Why’s your dad there?” Qin Weidong was scheduled to be discharged today after three days in the hospital.

“I turned in my self-criticism yesterday. The homeroom teacher said it wasn’t good enough and called my dad…” Hu Wei had written self-criticisms before, usually a few hundred words to get by. This time, since it involved personal safety, he couldn’t just brush it off.

“Call your dad and have him arrange someone to pick you up after I’m discharged?” Hu Wei was worried it might be inconvenient for Qin Weidong.

“It’s fine. I’m being discharged, not admitted.” Hu Wei’s family ran a small eatery. Qin Weidong had met his father a few times and knew he was strict, probably because he had high hopes for his son. After a moment’s thought, Qin Weidong said, “When you get back, just admit your mistake to your dad. Don’t be stubborn.”

“I know… sigh. I actually put effort into writing it, but the teacher still said it didn’t pass.” Hu Wei still felt resentful about being called in. He was about to complain more when his father’s voice sounded in the distance. “My dad’s calling me. Call me if anything comes up.”

“Alright, go take care of it.” After a few more words, Qin Weidong hung up. It was 7:20. Unable to fall back asleep, he got up, ate two bananas, and started playing games to pass the time.

He played from 7:30 to 10:00. During that time, Qin Jianzhang called once to ask if he needed a driver.

“No need.” Qin Weidong might be a bit carefree, but he wasn’t delicate. His foot had mostly recovered, and his arm would only need a couple more days in a sling.

At 10:50, after completing his discharge procedures, Qin Weidong returned to his dorm. It was a four-person room, and since it was Sunday, no one else was there. His bed was the top bunk. After tidying up briefly, he lay down.

Outside, students were playing ball or coming back from the washroom. The cuckoo birds called softly, and the campus felt peaceful. Suddenly, being alone felt a little dull.

He played a bit of Snake, then fell asleep again. At 2 p.m., his roommate Gao Mingming came back carrying a meal tray.

Though Qin Weidong was a troublemaker, he was loyal, and he got along well with both classmates and roommates. Gao Mingming had been humming when he walked in, but froze when he saw him.

“You’re back already?”

Hu Wei lived in the next dorm. Translated on Hololo novels. Gao Mingming had heard about Qin Weidong being hospitalized and had planned to visit him later with a few others. He hadn’t expected him to be back already.

“The hospital was boring, so I came back.” Gao Mingming and another roommate, Xu Zhou, were usually inseparable. Seeing only Gao Mingming, Qin Weidong casually asked, “Xu Zhou didn’t come with you?”

“No. He went to wait for his girlfriend.”

“When did he get a girlfriend?” Qin Weidong felt like he had missed a lot in just three days.

“Just started the day before yesterday. Met at a tutoring class.”

“Which school is she from?”

“No. 1 High.”

“No. 1 has classes today?” Qin Weidong thought of the strange message. The person he had been told to find was also from No. 1 High.

“Yeah. They’re strict over there. School ends at 3 p.m. on Sundays. Only half a day off.”

“No. 1…” Qin Weidong recalled the message:

【For the sake of me telling you about the fire, please go to Class Five, Senior Year, Xuhu No. 1 High School, find Lin Wu…】

He hadn’t taken it seriously before, but after confirming the number was truly inactive, the thought had lingered in his mind these past few days. Suddenly, he sat up.

“What’s wrong?” Gao Mingming was startled.

“I’m heading out.” Qin Weidong swung his long legs off the bed, changed into lighter clothes, and put on a baseball cap. Before leaving, he asked, “You sure No. 1 lets out at 3?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks.” Adjusting his cap, Qin Weidong walked out.

He didn’t quite understand his own mindset. Being misunderstood by the police had been too frustrating. He was holding onto that anger. Now, instead of fixating on the messages themselves, he wanted to use them to figure out who had sent them. “Lin Wu” was his only lead.

Lide and No. 1 High were two intersections apart, about 1.3 kilometers in a straight line. Instead of taking a taxi, he bought a popsicle and strolled over while eating it.

Just as he arrived at the school gate, students were being dismissed in small groups.

Standing at the entrance and looking at these top students, Qin Weidong suddenly realized something important:

Who exactly was Lin Wu?

Or even… was there really a Lin Wu in Class Five?

Outsiders weren’t allowed into the school, so he didn’t bother the gate guard. Realizing he couldn’t identify the person on his own, he directly stopped a passing student.

“Has Lin Wu come out yet?” Qin Weidong asked casually.

“Which Lin Wu?” the student looked confused.

“Class Five, senior year.”

“Oh, that Lin Wu. I saw him come out just now.”

“Where is he?” Qin Weidong looked around but couldn’t tell.

“He probably went to the bus stop up ahead,” the student pointed.

Qin Weidong was about to head over when he suddenly felt things were going too smoothly and turned back suspiciously. “How do you know Lin Wu?”

“A lot of people in senior year know him, don’t they?” the student said, puzzled.

“…Thanks.” Though it felt strange, Qin Weidong didn’t press further and followed the direction.

It was about 500 meters to the bus stop, passing several food stalls along the way. Translated on Hololo novels. He didn’t stop, walking straight through. By the time he arrived, more than a dozen people were already waiting, most of them students from No. 1 High.

His gaze swept over the crowd before settling on a boy standing slightly behind.

The boy was about 1.8 meters tall, thin and slender. His side profile was pleasant, with a straight nose and fair skin.

He wore a faded schoolbag and stood quietly at the stop. He was so still that he seemed out of place amid the surrounding bustle.

Warm sunlight fell across his face, half in shadow, half in light.

The moment Qin Weidong saw him, he had an instinctive feeling:

This might be Lin Wu.

Perhaps it was because of the mysterious nature of the messages, but after thinking about it, it was likely because the boy gave off an unusually quiet presence.

At that moment, the student he had spoken to earlier rode past on a bicycle.

“Wait!” Qin Weidong called out.

Screech—

The bike stopped abruptly. The student looked startled, then asked, “What is it?”

“That’s Lin Wu, right? Haven’t seen him in a while. Feels like he’s gotten thinner. Not sure if I recognize him,” Qin Weidong said, pointing.

“Thinner?” the student looked puzzled. “I think he’s always been like that.”

“It’s him, right? The one with the blue denim bag?” Qin Weidong confirmed again.

“Yeah…” the student was still thinking about whether Lin Wu had lost weight.

“Thanks.” Qin Weidong thanked him again, then walked quickly toward the bus stop.

There were even more students now. Using his size advantage, he quickly pushed his way behind Lin Wu.

He stood half a head taller, and from his angle, he could see the soft black hair on top of Lin Wu’s head and a small mole behind his ear.

Lin Wu was looking toward the direction of incoming buses, unaware of him.

Qin Weidong studied him from behind. He still couldn’t see his full face clearly, but he seemed even paler and thinner up close.

Then Qin Weidong fell into thought.

There really was a Lin Wu in Class Five.

So the question was:

How should he bring up the matter of the messages?

Start directly with the two car accidents?

He imagined the scene and suddenly felt…

that would make him look like an idiot.

Just as he was thinking about how to begin, Bus 22 arrived.

The boy in front took out his transit card and boarded with the crowd.

Qin Weidong snapped out of his thoughts and followed, squeezing onto the bus.

It was rush hour, and they were pushed to the back. Outside, the scenery drifted past. The plane trees were still green, as if stubbornly holding onto the last vitality of summer.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

Next

In the eyes of teachers, Qin Weidong was a disobedient troublemaker. Among his peers, he was a rich school bully. To younger students, he was a respected senior. But if he were to evaluate himself, he would say he was a positive, optimistic, upright, and well-rounded young man.

So after concluding that the other party was suspected of arson and then losing contact again, he decisively called the police.

Ten minutes later, officers from the local police station arrived. The Central Hospital and Xingchen Internet Café were in the same district, so most of the officers already knew about the fire from the previous night. After entering, the lead officer first surveyed the room, then bit off the cap of his pen and asked, “You’re the one who reported this?”

“Yes!” Qin Weidong immediately sat up.

“You believe the fire yesterday was intentional arson?”

“At 10:12 last night, I was trying to book a computer from the network admin and sent a message to the wrong number…” Qin Weidong recounted the entire sequence of events, then added his analysis: “I think he was in the café the whole time. Maybe he had scouted it beforehand and deliberately set the fire.”

“You’re certain you don’t know this person?” The officers exchanged looks, their expressions turning serious.

“Certain! All the message records are right here.” Qin Weidong opened the message screen.

The fire had broken out at 23:25. The other party had sent a warning at 22:25. From a timing perspective, it made no sense.

“Can we make a record of this?” the lead officer asked after reviewing the messages.

“Of course!” Qin Weidong cooperated fully.

A younger officer carefully copied the message contents into a notebook. Meanwhile, the lead officer and the others tried calling the number. It was not in service, and messages could not be sent.

“Doesn’t this person seem quite suspicious of arson?” Qin Weidong asked, clearly hoping for confirmation.

“Based on your analysis, there are indeed some suspicions, but we’ll need further investigation and evidence.”

“Can you find out who it is?”

“We’ll need to contact the telecom operator and see if the number was registered. Phone number regulation isn’t strict right now. You can buy an unregistered SIM card for ten yuan. Cases like this are difficult to trace.”

“Oh…” Qin Weidong felt restless, like ants crawling under his skin. He was too curious.

Seeing his concern, the lead officer spoke kindly, “We heard from the café staff that you even helped rescue someone while escaping? Very good. Strong sense of responsibility and awareness!” He had heard earlier that a high school student had helped during the fire, and now he was meeting that very person.

“It was nothing…” Qin Weidong felt a little embarrassed by the praise. Then he thought of the last message and asked, “What about those two car accident predictions? Are they a problem?”

He was referring to the request to find someone. He hadn’t hidden it when reporting, and the police had already read the full conversation.

The lead officer considered it. “The other party only said accidents would happen, without threats or intimidation. That alone cannot be treated as evidence of a crime.”

There were still two months before the predicted accidents. They couldn’t arrest anyone based on that. Translated on Hololo novels. It was like someone making harsh remarks during an argument, at most warranting a warning, assuming no actual crime had been committed.

Three minutes later, the police finished recording everything.

“We’ll head out for now. You should get some rest,” the officers said, checking the time.

“Alright…” Qin Weidong hesitated.

“We’ll investigate thoroughly. If there’s any progress, we’ll contact you immediately,” they added with a smile, sensing his thoughts.

“Thank you!” Qin Weidong finally felt relieved.

The next morning, Hu Wei arrived at the hospital carrying fried dough sticks and spicy soup. There was still no update from the police, and Qin Weidong hadn’t told him about the messages to avoid unnecessary worry.

They chatted for a while about school when Hu Wei suddenly clutched his stomach. “Is the bathroom fixed yet?”

He had drunk a bowl of cold soy milk that morning and upset his stomach.

“Not yet. Go check outside,” Qin Weidong said. He was in a private room with its own bathroom, but the pipes had broken the previous afternoon, and repairs were still pending.

“Alright!” Hu Wei grabbed some tissues from the bedside and rushed out.

Qin Weidong paid no attention and continued eating, his mind still occupied with the fire. He wondered how efficient the police investigation would be…

Just as he was thinking about it, the phone by his pillow rang. It was a local landline number. He picked up casually.

“Student Qin?” A serious voice came through. It was the lead officer from the previous day.

“Yes, sir!” Qin Weidong quickly set down his chopsticks.

Gone was the friendly tone from before. The officer’s voice was now stern. “Are you certain those messages were sent before the fire?”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve checked the number. It is an unassigned number, not a ringtone spoof.”

Three minutes later, Qin Weidong learned two things.

First, after leaving the hospital the previous night, the police had immediately contacted the telecom operator. The number was completely inactive, not even registered, let alone capable of making calls or sending and receiving messages.

Second, they had reviewed the café’s surveillance footage. It clearly showed that between 10 p.m. on September 5 and the outbreak of the fire, only the network admin entered and exited the staff room. There was no third person involved in deliberate arson.

They had questioned the admin. He said the water dispenser upstairs had run out, so he used a portable heater to boil water, which accidentally caused the fire. The whole incident was highly coincidental, triggered by random actions.

“No third person?” Qin Weidong felt his entire line of reasoning collapse.

“We consulted with our technical department. There are methods that can alter displayed numbers or message timestamps. We don’t know how you did this or why, but you need to understand something clearly: wasting police resources is illegal. Please respect basic social order,” the officer said. His tone had shifted from stern to outright severe.

“I didn’t…” Qin Weidong froze before reacting. The officer thought he had fabricated the messages?

“You didn’t?” the officer pressed.

“Of course not!”

“So you’re saying you’ve been chatting with an inactive number this whole time?”

“I…” Qin Weidong couldn’t refute it. Even he didn’t understand why the number was inactive.

“Could the number have been checked incorrectly? Or maybe another number sent the messages, and something went wrong during transmission, making it display as this inactive number…” he asked, unwilling to give up.

“We’ve verified it three times. The number is correct. As for the display error you mentioned, I’m sorry, but I’ve never heard of such a case.”

The officer had a good impression of Qin Weidong. Even if the boy had made a mistake, he didn’t want to press too hard, so in the end he spoke patiently:

“The internet café fire case has already been closed. We sincerely appreciate that you helped rescue people during the fire. We hope you can keep up that spirit and become someone useful to society. Don’t casually challenge the authority of the law.”

Qin Weidong: !!!

Just yesterday, he had been praised for having “a strong sense of social responsibility and awareness,” and today it had turned into “don’t casually challenge the authority of the law”?

Qin Weidong felt a surge of anger rising in his chest, but he had no idea how to explain himself!

The call ended with the officer’s final words: “You’re in your senior year now. What matters most is focusing on your studies.”

Qin Weidong’s chest rose and fell sharply. He was so agitated that he didn’t even notice Hu Wei had come back.

“The second-floor bathroom’s clogged. Everyone’s coming up to the third floor now, and the line’s already out the door…”

Hu Wei wiped his hands with a tissue and spoke in relief about the situation, but halfway through, he noticed Qin Weidong gripping his phone tightly. The veins on the back of his hand were bulging, his emotions clearly unstable.

“Brother Qin?” Hu Wei asked cautiously.

Bang—

Qin Weidong kicked the bed in frustration. He was wearing slippers, and the hospital bed was made of steel. The moment he kicked it, his big toe swelled instantly.

“Hiss!”

He sucked in a sharp breath and reflexively grabbed his toe. Standing wedged between the bedside cabinet and the bed, he lost his balance, hit his head against the cabinet, slipped, and his phone flew out of his hand.

With a crack, it hit the ground and split into two pieces.

Qin Weidong, Hu Wei: …

……

“Brother Qin, I think this won’t turn on anymore.”

Ten minutes later, Qin Weidong’s toe had been treated with antiseptic. Hu Wei sat by the bed, fiddling with the broken phone. Translated on Hololo novels. Qin Weidong had been using the Motorola K5, a newly released model that month. It had a 300,000-pixel camera, could record short videos, had a web browser, and supported four-times digital zoom. It was a flip phone.

It had fallen while open, and the impact had been too strong. The screen was completely shattered, and the keypad had split down the middle, exposing the internal circuitry.

“Such a good phone, and now it’s useless…” Hu Wei said regretfully.

Qin Weidong frowned. He didn’t care about the phone itself. He was thinking: what if that unknown number sent another message and he missed it?

He had just taken a major hit over the message situation, but he had to admit, he was extremely curious about the other party’s identity. At the very least, he wanted to know whether the person had really been at the café, how they predicted the fire, and most importantly, how they managed to send messages from an inactive number.

“Brother Qin?” Hu Wei nudged him when he saw him lost in thought.

After a moment, Qin Weidong pulled out his wallet from his jacket pocket. “Go buy me a phone?”

“Not fixing this one?”

“Not for now.”

Hu Wei took the wallet. “What model?”

“Motorola K5.”

“That one’s hard to find. What if they’re out?”

“Just get anything.” With his right arm and left foot injured, Qin Weidong couldn’t go out himself. He just needed a temporary phone so he wouldn’t miss any messages.

Hu Wei left with the wallet and soon returned carrying a box. There were no official retail stores yet, so most people bought phones from electronics counters. He had gone to a nearby mobile market. If not for traffic, he might have come back even faster.

“It’s a Motorola K5. Only two left there. 6,700 yuan, no markup.” As he spoke, he handed over the wallet, phone, and receipt.

Hu Wei often took money from Qin Weidong, but he had a sense of boundaries. For errands like this, he only took what was needed. Even if there was a stack of cash in the wallet, he wouldn’t take an extra bill.

“Thanks.” Qin Weidong put away the wallet and opened the box.

It was the same model as his previous phone. The last one had been bought on release day and had been in such high demand that he had paid an extra 500 yuan. Now the price had returned to standard.

He inserted the SIM card.

He had already saved the unknown number under the name “Unknown Number.” Looking at the familiar last digits, he first confirmed the phone was working, then sent a message.

Message failed.

Normal.

Once he confirmed the phone worked, he didn’t dwell on it. As for the old phone, he stuffed it into his jacket pocket, planning to sell it to a secondhand dealer later. He had money, but he wasn’t stupid. Recovering even a little was still worth it.

After sorting things out, Qin Weidong looked at Hu Wei. “What do you want to eat? Let’s go all out for lunch!” He still remembered being misunderstood by the police and decided to channel his anger into appetite.

“Anything’s fine.” Hu Wei was peeling an orange beside him. The fruit had been sent over by Qin Jianzhang, along with durian, mangosteen, and other rare fruits that looked appetizing.

“Then spicy fish, boiled pork slices, kung pao chicken…” Qin Weidong listed a few common dishes, then grabbed a takeout menu from the bedside cabinet and started ordering.

At nine in the evening, Hu Wei returned to school. Qin Weidong, bored, played some Tetris. When it reached 10:15, he sent another message to the unknown number.

Message failed.

Qin Weidong frowned. The first message had gone through at 10:12 on the first day, and at 10:15 the previous day. He had assumed this time window allowed successful sending, but now it didn’t work?

While he was puzzled, in a hotel in Xuhu in 2024, Lin Wu was also frowning at his phone.

After ten o’clock, memories updated. The connection across time activated.

This was a pattern he had begun to piece together over the past two days. Now that his message had successfully sent, it confirmed his hypothesis about the “time connection.” But the other side hadn’t replied… hadn’t seen it?

Lin Wu closed his eyes.

There had been no memory update today, which meant that his 2004 self was still fine.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

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