Chapter 64

Chapter 64

You Ruan emerged from the bathroom to find his older brother on the sofa, lost in thought, a faint blush coloring his face and neck.

"Brother?" the child called out. "Are you okay?"

You Ruan waved a hand in front of You Nan's face.

The system, 007, grinned. What else could it be? Of course, he had been with the protagonist again!

007 had just checked its display and saw the energy points skyrocketing, popping up so densely it was almost hard to see.

007 no longer had any objections to You Nan being with the protagonist.

To object would be a disservice to all those energy points!

007 genuinely admired You Nan.

They were already on their second world! He always managed to get the protagonist to confess and deviate from the plot to be with him.

Not only did You Nan avoid punishment, but he also earned energy points.

He was simply a natural-born Tasker!

You Ruan’s arm waved back and forth in front of You Nan, the flickering light catching his eyes. You Nan blinked a few times quickly and finally snapped out of it.

"What's up?" You Nan asked gently, raising a hand to touch his still-warm cheek.

You Ruan pouted and, acting spoiled, dove into his brother's arms. "Brother!"

The child's drawn-out call made You Nan laugh out loud.

You Ruan grunted like a little pig.

He was the one who asked first! How could his brother space out and not hear him!

You Ruan snuggled into his brother's arms, yawned, and wiped his sleepy tears. "Brother, I want to go to sleep."

"Okay," You Nan said. He got up, turned off the living room light, and carried the child into the bedroom to sleep.

After Jiang Songen confessed to You Nan that night, the atmosphere between them changed completely.

Occasional glances—one avoiding, the other chasing. Not to mention, Jiang Songen used the excuse of "brotherly bonding" to stick close to You Nan.

Specifically, before, Jiang Songen would usually stay in the classroom after class.

But now it was different. Every break, even if the teacher kept them late and only left a minute or two, he would make a point to walk around and go to the bathroom.

But in reality, his intentions were far from innocent—all his attention was focused on the hallway outside Class 2.

As soon as Jiang Songen reached the corridor outside Class 2, he would slow his pace and suddenly strike up a conversation with Li Qiutian beside him.

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, always easy to adjust.

If You Nan didn’t hear him, he would speak louder. But by then, the whole class could hear him. At first, everyone would look their way, but after a while, they got used to it.

There was even one of the more outgoing guys who would shout loudly at Jiang Songen, "Hey man, you're here again today!"

Jiang Songen would always smile at that.

Every time You Nan heard Jiang Songen's voice, he would turn to look, witnessing Jiang Songen’s peacocking—no different from any other ordinary high school boy.

It made You Nan happy whenever he saw it.

Seeing that he could cheer You Nan up, Jiang Songen started making the trip even more often.

Li Qiutian, who often hung out with him, naturally noticed this change.

As Jiang Songen’s good friend, Jiang Songen never tried to hide it from him.

Li Qiutian followed Jiang Songen around every day, and over time, he started to catch on.

Li Qiutian had never dated anyone himself, but he’d seen others in love.

The way Jiang Songen looked at You Nan was just like his friends who had partners.

Once Li Qiutian discovered Jiang Songen’s secret, he swallowed nervously.

His eyes couldn’t help but drift toward Jiang Songen, who had finished his exam and was now chin propped in one hand while holding a pen in the other, pretending to check his paper.

Like Li Qiutian didn't know—Jiang Songen was definitely spacing out again, thinking about You Nan.

Li Qiutian sighed.

His impression of You Nan was actually pretty good.

You Nan was pretty inspiring. Despite starting with a difficult family situation, he managed to hold his family together, take care of his younger brother, and still excel academically.

You Nan had already cracked the top ten in his grade in the last monthly exam.

In his mind, Li Qiutian pictured Jiang Songen and You Nan together.

Both were good-looking and easy to get along with. Standing side by side, they complemented each other perfectly—a great match.

Li Qiutian didn’t interfere with their relationship. As Jiang Songen’s friend, he naturally supported his buddy!

Once he figured it out, he started covering for Jiang Songen.

Specifically, when they reached the door of Class 2, Li Qiutian didn’t even wait for Jiang Songen to start a conversation—he’d just start talking loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in Class 2.

"Li Qiutian, keep it down! You’re busting my eardrums!"

"Yeah, it’s not graduation season yet. Why are you practicing your singing so early?"

The Class 2 students teased Li Qiutian.

Li Qiutian glanced at them, these clueless people, and couldn’t help feeling a bit smug.

"Got carried away, that’s all! Now that you’ve reminded me, I’ll tone it down."

Li Qiutian had a good attitude and knew how to talk to people, so the Class 2 students didn’t make a big deal out of it. A few idle students even came over to chat with him.

Jiang Songen also benefited from this. Standing next to the well-connected Li Qiutian, he could openly gaze at You Nan.

This became Li Qiutian’s "daily mandatory task."

On one occasion, he couldn't resist exchanging meaningful looks with Jiang Songen.

Jiang Songen was quick on the uptake and immediately understood what Li Qiutian meant.

He had never intended to hide it from Li Qiutian in the first place. Li Qiutian was his good friend and also his classmate. What was the point of hiding it? Li Qiutian would probably find out sooner or later anyway.

"Oh, so you figured it out." Jiang Songen patted Li Qiutian on the shoulder.

Li Qiutian chuckled, "Hehehe," and made a zipping his lips motion. "Don’t worry, I can definitely keep a secret. I won’t let anyone else find out."

Jiang Songen nodded with a satisfied expression. "Good. Consider yourself part of the team."

After saying that, he sent Li Qiutian a 200-kuai red envelope on WeChat as a "reward."

Li Qiutian became even more enthusiastic.

He volunteered to cooperate with Jiang Songen, insisting on being on the frontlines of the gossip scene.

When Jiang Songen and You Nan had lunch together, he would tag along as a lookout.

When Jiang Songen tried to give snacks to You Nan, he would tag along excitedly and always managed to snag a bite from You Nan.

At such times, Jiang Songen would mutter through gritted teeth, "Didn’t you eat enough at lunch? Are you that hungry? You want to eat everything?"

Li Qiutian ignored him.

The more Li Qiutian interacted with You Nan, the more he felt that his friend’s only thing he had going for him was his looks, which made him somewhat worthy of You Nan.

As for his character? The worst! Absolutely awful!

You Nan was a good person. Every time Jiang Songen gave him snacks, You Nan would always share some with Li Qiutian, saying, "What’s mine is yours."

But Jiang Songen was so stingy.

He didn’t want Li Qiutian eating the things he had prepared for You Nan.

You Nan never told Li Qiutian that Jiang Songen would get jealous and sulk because he kept sharing his gifts.

You Nan covered his face, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Li Qiutian had a baby face and looked young. Although he was technically Jiang Songen’s peer and good friend, You Nan always felt their relationship was more like that of father and son, with Li Qiutian being the son who needed looking after.

You Nan couldn’t stand Li Qiutian’s puppy-dog eyes at the snacks, so he always ended up giving him some.

And then, without fail, an unhappy Jiang Songen would later get back at him, cornering You Nan in an empty stairwell or a small room to kiss him.

He would kiss him until he was dizzy, weak, and completely drained of energy.

This was Jiang Songen’s "punishment" for You Nan.

Li Qiutian was upset about Jiang Songen’s cheapness, but Jiang Songen, having received "payback" from You Nan, immediately felt better.

The fickle man, now satisfied, sent Li Qiutian a large red envelope on WeChat.

"Here, take this. Go buy yourself something good to get a snack."

Jiang Songen put down his phone and shot a look at Li Qiutian.

Seeing the benefit, Li Qiutian finally let it slide, but the next time, he would still want to eat the snacks Jiang Songen had meant just for You Nan.

Yi Jiahe gradually became more withdrawn in class. His unusual behavior was noticed not only by the students in Class 2 but also by the teachers, who called him into the office for a chat.

"Yi Jiahe, what’s been going on with you lately? Are you in a funk?"

The teacher took a sip of tea while looking at the good-looking guy sitting across from her.

Yi Jiahe’s academic performance remained stable; even in such a low mood, he still maintained his position as first or second in the grade.

His ability to compartmentalize was exceptional.

Yi Jiahe remained silent.

He was still dwelling on being rejected by You Nan in the gym.

Not only had he gained nothing from it, but he had also ended up becoming a catalyst for You Nan and Jiang Songen’s relationship.

The thought made him sick to his stomach.

Yet, he couldn’t help but obsess over it whenever he had free time.

Feelings of frustration and bitterness tormented him relentlessly.

Yi Jiahe chose to numb himself with studying and other activities.

He signed up for numerous school competitions, keeping himself as busy as a spinning top, and tried to avoid any contact with Jiang Songen.

He was afraid that if he saw Jiang Songen, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from vomiting.

Yi Jiahe did not continue to pester You Nan.

His pride would not allow him to be that persistent.

The relationship between the two of them returned to how it was when You Nan had first arrived at the school—

distant, detached, and unfamiliar.

Some classmates were curious, but no one asked.

They weren’t close to You Nan and didn’t want to poke the bear.

In response to the teacher’s concern, Yi Jiahe said, "It’s nothing serious. I’ll get over it in a few days."

His tone was dismissive, as if the matter had already begun to blow over from his mind.

But only he knew that he wasn’t over it.

The teacher thought to herself.

Nothing serious, and it’ll be fine in a few days? It’s been almost a month, and this "little thing" still hasn’t passed?

Though she thought this, she didn’t say it out loud.

If Yi Jiahe didn’t want to talk about it, she would play along and simply be there for him as his teacher.

"Alright, I believe you’ll be able to bounce back soon."

The teacher said, "Then you can go back for now."

Yi Jiahe acknowledged with a sound, but as he reached the door, he suddenly turned around again.

The sunlight outside was bright, casting warm and lively colors across the corridor. The boy's coolly elegant demeanor stood in stark contrast to it.

"Teacher."

"Hmm?"

"Is it still possible to register for the College Entrance Exam now?"

What?

The teacher was surprised.

Hadn’t Yi Jiahe’s family originally intended for him to study abroad after high school?

Why did he suddenly want to stay in the country?

Seeing the teacher’s surprised expression, Yi Jiahe knew his question had been too impulsive.

He lowered his eyes, clenching his hand tightly at his side.

He realized that, from beginning to end, he had never let go of You Nan. Even now, with You Nan and Jiang Songen growing closer, he still wanted to find a way to get closer to You Nan’s side.

How pathetic.

Yi Jiahe’s nails dug deeply into his palm.

Without explaining anything, the boy turned and left the office, leaving the utterly bewildered teacher behind.

The teacher secretly opened the contacts on her phone, searching for the number of the Yi family’s secretary to inquire about the situation.

Why did the Yi family's Young Master suddenly want to take the College Entrance Exam?

When Yi Jiahe returned from the teacher’s office, class hadn’t started yet, and the classroom was still buzzing with activity.

As the College Entrance Exam approached, the class had long been split into two camps.

One group was going abroad for studies, busy with their applications—some had already left school.

Only a small group in the class were preparing for the College Entrance Exam. These students held their pens, heads bowed as they worked on problems. The laughter and chatter around them had nothing to do with them.

All they cared about were the questions and exams on their desks.

Just by glancing in from the doorway, Yi Jiahe immediately spotted the person he had been constantly yearning for, the one who appeared in his dreams night after night.

You Nan’s fair skin, lowered eyebrows, and serene, concentrated look was noticeable. He seemed to have encountered a difficult problem and unconsciously bit the knuckle of his left index finger.

He didn’t notice Yi Jiahe’s return or the gaze fixed on him.

Yi Jiahe’s hand trembled at his side, and he felt the urge to slap himself, to jolt himself awake.

*He's not interested in you, yet you still stare wistfully. Isn’t that just ridiculous?*

Yi Jiahe averted his gaze from You Nan, forcibly suppressing his unsettled emotions, and returned to his seat.

Zhang Chun from Class One was also among those going abroad for studies. His family had long prepared his application materials, just waiting for the right time.

Zhang Chun could have left school early, but he had brought this on himself and was still stuck in the classroom of Class One.

Only now, he no longer started conflicts with Jiang Songen.

Somehow, the news of Zhang Chun’s interest in boys had reached his parents.

At first, Zhang Chun didn’t take it seriously.

He had been spoiled since childhood, getting whatever he wanted and doing as he pleased. All he had to do was ask, and his family would deliver it to him.

His parents had both studied abroad and were liberal-minded. Among their classmates, there were even uncles and aunts whose partners were same-sex.

His parents had even taken him to some of their weddings.

Zhang Chun never thought his parents would be unable to accept same-sex love, unable to understand him, or unwilling to support him.

But that was only because it was someone else’s business, not their own son’s. That’s why they could remain calm and indifferent.

This was a lesson Zhang Chun learned only when he saw his mother’s eyes red with anger and his father pointing at his nose, scolding him for the first time as useless.

They both urged Zhang Chun to quickly mend his ways.

But Zhang Chun was stubborn and refused to yield.

He had been locked in conflict with Jiang Songen since the beginning of freshman year, and it had been nearly three years now.

Zhang Chun stubbornly refused to back down, even when his father beat him with a broom so hard the wooden handle broke.

Zhang Chun’s mother didn’t cry—she wished she could beat some sense into her son.

"Zhang Chun! You’re supposed to carry on the Zhang family line, not end it!"

The wealthier the family business, the more importance they placed on heirs.

Zhang Chun stayed silent, beaten severely.

He lay at home recovering for two weeks before he got better.

Fortunately, he was young and strong-bodied, and his body healed without lasting issues.

After Zhang Chun recovered, his family barred him from returning to school, afraid he would revert to his same-sex preferences.

But Zhang Chun went anyway.

The condition was that he wasn’t allowed to make trouble at school. If he was caught just once, his parents would immediately take him home and never let him see Jiang Songen again.

Zhang Chun had liked Jiang Songen for so long, and now, in the most rebellious phase of high school, he was determined to challenge his parents’ authority.

Naturally, Zhang Chun readily agreed.

He had been back in school for half a month, holding himself back the entire time. He didn’t even dare speak to Jiang Songen, only watching as Jiang Songen courted You Nan.

He could tell—Jiang Songen liked You Nan and was pursuing him.

If it were the old Zhang Chun, he would have directly grabbed You Nan and shown him what's what.

But now, he could only sit at the back of the classroom, stealing looks at Jiang Songen’s back, seething with jealousy and cursing inwardly that You Nan was unworthy of Jiang Songen—poor and untalented, and completely unable to provide Jiang Songen any help.

Zhang Chun wasn’t just watching Jiang Songen; his eyes also scanned the room suspiciously, trying to identify who had betrayed his secret to his family.

The students in Class One all thought he had lost his mind—just because his crush on Jiang Songen was exposed, he was acting like a man possessed.

One by one, the students gave him a wide berth.

Fortunately, many people were already absent from the classroom, leaving other seats empty.

A "no-man's-land" formed around Zhang Chun.

No one wanted to interact with him, not even his former sidekicks.

"Zhang Chun."

A familiar voice came from the back of the classroom. Zhang Chun turned to look and saw Cheng Mi standing by the rear door.

Cheng Mi hooked a finger, beckoning Zhang Chun over.

Zhang Chun walked over. "What do you want?"

As he spoke, he keenly noticed Cheng Mi glancing at Jiang Songen’s back. A lightning bolt of realization struck him—he suddenly remembered that Cheng Mi was also into Jiang Songen. Zhang Chun’s gaze toward Cheng Mi instantly turned into a glare of suspicion.

Cheng Mi and Yi Jiahe were tight with him, and their parents were friends too. Both of them had his parents’ contact information.

If Cheng Mi or Yi Jiahe wanted his parents to know something, they could just say it directly. His parents would never reveal the informant.

Yi Jiahe now had feelings for You Nan. Last semester, he had likely been rejected after confessing and was now moping around, half-alive, in Class Two, silently guarding You Nan—no one knew what he was trying to prove.

Still, Yi Jiahe’s situation meant he was no longer a rival to Zhang Chun.

The only one left with a motive to spill the secret was Cheng Mi.

Cheng Mi was perceptive and cunning. He immediately noticed the change in Zhang Chun’s expression.

His handsome, expressive face darkened instantly. Cheng Mi lowered his voice and asked, "What’s that look supposed to mean?"

Zhang Chun dragged him out into the hallway. He had a couple of inches on Cheng Mi. "Did you tell my parents about my crush on Jiang Songen?"

Zhang Chun asked the question, his eyes fixed intently on Cheng Mi’s face, not daring to miss the slightest change in his expression.

He knew Cheng Mi too well—the guy was a venomous snake in beautiful clothing, sensitive and toxic.

Cheng Mi’s face showed exasperation and anger.

He was pretty and delicate in appearance, but his personality was the complete opposite—he had the worst temper of the three.

"You suspect me? Why not suspect Yi Jiahe?"

"Yi Jiahe likes You Nan. He’d be thrilled if Jiang Songen ended up with someone else, so he could swoop in."

Zhang Chun saw right through it, his tone calm.

For a moment, Cheng Mi’s expression stiffened, but he covered it up quickly—it was gone in a flash.

Zhang Chun grabbed him by the arm, narrowing his eyes. Zhang Chun was no fool; the young master of the Zhang family wasn't clueless.

He had caught that flicker of guilt in Cheng Mi. His tone was certain: "It was you!"

Cheng Mi yelled, "What do you mean, 'it was me'? You need evidence to say something like that!"

Damn it!

Cheng Mi’s heart raced.

There were less than two months left until graduation—time was running out. He was so anxious that blisters had formed on his lips.

Cheng Mi had never planned to study abroad.

Half of his relatives worked in domestic higher education institutions. The Cheng family was an academic family through and through. They had long since had his future all mapped out, and Cheng Mi only needed to follow it.

But then a wrench got thrown into his plans.

He had fallen for Jiang Songen.

No—wait—the variable was actually that Jiang Songen had fallen for You Nan.

Cheng Mi fought tooth and nail with his family about attending Jiang Songen’s first-choice university, even quarreling with his parents over it.

But his parents rejected the idea.

They couldn’t understand why their obedient son had suddenly become defiant.

Unable to reason with his family, Cheng Mi was furious.

He took out his phone and privately messaged Yi Jiahe.

Didn’t Yi Jiahe like You Nan?

Then they could just break Jiang Songen and You Nan up—each of them could have one.

But though he had it all figured out, Yi Jiahe flatly refused.

Enraged, Cheng Mi slammed his phone against the wall.

"Why! Why won’t anyone listen to me!"

He grabbed his own hair, eyes wide with frustration.

With nowhere to vent his anger, he paced around his bedroom. Then, an idea hit him, and he picked up his phone—its screen now a spiderweb of cracks—and wasted no time in sending a message to Zhang Chun’s parents, revealing all of Zhang Chun’s little crush on Jiang Songen.

"Auntie, hello. After some thought, I felt I should tell you. Zhang Chun likes a boy at school…"

Cheng Mi’s idea was simple and malicious.

If he couldn’t have Jiang Songen, no one else should either.

Looking at the words "Thank you for telling me, auntie" sent by Zhang Chun’s mother on his phone screen, he couldn’t help but smile.

But the excitement and schadenfreude he felt then had now vanished, faced with Zhang Chun’s fist the size of a sandbag.

Zhang Chun made a move to hit Cheng Mi, who instinctively flinched and shut his eyes.

That flinch and closed eyes made his heart race, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

It’s over!

Sure enough, when Cheng Mi opened his eyes again, all he saw in Zhang Chun’s gaze was fury.

"Get out! Get out now! Don’t let me see you again! I don’t have a brother like you!"

Zhang Chun gritted his teeth. If not for his parents’ restrictions, he would have gladly torn Cheng Mi apart.

Cheng Mi had strength and cunning, but he couldn't defeat Zhang Chun, whose fists were harder and strength greater.

Realizing that this approach with Zhang Chun wouldn't work, Cheng Mi quickly made a decision.

His eyes turned cold as he turned and walked away, not letting curious students from nearby classes who'd heard Zhang Chun's voice come out to gawk.

Fine by him. Losing Zhang Chun as a friend was something Cheng Mi did not regret.

After all, from the moment they both had feelings for Jiang Songen, they were no longer brothers.