Chapter 14: It was indeed a dark time.

Chapter 14: It was indeed a dark time.

Ye Tingtong decided not to stay in the upscale Prince Bay. The next morning, he quickly returned to school with the clothes Shen Jin had bought for him.

Last night, Yu Hui sent him a message, saying that the teacher would take attendance in the final calculus lecture tomorrow, and anyone who missed it would automatically fail!

The good thing was that Ye Tingtong made it to the attendance, but the bad thing was that the final exams for all courses were approaching, and failing them would still result in failing the course.

After finishing calculus, dormitory head Yu Hui noticed Ye Tingtong’s gloomy face and patted his backpack, "No need to worry. My study notes are all here. I’ll organize them and send you a copy when we get back."

Ye Tingtong exclaimed, "You’re a lifesaver! Let’s go, lunch in the cafeteria is my treat!"

Shen Jin had already transferred 100,000 yuan to his card. Ye Tingtong first transferred 10 yuan to his assistant Liu Hao, then topped up his campus card with 1,000 yuan.

Taking someone out to the cafeteria was more than enough.

Yu Hui teased him, "Haven’t seen you in a few days, Tong’s rolling in cash now, huh? Then I’m going for a large portion of spicy hotpot today!"

Another roommate chimed in, "Then I’ll go for an all-meat spicy hot pot~"

The three of them walked out laughing. Ye Tingtong was quietly checking his wallet balance when someone suddenly grabbed his arm from behind. Thinking it was Yu Hui, he quickly said, "No more ordering extra dishes!"

But when he looked up, he saw Yu Hui right in front of him.

Ye Tingtong turned around and met Shen Minghuai’s surprised face.

"Are you okay?" Shen Minghuai looked Ye Tingtong over, "You’re not injured, are you?"

When they first met, Ye Tingtong had mentioned that he would be beaten if he didn’t comply. Shen Minghuai hadn’t taken it seriously at the time, thinking it was just a tale of woe. But when he received a message from Yu Huanhuan saying that Ye Tingtong was being chased by the Ye family, he realized Ye Tingtong was truly in danger.

Ye Tingtong looked at Shen Minghuai’s worried expression and shook his head, "I’m fine."

Yu Hui inquired, "Minghuai, what brings you here? I mentioned the teacher would take attendance, but you didn’t respond."

Shen Minghuai glanced at him, "A classmate spotted Tong in class and messaged me."

Ye Tingtong hadn’t replied to his messages, and his roommate had helped keep it a secret. So, Shen Minghuai had put out a small bounty to other classmates to inform him of Ye Tingtong’s whereabouts immediately.

Yu Hui picked up on Shen Minghuai’s disapproval and awkwardly scratched his nose, "So, have you two patched things up? It’s really tough being caught in the middle."

Previously, Ye Tingtong had said he had a fight with Shen Minghuai and told him not to report his whereabouts.

The question was thrown out, and everyone’s eyes turned to Ye Tingtong.

Ye Tingtong, under the scrutiny of three pairs of eyes, pressed his lips together, "We’ve kind of reconciled."

He and Shen Jin had already gotten married, so there was no way he could have any further entanglements with Shen Minghuai. It was better to be open and honest with him. Besides, Shen Jin was Shen Minghuai’s uncle, after all!

Shen Minghuai didn’t expect this answer and tentatively asked, "Tong, are you really past it?"

Ye Tingtong knew Shen Minghuai was referring to the engagement. He nodded, his gaze steady, "Yes."

He used to harbor resentment towards Shen Minghuai. He had emphasized many times that if Shen Minghuai had a girlfriend or anything else, he should tell him. But Shen Minghuai had deliberately kept it hidden until the very moment of the engagement, when Ye Tingtong found out from someone else.

During the time Ye Guodong locked him in the dark room, Ye Tingtong couldn’t help but think that if he had prepared earlier, maybe he wouldn’t have ended up in that situation.

But now, Ye Tingtong had let it all go.

In the past few years, the first thing he would do when he went to school was to ask if Shen Minghuai was there, trying every way to be with him. Even after Shen Minghuai got engaged, he would still find out and avoid him.

University A was not the place where he studied, but the most convenient way for him to connect with Shen Minghuai.

But now, when they met face to face, Ye Tingtong realized that he hadn’t thought about Shen Minghuai for a long time, and coming to school was purely for attending classes.

Shen Minghuai looked at Ye Tingtong’s calm expression, his heart ached sharply, but he couldn’t explain the reason, so he changed the subject: "I just heard you were going to the cafeteria for lunch, how about I treat you to a meal outside?"

Ye Tingtong continued walking towards the cafeteria, "I have to go to the library to find a spot to study after lunch, you guys go on without me!"

The three roommates gave the person walking ahead a strange look.

After all, Ye Tingtong was usually the first to jump at the chance to eat out.

"We’ve got studying to do later, so let’s not go too far," Yu Hui said with a smile, punching Shen Minghuai’s shoulder, "You can’t bear to see Tong treat us, so you’re stepping in to save the day, huh?"

The atmosphere seemed to return to the time when the four of them were together, Shen Minghuai followed Ye Tingtong, "If you’re paying, I’m in!"

Ye Tingtong didn’t hesitate much, "Sure!"

Shen Minghuai had treated him so many times, he could afford to treat them once at the cafeteria.

"But, aren’t you accompanying Liang Yuting?"

They just got engaged, they should be glued to each other right now.

Shen Minghuai didn’t expect Ye Tingtong to bring up Liang Yuting so openly, he averted his gaze for a moment, "She’s got her girlfriends to hang out with, she doesn’t need me to be with her all the time."

Ye Tingtong just said ‘Oh’ and didn’t press further.

The four of them went to the cafeteria for lunch, on Ye Tingtong’s meal card.

Every time the card beeped, Ye Tingtong felt a pang of regret, he realized, a bit late, that he was pretty tight-fisted.

But Ye Tingtong didn’t show it, just kept his head down and cleaned his plate.

After lunch, Yu Hui handed Ye Tingtong a USB drive, "Go ahead and print out some of the study materials first, I’ll get the rest ready for you when I’m back at the dorm."

Ye Tingtong went to the print shop, Shen Minghuai tagged along, and once the other two roommates were out of earshot, Shen Minghuai whispered, "Did my uncle help you?"

Ye Tingtong looked at Shen Minghuai with some surprise, he knew the question would come up eventually, but he didn’t expect Shen Minghuai to guess so accurately.

However, Shen Jin didn’t plan to reveal their marriage now, so Ye Tingtong just gave a vague hum of agreement.

Fortunately, Shen Minghuai somehow managed to piece it together logically and didn’t ask further.

While Ye Tingtong was printing the materials, Shen Minghuai sent a message to Shen Jin.

"Shen Minghuai: Thanks, uncle, for helping Tong out, if there’s anything you need help with next time, just let me know!"

After a while, Shen Jin didn’t respond.

Shen Minghuai didn’t mind too much, after all, his uncle was just like that.

While Shen Minghuai was sending the message, Ye Tingtong was also secretly sending a WeChat message to Shen Jin.

"Ye Tingtong: Does Shen Minghuai know something? Do I need to find another excuse to fool him?"

He married Shen Jin to escape the Ye family, but he wasn’t very clear about Shen Jin’s intentions, and didn’t want to ruin Shen Jin’s plans because of himself.

"Shen Jin: Don’t worry about him."

The response was quick, and Ye Tingtong guessed that the other person might also be eating and was free. So, he sent another message.

"Ye Tingtong: By the way, my final exams are coming up, so I’ll be staying in the dorm for a while."

"Ye Tingtong: I’m way behind on my coursework, so it’s a good chance to study with my roommates～"

Ye Tingtong thought the reply would come just as quickly, but after staring at his phone for a bit, it didn’t ring again.

So, he sent a confused cat emoji.

Before the printing ended, Ye Tingtong finally received Shen Jin’s reply.

"Shen Jin: Hmm."

Ye Tingtong quietly grumbled to himself about Shen Jin’s coldness, and when he looked up, he noticed Shen Minghuai staring at him.

Ye Tingtong quickly put his phone in his pocket, looking cautious.

Shen Minghuai explained, "I wasn’t snooping on your messages."

He paused for a moment, "Tong, you’re different now."

In the past, whenever Shen Minghuai glanced at Ye Tingtong, Ye Tingtong would notice immediately and give him a sweet smile. Now, there was nothing.

Shen Minghuai comforted himself, thinking it was because he’d messed up before. Ye Tingtong might say he wasn’t angry, but he was probably still holding a grudge.

Thinking this, Shen Minghuai smiled, "I’ll take you to a party tonight. There’ll be plenty of good food. I’ll pick you up later?"

He was about to plan the time when he saw Ye Tingtong holding the printed materials, waving him off without looking back, "No, I need to study."

Ye Tingtong meant what he said, either holed up in the library or buried in his studies in the dorm, making Shen Minghuai too guilty to bother him. Shen Minghuai himself wasn’t as free as he claimed, taking a few calls before leaving with a serious look.

Before leaving, he said goodbye to Ye Tingtong, "I’m leaving now. I won’t be back to the dorm today."

All he got was a half-hearted "Got it" from Ye Tingtong.

Ye Tingtong knew Shen Minghuai had been staring at him for a while before leaving, but he really didn’t have the time to figure out his thoughts because—

The coursework was too hard!!!

Ye Tingtong’s basics were too shaky, and even with the materials, it felt like reading gibberish. His study efficiency was very low, and he often had to ask Yu Hui and the others for help. After so many times, Ye Tingtong felt awkward and had to put in extra hours studying alone.

That Saturday, Ye Tingtong stayed up late studying advanced mathematics and woke up late, missing out on a spot in the library. In the evening, Yu Hui and the others said they were going to a lecture by a big shot, leaving Ye Tingtong alone in the dorm.

He slumped over the desk, struggling with advanced mathematics for a while, and realized he was about to fall asleep. So, he patted his face and sat up, deciding to step outside for some cold air to clear his head.

Before leaving, he grabbed a few sausages from the cabinet.

Next to the dorm building, there was a small grove. If he was lucky, he could spot a few stray cats.

Ye Tingtong had never owned a cat, but he liked them very much.

However, today didn’t seem to be his lucky day. Ye Tingtong wandered in the dark grove for over ten minutes without hearing a single meow. Instead, when he meowed to attract the cats, he drew the attention of a few girls.

The girls glanced at him, turned around, and left, muttering, "I thought there was a cat!"

Ye Tingtong’s face turned bright red. He was very grateful that the streetlights in the grove were broken, preventing anyone from seeing his embarrassment.

Just as he was about to return empty-handed with the sausages, the dorm group chat suddenly became lively.

"Yu Hui: @Tong, you really should come! The VIP’s talk was amazing. I thought it would be just polite chatter, but it turned out to be full of vivid, practical experiences."

"Song Wu: They say Shen Jin also graduated from A University. This time, he made time to return to his alma mater for a lecture, and the school officials were thrilled."

Ye Tingtong suddenly felt something was off.

"Ye Tingtong: Which VIP Shen?"

"Yu Hui: It’s Shen Jin, the CEO of Shen Group, and Minghuai’s uncle."

"Song Wu: I don’t know if it’s because we got to know each other at Minghuai’s engagement, but I thought Shen Jin glanced our way, and it got me really excited."

The more they gushed, the gloomier Ye Tingtong looked.

He wished he had gone!

It had been over a week since he last saw Shen Jin, and his messages were met with only occasional, cold replies.

Ye Tingtong sometimes worried Shen Jin might divorce him before their first year was up.

Besides, Shen Jin had seen Yu Hui and the others, so he must have noticed he wasn’t there.

Ye Tingtong hesitated for a moment, then quickly called Shen Jin before he lost his nerve.

As the phone rang, Ye Tingtong told himself he just wanted to explain his absence, not to chat with Shen Jin.

When Shen Jin answered, Ye Tingtong’s prepared speech vanished, and he only managed to stammer, "Shen Jin."

Shen Jin’s familiar, cool tone came through, "Hmm."

Maybe it was nerves, but Ye Tingtong’s heart raced. He swallowed and said, "You were at our school? I didn’t know it was your talk—I would’ve gone for sure."

He realized he’d spoken too quickly, his words jumbling together. Before he could repeat himself, Shen Jin said, "It’s fine—it was a last-minute thing anyway."

Ye Tingtong asked, "Are you still here? I was thinking I could take you for some late-night snacks on campus."

"My treat!" Ye Tingtong said without hesitation—he was always generous with Shen Jin.

Shen Jin replied, "I’ve got a video call tonight."

Ye Tingtong sighed, "Oh."

The line went quiet.

Ye Tingtong thought Shen Jin was so distant—he’d never say more unless prompted.

Ye Tingtong faintly heard keyboard clicks, realizing Shen Jin was probably busy. This call was a bad idea.

He’d taken Shen Jin’s polite "call anytime" offer too literally.

As Ye Tingtong fumbled for an excuse to hang up, a cold wind hit him, making him sneeze. The keyboard clicks stopped instantly, and he clearly heard Shen Jin ask, "Where are you?"

Ye Tingtong sniffled, "I’m not wandering around, just downstairs at the dorm, trying to feed some stray cats, but I couldn’t find any, just wasted time in the cold wind."

As he spoke, he didn’t even notice the grievance in his tone, but Shen Jin did. "It’s been getting colder recently, especially at night."

Shen Jin’s voice softened, a hint of warmth cutting through the cold night.

Ye Tingtong nodded, "Yeah, even the cats have gone into hiding."

Shen Jin, hearing the wind howling through the phone, said helplessly, "What I mean is, you should wear more clothes."

Ye Tingtong was taken aback. Was Shen Jin actually worried about him?

Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly heard a few meows.

"Shen Jin, did you hear that?"

The howling wind couldn't hide the excitement in Ye Tingtong's voice. Shen Jin's lips curved slightly, "I heard it."

Ye Tingtong crouched down. Since he had fed them often, the cats weren't shy and gathered around him.

He considered putting the phone on the ground, but the grove was too dark, and he feared losing it. So, he simply stuffed it into his pocket. After feeding the cats, he suddenly remembered he was still on the phone with Shen Jin.

Ye Tingtong quickly pulled out the phone and realized something even more shocking—

Shen Jin hadn't hung up!

As he scrambled for an excuse, Shen Jin asked calmly, "Done feeding?"

The sound had turned noisy earlier, with occasional faint meows or names like Big Black, Little Black, and Fatty, clearly not meant for him.

Ye Tingtong quickly said, "Sorry! I was worried they’d run off, so I stuffed the phone in my pocket."

"I was going to put it on the ground, but the streetlight’s out, and I didn’t want to lose it."

Ye Tingtong blamed the school, "I’ve nearly tripped a few times taking shortcuts. It’s way too dark here."

He glanced at the bright dorm lights and lied, "It’s so dark, you wouldn’t recognize me even if I were right in front of you."

Shen Jin, hearing his exaggeration, didn’t call him out and just chuckled, "That’s really dark."

His deep, pleasant laugh came through the phone.

Ye Tingtong rubbed his ears, which felt a little warm.

The call went quiet again, but it wasn’t as awkward as earlier. Ye Tingtong touched the corner of his mouth, which was turned up in a smile.

The call lasted almost twenty minutes before it ended.

A sedan was parked at the entrance of University A. Liu Hao, in the driver’s seat, turned around and asked, "Boss Shen, should we go into the school?"

They were meant to leave half an hour ago, but Shen Jin hadn’t said anything.

Shen Jin set his phone down, "No, head to the company."

As Liu Hao was about to drive off, Shen Jin added, "The sponsorship University A mentioned—Shen Group will handle it."

He looked at the bright lights at the entrance, his expression calm, "Replace all their broken public equipment."

Liu Hao got it right away, "Got it, Boss Shen."

Ye Tingtong’s voice had been way too loud when he was making excuses.

Liu Hao, ever efficient, quickly messaged University A’s leaders—

"The sponsorship funds will be available soon. Please fix the lights under the male dormitory first. Thank you for your cooperation."