Chapter 110: Who Is This?

Chapter 110: Who Is This?

It was a bit warm today.

After concluding the Half Hill Residence bombing case, Guan Yingjun found himself restless. Disguising himself, he decided to visit Hong Kong University to investigate the weight-loss drugs.

He had just settled into an iced drink shop near the Art Department and hadn't even opened the menu when he overheard an excited conversation from the next table: "I heard there’s a handsome guy at Professor Connaught’s public lecture!"

"Eh? Professor Connaught? Which Connaught? The one who—" The tall young man speaking cleared his throat, lowering his voice to imitate, "Connaught is just low-key, not dead! *That* Connaught?"

The girls at the table burst into laughter, covering their mouths. One said, "He teaches astrophysics. As ballet students, how would we know about his personal life?"

Another boy with short golden curls tapped his toe on the floor. "What exactly do they study in astrophysics? Do they just stare at stars all day? I’m not really into rigid science guys. But a handsome guy stargazing? Now that’s interesting."

The girls exchanged glances and muttered in Cantonese, "Tsk, the British."

Guan Yingjun: …

What were they even talking about?

Just as he considered moving to another table to see if anyone was discussing the weight-loss drugs, one of the girls switched to English and said, "I heard he’s a rich, handsome guy."

The brawny guy who had imitated Connaught retorted, "No matter how wealthy, can he be richer than Jian Ruochen from the Academy of Social Sciences?"

The little golden-haired guy sighed, "Jian Ruochen’s face is not something ordinary people can aspire to. He looks so divine, especially his hair. What kind of ancestry gives someone such beautiful, long, straight hair? It’s like he’s an elf."

Guan Yingjun’s iced coffee arrived.

He took a sip through the straw, leaning back against his chair, and suddenly remembered the first time they had supper on the beach. Jian Ruochen had drunk too much strong beer and passed out on his trench coat.

His platinum hair spread out behind him, strands curling gently, a few even tangled in the buttons of his coat.

Thinking back now, it felt as if every bit of scattered moonlight on the beach had fallen on the young man, making him glow.

Having such a good memory was torture.

Guan Yingjun also recalled the feeling of running his fingers through Jian Ruochen’s hair when they kissed.

He chugged half his iced Americano in one gulp, forcing his thoughts away from Jian Ruochen.

The burly guy at the next table said sourly, "From what you’re saying, that guy is well-proportioned, pale with no extra fat. Maybe he’s taken *that* drug!"

They all wanted to buy the drug, but it was incredibly hard to get. Everyone kept tight-lipped about it; there weren’t even any resellers. Trying it seemed impossible.

"Should we go check him out?" The little golden-haired guy’s eyes lit up, full of desire for a rich, handsome guy who might also be into stargazing. "Let’s get to know him. If he really has a way to buy the drug, he could take us along, right?"

He pinched the flesh on his shoulders worriedly. "I want to lose some shoulder fat so I’ll look better in skin-toned performance outfits."

The girls said indifferently, "Sure, we don’t have classes this afternoon anyway."

The group settled the bill and left.

Guan Yingjun grabbed his coffee cup and followed.

Since these people had mentioned the weight-loss drug, he needed to see what they were up to.

The lecture had been going on for almost an hour.

Usually, at public lectures held in large auditoriums, many students who only came to try it out but couldn’t focus would leave after the first hour.

But this time, only a few students in the middle rows slipped out.

Everyone was either subtly or openly noticing the person near the back door, writing intently.

He was so focused, writing so much, so smoothly.

The short, curly-haired golden boy stood at the back door, staring in awe at Jian Ruochen. He clutched his chest and murmured in a melodramatic tone, "Oh, he has ebony-black hair. He looks so smart."

Guan Yingjun had just reached the door when he heard this.

He didn’t understand the logical connection between dark hair and intelligence. Were these British ballet dancers’ brains fried from all the jumping?

Guan Yingjun tossed his coffee cup into the trash can by the lecture hall entrance, pulled his cap down lower, and said, "Excuse me."

The little golden-haired guy turned around, startled by the cold, imposing gaze under the cap. A chill ran down his spine, and he instinctively stepped aside—immediately regretting it.

Because he saw the man stride over and sit right next to the smart rich kid!

The auditorium seats could fit three people per row. Astrophysics wasn’t a popular major, so not many were attending. The "hot item" sat on the far left, and the cold-faced man sat on the far right.

Though there was a seat between them, he couldn’t just shamelessly ask either of them, "Move over, I want to sit between you."

The little golden-haired guy stared in dismay at Jian Ruochen, his gaze almost tangible.

Jian Ruochen felt the seat next to him sink and sensed someone staring at him from behind. He glanced back and met the eyes of four people at the door—both men and women.

The little golden-haired guy froze, then excitedly grabbed the arm of the person next to him. "His eyes are golden?"

Oh my god, so mesmerizing, so beautiful.

"I think I’m falling in love."

A girl rolled her eyes. "Are you going in to talk to him? Didn’t you want to ask about buying the drug?"

The little golden-haired guy stood there dumbly, his brain short-circuiting.

Jian Ruochen gave him a nod but didn’t smile, coldly looking away to avoid complications.

The little golden-haired guy murmured, "He’s so cool."

Guan Yingjun: …

What a hopeless romantic.

He was just thinking about how to investigate the drug when he glanced up and noticed a small, slightly raised red mole on the black-haired young man’s ear.

Guan Yingjun froze.

He knew that mole all too well.

After all, whenever he nibbled there, Jian Ruochen would hunch his shoulders, bury his head, laugh, and kick him, telling him not to use his teeth there.

Was it Jian Ruochen? Or just a coincidence?

Guan Yingjun’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He lifted his cap slightly and scrutinized the person in front of him.

The young man was only wearing grey athletic shorts, grey socks, and white trainers.

A pair of jade-like calves crossed each other, long and straight. Even the knees exposed at the pants hem showed no other color, like porcelain.

His Achilles tendons were long, adding a unique dynamic potential to these legs.

It was Jian Ruochen.

Although they hadn't had sex yet, Guan Yingjun had kissed his legs—let alone the toes, he knew exactly what everything looked like down there.

Guan Yingjun's Adam's apple bobbed. He pressed his arm against the empty seat next to him and shifted one position closer to Jian Ruochen, calling out in a low voice, "Classmate."

The little blond guy watched from behind, filled with regret.

If he hadn't been scared and hadn't moved aside, maybe he would be the one sitting next to the wealthy scion now, trying to hit on him!

Jian Ruochen didn't even look up, his gaze fixed intently on Olivier Connaught Keith on the stage. His pen flew across the paper as he said curtly, "Don't talk."

He looked as if he were deeply interested in astrophysics.

Guan Yingjun smirked and glanced down at Jian Ruochen's notebook. Sure enough, it was all behavioral analysis and microexpression changes, with nothing related to astrophysics.

Jian Ruochen, adhering to the principle of "wearing different skins, playing different personalities," was perfectly acting the part of a cool guy.

He jotted down quickly for a while, recording Connaught's expressions, and stopped writing when the professor announced a ten-minute break.

The classroom suddenly buzzed, and everyone's eyes instinctively looked to the back row.

Wow, he really is handsome.

The lighting in the lecture hall was relatively dim and unique, making his eyes look like dark golden gemstones, radiating a mesmerizing glow.

That face was truly remarkable—extremely beautiful, yet without a single superfluous expression. It seemed as if he and the charismatic Jian Ruochen from the Academy of Social Sciences were two completely different types of people.

Jian Ruochen was the kind who appeared friendly but made people afraid to approach him. This one was the opposite—seemingly cold and aloof, yet irresistibly alluring, making people eager to get his number.

Guan Yingjun didn't want so many people staring at Jian Ruochen, so he turned sideways to shield him from view and said in a low voice, "Jian Ruochen."

Jian Ruochen abruptly looked up, his gaze fixed directly on the person beside him. His eyes landed on the fisherman's hat and he was torn between laughter and exasperation, "...Brother Jun?"

How did he recognize me?

Oh right, the mole.

Jian Ruochen reached up and brushed the hair over his right ear. "Now?"

Guan Yingjun said, "It's covered."

He stared intently at Jian Ruochen's face, feeling his throat itch unbearably—so much that even his heart raced.

It was as if a god had taken a step down, gracefully stepping into the mortal world, keeping a straight face for everyone else but smiling only for him.

Guan Yingjun's gaze didn't waver, fixed on those eyes hidden behind the plain glasses. His voice came out hoarser than usual. "I want to kiss you."

He said it in Cantonese, his tone especially intimate, like a lover's whisper.

Jian Ruochen's ears burned, his fox-like eyes widening in surprise. Afraid that Guan Yingjun might do something shocking in public, he shot him a quick glare. "No, not now."

Guan Yingjun had only said it casually, of course knowing it wasn't possible.

He quickly changed the subject. "What do you think of this professor? Could he be Jiang Hanyu's boss?"

"Not a great person." Seeing that Guan Yingjun changed the subject so fast, Jian Ruochen knew he had self-control and wouldn't do anything to him here. So, he got a bit mischievous again.

He glanced around to make sure no one could see, then let one hand drop. Hidden by the lecture hall chairs, he placed it on Guan Yingjun's leg, pressed against him, leaned sideways, and said quickly while referring to his notes:

"Professor Connaught is very humorous in class, but his jokes are too deliberate and almost entirely unrelated to the academic field. This shows he isn't a teacher who uses natural humor in teaching—the jokes are prepared in advance, and the wit is feigned."

"Before class, he bragged about his personal achievements and academic papers one by one. Even a teacher who wants to impress students wouldn't do that. Teacher Li would only mention it briefly, saying something like he's the top agent at the FBI, making a joke and moving on."

"A teacher who wastes class time listing achievements one by one is either incompetent, or is self-centered, likes to boast, and is obsessed with status."

"This is similar to how Oliver Keith uses Connaught as a middle name—it doesn't match the personality he usually displays."

Guan Yingjun wanted to reach down and hold Jian Ruochen's mischievous hand resting on his leg, but with so many people watching, both their hands disappearing would surely raise suspicions.

Better not.

Jian Ruochen curled his fingers and poked the rock-hard muscle under his palm.

A vein twitched at Guan Yingjun's temple, his heart racing. He said hoarsely, "Stop moving. If we go any further like this, won't you be the one suffering?"

Jian Ruochen's eyes held a smile, though his face remained expressionless. His hand didn't stop. "Even if I don't move, do I not have to think about the future? Brother Jun, who would come out on top isn't certain yet. I'm still developing."

Guan Yingjun gave him a deep look. "When do you plan to confront Olivier Connaught Keith directly?"

Jian Ruochen backed off wisely. "The day after tomorrow. I'll use the research fund as an excuse to invite him to Huangji for a meal. Someone like him, who cares so much about saving face and loves to build a persona, will probably gladly accept."

Guan Yingjun heard the term "building a persona" for the first time. After a moment's thought, he found it extremely fitting.

Olivier Connaught Keith would never expect that after just one encounter, without even exchanging a word with Jian Ruochen, he'd already been completely seen through.

Jian Ruochen said leisurely, "Let's go, no need to listen further. He's so two-faced, his appearance in Hong Kong is such a coincidence, and he has a conflict of interest with me. I really think it's highly likely he drugged me. If Oliver Keith really is the one who drugged me, then his motive for killing me would only be to go after the inheritance. In that case, it's most likely that he's Jiang Hanyu's boss and collaborated with Lu Rong."

The break was almost over. The two stood up and walked toward the door one after the other.

The little blond guy had just found a seat closer to Jian Ruochen and hadn't even warmed the chair before he looked up to find his dream lover gone.

Guan Yingjun closed the lecture hall door as they left. "The timing of Oliver Keith's appearance in Hong Kong is a coincidence?"

Jian Ruochen hummed in agreement. "He transferred to Hong Kong four years ago because he was ostracized in the British academic circle. There's no solid evidence for this news, so I suspect it was a story he put out."

"Four years ago was exactly when Jiang Mingshan found me."

Perhaps also when the original owner got the fake vitamin B.

He felt the wig felt tight, so he reached up to scratch his forehead.

Guan Yingjun said, "I'll accompany you secretly when you meet him."

"How? The private rooms at Huangji have such good privacy..." Jian Ruochen was focused on removing the wig and didn't notice the path they were taking was getting more and more remote.

Only when he stepped on the bushes in the patch of trees behind the library did he realize they had unconsciously walked to the edge of the campus.

Just as Jian Ruochen was about to speak, the man wrapped an arm around his waist.

Guan Yingjun skillfully turned him around so they were facing each other. With his other arm, he removed the glasses from Jian Ruochen's nose, revealing those amber eyes.

He stared for a moment, then lowered his head and kissed him.

His lips landed on Jian Ruochen's forehead, the corner of his eye, the tip of his nose, and finally, his lips.

The kiss came so suddenly, so fiery and intense, so sincere and direct. Jian Ruochen was startled by the searing heat of his lips, his legs going weak as he nearly collapsed into Guan Yingjun's arms.

He gripped the man's collar, their bodies pressed tightly together, hands tightening around each other.

Not one to back down, Jian Ruochen tilted his head up, chasing the heat between them, kissing back with equal intensity.

Neither of them was skilled at breathing through the kiss, and after a minute, it turned into a battle of endurance.

Jian Ruochen, with his limited lung capacity, lost by a hair.

Guan Yingjun held him close, his thoughts drifting adrift.

Just kissing Jian Ruochen made everything feel worth it.

What would the future hold?

Jian Ruochen buried his face in Guan Yingjun's shoulder, murmuring, "How will you accompany me the day after tomorrow?"

Guan Yingjun replied, "I'll bring Team A to act as waitstaff, protect your safety, and do some eavesdropping."