Chapter 64 Just One Glance

Chapter 64 Just One Glance

Sister Juan whispered, "Oh my, aren’t Cai Ji and Jian Sha helping Zhang Feng with his practice problems?"

"Yeah, they are," Jiang Ruotang nodded.

"I swear they’re about to ascend to the heavens right then!" Sister Juan pointed upward with her finger.

Jiang Ruotang understood immediately, clasped his hands together, and gave a little bow toward Zhao Zhangfeng’s door, whispering, "Cai Cai, Sister Sha, you two are saints."

Lu Guifan stood nearby, hands in his pockets, his lips quirking up.

Jiang Ruotang turned to him. "What are you laughing at?"

Lu Guifan gently rested a hand on his head. "Of course, it’s because I’m the lucky one—I got to teach you."

With no more practice problems to worry about, Jiang Ruotang focused more on painting.

He pushed Lu Guifan into the studio to be his model.

Lu Guifan sat cross-legged in the center of the room, reading the book he hadn’t finished that morning.

Jiang Ruotang sat quietly across from him, painting.

Though he was supposedly painting, his imagination had already wandered far away.

Lu Guifan’s patience was way better than Zhao Zhangfeng’s—he could sit motionless in the same pose for an hour.

Occasionally, he would glance up at Jiang Ruotang across the easel, noticing something odd.

Quietly setting the book aside, he shifted slowly. Jiang Ruotang didn’t look up even once, none the wiser that Lu Guifan had moved from his spot.

When Lu Guifan finally circled behind Jiang Ruotang, he found the guy painting with his head bowed, lips pressed together as he was trying not to laugh—clearly up to no good in his mind.

Taking a glance at the easel, Lu Guifan paused.

On it was a man dressed in red robes, adorned with hairpins, riding a majestic horse—an imperial examination champion.

The hem of his robe fluttered in the wind, exuding carefree grace, even the hairpins swaying with the motion. His dark sideburns disappeared beneath the brim of his hat, accentuating a classic handsome look.

As for the scholar’s expression, it was identical to Lu Guifan’s as he read—gentle and refined.

As if becoming a top official couldn’t disturb his serene and magnanimous world.

Jiang Ruotang, like a kid, would lower his head to chuckle before adding a few more strokes.

Lu Guifan edged closer, watching his lively lashes and the dimple in his cheek, his heart swelling with affection.

Finally done laughing, Jiang Ruotang lifted his head, about to add another layer of color to the hairpins, when Lu Guifan’s voice sounded beside his ear.

"It’s red enough. It's perfect like this."

Jiang Ruotang froze, instinctively looking up. Just as the paint on his brush was about to smudge the canvas, Lu Guifan swiftly blocked it, leaving a red streak on his palm.

Jiang Ruotang immediately felt like a kid caught misbehaving. He kept his head down, not daring to speak—after all, Lu Guifan had sat motionless for nearly an hour, only for him to paint an ancient scholar in full costume.

Lu Guifan’s amused voice sounded by his ear again. "Hmm, what’s this? ‘Riding swift in spring winds, viewing all of Chang’an’s flowers in a day’?"

"I was just imagining things," Jiang Ruotang said, realizing Lu Guifan wasn’t angry. He finally lifted his face, his eyes smiling.

"What else is going on in that head of yours?" Lu Guifan asked.

What else could he be thinking?

Of course, he wanted to strip off the scholar’s robes and see how many layers there were!

But Jiang Ruotang said seriously, "I was just thinking about buying a soft sofa so you could lie on it, and I could paint a sleeping Adonis."

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Lu Guifan leaned in, his black-framed glasses framing his eyes.

Jiang Ruotang inexplicably recalled how he’d pretended to kiss him the day before. Before he knew it, he’d bumped his nose against Lu Guifan’s.

His mind raced, and he quickly passed it off as teasing, smirking. "Like it or not, that's your answer!"

Lu Guifan’s glasses, knocked crooked, settled back on the bridge of his nose. Gripping Jiang Ruotang’s shoulders, he burst out laughing—the first time Jiang Ruotang had ever seen him so unrestrained.

Before they knew it, it was already 10 p.m. Lu Guifan lightly pulled at Jiang Ruotang’s collar, his voice relaxed. "We have class tomorrow. Shouldn’t the young master turn in for the night?"

Jiang Ruotang’s heart fluttered—he’d never expected Lu Guifan to be so affectionate with anyone.

"Yeah, time for bed."

After showering, Jiang Ruotang had been eagerly anticipating Lu Guifan changing into pajamas in front of him. But the guy had ducked into the bathroom to change, emerging fully dressed, with even the top button fastened.

Lu Guifan didn’t understand why Jiang Ruotang looked so disappointed.

"What’s wrong?"

"I didn’t get to see it!"

"See what?"

"Your abs, obliques, lats..."

Lu Guifan mussed Jiang Ruotang’s hair. "Sounds like you wanted more than just a look."

Jiang Ruotang’s mind went blank. Had he gone too far? Did he make Lu Guifan uncomfortable?

But Lu Guifan’s next words instantly reassured him.

"You wanted to dissect me, didn’t you?"

"Exactly! Don’t you know many Renaissance artists secretly dissected bodies to study anatomy?"

Lu Guifan replied, "Like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci?"

Jiang Ruotang was surprised. "You know about them?"

Lu Guifan gestured toward Jiang Ruotang’s bookshelf. "Read it in one of your books."

Now that the topic had come up, Jiang Ruotang rubbed his hands together internally, putting on a brazen expression. "Hah! Then let me study your muscles!"

With that, he launched himself at Lu Guifan. Both had been sitting on the edge of the bed, and Jiang Ruotang thought his weight and strength would easily topple Lu Guifan. But the other hardly budged before steadying himself, steady as a rock.

Worse, Lu Guifan glanced down at him, as if saying, *What do you think you’re doing with that little strength?*

Annoyed, Jiang Ruotang wasn't about to give up.

He got off the bed, stood in front of Lu Guifan, gripped his shoulders, and put all his weight into pushing.

Lu Guifan tilted his head back, watching Jiang Ruotang muster all his strength, his gaze carrying a hint of leisurely amusement, as if saying: *Keep performing till sunrise.*

At least a minute passed before Jiang Ruotang, hands on his hips, asked in disbelief, "How come I can't push you over? You didn’t swallow lead weights tonight, did you?"

Lu Guifan stretched out his hand, lightly gripping Jiang Ruotang’s wrist and pulling him closer.

"Generally speaking, if you want to know someone’s name, you should introduce yourself first. If you want to see someone’s six-pack, shouldn’t you show yours first?"

Suddenly, a bad feeling crept up in Jiang Ruotang’s heart.

Before he could dodge, Lu Guifan yanked him forward. Due to inertia, Jiang Ruotang’s head tilted backward, and as Lu Guifan slightly rose, one hand cradled his head. By the time Jiang Ruotang realized what was happening, he was already pushed down onto the bed.

"Hmm, young master, I seriously doubt—do you even have abs?"

With that, Lu Guifan’s fingers lightly hooked the hem of Jiang Ruotang’s pajamas, about to lift them. Jiang Ruotang flipped over, clutching the blanket and retreating to the wall.

"I don’t have abs!"

He didn’t dare turn around, certain his cheeks were burning red.

Lu Guifan chuckled and poked Jiang Ruotang’s head. "Do you have a belly button?"

"Obviously, everyone has one!"

"Then show me yours?" Lu Guifan said casually.

Jiang Ruotang lit up with interest immediately. "Then show me your abs?"

"Sure." Lu Guifan nodded.

Only then did Jiang Ruotang slowly unfold the blanket, lifting his pajama top just enough to reveal the little indentation before yanking it back down, not caring whether Lu Guifan had seen it clearly.

"I thought you’d have a little belly. Turns out you don’t," Lu Guifan said, faking disappointment.

Jiang Ruotang elbowed him. "Don’t listen to Zhao Changfeng’s nonsense! My abs just aren’t obvious, but I don’t have a belly—not now, not in ten or twenty years!"

"Oh." Lu Guifan responded noncommittally, pulling the blanket over himself as if ready to sleep.

"I haven’t seen yours yet! No covering up!" Jiang Ruotang yanked the blanket back, staring intently at Lu Guifan’s waist.

Honestly, being stared at like that, Lu Guifan felt an unsettling premonition.

But if he didn’t keep his promise, his credibility with Jiang Ruotang might take a hit.

"Fine, one look."

Jiang Ruotang’s eyes lit up. Propping himself up on one arm beside Lu Guifan, he leaned in eagerly.

The next second, Lu Guifan lifted his pajama top—just long enough for the taut, well-defined lines to flash before Jiang Ruotang’s eyes before he covered himself again and pulled the blanket over.

"I didn’t see clearly!" Jiang Ruotang lunged, only to land on the blanket.

"One look was the deal. I only saw yours once, so you only get one look too."

Lu Guifan removed his black-framed glasses with an air of finality, placing them on the nightstand. Seizing the chance, Jiang Ruotang tried to pull the blanket away, only to be pressed back onto the pillow by Lu Guifan.

"Sleep."

"So annoying, now I can't sleep!"

With that, Jiang Ruotang turned to face the wall.

The lights dimmed.

Despite his claim, Jiang Ruotang, exhausted from studying, soon began breathing evenly before slowly turning back toward Lu Guifan.

Lu Guifan reached out, retrieving his glasses from the nightstand and putting them back on.

His eyes adjusted to the dark, allowing him to see Jiang Ruotang clearly—peaceful, as if he belonged solely to him.

A while later, Jiang Ruotang shifted again, his foot kicking under the blanket until his sole pressed against Lu Guifan’s calf. The bold move made Lu Guifan wonder if Jiang Ruotang was dreaming of using him as a climbing ladder.

Lu Guifan’s hand brushed lightly against Jiang Ruotang’s cheek. Unexpectedly, Jiang Ruotang instinctively leaned into the touch, as if some hidden longing had been answered. That warm flutter surged from the depths of Lu Guifan’s heart again.

Perhaps because he was in Jiang Ruotang’s room, Lu Guifan slept soundly that night, without his usual tossing and turning.

As the New Year holiday ended, Cai Ji’s little game passed approval and, under Mu Xianqing’s efficient handling, debuted with fanfare.

"Dreamy Bubbles" wasn’t just promoted on social platforms like Big Eyed Boy—even Qilin Video and Yunfeng Video obliged Mu Xianqing, featuring ads on their homepages.

Cai Ji watched the widespread marketing nervously. This was just a small game, no match for AAA games… Would it make money? Turn a profit? He could live with mediocrity, but he couldn’t bear the thought of Jiang Ruotang losing money because of him.

But Jiang Ruotang wasn't worried. In his past life, even with Lin Chengdong’s half-hearted marketing, the game had generated solid revenue. Now, with Mu Xianqing at the helm, profits were guaranteed.

Sure enough, the game took off like wildfire among young people, even drawing non-gamers into the hook of the game, "Dreamy Bubbles."

It became the perfect way to fill spare moments—on buses, subways, or during work breaks. With "Dreamy Bubbles," even dull moments turned fun.

Many players soon discovered it was also a flirting aid. Levels like "Bubble Chase" and "Bubble Quake" became meme material—*Do you love me? Pass the level or reset?*

Ironically, the most popular level was the one Lu Guifan had designed to coax Jiang Ruotang.

Even Jiang Ruotang’s school got swept up in the trend.

Rumor had it a sophomore was so engrossed he missed the class bell, leading to his phone being confiscated. When he went to retrieve it after school, he found the entire faculty office glued to their phones, all playing the same game.

Even Wang Fuzi, who wasn't tech-savvy, dominated the bubble world, beating the youngest English teacher three times in a row.

Teacher Song Qinghe joked, "In the bubble realm, our Wang Fuzi has no aches, no fatigue—one ultimate move, and all the young bubbles shatter!"

Within a week, Mu Xianqing reported "Dreamy Bubbles" had reached five million registered users, with projections expected to hit thirty million by month’s end.

Ad revenue grew steadily.

Estimates suggested Jiang Ruotang’s revenue share would be in the millions by month’s end, Cai Ji’s royalties reaching six figures, and Lu Guifan—designer of the most popular level—would also receive a share per their contract.

The best part was, these earnings weren’t one-time but quarterly.

As long as the game remained popular with updates, Cai Ji and Lu Guifan would keep earning.

Mu Xianqing gave Jiang Ruotang premium accounts for friends, giving full access. Jiang Ruotang passed them to Cai Ji to make good on his promise to classmates.

At recess, students flocked around Cai Ji logging into free accounts, temporarily making him even more popular than Bai Yingchuan.

Students from other classes were green with envy over Class 1, Senior Three.

At noon, Lin Lu, like always, invited Bai Yingchuan out for lunch. While walking down the hallway, they overheard other students discussing:

"Class 1’s Cai Ji is freaking incredible! He’s usually so quiet, but he actually designed *Dreamy Bubbles*!"

"Yeah, I feel like I’m still playing in the sandbox while his code is already selling game copyrights!"

"How much do you think he’s earning from this game?"

"Probably not much. Game companies are shrewd—they buy the copyright outright, so no matter how big it gets, Cai Ji won’t see a dime more!"

"Even so, selling the copyright must’ve earned him a good chunk of change, right? Plus, the game company gave him so many VIP passes for friends and family—that shows they value him!"

"The key is, with this on his resume, Cai Ji can pick any major game company he wants after graduation. Finding a job won’t be a problem at all!"

The more Lin Lu listened, the more sick to his stomach he felt.

If he had maintained his previous relationship with Jiang Ruotang, he could’ve gotten close to Cai Ji and discovered his game earlier. Then, the one rolling in dough now would’ve been the Lin family!

Bai Yingchuan only needed one glance to see what Lin Lu was thinking. He said with a shrug, "You never paid attention to Cai Ji. You never stood up for him when he needed help the most. So even if you could get close to him, you’d never earn his trust."

Lin Lu immediately understood the implication. He wanted to defend himself, but his jaw worked but no words came.

Not just with Cai Ji—even when Jiang Ruotang was accused of cheating during the monthly exam, Lin Lu hadn’t spoken up for him. He had no excuse.

But Lin Chengdong was burning up with jealousy over *Dreamy Bubbles*’ success.

As soon as Lin Lu returned home after night study, Lin Chengdong was waiting for him in the living room.

Honestly, Lin Lu had grown fearful of his father recently, especially after taking that punch from him a few days prior.

"Dad..."

Lin Chengdong cut straight to the chase, launching into interrogation mode: "What’s wrong with you? The copyright owner of *Dreamy Bubbles* is actually your classmate! How did you not notice at all?"

"This classmate usually keeps to himself and doesn’t socialize much. By the time I found out he’d designed a game, he’d already sold the copyright."

"Then get close to him! Win him over! If he can design one game, he can design a second, a third! Tell him your father will pay big money to buy and develop them!"

Lin Chengdong had hit a rough patch lately—every investment he made ended in disaster.

For example, Ark Mobile, the fish farm in Chengtan, and his small game company were all going down the tubes.

Seeing the bloodshot veins in Lin Chengdong’s eyes, Lin Lu felt a surge of fear.

He instinctively took a step back. There was no way forward, but behind him was still an abyss.

"Do you understand?" Lin Chengdong demanded.

"Yeah!" Lin Lu nodded vigorously, swallowed hard, and beat a hasty retreat to his room.

Get close to Cai Ji—how was he supposed to do that?

The old Cai Ji might’ve been lonely and starved for any scrap of kindness, willing to give his all for the slightest bit of warmth.

But now, surrounded by so many friends, Lin Lu had no idea how to break into his circle.

The next day, Lin Lu could only work up the nerve to say he wanted to ask Cai Ji about something game-related. Fortunately, Cai Ji was easygoing, and since they’d spent New Year’s together at Jiang Ruotang’s place, he invited Lin Lu to his place.

His grandparents cooked home-cooked meals, so unless Jiang Ruotang and the others had a special gathering, Cai Ji always went home for dinner.

After the meal, in Cai Ji’s small room, Lin Lu hemmed and hawed before laying out his father’s proposal.

Cai Ji listened, then leaned back in thought for a moment.

Over the past few days, Jiang Ruotang had explained copyright transfer options to him—like one-time buyouts, revenue-sharing, and even how Cai Ji could retain a say in *Dreamy Bubbles*’ future updates.

Cai Ji’s grandparents, being guileless, had casually mentioned that he designed *Dreamy Bubbles*, and somehow, word reached his father’s side of the family. Suddenly, long-lost relatives who’d never bothered with him came out of the woodwork to borrow money.

Jiang Ruotang had then warned him about the dangers of flaunting wealth—how it invites trouble.

Now, with Lin Lu approaching him, Cai Ji felt like he was facing another gold-digging relative, albeit one with a slicker pitch.

"First, I want creative control over my own games. My current partners respect my ideas and opinions—that’s something money can’t buy. It’s about mutual recognition and respect."

Lin Lu saw a firm resolve in Cai Ji’s eyes.

"Also, we have less than six months until the college entrance exams. Do you really think now’s the time to focus on designing new games?"

That pointed question left Lin Lu with no leg to stand on.

Cai Ji looked at him earnestly. "Lin Lu, honestly, I think you should focus all your energy on the exams."

"Huh?"

"I used to bend over backwards trying to please my dad, my stepmom, and my stepbrother. But they never appreciated it—they just demanded more and more. The closer people are, the worse it hurts."

Lin Lu knew about Cai Ji’s struggles. He lowered his head, knowing any comfort now would sound pretty empty.

"So we have to live for ourselves. We have to grow stronger, so other people’s greed and malice can’t hurt us."

When Lin Lu looked up, he realized Cai Ji’s gaze was steady and sure, with none of the timidity or fear from before.

But for Lin Lu, the real problem was how to explain this to his father.

As if reading his mind, Cai Ji smiled and said, "Just tell your dad I won’t be collaborating with any other companies for the next few years."

Lin Lu could only relay this word for word when he got home.

Lin Chengdong was enveloped in a dark cloud hanging over him, and Lin Lu felt afraid just looking at him. But at least he didn’t blow up at him this time.

After a long silence, Lin Chengdong finally grumbled, "Must’ve signed some exclusivity deal."

Only then did Lin Lu let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

But Lin Chengdong wasn’t about to throw in the towel. He’d sunk so much cash into his game company—how could he just walk away?

If he couldn’t work with Cai Ji, he’d just piggyback on its success.

He put together a crew to reverse-engineer *Dreamy Bubbles*’ code, planning to muscle in on the action as a follower in the market. Even if he only snatched up the scraps of *Dreamy Bubbles*’ traffic, it’d still be enough to keep the lights on.