Chapter 18 – You Trust Me Too Much

Ye Zhou was rather excited throughout the night, only falling asleep late into the night. However, he still woke up on time the next day and worked just as diligently.

The restaurant was as busy as usual during the day, keeping him occupied but also helping him regain his composure.

In truth, Ye Zhou had already prepared himself for a long-term pursuit and wasn’t particularly afraid of Guan Heng rejecting him. He was a stubborn man who, once he set his sights on something, would see it through to the end. This was why he initially hesitated so much; once he started down this path, it was hard for him to stop halfway, especially when faced with a challenge. Someone like Guan Heng, a high-and-mighty flower, though not aloof, wouldn’t be easy to win over. Yet, he hadn’t expected Guan Heng to make the first move, leaving him momentarily at a loss for how to react.

Now, Ye Zhou could confirm that Guan Heng had some feelings for him, but he didn’t know exactly what attracted Guan Heng to him. Still, there was plenty of time to figure that out later. After last night, he felt more confident, and his work was infused with renewed vigor.

The day after, Ye Zhou woke up early again and headed to the restaurant to prepare the lunch boxes he’d be delivering.

With one experience under his belt, Ye Zhou was now well-versed in sneaking into the school. Just as before, he waited outside the office door before the noon bell rang, ready for Guan Heng to open the door after class.

Perhaps due to their verbal agreement two days ago, Ye Zhou didn’t have to wait ten minutes this time. Guan Heng returned straight to the office after class without delay.

However, the same scenario played out once more.

Around fifteen minutes later, the graduate student named Jian Huan came to disturb them again, holding a stack of documents and reports to ask questions. This time, he wasn’t surprised to see Ye Zhou and even greeted him warmly, “Boss Ye.”

Ye Zhou hadn’t revealed his identity to Jian Huan last time, so Guan Heng must have informed him. Ye Zhou didn’t feel guilty about sneaking into the school and responded straightforwardly, “Hello.”

Jian Huan didn’t inquire about Ye Zhou’s purpose for being there, nor did he avoid Ye Zhou’s presence while discussing research topics with Guan Heng.

In this situation, it was inappropriate for Ye Zhou to stay, and he was considering whether to leave when unexpectedly, Guan Heng made a pause gesture to Jian Huan and turned to Ye Zhou, saying, “Sit.”

Ye Zhou’s butt was already off the sofa, but he sat back down upon hearing Guan Heng’s words.

Since Guan Heng had spoken up to keep Ye Zhou, Jian Huan no longer guarded against him.

While they were present, Ye Zhou couldn’t help overhearing their conversation. Although many professional terms were used, which he didn’t quite understand, he realized this wasn’t one of Guan Heng’s students because they discussed legal-related matters. When Ye Zhou previously asked Zhou Jiayi for Guan Heng’s class schedule, he learned that this university, even the graduate school, didn’t have a law department.

Feeling puzzled, Ye Zhou couldn’t help but become curious. He knew that Guan Heng was also a doctoral graduate in law, but he didn’t understand the situation fully.

Fortunately, Jian Huan didn’t linger too long and left after about fifteen minutes.

Ye Zhou wanted to ask about the graduate student, but seeing that half of the lunch break had already passed, he hesitated to continue chatting lest Guan Heng miss his meal.

However, Guan Heng seemed accustomed to this lifestyle. He opened the lunch box Ye Zhou brought, which wasn’t a rice ball but a new, nutritionally balanced dish with fish, meat, vegetables, and soup. Using his left hand to pick up chopsticks, he ate while asking, “What do you want to ask?”

Since Guan Heng had asked, Ye Zhou went straight to the point, “Does he come every day?”

“Yes,” Guan Heng replied quickly, his eating speed impressive. He never spoke while chewing food but waited until he swallowed before speaking, “His future aspiration is to become a prosecutor, and he’s preparing for special exams.”

“But how…”

“Family reasons,” Guan Heng said calmly, “His family opposes his studies and wants him to work and earn money. His tuition and living expenses are covered by scholarships and working part-time. He’s not a particularly smart student, so he has to study hard. To receive a scholarship, he chose a less popular major.”

Guan Heng’s explanation was brief but comprehensive.

Ye Zhou was moved, not just by the student’s story but also by Guan Heng’s willingness to help where he could. From the bottom of his heart, he praised, “You’re truly a good teacher.”

Guan Heng didn’t accept the compliment, instead looking at Ye Zhou as if hinting at something, “Maybe what you see is just the side I want you to see.”

“I know,” Ye Zhou smiled after hearing this. People have many facets, and he no longer naively believed that good people are always good, without a single bad thought. That was too unrealistic. “But I can tell whether you genuinely want to do something or are just putting on a show. There’s no conflict between who you are and what you think inside.”

Guan Heng stared at Ye Zhou for a moment before asking, “You seem to trust me too much. May I ask why?”

Ye Zhou shook his head with a smile, “I trust my own judgment.”

Their conversation ended here. Ye Zhou had stayed long enough today and needed to return to the restaurant to help out. Lunchtime and dinner were typically the busiest times for the restaurant, and he already felt somewhat guilty about slipping away. Besides, since he planned to continue bringing meals to Guan Heng in the future, he couldn’t afford to linger too long.

Guan Heng ate incredibly fast, finishing his meal in the brief moments they conversed. Seeing this, Ye Zhou wanted to take the lunch box back to wash it but was stopped by Guan Heng.

Their hands touched accidentally. Guan Heng gently held his wrist, “Let me handle it. I’ll return it to you when I go home tonight.”

Ye Zhou paused for a moment before responding, “Uh, okay.”

Guan Heng smiled, “Go ahead.”

“Alright.”

Ye Zhou walked out the door in a daze, smiling when he came to his senses. His reaction was silly, like a young boy experiencing his first love. But he was genuinely happy, feeling that they had made another small step forward.

After that, Ye Zhou visited the school even more frequently. Now, he didn’t need to dress like a student; the guards no longer stopped him. At first, Ye Zhou assumed the guards recognized him, but one time when he entered the campus and met them face-to-face, he realized that Guan Heng had already given instructions beforehand.

Guan Heng’s status at the school was different, and such trivial matters could be handled with flexibility, without going through the cumbersome process of filling out forms and depositing IDs. While this wasn’t exactly favoritism, Ye Zhou still felt something had changed, as if he was being looked after.

Guan Heng likely knew Ye Zhou was busy and didn’t have him come every day, only every two to three days. Weekends were fixed days off since Guan Heng didn’t go to school. However, Ye Zhou would jokingly ask Guan Heng if he needed a home delivery service, as the distance from the restaurant to his house was closer than to the school. Since he was merely delivering meals, it wouldn’t consume much time.

Usually, weekends were the busiest times for the restaurant, making it difficult for Ye Zhou to leave. But he seemed to have developed a habit of taking care of others, handling everything for the person he cared about.

Guan Heng wasn’t to the point where he needed someone to bring him meals even when at home on his days off, but he could see from Ye Zhou’s actions that Ye Zhou was accustomed to caring for others.

So, Guan Heng looked at Ye Zhou for a moment before suddenly asking, “Is there a service for dining together?”

Ye Zhou was taken aback at first, then actually began seriously considering the possibility.

Guan Heng didn’t really want Ye Zhou to accompany him; he was observing Ye Zhou’s reaction. Before Ye Zhou could reach a conclusion, Guan Heng quickly amended, “I’m just kidding.”

“Huh?” Ye Zhou clearly looked disappointed.

Guan Heng smiled at him, “We can talk about it when you’re free.”

Their differing professions meant their days off often clashed. If they were to start dating, finding a balance wouldn’t be a matter of one person accommodating the other; both would need to work together to make it happen.

Up until now, Ye Zhou had done well. Without neglecting his work, he had tried to create opportunities to spend time with Guan Heng whenever possible. Now, it was up to Guan Heng to decide. If Guan Heng was indifferent to Ye Zhou’s pursuit, he wouldn’t take any action; but if he was interested, he wouldn’t allow Ye Zhou to unconditionally give without reciprocation.

Although Ye Zhou was slightly disappointed, he didn’t dwell on it. If he wasn’t prepared for this mentally, he wouldn’t have pursued Guan Heng in the first place.