Chapter 75

Chapter 75

The car was parked right at the door; Yuan Ting opened the rear door.

Cheng Nanyi didn’t bring a suitcase, just a small duffel bag. There was also a large bag on the back seat, which Yuan Ting glanced at; it was filled with various local snacks and specialties.

Yuan Ting also carried it inside.

"Is this for me?" Yuan Ting shook the bag in his hand.

"Yes, they are some specialties brought by my dorm mates. I thought they were pretty tasty, so I brought them back for you to try."

Yuan Ting looked at the snack bags labeled with names of different places, pursing his lips.

Online shopping isn't very developed yet, so many local specialties are hard to come by unless you visit the place.

"Oh." Yuan Ting took a package, opened it, and started eating right away.

Cheng Nan Yi clicked his tongue: "Can't even say thank you?"

"Hmph," Yuan Ting snorted, "Admit what you said earlier, then I'll say thank you."

"If I said I didn't, then I didn't."

Cheng Nan Yi walked over, ruffled Yuan Ting's hair forcefully, then grabbed his luggage to take out clothes, revealing only a pair of underwear and sleepwear inside.

The so-called bathroom in the yard was rather basic, built especially for Yuan Ting and Yuan Xiao to shower. Despite its simplicity, it had a heating lamp, making it quite warm.

After taking turns showering, Yuan Ting returned to find Cheng Nan Yi leaning on his bed, browsing his phone.

"The bedding is all new," Yuan Ting pointed to Yuan Xiao's bed.

"I'll sleep here," Cheng Nan Yi didn't move.

"Fine, if you don't mind me, you can sleep there. I'll sleep in Yuan Xiao's bed."

"No," Cheng Nan Yi objected.

"What's wrong?" Yuan Ting looked at him.

"You can't sleep there either."

"Why not?" Yuan Ting was puzzled.

"That's Yuan Xiao's bed," Cheng Nan Yi stated.

"..." Yuan Ting was speechless, "Yes, it's Yuan Xiao's bed, but the bedding has been changed to new ones." Even if it hadn't, what's wrong with him sleeping in his brother's bed?

"It's still his bed."

Yuan Ting, amused and exasperated, pointed to his nose, "I'm the one sleeping, not you."

"Still, you can't."

“……”

Yuan Ting walked over and touched his forehead, "Cheng Nan Yi, are you drunk?"

"No," Cheng Nan Yi said calmly, "You just can't sleep in someone else's bed."

Yuan Ting: "..." He's crazy, seriously crazy.

Cheng Nan Yi's gaze shifted from his phone to Yuan Ting's knee, where a bruise was visible.

Yuan Ting had been terrified at the time, kneeling with unrestrained force.

Yuan Ting always surprised him, like how he threw himself over him in the fire, yet just when he thought Yuan Ting cared about him, he left without hesitation.

And before today, he had been obviously avoiding him, yet he broke down crying at the thought of him being in a car accident.

"Does it hurt?" Cheng Nan Yi reached out and gently touched it.

"It's okay," Yuan Ting shifted uncomfortably backwards.

Cheng Nan Yi looked up at him.

Yuan Ting cleared his throat, took off his shoes, and got into bed. Forget it, no point in arguing. Sharing a bed is not a big deal; it’s not like they hadn’t slept together before.

Fortunately, the bed wasn't too small, slightly larger than a single bed at school, so it wasn't too cramped for two.

Yuan Ting may have physically compromised, but verbally he didn't hold back: "I haven’t changed these sheets or covers for three months. I eat in bed, there are crumbs everywhere. Who knows, maybe there are roaches and lice under the mattress..."

After venting, Yuan Ting closed his eyes to sleep, only to be pulled up by Cheng Nan Yi, insisting they swap the new bedding from Yuan Xiao's bed onto this one.

"???" Yuan Ting stared at him, "Are you out of your mind?"

Cheng Nan Yi squinted at him: "Who was it that kept talking such disgusting things all night instead of sleeping?"

"I..." Yuan Ting, frustrated and speechless, glared at Cheng Nan Yi for a long while before suggesting, "Then let's go sleep on Yuan Xiao's bed."

"No, that's Yuan Xiao's bed."

Yuan Ting: "..."

Left with no choice, Yuan Ting got off the bed to rearrange the bedding.

Changing bedding in the middle of the night instead of sleeping... Ah, it's so infuriating.

Had he owed Cheng Nan Yi something in a past life?

Well, yes, he actually did owe him.

The next morning, Cheng Nan Yi helped Yuan Ting make a plan. Yuan Ting verbally resisted but sat obediently at the desk, listening to Cheng Nan Yi.

In the afternoon, as usual, Cheng Nan Yi prepared to drive back. Grandma had fried a big jar of beef sauce for him to take back to school for his meals. After thanking her, he accepted it.

"So, uh," Yuan Ting leaned on the car window to speak, "Maybe next time, you just shouldn’t come back."

"What, having second thoughts?" Cheng Nan Yi gave him a sidelong glance.

Yuan Ting glared back: "Can't you understand when someone's being nice or mean?"

"Yes." Cheng Nan Yi nodded, then chuckled, "Honestly, Yuan Ting, I never believe a word you say." After speaking, he rolled up the window and drove off.

？？？

Yuan Ting picked up a stone and waved it aimlessly, ultimately not throwing it, just spitting out a "Tch".

That evening, when Yuan Ting went to the school for night study, Duan Wen Ze approached him: "Come on, I bought a few more comics. You pick first."

"Not interested." Yuan Ting pushed the comic away.

"Why not?" Duan Wen Ze was puzzled. Yuan Ting used to love reading comics, didn’t he?

"I need to study."

"?????" Duan Wen Ze burst into laughter, "What are you saying, you studying? Hahahaha..." This was the biggest and funniest joke he had heard all year.

Yuan Ting turned to him, serious: "I'm not joking. I want to quietly excel and then amaze everyone."

"..." Duan Wen Ze reached out to touch his forehead, "No fever... so, have you gone mad? Starting to talk nonsense?"

Yuan Ting swatted his hand away: "Yes, I've gone crazy, and I'm dragging you down with me."

Duan Wen Ze never cared for studying, and his father never interfered, always advocating freedom. So, Yuan Ting had no burden in sinking into indolence alongside him.

But!!! Now he was determined to strive for excellence. How could he let Duan Wen Ze enjoy life alone? That was unacceptable.

No one should be more comfortable than him! That was the bottom line!

"Eh..." Duan Wen Ze immediately stepped back, "You're crazy."

Yuan Ting sneered: "Do you really think with your poor grades, you can catch up to Gu Yu Qi?" Strike the snake at its vital point.

"Hey." Duan Wen Ze got angry, "I am rich."

"Heh." Yuan Ting scoffed, "As if Gu Yu Qi's family isn't wealthy." They all attended prestigious schools, who was to say who was better?

Yuan Ting began counting on his fingers, "Gu Yu Qi has wealth, looks, knowledge, and culture. What do you have? Apart from your dad's money, what else do you have? Do you have substance? Do you have looks? Can you connect with her on an intellectual level? If she speaks Alpha, can you respond with Beta?"

Duan Wen Ze was dumbstruck.

Yuan Ting tossed a workbook to him: "From now on, study hard. Would I sacrifice my time to study with you if it weren't to help you catch up with Gu Yu Qi? You should be grateful, understand? Brothers should be willing to go through thick and thin for each other, and I'm just the perfect brother."

Duan Wen Ze took the workbook with tears in his eyes.

"But, I can't learn this stuff," Duan Wen Ze said, looking at the incomprehensible symbols in the book and yawning.

"Doesn't matter, you'll never catch up with Gu Yu Qi in your lifetime."

Duan Wen Ze: "..."

Yuan Ting began to study diligently, paying attention in class, completing assignments meticulously, and even motivating Duan Wen Ze to study along with him, which astonished their homeroom teacher.

Yuan Ting's lack of interest in studies didn't mean he was bad at it. His poor performance previously was just to irk his teachers and Cheng Nan Yi. Besides, he had knowledge from his past life and wasn't really of low intelligence, so as long as he wanted to, he could do well.

"Teacher, don't worry, I will study hard and make you proud."

The homeroom teacher's heart warmed, seeing his student maturing.

After Cheng Nan Yi visited a couple more times, winter break began.

Cheng Nan Yi's winter break was busier than school days, needing to accompany his grandfather, leaving him no time to look after Yuan Ting.

Yuan Xiao, having free time during the holidays and originally intending to tutor Yuan Ting, was turned down. Instead, Yuan Ting, along with Duan Wen Ze, enrolled in a coaching class... the same one Gu Yu Qi had joined.

Duan Wen Ze experienced a mix of pain and pleasure.

Duan Zhen Shan was shocked to see his son suddenly taking an interest in studies. Upon learning it was Yuan Ting's influence, he rushed to the coaching class, paid Yuan Ting's fees, and grasping Yuan Ting’s hand, said, "Young master, if you can lead my son onto the right path, I’ll be grateful for generations."

"Thanks, haha," Yuan Ting pulled away his hand, "No need for generations, just this lifetime will do. Introduce more business to my dad, Mr. Duan. We can consider it a long-term win-win collaboration."

"Absolutely, absolutely," Duan Zhen Shan nodded vigorously, "In the future, when young master Cheng takes charge, I’ll still be counting on you."

Yuan Ting: "..." Truly a businessman, never missing a chance to profit.

And what's with this 'young master Cheng'? Does he know the guy has issues in his head?

Yuan Ting was seriously committed to studying this time. His vow to quietly excel and then astonish everyone was no joke. If a day comes when he has to stand before the elder Cheng and Cheng Shao Lin, he wants to be the best match for Cheng Nan Yi in every aspect except gender.

Yuan Ting studied tirelessly, sleeping past midnight and waking up at five in the morning to memorize words, using every possible moment, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down.

With Cheng Nan Yi's tutoring, by the end of the first year of high school, Yuan Ting ranked fifth in his class.

And Duan Wen Ze, dragged along by Yuan Ting for half a year, moved up from the very bottom to just tenth from the bottom...

The homeroom teacher now looked at Yuan Ting with stars in his eyes, repeatedly using him as an example to motivate the class.

After the first semester of the second year of high school, the school had a major exam. Those who scored well could enter the advanced 'rocket' class, while those who did poorly in the rocket class would be demoted to the regular class. Yuan Ting just barely made it into Rocket Class 2.

Duan Wen Ze: "!!!!"

Homeroom Teacher: "!!!!"

Yuan Ting, packing his things, waved to them: "Teacher, as the only student in our class to make it into the rocket class, I'll make you proud."

Homeroom Teacher: "..."

"Duan Wen Ze, I'm going to be Gu Yu Qi’s desk mate again, see you."

Duan Wen Ze, who just ranked 30th in the class: "..." What happened to brotherhood?

Yuan Ting moved his desk to Rocket Class 2 and walked straight to Gu Yu Qi's desk: "Hey, old deskmate."

Gu Yu Qi, who just lost her deskmate: "..." How did this noticeable troublemaker end up here again?

Yuan Ting's admission to Rocket Class shocked the Yuan family. Wasn't Yuan Ting a slacker? How did he manage to get into Rocket Class?

"Is Rocket Class the same one Yuan Xiao used to be in?" Grandma asked, confused, "Does it mean he's definitely going to college?"

"It's not a guarantee, but it means... as long as nothing goes wrong, there's a high probability," Yuan Ting modestly replied.

"My son, this brilliant?" Yuan Qing Guang was still in disbelief, "Son, are you sure you didn't cheat?"

Yuan Ting, speechless: "Me, cheat? Haven't you seen me studying day and night since high school?"

"That was studying?" Yuan Qing Guang was astonished, "I thought you were staying up late playing games."

"I thought so too," Grandma chuckled dryly.

"..." Yuan Ting, incredulous, "You thought I was gaming all night and still made me midnight snacks?"

"Well... I thought gaming also strains the brain..."

Yuan Ting: "..." Has Grandma gone crazy?

No one understood his excellence, only Cheng Nan Yi did.

"You made it into Rocket Class, what gift do you want?"

"Just want a good sleep..." Yuan Ting leaned back in the passenger seat, his eyes bleary, truly, he had never worked so hard in his past or present life.

Studying, it really can be life-threatening.

Cheng Nan Yi observed Yuan Ting, now seventeen and maturing nicely. His features were more defined, and his eyes and eyebrows more strikingly beautiful, though he remained thin despite eating plenty – probably due to the stress of studying.

Cheng Nan Yi had seen just how hard Yuan Ting worked over the past year.

He took a thermos from the backseat and handed it to Yuan Ting.

"What's this?" Yuan Ting unscrewed the lid and immediately smelled something delicious, his eyes lighting up, "What is it?"

"There are a lot of new snacks near the school now. I bought some for you to try."

The thermos had four layers, each filled with a different snack. The insulation kept them warm, even after a two-and-a-half-hour drive.

Yuan Ting, who had studied abroad in his previous life and hadn't had much chance to explore snack streets in China, found these snacks like takoyaki, cold noodles, and skewers quite novel, as they were not yet popular near his current high school.

Yuan Ting held a skewer to Cheng Nan Yi's mouth: "Try this, it's delicious."

Cheng Nan Yi turned his head away, "No, street food, it's dirty."

Yuanting said with a sigh, "Ugh... Are you serious? You bought it and now you're complaining it's just street food."

"Eat it. If you don't, I'll dump this whole bucket on your car." Yuanting forcefully persuaded Cheng Nanyi to take a bite. "It's really delicious, trust me."

As Cheng Nanyi ate, he sighed, "Who knows what kind of oil they used..."

Yuanting quickly finished the skewer Cheng had bitten into and then picked up a new one to eat.

The food was exactly to Yuanting's taste. Delighted, he looked at Cheng Nanyi with a rare sweetness in his eyes, "Thanks, brother."

Cheng Nanyi rolled down the car window, looking out and said, "Ding Ran and the others said it was good, but I've never tried it myself. Next time, I'll bring you something different."

Yuanting, smiling, replied, "Next time I still want these skewers, but with more chili."

After finishing the bucket of food, the two went to a teahouse.

Yuanting read a book while Cheng Nanyi worked on his laptop.

The spring sunlight was just right, warmly shining through the glass window. Having eaten a bucket of snacks and drunk two cups of flower tea, Yuanting half-reclined on the sofa, sprawled out in a relaxed pose.

Cheng Nanyi glanced over, then pulled out a Polaroid camera from his backpack and snapped a photo of Yuanting.

Yuanting, not deeply asleep, heard the click and opened his eyes. Seeing Cheng Nanyi shaking the photo, he lazily said, "So you’re into photography now? How's it? Does the magic mirror confirm the handsome guy?"

As the image on the photo paper appeared, Cheng Nanyi's lips curved up. He handed the Polaroid to Yuanting, "I bought it for you. I noticed a lot of people at school like these, so I got one for you."

For him?

Yuanting's eyes immediately lit up, "Does it come with photo paper?"

Cheng Nanyi, "...", realized that Yuanting knew quite a bit about the expensive photo paper.

Yuanting, taking the camera, fiddled with it for a while, his interest growing. "Brother, let's take a picture together."

Yuanting beckoned a waitress to help and then sat next to Cheng Nanyi on the sofa, his arm looped around Cheng's neck, flashing a brilliant smile with a 'yeah' pose beside his face.

Cheng Nanyi glanced at Yuanting just as the camera clicked.

The photo printed out, and as Yuanting reached for it, Cheng grabbed it first.

"Hey..." Yuanting glared at him, "Let me shake it."

"I gave you the camera, you can take and shake as many photos as you want."

Speechless, Yuanting took the Polaroid and snapped a photo of Cheng Nanyi.

As Yuanting shook his photo, Cheng's picture had already developed. Yuanting reached for it, "Let me see, how did it turn out?"

"Not showing you." Cheng Nanyi glanced at the photo and then tucked it, along with the previous solo photo of Yuanting, into his wallet.

Yuanting: "..."

Huh, speechless!

Author's Note:

Thank you to the angels who voted for me or nourished me with nutrient solution during September 17, 2023, 19:28:51 to September 18, 2023, 19:13:32~

Thanks to the angels for the nutrient solution: Gagaga 90 bottles; Shishi Da Shi, Bu Ci 10 bottles; Meng Meng 6 bottles; Yu, Hetun Gua, Man Mi, ⌒．Yi Nian Qing Xin Jing゛, Bo Bo Zan Zan Nie 1 bottle;

Thank you so much for your support, I will continue to work hard!