Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"Congratulations," Yu Shang said to Tian Ruan.

Tian Ruan: "..." Damn, was second place that easy to come by? The hell? He felt like he hadn’t even given it his all yet.

Would karma get him for stealing the protagonist’s spotlight?

Tian Ruan shuddered. As more and more people gathered around the notice board, some girls even hesitantly tried to talk to him. Tian Ruan pushed through the crowd and hurried toward the classroom.

Wang Weiqi yelled after him, "Dude, Tian Ruan, you're a total badass!"

Tian Ruan walked even faster, breaking into a jog.

The last day of the short holiday had barely any classes. The homeroom teacher came in to go over some safety stuff for the break, praised Tian Ruan, and then turned us loose—students could join club activities or do whatever they wanted.

The moment the teacher left, Wang Weiqi immediately invited, "Dude, Tian Ruan, come on, my treat for an epic meal."

Tian Ruan: "It’s only eight in the morning."

"Dude, we’ll go to the KTV and sing for two hours first, then head to a fancy Michelin place."

"?"

"Why that face? No way you’ve never been to the KTV before."

"Once." Tian Ruan had attended a farewell gathering after graduation where they sang at the KTV, though he hadn’t sung much himself.

Wang Weiqi gaped, "Just once? Dude, you live like a monk."

Tian Ruan: "Yu Shang’s never been. Invite him."

Wang Weiqi glanced timidly at Yu Shang, who was packing his books. "No way I'm asking him."

Tian Ruan asked directly, "Yu Shang, want to go to the KTV?"

Yu Shang shot back, "No. I’m attending a lecture."

"What lecture?"

"About the Hundred Schools."

"I’ll go too. Which lecture hall is it in?"

"Follow me."

Tian Ruan packed his bag and tagged along after Yu Shang. Wang Weiqi, stuck tagging along, lit up when he spotted a long-haired girl from another class. He nudged Tian Ruan. "Know who she is?"

"No."

"Fourth place—no, wait, fifth now."

"?"

"Nan Mengyao. Word is she aced the provincial exams when she entered Deyin, but in five years of middle and high school, she could never top Yu Shang."

"..." Tian Ruan had almost forgotten—the protagonist's fanclub also had plenty of outstanding individuals.

This Nan Mengyao also came from a rich business family, the eldest daughter with high parental expectations. She had been the model good girl until her second year of high school, when her inability to surpass Yu Shang made her start losing it.

Nan Mengyao saw Yu Shang as her biggest rival, then came Xi Qin, then Xie Tangyan, and now...

Nan Mengyao glared at Tian Ruan.

Tian Ruan: "..."

Wang Weiqi clutched his chest, swooning. "So pretty, even glaring looks good."

Tian Ruan: "So you have a crush on the young miss?"

"Don't talk nonsense." Wang Weiqi's cheeks flushed red. "I'm still young, no dating for me yet."

"Like you'd even have a chance."

"..."

Wang Weiqi glared at Tian Ruan.

Tian Ruan consoled him, "You two do have similarities. Maybe you'd get along."

Wang Weiqi perked up immediately. "Really?"

"Go get 'em, tiger."

Wang Weiqi cheerfully went to try to chat up Nan Mengyao, who barely paid attention, only snapping back. Yet Wang Weiqi, ever the oddball, kept trying anyway.

Tian Ruan thought to himself—youth truly was wonderful.

The two-hour lecture, even if not directly useful for exams, was good knowledge to have, helping polish how you talk and act.

But most attendees were there just to see Yu Shang.

How could Tian Ruan tell? The stares were way too obvious, and he was seated closest to Yu Shang—though some were also looking at him, but he was blind to it, steadfast in his belief in the protagonist's law.

At lunch, Tian Ruan carried his tray over to Lu Qiuyan, who was eating fried rice, and brought up casually, "Quite a few people like Yu Shang, huh?"

Lu Qiuyan, puzzled, just grunted in response.

"But Yu Shang is a one-woman man."

"How would you know?" Lu Qiuyan dismissed.

Tian Ruan looked at the protagonist earnestly. "I'm his stepdad, of course I know."

Lu Qiuyan froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth, chewing slowly, his cheeks working.

Tian Ruan asked casually, "What are your plans for the holiday?"

"Working."

"Where?"

"Haven't found a place yet." Lu Qiuyan wolfed down more rice, falling silent.

By the time Lu Qiuyan finished, Tian Ruan had only eaten about half his shrimp fried rice. Lu Qiuyan teased, "You eat like a bird."

Tian Ruan: "...I take my time eating."

"No wonder you're such a twig."

"You're the fragile one."

"?" Lu Qiuyan said, "I could drop you with one punch. Believe it or not?"

Tian Ruan ducked his head. "I believe you."

"Relax, I’m messing with you." Lu Qiuyan tossed his tray into the robot cart collecting dishes. "You seen Yu Shang around?"

"He’s at a student council meeting. You could catch him there."

"Why bother? I’m gonna shoot hoops and bail."

"Wait for me, I wanna play too."

"Chow down, hurry up."

Tian Ruan shoveled food, cheeks bulging like a chipmunk. Lu Qiuyan didn’t rush him, waiting patiently for him to finish.

They couldn’t jump straight into sports after eating, so Lu Qiuyan led Tian Ruan on a slow walk around the field, chatting idly. "Damn, second in the class? Nice."

"If you tried, you could easily snag second too."

"Nah, too much effort, not worth it. Top twenty’s all I need for the auto-admit spot." Lu Qiuyan said lightly.

The top twenty at Deyin could secure spots in most prestigious universities nationwide, and the competition was fierce. Plus, the guaranteed admission waived tuition and came with scholarships.

Most at Deyin didn’t care, but Lu Qiuyan needed it, so he had to maintain his rank.

"But you could do even better." Tian Ruan felt it was a shame—something Lu Qiuyan might only realize much later.

"How much better? Girls fawning over me, guys hating my guts?" Lu Qiuyan scoffed.

"...You’d get better opportunities and network."

Lu Qiuyan shook his head. "I don’t need that. I don’t want to go into business. I’m enlisting right after gaokao."

Tian Ruan wasn’t surprised. In the original story, Lu Qiuyan did join the military academy after gaokao and only reunited with Yu Shang five years later after retiring due to injury, rekindling their relationship.

Five years—how many of those do you get in a lifetime?

Reading about it hadn’t felt like much, but now, living day by day, every day dragged.

He said, "As long as you don’t regret it."

Some roads, you gotta walk 'em to know.

Lu Qiuyan smiled, stepping on a withered maple leaf. "Who knows if I’ll regret it? I’m winging it, step by step—not like you rule-followers, scared to slip up."

Tian Ruan thought for a moment and retorted, "If you’re doing what you love, it’s not being rigid."

Lu Qiuyan fell silent for a beat before nodding. "You’re right. Maybe Yu Shang’s got money in his veins—born to sell."

"..." True.

Yu Shang was true to his namesake. In the future, he would surely surpass Yu Jingmo and bring unparalleled glory to the Yu family.

But now, the boys’ sky was endless blue, the sunlight blazing. In their white and blue jerseys, they dashed across the outdoor basketball court, the ball hammering the pavement, sailing past the baseline.

They scrambled for it, sweat-soaked, elbows flying, until a tall kid snatched it, launched from deep—the ball hung in the air—

The cheers of the white team echoed through the air as they high-fived Lu Qiuyan, while the blue team shouted for another game.

Tian Ruan had been playing basketball for most of the afternoon. Though the shortest, his jumping ability was the best, earning admiration from the group of boys averaging six feet tall.

"Didn’t expect someone so short to jump so well."

"Even the small ones can jump high."

"Tian Ruan, right? Are you from the supermarket-chain Tian family?"

Tian Ruan: "...No."

"Then where are you from?"

"My family's from Lin'an."

"No wonder you're short." (teasingly)

"..."

"Watch your mouths," Lu Qiuyan said. "Don’t bully my new friend."

A dozen tall, sweaty guys burst into laughter. "Alright, since the boss says so, who are we to disobey?"

"Tian Ruan, Lu Qiuyan." Yu Shang’s voice cut through the chatter sharply.

Lu Qiuyan turned his head. "What?"

Yu Shang: "Nothing."

Then he simply stared at them expressionlessly. As the student council president, his mere presence was enough to exert pressure, even without words.

"..."

Tian Ruan suddenly realized, digging his phone out from the pile of clothes. Sure enough, school was already out—which meant Yu Jingmo was waiting for him at the school gate.

He hurriedly grabbed his backpack and dashed off. "I’m heading home!"

"Let’s play again next time, runner-up!"

Tian Ruan stumbled but didn’t look back. Why would someone like Yu Jingmo wait for him?

By the time he slid into the Rolls-Royce—blending in among other luxury cars—he was still sweaty. "I was playing basketball and lost track of time."

When he turned to apologize, he clearly noticed Yu Jingmo edging away slightly. Though the man’s icy expression remained unchanged, his long brows furrowed faintly, his dark eyes clearly saying 'disgust' without words.

Tian Ruan stayed silent.

Yu Jingmo handed him an alcohol wipe. "Clean up."

Tian Ruan took it and wiped his face and neck. Realizing he probably still smelled a little, he fidgeted. "I left in too much of a hurry to shower."

"It’s fine. You can wash up at home."

"Say that again a little closer?"

Yu Jingmo didn't budge. The driver started the engine, and the car filled with a cool, lingering fragrance, silent and chilly.

After a moment, Yu Jingmo said, "Sorry."

Actually, Tian Ruan had already noticed that Yu Jingmo had a bit of a cleanliness obsession. The first thing he did every day upon returning home was wash his hands. His car was always spotless, and his bedroom bedding sets had to be changed daily.

Moreover, he loved taking showers—once in the morning and once at night, and even during lunch breaks at the office—so Assistant Xu said.

Tian Ruan could only manage once every evening...

Back at the estate, Tian Ruan immediately went upstairs to shower as soon as he entered the main house. He scrubbed himself thoroughly, washing with sweet-smelling body wash before changing into soft loungewear and heading downstairs.

Sure enough, Yu Jingmo’s expression relaxed considerably, even going so far as to condescendingly pinch Tian Ruan’s cheek. "Clean now."

Tian Ruan pouted and glared at him.

Yu Jingmo found it amusing and kept teasing him.

That evening, Yu Shang returned a bit late, but Yu Jingmo didn’t ask why.

After dinner, the father and son chatted briefly.

"Any plans for the long weekend?" Yu Jingmo asked.

As the dutiful heir of a wealthy family, Yu Shang replied, "I’d like to shadow at the hotel for a couple of days."

"I want to go too," Tian Ruan raised his hand.

Yu Shang looked puzzled. "What would you do there?"

"I’ll handle cleaning."

"You weren’t this enthusiastic about handling grunt work for the student council. Won’t cleaning at the hotel interfere with your studies?"

"...I came in second in the exams."

"So he should be rewarded," Yu Jingmo interjected. "I’m actually heading on a business trip. I’ll take you on a trip abroad."

"Please tell me it’s not Africa?"

"First Africa, then Europe, and finally back to Asia."

Tian Ruan backpedaled. "No need, Mr. Yu. You can go without me."

Yu Jingmo gave him a cold stare.

Tian Ruan explained, "The schedule’s too tight, and I don’t like flying."

Why?

Because Tian Ruan’s parents had died in a plane crash when he was very young. Though he had no vivid memories or attachment to them, he still disliked flying.

Seeing Tian Ruan remain silent, Yu Jingmo didn’t press further. "Then when I return, you can pick any reward you want."

Tian Ruan immediately said, "I get to stay in a five-star hotel. That’s the reward I want."

Yu Jingmo chuckled. "Seriously?"

"Yep." Tian Ruan was perfectly satisfied with this reward.

"Fine."

Sure enough, the next afternoon, the housekeeper handed Tian Ruan the room key, sniffling as he said, "Even abroad, Sir stays in five-star hotels—presidential suites! Madam must be heartbroken without him!"

Tian Ruan said expressionlessly, "You're overthinking it."

"If there's anything you need, be sure to call. I'll get it to you ASAP for Mrs. Yu."

"No."

Tian Ruan gave Mr. Yu a ride to the airport. The vast terminal hall bustled with people, and a sweet female voice announced flight information over the speakers. Assistant Xu pushed three oversized suitcases on a luggage cart—two of which belonged to Yu Jingmo, stuffed with clothes.

Assistant Xu went to check in the luggage.

Tian Ruan thought to himself that if those suitcases got robbed, Yu Jingmo would be devastated abroad since they contained all his favorite outfits.

"Stay right here. Don’t wander off," Yu Jingmo said to Tian Ruan.

Tian Ruan took off the sandalwood bead bracelet from his right wrist and handed it to Yu Jingmo. "Wear this for protection while you're abroad."

Yu Jingmo lowered his gaze but didn’t refuse. He raised his left hand, pushing up the sleeve of his coat to reveal a tightly buttoned shirt and a sturdy, pale wrist adorned with a million-dollar gold watch.

With his slender fingers, he swiftly removed the watch and let Tian Ruan slip the sandalwood beads onto his wrist.

The sandalwood bracelet, worn by Tian Ruan for many days, carried a hint of sweetness. Yu Jingmo switched the watch to his other hand and said, "I’ll give it back when I return."

"It was originally yours."

"I gave it to you, so it’s yours now."

Tian Ruan met Yu Jingmo’s eyes with clear, light brown eyes. "Well, safe travels."

“Yeah.” Yu Jingmo looked back at him.

"..."

The flight announcement echoed through the terminal. In the end, Yu Jingmo said nothing more and headed to VIP security. Later, he would take his seat in first class.

Perking up, Tian Ruan called out, "Mr. Yu!"

Yu Jingmo turned back.

"Next time, can I sit in first class with you?"

Yu Jingmo smirked. "Sure."

Tian Ruan waved cheerfully.

That evening, Tian Ruan rode in the dazzling golden Ferrari, turning heads as he arrived at the five-star Mochito International Garden Hotel in Su City, where Yu Shang was about to start his internship.

Just listen to that name—so whimsical—it practically screams princess castle.

Indeed, the Mochito International Garden Hotel resembled a castle, though the only downside was its small banquet halls, suitable only for corporate annual meetings but too tight for big weddings.

The hotel’s main entrance had been aligned by a feng shui master, facing southwest like the Yu family estate. However, smaller gates were installed in other directions for convenience.

The front courtyard could only accommodate seven or eight cars, each belonging to VIPs—even welcoming state dignitaries before.

Backed by the Yu family, Tian Ruan’s car easily snagged a spot. He didn’t need to bring anything; staff had everything ready. All he had to do was show up.

Thus, Tian Ruan only carried his backpack and tablet.

Upon entering, he was welcomed by the manager, and the hotel butler showed him to his room.

The presidential suite is located on the top floor, offering not only an unparalleled view but also a whirlpool tub, private cinema, complimentary breakfast and beverages, as well as a customized itinerary, spa treatments, golf, and more—though Tian Ruan didn’t choose the custom itinerary, preferring to plan things himself.

Flipping back the bedspread, Tian Ruan lay down on the plush two-meter-wide bed, where he could easily roll over several times.

He took out his phone and typed.

Tian Ruan: Mr. Yu, I’ve arrived at the hotel. Text me when you arrive.

The teacher had assigned homework in the class group chat. Since it was a long weekend, there was quite a bit of homework. Tian Ruan took out his notebook and worked for about an hour and a half before the doorbell rang.

The door’s display screen automatically showed the surveillance feed outside, revealing the hotel butler and a round little delivery robot.

Tian Ruan picked up the remote to open the door. The hotel butler entered respectfully and said, “Mr. Tian, it’s time for dinner. Would you prefer to dine at the panoramic restaurant or in your private dining area?”

“I’ll eat here.”

The delivery robot wheeled smoothly into the suite, found the dining area, and used its mechanical arms to serve the dishes from its compartment.

Tian Ruan watched the robot in amazement. “Tech’s really come this far?”

The hotel butler smiled. “All the top hotels use these now. They’re very convenient, keep food warm, and save on labor.”

Tian Ruan excitedly tried the five-star hotel’s dishes, only to find they didn’t taste much better than what Liu Ma made.

After dinner, Tian Ruan finally received a message from Yu Jingmo.

Yu Jingmo: Just landed. Bad signal here.

Tian Ruan: Stay safe.

Yu Jingmo: Okay.

Tian Ruan suddenly felt uneasy—after all, it was Africa.

Until his friend Assistant Xu posted a photo of a glittering luxury hotel with a fountain at the entrance.

Tian Ruan commented: Really in Africa?

Assistant Xu replied to Tian Ruan: ? 100% real.

Yu Jingmo replied to Tian Ruan: FaceTime me.

Tian Ruan: “…”

In the video, Yu Jingmo’s background featured an antique but lavish wall adorned with a nude oil painting of a man and woman embracing.

Tian Ruan leaned closer to his phone screen.

Yu Jingmo deliberately panned the camera to focus on the painting. “You like that?”

Tian Ruan: “…No.”

The signal on Yu Jingmo’s end was indeed poor, with the video freezing intermittently. Tian Ruan thought it might be his phone’s issue and kept tilting his phone around.

Yu Jingmo: “What are you doing?”

Tian Ruan said, “You’re freezing up.”

The paused image still displayed Yu Jingmo and the nude painting together… Tian Ruan quietly saved it to his photos.

Yu Jingmo's screen froze too, freezing on Tian Ruan's wide, squirrel-like eyes. He couldn't help but curve his lips into a faint smile. "Have you eaten?"

"I have. What about you?"

"Had a snack on the plane."

They chatted for a while, but the glitchy connection became unbearable. Yu Jingmo muttered a quick "Goodnight" and hung up.

Tian Ruan headed off to get ready for bed. Beside the jacuzzi was floor-to-ceiling one-way glass and a movie screen, fully stocked with bath essentials.

Tian Ruan turned on the massage mode, chuckling to himself as he soaked. Just before dozing off, he managed to wrap himself in a towel and face-planted onto the bed, sinking into deep sleep. Sometime later, in a daze, he heard his phone vibrate. Worried it might be a message from Yu Jingmo, he grabbed it blindly.

It was a message from the class group chat—the class rep instructed those who had finished their essays to upload scans for the city essay contest.

The phone buzzed over a dozen times. Bleary-eyed, Tian Ruan tried to recall if he had taken a photo. He thought he had... He attached the photo from his gallery and hit send.

Then he silenced his phone and passed out.

When he woke up early the next morning, his phone vibrated three times in quick succession. The moment he turned off silent mode, a flood of notifications pinged, filling the lavish bedroom for a full two minutes.

Tian Ruan: "?"

Confused, he checked the source—it was a barrage of @mentions from the class group.

@Tian Ruan, bro, is that THE Yu Jingmo?

@Tian Ruan, you know Yu Jingmo?

@Tian Ruan, that nude painting behind you—seriously?

@Tian Ruan, you actually had a video call with Yu Jingmo? Is it real or photoshopped?

...

Skimming the notifications, Tian Ruan's sleepiness evaporated. What was going on?

Returning to the WeChat homepage, he saw unread DMs from multiple threads besides the class group.

Yu Shang: Tian Ruan!

Yu Shang: I used my admin rights to delete the photo.

Yu Shang: You're dead meat.

Tian Ruan: "..."

Assistant Xu: Ma'am!

Assistant Xu: Don’t worry, Mr. Yu isn’t angry.

Assistant Xu: But he’s pissed you left him on read.

Tian Ruan: "..."

With trembling fingers, he tapped on "Yu Jingmo."

Yu Jingmo: ?

Yu Jingmo: No problem.

Yu Jingmo: Actually, there is a problem.

Tian Ruan: "…………"

Oh no, I'm screwed.

Tian Ruan's vision went dark as he racked his brain—he hadn’t written any essay or taken any photo, just sent a screenshot of his video call with Yu Jingmo.

Opening the class group chat again, it was still buzzing with activity.

Though Tian Ruan hadn’t deliberately hidden his relationship with Yu Jingmo, he still wanted to be a regular high schooler…

Homeroom teacher: @everyone, stop making wild guesses about Tian Ruan. Respect others’ privacy.

Tian Ruan had to explain.

After thinking hard, he finally sent: Hey everyone, I do know Mr. Yu, just like all of you know Mr. Yu.

Classmate A: I know Yu Jingmo, but Yu Jingmo doesn’t know me.

Classmate B: I always said Tian Ruan was low-key impressive, coming from a wealthy family—even being connected to Yu Jingmo.

Classmate C: That’s the president's father!

Classmate D: Didn’t Yu Jingmo get married? His spouse’s name is Tian Yuan.

Gossipmongers: ??? Tian Ruan’s brother?

Classmate D: Am I the only one wondering why there’s a nude portrait behind Yu Jingmo?

Tian Ruan: "..."

And so, everyone decided that Tian Yuan and Tian Ruan were brothers—that would explain everything. After all, Tian Yuan couldn’t have changed his name to Tian Ruan just to attend school, right? Tian Ruan clearly looked their age, nothing like a twenty-year-old.

Too tired to explain, Tian Ruan ended up becoming his own brother.

But the bigger problem now was how to explain things to Yu Jingmo.

After hesitating for a while, Tian Ruan opened Yu Jingmo’s chat with a sigh.

He typed a long message, then deleted it.

After repeating this a few times, a message from the other side came first.

Yu Jingmo: Awake?

Tian Ruan: Mhm.

Tian Ruan: Mr. Yu, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to [sobbing]

Yu Jingmo: Mhm.

Tian Ruan: What do we do now? [pleading]

Yu Jingmo: Neither deny nor confirm.

Tian Ruan: But everyone’s talking about the nude portrait behind you…

After a while, Yu Jingmo replied tersely: We'll talk when I get back.

Tian Ruan: "..."

Doesn’t that just mean, "I’ll deal with you when I get back"?...