Chapter 96 Balance 520

Chapter 96: A Balance of 520

The bus buzzed with passenger complaints and chatter, the engine roaring and stalling intermittently.

To Jiang Ruotang, these sounds grounded him in reality.

Lu Guifan wanted to know what had made Jiang Ruotang cry so hard—after all, he had accepted his roses.

He wasn’t trying to pry into Jiang Ruotang’s secrets; he just felt heartbroken for him.

After who knows how long, the bus gradually emptied, and they finally found seats by the window.

Jiang Ruotang hugged the roses to his chest with one hand while turning to wrap his other arm around Lu Guifan, burying his face in his chest.

To onlookers, a grown man being this clingy might seem sappy, but Lu Guifan felt nothing but contentment—because Jiang Ruotang was relying on him.

He lifted a hand to gently cover Jiang Ruotang’s face, shielding his teary face from others.

When they reached their stop, they had no choice but to get off. Lu Guifan walked with Jiang Ruotang for nearly half an hour before reaching the Jiang family’s apartment building.

Bathed in streetlight glow, Jiang Ruotang looked up at Lu Guifan with wide, earnest eyes and said firmly, “Since you gave me the roses, they’re mine now.”

“Mm.” Lu Guifan nodded, then lowered his head, leaning so close their noses almost touched. “The roses’ meaning is yours now too. Now that you’ve accepted them, there’s no returning them.”

Jiang Ruotang gave him a smile so dazzling it made Lu Guifan reluctant to leave.

“Good. No take-backs.”

Jiang Ruotang had wanted to hug Lu Guifan one more time, but just then, he spotted the Jiang family car approaching in the distance—Xiao Gao must have been driving Zhao Yunshu home.

Not wanting to make a scene, Lu Guifan reached out and gave Jiang Ruotang’s hair a playful ruffle. “I’ll head back now.”

“Okay. Text me when you get home.”

“Got it.”

With that, Lu Guifan turned to leave. Jiang Ruotang hurried inside, cradling the bouquet of roses to his room before peeking out the window—just in time to see Lu Guifan talking to Zhao Yunshu.

Zhao Yunshu had stepped out of the car and, noting how late it was, asked Xiao Gao to make another trip to drive Lu Guifan home.

Jiang Ruotang let out a relieved sigh.

He rushed downstairs to the living room, dug around until he unearthed a vase, then arranged the roses inside and placed them by his bedside.

In the past, he had been the one giving flowers to someone—only for that person to brush them off without a care.

Eventually, he stopped the foolish act of gifting flowers altogether, deeming it a waste.

Roses withered too quickly. Once they faded, nothing remained. He never understood the meaning behind such fleeting “possessions.”

But today, he had received roses from Lu Guifan. How surreal it felt made Jiang Ruotang fear that everything was just a dream—that he’d wake up to a cold hospital bed and the sharp sting of antiseptic.

He didn’t know how long he had zoned out when his phone vibrated on the table.

Lu Guifan: [I’m home. Send me your Landlords account and password.]

“Huh?” Jiang Ruotang frowned, scrolling back through their messages until he found his earlier complaint about getting crushed in Landlords—and Lu Guifan’s promise to win his points back for him.

It was a little silly, but Jiang Ruotang couldn’t help feeling thrilled. He immediately sent over his login info, only realizing afterward that the password was Lu Guifan’s birthday!

What kind of person would use their “best friend,” “class monitor,” or “deskmate’s” birthday as a password? Wasn’t this as obvious as it gets?

Anyone with half a brain could guess Jiang Ruotang had had a crush on him for a long time.

Just as Lu Guifan had expected, when he saw the password, he paused for a brief moment before his lips curved into a smile.

[Received.]

Jiang Ruotang stared at those two words, suspecting that this clueless STEM guy—no, this STEM guy—hadn’t read too much into it.

“Received? What did you receive, dummy.” Jiang Ruotang clenched his fist, as if ready to smash his phone.

He was so happy—hugging his phone one moment, squeezing his blanket the next, tossing and turning in bed before bolting to his wardrobe and burying his face in it, inhaling deeply. But all he smelled was the familiar scent of his same laundry detergent.

Was this what it felt like to love someone deeply and have them love you back?

Jiang Ruotang waited and waited, but Lu Guifan didn’t send another message.

Seriously? You actually went to play Landlords?

Forget the Happy Beans—pay attention to me!

Though annoyed, Jiang Ruotang couldn’t help feeling a little pleased. Because someone like Lu Guifan always kept his promises.

If he said he’d win back the Landlords points, he would.

And if he said he’d love him forever… he probably would, too.

Wired with excitement, Jiang Ruotang sat up, grabbed a sketchbook, and began sketching the roses from every angle—even the tiny buds hidden among the leaves seemed adorable and beautiful to him.

Next thing he knew, he had filled the entire sketchbook.

Running a finger over a rose petal, he decided he’d take the bouquet to the art studio tomorrow to paint them in color.

Even if they eventually withered, he would preserve their beauty on canvas.

Lost in a daze, he hugged a pillow and fell asleep.

The next morning, the first thing Jiang Ruotang did upon waking was check his phone for messages from Lu Guifan.

…Nothing.

Then he logged into his Landlords account—no way? In one night, his 5,000 Happy Beans in the hole had turned into a positive balance.

And not just any balance—520 Happy Beans.

Jiang Ruotang laughed. Only a nerd would fix the score at something that cheesy!

“With a score like this, I can never play on this account again!”

Because if he did, he’d just lose all the 520 Happy Beans Lu Guifan had won for him.

He texted back just two words: [You there?]

Lu Guifan, who had pulled an all-nighter playing Landlords and was now asleep, jolted awake at the buzz of his phone.

Recalling that nearly all their conversations started with these two words, he couldn’t help but smile, a grin tugging at his lips unconsciously.

[Yeah. Sleep okay?]

If he slept well, Lu Guifan would feel a bit jealous, since he had been playing Fight the Landlord until daybreak.

["Of course I slept well!"]

Lu Guifan looked at this cheerful reply, closed his eyes, and pinched his temples.

The next message arrived immediately: ["If I can’t even sleep well myself, how could I sleep with someone else?"]

Lu Guifan paused for a moment, realizing Jiang Ruotang was openly coquettish. A sense of satisfaction he had never felt before surged in his chest.

["How old are you to be thinking about sleeping with someone else?"]

Despite his words, Lu Guifan quickly shot back: ["Who is 'someone else'?"]

Not long after, a picture was sent over.

It was Jiang Ruotang’s sketch—a young man standing in a bustling city of towering buildings, holding a bouquet of roses in his hand.

The guy was strikingly good-looking. Even in the grayscale sketch, his eyes resembled molten amber in dusk, with cautious affection frozen within them.

Wasn’t this the very same Lu Guifan who had just watched a movie with Jiang Ruotang yesterday?

Lu Guifan turned his face away, couldn’t help smiling.

["I’ll come find you."]

["Mhm, stay as appetizing as ever today."]

Lu Guifan felt a little exasperated. Probably no one else in the world but Jiang Ruotang would describe him as "delicious."

For the first time, Lu Guifan, who had never cared much about his appearance or clothing, fussed with his hair in front of the mirror. It was a bit long, but there was no time for a haircut now.

He opened his wardrobe, picked out a fairly new T-shirt, and headed to Jiang Ruotang’s home.

Sister Juan opened the door for him. When he didn’t find Jiang Ruotang in his room, he guessed he must be in the studio.

Going up to the attic, he found Jiang Ruotang packing two oil paintings. Lu Guifan pitched in, and noticed the subject of the paintings was that strikingly good-looking model.

Lu Guifan’s fingers stiffened slightly as he offhandedly asked, ["Are you sending these two paintings to an exhibition?"]

Jiang Ruotang, still wrapping the foam, lowered his head and replied, ["Hah—absolutely not. I’m returning these to Ling Song."]

["Ling Song?"]

Only then did Jiang Ruotang catch the tone in Lu Guifan’s voice. His eyes lit up like a kid spotting candy as he leaned toward Lu Guifan.

Lu Guifan stood straight, not avoiding his gaze at all, simply watching Jiang Ruotang.

["Ling Song is an actor my dad took a liking to. He wants him to play the male lead in *Drunken Immortal Terrace*. But his luck hasn’t been great—he’s been suppressed by a film company’s CEO because he refused to comply with sexual favors. My father was a little worried about him, so I used him as a model as an excuse to feel him out."]

["Oh? How did you test him?"]

This time, it was Lu Guifan who leaned in to look at Jiang Ruotang. His usually calm eyes flickered with teasing, especially when Jiang Ruotang’s nose nearly touched his. But just as Jiang Ruotang was about to press closer, Lu Guifan straightened his back, leaving him hanging.

["Nothing much. Just made him hold an awkward pose to see if he had patience or would lose his temper. Then I deliberately said he wouldn’t get the lead role in *Drunken Immortal Terrace* to observe his reaction—whether he’d fly into a rage or something. My dad’s main concern was his temperament—whether his hardships would make him overly sensitive or quick to anger, making it hard for him to get along with the rest of the crew."]

["Is that so? I thought you might’ve pretended to hit on him too."]

Lu Guifan’s gaze slowly shifted to Jiang Ruotang, making him feel like he’d been busted—like throwing a secret house party only for Lu Guifan, who hadn’t been home in days, to find beer caps under the sofa.

["No way! I haven’t even managed to hit on *you* yet—though!"]

Watching Jiang Ruotang’s eager attempt to protest, Lu Guifan chuckled softly, the sound like the warm hum of a cello, sending a tingling sensation from Jiang Ruotang’s ears straight to his heart.

Lu Guifan walked over, bent down, took the foam, and neatly packaged the painting, leaving behind a remark: ["Now you can think carefully about how to proposition me, Young Master Jiang."]

Jiang Ruotang’s face instantly turned red.

*Lu Guifan, so this is the kind of person you are!*

When the courier arrived, Lu Guifan helped Jiang Ruotang carry the paintings downstairs and handed them over.

["You just gave those paintings to that actor. Why?"] Lu Guifan asked.

["Probably hoping that when he receives them, he’ll remember the serenity captured in them. Ideally, he’ll reconnect with the essence of Ye Linzhou in *Drunken Immortal Terrace*."]

After sending off the paintings, Lu Guifan asked again: ["What about the painting you’re submitting for the exhibition…?"]

Jiang Ruotang smirked. ["It’s done. Want to see?"]

Lu Guifan nodded. ["Of course."]

Jiang Ruotang led him to his bedroom, where a canvas leaned against the wall by the desk. He tilted his chin toward it.

Lu Guifan gave him a side-eye. ["Why did you put the exhibition piece in your bedroom?"]

Shouldn’t it be in the studio or properly wrapped like the ones they just sent off?

But Lu Guifan still walked over—only to find the painting was of his own back.

He didn’t even need Jiang Ruotang’s explanation to recognize it. It was the moment Jiang Ruotang had seen him off from the car window after dropping him off at Shengda University’s entrance.

Lu Guifan swallowed hard. ["Actually, I’ve been worried about something all along."]

["Worried?"] Jiang Ruotang sidled up to him. ["About what?"]

["If I’m often in the lab and don’t get to spend enough time with you… Like when you’re painting alone, or when you want someone to watch movies with, or when you’re too anxious to sleep and need someone to talk to—I won’t be there. You might gradually start resenting me."]

Jiang Ruotang scanned Lu Guifan’s face and suddenly realized this was a concern he must have chewed on many times.

["Do I seem that boring to you?"] Jiang Ruotang put his hands on his hips, tilting his head to look at him.

["Hm?"]

["Painting alone makes it easier to focus. If I get lonely, I’ve got David, the Venus de Milo, or the Boy with a Goose to keep me company. Which of them isn’t more artistically significant than you? I’ve got money—I could hire a whole studio of models to pose for me, and they’d only cost 200 a pop."]

Lu Guifan glanced at him and let out an uncharacteristic scoff.

Oddly enough, Jiang Ruotang quite liked hearing him scoff.

["I’m popular enough that people would line up around the block just to watch movies with me! Sister Sha, Cai Cai, my dad—or if not them, then Sister Juan or Xiao Gao. Any of them would do!"]

Lu Guifan watched him without a word.

["If I’m too anxious to sleep, I’ll just get up and paint—specifically, paintings of you in the nude. Heh."]

Jiang Ruotang hit him with that rogueish, heart-fluttering grin again.

["I don’t recall you ever seeing me in the nude."] Lu Guifan shot back, grinning.

"I can imagine it. You're no fun—even when sleeping, you button your pajamas up to here, as if afraid I'd sneak-attack you at night!" Jiang Ruotang gestured at his own neck while speaking.

Lu Guifan raised his hand, cupped Jiang Ruotang's head, and pulled him close, holding him tightly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. How amazing—now he could hold him without holding back.

"Maybe I just wanted to hide myself away."

"Huh?" Jiang Ruotang didn’t understand and lifted his head from Lu Guifan’s arms.

Lu Guifan chuckled. "Forget it. It seems my worries were just me being paranoid. You’re someone who knows how to find fun in everything."

"This isn’t about finding joy—it’s that I truly enjoy the feeling of waiting for you."

Like in my past life, sitting in the hospital room painting, always listening for footsteps in the hallway.

Every time I heard yours, it felt like a rebirth.

So, Lu Guifan, you really don’t need to worry about me getting bored while waiting for you. Because the joy of finally seeing you is irreplaceable.

Lu Guifan lowered his eyes, brushing his nose against the crown of Jiang Ruotang’s hair. He knew Jiang Ruotang was an optimist, someone who knew how to cheer people up.

"Lu Guifan, how about... you show me!" Jiang Ruotang suddenly looked up, as if hit by a brilliant idea.

"Show you what?"

"Your body!"

"Cough—" Lu Guifan was stunned by the excited gleam in the other’s eyes, like he'd discovered something amazing.

Jiang Ruotang, still in his arms, began wriggling, even tugging at the hem of Lu Guifan’s T-shirt.

"Hey, Jiang Ruotang, what are you doing? This is—this is—"

"Looking at my boyfriend isn’t perverted."

Jiang Ruotang’s enthusiasm made him look like a mischievous imp. Lu Guifan, tugged this way and that, turned red starting at his neck, then at the tips of his ears. Though much stronger, he couldn’t shake him off, who only grew more determined, sweating from exertion.

Jiang Ruotang stepped back, panting. "You're exhausting! Why be so secretive? I’ve seen your abs when you smash in badminton!"

Lu Guifan wasn’t sure why he resisted, but instinct told him Jiang Ruotang would stir up trouble.

And if Jiang Ruotang did, Lu Guifan, who had held back for so long, might lose control like a dam breaking.

"Fine, if you won’t show me, how about I show you?" Jiang Ruotang grinned, eyes curving mischievously.

Lu Guifan had seen it before—Jiang Ruotang’s hip dimples, his little belly, often exposed in sleep while Lu Guifan pulled the blanket over him.

"Stop messing around," Lu Guifan said helplessly.

But Jiang Ruotang slowly lifted his own T-shirt. "I’ve got a little muscle tone now. I do crunches before showering."

Lu Guifan told himself not to indulge him, yet his gaze betrayed him. The lines of Jiang Ruotang’s waist had gotten more toned, his navel kind of cute. Just as the fabric was about to rise higher, Jiang Ruotang suddenly dropped it and darted forward, yanking up Lu Guifan’s shirt instead.

"Wow! You really do have abs!" Jiang Ruotang gushed.

Lu Guifan shot back by pulling his own T-shirt over Jiang Ruotang’s head, trapping him inside.

"You like looking so much? Then look all you want."

"Mmph—mmph—" Jiang Ruotang thrashed, nearly choking, his nose squished. "Lu—Lu Guifan—if you don’t let go—I’ll bite—bite you!"

Lu Guifan gasped, remembering where Jiang Ruotang had bitten him last time.

The moment he loosened his grip, Jiang Ruotang squirmed out, hair sticking up everywhere, eyes shining.

Lu Guifan’s heart raced. He realized he couldn’t horse around like this with Jiang Ruotang—he liked him too much, and the tiniest spark could set him off.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Zhao Yunshu’s voice called, "Tang Tang, are you in there?"

Before Jiang Ruotang could answer, Lu Guifan quickly smoothed down his mussed-up hair.

"Yeah! Mom, come in."

Zhao Yunshu smiled upon seeing Lu Guifan. "Xiao Lu’s here too."

"Hello, Auntie Zhao," Lu Guifan greeted politely.

She nodded, though her sixth sense itched—something seemed fishy between the two, but she couldn’t pinpoint what.

"Tang Tang, have you mentioned the *West Window Strange Tales* copyright collaboration to Sha Sha yet?"

Jiang Ruotang froze. He’d been so distracted with Lu Guifan that he’d forgotten.

"I—I’ll talk to her soon," he said earnestly. "That’s why I invited our class president—to help me discuss it with her. Haha."

"Oh, alright. You two... chat, and let me know the outcome later."

"Mm." Jiang Ruotang nodded obediently.

After Zhao Yunshu left, Jiang Ruotang invited Jian Sha out for milk tea, only to be bluntly refused—her reason simple: *Her royal highness’s inspiration is surging; no time to accompany Prince Jiang for tea.*

Jiang Ruotang: "..."

Well, since he was the one asking for a favor, he’d have to wait.

Not that he was idle. A hundred mischievous ideas for teasing Lu Guifan bubbled up in his mind.

People really shouldn’t have too much restraint—otherwise, they’d end up like Lu Guifan, turning red every day and getting "bullied."

The joy didn’t last long. Soon, the day of gaokao results arrived.

That morning, Jiang Ruotang sat before the computer, taking a deep breath. Behind him stood Jiang Huaiyuan and Zhao Yunshu—even Zhao Zhangfeng, who was usually out gallivanting, stayed in his room.

Jiang Ruotang let out a breath and shoved Zhao Zhangfeng. No effect.

"Why are you in my room? Go check your own results!"

"Right now, you’re the family’s top priority. If even you didn’t do well after studying so hard, I’d be screwed!"

Though Zhao Zhangfeng spoke lightly, his throat trembled—clearly, he was overly nervous.

"The results won’t change, no matter what!"

Bracing himself, Jiang Ruotang opened the page and entered his details.

He’d expected lag from so many people checking, maybe even crashes. Yet everything loaded smoothly—giving him no time to prepare before his scores appeared on the screen!

Chinese: 109

Math: 99

Science Composite: 195

English: 110

Total: 513

Jiang Ruotang rubbed his eyes hard—had he really scored over 500 in the college entrance exam?

With this score, even if he didn’t study art, he could get into a decent university!

"Ruo Tang! Is this score enough? Shouldn't this be enough for the Central Academy of Fine Arts?" Jiang Huaiyuan shook his son’s shoulders excitedly.

"I remember them saying before that 480 would be enough, right? Now you’ve got over 30 points more… is this a guaranteed admission?" Zhao Yunshu also asked.

Jiang Ruotang sat motionless in place when suddenly a sharp pain shot through his thigh. He couldn’t help but yell—turns out Zhao Zhangfeng had pinched his leg.

"Ow—" Jiang Ruotang’s eyes nearly watered. "What the hell was that for—"

"I was afraid you thought you were dreaming, so I pinched you! Does it hurt? If it hurts, it’s real…"

Before Zhao Zhangfeng could finish, Zhao Yunshu grabbed him by the ear and dragged him toward his own room.

"You dare pinch your brother? First, see how you did yourself! Go—check your scores!"

Under the family’s watchful eyes, Zhao Zhangfeng messed up entering his information three times in a row. Jiang Ruotang couldn’t take it anymore and took over the keyboard, inputting the details himself. The scores appeared instantly.

Zhao Zhangfeng held his breath, feeling like he was on trial.

Jiang Huaiyuan and Zhao Yunshu leaned in front of the screen, blocking Zhao Zhangfeng's view entirely.

The prolonged silence in the room made Zhao Zhangfeng’s heart race, his face tense with nerves.

"Well? How did I do? Why isn’t anyone saying anything? Did something go wrong?"

Zhao Zhangfeng stood up and, thanks to his height advantage, finally saw his score over the three heads blocking his way.

"Holy crap! 455! That's that high? I can definitely get into Capital Science and Tech now!" Jiang Ruotang retaliated by punching Zhao Zhangfeng in the chest.

Zhao Zhangfeng took a moment to process this. "Really 455? Then maybe even Capital Science and Technology University is possible?"

"I’m going to set up a memorial tablet for your class monitor at the temple!" Zhao Yunshu exclaimed sincerely.

Zhao Zhangfeng, however, was displeased. "Mom! This is the result of my round-the-clock studying…"

"This is the result of Lu Guifan’s day-and-night effort to drill you on likely questions! You only seriously studied for less than three months!"

Jiang Ruotang teased from the side, "Yeah, jumping from 380 to 455 is like a quantum leap! Zhang Feng, your brain had a late-stage development!"

Zhao Zhangfeng shoved Jiang Ruotang’s head down. "What nonsense are you spouting? Who had a late-stage development? Your brain's still waiting to develop!"

Though the admission cutoffs hadn’t been released yet, Jiang Huaiyuan actually wiped his eyes, looking deeply moved.

"Dad, don’t be like this. We just did okay on the exam, it’s not like… we became Provincial Zhuangyuan or anything!"

"Your dad is just too happy, really. I was prepared for you to stay by my side forever… living off me, but I never thought you’d actually leave for college in the capital…"

Jiang Ruotang laughed, but then he felt a pang of sadness.

In his previous life, what depth of pain and despair must his father have endured to choose to end his own life—without even waiting for his college entrance exam results?

Jiang Ruotang took a deep breath and pulled him into a tight hug. "Dad, no matter where I go, you're my dad forever. So whether I succeed or fail in the future, I’ll always come back to you."

Jiang Huaiyuan felt warmth spread through his heart at his son’s words.

"No worries about Lu Guifan, but I wonder how Cai Cai and Sha Sha did," Zhao Zhangfeng chimed in.

Yeah, that was the tricky part.

During their score estimates, those two had done well, but what if something went wrong? Like Cai Ji, the king of lopsided scores, going off-topic in his essay?

But Zhao Zhangfeng couldn’t resist asking. He sent a message in the group chat: [My brother and I… did alright. How about you guys?]