Author Archives: Thandar

Shao Ye chose a mango flavor and climbed onto the bed. Pei Fangyan reached out his hand and said, “Let me help you.”

Although Shao Ye had made up his mind to let his uncle see the results of his training, when it came down to it, just imagining his uncle helping him made him feel a bit nervous and embarrassed. He said, “I think I can handle it myself.”

Pei Fangyan didn’t insist. “Alright, do it yourself then.”

Shao Ye glanced over the instructions and tossed them aside. Taking a deep breath, he knelt on the bed, hands already gripping the waistband of his pants. After hesitating for a moment, he looked up at Pei Fangyan and said, “Uncle, maybe I should go to the bathroom to do this.”

“Hm?” Pei Fangyan looked at him. “Can’t you do it here?”

Shao Ye shook the bottle in his hand. “I’m worried this might spill on the bed.”

“It’s fine,” Pei Fangyan said indifferently. “We’re going to sleep in the next room later anyway.”

Seeing that Shao Ye still wanted to go to the bathroom, Pei Fangyan added, “If you don’t do it well, I can help you. But if you go to the bathroom, it’ll be more troublesome for me to help.”

Shao Ye thought it over seriously, then his eyes lit up. “If I need help, I can just come back and ask you.”

He felt like he could handle something like this on his own.

Pei Fangyan sighed inwardly. So he wasn’t completely clueless after all.

Since that was the case, Pei Fangyan looked up into Shao Ye’s slightly rounded, innocent eyes and said sincerely, “Xiao Ye, I want to watch.”

Shao Ye’s face flushed as if it might drip blood. What was there to watch? And his uncle said it so matter-of-factly that… he couldn’t refuse at all.

He lay on the bed, his fingers coated in mango-scented oil, glistening under the light like they’d just been pulled from a jar of honey.

Pei Fangyan’s gaze darkened as it settled there.

Working this hard, even soaking the bedsheet, and still saying he didn’t need help. Lying again, wasn’t he?

Pei Fangyan raised his hand and slapped him lightly, the crisp sound echoing in the room.

Caught off guard, Shao Ye jerked, spilling most of the liquid in his hand. He turned back, confused. “Uncle, why did you hit me again?”

“Couldn’t help it. Sorry,” Pei Fangyan said, without any real trace of apology. “Did it hurt?”

It didn’t really hurt, just startled him.

“Then… try to hold back a bit, Uncle,” Shao Ye said. “If you hit me again, I won’t even be able to finish preparing.”

“Alright, I’ll try,” Pei Fangyan said with a faint smile.

After that, Shao Ye wasn’t hit again. Once he felt he was about done, he was about to put the bottle back.

But Pei Fangyan took it from his hand instead. “Come here. Let me check.”

“You still need to check?” Shao Ye asked, puzzled. Was he going to be graded next?

Even as he complained internally, he obediently moved closer. Pei Fangyan tapped lightly, then reopened the cap Shao Ye had just tightened.

Shao Ye buried his face almost entirely into the soft bedding, like an ostrich. His uncle’s fingers were cooler than his own, and seemed longer too.

The faint, sticky sounds filled Shao Ye’s ears. They were doing the same thing, yet somehow it felt completely different when his uncle did it.

After an unknown amount of time, his ears felt like they were about to burn. Finally, he heard Pei Fangyan’s slightly hoarse voice say, “Alright.”

Shao Ye turned around, glanced at his phone, then shifted forward.

“Xiao Ye, you’ve worked hard,” Pei Fangyan said softly, watching him.

“Not at all, not at all,” Shao Ye replied, taking a deep breath and trying to relax.

Although Pei Fangyan couldn’t use his legs, he was very good at encouragement. Every bit of progress Shao Ye made was met with praise.

“Xiao Ye, you’re amazing!”

“Xiao Ye, you’re incredible!”

“Can you go a little further?”

His praise never seemed to stop. Gradually, Shao Ye lost himself in it. Even when he felt like he had reached his limit, one compliment from Pei Fangyan made him feel like he still had more potential to push further.

Pei Fangyan watched the scene before him with quiet appreciation. Sweat slid down Shao Ye’s long neck, his chest glistening under the light.

At some point, Pei Fangyan even found himself thinking that perhaps it wasn’t so bad that his legs didn’t work.

Finally, it ended.

Shao Ye collapsed onto Pei Fangyan’s chest, breathing heavily. Pei Fangyan wrapped an arm around his lean waist, as if he could feel the rapid beating of his heart.

After catching his breath, Shao Ye pushed himself up slightly and asked, “Uncle, how long was that?”

“What?” Pei Fangyan didn’t quite follow.

Shao Ye didn’t answer directly. He reached for the phone by the pillow, the screen lighting up. After doing a quick calculation in his head, he lifted his chin proudly. “I told you it was more than ten minutes! It’s been forty-three minutes!”

Pei Fangyan: “……”

It was hard to say whether this competitive streak of his was a good thing or a bad thing.

At least for now, Pei Fangyan was very satisfied.

So he asked, “Then… want to go for another forty-three minutes?”

Shao Ye sensed something was off and glanced down. I mean, even in the gym you get water breaks, right?

Pei Fangyan’s eyes shone with excitement, unusually bright. He praised sincerely, “Xiao Ye is this capable, you can definitely do it.”

Not that capable… Shao Ye was once again carried away by the praise, feeling lightheaded. It was just another forty-three minutes, what was that? He could do ten more without a problem!

He didn’t make it to ten. His spirit held strong, but his body absolutely did not. At one-thirty in the morning, Shao Ye finally completed this “major project.” He collapsed onto Pei Fangyan’s chest, mouth half open as he gasped for breath. So tired. Really, really tired.

Pei Fangyan stroked his back, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

After resting for a while, the two of them went to the bathroom to wash up together. When they returned, they moved to the bedroom next door. The moment Shao Ye’s head touched the pillow, he lost consciousness. He slept straight through until noon the next day.

When he first woke up, his memory was still a little muddled. Lying on the bed, he stared blankly at the chandelier above as fragments of the previous night replayed in his mind. He lifted a hand to cover his face, which was already starting to flush.

“You’re awake?” Pei Fangyan asked.

He had noticed the moment Shao Ye moved.

Shao Ye lowered his hand and turned his head. It was rare to see Pei Fangyan still lounging in bed at this hour. Though, he was holding a freshly printed document, which was very much in character.

Shao Ye gave a small “mm,” grabbed his phone from the bedside table, and checked the time. Then he saw that his father, Pei Tiancheng, had sent him a flood of messages. First a video call, which went unanswered because his phone was on silent, then message after message asking if he had gotten up, whether he had eaten, what he had eaten, whether he was short on money lately, and so on.

It was clear his father was genuinely worried that he might start calling his uncle “dad.”

That was one thing his father really didn’t need to worry about. Shao Ye replied casually with a couple of messages, then set the phone down. After thinking for a long moment, he called out, “Uncle.”

“What is it?” Pei Fangyan set down the document and reached over to touch Shao Ye’s forehead. “Feeling unwell anywhere? Or are you hungry?”

Shao Ye shook his head. “Neither. I was thinking… do we have to keep this from my dad forever?”

“Why would we need to hide it?” Pei Fangyan pinched his cheek, his hand gradually sliding down under the covers. If Shao Ye hadn’t stopped him last night, Pei Tiancheng would have known the “good news” already.

Hadn’t Pei Tiancheng always wanted to find Shao Ye a highly educated partner? Now his wish had come true. What was there to be dissatisfied about?

Don’t need to hide it? Shao Ye tried putting himself in his father’s shoes and felt like getting beaten up would be the least of it.

He turned onto his side and voiced his concern. “I’m worried my dad will break my legs.”

“I’ll go talk to him,” Pei Fangyan said.

Shao Ye nodded. “You don’t have to worry about your legs getting broken, Uncle. But I’d still have to run away with you.”

Pei Fangyan thought about his older brother’s temperament. It seemed unlikely he would actually lay hands on him. But since Shao Ye was worried, he offered another suggestion. “Then tell your father that by being with me, you’ll inherit the entire Pei family.”

“Huh?” There was such a good deal like that? He hadn’t even taken part in their whole inheritance battle!

Shao Ye didn’t hold back. His eyes lit up as he asked, “Then what about my cousins?”

“Send them to Africa?” Pei Fangyan suggested, as if all it would take was a nod from Shao Ye to exile them immediately.

“That’s kind of far, isn’t it?” Shao Ye said, astonished.

Pei Fangyan chuckled softly. “Then what do you suggest?”

Shao Ye didn’t really know. Aside from occasionally setting dogs on them at night, he hadn’t had much interaction with his cousins. A few had invited him to train at the gym before, but lately their luck hadn’t been great. Some had gotten injured in accidents, others were caught up in lawsuits for leaking company secrets.

“Let’s see how they behave?” Shao Ye said. He wasn’t completely unreasonable.

“Very well, head of the family,” Pei Fangyan replied.

Shao Ye tried to suppress the grin tugging at his lips. But could his uncle maybe remove his hand from the “head of the family’s” chest? Hadn’t he had enough yet?

Shao Ye was a man of action. That very afternoon, while Pei Fangyan was in a meeting with his subordinates, he drove straight home.

Pei Tiancheng had just returned from fishing. The moment he pushed open the door, he saw Shao Ye sitting on the sofa playing games. He froze for a second. Ever since Shao Ye moved to the old residence, he had hardly come back on his own.

Setting down his fishing rod, Pei Tiancheng said in a slightly sarcastic tone, “What wind blew you back here today?”

Hearing his voice, Shao Ye immediately put down his phone and ran over. In a low voice, he asked, “Dad, if I had a way to inherit the Pei family, would you support me?”

Pei Tiancheng paused mid-step while changing his shoes, then looked up at his foolish son. “Are you still dreaming from last night?”

He had a way to inherit the Pei family? What way could he possibly have? Was he planning to kill off everyone else in the family?

His son could fight, sure, but not to that extent.

“I’m serious,” Shao Ye said.

Pei Tiancheng snorted, walked inside, and sat down on the sofa. “If you can inherit the Pei family, I’ll take your surname from now on.”

It wasn’t that he looked down on his son, it was just that he had a very clear understanding of both Shao Ye’s and Pei Fangyan’s intelligence.

Shao Ye walked over and went along with his father’s words. “Shao Tiancheng? Not bad, doesn’t sound unpleasant.”

Pei Tiancheng’s eyes widened. He had only put the idea out there, and Shao Ye actually dared to climb right up on it!

He slapped the coffee table in front of him. “How are you going to inherit it? Come on, tell me.”

“Well… my Seventh Uncle said the Pei family will all be mine,” Shao Ye said, scratching his neck, a little embarrassed.

“Your Seventh Uncle said that? On what grounds? What are you to him?” Pei Tiancheng sneered. He didn’t believe for a second that Pei Fangyan would be that generous.

And this wasn’t just about generosity, it was about whether he had gone completely insane!

Shao Ye set a condition. “If I tell you, you’re not allowed to hit me.”

Pei Tiancheng snorted. “If you really can get the Pei family, I’ll kneel to you.”

“That won’t be necessary, it’ll shorten your lifespan—” Meeting Pei Tiancheng’s fiery glare, Shao Ye swallowed the rest of his words.

He said, “My Seventh Uncle actually has a partner.”

“What?” Pei Tiancheng was confused. “Yesterday you told me he didn’t have a girlfriend.”

“I said he doesn’t have a girlfriend, but I didn’t say he doesn’t have a partner,” Shao Ye argued.

“A girlfriend isn’t—” Pei Tiancheng suddenly realized something. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, “Your Seventh Uncle is gay?”

“Mm-hmm.” Shao Ye nodded.

“Haha! Hahaha!” Pei Tiancheng’s anger instantly turned into delight as he burst out laughing. “Pei Fangyan is actually gay! Good, good! Ah! Our Pei family ancestors must be smoking with joy!”

After saying that, he realized something was off and corrected himself. “No, he doesn’t count as part of our Pei family. Good, good! Well done! No need for the ancestors to smoke anymore.”

“The ancestors… can still smoke a little,” Shao Ye muttered.

Pei Tiancheng looked up at him warily. “What do you mean?”

“Well… I’m also gay,” Shao Ye said with an awkward laugh.

“You’re also gay?” Pei Tiancheng’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Then, forcing a strained smile, he said, “Xiao Ye, you’re joking with Dad, right?”

Shao Ye quietly took two steps back, putting some distance between them, then said, “No… it’s just that my Seventh Uncle’s partner… is actually me.”

The mix of joy, anger, confusion, and bewilderment on Pei Tiancheng’s face was instantly replaced with blankness.

Now he didn’t think Shao Ye was dreaming. He thought he himself hadn’t woken up.

He pinched himself hard, the pain almost making him cry out. Pei Fangyan’s partner was his son? Had he gone crazy, or had the world gone crazy?!

Hah, now he finally understood why Pei Fangyan had made such a big deal out of celebrating his son’s birthday.

If his son hadn’t reacted quickly yesterday, would he have announced to everyone that he was dating his own nephew?! How could someone be so shameless!

The more Pei Tiancheng thought about it, the angrier he got. “Shao Ye, are you trying to kill your father?”

Shao Ye shook his head.

“Then break up with him,” Pei Tiancheng said.

Shao Ye kept shaking his head.

Pei Tiancheng slammed the table so hard it shook. “That’s your Seventh Uncle! Being together is incest!”

Shao Ye blinked innocently. “But you just said Seventh Uncle doesn’t count as part of the Pei family.”

Pei Tiancheng cursed under his breath. This unlucky kid suddenly knew how to argue now. “That still doesn’t work. You two can’t be together.”

Shao Ye protested, “Why not? You only said I can’t call him Dad, you didn’t say I can’t be with him…”

Under Pei Tiancheng’s murderous glare, Shao Ye’s voice got quieter and quieter, but after finishing, he couldn’t help adding, “You can let Seventh Uncle call you Dad now.”

Although his Seventh Uncle might not agree, his dad could at least try.

Pei Tiancheng grabbed a cushion and threw it at him. “I’ll beat you to death!”

Shao Ye caught it and said, “You just said you wouldn’t hit me!”

“I take that back!” Pei Tiancheng, seeing he missed, got up and chased after him.

Going back on his word and still being so confident about it.

As he ran, Shao Ye said, “Let’s talk this out, violence won’t solve anything!”

“Then break up with your Seventh Uncle!” Pei Tiancheng shouted behind him.

“No!” Shao Ye refused outright.

Running around the sofa twice, he added, “My Seventh Uncle even said he’d give me the Pei family. Why aren’t you happy?”

Pei Tiancheng snapped, “Do I look like the kind of person who sells his son for glory?!”

Shao Ye retorted, “That’s still better than selling and getting nothing in return!”

Pei Tiancheng: “……”

That actually made sense. But it made him even angrier.

After chasing Shao Ye for a while, he couldn’t keep up anymore and finally stopped, leaning on the sofa and panting.

Shao Ye stood by the door, ready to bolt back to the old residence if his dad kept chasing him.

After catching his breath, Pei Tiancheng suddenly cleared his throat and asked, “Your Seventh Uncle really said he’d give you the Pei family?”

Shao Ye: “……”

Was this some kind of magic? How did his face change so fast?

Author’s Note:

---

【Pei Tiancheng’s expressions perfectly illustrate: “Let me see whose house collapsed → oh, it’s my own house collapsing”】

Curious.jpg / schadenfreude.jpg / frozen.jpg / shattered.jpg / cursing.jpg / raging.jpg

: Pei Tiancheng: I won’t bend for five bushels of rice

: Pei Tiancheng: But fifty thousand bushels? Sure

: What Pei Tiancheng? He’s Shao Tiancheng now!

: Between taking the father’s surname and the mother’s surname, he chose to take his son’s surname

: You could say he’s taking his wife’s surname

: Good news, No. 3’s car also exploded today, another elimination

: Seventh Uncle… you… me… President…

: What? Fill in the blanks? Where are the options?

: Seventh Uncle, your No. 6 is great, our President wants him

: More like: Seventh Uncle—how much do I resemble the President?

: Respect

: No. 2 and No. 4 are just background characters, no hope

: That’s what you all said about No. 6 before too

: No. 6 is the chief eunuch, can they even compare?

: At this point, the winner is probably No. 6. Seventh Uncle really doesn’t care about the fate of the Pei family

: He doesn’t even care about the koi, why would he care about the Pei family?

: Don’t be so pessimistic. There’s still time. Maybe Seventh Uncle can “train” No. 6 to be smarter

: Train… in bed?

: Passing down years of “experience” in a very hands-on way, huh

: That’s a very “inspired” way of putting it

: Experience?

: You sure that’s what you meant?

: A whole truck just ran over my face

≽^•⩊•^≼

The moment Shao Ye lifted his head, he saw Pei Fangyan sitting in his wheelchair across the pool. The branches above him were strung with colorful lights, illuminating everything brightly, yet somehow making the man beneath them look a little lonely.

Shao Ye sprang to his feet so suddenly that the people beside him were startled. Just as they were about to ask what he was doing, they saw him stride off toward Pei Fangyan.

The others thought to themselves that what happened earlier in the day couldn’t be blamed entirely on that cousin of his. Didn’t Shao Ye bear some responsibility too, acting this much like a lapdog?

When Pei Fangyan saw him approach, a gentle smile curved his lips. He looked up and asked, “So? Did you have fun?”

“Just okay,” Shao Ye replied. He had thought a pool party would involve racing to see who could swim the fastest, but everyone had just been admiring his muscles. Pretty boring.

The smile on Pei Fangyan’s lips deepened. Just “okay,” yet he looked this happy?

Lying again, was he? Looks like one round of punishment tonight wouldn’t be enough.

Steward Liu stood behind Pei Fangyan. Under the bright glow of the lights overhead, the marks on Shao Ye’s chest were fully exposed to his eyes. For the first time, Steward Liu resented the fact that, even at his age, his eyesight was still this sharp.

Those must have been scratches he made himself in his sleep… right?

And those bite marks… he must have done those himself too… right?

Steward Liu silently withdrew his gaze, unwilling to think further.

Neither of the two noticed his inner turmoil. Pei Fangyan asked, “Do you want to stay here and play a bit longer?”

Shao Ye shook his head. There really wasn’t much to do, aside from enjoying the exaggerated screams of admiration.

Well… maybe just a little.

“Then go change,” Pei Fangyan said, “and come with me to the front. I’ll introduce you to some people.”

Shao Ye agreed immediately and ran off toward the changing room.

Once again, only Steward Liu and Pei Fangyan remained nearby. After hesitating for a long moment, Steward Liu still couldn’t ignore what he had seen. He spoke softly, “Sir…”

“What is it?” Pei Fangyan asked.

“On Shao Ye’s chest… those marks, could they be—” Steward Liu had already prepared a reasonable explanation. Uneven patches like that could look like an allergic reaction.

Before he could finish, Pei Fangyan cut him off and admitted plainly, “I bit them.”

He even looked a little pleased with himself.

Steward Liu: “……”

All of a sudden, he didn’t feel quite so eager to continue being the steward of this household. Couldn’t the master at least give some warning before saying things like this? At his age, his heart really couldn’t take it.

When Shao Ye returned after changing, he saw Steward Liu standing stiffly beneath the tree, looking as if his soul had left his body. He turned to Pei Fangyan and asked, “What’s wrong with Steward Liu?”

Pei Fangyan replied calmly, “His professional ethics and moral principles are probably having an intense internal battle.”

That sounded profound, but Shao Ye didn’t really get it. He asked instinctively, “Is Steward Liu thinking about retiring?”

“No,” Steward Liu suddenly said, “I will continue to shine and contribute to the household.”

Shao Ye: “……”

What did that mean? That professional ethics had won?

Pei Fangyan added, “No need to shine. It’s bright enough already.”

He then brought Shao Ye, now back in his suit and looking like a proper adult, into the banquet hall. Most of the people still there, drinking and chatting, were business partners of the Pei family.

Pei Fangyan introduced Shao Ye to them, saying he was someone he valued highly, and that if they ever encountered him in the future, he hoped they would take good care of him.

Standing behind the wheelchair, Shao Ye simply flashed a standard wide grin, showing a neat row of white teeth whenever he was mentioned.

The guests thought to themselves that Pei Fangyan’s taste was… rather unusual.

Meanwhile, Steward Liu still felt as if he hadn’t quite woken up from a dream, drifting in a daze. But when he lifted his head and saw Pei Tiancheng squeezed to the edge of the crowd, he suddenly felt much better.

After all, why should he, a mere steward, worry so much?

The one who really ought to worry was Pei Tiancheng.

At that moment, Pei Tiancheng was preoccupied with figuring out how to quickly and convincingly establish his identity as Shao Ye’s biological father at this banquet.

All the bosses had gathered around Pei Fangyan, asking about his “son.” Listening from behind, Pei Tiancheng was nearly speechless. Was Pei Fangyan Shao Ye’s father, or was he?

If they wanted information about Shao Ye, they should be asking him!

One elderly gentleman, whether from old age or a slip of the tongue, directly referred to Shao Ye as “your son” when speaking to Pei Fangyan. Hearing this, Pei Tiancheng’s face darkened like charcoal. If he had known it would be like this, he would have had a sign made before coming, hanging it around his neck with the words “Shao Ye’s Dad” written in big letters.

The more he thought about it, the less he understood what Pei Fangyan was up to. His son was indeed doing well under him. The “Buddha” he had invited into his temple was certainly effective… just perhaps a little too effective.

And that old steward by Pei Fangyan’s side had been acting strange today too, constantly glancing over with a meaningful smile. Translated on Hololo novels. It sent a chill down Pei Tiancheng’s spine, as if something bad was about to happen.

Maybe when he got home, he should offer a few more prayers to the Buddha.

At that moment, an elderly gentleman in a suit, leaning on a cane, approached Pei Fangyan. After exchanging a few polite words, he suddenly said, “Fangyan, your nephew is quite handsome and impressive. I have a niece in her twenties. How about I introduce them?”

Pei Fangyan declined, “No need. He already has someone.”

The old gentleman asked curiously, “Oh? And which family is the young lady from?”

Pei Tiancheng squeezed back into the crowd from another angle. Hearing their conversation, he was just as eager to know. Which family’s daughter? How had he not heard a single thing about this?

Pei Fangyan had said he would introduce someone to his son, but wasn’t this efficiency a bit too high? He had already settled it this quickly?

“It’s me—” Pei Fangyan opened his mouth, about to publicly announce his new identity as “Shao Ye’s partner.”

Steward Liu, standing nearby, was so startled his limbs went numb. His master truly had no sense of propriety at all!

Fortunately, Shao Ye reacted quickly and covered his uncle’s mouth, saying to the old gentleman, “Confidential. Let’s keep it confidential for now.”

Unable to speak, Pei Fangyan lightly ran his tongue across Shao Ye’s palm twice. Tilting his head up to look at him, the smile in his eyes seemed ready to spill over.

Shao Ye blinked at him frantically. He had already spotted his father coming over, and he absolutely did not want to spend his birthday in the hospital with him.

Pei Fangyan gave a small nod, and only then did Shao Ye slowly withdraw his hand.

The onlookers, watching this exchange, all thought to themselves that the relationship between these two was truly close. Pei Fangyan was indulgent toward this nephew to an almost excessive degree.

Could it be that Shao Ye knew some kind of charm spell?

The old gentleman chuckled. “Alright, young people having a few secrets is normal. Since he already has someone, I won’t mention my niece. But Fangyan, you’re already in your thirties. Shouldn’t you start thinking about settling down?”

Pei Fangyan refused again. “No need. I have someone too.”

“You have someone as well?” the old gentleman asked in surprise.

That was indeed surprising. Several people exchanged glances. Not long ago, Pei Fangyan had been saying he wouldn’t live long and needed to arrange a successor early. Yet now he was saying he had a partner. Then why hadn’t that person shown up today?

Pei Fangyan nodded.

The old gentleman voiced everyone’s question. “Then why hasn’t your partner come?”

“They’re here,” Pei Fangyan said with a smile.

“Where? How come we haven’t seen them?” The crowd looked around, but no one spotted anyone who could possibly be his girlfriend.

Shao Ye stared intently at Pei Fangyan’s mouth, his right hand poised and ready, prepared to cover it again at any moment.

Pei Fangyan glanced up at him, let out a soft sigh, and said somewhat helplessly, “He won’t let me say.”

Still not allowed to say? What kind of mysterious partner was this?

No wonder he got along so well with Shao Ye, they even kept secrets in sync.

Steward Liu, who already knew the truth, stood there watching the confused faces around him, his gaze eventually landing on Pei Tiancheng’s equally bewildered expression.

It wasn’t until the birthday banquet was nearly over that Pei Tiancheng, the actual father, finally found a chance to pull his own son aside for a private word. Tragic. Truly tragic.

He dragged Shao Ye to a quieter corner and said, “Son, I need to ask you something. You have to tell me the truth.”

The seriousness in his father’s tone made Shao Ye’s heart skip a beat. Had his father discovered what was going on between him and his uncle?

He couldn’t help but feel nervous. Then he heard Pei Tiancheng ask, “Do you have a girlfriend?”

Shao Ye immediately shook his head. “No.”

“Really?” Pei Tiancheng stared into his eyes suspiciously.

Shao Ye widened his eyes with utmost sincerity. “Really.”

Pei Tiancheng frowned. “Then why did your uncle say you have someone? And what was that about keeping it confidential? What are you keeping secret?”

Shao Ye pressed his lips together, not daring to speak. It was true he didn’t have a girlfriend, but it was also true he did have someone.

That was something he didn’t dare tell his father just yet. He was afraid his father might break his legs in a fit of rage.

His uncle still couldn’t stand. If something happened to his legs too, then between the two of them, they wouldn’t even have a single good pair left.

Shao Ye awkwardly patched things up. “The secret… the secret is that I don’t have a girlfriend.”

Pei Tiancheng frowned. That logic didn’t sound right. Had his son’s brain regressed after spending time with Pei Fangyan?

Forget it. He decided to believe him for now and asked another question. “Then who is your uncle’s girlfriend? You’ve been staying at the old residence for so long, you must have seen her.”

Shao Ye gave a stiff smile. “…My uncle doesn’t have a girlfriend either.”

“What are you two even doing?” Pei Tiancheng asked. Today it was bad enough they were wearing matching suits, now even their “secrets” matched too.

A strong sense of crisis suddenly rose in Pei Tiancheng’s heart. Narrowing his eyes, he interrogated Shao Ye, “You didn’t secretly start calling your Seventh Uncle ‘dad’ behind my back, did you?”

Shao Ye: “……”

He immediately declared his innocence. “No, absolutely not.”

In this regard, he was still quite loyal to his father.

Pei Tiancheng gave an “oh,” then warned him, “And don’t you ever do it in the future, got it?”

Shao Ye nodded frantically.

The grand banquet lasted until nine in the evening. Translated on Hololo novels. Using his poor health as an excuse, Pei Fangyan took Shao Ye back early to rest.

Pei Tiancheng stood in the crowd holding a wine glass, watching their departing figures and grumbling to himself. If Pei Fangyan wasn’t feeling well, he could leave on his own, so why take his son with him?!

Steward Liu walked over, patted his shoulder, and said in a strange tone, “Eat more.”

You might not be able to eat much for quite a while after this.

Pei Tiancheng was full of confusion. What did that mean? Was that a provocation?

In the bedroom, Shao Ye had just finished showering and changed into loose clothes. Sitting by the bed, he was collecting the red envelopes. Pei Fangyan had also showered and was already in bed. After watching him for a while and doing some mental calculations, he asked, “Did you have fun today?”

It was fine, but following his Seventh Uncle around and watching him shut people down felt amazing. Especially seeing his cousins all pulling long faces while still having to obediently call him “Brother Ye,” Shao Ye felt like he was on cloud nine.

“Yeah, I had fun,” Shao Ye gave the birthday banquet high praise.

“That’s good,” Pei Fangyan said, though his tone sounded a bit lacking in energy.

Shao Ye quickly put down his phone and looked up at him. “Seventh Uncle, are you not happy?”

“No,” Pei Fangyan denied.

Obviously he was! Did he think he could fool Shao Ye’s sharp eyes?

“Seventh Uncle, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Shao Ye held his hand and asked while staring into his eyes.

Pei Fangyan lowered his gaze slightly and asked softly, “Xiao Ye, being with me… does it feel tiring for you?”

“Tiring? How?” Shao Ye asked. He hadn’t felt that at all.

What was his Seventh Uncle thinking about now?

Pei Fangyan said, “When I saw you playing with them by the pool today, I thought that if you were with them, you’d probably live more easily. My legs can’t walk and have no sensation. It’s already troublesome enough that you have to take care of me in daily life, and even… even in bed, you might have to do everything yourself.”

Although Shao Ye didn’t understand why his Seventh Uncle suddenly brought up bedroom matters, he felt this was the moment to give him a strong reassurance. He immediately said, “It’s fine, Seventh Uncle, I like doing it myself!”

“Really?” Pei Fangyan asked, not entirely convinced.

“Really,” Shao Ye nodded.

Pei Fangyan shook his head. “Forget it. You don’t have to comfort me. I was just a bit emotional seeing you having so much fun at the pool tonight. I’ll be fine tomorrow.”

Shao Ye didn’t believe him at all. He continued reassuring him, “I’m telling the truth! Seventh Uncle, trust me. I really like doing it myself. I work out every day just for that.”

Pei Fangyan quickly coughed, covering his mouth to hide the smile at his lips.

Why was he coughing now? Still didn’t believe him?

After coughing for a while, Pei Fangyan lowered his hand and said seriously, “Alright, alright, I believe you. I know Xiao Ye is very capable.”

But the way he said it clearly meant he still didn’t believe him!

“Seventh Uncle, I really can!” Shao Ye emphasized.

“I know, I know,” Pei Fangyan nodded.

Shao Ye felt like he was just brushing him off. He stared straight into Pei Fangyan’s eyes. Pei Fangyan seemed to instinctively want to avoid his gaze, but Shao Ye reached out and held his face, making him look directly at him.

After a moment, Pei Fangyan sighed softly. “I know Xiao Ye is very capable. It’s just that doing it yourself on top is different from your usual workouts. But it’s okay, being able to last ten minutes is already impressive.”

Ten minutes? Who was he looking down on?!

Tonight, he had to let his Seventh Uncle see just how deadly his waist could be. After thinking for a moment, Shao Ye jumped off the bed and said, “Seventh Uncle, wait for me. I’m going back to grab something.”

“What is it?” Pei Fangyan asked.

“Just… the stuff for going to bed,” Shao Ye said, his face flushed, though it was unclear whether from embarrassment or urgency.

He had secretly looked things up online before. If he didn’t prepare in advance, someone like his Seventh Uncle could really be life-threatening.

“I already said I believe you, you don’t need to go that far,” Pei Fangyan said gently. After a pause, he added, “But what you’re going to get… I have it in the bedside drawer. Take a look.”

Shao Ye: “?”

Something felt off. It was like he had somehow fallen into another trap.

He reached out and opened the drawer. Good lord, it was like a treasure chest. Besides the essentials, there were also many little items Shao Ye couldn’t even figure out how to use.

“Seventh Uncle, when did you prepare all this?” Shao Ye asked.

Pei Fangyan smiled. “I don’t remember. Maybe it’s always been there.”

Always… been there? Shao Ye glanced at the production dates. They were all from this month.

He felt like something wasn’t quite right and needed to go over things again, but Pei Fangyan didn’t give him the chance. “Bring them over. Seventh Uncle will help you.”

Shao Ye turned to look at him. The face that had been full of gloom just moments ago was now bright and lively again. That was way too fast!

⸻

Author’s Note:

【First time watching Neverland’s livestream. May I ask who No. 6 and Seventh Uncle’s partners are?】

: This isn’t your first time watching the stream, this is your first time using the internet, right

: How did you know? Boarding school, just got out today

: Didn’t you check the forum homepage?

: I did, but everyone was talking about fruit, no one mentioned the stream

: What fruit

: Navel oranges. Not sure if some brand is advertising, the whole homepage is praising how good they are

: ……

: Honestly, I don’t want to corrupt such a pure soul, it makes me feel guilty

: Is Seventh Uncle’s partner the female lead? The description says she’s his unforgettable first love

: snort

: Why are you laughing

: Nothing, just thought of something funny. Seventh Uncle and his partner… were “doing oranges”

: ???? Before the scene cut, wasn’t he with No. 6? No. 6 was supposed to massage his legs, where did the oranges come from?

: snort

: Why are you laughing again

: Nothing, I also thought of something funny. No. 6 and his partner… were “doing oranges”

: What do you mean? Are their partners the same person?

: ……

: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

: Stop teasing OP. Actually, Steward Liu went upstairs to deliver oranges to the two of them

: →_→

: Steward Liu was probably terrified, okay

: But the moment he saw Pei Tiancheng, he suddenly felt better

: Pei Tiancheng was hilarious, he was just short of making No. 6 swear not to call Seventh Uncle dad

: He got the numbers right but used the wrong formula

: Seventh Uncle, so this is what you’re like. That mouth of his really wants the whole world to know about his relationship with No. 6

: Clearly, Seventh Uncle has no moral burden left

: No. 6 covered his mouth so fast. If only his brain were half as fast as his reflexes, he wouldn’t get tricked so badly

: Pei Tiancheng is still there laughing like a fool

: Ah, I get it now. So Seventh Uncle and No. 6 are actually father and son, right? That makes everything make sense

: What kind of chaos is this!!!

: You understand nothing! Are you sharing a brain with No. 6?!

≽^•⩊•^≼

Shao Ye’s birthday fell on August 25th by the solar calendar, and the nearest wheelchair football match was scheduled for mid-September.

Aside from promising to accompany Shao Ye to the match in September, Pei Fangyan also prepared a birthday banquet for him.

He had instructed Steward Liu to begin preparations early on. Not quite understanding his intentions, Steward Liu specifically came to ask how large the banquet should be.

After considering Shao Ye’s personality, Pei Fangyan told him directly to make it as grand as possible, inviting everyone who could be invited.

Steward Liu had not expected such an answer. Having served by Pei Fangyan’s side for years, he knew his employer was not someone who enjoyed lively occasions. Yet now he was going to such lengths for Shao Ye’s birthday, which struck him as unusual. It seemed the master truly held Shao Ye close to his heart.

Thus, for the next two weeks, Steward Liu was so busy his feet barely touched the ground. Still, he was quite pleased. Translated on Hololo novels. As an excellent steward, who didn’t secretly dream of organizing a grand banquet?

The larger the event, the more it showcased his abilities, so he worked with particular enthusiasm. Though time was tight, their master had money, and that made such problems irrelevant.

Occasionally, during breaks, Steward Liu would mention the matter to Doctor Zhou, still feeling that the scale was somewhat excessive. It was only a birthday for Shao Ye, after all. Anyone unaware might think the master had found a long-lost son.

Though admittedly, this “son” was a bit large, both in height and age.

Doctor Zhou slowly sipped his cooled boiled water and, after listening to the complaint, offered his own opinion. “Better a son than a steward, isn’t it?”

Steward Liu fell silent.

That… was true.

That wasn’t just an opinion, that was insight.

If Shao Ye still wanted to be a steward, with his old bones, he really might not be able to compete.

A nephew who doesn’t want to be a steward isn’t a good boyfriend. With so many eyes in the old residence, Shao Ye still had some sense of propriety and didn’t dare let others know about his relationship with his seventh uncle. Yet he still wanted to stay by Pei Fangyan’s side at night, so each time he waited until Steward Liu and the other servants had gone to sleep, then climbed up the outer balcony and slipped in through the window.

It felt a bit like sneaking around… and, well, it was kind of exciting.

Tonight, Shao Ye arrived a little late. Earlier, he had taken his three “little brothers” and chased a drunken cousin who had been causing a scene among the servants for three kilometers, which at least helped sober him up.

Satisfied that he had done a good deed, Shao Ye rewarded his dogs with a late-night meal. Then, after dusting off his hands and making sure no one noticed, he climbed up to Pei Fangyan’s balcony again.

Pei Fangyan was reclining on the bed. Hearing the movement outside, he knew Shao Ye had arrived.

Turning his head, he saw Shao Ye already hop through the window with ease. “Seventh Uncle, I’m borrowing your bathroom for a shower,” he said.

He was drenched in sweat and didn’t want to keep his uncle waiting, so without even waiting for a response, he rushed straight into the bathroom.

Sitting on the bed, Pei Fangyan listened to the sound of running water. The book in his hands was impossible to focus on. Once again, he regretted that his legs could not carry him. Still, he had heard there were new treatments recently developed domestically. Perhaps he could look into them when he had time.

After more than ten minutes, Shao Ye pushed open the bathroom door. He had only wrapped a towel around his lower half, his bare feet stepping onto the soft carpet. His hair was half-dry, and droplets of water slid down his honey-colored chest, disappearing beneath the towel.

Pei Fangyan felt a sudden thirst. He reached for the cup on the bedside table, only to find it empty. Noticing immediately, Shao Ye turned and poured him another glass. As he bent down and straightened up, the towel hanging loosely around his waist slipped slightly.

A pity the distance was too far, otherwise Pei Fangyan might have “accidentally” tugged it loose.

Carrying the glass, Shao Ye came to the bedside. Glancing at the book, he asked, “Seventh Uncle, what were you reading just now?”

Pei Fangyan handed the book over directly. In exchange, Shao Ye passed him the glass.

Shao Ye flipped it open casually, only to be overwhelmed by the dense technical jargon on the page.

Ah. He’d forgotten. He was allergic to knowledge.

The more advanced the material, the worse his symptoms. Another glance and he felt like he might pass out.

He quickly tossed the book aside and climbed onto the bed, sitting cross-legged beside Pei Fangyan. As usual, he prepared to give him a half-hour massage before sleep.

After drinking the water, Pei Fangyan’s gaze settled on Shao Ye’s chest. “Have you finished buying all the equipment for your gym?”

“All of it,” Shao Ye nodded enthusiastically. With his uncle’s supplementary card, not only had he bought everything, he had chosen the most expensive options.

“Your chest looks well-trained. It seems a bit bigger than when you first arrived.”

“Really?” Shao Ye looked at himself in the mirror every day, but hadn’t noticed much of a difference.

Pei Fangyan raised his hand, measuring briefly. Then, as if to be more precise, he pressed his entire palm against it.

Although he had touched it countless times while Shao Ye was asleep, he still preferred watching him become flustered under his touch while fully awake.

The muscle was firm yet soft, making it hard to let go.

Shao Ye indeed felt something from the touch. He had been sitting, but now shifted into a kneeling position, though there was still a noticeable reaction.

Did his seventh uncle like his chest that much? Should he take him along to train together?

Meeting Shao Ye’s slightly dazed gaze, Pei Fangyan shamelessly thought to himself that if it was trained this well, wasn’t it meant for him to touch?

The moon was bright, the stars sparse, and the night stretched long.

The next day, after a busy morning, Steward Liu came to report on the arrangements for the birthday banquet. Just as he reached the doorway, he saw Shao Ye coming out of Pei Fangyan’s bedroom, yawning.

Shao Ye waved at him. “Morning.”

Steward Liu paused, then replied, “Morning.”

After a moment, he asked, “When did you get here?”

“Just now,” Shao Ye said with a grin, then slipped away.

Just now? Steward Liu had been outside the whole time, so how had he not seen him?

He didn’t dwell on it. Knocking on the door, he entered the bedroom. After finishing his report, he couldn’t help but ask, “Sir, when did Shao Ye come over this morning?”

Pei Fangyan had no sense of boundaries whatsoever and no intention of hiding the relationship. He replied directly, “He came last night.”

He stayed here overnight?

Curious, Steward Liu asked, “What did he come over for?”

“To sleep with me,” Pei Fangyan said.

“Oh, I see, to keep you company—”

Wait, what do you mean “I see”? Sleep with him? At his age, did he really need someone to accompany him to sleep?

Steward Liu tried his best to interpret the statement with a pure mindset and cautiously asked, “Have you not been sleeping well these past few days, sir? Should I call Doctor Zhou to take a look?”

“No,” Pei Fangyan replied. “With him here, I sleep quite well.”

Steward Liu: “……”

So how exactly was he keeping him company? Steward Liu felt he shouldn’t pry into his employer’s private life, but somehow it felt like the master was actually expecting him to keep asking.

He opened his mouth a few times, but couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Forget it. Judging from this, Shao Ye clearly wasn’t going to become a steward anymore. Whatever he wanted to be instead… let him be.

…

August 25th finally arrived, Shao Ye’s birthday.

The entire old residence was decorated with lights and festive ornaments. Translated on Hololo novels. Every servant wore new clothes. Renowned chefs from across the country showcased their skills. A band played lively music on the lawn, and behind the fountain, a dance troupe performed. The entire estate looked completely transformed, even more lively than during the New Year.

The guests arriving at the estate were stunned by the scene. Even the so-called “future heirs” who lived there were bewildered. They knew a grand banquet had been in preparation, but had never imagined it was for Shao Ye’s birthday.

It was just a junior’s birthday, and he didn’t even share any blood relation with Pei Fangyan. Was this level of extravagance really necessary?

Speculation spread quickly. What was Pei Fangyan planning? Was he grooming Shao Ye to become the next head of the Pei family?

He was still so young, so how had he already lost his mind?

Or was Shao Ye being used as a decoy? But if so, wasn’t he a rather strange choice?

Even Shao Ye’s own father, Pei Tiancheng, was completely baffled. Was all this really just for his son’s birthday?

If it was, could he at least have been told in advance? When he received the invitation, he had been stunned for a full three seconds.

Well, at least Pei Fangyan remembered to invite him.

For the occasion, Shao Ye wore a finely tailored suit. He didn’t know what the fabric was called, but under the sunlight it shimmered brilliantly, as if he were draped in a piece of the night sky.

There were many guests, but few had truly come to wish him a happy birthday. Pei Fangyan didn’t make him stay to entertain them and instead told him to go find his friends.

As soon as Shao Ye stepped out of the main hall, he saw one of his third uncle’s sons standing at the path ahead, looking disdainful as he spat in his direction.

Shao Ye raised a brow. “Looking for a fight?”

This cousin was the same one he had chased down with his dogs the other night until he’d practically vomited. After sobering up, the cousin had told the others about it, only to be mocked instead of comforted. Naturally, he pinned all the blame on Shao Ye.

Now, seeing Shao Ye basking in attention and glory, his resentment only grew. Egged on by his friends and with a bit of alcohol still in his system, he had actually come over to pick a fight.

He sneered, “Even if you put on a dragon robe, you still wouldn’t look like a crown prince.”

Shao Ye rolled his eyes at him. What nonsense, who even wants to be a crown prince!

Seeing him actually roll his eyes, his cousin grew even angrier and cursed, “You think you’re so great? You’re just a lapdog by Pei Fangyan’s side!”

Shao Ye scratched his ear. Even though he was being insulted, he didn’t really feel that angry. What was going on? His cousin’s insults really needed some improvement.

His cousin continued threatening, “Just you wait. When the next head of the Pei family takes over, you won’t have it easy!”

Shao Ye’s gaze instantly turned dangerous. The cousin felt uneasy under that look and took half a step back, but still forced himself to act tough. “What? Want to hit me? Go ahead if you’ve got the guts!”

Shao Ye’s fists itched a little. He really did feel like hitting someone, but everyone had gathered here to celebrate his birthday. If he started a fight, it wouldn’t look good for his Seventh Uncle either.

Shao Ye snorted. “I’m going to tell Seventh Uncle.”

With that, he turned and walked back into the banquet hall. His cousin was stunned. Seriously? Over something this small, he was going to run and complain? What kind of elementary school behavior was that!

But his cousin wasn’t afraid. Ever since they moved into the old residence, Shao Ye had complained to Pei Fangyan countless times. Had Pei Fangyan ever done anything about it?

Hmph, he was probably just playing around with that fool.

Inside the banquet hall, Pei Fangyan saw Shao Ye return and asked curiously, “Why are you back?”

Shao Ye pointed at his cousin by the door and immediately said, “Seventh Uncle, he called me a dog.”

A few old foxes standing beside Pei Fangyan glanced at the birthday boy and thought to themselves… well, he kind of did resemble one.

Before Pei Fangyan could speak, the cousin’s parents hurried over from the crowd, smoothing things over. “Oh, it’s just kids joking around. Little brother, don’t take it to heart.”

Pei Fangyan smiled. “Of course I won’t take it to heart.”

Hearing this, the third uncle and aunt immediately relaxed, even turning to scold Shao Ye. “Xiao Ye, honestly, coming to your Seventh Uncle over such a small matter. You’re always bothering him.”

Shao Ye pouted and lightly pinched Pei Fangyan’s arm.

Pei Fangyan caught his hand and squeezed his fingertips, then said, “The Pei family recently started some new business ventures in Africa and is short on manpower. I think Third Brother, you’d be quite suitable to go.”

What? He was suddenly being sent off to Africa?!

“Little brother, what do you mean by that?” Third Uncle asked urgently. Then he quickly reacted and shoved his son in front of Shao Ye. “Apologize to your cousin!”

“It’s just kids joking around, no need to apologize,” Pei Fangyan waved his hand. “It’s getting late. Third Brother, you should go pack your luggage.”

Was he serious? Third Uncle still wanted to argue, but Pei Fangyan had already instructed Steward Liu to escort their entire family out.

Everyone present had different thoughts watching the scene unfold, but Shao Ye only felt extremely satisfied. He happily went outside to find his friends.

After that, no one dared to talk nonsense in front of Shao Ye anymore. They all addressed him respectfully as “Brother Ye.”

Shao Ye felt even better. Borrowing someone else’s power really was delightful!

As night fell, there was also a pool party at the old residence. After changing, Shao Ye had just arrived when he heard a wave of exclamations.

He knew he had a good physique, but weren’t they overreacting a bit?

Louder!

Just as he was enjoying it, a cousin beside him suddenly said, “Whoa! Brother Ye, which girl is that? She’s hot!”

Shao Ye looked around in confusion. “What girl?”

His cousin gave him a look. Following it, Shao Ye looked down and saw that his chest was covered in marks of varying depths, with even a couple of faint bite marks visible. It had been a bit dark when he changed earlier, so he hadn’t noticed at all.

These were… done by his Seventh Uncle?

When did he bite him?!

Actually, this all dated back to a week ago. At that time, when Pei Fangyan saw the plan submitted by Steward Liu, he asked, “Why is there a pool party included?”

Steward Liu replied, “Young people seem to like this sort of thing, so I arranged it.”

“Does Shao Ye like it too?” Pei Fangyan asked.

Steward Liu nodded. “He likes it quite a bit.”

He had done his research and even asked Shao Ye about it. Shao Ye said he had never attended this kind of party before and wanted to broaden his horizons, so he added it to the plan.

Seeing that Pei Fangyan’s attitude seemed a bit off, Steward Liu asked, “Sir, should I cancel it?”

“No need. Leave it,” Pei Fangyan said. Since the birthday banquet was prepared for Shao Ye, it should naturally make him happy. If he wanted it, then he would have it.

But the night before, when Pei Fangyan thought about Shao Ye going to this pool party, he couldn’t sleep in the middle of the night, so he used Shao Ye’s chest muscles to grind his teeth a bit.

He slept so soundly that even after being bitten like that, he didn’t wake up.

As night fell, lights lit up all over the old residence. Pei Fangyan came to the poolside in his wheelchair. The water shimmered with rippling reflections. Translated on Hololo novels. Shao Ye was sitting by the edge of the pool, surrounded by several young men and women, all reaching out trying to touch his chest. Shao Ye covered himself with both hands, refusing to give in no matter what.

Seeing how tightly he guarded himself, they got even more excited and cheered louder.

From a distance, Pei Fangyan watched this scene. His lips moved slightly as he said two words.

Steward Liu vaguely heard something but couldn’t make it out clearly, so he bent down and asked, “Sir, what did you say?”

“Nothing,” Pei Fangyan replied.

Steward Liu felt a bit puzzled. Really nothing? It sounded like the master had said the word “deserved.”

---

Author’s Note:

【Bad news—No. 1 has been eliminated again】

He got accepted into a prestigious overseas university and is going to pursue a master’s degree. My academic prodigy stock! My academic prodigy stock! The one I’ve been dreaming about day and night!!!

: No. 1’s genius persona is rock solid, not a single crack, respect

: My ten thousand points!!!

: No. 5, the young lady, is probably getting eliminated too

: What happened to her?

: She fell into romance brain and wants to elope

: Why would eloping get her eliminated? Is she eloping with No. 1? That shouldn’t work, the streams don’t connect

: She’s eloping with her cousin

: ……

: Did she get scammed?

: No. 2 and No. 4 don’t look like they’ll get the inheritance either. No. 3 doesn’t seem like a match for the NPCs. As for No. 6…

: What about No. 6?

: The NPCs aren’t his match, but the outcome still depends on Seventh Uncle. If he wants to ruin the Pei family, he could just hand it over to No. 6

: Speaking of which, Pei Tiancheng is kind of miserable. His No. 1 son ran away, No. 2 and No. 4 are useless, No. 5 daughter eloped, and No. 6… he made a decision that goes against the ancestors

: No. 6: The ancestors never said I couldn’t date Seventh Uncle

: Ancestors: smiling

: Seventh Uncle really went all out. Just look at No. 6’s birthday banquet. All I can think is, that’s a lot of money

: There’s even a pool party, so many handsome guys and beautiful girls. My eyes are very pleased, give me more

: At this level, you don’t even need koi scenes, but the moment No. 6 and Seventh Uncle make eye contact, the koi pop up instantly

: Stop, they’re about to look at each other again

: What is Seventh Uncle muttering over there?

: Probably something like “he deserves it”

: ……

: But I feel like all the guests forgot that Pei Tiancheng is actually No. 6’s real father

: Even more tragic

: Pei Tiancheng: Why does the later one surpass the earlier one~

: Because the earlier one didn’t fight for it?

: By the way, why is no one saying this time that Seventh Uncle is just playing with No. 6 and will dump him once he’s bored?

: Maybe because with that leg, he can’t kick him away

: 111111111

≽^•⩊•^≼

Previous

“I heard your grade is having a parent-teacher meeting soon. I used to hate those the most…” After they met, Qin Weidong tried hard to keep the conversation going. He moved from parent meetings to assemblies, then to sports meets, and just as he was about to bring up next year’s oath ceremony, Lin Wu interrupted him:

“Qin Weidong.”

“What is it?” Qin Weidong asked lightly.

“Your slippers, toothbrush, and cup are also at my place. You can take them later.”

Previously, when Qin Weidong injured his toe, they had changed their meeting place to the burger shop. During that time, Qin Weidong had carried his belongings home twice, but since he had stayed there for quite a while, some things were still left behind.

“Oh, there are slippers and a toothbrush too.” Qin Weidong said casually.

“Mm. Take everything later, so you won’t have to make another trip,” Lin Wu said as if it were nothing.

“…Alright.” Qin Weidong fell silent for a moment. He couldn’t think of any reason not to take them.

“Brother Qin?” Just as the atmosphere turned quiet, a somewhat delighted voice came from the distance.

“Luo Liang?” Qin Weidong and Lin Wu had already entered the neighborhood. Looking up, he saw Luo Liang standing by a flowerbed with a tall, heavyset boy, smoking.

“Brother Qin, what brings you to our neighborhood?” Ever since their last conversation, Luo Liang had wanted to invite Qin Weidong out for a meal. But for some reason, Qin Weidong had blocked him.

“Do I need to tell you?” Qin Weidong replied coldly. He knew Lin Wu didn’t like Luo Liang, so he made sure to keep his distance.

“You don’t have to tell me. I’m just happy to see you.” Luo Liang froze for a moment. He had thought he was blocked by mistake. Now it seemed he had somehow offended him.

Unable to figure it out, Luo Liang turned to Lin Wu. He had noticed him earlier, but since they didn’t get along, they had instinctively ignored each other.

Just as Luo Liang was about to say something, the heavyset boy beside him kept staring at Lin Wu, then stepped down from the flowerbed. “Lin Wu, long time no see.”

“Mm.” Lin Wu responded briefly.

“We grew up together, and this is the attitude you give me?”

“Do you need something?” Lin Wu asked directly.

“Can’t I greet you without a reason?”

“Let’s go.” Lin Wu didn’t want to waste time on pointless talk and moved to leave with Qin Weidong.

“Damn it, I’m greeting you nicely and you act like this—” The boy felt humiliated and began to curse, but before he could finish, someone kicked him.

“Who the hell are you cursing at?” Qin Weidong snapped.

From the moment the boy started talking, Qin Weidong had sensed something was off. Now that he heard him cursing, his anger flared.

“Who the hell are you? Mind your own business!” The boy, stunned by the kick, tried to fight back.

“Hey, hey, don’t fight, don’t fight!” Luo Liang hurriedly grabbed him. He didn’t dare let Qin Weidong get into a fight here.

“Why are you holding me?” The boy was about 190 cm tall and weighed over 200 jin. Luo Liang was slimmer, but clinging to him made it hard for him to break free. After struggling twice, he glared at Lin Wu. “Lin Wu, you brought someone to beat me?”

Lin Wu didn’t know how he had come to that conclusion. “Did you bring a knife? Would I need someone else to beat you?”

“Fuck, last time I just wasn’t prepared, that’s why you got me…”

The boy’s name was Zhao Qi. He grew up in the same courtyard as Lin Wu, and the two had always clashed. Two years ago, Zhao Qi had brought a fruit knife to scare him, but Lin Wu had led him to a deserted place and struck back ruthlessly.

“If you don’t back down, I’ll stab you!” Zhao Qi had threatened him with the knife since he couldn’t win in a fight.

“Go ahead. At worst, I die, you go to prison, and your mother gets cursed behind her back. I’ve never been afraid of anything.” Lin Wu had sneered, completely fearless.

Lin Wu wasn’t afraid, but Zhao Qi was. Holding the knife, he didn’t dare stab. Somehow, the knife ended up in Lin Wu’s hand.

“Where were you planning to stab? If you don’t dare, I will.” Lin Wu’s voice had been calm as the blade traced from Zhao Qi’s face to his neck, then to his ear.

“I was just joking, I didn’t mean to stab anyone…” Zhao Qi had panicked and collapsed to the ground.

Someone had passed by during the incident, and the police were called. Zhao Qi, being three years older and already an adult, had brought the knife and was detained for fifteen days for threats and intimidation. Afterward, out of humiliation, he spread rumors that Lin Wu had tried to kill him and was some kind of mentally unstable potential murderer.

Adults ignored it, but among their peers, Lin Wu, because of his mother’s situation, was almost seen as a killer.

Two years had passed. Zhao Qi had moved away with his parents and still couldn’t tell whether Lin Wu had truly intended to harm him or just scare him. But he felt deeply humiliated, so whenever he saw Lin Wu, he couldn’t help but mock him.

“A knife?” Qin Weidong understood immediately. This was the person who had previously had a conflict with Lin Wu.

“And you still dare to curse!” His anger surged, and he was ready to act.

“Let’s go. People like this aren’t worth it.” Lin Wu quickly pulled him away. It wasn’t fear. He hadn’t been afraid of Zhao Qi two years ago, and even less so now. He just felt that talking to someone like him was a waste of time.

Zhao Qi, restrained by Luo Liang, could only glare at them.

“Let’s go.” Qin Weidong forced himself to calm down, gave Zhao Qi one last look, and left with Lin Wu.

“Damn it, why are you holding me? You’re all crazy…” Zhao Qi’s angry shouting could still be faintly heard behind them.

…

Half an hour later, Lin Wu packed Qin Weidong’s belongings. “These are your slippers, toothbrush, cup, jacket, and a pillowcase. See if there’s anything else.”

“That’s everything.” Qin Weidong’s lips pressed into a tight line. Lin Wu had been meticulous, gathering everything. There was nothing of his left here.

“Mm, then that’s it.” Lin Wu nodded and took the initiative to open the bedroom door.

Qin Weidong stepped out.

“Dong… Dong—” Luo Xiaorong had recognized him the moment he entered. Seeing him made her very happy, and she handed him an apple.

“Thank you, Auntie.” Qin Weidong accepted it, his expression complicated.

“I have something to take care of, so I won’t walk you downstairs.” Lin Wu stopped at the door.

“Lin Wu…” Qin Weidong held his things and looked at him.

“What is it?” Lin Wu looked up.

Qin Weidong wanted to find some emotion in his eyes, but they were too calm. It felt like something had been carved out of his chest.

“I’ll head down then.”

“Mm.”

After he left, Lin Wu closed the door.

“Dong… Dong?” Luo Xiaorong thought Qin Weidong would stay like before.

“Mom, he’s gone. He won’t be coming back anymore.” Lin Wu led her back to the room.

“Won’t… come anymore?” Luo Xiaorong didn’t understand.

“Mm.” Lin Wu didn’t explain further.

After returning to his room, he looked up at the flickering lightbulb overhead. The bulb in his bedroom was one of those old-fashioned warm yellow ones. A single small bulb lit the whole room, with a ring of tiny insects circling around it.

He thought back over the time he had known Qin Weidong. Qin Weidong had a good personality and was a genuinely good person, but they did not belong to the same world. Everything now had merely returned to its proper course.

After lying there for half a minute, Lin Wu was about to get up and wash when he suddenly noticed the phone and charger on the table. He had set them aside earlier while sorting things out and forgotten to give them back.

“Mom, I’m heading out for a bit!” Lin Wu grabbed the phone and charger and hurried downstairs. By now Qin Weidong had already gone far, and just as he was about to call him, he heard movement coming from the dark gap between two buildings in the distance—

“Who were you calling crazy just now?”

“Who the hell are you talking to like that?”

“You’re the fucking crazy one!”

…

In the dim alleyway, Qin Weidong was driving one punch after another into Zhao Qi. Zhao Qi was taller and heavier than Qin Weidong, but Qin Weidong was famous for fighting. He was quicker, and after Zhao Qi threw back a couple of punches, it was obvious he was no match.

“Brother Qin, take it easy, don’t let this get out of hand…” Luo Liang stood there dumbly at the side.

Five minutes earlier, Qin Weidong had found them by the flowerbed. He said he had something he wanted to talk about. They had both guessed he might make a move, but Zhao Qi cared too much about face. Thinking this was the steel plant family housing compound, he came with him into the alley. They had wanted to start with words before force, but Qin Weidong’s first punch had landed immediately. He was not hitting any fatal spots, but he was ruthless.

“Fuck… why are you hitting me? I don’t even know you!” Zhao Qi had started out hard-mouthed, but once he realized Qin Weidong was just as ruthless as Lin Wu, he got scared.

“Luo Liang! Whose side are you on?” Zhao Qi shouted.

“Zhao Qi, just back down and say something soft to Brother Qin.” Zhao Qi lived out of town now, and Luo Liang knew exactly whose side he was on. He had known the moment he held Zhao Qi back.

“Fuck!” Zhao Qi was furious. Before, Luo Liang used to call him Brother Zhao. Now he was calling him Zhao Qi directly.

“Brother, we…” Zhao Qi tried to back down.

“Who the fuck is your brother?” Qin Weidong kicked him again.

Ever since hearing that this guy had bullied Lin Wu, Qin Weidong had been suppressing his anger. Just now he had only come by the flowerbed on the off chance, thinking that if no one was there, he would ask around tomorrow. He had not expected Zhao Qi to still be hanging around there.

Now, the moment he thought of how this person had bullied Lin Wu all through childhood, his chest filled with fury. He put all of it into his feet and kicked hard, over and over again.

“Fuck!”

“You’re hitting too hard!”

“I won’t do it again, I really won’t…”

…

At first Zhao Qi still cursed back and tried to fight, but by the end all he did was beg for mercy.

That same night, a resident heard Zhao Qi’s cries and called the police. Qin Weidong, Zhao Qi, and Luo Liang were all taken to the station. Qin Weidong had hit hard, but there were no obvious external injuries. Zhao Qi had also fought back at the start, so the police ruled it mutual fighting.

“I’m the one who got beaten!” Zhao Qi hurt all over. He felt that Qin Weidong fought just like Lin Wu, too underhanded.

“Qiqi!” Zhao Qi’s parents arrived at the station weeping and wailing. They wanted to force Qin Weidong to admit fault, but Qin Jianzhang was no pushover. He directly brought in a few local toughs and a lawyer to back Qin Weidong up.

“Your kid hit our brother?” The men looked respectable enough, but one glance at them made it clear they were dangerous.

“He hit first…” Zhao Qi’s parents wilted the moment they saw that lineup.

The original nature of the incident was mutual fighting. Zhao Qi showed no visible injuries, while Qin Weidong had taken a punch to the mouth. After a whole night of arguing, both sides finally signed a settlement, and neither family paid the other before leaving the station.

Zhao Qi’s family now lived out of town. They had only returned to Xuhu this time because of family visits. Even after getting out, they still felt unconvinced and used their connections to look into the backgrounds of those tough-looking men. After finding out that several of them had prior arrests, and after running into them twice near the neighborhood gate, they got so frightened that they left early. They knew what their son was like. After going back, he would have to keep his head down.

This happened on the twelfth. Afterward, Qin Jianzhang made Qin Weidong write a three-thousand-word self-criticism.

“Three thousand words? That’s way too much. Can’t it be three hundred?” Qin Weidong tried to joke his way out of it.

“Three thousand. Not one word less!” Qin Jianzhang was so angry his head hurt. He usually acted unconcerned, but he trusted his son. Qin Weidong had gotten into fights and ended up at the station before, but it had always been because the other side provoked him, and even when he fought back, he showed restraint. This time, though, Qin Jianzhang knew he had really gone all in.

“You’re grown now. Childish fights were one thing before, but if something like this happens again, you absolutely cannot handle it yourself. If it’s serious, call the police. If it hasn’t reached that point, call me or Zhao-ge.” After venting his anger, Qin Jianzhang added this warning.

“I know.” Qin Weidong answered dully. He knew, but if it happened again, he would still do it.

Qin Jianzhang sighed, then dabbed medicine onto the corner of his mouth. “Does it still hurt?”

“Not anymore,” Qin Weidong said.

“Your old man’s the one whose heart hurts!” Qin Jianzhang pretended to press hard, but when his fingers touched down, they were gentle.

At the station he had learned why they fought. The other boy had started by cursing at him. Qin Jianzhang felt that words alone should not have led to a fight, but the other boy had looked slick and shifty, obviously no good, and besides, what right did he have to curse at his son?

Served him right.

For the next five days, Qin Weidong stayed home recovering. Other than eating and sleeping, his greatest pleasure was sending Lin Wu text messages. If he sent three, Lin Wu might reply to one, and that one was usually about schoolwork.

He felt as though he had found a pattern. Every day he tried to start conversations with math problems.

The questions could not be too hard, or Lin Wu would explain them and he would not understand, which would make him look stupid.

They could not be too easy either, which would make him look even more stupid.

Every day Qin Weidong racked his brains to find math problems, hoping their shaky relationship might recover a little. As for Lin Wu’s earlier, obvious rejection, he pretended he had not understood it. After all, this was not the first time he had played dumb.

…

On the night of November 17, Lin Wu lay on his bed after getting home, staring up at a 20-watt lightbulb above him.

The old bulb had flickered with unstable current, so he had replaced it with a new one. The new bulb was a bit brighter, but once the light was on, those same annoying little insects still flew in circles around it. He had been watching them for five days now. Every time the light came on, they threw themselves at it, not caring whether it was natural light or not, fluttering at it again and again. They looked painfully unintelligent.

He lay there in a daze for a while when his phone buzzed with a text.

【Jianna’s got a new double chicken-patty burger. It’s been a while since we had burgers. Want to go tomorrow night after school?】
The message was from Qin Weidong.

Lately, aside from asking about math, Qin Weidong had often tried to find chances to meet, things like “I still don’t understand this math problem, can you explain it face to face?” or “I’m passing by your neighborhood, want to take a walk?” Lin Wu never knew how to answer, so most of the time he did not reply.

Now, looking at the message, he still did not reply.

At 10:50, after washing up, he got ready to turn off the light and sleep. Before switching it off, he glanced once more at the bulb. The same little insects were still circling around it. He lay there, unable to fall asleep.

He stayed like that for ten minutes, then reached for his phone.

【Okay.】
After spending five full minutes carefully composing that single reply, he finally sent it.

…

Bang!

The instant the message was sent, in the boys’ dorm at Lide High School, Qin Weidong jerked upright so violently that his head hit the wall behind him. He paid no attention to it. In a daze, he opened the chat history.

An hour earlier, he had texted to ask whether Lin Wu wanted to go eat burgers together. After sending it, he already knew Lin Wu would probably not reply. Even so, he still sent messages because he always thought, what if he did reply? Even if the odds were tiny, what if?

That was why he asked every day, always holding on to that one what if.

What if, what if, what if…

Even if the chance were only one in ten thousand, as long as Lin Wu did not find him annoying, he truly had the patience to ask ten thousand times.

And now Lin Wu had replied.

He stared at the single word “okay” on the screen, feeling as though he must be seeing things.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

Next

It was Monday. After wandering outside for a while, Qin Weidong returned to the villa.

“Not going to class?” Qin Jianzhang was in the living room listening to opera. Seeing him, he greeted him casually.

“No.” Qin Weidong answered listlessly.

“Had a falling out with a classmate?” Qin Jianzhang didn’t really care whether his son attended class. He turned off the TV and asked.

On the day Lin Wu was injured, Qin Weidong had called Xiao Zhao to find a lawyer, and Xiao Zhao had later called him back. He knew that Qin Weidong’s classmate had saved him and ended up hospitalized. He had wanted to visit the hospital to thank him, but Qin Weidong refused, so he arranged for a lawyer to handle things with the advertising company.

“No conflict. Just didn’t rest well.” Qin Weidong tried to sound normal. Though he often argued with Qin Jianzhang, he didn’t want him to worry.

“Is that so?” Qin Jianzhang looked him up and down. Seeing nothing serious, he relaxed a little, then suddenly remembered something. “Did you see the box of cordyceps in my drawer?” He had been looking for it to make soup but couldn’t find it.

“I used it.” Qin Weidong replied.

“All of it?” That box had been a gift from a business partner, about fifty grams of high-quality cordyceps, worth around twenty thousand yuan.

“Mm.” Qin Weidong nodded. Aside from using some in soup, he had brewed the rest like tea. Thinking Qin Jianzhang wanted it, he added, “There’s a gift shop at the entrance of the neighborhood. I can go check if they have more.” It was a high-end shop with a good selection.

“No need. If it’s gone, it’s gone.” Qin Jianzhang waved it off. He still had three more boxes in his car.

Back in his room, Qin Weidong collapsed onto the bed. He had no energy for anything. After lying there for a while, he opened his desk drawer. Inside was a bag containing a pair of cartoon gloves and socks.

He took them out, compared them in his hands, then reluctantly put them back.

…

At two in the afternoon, Lin Wu arrived at school on time.

“Lin Wu, you’re out of the hospital? Is your wound better?” Li Jing was working on a math problem. When she saw him, her eyes lit up.

“Much better. As long as I don’t lift heavy things, I’m fine.” Lin Wu set down his bag and glanced around. It was the fifth. Midterms were on the seventh and eighth, and the classroom atmosphere was tense.

“The teacher marked a lot of key points this morning. I’ll give you my notes later,” Li Jing said enthusiastically.

“Thanks.” After thanking her, Lin Wu asked quietly, “How are things on your end?”

Li Jing had taken one day off after the incident and returned quickly, so most people didn’t know why she had been absent. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Lin Wu was not among “most people.” Though he had been hospitalized, Li Jing had visited him and told him what happened, so he had a passive understanding of it.

“I only gave statements those first few days. Everything’s fine now. I heard that person had committed other crimes too…” Li Jing said, still a bit shaken. She didn’t know how the police had set up the ambush, but if no one had been there, she didn’t know if she would still be sitting in the classroom now.

“I’ve decided to apply to Jianghe University of Political Science and Law!” She had been torn between that and Jianghe University of Finance and Economics. After this experience, she leaned toward law. It hadn’t left her with any negative impact. Instead, it felt like a defining moment of her high school life.

“Good luck.” Lin Wu smiled. He had heard from his future self that Li Jing would indeed get into Jianghe University of Political Science and Law.

With the timeline changed, even their future class reunion had changed. In this outcome, Li Jing had become a resolute, sharp, and confident prosecutor.

Over the next five days, Lin Wu devoted himself entirely to studying and exams.

【What are you doing?】

【I heard your school has midterms. Good luck!】

【I organized some English materials for you. Left them at your school’s gate office.】

…

During these five days, Qin Weidong sent him messages from time to time. Not frequently, usually two per day. One of them, after the exams, asked if he had time to eat together.

Lin Wu declined. He said he didn’t need the English materials and told him to take them back.

The materials sat at the gate office for two days. Every time Lin Wu passed by, he would glance at them unintentionally. On the third day, they were gone.

He asked and learned Qin Weidong had taken them back.

Lin Wu felt relieved.

…

Life in 2004 was gradually returning to normal. In 2024, however, Lin Wu had a headache.

“Well, look who it is again?” In a park near the hotel, Lin Wu had just finished warming up when Qin Weidong jogged over with practiced ease. Today he wore a red sports hoodie, white athletic pants, and white sneakers. With his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and tall frame, he looked bright and handsome, far removed from his composed business persona.

“President Qin.” Lin Wu forced a smile. They had run into each other again three days ago. That day, his room key had stopped working. He had gone downstairs in slippers to get a new one and happened to see Qin Weidong coming out of the elevator.

“Mr. Lin, what a coincidence,” Qin Weidong had greeted him as before.

“What a coincidence…” Lin Wu had felt his brain short-circuit, even wondering if Qin Weidong was following him on purpose.

After greeting him, Qin Weidong had left. Lin Wu later asked the front desk and learned there had been a government meeting that day. Qin Weidong had come for that.

He had thought it was just a coincidence. But the next day, they ran into each other again at a shopping mall.

Today marked the third encounter in three days.

“Out for a run, President Qin?” Lin Wu asked, trying to steady his breathing. Qin Weidong was staying at Xuhu Hotel, which was seven kilometers away.

“I live nearby. Just out for a walk.” Qin Weidong stretched casually.

“Then I won’t disturb you.” Lin Wu responded quickly, then jogged off as if focusing on his run.

Qin Weidong watched him leave, feeling a bit disappointed.

He didn’t actually live nearby. The only reason he knew Lin Wu was here was because he owned shares in this new hotel. After Lin Wu left last week, he had reflected seriously, wondering if he had done something wrong. But he believed his conduct was proper and courteous. He shouldn’t have been off-putting.

He understood that this kind of behavior meant the other person wanted to keep their distance. But if he really respected that distance, it left him feeling unsettled.

So he had asked the hotel manager to check whether Lin Wu had stayed at any of the company’s other hotels. To his surprise, they found him. After some hesitation, he came to this new hotel and deliberately arranged the “coincidence” three days ago.

Now, watching Lin Wu run farther and farther away, he wanted to follow.

But after thinking about Lin Wu’s attitude, he ultimately stayed where he was.

…

“Lin Wu, you’re amazing! You were on leave for half a month and still ranked first!” On November 12, 2004, after the midterm results came out, Li Jing looked at Lin Wu’s report card with excitement. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. He scored 695 this time, seventeen points ahead of second place, completely ahead of the pack.

“I was reviewing the whole time in the hospital. I probably studied longer than you guys,” Lin Wu said with a small smile.

“That’s still incredible.” Li Jing looked at him with admiration.

They chatted for a while, then class started, and after that, the afternoon ended.

During the break, Lin Wu took out Qin Weidong’s phone.

【I left a jacket at your place. Do you have time? I’ll come by tonight to pick it up.】
This message had been sent around 1 p.m. He had been discussing a math problem with classmates at the time and, after hesitating, hadn’t replied.

Now it was 3:50. After thinking it over, he replied: 【Okay.】

In Class 2, senior year, at Lide High School, Qin Weidong had been staring at his phone the whole time. The moment he saw the reply, he straightened up immediately: 【Did you ride your bike today?】

【No.】 Lin Wu indeed hadn’t. After going back to commuting alone, he had returned to taking the bus.

“I’ll go after school…” Qin Weidong wanted to say he would wait outside Lin Wu’s school, but worried Lin Wu might refuse. In the end, he sent: 【I’ll pass by your neighborhood tonight. I’ll wait at the entrance at nine.】

He knew that messaging every day could be annoying, but he had a feeling that if he stopped reaching out, their paths would truly never cross again.

He couldn’t bear that.

These past few days, he had tried to analyze things calmly. Why did he like Lin Wu? Why does one person like another? What is the nature of liking someone?

Online, it said that when you like someone, the brain releases dopamine. For example, when you feel a spark of interest upon first meeting someone, that’s dopamine at work. He thought back to the first time he saw Lin Wu. He had been very interested in him then. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have followed him around so foolishly for a whole day. And that interest was different from how he felt about others.

Now, based on those explanations, he felt that he had already experienced that surge of dopamine back then, like fireworks exploding in his mind.

Liking someone is made up of many factors. Besides dopamine, there are things like appearance and personality.

He tried to analyze this feeling rationally, wondering if he could cut it off. But after examining it carefully, he realized he couldn’t. Humans are emotional creatures. That’s what distinguishes them from other animals. It is precisely because humans feel and love that they are the greatest miracle in nature.

After coming to that conclusion, he comforted himself. As long as Lin Wu didn’t say anything, and he didn’t say anything, he could keep pretending to be clueless like this forever. Just like at the beginning, when Lin Wu treated him as a good friend. He would watch Lin Wu go to university, fall in love, get married…

He winced.

The thought of Lin Wu being with someone else, falling in love and getting married, made his chest twist painfully, his heart tightening unbearably. He used to think classmates who talked about crushes and heartbreak were being overly dramatic. He hadn’t expected that when it happened to him, he would be even worse.

He felt that, aside from Lin Wu, he would never like anyone else again. Even if Lin Wu fell ill or was disfigured, he would still like him.

This wasn’t just a feeling.

It was certain.

At that moment, Qin Weidong stared at his phone screen nervously.

Lin Wu got out of school at 8:30. He felt that arriving at the neighborhood entrance at nine to wait for him was perfectly reasonable. But he was afraid Lin Wu might say something like, “No need, I’ll just leave the jacket at your school gate.” He didn’t want that. He had racked his brain to come up with the excuse of the jacket. Otherwise, he would have had to think of something else.

With someone like Lin Wu, if he didn’t want to meet, it was incredibly hard to find a reasonable excuse.

【Okay.】 After a moment, the reply came.

!!!

Qin Weidong almost jumped to his feet in excitement.

At the same time, in a senior classroom at Xuhu No. 1 High School, Lin Wu looked at the phone after sending the message.

It was Qin Weidong’s phone. He had been thinking about returning it for a while but hadn’t brought it up. Now he thought, such an expensive phone should probably be returned.

Lin Wu finished the afternoon classes with a heavy mind, followed by evening study.

After school, he went to the bike shed as usual, then remembered he hadn’t ridden his bike today. He turned and walked to the bus stop, boarding Route 22.

The bus was crowded today. Everyone was packed together like sardines. He was pushed along with the crowd, and after fifteen minutes, he got off at his stop.

It was about two hundred meters from the bus stop to his neighborhood entrance. As he followed the other passengers off the bus and was about to head toward the neighborhood, he heard a familiar voice:

“Lin Wu!”

Qin Weidong, wearing his Lide school uniform, stood out at the bus stop with his tall frame and long legs.

“Quite crowded today,” Qin Weidong said as he walked over.

“Maybe there were fewer buses today, so everyone got packed together,” Lin Wu replied.

“How did your exams go? Were the questions hard?” Qin Weidong asked about his recent situation, not mentioning the study materials at all. His tone was relaxed, as if there were no awkwardness between them.

It was the 12th. During this period, he had initiated fifteen conversations.

It had been a full week since they last parted.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

Thandar: We finished murder mystery arc and officially entered wife chasing crematorium lol

On the night of October 31, 2024, Lin Wu rubbed his temples as he walked into the hotel restaurant. After refreshing his memories from 2004 the night before, he still hadn’t quite recovered. Then he had received a call from the university. Earlier that year, he had been in charge of a small collaborative project with a company, and they had run into a technical bottleneck, hoping he could provide some remote guidance.

Their previous cooperation had gone well, so after thinking it over, Lin Wu agreed. He worked from 10:30 p.m. until 5 a.m., then slept through the day. Even now, his head still felt a little foggy.

After paying for the meal, he chose the same seat as the day before and began selecting food with his tray.

“What a coincidence.” Suddenly, a tall figure appeared in front of him. Lin Wu looked up. Qin Weidong had come over at some point. Today he was wearing a bright yellow jacket, looking striking and bold.

“What a coincidence,” Lin Wu replied, slightly stunned.

“Alone?” Qin Weidong glanced at his table.

“Mm.”

“I’m alone too. Mind if we share a table?” Qin Weidong asked.

“Alright…” The question came so naturally that Lin Wu couldn’t think of a reason to refuse.

Three minutes later, the two were seated at a table. It was a dark-colored two-person table with leather sofa seating, next to a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. With the hotel’s ambiance, it felt almost romantic.

“Mr. Lin, do you usually come out to eat at this time?” Qin Weidong took a serving of salad and asked casually while eating.

“No, I had something to do today, so I came out late,” Lin Wu said.

“Mm.” Qin Weidong nodded, making small talk. “Do you work at a university?”

“Mm.” Since his work information was online, Lin Wu wasn’t surprised Qin Weidong knew.

“You’re not married yet? No girlfriend?” Qin Weidong glanced at his left hand. There was no wedding ring.

“That’s a bit personal…” Lin Wu had stayed up all night, his mind moving a bit slower than usual. If this had been before yesterday, he would have chatted warmly, thinking of it as a reunion with an old friend. But what had happened in the hospital room yesterday had thrown off his entire mental rhythm. Even if Qin Weidong didn’t remember, he couldn’t speak as naturally anymore.

“I didn’t mean to pry.” Qin Weidong had always been socially adept, even in high school. Seeing Lin Wu didn’t want to discuss it, he smoothly changed the subject. “The sesame tangyuan here is pretty good. Do you like tangyuan a lot?”

He had seen Lin Wu take tangyuan the day before, and today again it was tangyuan and watermelon.

“I just grabbed it randomly.” Lin Wu didn’t have much appetite today. He truly had chosen at random. He felt himself becoming too passive, so he steadied his breathing and awkwardly shifted the topic. “Are you from Xuhu, Mr. Qin?”

“Didn’t you say you knew me?” Qin Weidong laughed, amused by his reaction.

“I mistook you for someone else earlier,” Lin Wu said, pressing his lips together.

“I’m from Xuhu. I’ve been working in Shenhai and Jianghe these past years, coming back occasionally.” Qin Weidong shared easily. When he wanted to build rapport, he made people feel at ease.

“Mm.” Compared to Qin Weidong’s ease in conversation, Lin Wu seemed quiet and reserved.

“I have some work to take care of. I’ll head back first,” Lin Wu said after ten minutes, finishing the last piece of watermelon and standing up.

“Alright…” Qin Weidong was slightly taken aback.

Lin Wu gave an apologetic look and left. Watching his back, Qin Weidong frowned slightly. Yesterday, their conversation had gone quite well. Today’s attitude… felt intentionally distant.

He glanced at the tangyuan left on the table. Find the full version on HololoNovels dot com. If he remembered correctly, Lin Wu had eaten for forty minutes the day before. Today, from sitting down to leaving, it hadn’t even been fifteen minutes. It really did seem deliberate.

…

“Phew…” At 7:40, Lin Wu returned to his room, feeling restless.

He felt he had been a bit rude earlier. But he had only just realized yesterday that Qin Weidong might have feelings for him, and today he had met the man twenty years later. Even if Qin Weidong didn’t remember, it still felt awkward.

Lin Wu thought he should separate the past from the present. He just needed to return to how things were before.

It sounded simple in his head. But the next morning, the moment he entered the restaurant, he ran into Qin Weidong again.

“Morning, Mr. Lin. Down for breakfast?” Qin Weidong was holding a tray, picking up a steamed bun.

“Morning…” Lin Wu was momentarily dazed.

Over the next three days, in the restaurant, the hallway, and the hotel lobby, he kept running into Qin Weidong. Most of the time, Qin Weidong would greet him, exchange a few words, and then go about his business.

Lin Wu tried not to mix the past with the present. From a normal perspective, Qin Weidong hadn’t crossed any lines. If anything, it had been Lin Wu who first disrupted his life.

During these three days, he called Wang Jiahui to ask when they would return. Originally, Wang Jiahui, Luo Xiaorong, and the others planned to come back on November 5. But there had been heavy rain in Qianzhou. Flights were grounded, and high-speed rail tickets were sold out. They might have to delay by a couple of days.

“Alright…” Lin Wu went home to check. The neighbors next door were installing cabinets, the constant buzzing of drills making it impossible to stay during the day. He had thought about switching hotels, but since it was only brief encounters, he felt his reaction might be excessive.

Now a cold front had arrived in the north. Sitting in the back of a taxi, he watched the passing cars, his thoughts drifting between past and present.

“Looks like it’s going to rain,” the driver said, glancing outside with a frown.

“Huh?” Lin Wu didn’t immediately react.

“I think it’ll rain soon. It’s already pouring in Qianzhou,” the driver continued, chatting about recent news.

Lin Wu looked out the window.

He had just left home, and the weather had been fine. Now, it did seem like rain was coming.

…

“President Qin, it might rain later. Should tonight’s hotel meeting be postponed or proceed as planned?” At the same time, in the executive office of Xuhu Hotel, the manager asked Qin Weidong.

Qin Weidong stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, frowning as he looked down.

The hotel had twelve floors. Floors one through ten were for dining and guest rooms, while eleven and twelve were office spaces. His office had previously been on the south side, but it had been moved north in the past few days. From here, he could clearly see the parking lot, the main entrance, and the street across.

Cars came and went below. The manager still felt the old office had a better environment and location, but the thoughts of a boss were hard to guess. Seeing Qin Weidong distracted, he reminded him out of habit, “President Qin?”

“Move the meeting to tomorrow at noon. Let everyone get off early today,” Qin Weidong said, coming back to himself. It was shift change time at the hotel. He had planned an internal meeting, but it seemed better to postpone.

“Understood.” The manager noted it down and left.

Qin Weidong returned to his seat and turned his chair to face the window. As he looked down at the hotel entrance, he found himself thinking of Lin Wu.

He felt that this person was quite interesting.

These past few days, he had greeted him every day. Lin Wu’s expression always seemed normal, but the moment he heard his voice, he would tense up ever so slightly.

He had sharp observational skills. That subtle physical reaction would be impossible to notice without careful attention. He found it interesting, and precisely because of that tiny response, he would greet Lin Wu every day with tireless enthusiasm.

Now it was 8:20 p.m. Outside, the sky was already dark and heavy. He wondered whether Lin Wu had brought an umbrella, though in this weather he would probably take a taxi. As he thought about it, a taxi pulled into the hotel entrance. Qin Weidong leaned forward, craning his neck to look. A familiar figure stepped out of the car, glanced at the sky, and quickly walked into the lobby.

He was back.

Qin Weidong didn’t think he had been waiting for anyone, yet seeing him return made him feel relieved. He checked the time and found himself already looking forward to running into him again tomorrow.

With that anticipation, the next morning, Qin Weidong went to the restaurant.

Seven o’clock, no one.

Seven-thirty, no one.

Eight-thirty, still no one.

He waited until nine, but the familiar figure never appeared. Frowning, he thought for a moment, then went to the front desk.

“The guest in room 6032 hasn’t come down?” Qin Weidong asked.

“6032?”

“Yes.”

“One moment…”

After checking the system, the receptionist said sweetly, “The guest in 6032 has already checked out.”

“What time did he check out?” Qin Weidong paused.

“7:20.”

In a new hotel seven kilometers away from Xuhu Hotel, Lin Wu had already changed into his sleepwear. The full chapter is up on HololoNovels dot com. It was a high-end hotel. Though its environment and services weren’t quite as good as Xuhu Hotel, it was still decent by local standards.

Lin Wu admitted that he had chickened out.

The present-day Qin Weidong no longer remembered anything, but the memories Lin Wu refreshed every day were too vivid. Every night he fell asleep carrying the memories of seventeen-year-old Qin Weidong, and every morning he woke up to face the thirty-seven-year-old version.

He kept telling himself they were two different points in time, but seeing him every day still placed a great deal of pressure on him.

Yesterday, he had thought he shouldn’t overreact. But today…

If it was an overreaction, then so be it. If it meant he was cowardly, then so be it. He would just change locations. Life needed to return to its proper track.

…

“After you’re discharged, we’ll drop your things off at home. You can go report to school in the afternoon, and I’ll wait for you at the burger shop tonight. Let’s meet at nine like usual?”

At the same time in 2004, Qin Weidong helped Lin Wu pack his things. They had gone to the trauma department early that morning. Lin Wu was recovering well. As long as he didn’t lift heavy objects, things like riding a bike or writing were fine.

“I’ll go down and get a taxi now?” Qin Weidong prepared to carry the bags downstairs.

“Qin Weidong…” Lin Wu hesitated.

“What’s wrong?” Qin Weidong, with his back to him, tightened the straps on the packed luggage again.

“I want to go home earlier tonight. I won’t be going to the burger shop.”

“You’re not going to chat with that unknown number anymore?”

“My mom is doing well in the future. There’s nothing more to talk about.”

“Oh. Then I’ll find you after school at six, and we can have dinner together?”

“I’ll eat at school.”

“Then I’ll find you at 8:30 and we can grab some skewers?”

“Qin Weidong.” Lin Wu pressed his lips together. “Midterms are coming up. I want to focus on studying. I probably won’t have time to meet.”

“Oh…”

Qin Weidong kept his back turned the whole time. He tried to keep his tone light, to maintain a smile, but as the conversation went on, it became harder and harder.

He had already sensed this coming from Lin Wu’s words today. For the past five days, he had clearly felt Lin Wu distancing himself. For example, Lin Wu no longer let him bring meals, refused help whenever possible, spoke less, and kept hinting that he should return to school.

He felt his skin was thick, but he didn’t know how much effort it had taken to pretend not to understand, to keep staying here.

He felt Lin Wu had probably noticed something, but he didn’t dare think about it.

He steadied his breathing. Only after his tone sounded normal again did he turn around with a smile. “We’ll talk about tonight later. Let’s head down first.”

“I’ll do it myself.” Lin Wu refused his help.

“It’s fine.” Qin Weidong picked up the large bag anyway, leaving only a small backpack for Lin Wu.

Twenty minutes later, downstairs at the hospital, they loaded everything into the trunk of a car.

Lin Wu looked at Qin Weidong, hesitated, and was about to speak.

“Oh, Hu Wei just texted me. He needs me at school for something. I won’t walk you home. Can you manage on your own?” Qin Weidong said, pretending to be busy checking his phone.

“I can.” Lin Wu let out a quiet breath of relief.

Half a minute later, he got into a taxi.

“Goodbye.” Lin Wu waved.

“Goodbye.” Qin Weidong smiled at him.

The taxi drove away. Qin Weidong kept watching it until it disappeared, then looked down at his phone. There was no message from Hu Wei.

He knew Lin Wu didn’t want him to follow.

His lips pressed into a straight line as he stood there, unmoving. After who knew how long, he finally steadied his breathing and hailed a taxi to leave.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

Thandar: Noooooooo, Lin Wu why are you gaypanicking ???? Ughhhh

“Can we talk?” Seeing that Lin Wu hadn’t answered, Qin Weidong asked again.

“Alright…” Lin Wu replied after a brief daze.

Three minutes later, the two of them sat in a private tea room in the hotel lobby. The place was elegant and quiet. After they settled in, a server poured tea for them.

“Thank you.” Lin Wu held the cup and thanked him.

“Did we know each other before?” After the server left, Qin Weidong went straight to the point, studying Lin Wu as he spoke. Lin Wu had just come down for a walk and was wearing a light beige hoodie and light blue jeans. The outfit was casual, but his features and bearing made him look clean and composed.

“You don’t remember?” Lin Wu asked calmly in return.

“Sorry, can you give me a hint?” Qin Weidong leaned back slightly.

“We met in high school.”

“You were from Lide High?”

“No, First High.”

“Where did we meet?”

“Jianna Burger.” As Lin Wu spoke, he watched Qin Weidong’s expression. He saw confusion and puzzlement in his eyes, as if he truly didn’t remember anything.

“The burger place?” Qin Weidong frowned. He remembered the shop, but not meeting Lin Wu there, and couldn’t imagine how they would have met in such a place.

“President Qin, did you ever have memory loss or a concussion after your senior year?” Lin Wu asked carefully.

“No.” Qin Weidong answered firmly.

“Do you remember the period from September to November of your senior year?” Lin Wu paused before asking.

“I remember. Was there anything special about that time?” Qin Weidong recalled going to an internet café where there had been a fire, but nothing else stood out.

“Do you remember having a phone?” Lin Wu stared at him as he asked. His eyes were clear and bright, especially when focused.

For a moment, Qin Weidong was distracted. Then he tried hard to recall. “I bought a lot of phones in high school. Nothing special comes to mind.” He had no memory of any unusual phone.

“I must have mistaken you for someone else…” Lin Wu kept his composure on the surface, but his mind had gone blank. They had known each other in high school. In the 2004 timeline, they were still connected. But twenty years had passed. He couldn’t possibly tell him: twenty years ago, your phone could connect to the future. We went through a time-crossing story together. You helped me save my mother.

Leaving aside how unbelievable it sounded, where was the proof?

The time-crossing messages could serve as proof now, but seventeen-year-old Qin Weidong had said he didn’t want to know about the future, so he could still look forward to life. Now that everything in Qin Weidong’s life was stable and successful, there was no need to drag him back into the past. If it affected his life, it might create an even worse butterfly effect.

“Sorry, I must have mistaken you,” Lin Wu said after making up his mind, no longer dwelling on it.

“How did you know my name?” Qin Weidong still felt that something hadn’t been explained.

“You were quite well-known in high school. Students from other schools knew you too.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Half an hour later, Lin Wu stood to leave. Before going, he looked at Qin Weidong.

“President Qin.”

“Mm?”

“Goodbye.”

In that moment, Lin Wu thought of their conversation about being lifelong friends. He had truly liked Qin Weidong as a friend. Now that the other didn’t remember him, it felt like a pity. But then again, seeing that Qin Weidong was living well now, the regret faded.

After Lin Wu left, Qin Weidong sat in the tea room for another half hour. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Lin Wu’s expression when calling his name the other day wasn’t just that of someone who vaguely knew him. After thinking it over, he took out his phone and called Hu Wei.

“Brother Qin, what made you call me?” Hu Wei had gotten married and had children after graduating from college. He now ran a small convenience store. His child was seven, and life was comfortable.

“Just free, thought I’d check in,” Qin Weidong said casually, then asked directly, “Did I ever lose my memory in high school?”

“No. You had a fracture once, a high fever once, and got hit in the foot by a rock once, but otherwise you were fine.”

Hu Wei’s answer matched his own memory. Qin Weidong continued, “Did I know someone named Lin Wu?”

“Never heard you mention him.”

“Did I do anything unusual in high school?”

“Nothing… oh wait! During senior year, there was a period when you were kind of like in a relationship. You kept going out, and you even asked me how to tell if you liked someone. That was pretty unusual.”

“Mm? Who was I dating?” Qin Weidong immediately sat up.

“Probably Li Xin from No. 32 High. She liked you a lot.” That was their best guess back then, after trying to match it with people Qin Weidong knew.

“Li Xin?” Qin Weidong thought hard before recalling what she looked like. They had met twice at a group dinner in their second year. He didn’t feel like she liked him, and he didn’t think he liked her either. If anything, he felt he would prefer someone quieter.

“Yeah. You said she was strong and kind, and that even if she wasn’t good-looking, you’d still like her.” Hu Wei grew interested.

“Did I?” Qin Weidong didn’t remember any of it.

“Yeah! I was worried you were being tricked, but after a while, you just stopped talking about it.”

“When did I stop?”

“No idea. It wasn’t long though.” Hu Wei didn’t remember exactly. He only knew that not long after, everything returned to normal, and they went back to being inseparable friends.

“Oh…” Qin Weidong couldn’t recall. After chatting a bit longer, they hung up.

He fell into deep thought. At first, he had found Lin Wu’s question about memory loss strange. But now, could it be that he really had lost his memory?

After thinking it over, he called Qin Jianzhang.

“You’re up this early?” Qin Jianzhang was in a different time zone, attending an evening event.

“Nothing going on lately. Sleeping early, waking early,” Qin Weidong said briefly, then asked, “Dad, did I ever lose my memory in high school?”

“If you had lost your memory, would you still remember I’m your dad?”

Qin Weidong: …

After hanging up, Qin Weidong checked his own hospitalization records. Aside from a fracture, a high fever, and getting hit in the foot by a rock, there had indeed never been anything dramatic like a car accident or memory loss. Now, apart from the “relationship” Hu Wei had mentioned, there seemed to be nothing unusual.

“A relationship…” Qin Weidong reflected on himself. He had lived thirty-seven years. Forget dating, he had never even really felt his heart stir. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to truly like someone.

…

“Alright, slowly lift it up… now slowly lower it…” At Xuhu Hospital in 2004, Qin Weidong carefully guided Lin Wu through raising and lowering his arm.

Lin Wu was recovering well. Every day, aside from dressing changes and anti-inflammatory injections, he worked on homework and did simple stretching exercises to prevent muscle atrophy.

“I can do it myself.” Lin Wu followed the motion and lifted and lowered his arm, indicating he didn’t need help.

“It’s fine. I’ll watch you. Just do three more sets slowly.” Qin Weidong spoke patiently.

“Alright…” Lin Wu completed three more sets. After working up a light sweat, he stopped the morning session.

“What do you want for lunch?” Qin Weidong helped him back onto the bed and asked.

“Lanzhou noodles.”

“Isn’t that too simple?”

“I don’t feel like eating anything complicated.”

“Alright, then we’ll add extra beef and eggs.” Qin Weidong wanted something more substantial, but the day before when he suggested ordering bird’s nest and shark fin, Lin Wu had firmly refused. He knew that if he pushed further, Lin Wu wouldn’t eat it.

Fortunately, after being carefully nourished these past days, Lin Wu had gained three jin. His complexion and overall condition were much better. Qin Weidong was very satisfied.

“You’ve been staying at the hospital these past few days. Will it affect your studies?” Lin Wu asked while thinking.

“No. I’m with you every day. If there’s anything I don’t understand, I can just ask you.” Qin Weidong assured him confidently.

“When are you going abroad?” Lin Wu asked after a pause. He had heard Qin Weidong mention it before. In 2004, going abroad still felt like something from television dramas, far removed from ordinary life.

“Probably the first half of next year.” Qin Weidong had never cared much before, but now he felt reluctant. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “If I start studying seriously now, do you think I could get into a good school?”

“Your Chinese and English are pretty good. Your humanities subjects are weaker. Repeating a year might be more suitable,” Lin Wu answered after some consideration. Qin Weidong came from a well-off family that had already been preparing him to study abroad. Seeing more of the world would probably be better for him. Lin Wu had also heard from his future self that Qin Weidong’s life would turn out well.

“We’ll talk about that later.”

Qin Weidong decided not to dwell on it. Seeing that it was about time, he stood up and put on his coat. “I’ll go downstairs to buy the noodles.”

“Okay.”

At noon, Qin Weidong returned carrying two deluxe bowls of noodles, topped with meat, eggs, and vegetables, rich in protein and nutrients. After they ate their fill, he cleaned up the trash with practiced ease and opened the window to air out the room.

“Qin Weidong.” Lin Wu hesitated, looking at him.

“What is it?” Qin Weidong turned.

“Nothing…” Lin Wu had never really had friends before. Qin Weidong was his first close one. He didn’t know how other friendships worked, but Qin Weidong paid attention to everything in great detail. That level of care sometimes made him wonder, was this really just within the bounds of friendship?

Something about the atmosphere felt off, but when he tried to pinpoint it, it became strangely unclear.

“Rest for a bit. We’ll start the afternoon exercises soon,” Qin Weidong said without suspicion.

“Alright.” Lin Wu pushed aside the odd feeling.

At two in the afternoon, Lin Wu did half an hour of exercises. Perhaps because he had just had his dressing changed, he felt drowsy.

“Want to take a nap?” Qin Weidong leaned against the sofa, planning to play a mobile game.

“Mm.” Lin Wu rarely napped, but he was too tired today. He lay down under the blanket. The sunlight was warm, and he soon drifted off lazily.

Qin Weidong had been playing games on the sofa, but after glancing over at Lin Wu once… then again… he found it hard to look away.

The sofa was parallel to the bed. Originally, he had been lying near the desk side, but after thinking for a moment, he quietly shifted position, moving closer to the head of the bed.

Now his sofa lined up with Lin Wu’s pillow, only sixty centimeters apart. From there, he could see him clearly.

He sat there, watching Lin Wu intently. Lin Wu’s eyelashes were long. In sleep, they cast a faint shadow under his eyes. His skin was pale, his lips lightly red, his nose straight and defined.

As he watched, he unconsciously leaned forward.

He was tall. Leaning forward, he could reach Lin Wu’s face with just a stretch of his hand. He carefully extended his hand, not daring to touch, stopping five centimeters away. From that distance, he traced Lin Wu’s features in the air again and again. With each silent motion, something swelled in his chest, and suddenly, he wanted to lean in and kiss him.

He bent down slightly, stopping just before their faces would meet. He didn’t dare go any further. After imagining what it would be like, he quietly sat back again. The feeling in his chest lingered, a kind of sweetness hidden in a corner, something he didn’t dare share with anyone.

Afternoon sunlight streamed in. In that peaceful stillness, the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.

!!!

Qin Weidong quickly silenced it. It was Hu Wei calling. After cutting it off and seeing that Lin Wu hadn’t woken, he let out a breath of relief and quietly stepped outside to take the call.

Three seconds after Qin Weidong left, on the hospital bed, Lin Wu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and his eyes opened, fully awake.

He looked toward where Qin Weidong had been sitting.

He had already woken when Qin Weidong moved closer. He had planned to open his eyes, but hadn’t expected Qin Weidong to lean in like that… and then those repeated, silent gestures tracing the air.

Now Lin Wu’s eyes were filled with astonishment.

In that moment, everything that had felt strange these past days suddenly made sense.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

During the Winter Solstice, the entire court took seven days off, and the academy followed the same holiday schedule.

Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou brought both sides of the family to a hot spring villa in the suburbs for a vacation.

The villa was built halfway up a mountain. Many years ago, several natural hot spring pools had been discovered there, leading to the construction of multiple villas, most of which belonged to high-ranking officials or wealthy merchants.

Back then, after Lu Huaizhou achieved great military merit on the frontier and returned victorious, the late emperor intended to reward him with a residence. Lu Huaizhou learned that the court had recently confiscated a hot spring villa in this area from a disgraced official.

Thinking of his grandfather, whose health had been poor with age, Lu Huaizhou knew that hot springs would benefit his recovery. He declined all other rewards and only requested this villa from the late emperor.

Later, Old Master Lu recuperated here for four or five years, and his health gradually improved considerably.

The villa itself was quite large, consisting of four courtyards with many rooms. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. There was even a separate courtyard specifically for hot spring bathing, and the servants had already prepared all the rooms after receiving advance notice.

When the Lu and Jiang families arrived, they quickly settled into their accommodations. Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou chose a quieter room in the rear courtyard.

As the weather grew colder by the day, the mountain air was even chillier. After enduring over half a shichen of carriage travel in the cold, everyone felt somewhat chilled.

Once they had settled in, Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei immediately ran toward the hot spring courtyard.

This was not their first visit. The two boys dragged Lu Huaichuan along, while Jiang Ji went together with Lu Huaizhou.

The hot spring courtyard had two separate pools, with men’s and women’s baths divided into different rooms.

Inside the bathing room, the temperature was much warmer, with wisps of steam curling through the air. Several pots of flowers and plants bloomed nearby.

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei stripped down to their shorts and jumped straight into the water. The two little troublemakers were already over ten years old now. With regular milk and proper nutrition, they had grown much taller, already reaching Jiang Ji’s chest.

“You two have splashed all the water out again. Don’t start playing in the water,” Jiang Ji said as he walked in, already getting a headache at the sight of them.

“We’re not splashing around!” Jiang Nan protested, sinking completely into the water with only his head sticking out. “Brother, you’re making things up.”

Jiang Bei nodded. “Exactly. We haven’t even started playing yet.”

“Hah, you’d better not.” Jiang Ji slowly stepped into the pool and leaned against the edge, the hot spring water rising to his shoulders. He let out a comfortable sigh.

The spring water here remained at around forty-one to forty-two degrees year-round, making it perfect for soaking during this season.

The Lu brothers entered one after another. Lu Huaizhou sat beside Jiang Ji, stretching one arm out across the edge of the pool behind him.

Jiang Ji met his gaze briefly but said nothing.

Lu Huaichuan carried in a pot of tea and placed it on the floor.

“Is the water too hot?”

“It’s perfect,” Jiang Nan answered loudly. “Brother Huaichuan, hurry up and get in. It’s really comfortable.”

Lu Huaichuan went behind the screen to undress before joining them in the pool.

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei couldn’t sit still at all. Before long, they ignored their brother’s warnings and started splashing around again, even dragging Lu Huaichuan into their games.

Although Lu Huaichuan was already in his twenties and had entered official service, he still retained some youthful liveliness. When playing with Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei, he looked like another child among them.

But the boys didn’t dare splash water toward Lu Huaizhou. Jiang Ji also had no interest in joining their childish games, so he moved closer to Lu Huaizhou to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lu Huaizhou slid his hand beneath the water and wrapped it around Jiang Ji’s waist.

Jiang Ji’s waist was rather sensitive. He shot Lu Huaizhou a glance and whispered softly,

“Don’t.”

Lu Huaizhou paused. No one knew Jiang Ji’s body better than he did. Hearing this, his fingers immediately stopped moving.

Jiang Ji had never closed his livestream. He glanced at it, only to find that the screen had exploded with comments.

【Ooooh, the Regent’s body is incredible.】

【Eight-pack abs!】

【As expected of someone who practices martial arts. Those muscles… wow. His body fat percentage must be super low.】

【Hiss~】

【Jiang Ji is eating very well.】

Jiang Ji: “……”

He glanced at the man beside him.

Defined abs. Adonis belt. A handsome face. Endless energy. Impressive stamina.

Thinking about those blissful moments that felt almost heavenly, Jiang Ji’s cheeks grew warm.

He really was eating very well.

But having others point it out so directly still felt embarrassing.

Without hesitation, he shut off the livestream.

Lu Huaizhou poured him a cup of tea and handed it over. Jiang Ji accepted it and drank it all.

“Jiang Nan, Jiang Bei, you’ve been soaking for a quarter of an hour already. Your faces are red. It’s time to get out,” Jiang Ji reminded them.

Jiang Nan still hadn’t had enough.

“Brother, I’m not dizzy. Can I soak a little longer?”

Jiang Ji refused.

“No. You’ll faint if you stay any longer. If that happens, you won’t be able to soak tomorrow.”

“But I want to stay in a bit longer…”

Jiang Bei, who was usually more obedient, tugged on Jiang Nan’s arm.

“Come on. We can soak again tomorrow. If you faint, you won’t be able to soak tomorrow or the day after. Wouldn’t that be a loss?”

Jiang Nan fell silent before reluctantly climbing out of the pool.

The waiting servants, Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba, hurried over with towels to wrap the two boys up. They led them to the nearby bathing tubs to wash off, dry themselves, and put on clean clothes so they wouldn’t catch a chill.

“Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei should each drink two cups of water. Xiao Qi, Xiao Ba, let them bathe and dress themselves,” Jiang Ji instructed, his voice coming from behind them like someone who had eyes in the back of his head.

Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba always couldn’t help but want to assist Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei because they were still young. Every time Jiang Ji saw it, he had to remind them.

“Understood, Your Grace,” Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba replied. They had originally intended to help scrub the boys’ backs, but now they didn’t dare.

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei washed themselves with clean water, helped scrub each other’s backs, dried off, got dressed, and drank two cups of tea to replenish their fluids before leaving.

Jiang Ji and the others also got out one after another, washed up, and put on their clothes.

After soaking in the hot springs, their bodies felt wonderfully warm. They rested for a while, and soon it was time for lunch.

After lunch, Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou skipped their afternoon naps and went for a walk to aid digestion.

The villa was located halfway up the mountain, and directly ahead stretched an open expanse with broad views and breathtaking scenery.

The trees on the mountain had long since shed all their leaves. The ground was covered in a thick layer of fallen foliage that crunched beneath their feet, carrying a distinctly wintery atmosphere.

The two of them slowly climbed upward along the forest path.

Halfway up, Jiang Ji suddenly stopped. Staring into the woods beside them, he raised one hand to signal Lu Huaizhou to stop and pointed in another direction.

Following where Jiang Ji indicated, Lu Huaizhou spotted a gray rabbit on a hillside about ten meters away, hugging a grass root while nibbling on it.

Jiang Ji looked at Lu Huaizhou, raised an eyebrow, and mimed drawing a bow and shooting an arrow.

Lu Huaizhou understood. Turning toward Chen Feng, who was following behind them, Chen Feng handed over the bow he had been carrying.

Lu Huaizhou accepted it and then passed it to Jiang Ji.

Jiang Ji was extremely excited. He didn’t go hunting often, but since he’d happened upon the opportunity, he wasn’t about to be polite.

Just as he drew the bow and prepared to shoot, suddenly, from another direction, whoosh, whoosh two arrows flew through the air.

Neither hit their mark.

Startled, the wild rabbit dropped the grass root and dashed away.

Jiang Ji: “……”

“Aiya! It ran away! It ran away! We were just a little bit off!” Jiang Bei’s voice came from nearby.

Jiang Ji stared at the arrows embedded at least a meter away from where the rabbit had been: “……”

Over there, Jiang Nan grumbled, “I told you it was too far away! I said we should get a little closer, but you all insisted we’d scare the rabbit away!”

Jiang Nan, Jiang Bei, and Lu Huaichuan emerged from the other side of the hillside and happened to spot Jiang Ji and the others.

“Aiya, Big Brother, you’re hunting too?” Jiang Bei held his bow excitedly. Seeing his eldest brother made him eager to run over.

“Slow down. Don’t run. Be careful not to fall,” Jiang Ji sighed in relief as he lowered the bow, though he couldn’t resist complaining, “If you two hadn’t fired those arrows just now, we’d have had rabbit meat for dinner tonight.”

Jiang Nan scratched his head.

“……We didn’t know you were over here, Brother. Besides, we thought we had hit it.”

Jiang Bei asked again, “Brother, are you hunting too? Did you catch anything?”

Jiang Ji replied, “No, we were just taking a walk and happened to run into it.”

“Oh, we also saw a mountain pheasant earlier, but we didn’t catch that either,” Jiang Nan said regretfully.

They had come out specifically to practice hunting. Every time they visited the villa, Lu Jiu would bring them out for target practice. Several years had passed, and they still hadn’t successfully hit anything.

“Then keep working hard. We’re leaving now.” Jiang Ji returned the bow to Chen Feng.

Jiang Bei asked, “Brother, won’t you come hunting with us?”

“You kids have fun by yourselves.” Jiang Ji waved his hand and continued walking uphill.

Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou reached the mountaintop, admired the scenery for a while, and then headed back.

By evening, Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei returned, beaming as they carried two mountain pheasants and a wild rabbit.

Jiang Ji was surprised.

“You caught those?”

Jiang Nan shook his head.

“No, Brother Lu Jiu caught them.”

Jiang Ji: “……Fine. I’ll cook dinner tonight.”

“Wow, that’s great~”

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei cheered. Although Sister-in-law Guihua’s cooking was also delicious, they still liked Big Brother’s cooking the most.

That evening, Jiang Ji personally cooked the meal while Zhao Ru and Madam Lu made dumplings. The entire family enjoyed a lavish reunion dinner together to celebrate the Winter Solstice.

Before bed, Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou went for another soak in the hot springs. Back in their room, the two curled up together beneath the blankets, holding each other close and kissing affectionately.

Since there was no court session the next day, Lu Huaizhou finally let himself indulge.

The unfamiliar setting brought a sense of novelty and excitement. Jiang Ji clung to Lu Huaizhou’s shoulders, his voice breaking into fragments from the overwhelming sensations.

“Y-you… aren’t you being a little… too excited?”

“Hm?” Lu Huaizhou kissed the reddened corner of Jiang Ji’s eyes and chuckled softly. “Aren’t you the same? Do you like it here?”

Jiang Ji: “……Take it slow.” Starting off this intensely was a bit too much for him.

“Alright.” Lu Huaizhou obediently gentled his movements.

After a while, Jiang Ji became dissatisfied again.

“Stop teasing me.”

Lu Huaizhou raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t it you who said…”

“Since when have you become so obedient?” Jiang Ji glared at him and said irritably.

Lu Huaizhou let out a soft laugh and suppressed his smile.

“Then tell me what you want. Let me hear it.”

Jiang Ji pressed down on his head and whispered two words into his ear.

In the next instant, Lu Huaizhou’s gaze darkened. He kissed Jiang Ji fiercely, not allowing him to utter another word.

Jiang Ji: “……”

Fine then. This switch was still as effective as ever.

The Winter Solstice had passed, and the coldest days of winter were approaching.

Yet no matter how bitterly cold the wind outside became, it could never enter the house filled with warmth and affection.

Spring had never disappeared from the Regent’s residence.

— End of the Story —

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

“This is the company’s proposed accident compensation agreement. According to its terms, in addition to covering all medical expenses, the company will also compensate you for nutrition costs, emotional distress, and so on, totaling 32,000 yuan. Would that be acceptable to you?”

Early the next morning, at Xuhu Hospital in 2004, the advertising company’s manager arrived at the ward with a lawyer. In their hands was a freshly printed A4 agreement.

“Thirty-two thousand?” Lin Wu was a little surprised when he saw the amount.

He had ten stitches in his shoulder blade. It looked serious, but it was considered a minor accident. He had asked the hospital and other patients, and injuries like this usually received three to five thousand in compensation. Companies with better conditions might pay eight thousand. He had expected about five thousand himself. He hadn’t expected the amount to be six times higher.

“This was determined based on your injury,” the manager said, somewhat frustrated.

Lin Wu was just a high school student and seemed easy to deal with. Their original intended compensation had been 3,500. But the afternoon before yesterday, a lawyer had come to the company, claiming to be Lin Wu’s representative. Chapter source: HololoNovels dot com. After presenting his credentials, he went from discussing the Advertising Law to the Urban Environmental Sanitation Regulations. His core point was simple: the advertising company had violated the law.

“Lawyer Chen, our company’s actions aren’t related to this case, are they?” the company’s legal officer asked, frowning.

“These are your company’s complaints and accident penalties over the past year. From the standpoint of the Advertising Law and Safety Law, your company knowingly violated regulations…” Lawyer Chen laid out a stack of documents.

Xuhu Advertising was the largest advertising company in the area, but it had major gaps in management and operations. Now that the other side had produced such detailed evidence, they knew they had run into a tough opponent.

“What do you want?” the legal officer asked directly.

“You can’t take advantage of my client just because he’s a high school student and offer the minimum compensation. We need to renegotiate the amount,” Lawyer Chen said plainly.

Over the next three hours, both sides argued their case. The company had originally wanted to reject the demand, but after checking, they found that the lawyer was a well-known “iron-mouth” attorney in the province, highly respected in corporate disputes.

Their initial 3,500 yuan had indeed been based on the lowest standard. Given the evidence presented, they would have no advantage in court. Meanwhile, the company was competing for an advertising contract and didn’t want to escalate the matter at such a critical time.

“Fine…” In the end, the company agreed to the 32,000 yuan settlement.

“Lawyer Chen, you even take cases this small?” one of the managers joked after the agreement was reached. Thirty-two thousand sounded like a lot, but for both the company and the lawyer, it was a minor case. They had simply been arguing from their respective positions.

“I took it on for a boss,” Lawyer Chen said with a smile.

“Oh? A big boss still cares about things like this?” Anyone he referred to as “boss” likely had assets in the tens of millions.

“Haha, we don’t understand what bosses are thinking. If they pay, we do the job.” After laughing, Lawyer Chen added, “I’ve reviewed your company’s recent disputes. There are some serious lapses in safety management. You’d better pay attention.” Xuhu Advertising had significant safety negligence. If it continued like this, something major would happen sooner or later.

“The company is planning some safety reforms,” the manager said helplessly. They had reviewed the footage from the 21st. At the time, the metal plate had been only three centimeters from the student’s head. One step closer, and it would have become a major public incident.

“Haha, as long as you’re determined.” After a brief reminder, Lawyer Chen left.

The company’s legal department finalized and printed the “Accident Compensation Agreement,” leading to the current hospital scene.

“Take a careful look. If everything is fine, sign at the bottom. The payment will be transferred within three days,” the manager said.

“Do I need a guardian’s signature?” Lin Wu asked.

“Given your situation, you can sign and provide a fingerprint yourself.” They had already learned about Lin Wu’s family circumstances on the day of the accident. His guardian was not in a position to appear.

“Alright.” The compensation was generous, and there were no vague terms. Lin Wu signed after reading it.

That afternoon, he went to the bank near the hospital and checked. The 32,000 yuan had already been deposited. He returned to the room happily.

“Something got you in a good mood?” Qin Weidong had been on the phone outside. Seeing Lin Wu grinning from ear to ear, he asked with a smile.

“I am pretty happy.” Qin Weidong had stepped out during the compensation discussion. He didn’t care much about money, but he could tell that Qin Weidong had been thoughtful.

“Is there anything you want to eat? Once I’m discharged, I’ll treat you,” Lin Wu said, looking at him happily. He had been worried about money before. Now, with this compensation, things would be much easier through high school and college.

“Sure. That burger place we went to should have new items by now. Let’s go together after you’re discharged?” Qin Weidong didn’t refuse.

“Deal!” Burgers were cheap. Lin Wu planned to treat him to that first, then something else afterward.

…

At the same time in 2024, Lin Wu walked into Jianna Burger.

It was an old burger shop, mainly serving nearby residents and students from three schools. Chapter source: HololoNovels dot com. The schools had all been renovated over the past twenty years, but the burger shop had barely changed. Compared to the surrounding milk tea shops and chain burger places, it seemed a bit quiet.

“Welcome!” As Lin Wu entered, the electronic cat at the door greeted him automatically.

“Hello, what would you like?” The cashier had been sitting and playing on her phone, but quickly stood up to greet him.

It was 3:10 p.m., and the shop was empty. Lin Wu glanced at the menu. “One cola and one popcorn chicken.”

“Got it!” The fryer was turned on, and the order was prepared quickly.

Lin Wu sat by the window where he used to sit and began eating. Maybe the ingredients had changed. It didn’t taste as good as before. Watching the cars pass by outside, he suddenly thought of Qin Weidong—

“Do we not know each other?” After Qin Weidong had said, “Do we know each other?” yesterday, Lin Wu had asked in confusion.

“Sorry, we don’t,” Qin Weidong had replied. When the elevator arrived, he pointed at his watch. “I have a remote meeting starting.”

“Sorry for bothering you.” This time, Lin Wu was the one apologizing.

Qin Weidong nodded and went upstairs with the hotel manager, while Lin Wu wandered off toward the supermarket in a daze.

That evening, after returning to the hotel, he searched for the man’s information again: Qin Weidong, born in 1987, founder of Tengfei Technology…

The online information was the same as the first time he had searched. The man’s life had gone smoothly, everything had turned out well. Yesterday, Lin Wu had already “refreshed” the memory of them being lifelong friends. Now he thought about it. Twenty years later, not only were they not friends, they had ended up in the most absurd way possible, not even recognizing each other.

Lin Wu thought it through carefully. He couldn’t tell whether Qin Weidong had lost his memory at some point, or whether, like him, he simply didn’t have the memories of those twenty years. Because of the time-crossing messages, he himself had no memory of what happened after “tomorrow” in 2004. But not having memories didn’t mean they hadn’t lived their lives. He had asked Wang Manshan before, and Wang Manshan said he didn’t know anyone named Qin Weidong. There had been no trace of Qin Weidong in his life either. That meant the two of them had no contact after high school.

Qin Weidong had gone abroad in January 2005. Lin Wu had always assumed that once he left, they naturally went their separate ways. But even if they drifted apart, they should have at least known each other between September 9 and October 28.

At 6:50, Lin Wu returned to the hotel with a headache.

“Brother Lin Wu, we’ve arrived at the airport. We’ll probably reach Qianzhou around 10:20.” Lin Wu had just taken a sip of water when Wang Jiahui called him on video. On the screen, Wang Jiahui, Luo Xiaorong, and Hao Shuqin were sitting in a ramen shop at the airport, eating.

“Didn’t you eat outside?” Lin Wu asked. He had tried this chain ramen place on a business trip before. It wasn’t good.

“We came out late. This ramen is terrible.” After a couple of bites, Wang Jiahui complained just as expected.

“Just make do for now. Order some delivery when you get to the hotel,” Lin Wu said with a smile. He asked her to pass the phone to Luo Xiaorong. Luo Xiaorong was wearing a blue hoodie today, looking in good spirits. After chatting with her, he spoke with Hao Shuqin for a while as well. All four of them were in good moods.

Grr—

After hanging up, Lin Wu’s stomach growled.

He had been thinking about Qin Weidong since yesterday, so he hadn’t eaten lunch. In the afternoon, he only had a portion of popcorn chicken. Now all the energy had been burned off, and he was hungry.

He picked up his phone to order takeout, but nothing appealed to him. After thinking for a moment, he grabbed his coat and went downstairs.

On the second floor of the hotel, there was a buffet restaurant. Its atmosphere and decor were distinctive, making it a popular spot in Xuhu.

There weren’t many people there today. After paying and choosing a table, he went to pick out food. He didn’t have much appetite, so after walking around, he ended up taking a bowl of sesame tangyuan and a small plate of watermelon.

His table was next to a large floor-to-ceiling window. Inside, it was quiet. Outside, traffic flowed endlessly.

“President Qin, here is next quarter’s work plan. Please take a look and see if there’s anything that needs adjustment…” Not far away, in a corner, the hotel manager was reporting to Qin Weidong while Lin Wu ate quietly. Qin Weidong, however, was staring in Lin Wu’s direction, slightly distracted.

“President Qin?” The manager, seeing no response, reminded him cautiously.

“Send the plan to my email later,” Qin Weidong said casually. He was wearing a black shirt and dark gray trousers today, still carrying a composed and decisive air. After speaking, he pointed toward Lin Wu. “Is he a regular here?”

“Yes, he seems to have been staying for over a month,” the manager replied quickly after glancing over. Their hotel wasn’t cheap, so they remembered long-term guests well.

“Mm. What’s his name?” Qin Weidong asked, as if casually, while recalling the scene from yesterday.

Last night, the man had only called his name, but his tone had been too natural, and his gaze had been like someone who knew him. The more he thought about it, the stranger it felt.

“One moment.” The manager quickly called the front desk. Normally, the hotel wouldn’t disclose guest names, but Qin Weidong was the owner, so there was no such concern.

After confirming, the manager sent the name to Qin Weidong’s phone.

Qin Weidong looked down.

Lin Wu.

A patch of mist in the woods?

Quite a distinctive name.

That night, after returning to his room, Qin Weidong still found himself thinking about the floor-to-ceiling window, and about how Lin Wu had rolled up his sleeve slightly while eating tangyuan, revealing a pale wrist.

After a moment, he went to his computer and searched directly: Lin Wu.

Lin Wu, born in 1987, professor of physics at Jianghe University…

The internet was too transparent now. He had only searched casually, yet all the information appeared at once. As he read through it, he came across a photo. In it, Lin Wu was wearing a white shirt, standing tall at the podium while lecturing. The image was from a university forum, labeled “most handsome physics professor,” likely posted by a student.

He enlarged the photo and studied his features carefully. Fair-skinned, composed, with a strong inner steadiness. He really was handsome.

Looking at the photo, he fell into thought again. Yesterday, when Lin Wu had stopped him, he had wondered if the man was trying to get close to him deliberately. But judging from the information, Lin Wu didn’t seem like that kind of person.

He was someone who acted on things. If he couldn’t figure something out, he wouldn’t let it fester.

The next morning, as soon as Lin Wu arrived in the hotel lobby, he saw Qin Weidong sitting there reading a magazine. The moment Qin Weidong noticed him, he walked straight over.

“Can we talk?” Qin Weidong said, studying him seriously.

“Alright…” Lin Wu froze for a moment. He was still on break. After being busy for so long, he had planned to use this time to reset his routine, like going for a walk every morning. He hadn’t expected to run into Qin Weidong the moment he came downstairs.

Today, Qin Weidong was wearing a white hoodie and light gray casual pants, looking less sharp and more relaxed, even a little bright. Seeing him dressed like this, Lin Wu felt, for a brief moment, as if he had returned to their high school days.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

Next

Ten minutes later, Qin Weidong returned to the ward. The room they were in had the same layout as the one he had stayed in before, with a bed, TV, sofa, desk, and other amenities. As soon as he came back, he saw that Lin Wu had already changed into the blue-and-white hospital gown and was about to head out.

“Where are you going?” Qin Weidong asked, putting away his phone.

“To get some water.” Lin Wu held a disposable cup. He didn’t have his own cup, and had just asked the nurse for this one.

“I’ll do it.” Qin Weidong took the cup from his hand.

“My left hand and legs are fine.” Lin Wu had injured his right shoulder blade. As long as he didn’t use force, he was okay.

“That doesn’t mean you should move around. You should be lying on your stomach and resting.” Qin Weidong took the paper cup and strode toward the hot water station. Three minutes later, he came back with a cup of hot water.

“I’m heading out for a bit.” After setting the water down, Qin Weidong prepared to leave.

“Where to?” Lin Wu asked, holding the cup.

“To the supermarket downstairs. I’ll buy some daily necessities.”

“You can go tomorrow.” Things around the hospital were expensive. Lin Wu planned to go home tomorrow to get what he needed.

“It’s fine. If you’re tired, just lie down and sleep.” Qin Weidong said as he walked out.

Outside the hospital, it was quiet. Aside from a few taxis with their vacancy signs lit, there were hardly any pedestrians. He picked up a bunch of things at the supermarket and quickly returned.

“Does the wound hurt? It’s soaked through outside.” When Qin Weidong entered, Wang Manshan was checking Lin Wu’s injury.

“Uncle Wang.” Qin Weidong quickly set his things down and greeted him. He had seen Wang Manshan downstairs at Lin Wu’s home before.

“Hello, you’re Xiao Wu’s classmate, right?” Wang Manshan recognized him. Besides that time at the apartment, he had also seen the two of them riding bicycles to and from school together recently.

“I’m sorry. Lin Wu got hurt saving me. I’m really sorry!” Since Wang Manshan was close to Lin Wu, Qin Weidong wanted to explain what had happened.

“Xiao Wu already told me. It was an accident. No need to blame yourself.” Wang Manshan patted Qin Weidong on the shoulder.

Half an hour earlier, he and Hao Shuqin had already gone to bed when Lin Wu suddenly called—

“Uncle Wang, I won’t be able to come home tonight. Could you help look after my mom?” Lin Wu didn’t want to call so late, but he was worried about Luo Xiaorong and had no choice but to ask Hao Shuqin for help.

“What happened?” Wang Manshan immediately sat up.

“There was a bit of an accident just now…” Lin Wu explained how he got injured.

“Which ward are you in? I’ll come take a look.” Wang Manshan asked while getting dressed.

“It’s really nothing serious. You don’t need to come,” Lin Wu said quickly.

“It’s fine. It’s not far from here to the hospital.” Given Lin Wu’s family situation, Wang Manshan wouldn’t feel at ease without seeing him himself.

“Room 605.” Lin Wu had no choice but to tell him.

Wang Manshan had only just arrived. Seeing Qin Weidong carrying a large bag of things, he asked, “What did you buy?”

“Cup, tissues, washbasin, meal bowl, egg yolk pies, oranges…” Qin Weidong opened the bag. He had bought everything he thought might be useful.

“That’s pretty thorough.” Wang Manshan was a bit surprised. He even spotted nail clippers inside.

“The supermarket downstairs is pretty big. They’ve got everything.” Qin Weidong took out an orange, handed one to Wang Manshan, then sat by the bed and started peeling another for Lin Wu. “They had samples. I tried one earlier, it’s pretty sweet.” It was peak season for oranges, and these were large and sweet.

“Thanks.” Wang Manshan ate a couple of segments, then looked at Lin Wu. “Your Aunt Hao will stay at your place for a while. She told your mom that you went out for an exam, so don’t worry. I’ll take a couple of days off work and stay here with you.” He planned to accompany him at the hospital.

“That’s not necessary, Uncle Wang. It’s just a minor injury. You don’t need to stay with me,” Lin Wu said quickly.

“How can that be?” Wang Manshan frowned. No patient should be left alone in the hospital.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Wang. I’ll be here with him the whole time,” Qin Weidong said.

“I’m really fine. You don’t need to worry,” Lin Wu added, thinking Qin Weidong was just helping persuade Wang Manshan to go home.

“Will it affect your studies?” Wang Manshan asked after thinking it over.

“No, it won’t. Lin Wu does well in school anyway. If there’s anything I don’t understand, I can just ask him,” Qin Weidong replied immediately.

Seeing that Lin Wu truly didn’t need accompaniment, Wang Manshan asked a few more questions about the injury, then left somewhat reassured. If you’re not reading this on hololonovels dot com, the chapter is not complete. Qin Weidong walked him out to his car. By the time he returned to the ward, Lin Wu had just finished washing up.

“Thanks a lot for today,” Lin Wu said when he saw him come back. It had been a chaotic night, and Qin Weidong had helped a lot.

“No need to thank me. If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead,” Qin Weidong said, taking out a thin blanket from the bag. He had bought it at the supermarket. The ward had air conditioning, so a blanket would be enough at night.

He placed the blanket on the sofa, then took out a new cup and toothbrush set, heading to the bathroom to wash up.

“You’re staying here tonight?” Lin Wu asked, surprised.

“Of course. I already said I’ll stay and take care of you.”

“You don’t have to.” Lin Wu thought he had only said that in front of Wang Manshan. Besides, he could still move around and didn’t really need someone to stay with him.

“Lin Wu, I already said, if it weren’t for you, I’d be dead.” Qin Weidong emphasized seriously. Sometimes he felt Lin Wu was a bit dense. Lin Wu had saved him, yet he was acting polite as if the roles were reversed.

“Alright…” Lin Wu finally agreed.

The hospital sofa was a two-meter-long couch against the wall. After washing up, Qin Weidong lay down on it. When the lights went out, he seemed half-asleep as he asked, “Lin Wu, why did you push me away earlier tonight?”

“It was falling, so I pushed you.” Lin Wu was lying on his stomach because of his shoulder injury.

“You didn’t think about getting hurt yourself?”

“Didn’t think that much. Probably just instinct.”

“Mm.” It was now 3:20 a.m., and outside was silent. Qin Weidong decided to change to a lighter topic. “What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?”

“I probably won’t be able to get up in the morning.”

“Then lunch?”

Lin Wu knew Qin Weidong’s personality. If he didn’t give an answer, he would keep asking. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Lanzhou noodles.”

“Got it!” Qin Weidong noted it down seriously.

The next morning, he ordered two bowls of Lanzhou noodles from the largest hotel in Xuhu, each with an extra half jin of beef. Lin Wu didn’t understand all the hidden details behind it. He just felt that the place Qin Weidong chose tasted really good.

That was only the beginning. Over the next three days, steamed sea bass, yam pork rib soup, old hen soup… Qin Weidong ordered every dish suitable for someone recovering, most of them light and nourishing.

“You don’t have to go this far…” By the second meal, Lin Wu felt these dishes were far from ordinary. Something simple would have been enough.

“It’s not that extravagant. I just wanted to eat it too.”

At that moment, Qin Weidong had just taken out the cordyceps that Qin Jianzhang had been keeping and had it made into a nourishing soup at a restaurant.

“What kind of soup is this?” Lin Wu didn’t recognize cordyceps. The only thing he recognized were the goji berries floating on top.

“Daylily soup. Try it, see if it tastes good.” Qin Weidong ladled him a bowl.

“It tastes pretty good,” Lin Wu said after taking a sip. In truth, he couldn’t really tell. It just felt like the soup was very well made.

“If it’s good, have another bowl.” Qin Weidong immediately filled another for him after he finished.

“Alright…” Most people lost weight when they were sick, but Lin Wu felt like he might gain a couple of pounds by the time he was discharged.

Qin Weidong stayed at the hospital every day. Over the past two days, aside from Wang Manshan’s family, their homeroom teacher and Li Jing had also come to visit.

“Lin Wu, these are the class notes I organized for you. Keep it up, you’ll definitely recover!” Now that everything had settled, Li Jing had not been injured in this outcome, so she only took one day off before returning to school as usual.

“Thank you.” Lin Wu accepted the notes.

“Keep working hard,” Li Jing encouraged again before leaving.

Qin Weidong watched her curiously. It was his first time seeing her face clearly. Her face was round, and she looked exactly like a top student at school.

“Lin Wu, what kind of girl do you like?” After she left, Qin Weidong asked casually.

Lin Wu was busy working through problems, not even looking up. “I don’t know.”

“You’ve never liked any girl growing up?”

“No.”

“What about in the future?”

“Probably not…” Lin Wu put down his pen. He had never liked any girl before, and given his family situation and his personality, he probably wouldn’t in the future either.

“I see.” Hearing that Lin Wu likely wouldn’t like any girl in the future, Qin Weidong felt inexplicably happy.

The weather had turned colder again. At eight in the evening, he went back to the dorm to grab some clean clothes.

“Brother Qin?” Hu Wei was skipping class in the dorm, playing on his phone. He was surprised to see Qin Weidong return.

“Why are you back so early?” Qin Weidong asked casually while packing his things.

“The geography teacher is on duty today. He doesn’t take attendance.”

“Oh, okay. I’m heading out again.” Qin Weidong finished packing and was about to leave.

Seeing how cheerful he looked, Hu Wei couldn’t help calling out, “Brother Qin…”

“What is it?” Qin Weidong turned back.

“Are you seriously dating someone?” Hu Wei couldn’t hold it in anymore. They used to be inseparable, but for over a month now, Qin Weidong had been nowhere to be seen. It was too unusual.

Qin Weidong was just thinking about stopping by a bakery to buy some small cakes. When he heard the question, it felt like some hidden corner of his heart had been exposed. He reflexively replied, “Dating my ass. Who would I even be dating?”

“Everyone’s guessing you’re in a relationship, even living with someone. I was wondering, I’m with you all the time, how did I not know you had someone you liked?” Hu Wei let out a breath, then asked curiously, “So what have you been doing lately? You’ve been acting like you’re in love every day.”

“Do I need to report my life to you?” Qin Weidong shot him a glare and headed downstairs with his things.

Hu Wei stood there, completely confused.

Ten seconds later, Qin Weidong came back, looking annoyed.

“Forgot something?” Hu Wei asked.

Qin Weidong sat down in the dorm, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he asked, “How do you tell if you like someone?”

“Huh? If you think about her all the time and want to see her, that’s probably liking her.” Hu Wei had liked a girl back in middle school. She transferred schools later, and he was heartbroken for half a year.

“So if you keep thinking about them and want to see them, that means you like them?” Qin Weidong asked.

“Well…” Seeing Qin Weidong frowning as if something was going on, Hu Wei boldly asked, “Brother Qin, do you have someone you like?”

“I’m… not sure.”

“Then I’ll ask, you answer?”

“Alright.”

“Is the person good-looking? Does your heart race when you see them? When you’re not together, do you think about them?”

“They’re pretty good-looking.” Qin Weidong thought of the first time he saw Lin Wu. Back then, Lin Wu had been standing quietly behind the bus stop sign. The moment he saw him, his heart skipped a beat. At the time, he had a feeling that this was the person he was looking for. Not because his intuition was especially accurate, but because he wanted it to be true, so there would be a chance for their paths to cross.

“When you’re not together, do you think about them?” Hu Wei saw the sweet expression on his face and repeated the question.

“Mm.” Qin Weidong let out a deliberately impatient “mm,” though in truth, he was thinking about him right now.

“So you like them because they’re good-looking?”

“No!” Qin Weidong felt it wasn’t just about looks. After thinking for a moment, he said, “He’s a really good person. Strong and kind. He might seem a bit distant, but he has principles. If you treat him well, he’ll remember it seriously.

He’s really, really kind. There was something he wanted to do badly, but once he realized someone might get hurt, he gave it up. And that thing mattered a lot to him! When he sees someone in danger, he’ll step in without thinking about himself. And he’s smart too, a lot of math and physics problems he just gets at a glance…” Qin Weidong had started casually, but the more he spoke, the more impressive Lin Wu seemed.

(T/n: In Chinese, “he,” “she,” and “they” all sound the same (“tā”), so Hu Wei would have heard it as gender-neutral and not known it was a man.)

Hu Wei looked at him with a complicated expression. “If they weren’t good-looking, would you still like them?”

“I would.” Qin Weidong answered without hesitation. Even if Lin Wu weren’t the Lin Wu he was now, he would still like him.

“Then in your case… is this liking someone?” Qin Weidong had already vaguely known the answer since the day he wanted to kiss Lin Wu, but he still wanted confirmation.

“It is.” Hu Wei said in a pained tone. This wasn’t just ordinary liking. This was full-on lovestruck.

…

At 8:50, Qin Weidong walked down the hospital corridor carrying a cake, still thinking about Hu Wei’s question—

“Brother Qin, does she like you?”

“Probably not.”

“Did you tell her? How do you know she doesn’t like you?”

“It’s not something you can just say…” Lin Wu was a guy, and so was he. How was he supposed to say it?

“I think if you like someone, you should tell them. What if they like you too?” Hu Wei had always known Qin Weidong to be straightforward, but this was the first time he had seen him hesitate like this.

“Mm.” Qin Weidong had responded casually at the time, then went to buy the cake and returned to the hospital.

Now, standing outside the room, he looked through the window. Lin Wu was just like before, quietly doing his homework.

He thought again of Hu Wei’s words: If you like someone, tell them. What if they like you too?

What if?

What if?

He gathered his courage, knocked lightly on the door, and walked in.

“You’re back?” Lin Wu turned when he heard the sound.

“Yeah, I bought some cake.” Qin Weidong set the cake and the bag of clothes on the table, then sat down by the bed. From where he sat, he could see Lin Wu’s profile clearly.

“You just had rice noodle rolls this afternoon. Why’d you buy cake again…” Lin Wu looked at the cake, a bit helpless. He had weighed himself at the hospital earlier and was already three jin heavier.

“You eat first. If you can’t finish it, I will,” Qin Weidong said naturally.

“Then I’ll eat it later…” Lin Wu wasn’t hungry yet.

“Mm.” Qin Weidong responded, watching Lin Wu scribbling away at his homework. Gathering his courage again, he said, “Lin Wu…”

“Mm?” Lin Wu turned his head.

“Will we be friends for life?”

He felt cowardly. Ever since realizing his feelings for Lin Wu weren’t normal, he had tried to distance himself, tried to give up. But none of it worked. He still couldn’t stop himself from wanting to get closer.

Hu Wei had told him that if he liked someone, he should tell them.

But he didn’t dare. He was afraid of being rejected. Afraid that even something as simple as sharing cake together would disappear.

“We’ve known each other for a while now, and we get along well. We’ll still be friends in the future, right?” Qin Weidong asked again.

He felt that things were good like this. At least they could see each other every day and talk about the future. Maybe someday, if he realized Lin Wu might feel the same, he could take a small, careful step forward.

While Qin Weidong’s thoughts wandered, Lin Wu found the question a bit strange. “I guess so.” He got along well with Qin Weidong. If nothing unexpected happened, they would probably remain good friends.

“Really?” Qin Weidong asked.

“Yeah.” Lin Wu smiled.

Cars passed by outside the window. Inside the room, the atmosphere was warm and quiet.

…

“Weren’t you supposed to come back on the twenty-ninth? Why did the date change again?” On the night of October 27, 2024, Lin Wu stood by the elevator in the hallway, speaking into his phone with a hint of helplessness.

Everything had settled now. In this outcome, he hadn’t bought a place in Jianghe but instead bought two apartments in Xuhu. One was rented out, and the other he lived in. The one he lived in was currently noisy because of renovation next door, and since Luo Xiaorong had gone traveling, he had been staying at a hotel.

Originally, Luo Xiaorong and the others were supposed to return from Shenhai on the twenty-ninth. Now Wang Jiahui was calling to say the date had been pushed back to November 5.

“We were watching short videos and saw that Qianzhou Never-Sleep City looks really fun. We’re planning to stop by on the way back. My mom and your mom both agreed. We promise we’ll come back right after!” Wang Jiahui said excitedly over the phone.

“Have you made a plan yet?” Lin Wu asked.

“Not yet. We’re going to study travel forums tonight.”

“Alright. Send me a copy when you’re done.”

“Yay! Brother Lin Wu, I love you so much!” After getting his approval, Wang Jiahui hung up excitedly.

Lin Wu sighed and put away his phone. The elevator arrived. He stepped inside and pressed the button for the first floor.

It was now 9:10. He had finished the drinks in his room, so he planned to go to the nearby supermarket to buy more, along with some sandwich cookies and chocolate snacks.

Ten seconds later, the elevator reached the lobby. The hotel was quiet today. Two cashiers were organizing the day’s check-in data.

Lin Wu walked over.

“Mr. Lin!” Lin Wu was a regular at the hotel. The cashiers and housekeeping staff all recognized him.

“Do you have sesame tangyuan? If you do, I’d like tonight’s late-night snack to be sesame tangyuan.” The hotel’s late-night meals could be ordered à la carte or random. He had ordered twice during this period, and the service had been good.

“Tangyuan?” After he said that, a trace of confusion flashed in the cashier’s eyes.

“Yes, don’t you have a complimentary late-night snack service here?” Lin Wu asked.

“Mr. Lin, our hotel has never had a late-night snack service. If you’d like something, I can notify the dining department, but they may have already finished work…” the cashier replied politely.

“There isn’t?” Now it was Lin Wu who was confused. He frowned slightly. “Maybe I remembered wrong. Never mind.”

“Alright, Mr. Lin.”

Lin Wu walked toward the exit, still unable to figure out why the hotel’s late-night service had suddenly disappeared. Just then, a luxury business car pulled up at the entrance. A sharply composed man in a tailored suit stepped out from the back seat. The man entered through the revolving door, while Lin Wu stepped out. The two brushed past each other.

The moment he saw the man, Lin Wu couldn’t take his eyes off him.

Qin Weidong!

He had never imagined that they would meet like this as adults. He stared at him in shock. The other man only glanced at him once before walking into the hotel.

Soon, one entered, and the other left.

Lin Wu suddenly turned around.

“President Qin!” In the lobby, the hotel manager and cashiers all came out to receive him.

The memories of his seventeen-year-old self had changed, and his thirty-seven-year-old memories refreshed in sync. From the day they met on September 9, Lin Wu had remembered Qin Weidong.

Now, the man had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a tall frame. His presence was more mature than in high school, carrying the composed charm of someone seasoned in business. Lin Wu was certain, this was Qin Weidong, the Qin Weidong who had eaten meals with him every day in that seventeen-year-old timeline.

At that moment, the hotel manager said something to him, and the two prepared to take the elevator together.

Lin Wu looked at his figure, opened his mouth slightly, then, not knowing where the courage came from, turned and stepped back through the revolving door, returning to the hotel.

“President Qin, the hotel’s quarterly report has been compiled. Compared to last quarter, revenue has increased by 27%…” At the elevator, the manager was reporting recent business.

“Mm.” Qin Weidong listened absentmindedly. Xuhu Hotel was one of Qin Jianzhang’s properties. Their family owned many like it. Qin Jianzhang was currently abroad skydiving, and all company matters had fallen onto him. He found it annoying.

“President Qin, I’ll escort you to your room shortly.” Noticing his impatience, the manager quickly added.

“Alright.” Qin Weidong nodded. The two prepared to enter the elevator.

“Qin Weidong!” At that moment, a slightly breathless voice called out from behind them.

Qin Weidong turned around.

It was the guest he had just brushed past. Around thirty, wearing a light gray overcoat with a white turtleneck underneath. Very fair, very good-looking, with a refined air, like someone well-educated.

Right now, that person was looking at him as if they were old friends reunited after a long time apart.

“Long time no see.” The other man, still catching his breath, spoke words fitting that gaze.

Qin Weidong looked into his eyes. They were dark and bright, like clear, polished gems. But no matter how striking, he did not recognize him.

“Do we know each other?” Qin Weidong asked, puzzled.

Do we know each other?

The moment Lin Wu heard those words, all the excitement and joy drained away. He looked at him carefully. In Qin Weidong’s eyes, there was curiosity, confusion, uncertainty.

But not the same feeling of reunion after a long separation.

Do we know each other?

Do we not?

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.