Chapter 117 Next Life

Chapter 117: Next Lifetime

At the beginning of July, Shen Ci’s university sent out an invitation email for the graduation ceremony.

Shen Shiyan had always regretted missing out on Shen Ci’s most vibrant four years of college. After getting the company sorted out, he accompanied Shen Ci to Ethas.

Graduation season carried an extra layer of warmth and romance in the height of summer. Like the other graduates, Shen Ci wore a black academic gown, walking slowly down his favorite campus path, holding Shen Shiyan’s hand.

After the graduation photos, they had already wandered around for a while, but Shen Shiyan didn’t seem to get tired at all.

“Brother,” Shen Ci lightly pinched Shen Shiyan’s palm with his nail, “I’m so tired. I think these shoes are a bit uncomfortable after wearing them for a while.”

Shen Shiyan stopped, glanced down at the new sneakers Shen Ci had bought while shopping last night.

“I’ll carry you.” Shen Shiyan took off Shen Ci’s slightly crooked cap and held it in his hand, then turned around and crouched down.

Shen Ci didn’t stand on ceremony. He climbed right onto Shen Shiyan’s back, wrapping his arms around his neck.

They walked a bit until they reached the teaching building where Shen Ci attended specialized courses. He asked Shen Shiyan quietly if he wanted to go in and take a look.

Shen Shiyan had never set foot in a university campus; his college years had been spent entirely in the study of the Shen mansion. He was more than happy to see the classroom and seat Shen Ci had used.

“This is an old building—no elevator.” Shen Ci touched Shen Shiyan’s Adam’s apple with one hand and let out a mischievous laugh. “I used to hate this class the most, because it was on the sixth floor.”

Shen Shiyan chuckled at his tone, adjusted his grip, and hoisted Shen Ci up slightly. “Keep your hands still,” he said in a low voice.

Shen Ci ignored him, still gently teasing his neck.

Shen Shiyan let out a helpless, quiet laugh and shook his head. He climbed steadily, all the way to the sixth floor, just breathing a little faster.

“Bro, you’re in great shape,” Shen Ci said sincerely, swinging his legs a little from his back.

“You’re just realizing that now?” A thin sheen of sweat had appeared on Shen Shiyan’s forehead. “Which classroom?”

“Don’t say things like that in a solemn teaching building.” With mock righteousness, Shen Ci bit his shoulder very lightly through the shirt. “Room 614, the one at the end to the right.”

Shen Shiyan carried him inside the corridor, where the temperature was significantly cooler than outside. His steps grew lighter. “Then I’ll talk about it in bed tonight.”

With few people around during graduation, only occasionally did someone pass by in the hallway. Shen Shiyan paid them little mind.

The classroom door was unlocked. Only when they reached the seat did Shen Ci climb down from his back.

“Tired?” Shen Ci rose on his tiptoes and pressed his face against Shen Shiyan’s. It was slightly damp.

“Not tired.” Shen Shiyan sat down beside the seat that Shen Ci had pointed out as his usual one. He placed his arm on the desk; the coolness instantly replaced his original body heat.

Shen Ci sat next to him, keeping his back straight only briefly before leaning against Shen Shiyan.

“Sitting this far back, can you see the blackboard?” Shen Shiyan felt Shen Ci’s fuzzy head on his shoulder. He tilted his head and nuzzled Shen Ci’s hair.

Shen Ci’s college life had actually been pretty dull—every day, he attended classes alone and ate alone. When Shen Sicheng was busy, Shen Ci might go days without speaking to anyone.

So during class, he always curled up in the back row by himself.

“I can see fine.” Shen Ci slipped one arm through Shen Shiyan’s. “I wish we were around the same age. Then we could have studied together, and I’d have dragged you to sit in the front row.”

It was around two or three in the afternoon. Sunlight filtered through a lush canopy of green trees, scattering in dappled patches across half the classroom. The tree shadows danced gently on the blackboard.

“Next life,” Shen Shiyan said.

But in his private heart, Shen Shiyan still hoped to be older than Shen Ci. With each stage came its own wisdom; growing up took a person far too long. Shen Shiyan wished he could always be one step ahead—to take the falls for Shen Ci, to block out all the bad stuff and malice.

In this life, Shen Shiyan was seven years older than him, but from eighteen to twenty-nine, those eleven years, Shen Shiyan had still taken many wrong turns and put Shen Ci through a lot of hardship.

He felt guilty and his heart ached.

“In the next life, I want to be born first.” Shen Ci watched the mottled light and shadow on the desk by the window, his voice lazy.

The central air conditioning in the empty classroom wasn’t on. Where they were pressed together, it was a little hot.

Shen Shiyan froze, momentarily lost for words. But Shen Ci didn’t mind whether he was listening closely. He kept explaining, not caring if Shen Shiyan was listening or not.

“I want to see this world for you first. I’ll grow up until I’m strong enough to protect you, and then I’ll let you fall in love with me.”

Every word Shen Ci spoke was slow and solemn, like the second hand of an old pendulum clock swaying along its path toward the next tick, giving his words the flavor of an old story.

Shen Shiyan had to carry far more than he did.

During their four-plus years of separation, when Shen Ci couldn’t sleep at night, he would drift into thoughts of Shen Shiyan.

While others were studying at his age, Shen Shiyan had to deal with endless business deals, drinking and smiling at banquets, and then come home to take care of a little handful who wasn’t exactly well-behaved.

He could have survived on the fringes of the Shen family, but because of Shen Ci, he had to keep climbing, had to fight for the fame and money Shen Shiyan genuinely didn’t care about.

And to protect him, he had spent four years alone in Yuncheng.

Sometimes Shen Ci felt he was a bit cruel. Last New Year’s, he had cried for a long time when he saw that WeChat message from Shen Shiyan, but in the end, his own stubbornness kept him from replying.

“Are there surveillance cameras in this classroom?” Shen Shiyan half-lidded his eyes and asked softly.

Shen Ci snapped out of his memories, shaking his head in confusion. “I don’t think so... I’m not sure...”

Shen Shiyan turned slightly, tilted his head, and gave him a long, tender kiss.

It was just lips to lips, but the distance between their hearts seemed to melt together. Shen Shiyan realized his heart was a puzzle missing a piece called Shen Ci—only with Shen Ci by his side could his heart be whole.

The whole teaching building felt empty and silent, as if they were the only two people in the world.

In that kiss, Shen Shiyan made up for the lonely four years of Shen Ci’s college life.

When they left the classroom, Shen Shiyan automatically knelt down on one knee again.

But this time, Shen Ci didn’t climb onto his back like before. He took a long way around, coming from the other side of the row of connected desks, and ran to stand in front of Shen Shiyan. He held his hand out in front of Shen Shiyan.

“I promise.” He held back a smile. “Shen Shiyan, you owe me a ring.”

Shen Shiyan laughed quietly, took Shen Ci’s hand, and kissed his fingertips.

Afraid Shen Ci’s feet would hurt from walking so long, Shen Shiyan still insisted on carrying him down the stairs. A thought occurred to him belatedly, and a faint smile crept onto his lips.

“You owe me a proposal too,” Shen Shiyan said in a low voice. “That day, you said you wanted to be the groom and marry me.”

Shen Ci had been drinking that day, so he wasn’t fully sober, but he did recall that much.

As they stepped out of the first-floor exit, the blazing sun poured directly onto Shen Ci’s back. Shen Ci squinted and instinctively raised his palm to shield Shen Shiyan’s forehead.

Before he could figure out how to answer, he heard Shen Shiyan call out—

“Husband.”