Chapter 38.2

Upon waking up the next day, Jiang Zhihuo noticed the empty space beside him; it was just him alone. He felt momentarily dazed, thinking to himself, As expected, the top student really doesn’t need sleep. Even though it isn’t dawn yet, he had already gotten up.

Once he shook off the daze, Jiang Zhihuo came to the realization that he was back home and no longer staying with Yan Mu.

Upon discovering this, the last remnants of sleepiness quickly disappeared.

It was currently 5:30 in the morning.

Jiang Zhihuo, lying with his arms crossed under his head, couldn’t help but start overthinking.

Why is it so hard to feel happy?

After thinking for a while, Jiang Zhihuo came to the conclusion that this sadness must simply stem from his routines.

Many people said that habits were hard to change.

There were also many people who said that it took twenty-one days to form a habit.

Living with Yan Mu for over two months, he had already gotten used to it.

He had grown accustomed to having this person around, to the constant bickering, and to the way they hurt each other.

Honestly, he and Yan Mu were indeed too intimate.

Even though the physical contact was compelled by the marking issue, they eventually kissed, hugged, and slept in the same bed.

They had been love rivals, argued frequently and often irritated one another.

After all the ups and downs, they ended up back where they began, each returning to their original life paths.

Jiang Zhihuo let out a silent sigh and softly squeezed his left shoulder with his right hand.

He had a tattoo on his shoulder, a design he had drawn two years ago.

The tattoo artist was very considerate. Noticing that he was quite young, the artist advised him to think carefully, stating, “Once it’s done, it’s difficult to remove. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Jiang Zhihuo replied, “Yes, I have to.”

It was a simple design of a half seashell. The tattoo artist applied some beautiful colors. It wasn’t very large and didn’t stand out too much.

It represented a part of his past he was unable to let go of—the person he was unwilling to forget.

He remembered a certain day from a long time ago

Tears welling in their eyes, Father Yun and Mother Yun gave him to a middle-aged man he had encountered just once before.

In exchange came another boy the same age as him.

Only on that day did he learn the truth.

His family. His name. His childhood sweetheart.

None of it was his.

It felt the same. After eight years of going around in circles, he didn’t even have a moment to say goodbye before being abruptly thrust back into a life that belonged to him yet felt entirely unfamiliar.

*

Jiang Zhihuo forced himself to squint for a bit, and only when it was time did he finally rise from bed to wash.

Today, he was on time. The bus was very packed, and at one of the stops, several elementary school kids wearing small yellow hats squeezed in, chatting excitedly as they said hello to their friends on the bus.

The bus also carried office workers in suits and leather shoes, cradling soy milk and steamed buns in their arms, leaning against the window and half-asleep.

Jiang Zhihuo slid open the window, and the morning breeze rushed against his face, slipping down his collar and into his clothes. It was a bit cold, but he didn’t mind; instead, he focused on adjusting his mood.

The world is always full of wonders.

When they were still love rivals and enemies, Jiang Zhihuo felt he could encounter Yan Mu anywhere. The tall, handsome, and distant boy always drew attention, easily noticeable no matter the location; even in the cafeteria, he could unexpectedly find himself sharing a table with him.

Having gone around in circles, there was no longer any reason to argue, yet they couldn’t even meet. They were clearly on the same floor and taking the same PE class, but Yan Mu was nowhere to be found.

Jiang Zhihuo sat atop the portable basketball hoop, tilted his head back, and drank the cold, sweet drink eagerly, feeling refreshed in both body and spirit.

With a gentle throw, Chang Luo sent the basketball flying; it bounced off the floor and settled into Jiang Zhihuo’s hands.

Chang Luo sat down next to him and asked, “Huo-ge, are you feeling down today?”

Jiang Zhihuo thought he had concealed his feelings and, somewhat surprised, replied, “Is it really that obvious?”

Chang Luo pointed off to the side. “I’m not sure, but a few juniors over there asked me to find out how you’re doing.”

Jiang Zhihuo turned to where Chang Luo had pointed and noticed a few juniors gathered near the basketball court. When they caught sight of him, several girls pushed one of their own forward. The girl felt uneasy, clasping her hands behind her back while lowering her head in shyness.

Jiang Zhihuo raised the corners of his mouth and flashed a faint smile.

Then he said to Chang Luo, “Don’t do this kind of thing again in the future.”

Chang Luo took a sip of his drink and mused, “Huo-ge, it seems like you’re genuinely in a bad mood.”

Jiang Zhihuo lowered his voice and abruptly asked, “Let ask you a question.”

Chang Luo said, “Go ahead.”

Jiang Zhihuo stated, “Kissed, held hands, slept in the same bed… is it still possible to be just friends?”

Chang Luo almost spat out his drink. “???”

“What did you just say?” Chang Luo exclaimed, his eyes widening. “Huo-ge, you and who… kissed, held hands, and slept, slept together?”

Jiang Zhihuo clarified, “It’s not that kind of sleeping! It’s sleeping on the same bed!”

Caught off guard by the sudden news, Chang Luo couldn’t speak in his usual slow manner. “It’s not important, but who was it that you did that with?!!”

“It’s not me; it’s… one of my friends,” Jiang Zhihuo said, lowering his gaze. “Never mind.”

He didn’t pursue the topic any longer, placed his drink down, and went back to the basketball court. When he played sports, there was no time to dwell on anything else. Every shot he took was filled with effort. The feeling of sweating was soothing, and the wind created by his movement was relaxing. There was no reason not to let himself enjoy a good, satisfying game.

The opposing team completely fell apart mentally. They were unable to defend against Jiang Zhihuo, much less score any points. It wasn’t until the PE teacher blew the whistle that this one-sided defeat finally came to an end.

When the game was over, a boy who had played basketball with Jiang Zhihuo draped his arm over his shoulder. “Huo-ge, you were fierce today!”

One of the cheeky boys said, “Is it because there are girls watching from the sidelines?”

“Those few pretty freshmen just came to watch you, right, Huo-ge?”

“Maybe they’re here to see me?”

“Stop that, you play badly, you’re not even handsome, what is there to look at? Your sexy, charming big eyes?”

The boys who had just completed their PE class were still bursting with energy. After the workout, the slight confusion in Jiang Zhihuo’s heart was also pushed aside.

As they walked back to the classroom, the afternoon sunlight illuminated their sweat-covered skin, giving it a slight rosy hue. Jiang Zhihuo wiped his sweat with the collar of his shirt and casually chatted with the other boys. When he looked up, he saw Yan Mu and Xie Qiu approaching him from the other side of the sports field.

The moment he saw that face, the little confusion he had finally managed to suppress came rushing back.

So, after kissing, holding hands, and sharing a bed, can they still be friends?

Jiang Zhihuo didn’t have time to consider his thoughts. As the distance between them decreased, he adjusted his expression to display a smile he believed was bright and handsome. He raised his hand and waved at Yan Mu. Perhaps feeling overly nervous and concerned about appearing natural, his heart began to race, thumping against his chest.

Yan Mu responded with a subtle nod, remaining as calm as ever.

After that, the two walked past each other without any further interaction.

Jiang Zhihuo: “……”

Jiang Zhihuo: “………………”

Damn it, how can Yan Mu be so calm about this!!!

*

The class party was planned for Saturday and was organized by Old Ding. It was to take place during the day, from 8 AM to 5 PM. The students’ parents fully supported the event, believing that after a full day of studying, their children needed a break to relax and enjoy themselves. They even contributed the food for the occasion.

The party venue was filled with various activities. Initially, a large group gathered in a big circle to chat before breaking off into smaller groups for different games. Jiang Zhihuo took a group of both male and female students into a room to play Werewolf.

Huo-ge was really good at acting and had strong reasoning skills, plus he knew a lot of clever tricks. When he played as a civilian, he could always spot the werewolves by noticing the flaws in what they said. He carried the game all the way, especially when he took on the roles of Seer or Werewolf.

Huo-ge was unbeatable; he controlled the game so well it felt effortless. In the end, he had to play as God, knowing everything but unable to intervene or say a word. He watched in frustration as the civilians wrongly suspected the Seer, the werewolves ended up taking each other out, and they cheated to get the antidote. The pig teammates simply harmed each other.

The class monitor joined the game as well. During halftime, while chatting with everyone, he checked his phone, and his smile immediately disappeared.

“Banban, what’s wrong?” Tang Anmiao asked.

“I…” The class monitor kept scrolling, then looked up with a blank expression. “My goddess… she just publicly announced that she’s getting married.”

The people around leaned in closer to see the class monitor’s phone screen.

The class monitor’s goddess was a famous foreign voice actress known for her roles as mature, strong female characters. Many of her performances became viral. She was also very attractive and started her career years ago as an idol singer. Even now, some of her iconic songs are still popular among fans, and many otakus consider her a goddess.

Today, the goddess shared her wedding photos on Twitter, and the groom is another famous male voice actor in the industry.

The comment section below was flooded with cries of despair.

The class monitor was wearing a T-shirt featuring the very first character voiced by his goddess. He put down his phone, looking gloomy and dejected. “I’ve had my heart broken.”

“It’s okay, Class Monitor! You can rewatch the old anime!”

“Wait, this character! I recognize her! My childhood idol, oh my god! It is really the same voice actor!!”

“She actually got married? My youth is over!”

“There are thousands of voice actress idols; why focus on just one?”

The class monitor stressed, “I’ve had my heart broken!!”

The class monitor was genuinely upset. Jiang Zhihuo wrapped his arm around his shoulder, gestured for the crowd to come closer, and made a mysterious proposal.

“Heartbreak is serious. How about we take the class monitor out for drinks tonight?”

*

On Saturday night, at 8:30, Yan Mu arrived at Xiang Yao.

Qu Xiao and Wen Da had already arrived, ordering fried chicken and popcorn alongside cocktails, and they were drinking.

The two were a bit surprised that Yan Mu had taken the initiative to invite them out. They were curious about what had happened to him. But as soon as he walked in, he buried his head in his drink and said nothing. They tried to get him to talk for a long time but couldn’t get a word out of him.

Alright, maybe Young Master Yan just wanted some friends around.

Actually, it wasn’t that Yan Mu refused to talk; he just didn’t know how to express himself.

Jiang Zhihuo suddenly moved in boldly but later left quietly once things had settled, as if nothing had happened.

The house looked just like it always had, with no extra belongings or anything missing. After living alone for so long, he had never felt so empty.

“Young Master Yan,” Wen Da said, leaning closer to Yan Mu, trying to get some information. “Is… someone bothering you?”

Qu Xiao rolled his eyes. “Who would dare to upset Young Master Yan? Do you dare?” He quickly thought of an excuse. “Is it because you didn’t do well on the exam this time?”

Wen Da sneered. “Your question is even more absurd than mine. Even if Young Master Yan did poorly on the exam, he could still score 300 points higher than you. Do you believe that?”

“……” Qu Xiao asked offhandedly, “So, what’s going on? Did Shin make you unhappy again?”

Yan Mu’s hand stiffened.

Wen Da: “It’s true?”

Qu Xiao said angrily. “What did Shin do to you? I told you, with Young Master Yan’s temperament, you two were never going to get along. I should have fired him earlier. Young Master Yan, just give the order, and from today, there will be no such employee at Xiang Yao!”

Yan Mu: “He…”

The bar’s music was too loud, making it hard to hear, so Wen Da and Qu Xiao instinctively leaned in closer.

Just as he opened his mouth, Yan Mu’s phone started ringing, and the words he was about to say abruptly halted.

The screen showed Jiang Zhihuo’s number. When he answered, the voice on the other end was Chang Luo’s.

Chang Luo usually had a mild temperament, but he felt a bit intimidated by Yan Mu’s distant and cold aura. He asked cautiously, “Yan…God Yan, Huo-ge is drunk and specifically asked for you to come pick him up. Would you… be able to come over for a bit?”

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The author has something to say:

Getting drunk definitely have to stir up some trouble~