Chapter 124 Eden

Chapter 124 Eden

“Huh?”

Yan Zhoubai suddenly sat upright. Whose voice was that? Another man?

Zhan Jiayu’s headset had disconnected from his computer, so Eden, who was waiting on the other end of the conference call, had heard everything. Now, he couldn’t resist chiming in.

“No one will think you’re mute if you stay quiet.”

Zhan Jiayu glanced at Eden on the screen. The man was leaning to the side, idly throwing darts. It was clear he was bored from waiting too long. Of course, if the camera had panned slightly, one would have noticed that every dart was perfectly lodged in the bullseye.

“Who are you talking to?”

Yan Zhoubai had already risen from the sofa, heading towards Zhan Jiayu.

“My brother, Eden. Want to say hello?”

Since his voice had already been heard, Zhan Jiayu had no choice but to introduce the two.

Yan Zhoubai quickly slipped on his slippers and trotted over to Zhan Jiayu.

On the computer screen was a black-haired young man. His appearance didn’t suggest any American heritage, yet he didn’t give off the same immediate impression of being Chinese as Zhan Jiayu did.

But this Eden understood Chinese, spoke it fluently, and had no accent.

Eden was very handsome, but unlike Zhan Jiayu’s sharper, more aggressive, and rugged features, Eden’s overall demeanor was much softer.

Most importantly, Eden didn’t have even a hint of a corporate drone vibe—he looked incredibly youthful. Yet, Zhan Jiayu had mentioned earlier that Eden was handling almost all the daily affairs in America while Jasmine was visiting China. That should be a heavy workload, so why did Eden still seem so at ease? In contrast, Yan Zhoubai could definitely sense the office grind from Zhan Jiayu.

“Hello, Xiao Bai. Jasmine told me that’s what you’re called. Can I call you that?”

Eden was the first to greet him. He had already thrown all the darts in his hand, which were now empty.

“Of course.”

Yan Zhoubai was just as excited to meet Eden as he had been when he met Jasmine. He was simply very curious about Zhan Jiayu’s siblings.

He then turned and looked eagerly at Zhan Jiayu. He didn’t know Eden—this was their first meeting—and he hoped Zhan Jiayu could introduce Eden in more detail to satisfy his curiosity.

“Eden’s mother is also Chinese, but he was born and raised in America. He’s never been to China. His Chinese is good because his mother taught him,” Zhan Jiayu further explained.

Yan Zhoubai finally understood. The sense of incongruity he felt from Eden probably stemmed from cultural differences. Although Eden looked no different from a Chinese person, having grown up in America with a completely different cultural background, his overall temperament and vibe were distinct.

“Eden, I’m Yan Zhoubai. I…”

Following social etiquette, Yan Zhoubai felt that since he already knew the basics about Eden, he should also introduce himself.

“No need. Jasmine has already told me all about you—the whole real and fake young master situation, and that you’re with my brother, little sister-in-law.”

Before Yan Zhoubai could finish, Eden interrupted him. His expression was full of teasing, clearly that of a remote spectator enjoying the show.

His words made Yan Zhoubai blush. “Little sister-in-law” sounded way too intimate. Yan Zhoubai had previously said that calling Zhan Jiayu “boss” sounded old-fashioned, like something out of gangster movies from his childhood, but wasn’t “little sister-in-law” just as bad?

“Alright, the rest isn’t important. Handle things as you see fit. Let’s end the call here.”

Seeing Yan Zhoubai flustered by Eden’s teasing, Zhan Jiayu prepared to close the laptop and send him away.

“Fine, I guess I’m just destined to work day and night.”

Though his words sounded complaining, Eden’s expression remained relaxed.

“Little sister-in-law, till next time. You’re welcome to visit America.”

Before Zhan Jiayu could say anything else, Eden quickly hung up the video call, as if afraid that delaying even a second longer would earn him a scolding.

“Your younger siblings are so energetic, unlike you.”

After Eden left, Yan Zhoubai remarked with a sigh.

“What? You think I’m not lively enough, too boring?”

Zhan Jiayu pulled Yan Zhoubai onto his lap and wrapped him in a full embrace from behind.

“If you were lively, it’d be scary. That style doesn’t suit you.”

Yan Zhoubai turned around and reached out to pull down Zhan Jiayu’s upturned lips. “Stop smiling so widely all the time, as if your smile is reaching for the sun. Aren’t important people supposed to be serious?”

***

In early September, the sweltering summer heat in the capital hadn’t completely subsided, but there was already a hint of crisp autumn coolness in the air.

On Yan Zhoubai’s first day of school, Zhan Jiayu accompanied him to register. Zhan Jiayu pulled Yan Zhoubai’s suitcase, which was filled with his personal belongings.

Yan Zhoubai walked happily ahead, as excited as a child, seemingly curious about everything at the university.

He wore a yellow short-sleeved shirt and light blue denim overalls—all clothes Zhan Jiayu had bought for him later. His old clothes were left at the Yan family home and not brought to their current apartment.

The outfit also came with a matching yellow cap featuring a little yellow duck pattern, complete with a three-dimensional red beak. Zhan Jiayu thought it was adorable.

But Yan Zhoubai flat-out refused to wear the cap. He thought the little yellow duck pattern was too childish, like something a kindergarten kid would wear.

Before leaving, Zhan Jiayu had placed the cap on Yan Zhoubai’s head, but once in the car, Yan Zhoubai immediately took it off and handed it to Zhan Jiayu. So now, instead of wearing the cap, Yan Zhoubai had left it in Zhan Jiayu’s hands.

Compared to other students lugging around large bags and suitcases, the two of them were traveling light with just one suitcase. The reason they could travel light was simple: someone else was carrying the heavier load for them.

The bulkier items—like quilts and bedsheets—were all in Chen Chu’s hands. Today, Chen Chu’s job was to act as a mover.

The new campus of Wutong University was really quite nice. At least Yan Zhoubai liked it a lot. The campus was buzzing with activity on opening day, radiating youthful energy and joy.

Yan Zhoubai first found the registration booth for the Philosophy Department.

“Yes, Zhou like boat, Bai as in white. Found it?”

Yan Zhoubai reported his name to the student working registration, watching eagerly as they searched the list. Finally, his name was found at the very end.

“That’s all set.”

The female student handling registration returned Yan Zhoubai’s checked acceptance letter and asked with a smile, “You’re adorable, freshman! And you have long hair—is it because you like some anime character?”

“Ah,” Yan Zhoubai was about to leave but didn’t expect the senior to ask this. “No, I used to live at a Taoist temple, so I grew my hair out and never cut it. I’ve just kept it long ever since.”

“I see. You’re really cute, freshman! Do you have a partner? Let’s swap contact information!”

Yan Zhoubai thought this senior was quite cute herself, with her pigtails and short skirt—not what he’d expected a senior would look like.

“Contact info? Sure, but I already have a partner.”

As he said this, Yan Zhoubai automatically looked at Zhan Jiayu, who was waiting nearby.

"Oh, that's too bad."

The disappointment was practically overflowing from the girl with twin tails.

After completing the registration, Yan Zhoubai followed Zhan Jiayu to the dormitory.

"That girl just now was asking for your number, wasn't she?" Zhan Jiayu asked casually.

"Yeah," Yan Zhoubai seemed to instantly grasp what Zhan Jiayu was thinking and quickly added, "But I told her I already have a boyfriend."

Zhan Jiayu suddenly smiled meaningfully, "I wasn't even asking."

Yan Zhoubai dropped back two steps and jabbed Zhan Jiayu in the side with his elbow. "You did that on purpose. If I hadn't said anything, you'd get jealous again. Don't think I don't know you."

Yan Zhoubai made a face, as if to say, "I've seen right through you."

Yan Zhoubai wasn't disappointed—their freshmen had indeed been assigned to the newest dormitory building. It was a quad, and Yan Zhoubai was on the third floor, which was a pretty good location.

They arrived early, and no one else was in the dorm yet. Yan Zhoubai hadn't brought much, so he got settled quickly.

Since it was move-in day, there weren't any scheduled activities. After getting settled, Zhan Jiayu grabbed Yan Zhoubai's wrist and pulled him away. They had already decided to stay at home that night.

Yan Zhoubai saw this guy carrying a large backpack, holding another big bag in one hand, and dragging a suitcase with the other. Despite all that luggage, he seemed to be handling it no problem, not even bothering to ask for help as he prepared to carry everything upstairs by himself.

"What are you looking at?"

Zhan Jiayu noticed Yan Zhoubai staring intently toward the staircase and asked.

"Look at that guy—he's so strong! He's carrying all that stuff by himself and can even take it upstairs alone."

Yan Zhoubai was still a bit surprised; he'd never seen anyone carry so much at once.

Zhan Jiayu clearly wasn't interested, since he could carry that much too, but he certainly wasn't going to compete with some random guy over it. So, he threw an arm around Yan Zhoubai's shoulders and led him away.

It was just a little thing, and Yan Zhoubai didn't dwell on it.

...

When Zhang Lin entered the dormitory with his bags, he noticed one of his roommates had already arrived. The roommate's belongings were neatly arranged, everything was simple and tidy, and even the bedding seemed to carry a faint, fresh scent—probably a guy who was clean and particular.

Zhang Lin immediately concluded that the two of them were not the same type—he was pretty rough around the edges. But it didn't matter; as roommates, all they needed was to not bother each other.

He dropped his stuff on the floor and plopped down in a chair without checking if it was dusty, then pulled out his phone:

"Hey, Old Bu, I'm at the university now. Want to hang out tonight? You're not too good for your poor buddies now, are you, Mr. Fancy?"