Chapter 70: Chapter 70 “Hmm, Do You Like It Then?”…

Chapter 70

"Hmm, so do you like it?"...

Xu Wenqing's scam awareness was so strong that the heads of the funding departments from several corporations couldn’t get through to him. Lu Zhishi, left with no choice, brought two documents back to school himself.

"The Lu Group has a dedicated scholarship program. Sign the contract, and it will take effect next month."

Lu Zhishi was offering him a fast track—sign now, and it would be active by the following month.

Faced with the two documents for educational and medical funding, Xu Wenqing was momentarily overwhelmed, his eyes behind his glasses unconsciously welling up.

"I... I can't..."

He was grateful for Lu Zhishi's kindness, but he couldn't accept it with a clear conscience; it felt no different from taking advantage.

Lu Zhishi asked him, "Aren't we friends? Friends help each other—that's perfectly acceptable."

Xu Wenqing was momentarily stunned.

"From the start of school until now, you've shared your preserved vegetables with us, brought back fruit for us, and even helped us complete notes we hadn't finished."

"When I suffered heatstroke during military training, it was you, Xiao Xing, and Xiaoyu who carried me to the infirmary." Lu Zhishi lowered his gaze. "I thought we were friends."

Xu Wenqing opened his mouth, his eyes growing even wetter. He turned his head and wiped them.

When he turned back, he had regained his composure. His usually dull eyes now held a hint of brightness. He said, "Thank you, Lu Zhishi."

Lu Zhishi waved a hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. These two scholarships aren't entirely free; after you graduate, you'll have to come work at the Lu Group."

Xu Wenqing was bewildered again. Not only was he receiving two scholarships, but he could also work at the Lu Group after graduation?

"Study hard now, and if suitable later, you can directly enter a management position."

Lu Zhishi continued, "You should stop those grueling part-time jobs. I see you're quite good at science—there's a tutoring position for high school students that pays two thousand an hour. You just need to go a few times a week, and it's long-term. Are you willing to take it?"

Xu Wenqing smiled, pressing his lips together, tears glistening in his eyes. "I'm willing."

"Good."

After he signed the contract, Lu Zhishi called someone to pick it up, urging them to process it as quickly as possible.

He then contacted Aunt Liu, who needed a tutor, arranged Xu Wenqing's tutoring job, and finally charmed her with sweet words of thanks, making the delighted Aunt Liu so happy she invited him to her home for the weekend.

After finishing his calls, Lu Zhishi put away his phone, picked up his fishing rod and small bucket, and headed off excitedly to the Fishing Club activity.

That's right—he'd joined the school's Fishing Club, and besides that, he'd also joined a Planting Club.

Previously, many seniors had tried to recruit Lu Zhishi into the Music Club, Model Team, Photography Club, Street Dance Club...

His appearance was indeed outstanding, and many clubs competed to get him to join, but Lu Zhishi wasn't interested.

He didn't have many hobbies—he just liked fishing and growing vegetables. Other activities didn't appeal to him much.

He originally thought he wouldn't join any clubs in college, but then a senior approached him and asked if he'd like to join their Fishing Club, as they organized out-of-town fishing trips every month.

As soon as Lu Zhishi heard, he eagerly followed the senior and registered.

After returning, he told Zhao Xiaoxing, who then eagerly followed Lu Zhishi and also registered for the Fishing Club.

The Foreign Language Club was nervous, afraid that Zhao Xiaoxing would be lured away by the "evil" Fishing Club and never return to theirs.

Fortunately, Zhao Xiaoxing liked both—he went to whichever club had activities, maintaining a good balance.

Not long after Lu Zhishi joined the Fishing Club, another senior approached him, unfolding a promotional poster for his club.

"Junior, I heard you like growing vegetables. Our club has a huge garden plot—want to join us?"

The senior knew how the Fishing Club had convinced him, so after introducing his own club, he added, "Our department also visits the agriculture department to observe better cultivation methods, with top professors giving live explanations."

As soon as Lu Zhishi heard, he excitedly followed the senior and joined the Planting Club too.

Now the Fishing Club was nervous—they'd finally gotten an incredibly good-looking poster boy, and the "sneaky" Planting Club had shamelessly copied their tactics and stolen him away.

From then on, at University A, it was common to see Lu Zhishi either carrying a fishing rod and small bucket to the Fishing Club or holding a small shovel and watering can to the Planting Club.

Those boys and girls who were interested in Lu Zhishi couldn't find him anywhere else—if they went to the Fishing Club or Planting Club, they'd find him every time.

"See that handsome curly-haired guy sitting to the side, taking notes on vegetable growing? That's Lu Zhishi."

"See that handsome curly-haired guy sitting on a small stool, practicing fishing for big fish? That's Lu Zhishi."

"See that..."

Now he was famous—everyone knew Lu Zhishi loved growing vegetables and fishing; he was a handsome curly-haired guy who was great at growing vegetables but terrible at fishing.

Lu Zhishi sneezed several times, rubbed his nose, and headed back to his off-campus apartment with Zhao Xiaoxing, carrying his fishing rod and small bucket.

"I can't have dinner with you tonight..."

Zhao Xiaoxing hemmed and hawed for a long time, only speaking up hesitantly when they were almost home.

Lu Zhishi looked at him with a smile, patting his shoulder. "Alright."

Zhao Xiaoxing shyly pursed his lips, his ears slightly red. He opened the door, went in, and said, "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow~"

Lu Zhishi smiled as he watched him go in, then opened his own door. As soon as he entered, he could tell something was amiss.

Why was the light on? There was the smell of food in the air, and on the living room table was a bouquet of tea roses...

Chi Chen! Chi Chen! It was his beloved Chi Chen!

"Chi Chen! Chi Chen! My darling Chi Chen!"

Lu Zhishi was so excited he didn't bother to take off his shoes, rushing to the kitchen and hugging Chi Chen from behind.

Like an adorable puppy, he buried his face against Chi Chen's back, sniffing all over, as if he wanted to climb right on Chi Chen. Lu Zhishi's voice was cheerful.

"Chi Chen, Chi Chen, Chi Chen..."

Chi Chen turned around, planted a gentle kiss on the top of his head, and asked softly, "Are you hungry?"

"Not hungry, not hungry." Lu Zhishi moved from behind him to his front, hugging his waist and looking up to give him a cheek kiss.

Compared to kissing on the lips, Lu Zhishi preferred cheek kisses, rubbing noses too: "I missed you."

Chi Chen's heart melted. He also lowered his head, pressing his forehead against Lu Zhishi's, their noses touching, breaths mingling: "I missed you too."

Being so close, it would be a shame not to kiss. Lu Zhishi slightly lifted his face.

A faint smile flickered in Chi Chen's eyes. He lowered his head, and the two shadows cast on the wall looked particularly intimate.

The couple hadn’t seen each other for several days. Last week, Lu Zhishi went fishing with the Fishing Club and didn’t return home.

He didn’t let Chi Chen come see him either—just grabbed his fishing rod, took Zhao Xiaoxing, and headed out, spending the entire weekend away.

Chi Chen missed him a lot. That’s why he came over even before the weekend arrived.

After being all wrapped up in each other for a while, the food in the pan nearly burned and started smoking. Lu Zhishi quickly cut the heat and splashed in some water.

Lu Zhishi was the one who started the kissing, and now he was the one suddenly pulling away, leaving Chi Chen alone, looking wistful, his gaze deep and wanting more.

Lu Zhishi looked at him, clapped a hand over his mouth, and pinched his cheek. “The food is burning, and you’re still thinking about kissing, kissing! Care about our dinner—we’ll have nothing to eat!”

Chi Chen was amused by his frustrated look, scraped out the burnt food, washed the pan, and started cooking again.

“We won’t go without food.”

“Hmmph.” Lu Zhishi snorted lightly, released his waist, and turned to leave. “I won’t disturb your cooking. I’ll go whip up some fruit tea. Any particular flavor you're craving?”

Chi Chen grabbed his wrist, fingers rubbing his wrist, and looked down at him quietly. “One more kiss?”

Lu Zhishi got flustered. “No more kissing! Watch it or the food will burn again, and we really won’t have anything to eat tonight.”

Chi Chen didn’t say anything, just kept looking down at him with lowered eyes, like some oversized housecat begging silently.

Lu Zhishi couldn't resist. His face flushed, and he stood on tiptoe to plant a quick kiss on Chi Chen’s lips.

“That’s enough, you kiss monster. I’m really leaving now. You concentrate on cooking.”

“Mm.” Chi Chen released his wrist, brushed his thumb over his own lips, a smile playing on his lips.

His gesture made Lu Zhishi feel embarrassed, his heart warm and fluttery. He turned his face away and ran out of the kitchen.

After drinking a glass of cold water, the heat on his face finally subsided. Lu Zhishi sat on the sofa for a while, zoning out.

As he sat, he gradually slid down until he was slumped on the sofa like a piece of cheese.

“Fat Cheese.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Lu Zhishi sat up to prove himself. “No, I’m comfortable. I just want to sprawl out for a bit. Lazing around feels nice.”

“Heh.” A short laugh. Chi Chen came out to take a look, saw him drowsily turning over and continuing to lounge there like melted cheese, and said with a light laugh, “If you’re not feeling well, remember to tell me.”

“Okay~”

Chi Chen ruffled his hair and went back to the kitchen to continue cooking. Lu Zhishi sprawled for a bit longer before getting up to make fruit tea.

“Do you think we can still buy lychees nearby?” Lu Zhishi, in his clingy mood, dragged a chair and small table to the kitchen door. As he worked with gusto, he asked, “I want to make lychee pomelo tea, but we don’t have lychees or pomelos at home—only green grapes and peaches.”

Chi Chen said soothingly, “It’s okay. We’ll go look later. If there aren’t any, I’ll have some delivered tomorrow.”

“Okay, okay. Let’s go down after dinner and go for a walk.”

Lu Zhishi tasted a green grape himself and kept mashing while he asked, “If we can get lychees and pomelos, we can buy them and make lychee pomelo tea tomorrow. What time are you leaving tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow afternoon.” Chi Chen’s voice softened, his eyes clouded with reluctance. He hadn’t even left yet but was already missing Lu Zhishi.

Lu Zhishi was also reluctant. “Okay, okay.”

It’s fine, it’s fine. We can still see each other when I come home on the weekend. It’s only five days apart normally.

The listless Fat Cheese cheered himself up again. His curly hair regained its shine and softness as he worked diligently, making his favorite fruit tea.

Hearing his disappointment, Chi Chen turned around and took in Lu Zhishi’s bowed head.

Without thinking, he walked over, went down on one knee, held Lu Zhishi’s hand, and gazed up slightly. Chi Chen’s eyes were slightly red, heavy with guilt. His throat moved, and his voice was hoarse.

“I’m sorry…”

Love often feels like you're not enough.

“Don’t say sorry.” Lu Zhishi pulled him up, stroked his face, and kissed his flushed eyelids. “Everyone has a lot to do. It’s normal. I know you’re usually busy with work.”

Lu Zhishi hugged him. “Even though I’ll miss you, I won’t be too sad. We see each other every day on video calls.”

Chi Chen didn’t speak but leaned down, burying his face in Lu Zhishi’s neck.

What a big boyfriend. Lu Zhishi held his shoulders and patted his back gently.

Chi Chen always smelled nice. As Lu Zhishi comforted him, he buried his nose against Chi Chen’s neck.

My fragrant boyfriend.

His hair brushed against Chi Chen’s cheek and neck, tickling a little. Chi Chen tilted his head slightly, long lashes lowered, and kissed Lu Zhishi’s cheek.

“Okay, okay, one kiss. Don’t be unhappy.”

Lu Zhishi puckered up, kissed his forehead, then his cheek, and finally his thin lips.

“You love to be so clingy, boyfriend. Such a kiss monster.” Lu Zhishi suddenly giggled, pointed at himself, and said, “I’m a kiss monster too. We’re a kiss monster couple, hehehe.”

Chi Chen rested his chin on Lu Zhishi’s shoulder, tilting his head, his hooded, deep-set eyes gazing at Lu Zhishi. “Mm, so do you like it?”

Lu Zhishi’s ears turned red. “I like it.”

Chi Chen laughed softly. “I like it too.”

Since he could laugh, he probably wasn’t unhappy anymore.

Lu Zhishi felt relieved, held him for a while, and then slowly let go.

His fruit tea wasn’t finished yet, and Chi Chen’s dinner wasn’t done either. When would the kiss monster couple finally get to eat?

They were too lovey-dovey and lingered for too long, so dinner was a bit late today. The sun had already set, and the afterglow was beautiful.

Chi Chen’s cooking skills were superb—five dishes and a soup, all excellent in color, aroma, and taste.

Lu Zhishi ate two bowls of rice, a bowl of seafood porridge, and finally devoured five small steamed buns. He sprawled on the sofa, hiccupping while drinking his fruit tea.

Seeing him with such a good appetite made Chi Chen happy. He loved watching Lu Zhishi eat heartily.

“Chi Chen, Chi Chen, my stomach is so full…”

Lu Zhishi slumped on the sofa, so full his stomach bulged. He felt uncomfortable lying down, sitting, or even standing.

Chi Chen went to fetch some medicine, gave him two digestive pills, and cradled him in his arms while gently rubbing his stomach.

He pursed his lips, retracting what he’d said earlier—he didn’t like it when Lu Zhishi ate so much that he felt uncomfortable and miserable.

Leaning against Chi Chen, Lu Zhishi was a little nervous at first, too shy to lean in completely.

But soon he realized how comfortable Chi Chen’s arms were, so he sank lazily into him, stretching his limbs and shifting his butt to find a cozier position before going still.

He really was a Fat Cheese—adorable and even scooting around to get comfortable.

Chi Chen’s lips turned up unconsciously. Whenever he was with Lu Zhishi, he found himself smiling often.

When he felt less stuffed, Lu Zhishi got up to change his clothes and made Chi Chen change too.

He had bought two sets of matching couple outfits the previous week, originally planning to give them to Chi Chen over the weekend, but Chi Chen had gone fishing and hadn’t come home.

Now that Chi Chen was here, and they were going out shopping, it was the perfect time to wear the matching outfits.

The two high-quality white T-shirts featured a plump cheese design on the front. It was a bit silly-looking but also incredibly cute, and Lu Zhishi loved it.

After changing into the shirts, Chi Chen stood beside him, making it obvious to anyone that the two were a couple.

"See, see? It’s so obvious—Chi Chen is Fat Cheese’s boyfriend." Lu Zhishi swung their joined hands, grinning happily. "We’ve gone from being a couple that kisses all the time to a cheese couple, and someday we’ll become cheese husbands."

Night was just setting in, and the streets were lively and noisy.

But Chi Chen’s ears could only hear Lu Zhishi’s voice, and his eyes could only see the smile on Lu Zhishi’s lips. All his tenderness was reserved for this one person.

"Okay, we’ll be cheese husbands someday."

"For now, we’ll be a cheese couple, and later, cheese husbands. Sound good?"

"Good." Chi Chen tightened his grip on Lu Zhishi’s hand.

Hand in hand, the cheese couple strolled along the street, heading to a nearby supermarket to look for lychees and pomelos. Along the way, many unfamiliar college students greeted Lu Zhishi.

Lu Zhishi didn’t know them, but he politely smiled and responded. When asked if the person beside him was his boyfriend, Lu Zhishi’s smile brightened even more as he tightened his hold on Chi Chen’s hand and said, "He’s my fiancé."

Chi Chen’s lips quirked into a faint smile as he nodded at the person in greeting.

Some offered blessings, some looked disappointed, and some seemed unhappy about it…

They had always thought Lu Zhishi’s claim of having a boyfriend was just an excuse to dodge giving his number, never thought he was actually taken.

What others thought didn’t matter—Chi Chen was feeling great.

He wanted everyone to know that Lu Zhishi was spoken for, that his boyfriend was Chi Chen, and that Chi Chen’s boyfriend was Lu Zhishi. No one was going to poach him.

At the supermarket, Lu Zhishi grabbed a shopping cart, and Chi Chen took over.

Walking side by side, they wandered through the aisles until they reached the snack section. Lu Zhishi held the cart with one hand and grabbed various snacks with the other.

Chi Chen: "…"

He asked Lu Zhishi, "Weren’t we here to buy lychees and pomelos?"

Lu Zhishi slowed his snack-grabbing but didn’t stop placing items in the cart.

With eyes downcast, looking sad, he reached for more snacks, muttered, "We’re out of snacks at home. Let’s buy some. When you leave tomorrow, I’ll need snacks to cheer myself up…"

Facing those clear, bright peach-blossom eyes, Chi Chen’s heart melted. He said gently, "Then let’s buy some, but not too many. Eating too many snacks isn’t good for you."

"Okay, okay, just a little bit—I won’t eat too much at once." Lu Zhishi’s voice perked up.

As the cart filled with more and more snacks, Chi Chen grew worried that Lu Zhishi would skip meals if he ate too many snacks and thought about stopping him.

But remembering what Lu Zhishi had said earlier, his heart ached with tenderness and sadness. In the end, Chi Chen chose to look the other way.

As long as the cart wasn’t completely full, he’d pretend not to notice.

Fortunately, Lu Zhishi also knew that eating too many snacks wasn’t good, so he stopped after filling half the cart and tugged Chi Chen to buy instant noodles.

Chi Chen: "…"

This time, he really couldn’t look the other way.

"No," he said, stopping Lu Zhishi’s hand as he reached for a tenth cup of noodles.

"Just a few cups, please? It’s a new flavor." Lu Zhishi poked Chi Chen’s waist, edged closer, and rubbed his arm. "Chi Chen, Baby Chi Chen, boyfriend…"

His pleading was sweet and whiny, enough to make anyone give in.

Chi Chen said with a sigh, "Ten cups is a bit too much."

Lu Zhishi immediately replied, "You’re right, ten is too many. Let’s get nine then."

Chi Chen: "…"

Chi Chen was speechless for a moment.

But Lu Zhishi didn’t give him a chance, pulling his hand and hurrying toward the fruit section. As they passed a display of bagged cross-bridge rice noodles, Lu Zhishi snuck a pack before pretending nothing happened and looking straight ahead.

Chi Chen suddenly laughed. "Lu Zhishi."

"Yeah?"

"Are we buying a little too much instant food?"

Lu Zhishi pretended not to understand. "No, not really. Just a little."

Chi Chen: "You mean a 'whole' lot?"

Lu Zhishi rubbed his cheek, lowered his head, and nuzzled against Chi Chen’s arm.

Chi Chen’s breath caught slightly as he looked down at the soft hair. He sighed softly and finally reached out to mess up Lu Zhishi’s hair. "Even if we buy them, you can’t eat too much. Promise me you’ll eat regular meals, okay?"

Lu Zhishi lifted his head and nodded vigorously, eyes smiling. "Okay, I promise I won’t eat too much—just a taste once in a while."

As they pushed the cart toward the fruit section, Lu Zhishi said, "Instant noodles aren’t filling. I need two cups to feel full. I only eat them to change things up sometimes."

"Then when you do eat instant noodles, make sure to add plenty of meat, eggs, and vegetables for nutrition."

Lu Zhishi glanced at Chi Chen’s face.

The serious way Chi Chen said it was both amusing and adorable. Lu Zhishi’s eyes crinkled with laughter.

"Got it, got it~"

After walking around the supermarket and failing to find any lychees or pomelos, Chi Chen sent a message to have some fresh ones delivered tomorrow. He followed Lu Zhishi, carrying bags full of snacks, and headed back home.

When they reached the entrance of their residential complex, they happened to run into Lu Zhiyu, who was walking out holding a bouquet of baby's breath. Lu Zhishi’s eyes lit up.

"Brother!"

Hearing the call, Lu Zhiyu looked up, smiled, put away his phone, and walked over. "Fat Cheese, I was just about to message you. I bought a cake and left it in your room."

He glanced at the bags Chi Chen was holding. "What did you two buy?"

"Nothing much, nothing much."

Lu Zhishi was so happy he forgot about the pile of snacks and instant noodles he had bought. Hearing the question, he quickly moved to shield Chi Chen from view.

"Brother, are you heading back now?"

"About to leave." Lu Zhiyu tilted his head to peek at the bags in Chi Chen’s hands. "Stinky Cheese, why did you buy so many snacks? And there’s even a pile of instant noodles?"

"Just wanted to try something different. I won’t eat too much at once, just pretend you didn’t notice." Lu Zhishi clung to his arm, whining. "Don’t tell Dad and the others."

"You think I’d believe that?" Lu Zhiyu asked him.

He knew his younger brother all too well—he had no self-control when it came to food. Once he filled up on snacks and instant noodles, he’d definitely skip real meals.

He turned to Chi Chen. "And you didn’t keep an eye on him?"

Chi Chen said expressionlessly, "The moment he acts spoiled, my heart softens. How could I possibly keep an eye on him?"

Lu Zhiyu: "?"

How could someone with such a face say something so infatuated? Just hearing it made him uncomfortable.

"Stinky Cheese, if you fail next month’s health checkup, both of you can expect a talking-to from the dads."

Lu Zhiyu tapped Lu Zhishi on the head, then looked at Chi Chen and asked, "Heading back together?"

Lu Zhishi smoothed his hair and, hearing this, turned to look at Chi Chen pleadingly.

Meeting his eyes, Chi Chen’s expression softened. He said to Lu Zhiyu, "You go ahead. I’ll come back tomorrow afternoon. I’m staying over tonight."

Lu Zhiyu: "..."

Lu Zhiyu’s face darkened. He seemed to want to say something, hesitated, then finally held back.

"...Alright."

After giving a few more reminders, Lu Zhiyu left with the baby's breath. He trusted Chi Chen’s character and upbringing.

Watching the Maybach drive away, Lu Zhishi finally withdrew his gaze and took Chi Chen’s hand as they headed home.

He shared half of the snacks with Pang Xiaoxing next door. When Lu Zhishi saw him, he grinned mischievously, as if saying nothing yet saying everything.

Zhao Xiaoxing flushed bright red.

Back in his own home, Chi Chen was sitting on the living room rug, organizing their purchases.

Lu Zhishi went over, bent down to kiss his cheek, then hurried back to his room to take a shower, humming an off-key tune.

Chi Chen lowered his eyelashes, a soft smile touching his lips, and raised a hand to gently touch the spot where Lu Zhishi had kissed him.

Lu Zhishi took a long shower, not only using hair essence but also washing his face with cleanser. Today, he was a refined and handsome cheese.

When he came out to the living room, he noticed Chi Chen wasn’t there and went looking for him.

The sound of water came from Chi Chen’s original room—he was probably showering. Lu Zhishi didn’t go in.

Sitting in the living room, Lu Zhishi turned on the TV, cut a slice of cheesecake, and scooped a spoonful into his mouth, chewing happily.

In the middle of watching an ad, his eyes lit up. He put down the cake and went to rummage through the storage cabinet at home.

By the time Chi Chen finished his shower and came out, he saw Lu Zhishi grinning at him and asking:

"Chi Chen, Chi Chen, do you want to join me?"