Chapter 20 An Unremarkable Special Admit

Chapter 20 An Unremarkable Special Admit

Ning Song changed his clothes and came out carrying a bag.

Ning Song was slender; wearing the school uniform made him look like a child in adult clothing. However, his casual outfits were really nice—simple and soft, very suitable for him.

Pu Yu thought he looked great.

"What did you bring?" he asked.

"An outer jacket to be cleaned."

Pu Yu saw that it was Sheng Yan's jacket inside.

Ning Song had only worn the jacket briefly before taking it off at school. But because it rained yesterday, the jacket got damp. After hanging it on the back of a chair overnight, it developed a faint smell. Since Sheng Yan was a young master, Ning Song decided to wash it before returning it. He didn't dare to wash it by hand, fearing he might damage it, so he brought it back to find a laundry service to clean it urgently.

He found a relatively clean laundry shop, dropped off the jacket, and then took Pu Yu to pick out a birthday gift.

There was a bustling commercial street called Ocean Square in Lower Harbor. Ning Song had been there once before, but he figured Pu Yu had never been, so he decided to take the young master to see it.

This commercial street was older than Millennium Gate, adjacent to the old dock, which is now abandoned. However, the street has continued to thrive. It sells everything, and because it's across the river from the university district, students from nearby universities love shopping here. There are many young people, and stores catering to their tastes are abundant.

Pu Yu, with his model-like figure, attracted many admiring glances along the way, acting like a magnet for attention.

"Have you ever been to a place like this before?" he asked Pu Yu.

Pu Yu replied, "I came here once as a child with my grandfather."

Ning Song still remembered his grandfather's name—the famous Pu Mingke.

He imagined a scene where a renowned figure brought his precious grandson to a dirty and chaotic slum to experience life, probably with a bunch of reporters snapping photos.

He somehow felt that young Pu Yu must have been just as composed and quiet back then.

He asked Pu Yu, "Have you ever received a gift you liked but wasn't expensive for your birthday?"

Pu Yu's expression suggested he didn't need an answer.

"...Don't you have any poor friends?!"

Pu Yu answered, "I don't have many friends."

Ning Song: "..."

Alright.

"In that case, you'll probably receive cheaper gifts for your future birthdays," Ning Song said.

Pu Yu looked at him, "Would you give me one?"

That's a loaded question.

"If you invite me," Ning Song said.

Pu Yu smiled slightly.

Although it sounded pretentious, Ning Song genuinely felt that Pu Yu's occasional smile transformed him, gentle and warm, softening the harshness in his brows. The smile was brief, and his lips fell as he said, "I will invite you."

Ning Song couldn't help but glance at him again. Pu Yu pointed ahead, "How about this store?"

It was a shop called "Trendy Finds," with a large pair of sunglasses at the entrance, looking cool.

They went straight to the second floor, where various creative items were sold, ranging from dozens to thousands of yuan.

He definitely couldn't afford the ones that cost thousands.

Pu Yu's advice was to choose something based on the recipient's preferences, regardless of price.

Ning Song immediately thought about Pu Yu's interests.

Action figures?

At the thought of action figures, Ning Song felt it was all about preparing Pu Yu to play with his future boyfriend!

His boyfriend would surely be the one he cherished the most.

Since Qiao Qiao complained that Deng Xun had no hobbies other than making money, Ning Song finally chose a money tree.

A money tree made of coins, costing a few hundred yuan, a reasonable price.

As the clerk wrapped it up, Ning Song noticed Pu Yu examining a small record player.

It was a Little Prince record player. He had looked at it for a long time, but it was too expensive, and records were also pricey. He didn't dare waste the money.

"This doesn't seem suitable for him," Ning Song sincerely advised, "I've met Deng Xun twice, and he's a man without a shred of childlike innocence."

Deng Xun started doing business in college.

Qiao Qiao said he reeked of money.

The record player was a good choice, but Little Prince was too cute!

Pu Yu hummed in agreement and put the record player down.

In the end, Pu Yu chose a fountain pen for Deng Xun.

A safe and conventional gift.

It was clear that the young master didn't intend to put much thought into gift-giving.

But Pu Yu had still considered him, because the gift he chose wasn't expensive, actually a few dollars cheaper than Ning Song's.

He believed that Pu Yu had never received such a cheap gift in his life and certainly hadn't given one either.

After buying the gifts, it was almost four o'clock. They came out of the store, and Ning Song invited Pu Yu for a milk tea.

Unexpectedly, Pu Yu ordered an iced Americano.

"A bit cold, isn't it?"

"Got used to it," Pu Yu replied, adding, "I usually drink this."

"Doesn't it make you insomnia?" Ning Song asked.

Pu Yu said, "No, I drink it at night too."

Then he added, "Maybe I'm just used to it."

Ning Song couldn't handle very cold drinks, so he ended up ordering a hot taro bubble tea.

He suspected Pu Yu had never tried taro bubble tea and wanted to give it a go.

Because Pu Yu kept looking at him.

He had already tasted it and felt a bit embarrassed about offering it to the young master, but he still politely held it up, "Wanna try?"

Pu Yu shook his head, watching as Ning Song's tongue darted out to curl around his upper lip, covered with a ring of milk foam, which he then licked away.

Pu Yu stopped looking at Ning Song after that.

Pu Yu looked elegant even when drinking coffee, always the young master.

Ning Song felt that today's Pu Yu was different.

He thought they might become friends.

Liu Fen and Mrs. Pu were right; once they got to know each other, everything would be fine. Being friends didn't require identical personalities; familiarity made things less awkward.

However, he didn't dare take Pu Yu to buy snacks on the street, fearing something might go wrong with Pu Yu's health. Pu Yu was very picky about food, eating very carefully and paying close attention to safety and nutrition, as Liu Fen had mentioned.

Poor people and rich people sometimes had different ideas about what was delicious.

Seeing the grilled squid by the roadside made his mouth water, but he resisted the temptation.

They planned to head back home, tidy up, and prepare for Deng Xun's birthday party.

On their way back, Ning Song led Pu Yu through a side street off the main commercial road. This route was safer and closer to the dry cleaner's than the path they took coming here.

Suddenly, at an intersection, a group of motorcycles roared by.

A bunch of menacing-looking delinquents, each with more tattoos than the last.

Ning Song wasn't afraid himself, but he was worried about Pu Yu, who looked like a wealthy young master. In his heart, Pu Yu was like a delicate porcelain doll, and any scratch or bump would be hard to explain to Mrs. Pu. So he pulled Pu Yu into a nearby two-yuan shop.

Pu Yu was curious and glanced at those delinquents, instantly losing his good student demeanor, his features sharp and fierce.

He blocked out the light, casting a tall shadow over Ning Song, reminding him of their first encounter in the library.

Their physical differences were obvious, both in shoulder width and height.

That group entered a nearby Mahjong Hall.

Only then did Ning Song pull Pu Yu out, "Let's go."

He didn't appear panicked, walking normally. The Mahjong Hall was trashed by that group, sirens wailing in the distance as they sped away on their motorcycles. The owner, holding her child, sat crying on the ground, while the owner of a nearby shop rushed over to help her up.

Ning Song felt Pu Yu saw the harsh realities of life. He kept looking at the Mahjong Hall, his expression dark.

But Ning Song had seen too much. He had even witnessed debt collectors beating someone bloody.

The sound of motorcycles approached again, and he tugged Pu Yu's arm, "Come on."

Pu Yu followed him, suddenly seeing Li You riding a motorcycle with three delinquents speeding past.

The motorcycles zoomed by them, Li You glancing back with a fierce look.

Three more motorcycles followed, and Ning Song noticed Lin Li hugging a blonde's waist on the last one, also spotting them. The wind blew his hair, revealing his porcelain skin, looking precious and beautiful against the old, oil-stained motorcycle.

The motorcycles stopped in front of the Mahjong Hall, Li You striding in. The owner's cries grew louder, the baby joining in.

Soon a police car arrived, two officers stepping out with guns holstered, shouting, "What's going on here!"

Lin Li, sitting on his motorcycle, tapped his foot on the ground, "Sir, please figure it out. We only came here after getting a tip!"

There was no trace of the flirtatiousness from school, only a bold and unruly air.

"Get down!" the tall officer pointed at him.

Reluctantly, Lin Li dismounted.

Li You emerged from the store, the officer saying, "Li You, what are you doing!"

Li You looked grim, mounting his motorcycle. The engine roared, scaring the officer into dodging aside as Li You sped off in another direction. The owner, a young woman, ran out of the store, crying and disheveled, "Li You, don't mess things up for me!"

Lin Li and the others quickly followed on their motorcycles. The shorter officer grumbled, asking the woman, "What happened? Did you call the police?"

She fumed, "What do you think? Can't you see? Liu Chuan and his gang trashed my shop!"

Ning Song and Pu Yu returned home, still feeling uneasy.

Although he had heard some rumors about Li You, seeing it with his own eyes still left a great impact on him.

Qiao Qiao chose the century-old Taiping Hotel next to Gemini Tower for Deng Xun's birthday party.

Ultra-luxurious, he booked an entire floor.

He cursed at Deng Xun every day but spared no expense for his birthday.

The childhood sweethearts CP is real.

They arrived relatively late. Since they all had to return to school in the evening, the birthday party was scheduled from six to ten in the evening.

Upon entering, Pu Yu spotted Sheng Yan immediately.

Sheng Yan stood out wherever he was, not just because of his striking beauty, but also due to his white hair and preference for bright clothing. He looked innocent in his usual black school uniform, but now, dressed in a brown-red baseball jacket, he resembled a star idol.

Sheng Yan and Li Qingyuan had arrived early. Seeing Pu Yu and Ning Song together, they were momentarily stunned before Pu Yu greeted them.

Li Qingyuan reacted as if he had seen a ghost upon seeing Pu Yu in this setting.

Though they had little interaction at school, they were all top-tier rich kids from Shangdong Province, so there was occasional politeness among them, including Deng Xun, who knew each other.

The birthday party was grand, with nearly a hundred young people present. The floor above was also reserved for Deng Xun's celebration, filled with elders, and Deng Xun was shuttling between both floors.

On the first floor, several tables were set up, but two tables were clearly the most important. One table seated Deng Xun's friends, slightly older, mostly college students or recent graduates. They greeted Pu Yu warmly upon seeing him.

Deng Xun's father was a politician, so his friends were from the same social circle; knowing Pu Yu was not surprising. Pu Yu went over to greet them and said to Ning Song, "I'll go over first."

Ning Song nodded, "Go ahead."

He realized that Pu Yu, who seemed like a quiet boy who disliked socializing when around him, was actually adept at dealing with adults. Pu Yu spoke confidently with the group of men and women much older than him, appearing more relaxed than when with peers.

He must often sit with adults, making him better at socializing with grown-ups.

Their table was mostly high school students, mostly Qiao Qiao's friends. Besides Fan Duoduo and their close buddies, there were also Li Qingyuan and Sheng Yan, whose presence made their table shine.

When Ning Song sat down, Sheng Yan smiled at him.

Looking around, Ning Song noticed everyone at their table was a young master except him.

Qiao Qiao introduced him, "My classmate, Ning Song."

Someone unfamiliar with him blurted out, "Which Ning family? Is your father the CEO of Hongyun Lighting?"

Ning Song thought it was the first time he'd heard the term "your father," and laughed, saying, "No, my dad is just a regular driver."

The person fell silent, looking awkward. Qiao Qiao glared at them disapprovingly.

Ning Song remained smiling, seemingly unfazed.

Sheng Yan found Ning Song, who appeared frail, surprisingly composed inside.

"What would you like to drink?" Sheng Yan asked softly.

The noise level was high, and Ning Song didn't hear clearly, leaning closer, "What?"

"What would you like to drink, juice, soda?" Sheng Yan ignored others' surprise, acting more intimately.

Qiao Qiao quickly said, "We have freshly squeezed juice here."

"I'll have a glass of juice then."

Feng Xiang ran over wearing a glowing headband, plopping down beside him, "Ning Song, want one?"

Ning Song shook his head hurriedly, "No, thank you!"

"See, nobody else will wear it," Feng Xiang complained to Qiao Qiao, "Why did you get so many?"

"I'll make Deng Xun wear one later," Qiao Qiao said, "It's so cute."

Deng Xun's voice came from behind, "If you like it, wear a few more, suits you."

Ning Song turned back, smiling, seeing Deng Xun and Pu Yu walking over.

The siblings at the neighboring table were still whispering about Pu Yu's back.

Pu Yu glanced around, and Ning Song noticed him looking at him. At this moment, Pu Yu seemed different from the one who had been socializing with adults, almost like a withdrawn person set aside.

Pu Yu sat down beside Feng Xiang and Fan Duoduo.

That was the only available seat.

There were two people between them: Feng Xiang and Fan Duoduo.

Deng Xun asked Pu Yu, "What would you like to drink?"

"We have juice," Ning Song immediately said.

Pu Yu replied, "I'll have the same as him."

"I haven't touched mine, you can have it," Ning Song offered.

Not being able to reserve a seat for Pu Yu beside him, he felt he had broken his promise.

Sheng Yan glanced at Ning Song.

Qiao Qiao said, "There's plenty." With a wave of his hand, a waiter brought over several glasses of different juices for Pu Yu to choose from.

Pu Yu still picked the same orange juice as Ning Song.

At their table, with Qiao Qiao and Fan Duoduo among the gossipy NPCs, the atmosphere was always lively. Occasionally, they would pass comments to Pu Yu, but his responses were always brief, and no one dared to joke with him, so they gradually left him out.

They had also invited a band to perform at the event. This band was somewhat well-known, and Li Qingyuan said, "They're not as good as Ah Yan."

"Ah Yan's singing is really nice. Let me show you the video I recorded yesterday," Qiao Qiao said, taking out his phone to find the video he had taken at the KTV last night.

Last night at Xingyue, Qiao Qiao specifically requested Sheng Yan and Ning Song for service.

Everyone found it quite interesting and passed the phone around to watch. When it reached Fan Duoduo, who was right next to Pu Yu, he leaned in very flatteringly and tilted the phone towards Pu Yu, hoping the young master could see clearly.

In the video, Sheng Yan wore Xingyue's uniform, looking handsome and charming. With a smile that sparkled, he said enthusiastically, "Guests, there are only two of you here. Would you like me to sing a song to liven up the atmosphere?"

His tone was relaxed and cheerful. At just seventeen, he was already more charismatic than many idols, effortlessly charming and bright.

Qiao Qiao acted dramatically: "Sing, sing! If you sing well, we'll reward you handsomely. We hope your voice is as beautiful as your face!"

In the end, Sheng Yan sang a casual love song, performing both stylishly and skillfully, making him incredibly captivating.

It was a bit narcissistic, but Sheng Yan was clearly doing it on purpose. Because they were friends, he acted a bit cocky, showing off his youthful vanity.

Ning Song, unaware of Pu Yu's thoughts, tried hard to include him: "What do you think? Is he ready to debut?"

Pu Yu's Adam's apple bobbed. "It sounds pretty good."

Sheng Yan was indeed more likable than him. He saw Ning Song's face in the video, smiling at Sheng Yan, wearing a slightly oversized uniform and swaying to the rhythm.

This relaxed and joyful expression was something Ning Song never showed when they were together.

Someone patted his shoulder, and he turned to see Deng Xun.

Deng's father and others had heard that Pu Yu was there and wanted to meet him.

Pu Yu got up and went out.

He was always busy at any banquet, used to it by now.

He seemed better at impressing the elders, while Ning Song excelled with peers.

When he returned from upstairs and pushed the door open, he saw Ning Song and Fan Duoduo had switched seats.

He paused for a moment before sitting down next to Ning Song.

Ning Song was talking with Qiao Qiao and noticed his return. "I just saw they have your favorite drink here."

Pu Yu saw a full cup of Americano on the table.

"Are you sure you can still sleep after drinking this?" Ning Song asked, leaning close.

Instantly, Pu Yu's affection overflowed.

"Thank you," he said.

Ning Song smiled at him, seeming to say, "I know you get bored alone, so I came over to keep you company. Isn't that considerate?"

Pu Yu thought, how could he not like Ning Song?

Pu Yu took a sip of coffee and looked up to see Sheng Yan smiling at him.

It seems Ning Song and Pu Yu are indeed close, Sheng Yan thought.

He smiled at Pu Yu and then joined Ning Song in a dice game.

Ning Song was thin and frail but would act heroically. Despite looking like someone who needed care, he took care of Upper East School's pride, Young Master Pu.

How remarkable.

His gaze fell back on Ning Song, finding him genuinely likable.

He liked him too.

Ning Song had no dice-throwing skills and kept losing to Sheng Yan. He wanted Sheng Yan to teach him some tricks, but Sheng Yan said, "Call me Brother Yan, and I'll teach you!"

Ning Song, driven by competitiveness, refused: "Forget it if you won't teach me."

"I'll teach you to roll sixes every time," Sheng Yan said, shaking the dice confidently.

Ning Song was tempted. He thought this skill was interesting and practical among guys, so he was about to call him when Pu Yu said, "I'll teach you."

Sheng Yan looked at Pu Yu.

Pu Yu gestured for the dice in Sheng Yan's hand.

"Use mine!" Qiao Qiao handed him another set of dice.

Pu Yu took them, shook them in a cup, and placed them on the table. When he lifted the cup, three sixes appeared.