Chapter 55.1

Some things—once the timing has passed, it’s over.

Some words, if you didn’t get the chance to say them, then there’s no way to bring them up anymore.

Some relationships, if you didn’t push forward in time, then you can only stop where they are—for now.

When Yan Mu walked Jiang Zhihuo out of the residential area, his expression was dark and gloomy.

It was easy to read his mood. Jiang Zhihuo patted his shoulder and comforted him. “It’s okay. We’ll always be good… friends.”

He purposely paused with extra emphasis on the last word, and Yan Mu was so annoyed he didn’t say a word for a long time.

Jiang Zhihuo knew Yan-ge‘s temper well—before Yan Mu could raise his hand to hit him, he quickly hopped a step away, then casually leaned back against him again.

“Yan-ge, it’s fine.”

It was a pity the kiss didn’t happen, but the person was still here and wasn’t going anywhere—there’d be another chance next time.

Jiang Zhihuo’s state of mind was more open-minded than ever.

After all, seeing the great God of Learning Yan with such a frustrated look was pretty satisfying.

Not long after, headlights appeared at the corner. The taxi he booked stopped at the residential entrance, honking at the two waiting there.

Jiang Zhihuo waved to Yan Mu and got in the car.

Yan Mu watched the car drive into the street and was about to head back when Qu Xiao messaged in the group chat: I learned a few cocktail recipes to impress girls! Anyone want to come try them out?! @Yan Mu @Wen Da

Wen Da replied with a picture of a wedding venue.

Wen Da: Thanks for the invite. I’m in Hawaii right now—can’t make it back for now.

Qu Xiao: …Is ‘thanks for the invite’ used like this?

Qu Xiao: @Yan Mu Where’s Yan-ge? You’ve been letting my top bartender take a break for far too long. Don’t you think it’s time you made up for that?

Yan Mu:  .

At Xiang Yao Bar.

Yan Mu showed up pretty quickly. He wore a T-shirt and jacket with cargo pants—very casual, not the kind of outfit someone wore to pick up people at a bar.

As soon as he got there, he sat at the bar counter with a cold face.

Qu Xiao rarely saw Yan Mu like this. He was always indifferent, but today there seemed to be a bit more… depressed?

“What’s going on with Young Master Yan today?”

Qu Xiao poured the ingredients into a shaker, held it with both hands, and shook it with an overly showy flair.

Qu Xiao asked him, “Although I was the one who forced you to come, you shouldn’t be this reluctant, right?”

Right after he said that, his hand froze mid-shake, still in the air. He paused for a long moment without moving. “…Hold on, Young Master Yan—I forgot the steps. Let me check really quick.”

He pulled out his phone, set it on the bar counter, tilted his head, and read as he kept going, mumbling under his breath, “Put ice into the glass… pour in the shaken liquor… garnish with a lemon slice and cherry… alright, done!”

Qu Xiao pushed the freshly made Long Island Iced Tea toward Yan Mu and asked, “How is it?”

The cocktails were perfectly colored and looked quite professional.

Yan Mu silently took a sip under Qu Xiao’s expectant gaze, set the glass down, and said nothing.

Qu Xiao: “?”

Yan Mu: “…….”

Qu Xiao: “Alright!!!”

He knew exactly what that silence meant.

It tasted awful, that’s all!

Making cocktails was just like cooking—it was a bit of a mystery. There were recipes and ingredient lists, but the end result always tasted different depending on who made it!

Shin’s drinks appeared good and tasted even better. Girls came by every night merely for his cocktails. However, when it came to Boss Qu’s own creations—forget it. Young Master Yan wouldn’t even throw him a half-hearted ‘It’s alright.’

It looks like using bartending skills to flirt was useless.

“So, what’s going on with you, Young Master Yan?” Qu Xiao stood behind the bar counter, dutifully packing up his tools, but his gossip was still going strong. Ever since Yan Mu said he was going after Shin, his usual cool-guy image had been falling apart nonstop.

He guessed, “The date didn’t go well?”

Yan Mu: “……”

The kiss was planned three times — it definitely had nothing to do with going smoothly.

He turned his phone screen toward Qu Xiao.

Jiang Zhihuo had just posted a selfie on his Moments, captioned: Let me show you all my ge!!

In the photo, the two people were sitting in the backseat of a car. Jiang Zhihuo leaned forward holding the phone, and the guy beside him was attractive—gentle features, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and a warm, soft smile. He looked like a kind gentleman.

The mutual friends were all commenting: Li-ge is back! It’s been ages, senior! Finally back in Lincheng!

Yan Mu: “I spent the whole day with him. Not a single post.”

When he said that, Qu Xiao didn’t even react right away—he thought he was hearing things.

Qu Xiao’s eyes widened. “…Are you seriously jealous over a Moments post?”

This was the first time he’d ever heard Young Master Yan sound so aggrieved—like a little puppy that had been abandoned.

“Maybe it was just a coincidence?”

Qu Xiao tried to smooth things over. “Even if he posted it, it doesn’t mean anything, right? What if they really are brothers?”

Yan Mu didn’t answer. He picked up his glass and took another sip.

As expected, it still didn’t taste good.

He set the glass down and looked up at Qu Xiao. “Do you have anything that can get me drunk in one go?”

Qu Xiao instinctively leaned back a little. “…What are you planning to do?”

Yan Mu didn’t answer directly; he slowly muttered, “Self-healing.”

Qu Xiao: “……”

Brother, that heartbreak’s hitting you way too hard.

He must have misheard!

How could Yan-ge possibly speak in that kind of tone?

However, when he saw Yan Mu frown slightly, give a bitter little like on the post, then flip his phone screen-down onto the table and down that awful drink in one go—only then did Qu Xiao finally believe his ears.

He hadn’t heard wrong!

That was Yan-ge speaking earlier!

So, this is what Yan-ge is like when he’s in love?!

Just as Qu Xiao was marveling that love really does change people, the bar door swung open. A man in a suit walked in. He looked around the bar for a familiar bartender but did not see anyone, and although he was clearly a little frustrated, he still politely asked, “Boss, is Shin not working tonight either? I remember he’s usually on shift Sunday nights?”

Boss Qu raised his chin with theatrical pride and nodded toward Yan Mu. “Next week, definitely. If he skips again for some excuse, I’ll just fire him.”

Yan Mu: “……”

That line sounded like it was meant for the suited man, but in truth, it was aimed straight at Yan Mu—a blatant warning.

“Alright, got it.” Before stepping out the door, the man picked up his briefcase and glanced at Yan Mu.

The wind chime over the door jingled as it shut automatically. Seeing the man leave, Qu Xiao leaned over to Yan Mu. “You saw that, right? Shin’s still super popular! That guy has come by several times already to ask about Shin!”

“What’s he asking about Shin for?”

“I don’t know, probably because the drinks he mix taste good. Shin’s sales have always been the best. Adults, you know, they look all polished at work during the day, but at night when they come to the bar, they can let loose and go wild.”

Although the bar was a gift from his older brother, Qu Xiao had been managing it long enough to witness many events. As he spoke, another thought hit him. “Ah—maybe the guy likes him? You know how bars are. A few drinks, a little flirting, and then…”

Yan Mu shot him a glance that was as sharp as a blade.

Qu Xiao wisely shut his mouth and dropped the subject.

*

The next time Yan Mu saw Jiang Zhihuo was the following day, at school.

It was the start of a new week. Jiang Zhihuo didn’t sleep in—he woke up early because the night before, Yan Mu had asked if he wanted to have breakfast together.

High schoolers usually ate their breakfast in the classroom.

Upon arriving at school, Jiang Zhihuo found a group of students enjoying their breakfast together. Jiang Zhihuo gave them a quick “Morning,” then slumped over his desk to catch some sleep.

He lived far away, so he had to get up even earlier than most. He had to wake up at 6, but others could wake up at 6:50.

That was why he was late almost every day before moving into Yan Mu’s place. With a part-time job at night, getting up at six in the morning just wasn’t doable—it was way too hard.

“Hey, Huo-ge, what are you having for breakfast?” Sun Liyu noticed Jiang Zhihuo walk in empty-handed. “Don’t tell me you came to class just to sleep… huh?”

Sun Liyu’s words trailed off mid-sentence—no need to finish. Huo-ge definitely wasn’t here to sleep, because right then, the mighty God of Learning Yan walked into Class 1 carrying a bag of breakfast.

Sun Liyu: !!!!!!

Did he come to the classroom for a date?!

God of Learning Yan from Class 4 of the third senior year walked with a powerful aura. He was the same age as the others but clearly raised in a wealthy family—compared to him, the other high schoolers looked like timid little chicks. As soon as they saw him come in, no one dared mention the fact that he was switching into their class. Without a word, they gave up their seats.

“You’re here…” Jiang Zhihuo didn’t look surprised at all to see Yan Mu. He struggled to sit up, turning his body so he wasn’t slumped on his own desk anymore and instead lay face-down on Chang Luo’s desk.

He still wasn’t fully awake and didn’t even have the strength to lift his hand. Moving like a dying old man, Jiang Zhihuo slowly reached for the soy milk not far away. Noticing how difficult it was for Jiang Zhihuo, Yan Mu inserted the straw into the soy milk and placed it in front of him, adding a sarcastic jab, “Need me to feed you?”

“No need.” Jiang Zhihuo fired back, “Thanks, friend.”

“…” Yan Mu really didn’t like that word anymore. He said, “I suggest you stop saying the word friend.”

Jiang Zhihuo grinned and bit onto the straw. “Okay, friend.”

Yan Mu stuffed a steamed soup dumpling into his mouth to shut him up.

The steamed soup dumpling from this place had thin skins and lots of bite-sized filling. Jiang Zhihuo propped up his chin and took a big bite, his left cheek puffing up like a little bun.

Yan Mu peeled a tea egg for him and suddenly remembered something. “Someone at the bar asked about you yesterday.”

“Let them ask.” Jiang Zhihuo was used to it—he was too handsome; people asking about him was nothing new. However, considering what he was involved with recently, he still asked, “Who?”

“A guy in a suit,” Yan Mu said.

“!”

The moment he heard that, Jiang Zhihuo instantly sat up straight, sucked on the soy milk, and swallowed the steamed soup dumpling. “You didn’t talk to him, right?”

“Nope,” Yan Mu replied. “He asked and left.”

Jiang Zhihuo took the tea egg and said, “I can’t explain it for now, but don’t go to the bar for the time being.”

Yan Mu looked up, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Zhihuo’s serious expression. He didn’t press the issue—only said, “Okay.”

After their brief breakfast, Yan Mu returned to the classroom. Right before class started, he opened the CP thread for a brief look.

Sure enough, the thread had new posts.

Even this early in the morning, the CP girls were still full of energy. One said she saw God of Learning Yan and the school bully Jiang sharing a desk for breakfast, and the comments instantly exploded with prairie-dog-level screaming.

Yan Mu exited the forum.

Good, not being posted on someone’s Moments and getting choked up by the word ‘friend’ first thing in the morning — that sour mood improved a lot.

Monday’s long break was for the flag-raising ceremony. After that, a few students from the competition class were called to the office.

“This Wednesday, you’ll be going to Jiangcheng for the competition preliminaries. It’ll be about a three-day trip. Please bear with the tight schedule these next couple of days.”

The teacher in charge explained the next steps and important details, then handed everyone a form for parental consent since it was an out-of-town trip.

As soon as he got the form, Yan Mu frowned slightly.

Right then, a few senior girls walked by the office, craning their necks to peek inside.

“It’s senior!”

“It really is!”

“Senior Li is so handsome, oh my god!”

“They mentioned a super handsome senior before, and I didn’t care then—but now that I see him, he’s seriously gorgeous!”

The girls were loud enough that it distracted the students listening. Everyone turned to look in the direction they were staring.

There had been too many people earlier to notice, but now that the crowd had thinned, they saw a young man in a tan coat chatting with Ding Jianhui.

The young man had a gentle, refined appearance. Under his coat, he wore a button-up shirt, every button fastened all the way to the top with meticulous precision — he looked exactly like someone who did research for a living. And he looked identical to that Li-ge from Jiang Zhihuo’s Moments.

As the office grew quieter, the warm tone of Li Muhe’s voice could be heard as he smiled and said, “I see, as long as Xiao Huo is improving, that’s good. Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Ding.”

“Oh no, no, not at all.” Ding Jianhui, holding his wolfberry tea, waved off the praise and pointed toward Yan Mu. “It’s all thanks to Yan Mu from Class 4, who helped tutor him.”

Li Muhe followed the direction and saw a boy with striking features but a cold expression meeting his gaze.

He nodded at him gently.

There was a stir outside the door. Another head peeked in—Jiang Zhihuo waved at Yan Mu, then nervously glanced over at Li Muhe.

Li Muhe clearly noticed him too. After finishing his talk with Ding Jianhui, he walked straight to the door. Jiang Zhihuo, typically a school bully who feared nothing, suddenly turned obedient in front of Li-ge. Li Muhe said something to him with a smile, then gently ruffled his hair.

At lunch, Zong Bei and Jiang Zhihuo found a spot in the cafeteria. Zong Bei asked, “I heard Senior Muhe came to school?”

“Yeah.” Jiang Zhihuo sighed helplessly. “He came back to visit the teachers, but the first thing he did was go ask Old Ding about my grades! So tragic!”

“Pffft, hahahahaha!” Zong Bei laughed heartlessly. “Serves you right! Skipping class all the time—only a senior like him can keep you in check!”

“So who’s Li-ge?” Yan Mu put his tray down beside Jiang Zhihuo, and Xie Qiu sat across from him.

The four of them were once again gathered at one table.

Jiang Zhihuo always told everyone that Li Muhe was his brother—his real brother. Although they had different surnames, no one considered it strange. These days it wasn’t rare to have brothers with different surnames—one taking after the dad, one after the mom. Totally normal. Besides, their bond was clearly strong. High school classmates might not see it clearly, but Zong Bei had been Jiang Zhihuo’s classmate in junior high school. Zong Bei had been to his house a few times when they were in a one-on-one tutoring program.

However, Yan Mu and Jiang Zhihuo hadn’t gotten along before, so they’d never added each other on WeChat. He definitely wouldn’t have gone digging into his background, so of course, he didn’t know about his relationship with Li Muhe.

“He’s my brother,” Jiang Zhihuo said.

Yan Mu asked again, “Why?”

“Ah, what do you mean why?” Zong Bei had always liked Li Muhe and had openly said many times how jealous he was of Jiang Zhihuo for having such a wonderful brother. “Back in junior high school, they even lived together. Senior Muhe would pick him up every day after class, bring him snacks and warmth…”

Zong Bei was the only child and didn’t understand sibling bonds—he was just envious, so he went on and on about it.

“Remember that year in the second junior year when I had to tutor Huo-ge one-on-one? I don’t know how you did it, God Yan, but I was about to lose my mind! Senior Muhe bought me all this stuff and even apologized, like, ‘Sorry to trouble you with Xiao Huo.’ And he spoiled him rotten—every time he got something fun, he gave it to him first. Honestly, if I had a brother like that, I’d die of happiness!”

After listening to the whole rant, Yan Mu didn’t react at all. He calmly took a bite of his food and said, “No wonder you posted him on Moments yesterday but didn’t post me.”

Jiang Zhihuo: “…?”