Chapter 113

During the three-month summer vacation, Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu went to many places.

They took a trip to the desert and encountered a long-distance convoy on the way. They traveled with them for two legs of their journey, from the Gobi Desert to the great grasslands. The large group drove majestically down the highway; the view was wide and open, the sky and scenery were different, and the road seemed to have no end.

They also followed Yun Xiaoxu’s group to two cities. Having never experienced the passion of fangirls before, they had thought the crowd of fans blocking the library entrance last time was already huge. It was only when they arrived at the venue that they realized that the previous crowd was nothing compared to this, not even a fraction of it.

The venue was packed with fans, their colorful light signs clashing together. The colliding screams could have broken through the ceiling.

Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu sat amidst a vast sea of orange light signs. The entire audience was filled with girls, making the two of them the only guys, particularly conspicuous.

A girl sitting next to Jiang Zhihuo saw them and asked enthusiastically, “Hey, handsome! You guys follow the group, too? Are you group fans or solo stans?”

The screams from the crowd drowned out most of her voice. Even speaking right next to each other, it was hard to hear. In the end, the girl had to shout.

Then, she pulled two light signs out of her bag and shoved one into each of their hands. “Ah, silly me. The fan club distributed these tickets, so our whole section is for Sunris. I didn’t expect my precious baby to have male fans, too! By the way, you two look a little familiar.”

Just as she was speaking, the group members walked onto the stage. The fangirl had no more time for them, frantically waving her light sign. “Ahhh, baby!! Son! Look at Mommy! Mommy’s right here! Son, I love you!!”

The girl screamed for as long as the fan meet lasted. Her voice eventually grew hoarse and cracked, but she paid it no mind, intending to keep screaming during the intermission. Only when she absolutely couldn’t bear it anymore did she reluctantly allow herself a few dry coughs—a true model of screaming labor. Jiang Zhihuo couldn’t watch any longer and handed her an unopened bottle of mineral water.

If the fan meet was already like this, when Yun Xiaoxu asked if Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu wanted to go to the concert, the two of them didn’t even need to exchange a glance before simultaneously refusing.

Yun Xiaoxu froze for three seconds, deeply hurt. “Why! Ge! Don’t you support my career?!”

“It’s not that.” Yan Mu rolled up his sleeves. Even though he had been extremely careful, even wearing a thin jacket, it was still impossible to avoid brushing against others. The cuffs of his sleeves and the backs of his hands were covered in red. “It’s because I can’t stay in crowded places.”

Yun Xiaoxu hadn’t known about this. The red marks on Yan Mu’s skin seared his eyes, and he felt a pang of guilt.

Jiang Zhihuo patted Yun Xiaoxu. “We won’t go to the live event, but when you release an album, I’ll definitely buy a hundred copies to boost your sales, help you with data ranking, and do fundraising relocation.”

After leaving the city where the event was held, Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu continued to travel along their route for a while.

On the road, Jiang Zhihuo received his admission notice, which had been sent by Li Muhe. Since he didn’t have a permanent address, Jiang Zhihuo had used Li Muhe’s home address when registering for the college entrance exam.

It was an admission notice from B University. Every character was handwritten with a fountain pen, the script firm and powerful.

—Student Jiang Zhihuo, congratulations on your admission to B University’s Computer Science and Technology major.

Before the semester started, the members of Class 1 gathered one more time.

After nearly three months apart, many of them had changed quite a bit. The girls had dyed their hair colors they never dared to before, and the guys had swapped to the season’s trendy brands, learned to wear contact lenses, and gotten stylish haircuts. Pushing open the door to the hall was like walking onto the set of a fashion show.

The moment he saw Jiang Zhihuo, one of the guys exclaimed, “Holy shit, Huo-ge, how did you not get a tan or gain any weight after traveling for three months?!”

On their social media, Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu had been posting photos of food and scenery from different cities every few days. He had thought they would at least get a little tanner or chubbier, and that this would be his chance to finally be closer to Huo-ge‘s level of attractiveness. Who knew they would come back even more handsome than before?

Jiang Zhihuo shot him a look. “Ever heard of sunscreen?”

Everyone in Class 1 had done well on their exams and were heading to their desired universities all over the country. Before they parted ways, everyone—whether they drank alcohol or not, boys and girls alike—filled their glasses. The entire table of people stood up and clinked their glasses together.

The class monitor said, “Our three years of high school are now in the past. After tomorrow, we will go our separate ways. I hope that as we look forward to our own bright futures, we won’t forget the memories we made together over these three years.”

“Together, we are a ball of fire; scattered, we are a sky full of stars. May you all achieve everything you hope for!”

“Cheer!!”

The glasses clinked. Three years of high school, with all its sweetness and bitterness, were washed down in that single glass.

A few days before university started, Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu followed the freshman handbook they had received and joined the alumni group, then found their respective major and class groups. Everyone was looking forward to university life, so the class group was active every day. They even found their future roommates, and before they had even met, the dorm groups were already set up.

That night, after chatting in the groups, Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu packed their things together. Several large boxes were open in the living room, and they threw everything they wanted and needed to bring into them.

They were only halfway through packing when He Miaomiao and Qin Nian arrived. They tried to enter but couldn’t, blocked by the boxes that prevented the door from opening fully.

After huffing and puffing to move the boxes, He Miaomiao let out a “wow” and marveled, “You two have so much stuff. Are you planning to move the whole house?”

“The lease is up, so we’re packing first,” Yan Mu said. “We’ll figure out where to put it all later.”

There was no tea to offer, and the messy living room was hardly suitable for guests. Jiang Zhihuo took two bottles of soda from the fridge.

As the CEO of Qin Corporation, a president accustomed to drinking Perrier, Qin Nian didn’t turn his nose up at the three-yuan comfort drink. He twisted it open and took a sip, then handed over a property deed and two sets of keys.

It was for a three-bedroom apartment near B University, simply enough for the two of them to live in, with one room left over for a study.

Jiang Zhihuo: “?”

Qin Nian said, “Make do with it for now. It’s close to the university. Your situation makes it impossible to live with roommates, and it’s not convenient for Xiao Huo either, since he’s an omega. You can get a new place after graduation.”

Qin Nian and He Miaomiao didn’t stay long; they were both busy people. After seeing them off, Jiang Zhihuo stared at the property deed and let out a gasp befitting an ordinary citizen—

This is what a rich family’s older brother is like??

He just casually gifts a two-bedroom apartment in the capital? And says to “make do with it for now”? “Get a new place after graduation”??

Based on the capital’s housing prices, this small apartment must be worth over ten million!

Gege, I don’t want to work hard anymore!!

An expression of longing for a freeloader’s life appeared on Jiang Zhihuo’s face… before Yan Mu grabbed him by the collar and dragged him back to continue packing.

First, the two of them packed the large items, then the wardrobe, and finally, they started on the small things.

Yan Mu packed the items into the boxes one by one.

Two sets of bowls and chopsticks, two sets of cups, and pillows. Jiang Zhihuo had also bought quite a few plants and flowers to put on the balcony, and a fresh lily was placed on the dining table every day.

Yan Mu’s movements gradually slowed.

“What are you looking at, Yan-ge?” Jiang Zhihuo emerged from the room with a pile of small items. Seeing Yan Mu standing still, he navigated the obstacles on the floor and leaned in to ask.

“It’s nothing.” Yan Mu helped him put the things down, then wrapped his arms around Jiang Zhihuo from behind, dipping his head slightly to rest his chin on his shoulder.

“What’s with the sudden hug?” Jiang Zhihuo patted him, signaling for Yan Mu to let go first. “I still have to go back in for another load.”

“I’ll go with you.” Yan Mu maintained the hug, walking inward with him in a slightly awkward manner.

“Alright, alright,” Jiang Zhihuo coaxed. “So what were you thinking about earlier?”

Saying it out loud would be too sentimental. Yan Mu thought for a moment before slowly speaking, “I was thinking about the last time you moved out.”

Back then, there was nothing between them. They were only living together to suppress his estrus. After the special inhibitor was developed, Jiang Zhihuo had moved out cleanly and decisively, taking his suitcase and closing the door. Although they had lived together for a few months, he hadn’t left a single trace of his presence. The house was spotless, with not a single extra item.

This time was different.

There were traces of Jiang Zhihuo everywhere.

The clothes that gradually took over the wardrobe, the boxes hidden under the bed, the daily change of flowers, the new cushion cover on the sofa pillow, the cups, bowls, and chopsticks they used together—all of it was being packed into the same boxes, with no distinction between them.

A week later, the new semester began at B University.

Boots for each school and department filled the welcome plaza.

The welcome points for the Mathematical Sciences Department and the Computer Science and Technology Department were next to each other. To make a good impression on the incoming freshmen, the two majors had specially dispatched the few girls in their programs to work the welcome points.

Although the weather was hot, the girls were in high spirits. They were tired of looking at the guys in their own classes; seeing the new freshmen was pure bliss.

This was especially true for the few who came from the Arts Department. With their height and long legs, their looks were on a different level from the typical science and engineering guys, making the girls’ hearts flutter.

A lot of people arrived in the morning. Around noon, there was a lull, likely because everyone had gone to eat. After finishing their lunch, the girls gathered together, chatting as they organized the freshmen materials.

They hadn’t said more than a few words when they saw two tall guys walking over from a distance. New students usually arrive lugging large bags and suitcases, but these two were each carrying only a single backpack, looking completely refreshed.

The girls: “!”

“Quick, look! Two hotties at three o’clock!!”

“Are they freshmen? I haven’t seen them before.”

“I don’t know! They’re coming over!”

Only when they got closer did the girls see that both were holding admission notices. They were freshmen!

Amidst their excitement, the girls felt a deep sense of regret.

Those looks, that height, those proportions, and that sense of style!

There was no way they were from the Mathematical Sciences Department or the Computer Science and Technology Department!!

The two handsome guys walked right up to them. Before they could even speak, the girls pointed in another direction, their hearts aching. “Excuse me, you’re in the wrong place. The Arts Department is over there.”

Jiang Zhihuo said, “We’re not in the wrong place. This is the Mathematical Sciences Department and the Computer Science and Technology Department, right?”