Chapter 51 Lu Guifan: Destiny, Only Let Go Once

Chapter 51 Lu Guifan: Fated to Yield Just Once

Jiang Ruotang gripped Cai Ji's shoulders. "Come on, I'll go with you to get your laptop. Gotta strike while it's hot!"

Cai Ji wasn’t one for strong opinions. He simply believed that whatever the matter, listening to Jiang Ruotang was always the right choice.

If Jiang Ruotang said he wanted to develop his little game, then he’d let him handle development.

If Jiang Ruotang said they needed to register the copyright, Cai Ji understood it was for his own good, so he went along without question.

Dai Ming’s efficiency was lightning-fast. He immediately prepared the necessary documents and sent an assistant to take care of the copyright paperwork.

When the legal assistant asked Cai Ji to sign the documents, he hesitated slightly and turned to Jiang Ruotang. "Ruo Tang, what if… you signed with me?"

This amused Jiang Ruotang so much that he couldn’t resist ruffling Cai Ji’s curly hair. "This is registering *your* copyright. What’d it look like if I signed too? When it comes time to sell the rights, should I take a slice of your earnings?"

"I… I wouldn’t mind…" Cai Ji mumbled.

Jiang Ruotang looked at him, his chest warming. This was Cai Ji—someone who, when treated kindly, wanted to pay it back ten times over. There were no profit-driven schemes in his heart; he simply wanted to share what he had with those he considered important.

"You trusting me with this game is already a massive act of trust. The code and creativity are all yours. I can’t take that from you, but we *can* team up to grow it."

Cai Ji studied Jiang Ruotang for a moment before nodding solemnly and signing his name.

The assistant explained, "Normally, this type of registration takes about two months for approval, but we’ll push it through faster."

"Thank you. The sooner, the better," Jiang Ruotang replied with a smile.

By the time they returned to the classroom, afternoon classes were about to start. Jiang Ruotang scooped up his takeout and nuked it in the microwave before wolfing it down at his desk.

Lin Lu, curious, asked, "Ruo Tang, what’d you and Cai Ji get up to at lunch? You didn’t even have time to eat."

"I went with Cai Cai to see a lawyer," Jiang Ruotang answered truthfully, though he kept the details to himself.

As expected, Lin Lu assumed it was related to Cai Chuan and Li Chun and dropped it.

But Lin Lu seethed inside.

The reason was simple—Jiang Ruotang had been the first to stand up and protect Cai Ji, winning everyone’s respect.

Jiang Ruotang didn’t need to force smiles or calculate wins and losses; people naturally respected him.

But Lin Lu had to work hard to maintain his "caring and considerate" persona.

"Hey, Ruo Tang… the provincial Art Unified Examination is at the end of November, right? Cai Ji’s life is back on track now, so you should focus more on yourself," Lin Lu coaxed, faux-concerned.

Jiang Ruotang, having just finished his meal, took his sweet time packing his lunchbox and replied with a plastic smile, "Don’t worry. I only spend time on people who count."

With that, he picked up his lunchbox and left.

Bai Yingchuan, who had been napping on the other side of Lin Lu, huffed a quiet laugh.

Lin Lu glanced at him, but Bai Yingchuan didn’t stir—the laugh was so faint it could’ve been Lin Lu’s mind playing tricks. Yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone was throwing shade at him.

After tossing his lunchbox and washing his hands, Jiang Ruotang made a point of entering the classroom through the back door. From this angle, he could see Lu Guifan’s back and the nape of his neck, where his face was tucked into his arms as he slept.

The skin there was pale, the collar of his uniform crisply folded, contrasting sharply with his black hair. The elegant curve of his neck made Jiang Ruotang itch to sink his teeth in—hard.

He wondered if he’d been brainwashed by Jian Sha’s nonstop yapping about how alphas marked omegas by biting their necks. The thought made his fingers twitch with the urge to leave deep teeth marks on that fair skin.

But while Jiang Ruotang had the desire, he didn’t have the guts.

Lu Guifan was taller and stronger than him, supposedly able to haul him up and down stairs single-handedly.

Leaving a bite mark was not happening, but teasing him? That was doable.

Silently, Jiang Ruotang crept up behind Lu Guifan, bent down, and—just as his breath brushed the other’s hand—suddenly dug his fingers into Lu Guifan’s neck.

Success!

Lu Guifan’s shoulders jerked, his back tensing instantly. A jolt of alarm shot through Jiang Ruotang, and he tried to pull away—but Lu Guifan moved faster than he expected, seizing both his wrists in a vise grip before straightening up and tilting his head back to look at him.

"Having fun?"

Without his glasses, Lu Guifan’s bangs slid to the sides, revealing his sharp forehead and brows. His eyes were disconcertingly deep, as if they could suck Jiang Ruotang straight in.

Though Jiang Ruotang doubted Lu Guifan could even see his expression clearly, he still felt weirdly guilty, his palms growing warm despite their earlier chill.

"Y-Yeah… pretty fun… heh."

He tried wriggling his wrists, but Lu Guifan’s grip was unyielding. He didn’t even shift in his seat, yet Jiang Ruotang couldn’t break free. It made him wonder if Lu Guifan was actually angry.

"Then keep playing like this."

The words reassured Jiang Ruotang—Lu Guifan wasn’t mad, just teasing him back.

He struggled from every angle, but Lu Guifan remained unshakable.

The surrounding classmates watched with knowing looks.

—Lu Guifan never participated in childish "interactions"… unless it was with Jiang Ruotang.

Poking at Lu Guifan was like poking the bear—unless you were Jiang Ruotang, in which case you could even plant vegetables on its head.

The muffled snickers from nearby classmates finally made even Jiang Ruotang’s thick-skinned face heat up slightly.

"Class President, I was wrong! I won’t disturb your nap ever again! Have mercy and spare me!"

"Oh? And if I don’t?" Lu Guifan’s voice betrayed no hesitation.

"Then I’ll bite you!"

The words slipped out before Jiang Ruotang could think, his heart pounding wildly.

Secretly, he hoped Lu Guifan *wouldn’t* let go—so he could actually sink his teeth into him.

"Where do you want to bite?"

The question made Jiang Ruotang’s palms burn hotter. He wanted to pull away from Lu Guifan’s neck, but the other’s grip left him no room to move.

Having lived two lifetimes, Jiang Ruotang had read far more… *unconventional* books than Lu Guifan. There was no way Lu Guifan realized how *loaded* that question was.

"Your hand!"

With that, Jiang Ruotang turned his head toward Lu Guifan’s right hand.

For the first time, he found himself wishing Lu Guifan would react just a little slower—so he could openly leave a mark, however fleeting.

But Lu Guifan let go.

When his hands were suddenly freed, Jiang Ruotang didn't feel relief or joy—instead, a crushing wave of loss welled up inside him.

But the next second, Lu Guifan’s knuckles skimmed Jiang Ruotang's nose. In that fleeting moment, no time to process, and then the tip of Lu Guifan's index finger grazed Jiang Ruotang's lips.

Jiang Ruotang almost reached out after him, but the class bell rang, so he had to rush back to his seat.

His heart was pounding wildly.

The first class was English. He recognized every word the teacher said, but strung together, they just wouldn’t stick.

Finally, when the English teacher moved from the podium to the back of the classroom, Jiang Ruotang seized the chance to glance back, pretending an idle glance toward Lu Guifan.

The other boy sat upright, his gaze focused, paying the teacher every courtesy.

Jiang Ruotang huffed and turned away, thinking he should have just bitten Lu Guifan hard—bet that’d wipe the calm off his face!

On his way to the art studio that evening, the rush-hour traffic was heavy. Out of boredom, Jiang Ruotang fished out his sketchbook from his bag.

At first, he only meant to draw the streetlights outside the window or the commuters itching to get home, but as he sketched, he realized what stuck with him most vividly was Lu Guifan’s sleeping figure at his desk.

His shoulders, his dark hair, the nape of his neck—all of it sparked something possessive in Jiang Ruotang’s mind.

By the time the car started moving again, Jiang Ruotang had already captured that figure on paper.

Unlike reality, Jiang Ruotang had left deep bite marks on the nape of his neck in the drawing. Like a kid’s petty revenge, Jiang Ruotang smirked smugly.

"Hmph, serves you right."

But immediately, he felt ridiculous, covering his eyes and laughing at himself for a long time.

Two lifetimes under his belt—how could he still be so childish?

That night, when Jiang Ruotang returned home from the art studio, he was still changing into his slippers in the entryway when Zhao Zhangfeng barreled over excitedly, tail-wagging eager as a Husky.

"Hey, do you know how bold Cai Cai was today?"

Jiang Ruotang frowned. "Huh? Cai Cai’s a pushover. Who pissed him off?"

"No one got to him..." Zhao Zhangfeng scratched the back of his head. "It was before night study. Jian Sha and I were playing that bubble game. Lin Lu usually avoids me, but today, for some reason, he insisted on squeezing between us, asking what game we were playing, saying it looked fun and where he could download it. Jian Sha and I didn’t really want to engage, but he kept hovering, watching us from start to finish and saying he wanted to play too."

Jiang Ruotang thought of his dreams about his past life, his stomach dropped, a thin layer of cold sweat forming on his back.

"Did you give him the game?"

Zhao Zhangfeng shook his head immediately. "As if! The game belongs to Cai Cai. Of course, he’d need Cai Cai’s permission to play."

"So Lin Lu went to Cai Cai for the game?"

Based on Jiang Ruotang’s understanding of Lin Lu, this was likely an attempt to weasel into his friend circle—Cai Ji was the easiest target.

Once Lin Lu got in, he’d start subtly undermining Jiang Ruotang’s friendships, pulling useful people to his side.

"Yeah. Let me tell you, Lin Lu shouldn’t even bother with college—he should just become a chef, always peddling pipe dreams!"

Jiang Ruotang couldn’t help but laugh, stepping into the living room in his slippers and sitting on the sofa. He beckoned Zhao Zhangfeng over, who obediently trotted to his side like a Siberian Husky.

"What kind of promises? Were they tasty?" Jiang Ruotang was practically petting Zhao Zhangfeng at this point.

"Pfft, what’s the taste of hot air?" Zhao Zhangfeng scoffed, looking like Lin Lu’s #1 anti-fan. "Lin Lu said his dad owns a gaming company and is looking for games with development potential. He claimed he was ‘impressed’ by Cai Ji’s little game and that if Cai Ji was willing, he’d convince Lin Chengdong to buy it at a high price! He even said once the game launched, Cai Cai would be famous!"

Jiang Ruotang lowered his eyes, inwardly scoffing. Make Cai Ji famous?

In his past life, he’d played that game for years without ever knowing Cai Ji was the designer.

The so-called "high price" was a lousy 20k buyout—total scam.

"Cai Cai wouldn’t fall for that," Jiang Ruotang chuckled, confident in his standing with Cai Ji.

"Exactly! Cai Cai shut him down with, ‘The game was only for his close friends and that the development rights had already been handed to someone trustworthy.’ Half the class was there, and no one expected Cai Cai to outright reject Lin Lu. Man, you should’ve seen Lin Lu’s face—like he’d bombed a test!"

"If that’s all, Cai Cai wasn’t exactly ‘bold’—you’re exaggerating," Jiang Ruotang laughed.

But learning to say no was good for Cai Ji. He wouldn’t be so easily taken advantage of in the future, nor would he have to compromise to keep friends.

"Ha, do you even know Lin Lu? He immediately softened his tone, trying to butter up Cai Ji. Stuff like, ‘We’re all classmates—Jian Sha and Zhao Zhangfeng are playing, so why not share it with everyone? After two years together, don’t we count as your close friends?’ Doesn’t that sound so manipulative? Basically implying to the whole class that Cai Ji refusing to share his game meant he didn’t consider them friends!"

Hearing this, Jiang Ruotang’s temper spiked, but it also showed how desperate Lin Lu was.

To Lin Lu, Jiang Ruotang’s investment in Cai Ji was baffling, so he was scrambling for leverage—whatever Cai Ji shared with Jiang Ruotang, he wanted it too.

"How did Cai Cai refuse?" Jiang Ruotang worried. One wrong move, and Cai Ji could turn the class against him, giving Lin Lu an opening to isolate him.

"Cai Cai just said it straight." Zhao Zhangfeng cleared his throat, doing a spot-on Cai Ji impression. "‘Lin Lu, you just said your dad’s in the gaming business. But my little game’s already been handed off for development. We’re technically competitors now. If I gave you the game and a similar one popped up on the market, the developers would come after you first. I’m not sharing it to protect you—and our friendship.’"

Jiang Ruotang lowered his eyes and smiled. Using Lin Lu’s own empty promises to shut him up—Cai Ji had really grown up.

"Lin Lu had no choice but to backtrack fast, saying there was no real competition since he wasn’t involved in his dad’s business. But the whole thing was a cringe-fest—thankfully, the class president stepped in and defused it."

At the mention of "class president," Jiang Ruotang’s ears pricked.

"Lu Guifan? How’d he smooth it over?"

"He just said, ‘We’re all classmates—no need to pressure anyone. Once Cai Ji’s game officially launches, he’ll definitely give us friend accounts or in-game currency.’"

Jiang Ruotang imagined the scene and couldn’t help but smile.

In the past, Lu Guifan kept to himself, but ever since he’d gone to the faculty office to defend Jiang Ruotang during the cheating accusation, the class had seen his fairness and integrity.

Who wouldn’t want a class president who’d stand up for them?

So, Lu Guifan’s authority in class had long surpassed Lin Lu’s sneaky BS.

That night, Jiang Ruotang talked to Zhao Yunshu about Cai Ji’s game. Zhao Yunshu said she’d line up a reliable development team and have Mr. Zheng’s company handle the investment to avoid Lin Chengdong’s notice.

Afterward, Jiang Ruotang grinned as he kneaded Zhao Yunshu’s shoulders, asking, "Mom, when are you free? Auntie Lu’s been waiting for you to introduce her."

"Oh, right—I got so caught up with Cai Ji, I forgot! This weekend works. Lawyer Hong’s open too. I’ll introduce them."

That weekend, Zhao Yunshu took time to escort Lu’s mother to Lawyer Hong’s home for the part-time job interview.

To ease Lu’s mother’s nerves, Zhao Yunshu chatted with her the whole way, even doing her hair and touch of makeup to make her look gentle yet polished.

"Wow, Sister Lu, you’re actually quite the beauty," Zhao Yunshu remarked.

Lu’s mother blushed, remembering how Jiang Ruotang had once joked that in ancient times, she’d have been the "Tofu Belle" bankrolling her scholar son.

Upon arrival, Lu’s mother found Lawyer Hong to be a kind woman, swamped with a newborn, a moody son, and casework. Overwhelmed, she jumped at the chance to help.

Lu’s mother prepared a few go-to dishes—tangy spare ribs, salted-egg shrimp, fish-stuffed okra—and even made Lawyer Hong a fortifying black chicken soup with red dates.

Attorney Hong couldn't stop praising the food, but her son kept a straight face and stayed quiet. When asked if the dishes tasted good, he reluctantly muttered, "Meh."

Ms. Lu assumed her cooking was too rustic and didn't suit the child's taste, thinking she had failed the trial. But then, once the little boy left the table, Attorney Hong immediately discussed pay and hours with her, asking if she could stay to cook dinner before leaving.

"I can stay? But it seems Xixi didn't like what I made?" Ms. Lu asked, confused.

Attorney Hong laughed. "That boy’s always been this way—saying one thing but meaning another, acting all high and mighty. Don’t listen to what he says; look at how much he ate. Look at the bones—he had four pieces of sweet and sour ribs."

Zhao Yunshu also smiled. "And he ate three large shrimp and nearly half a plate of fish-stuffed okra."

"Exactly. Xixi’s super picky, but this is the most he’s eaten in the past month. Ms. Lu, your cooking is almost as good as a restaurant chef’s. I’ve gotta hire you ASAP!" Attorney Hong said cheerfully.

Ms. Lu couldn’t believe she had actually gotten the job.

As for Jiang Ruotang, he was sitting at Lu Guifan’s desk, receiving one-on-one tutoring.

Holy crap, this physics problem’s brutal!

Why the hell would you release a conductor rod on metal rails? Why include kinetic friction? And why calculate velocity?

To make matters worse, Lu Guifan was sitting right beside him, so Jiang Ruotang couldn’t slack off and had to painfully piece it together.

Despite his struggles, Jiang Ruotang managed to answer all three questions correctly.

"Right... I got it, didn’t I?" Jiang Ruotang turned his head to glance at his "taskmaster" beside him.

To his surprise, Lu Guifan was propping his chin on his hand, watching with a maddeningly calm look, clearly enjoying Jiang Ruotang’s struggle as he wrestled with the uniform magnetic field and rails.

Jiang Ruotang grumbled inwardly—this guy’s face is just asking for a punch!

"Yeah, it’s right," Lu Guifan replied, as if he could read Jiang Ruotang’s thoughts but played dumb.

Just as Jiang Ruotang was about to move on to the next problem, Lu Guifan spoke again, "Wanna play a game?"

"Wait, seriously? You’re inviting me to play a game?"

"Mm, the new and improved version of the bubble game."

"Upgraded? Cai Cai never said anything." Jiang Ruotang snatched up his phone. "Come on, let’s see how much better the new version is!"

Lu Guifan grabbed his phone off the corner of the desk and sent the upgraded version to Jiang Ruotang.

After downloading it, Jiang Ruotang quickly dove into the game—his bubble zoomed ahead while Lu Guifan’s was hot on its tail.

Health packs and speed boosts now appeared out of nowhere. Every time Jiang Ruotang jumped to grab a health pack, Lu Guifan was right behind him, causing him to miss several speed boosts. He was so tense sweat dotted his forehead.

That bastard Lu Guifan was a pro at keeping a straight face while piling on the pressure. If this were a TV show, he’d be the textbook villain boss—wearing a perfectly tailored black suit, casually loosening his tie, cornering his prey until they crumpled helplessly, with no escape left.

Jiang Ruotang internally ranted as his bubble’s health bar was almost gone from Lu Guifan’s nonstop attacks. Without a speed boost soon, he wouldn’t even be able to fly.

Finally, in the last stretch, a health bubble, a speed bubble, and an unknown red bubble flew toward Jiang Ruotang.

Crap, Lu Guifan rammed him again, making him miss the health bubble.

He quickly turned and darted toward the speed bubble, only for Lu Guifan to take a huge bite out of it, losing most of the boost. Jiang Ruotang barely managed a tiny bit, just enough to gain some momentum before only the red bubble remained.

Since there was no escaping Lu Guifan’s clutches anyway, Jiang Ruotang thought—even if eating the red bubble meant self-destruction, he’d just come back in 18 years. Who cares?

But when he gobbled it up, both his and Lu Guifan’s bubbles got sent back to the starting point—and he was still low on health!

"What kind of upgrade is this?!" Jiang Ruotang almost chucked his phone and went for Lu Guifan’s throat.

Lu Guifan said calmly, "Didn’t you say that if I ate you right before you cleared the level, I’d be destined to die alone and wifeless?"

"Huh?" Jiang Ruotang wondered if his brain had malfunctioned—he couldn’t understand what Lu Guifan was saying.

"So now, when you’re about to die or escape, you get a choice—take the health pack and keep running, grab the speed boost and dash out, or start over and let me catch you again. It’s your decision."

Jiang Ruotang’s heartbeat quickened—not from the thrill of nearly winning, but from a weird flutter in his chest.

Of course, I’ll choose to let you catch me again.

"Game on! I refuse to believe I can’t escape!" Jiang Ruotang picked up his phone, ready for another round.

Secretly, he hoped that if Lu Guifan chased him all the way to the end, he could bite the red bubble, sending them back to the start—so they could keep playing endlessly...

Ugh! He hadn’t even made it a third of the way before Lu Guifan’s bubble devoured him!

"You’re still doomed to loneliness! A life without a wife!" Jiang Ruotang was pissed.

What made it worse was that, from the corner of his eye, he caught Lu Guifan’s lips curling slightly deeper than usual.

"Are you laughing?" Jiang Ruotang narrowed his eyes.

"I’m not."

"No, you are. Your lips just twitched!"

Lu Guifan shook his head impassively. "I really wasn’t. Can’t handle losing?"

"Exactly. I can’t handle losing."

With that, Jiang Ruotang put his phone down and went back to studying.

Later, when Xiao Gao came to pick him up, Jiang Ruotang immediately texted Cai Ji to vent.

[Cai Cai! That upgrade is so useless! The red bubble should restore full health when sending you back to the start! Going back with low health means dying halfway!]

Cai Ji: [Hahaha, that upgrade was made by the class president! I also asked why it wasn’t full health, and he said, ‘A destined outcome only allows one chance.’]

Jiang Ruotang froze. He thought Cai Ji had made it—turns out it was Lu Guifan.

[Since when did the class president learn coding and programming?]

Cai Ji: [He picks up everything crazy fast!]

Jiang Ruotang looked up at the sky—Lu Guifan must’ve found high school too boring, leaving him with all that extra time to learn other things.

Shortly after Jiang Ruotang left, Ms. Lu returned home.

She excitedly shared the good news of her new job with Lu Guifan and her husband, beaming with pride that she could now earn money too.

Mr. Lu sighed emotionally. "Ruotang is truly our family’s lucky star! Ever since we met him, everything’s been going smoothly, and life keeps getting better!"