Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Zhou Zitan and Li Muye had both been in prison together, but they never developed a friendship; instead, they couldn't stand each other.

They ran into each other downstairs, and neither of them acknowledged the other when they rode the elevator together.

Li Muye had no idea that Zhou Zitan was standing behind him and turned his head irritably, "Why are you following me?"

Zhou Zitan sneered, "Who's following you? I'm here to see Dr. Shen. Move aside!"

Hearing them argue, Shen Tingzhou pinched the bridge of his nose. Xiao Zhou always seemed to find something to quarrel about whenever he appeared.

Is this what it means to be a born troublemaker?

Zhou Zitan couldn’t be bothered with Li Muye anymore and turned to ask, puzzled, "Dr. Shen, are you looking for someone to share rent?"

Shen Tingzhou shook his head, "No, I’m planning to rent out this place."

Zhou Zitan immediately raised his hand, like a kindergartener eager to answer a question, "I’ll rent it, I’ll rent it! No matter how much it costs!"

Shen Tingzhou was taken aback, "Why do you want to rent it?"

Zhou Zitan had no reason: "As long as you’re renting it out, I’ll take it."

Song Qingning came out upon hearing the commotion and felt uneasy after hearing Zhou Zitan’s words, "I... can I share the rent with you?"

She was very satisfied with this place, and more importantly, the landlord was Shen Tingzhou. Song Qingning didn’t think she could find a better landlord than Shen Tingzhou, so she didn’t mind sharing with Zhou Zitan, since there were two rooms.

Zhou Zitan glanced at Song Qingning critically, "Tsk, a bit troublesome, but okay."

Li Muye was infuriated by Zhou Zitan’s arrogant tone.

What does he mean by a bit troublesome?

Who is he calling troublesome?

Li Muye said angrily, "This house was first seen by Ning Ge. If you find it troublesome, don’t rent it."

Zhou Zitan had his own unique logic, "I didn’t say he wasn’t here first. It’s precisely because he was here first that I’m reluctantly agreeing to share with him."

Zhou Zitan believed in "first come, first served," but not too much.

Li Muye’s eyes bulged with anger, and he rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscular arms.

Zhou Zitan wasn’t intimidated at all and provocatively looked at Li Muye, even stepping forward to bump shoulders with him.

When it comes to fighting, he, Zhou Zitan, had never been afraid of anyone!

Seeing them about to fight, Shen Tingzhou stepped forward with a headache and pulled them apart, "Calm down."

Li Muye suddenly turned to Shen Tingzhou, "Dr. Shen, I also want to rent this place."

Zhou Zitan, who was standing next to Shen Tingzhou, sneered, "What level are you? You want to rent the same place as me?"

Li Muye retorted, "Even if I’m not on your level, I’m still better than a dropout like you."

Zhou Zitan rolled his eyes, "A sports major like you dares to mock me?"

Li Muye lifted his chin arrogantly, "My academic performance in high school was excellent. Sports were just my hobby, and I attended a top-tier university."

Zhou Zitan didn’t believe a word, "You having good grades? Yeah, right."

Shen Tingzhou was somewhat dazed. These days, do people need to compare their academic qualifications when renting a house?

Li Muye said, "Dare to compare our college entrance exam scores? I’ll give you a twenty-point advantage, and you still won’t score higher than me, slacker!"

He used to attend a prestigious high school where he consistently ranked near the bottom among the top students. He never thought he’d one day call someone a slacker.

After saying this, Li Muye was surprised himself. He suspected that preparing for his postgraduate exams had made him a little crazy.

Unlike Li Muye, Zhou Zitan had been a slacker since kindergarten, and his academic performance was... abysmal.

Even if Li Muye gave him forty points, he might still not be able to beat him.

Zhou Zitan didn’t want to argue about his weak points, "If you’re so capable, compare yourself with my brother. He scored 703 on the college entrance exam."

Shen Tingzhou’s eyebrows twitched. Was He Yanting such an academic genius?

What should he do? Suddenly, he saw He Yanting through the lens of a top student.

Xu Xun leaned over and whispered in Shen Tingzhou’s ear, "I did well on the college entrance exam too, scoring 718."

Shen Tingzhou smiled and couldn’t help teasing Xu Xun, "I didn’t do well; I only scored 280."

Back when Xiao Xu was still a sharp-tongued boy, he once mocked Shen Tingzhou, asking if he graduated from veterinary school and saying that 280 sounded like his score.

Knowing Shen Tingzhou was teasing him with his past words, Xu Xun squeezed Shen Tingzhou’s hand.

Shen Tingzhou’s smile widened, and he finally praised Xu Xun, "But 718 is really impressive. Were you the top scorer that year?"

Xu Xun nodded without any modesty.

Shen Tingzhou moved his thumb towards Xu Xun, who grabbed his hand.

Seeing Zhou Zitan praise his brother, Li Muye couldn’t help but chime in, "My brother..."

Li Jinghang’s college entrance exam score was something he couldn’t remember clearly, only knowing it was good, but he didn’t know the exact number.

Zhou Zitan couldn’t remember his own score, but he knew He Yanting’s subject scores by heart, as he had helped He Yanting check them.

"I got 130 in Chinese, 144 in Math, 140 in English, and 289 in the Science Comprehensive."

Zhou Zitan was so proud it was as if he had scored those marks himself.

Shen Tingzhou: "Xiao Zhou, you really love your brother too much."

Xu Xun said, "I got 138 in Chinese, 147 in Math, 142 in English, and 291 in the Science Comprehensive."

Shen Tingzhou: "...Impressive."

Li Muye looked strange; it had been years since they split into arts and sciences, yet Zhou Zitan remembered these scores so clearly. If they were his own, fine, but they were his brother's.

Li Muye frowned, looking quite disgusted, "What’s wrong with you? Remembering them so clearly?"

Zhou Zitan was even more disdainful of Li Muye, "Why, can't you remember your brother's? Of course not, when you were in jail, your brother didn’t even write to you. Your relationship must be terrible."

Li Muye sneered, "Why should I have a good relationship with him?"

Zhou Zitan, an extreme family man, looked at Li Muye as if he were an uncivilized ape.

Li Muye felt uneasy, "Are you crazy?"

Zhou Zitan tsked, "You’re quite pitiful."

Li Muye: "?"

Zhou Zitan said to Shen Tingzhou, "Doctor Shen, rent the house to him. He is really..."

Seeing the sympathetic and pitying look from Zhou Zitan, Li Muye's temple throbbed. _Do I need your permission?_

Li Muye declared boldly, "Doctor Shen, whatever multiple of rent he offers, I'll pay ten times that."

Zhou Zitan made a sound like a snort, seemingly mocking him, but his eyes showed affection.

Li Muye couldn't take it anymore, "If you're a man, say what you mean clearly!"

Song Qingning tugged on Li Muye, "Stop arguing. We can talk about this later."

Li Muye wasn't arguing over the house; he couldn't stand Zhou Zitan's attitude.

Zhou Zitan still had that pitying look, "I really won't rent the house. Let him have it. After all, not everyone has a gentle mother and caring siblings. My brother once told me he'd always treat me as his younger brother."

His pity for Li Muye stemmed from having a harmonious family and loving relatives.

Li Muye found Zhou Zitan inexplicable, just like back in prison.

He had initially considered Zhou Zitan a friend, but when they both received letters from outside, Zhou Zitan asked him with that seemingly caring tone, why he only got one letter, implying he had no family or friends.

Li Muye didn't know where Zhou Zitan got his sense of superiority. The mess in the Zhou family wasn't unknown to him!

Li Muye coldly said, "Even if my relationship with my brother isn't great, we're still blood-related. No need for you to worry."

Shen Tingzhou felt a headache coming on.

_Xiao Li, you're being foolish. You're poking Xiao Zhou's sore spot; he could explode!_

Sure enough, Zhou Zitan's face changed, and Shen Tingzhou immediately pulled him into the room.

Xu Xun, seeing this, quietly took Shen Tingzhou's other hand.

The situation became: Shen Tingzhou pulling Zhou Zitan, Xu Xun pulling him, and the three of them walking into the living room side by side.

Zhou Zitan looked furious, "I offered him the house out of kindness, and he mocked me for not being part of the He family!"

How to explain this...

If we trace it back, Zhou Zitan started the provocation, but Shen Tingzhou had a flexible principle in certain matters. Without asking who was right, he focused on calming the source of trouble.

Shen Tingzhou comforted him, "These outsiders don't understand your family situation. Your mom says you're a He, so you're a He."

Zhou Zitan felt more confident, "My grandfather and sister acknowledged it. That day, my brother called me He Zitan in the hospital."

Shen Tingzhou quickly added, "You've been Xiao He to me for a long time. I just call you Xiao Zhou out of habit, but in my heart, you're still Xiao He."

Zhou Zitan's expression softened, "Forget it, there's no point explaining to outsiders."

Shen Tingzhou nodded in agreement, "Right, they don't understand."

Zhou Zitan looked at his right hand, which had accidentally touched Li Muye, feeling unlucky, and went to the bathroom to wash his hands.

After he left, Shen Tingzhou felt a lingering gaze beside him.

Xu Xun said, "I noticed you're quite good at comforting people."

Shen Tingzhou stared blankly for a few seconds, "…Should I try comforting you?"

Xu Xun raised his chin proudly, "Let's see how you do it."

Shen Tingzhou thought for a moment, then said, "In my heart, you changed from Xiao Xu to... Xiao Dian."

Xu Xun's face fell, and he pinched Shen Tingzhou's waist.

Shen Tingzhou laughed and dodged his hand, "Let me rephrase, let me rephrase."

Xu Xun paused, then heard Shen Tingzhou clear his throat and become more serious, "In my heart, you changed from Xiao Xu to... Xiao Wa, hahaha."

Xu Xun pinched Shen Tingzhou's mouth to stop him from laughing.

Zhou Zitan came out of the bathroom, and Shen Tingzhou pushed Xu Xun's hand away, who didn't say anything.

Zhou Zitan asked, "Doctor Shen, if you don't live here anymore, where have you moved to?"

It seemed he had just thought of this question and looked at Shen Tingzhou in confusion. "Did you buy a new house?"

Xu Xun answered on behalf of Shen Tingzhou, "He moved in with me."

Zhou Zitan didn’t quite understand. Wouldn’t it be annoying for two people to be together all the time? When he dated others, he would feel bored after a few days.

Though he didn’t understand, Zhou Zitan didn’t say much. "Okay."

Shen Tingzhou asked Zhou Zitan, "Did you come here today for something?"

Zhou Zitan shook his head. "No, I just passed by and thought I’d drop in to see you."

Shen Tingzhou: "Is your brother okay now?"

Zhou Zitan: "He was discharged yesterday and went to work today."

Now Shen Tingzhou understood what Zhou Zitan meant by passing by. "Did you go to the company to see your brother?"

"I was worried he might not feel well, so I went over to check on him. But he doesn’t like me going to his company, so I didn’t stay long."

Zhou Zitan spoke casually, not caring about He Yanting’s attitude; he was used to being dismissed by him.

Glancing at the time, Zhou Zitan said, "Doctor Shen, since you’re busy, I’ll head back. Let’s meet up another time."

Shen Tingzhou: "Sure."

Worried that Zhou Zitan might cause trouble again with Li Muye at the door, Shen Tingzhou was about to see him off when Song Qingning came in with Li Muye, who had been calmed down.

Perhaps Song Qingning had said something to Li Muye, as he reluctantly apologized to Zhou Zitan, "I’m sorry."

Zhou Zitan ignored him and walked out proudly.

Shen Tingzhou called out, "Xiao Zhou... Xiao He."

Zhou Zitan had to stop and said, "It’s fine," before leaving.

As they passed each other, both Zhou Zitan and Li Muye gave a light snort through their noses, turning their heads away, refusing to look at each other.

Only after Zhou Zitan left did Li Muye straighten his head. "Doctor Shen, how much is the rent per month?"

Shen Tingzhou glanced at Song Qingning.

Seeing the misunderstanding, Li Muye explained, "I’m not renting it. I’m paying for Brother Ning."

Song Qingning took out her phone. "I have money."

Li Muye pressed her phone down and whispered, "Yours and mine are the same. As for the family... I’ll talk to them."

Song Qingning shook her head. "I’ll handle it myself."

Li Muye looked at her. Song Qingning lowered her eyes, revealing a small, faint mole in the crease of her eyelid, visible only when she blinked.

Li Muye’s heart softened incredibly, touching Song Qingning’s hand. "Brother Ning, no matter what decision you make, I will support you."

Song Qingning was taken aback, pursing her lips without saying anything.

Shen Tingzhou charged Song Qingning the market rate for six months’ rent. She insisted on giving a deposit and transferred an additional month’s rent.

The four of them took the elevator downstairs together. Song Qingning seemed to want to talk to Shen Tingzhou and kept looking at him.

When they reached the ground floor, Shen Tingzhou asked Xu Xun to fetch the car from the garage and found an excuse to send Li Muye away.

After they were alone, Shen Tingzhou asked, "Is there something you need?"

Song Qingning hesitated, gripping her sleeve. "I... don’t know what to do now."

She seemed to know that Shen Tingzhou understood the situation and didn’t explain the details, only sharing the dilemma that had been weighing on her mind.

Given Song Qingning’s character, speaking about it required great courage, but Shen Tingzhou couldn’t make the decision for her.

Shen Tingzhou chose his words carefully. "I forget which book it was, but there was a point I agree with. It means that choices made hastily often end hastily."

Song Qingning looked at Shen Tingzhou blankly, seemingly not understanding.

Shen Tingzhou: "If you don’t know what to do, put it aside for now. Focus on your goal, which is next year’s exam. As for the rest, I think it’s best to leave it to time. When the time comes, you may gain clarity and know what choice you truly want."

Song Qingning nodded lightly. "I understand."

Shen Tingzhou: "Don’t overthink it. You need to simplify things for yourself right now."

Song Qingning: "Yes."

-

Perhaps because Zhou Zitan had boasted about He Yanting’s college entrance exam scores and received Shen Tingzhou’s approving gaze, Xu Xun felt a bit jealous. Or maybe he didn’t want Shen Tingzhou to tease him about being a little troublemaker anymore.

Once they got home, Xu Xun began to subtly show off his excellence to Shen Tingzhou.

Trophies from math competitions, skiing competitions, a hole-in-one in golf, and even a trophy from a club for representing youth at the United Nations.

Soon, the coffee table was filled with trophies and meaningful photos.

Shen Tingzhou knew Xu Xun was excellent, but he hadn’t expected him to be so outstanding. He sincerely praised, "You’re practically a high-quality male."

Xu Xun wasn’t modest at all. "This is just a part of it. There are more at my grandmother’s place."

Just as Shen Tingzhou was about to continue praising him, the Steward approached. Shen Tingzhou pursed his lips, and Xu Xun frowned.

Seeing the trophies and photos on the coffee table, the Steward said to Shen Tingzhou, "Thank you, Doctor Shen. Our peacock has a longer mating season, twice a year, each lasting half a year."

Shen Tingzhou pinched his own leg, trying hard not to laugh.

After the Steward left, Xu Xun grabbed Shen Tingzhou's hand that was pinching his leg, pulled it over, and bit down hard on his lip.

Shen Tingzhou's laughter was stifled in his throat.

Xiao Xu was indeed quite showy today, but Shen Tingzhou had to admit that he looked adorable when he did so.

-

On Wednesday, Shen Tingzhou went to Su Yu's house as usual.

Upon entering, Shen Tingzhou saw an unexpected person in the living room, sitting on the sofa with a pen and paper, talking to Su Yu about something.

Noticing Shen Tingzhou out of the corner of his eye, the man's pupils trembled. "What are you doing here?"

Shen Tingzhou also looked at him in surprise. It was Big Brother from the main house... no, it was Zhang Lang.

What Zhang Lang truly feared wasn't Shen Tingzhou, although Shen Tingzhou was his biggest rival. But Shen Tingzhou had a good personality, unlike that "only one," who had a terrible mouth.

Thinking of Xu Xun, Zhang Lang almost snapped the pen in his hand out of anger.

Feeling his intense resentment, Shen Tingzhou took half a step back and greeted him politely, "Hello, Mr. Zhang."

Wherever Zhang Lang was, there would be Big Qiang nearby.

Shen Tingzhou looked around but didn't see any sign of Su Qiang, feeling somewhat puzzled.

Seeming to understand what Shen Tingzhou was thinking, Zhang Lang lowered his eyes and voice, "I came alone. Don't tell Qiang Qiang."

Shen Tingzhou: ?

Zhang Lang didn't stay long, hurriedly leaving with his notebook.

Watching his back until he disappeared, Shen Tingzhou asked curiously, "Why did he come here?"

Su Yu said nonchalantly, "He came to ask me how to chase after Big Qiang."

Shen Tingzhou was full of confusion. He asked Su Yu for advice on chasing after Su Qiang? Didn't he know these two brothers were sworn enemies?

Su Yu raised one eyebrow slightly. "Of course, I'll teach him well. Big Qiang should be tied to a cockroach."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Su Yu suddenly huffed. "I'm still angry with you."

Shen Tingzhou calmly took out a bear-shaped candy and handed it over.

Taking the candy, Su Yu repeated, "I'm still angry with you."

Shen Tingzhou then took out a rabbit-shaped candy and passed it over again.

These were all childish tricks, but they worked on Su Yu, who had a childlike nature.

Holding the candies, Su Yu moved a little and said, "I'm not angry anymore. Sit down, Dr. Shen."

Shen Tingzhou sat beside him. "How has your sleep been lately?"

Su Yu, biting the ear of the bear candy, mumbled, "It's okay. If I can't sleep, I play games with Yan..."

Shen Tingzhou's eyelid twitched as he looked at Su Yu's heavily pregnant belly.

After a long pause, Su Yu continued, "We play games."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Considering the Huo family's constitution, Shen Tingzhou hesitated before gently suggesting, "Don't play too... fancy games."

"What counts as a fancy game?" Su Yu looked innocently at Shen Tingzhou. "I'm not sure. How about this, Dr. Shen, why don't you come over tonight and guide us?"

Shen Tingzhou pretended not to hear. "Have you measured your blood sugar recently?"

Su Yu replied, "My blood sugar is normal."

Shen Tingzhou asked, "Do your legs cramp up in the morning and evening?"

Su Yu answered, "Yes, they do. It's all because Yan likes to hug me... while we play games."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Seeing that Shen Tingzhou had stopped speaking, Su Yu looked over. "Dr. Shen, why aren't you asking anymore?"

Shen Tingzhou sighed. "Can you answer properly if I do?"

Su Yu blinked, looking innocent. "Of course not."

Shen Tingzhou closed his mouth firmly.

Biting the bear candy, Su Yu added, "Dr. Shen, I heard that Yu Jurong seems to be in love. Did you know?"

Shen Tingzhou: ?

Who's in love?