Chapter 8

Lin Shuicheng couldn't get out of bed the following day.

Fu Luoyin had woken up two hours earlier. He didn't know when he had fallen asleep either. When he turned his head, he could still see the traces of tears on the person beside him—half-dried and shimmering slightly at the reddened corners of their eyes. Wrapping himself in the blanket and huddling in the corner as if he wished to be a million miles away, Lin Shuicheng looked like a bullied kitten, utterly pitiful.

Recalling how Lin Shuicheng had cried desperately last night, begging until his voice was hoarse, Fu Luoyin couldn't help but feel a little better—after all, he hadn't just taken advantage of Lin Shuicheng. The latter had scratched, clawed, and bitten back without any reservations. Later, when he had asked, "Why are you crying? Did it feel good?", Lin Shuicheng had gone silent again. Fu Luoyin got up to freshen up, only for Lin Shuicheng to cling to him, whining softly with a nasal tone, calling him 'husband'.

It was enough to send shivers down Fu Luoyin's spine.

Since Fu Luoyin had some free time that morning, instead of going elsewhere, he went to the kitchen to make toast, fried eggs, and oatmeal.

Although his cooking skills were far inferior to Lin Shuicheng's, after two years in the Eighth Special Zone, even a piece of wood would have learned to cook for themselves. He could still manage simple breakfast dishes.

"Get up, eat first, then sleep," Fu Luoyin called out to wake Lin Shuicheng, gently rubbing his hair.

Lin Shuicheng's hair was soft and fine, feeling like stroking a cat.

Half-asleep, Lin Shuicheng opened his eyes and obediently got out of bed. His entire body ached, and his limbs trembled when extended. So, Fu Luoyin simply sat down beside him and pulled him into his embrace.

Suddenly finding himself held in Fu Luoyin's arms, Lin Shuicheng grew nervous. With a hint of grievance and a raspy low voice, he pleaded, "No more... It hurts everywhere, I can't go to the lab today..."

"Good student, it's Saturday today. Even if you're working overtime, remember to take a break." Fu Luoyin looped his arms around Lin Shuicheng's waist, resting his chin on his shoulder, but instead of doing anything else, he simply helped him button his shirt and dressed him.

In a certain sense, he was quite a gentleman, except for his tendency to dominate in bed. In daily life, he would cater to his partner's wishes. Despite Fu Luoyin not being particularly skilled at taking care of others, just like with cooking, he was willing to try.

After dressing Lin Shuicheng in pants and a shirt, Fu Luoyin held his toes and rather carelessly pulled on the socks to put them on.

Lin Shuicheng pursed his lips, straightening the socks himself. As he looked up, Fu Luoyin kissed him again, pushing him down onto the bed.

Lin Shuicheng pushed against him with his hands, "You said you wouldn't do this anymore…" His voice trembled, on the verge of tears.

Smiling as he kissed him, Fu Luoyin's voice was cool yet magnetic, "I never said that."

After a moment, Lin Shuicheng fell silent, relaxing entirely as if accepting his fate. But Fu Luoyin didn't make a move. Instead, he propped himself up on either side of Lin Shuicheng's body and whispered, "I'll let you off this time."

Opening his eyes wide, Lin Shuicheng stared at him, blinking. He responded with a small "Mm," sounding a little happier.

A hint of mockery flashed in Fu Luoyin's eyes, "You're not crying anymore?"

Rolling over, Lin Shuicheng slipped out of Fu Luoyin's grasp and ignored him.

Teasing Lin Shuicheng was more entertaining than teasing a cat.

A feline would reject entirely, whereas Lin Shuicheng would always feign reluctance yet secretly yearn for it.

Fu Luoyin reached this conclusion while feeding the chief his cat food.

Lin Shuicheng sat at the dining table, but after only a few bites, he put down his utensils.

"Leave the unfinished food there; I'll have it," Fu Luoyin said casually.

Lin Shuicheng was taken aback. Glancing at the half-eaten toast, he softly asked, "Didn't you have enough?"

"I just whipped up something to fill my stomach. Since you weren't awake and didn't call out, I didn't disturb you." When with Lin Shuicheng, Fu Luoyin automatically assumed that the latter was responsible for all meals. "If you can't finish, give it to me. Don't waste it."

This was a habit of his at home, whether in his private residence or the military base. There was always one rule: no leftovers, no reheating of cold dishes.

Lin Shuicheng set down his cutlery and smiled, asking, "Then you're still hungry, right? What would you like me to cook for you?"

To his surprise, Fu Luoyin was momentarily stunned, responding, "Anything's fine. Just make whatever you think is good."

He had never encountered such a situation. In his understanding, no one would receive extra food unless they were hungry or dissatisfied with the meal. However, in Lin Shuicheng's eyes, it seemed perfectly reasonable.

Fu Luoyin wasn't sure if this was common in ordinary households or if it was just Lin Shuicheng's unique approach. Back in high school, he had heard of peers whose mothers would clean and cut fruits to serve by their computers, always having snacks on the table, and even providing midnight snacks when they got hungry. This was inconceivable to him.

Lin Shuicheng cooked him an egg fried rice.

Of course, it was the premium version, containing diced top-quality lobster meat, beef cubes, carrot bits, and potato shreds. Knowing that Fu Luoyin, as a soldier, had a slightly larger appetite, Lin Shuicheng also prepared a separate steak for him.

The kitchen was open-plan, allowing the living room to overlook Lin Shuicheng's figure as he worked, looking both dashing and obedient, focusing intently.

Fu Luoyin knew that Lin Shuicheng had studied chemistry before. He wondered if Lin Shuicheng had looked the same while conducting experiments in a chemistry lab.

There was something indescribably off about him, something that screamed "fuckable." The cleaner and more well-behaved he appeared, the more Fu Luoyin desired to break him down.

Fu Luoyin indulged in both meanings of a "second serving."

After finishing the egg fried rice and cleaning up after Lin Shuicheng, he left the house feeling refreshed.

After bidding farewell to Fu Luoyin, Lin Shuicheng returned to bed for the rest of the afternoon, deciding not to attend school that day.

Fu Luoyin showed no intention of moving out anytime soon, and Lin Shuicheng felt that this situation couldn't continue indefinitely.

Huddled under the covers, he browsed his phone while hugging his pillow, pondering what he should search for.

How to get rid of a roommate sharing the same living space?

This was Fu Luoyin's house; he was the guest here.

In the past, Lin Shuicheng had rented his own place, and Fu Luoyin must have disliked the apartment building he lived in for quite some time. Previously, when they were at the Jiangnan branch, they always booked hotel rooms for their meetings. It was only during this visit to the main headquarters that Fu Luoyin had insisted on moving in.

Should they break up?

He wasn't sure if Fu Luoyin would agree.

Aside from their bedroom issues, which were awkward and difficult to resolve, Lin Shuicheng had no other complaints about Fu Luoyin. In every other aspect, Fu Luoyin was fine.

Lin Shuicheng found a breakup message template online and pasted it into his text input box.

Polite and lengthy, the essence of the message was to end their relationship.

Lin Shuicheng gazed down at his phone screen.

On the messaging app, Fu Luoyin's profile picture was his own photo, handsome and sharp.

Lin Shuicheng's finger hovered above the send button for a moment before he retracted it, instead pressing and holding the delete key, causing the cursor to backtrack.

He let out a soft sigh.

At that moment, a group message popped up in the graduate students' chat.

Wang Pinyuan: "@Everyone, the Alliance military will be visiting tomorrow. Be prepared for extra work and maintain normalcy. An Ruyi, Lin Shuicheng, and Lv Jian, your team member Tian Zhou is on sick leave, so I've added Xu Mengmeng to replace him. The remaining first-year grad students will report the day after tomorrow; let them join the team and learn as well. Thesis proposal defense is next Sunday, make good use of your time."

Xu Mengmeng: "Received."

Lv Jian: "Received."

Ou Qian: "Received."

Following suit, Lin Shuicheng tapped "+1" to acknowledge receipt. Then, something occurred to him, and he opened the messaging interface, searching for Fu Luoyin's phone number.

Lin Shuicheng said, "I might have to work overtime these few days and won't be able to come back at night."

Fu Luoyin replied promptly this time, "For how long?"

Lin Shuicheng answered, "I'm not sure, it depends on the progress of the project."

Fu Luoyin responded, "I'll send someone to pick you up when you finish work. Surely you won't have to pull an all-nighter, right?"

Feeling a bit nervous due to his lie, Lin Shuicheng said, "There's a possibility I will. You don't need to wait for me."

There was no reply from the other end.

After some thought, Lin Shuicheng informed him, "I'll cook in the morning, so you can just reheat the food when you get home."

Fu Luoyin replied, "We'll see."

The next day, after cooking breakfast, Lin Shuicheng turned on the warming table and headed to the lab.

With the start of the academic year drawing near, more people were showing up in the lab. Apart from running data analysis in the lab, Lin Shuicheng also had four large classes to teach each week. He was genuinely busy.

This year, only three candidates were selected for the Quantum Analysis Department: Lin Shuicheng, Ou Qian, and a male student named Meng Yi who just reported for duty today.

Wang Pinyuan called Lin Shuicheng's group and all first-year graduate students for a meeting. "We have two tasks this week. One is to submit a preliminary report on molecular biological information retrieval to the Alliance military. After our department's review, we'll apply for research approval. The other task is the quarterly Alliance-wide hazard warning investigation, which is of utmost importance and must not be taken lightly. Do you understand? Last year, we analyzed seismic data, wind patterns, ocean currents, and more, successfully predicting 77 earthquakes above magnitude 8 worldwide, four of which occurred in densely populated areas. We detected thousands of rogue waves over 25 meters and verified their correlation with the nonlinear Schrödinger quantum wave equation, enabling us to predict disasters and track criminals countless times. Each anomaly in the data could be linked to numerous lives; therefore, I expect your full attention."

The students replied in unison, "Understood!"

"Were your previous team leader Tian Zhou. Since he's currently on leave, you need to choose a new one," Wang Pinyuan said.

The atmosphere grew quiet as the students exchanged glances.

The team leader was undoubtedly the most prominent figure. If their achievements were noteworthy, they would gain recognition from everyone. In academia, credentials mattered most. The team leader was the core of the group, and their project focused on several areas of need directly reported by the military. Success would pave the way for future opportunities.

"Wang Mengmeng?" Wang Pinyuan looked at her.

Xu Mengmeng quickly shook her head. "I'm not suitable for this role. I haven't worked with big data groups before, and I can barely keep up with my own workload. It might hold everyone else back."

Both Lin Shuicheng and An Ruyi had no interest, while Meng Yi remained silent.

Ou Qian surveyed the room, pursed her lips, and softly suggested, "How about I give it a try? Teacher, I've assisted with a few mathematics department's quarterly investigations before. Although our specialties differ, I have a general understanding of the process."

Wang Pinyuan pondered for a moment and said, "That works too. Just contact me if you need anything."

The matter of the team leader was settled.

During the first week of school, everyone felt an immense weight on their shoulders. The core quantum computer in the lab was constantly operating, and each student faced an exponential amount of data packets. Their task was to sift through the ocean of data to find the small fish.

Lin Shuicheng always finished his tasks the fastest. He had an innate intuition for data that others lacked. Algorithms that others needed to debug and convert dozens of times, he could often spot at a glance. While others were working overtime until two in the morning, he could finish his work in one afternoon.

Despite this, everyone gradually noticed that Lin Shuicheng was voluntarily staying late and didn't want to go home.

When asked about it, Lin Shuicheng replied, "There's nothing else going on."

Ou Qian, on the other hand, was frazzled every day, barely able to make any progress. However, after she discovered Lin Shuicheng's relaxed demeanor, she would intentionally assign him more tasks, whether intentionally or not.

Lin Shuicheng was easy to talk to. Whenever she asked, "I can't figure this out, can you help me with it? I'm really sorry, I have a lot of data running and I'm swamped. It's a desperate situation, please lend a hand." In no time, Lin Shuicheng would send her the processed data. As this happened more frequently, even members from other groups began seeking Lin Shuicheng's assistance.

Lin Shuicheng welcomed all requests and slowly found himself also working until the early hours of the morning.

On the third night, Xu Mengmeng finally completed her own data analysis. Seeing the empty lab, with everyone else gone, only Lin Shuicheng remained. She walked over to him and handed him a cup of coffee, asking, "Junior, why haven't you finished yet?"

Lin Shuicheng expressed his gratitude and then added, "Groups Two and Seven haven't finished their runs yet."

Xu Mengmeng nearly spilled her coffee. "They're asking you to run data for two entire groups?! Today, the folks from Group Two went to the internet cafe for a team game session and left their work for you? Isn't that taking advantage of you?"

Lin Shuicheng replied, "It's alright. I actually enjoy working overtime."

He looked up at Xu Mengmeng, his eyes bright and attractive. Her heart raced involuntarily.

He asked her, "Do you have any data that needs my assistance to run?"

...He was genuinely passionate about overtime work.

Xu Mengmeng quickly responded, "No, no, I'm done with mine. You should head back early. Don't always do so much for others."

Lin Shuicheng smiled softly and said, "Okay."

He looked even more handsome when he smiled. Xu Mengmeng's heart raced even faster, and it took her a while to regain her composure.

When Xu Mengmeng was leaving for the day, she followed her usual routine and checked the lights in all the mathematics department's labs. As she reached the atrium, she suddenly noticed a tall man walking in. He didn't seem like a student; he was likely there to meet someone.

She found him familiar and suddenly recalled, "Are you Little Lin's boyfriend?"

Fu Luoyin paused in his steps upon hearing that.

He had just finished a meeting at the Alliance Grand Hotel next to Star University and, passing by the school, directly instructed the driver to head here.

Lin Shuicheng hadn't seen him for three days. He would return home between 3-4 AM every day, sleep for a few hours, then wake up to cook for him with dedication.

When Fu Luoyin ate at home, Lin Shuicheng's cooking was as delicious as ever. He would constantly come up with new dishes, but Fu Luoyin felt that something was still lacking.

He suspected that Lin Shuicheng might be secretly hooking up with someone behind his back – after all, he had learned how to feign sleep last time. What couldn't he do? Why did he need to work overtime day and night for such data?

He smiled and asked Xu Mengmeng, "He has been coming home late recently, so I came to pick him up. Are first-year postgraduates really that busy?"

Xu Mengmeng was dazzled by his smile and couldn't help but confess, "Actually, under normal circumstances, everyone would only work until around 6-7 PM at most. It's just that Little Lin offered to help other data groups with their tasks recently, saying he wanted to work overtime. He must have just joined, so he probably wants more hands-on experience to improve."

"Wants to work overtime?" Fu Luoyin raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I see, thank you."

Author has something to say: Look at what -2 has driven our Little Lin to become [doge]