Chapter 78: Fu Yan Panics, Fu Yan Gets Angry
by 参天甲木Chapter 78: Fu Yan Panics, Fu Yan Gets Angry
In the study, the man wore a black shirt buttoned all the way to the top, aloof and restrained, but his brows were slightly furrowed, his gaze fixed on the phone screen in his hand.
Tonight, Du Yang's excessive closeness to Lu Jin'an, which exceeded social boundaries, made Fu Yan feel a sense of crisis again.
Du Yang and Lu Jin'an had only met a few times; the first time was at Lu Jin'an's company.
He still remembered the words Chen Miao brought back: Lu Jin'an's first words to Du Yang were, "Have we met somewhere before?"
Yeah, that's definitely a pickup line.
Du Yang had a depression relapse, and he said it was Fu Yan's fault, but it was also Lu Jin'an's fault.
If Du Yang likes Lu Jin'an, then why did he sneak a kiss from me last night?
Before tonight, he thought it was just the two of them, but after tonight, he was uncertain again.
Fu Yan pinched the bridge of his nose and finally texted Du Yang.
"F: Kid, you haven't streamed lately. You seeing someone?"
Du Yang was surprised to receive a message from F. It had indeed been a while since he last streamed.
In his previous life, F had never been this pushy about streaming or asked if he was dating.
Du Yang thought for a moment and replied honestly.
"Baby Yang: Brother, school just started, and I had a cold a couple of days ago, so I didn't stream. I'll stream again in a few days and let you know in advance, brother."
Tonight, F seemed a bit persistent, asking again.
"F: Do you have someone you like?"
Staring at the phone screen, his cheeks gradually grew hot, and he involuntarily thought of Fu Yan.
"Baby Yang: Yes."
He only replied with one word. Du Yang didn't intend to hide it from F, and he also wanted to see how F would react knowing he had someone he liked, whether he would still support him like in the previous life.
"F: What kind of person is he?"
"Baby Yang: He's really exceptional."
Du Yang hesitated and then replied again.
"Baby Yang: He doesn't really like me. He's way out of my league; I'm not good enough."
Fu Yan stared at Du Yang's reply, lost in thought.
He doesn't really like me.
Wasn't it obvious enough that he liked Du Yang?
Taking him home to meet his parents for New Year's, finding him an apartment, providing him with part-time work, checking on him every night to make sure he was sleeping well.
Hmm, it probably wasn't that obvious.
No roses, no bank card, no declaration of love.
But this person could also be Lu Jin'an. Lu Jin'an hadn't been warm to Du Yang before.
Fu Yan wanted to ask Du Yang who that person was, but as F, he couldn't ask, so he changed his approach.
"F: Is he your friend, classmate, teacher, or boss?"
The reply came right away.
"Baby Yang: Hard to say. He likes it when I call him 'brother'. I don't dare tell him how I feel."
And besides him, Lu Jin'an also liked it when Du Yang called him brother.
The unease didn't fade; it only got worse. Fu Yan got up, walked to the cabinet, lit a stick of sandalwood incense, and then sank back into his office chair.
Du Yang saw that F didn't reply again, so he locked his phone and put it back in the drawer.
If he told F that the guy he liked was just using him as a bedmate, F would surely look down on him.
When Fu Yan entered in the middle of the night, Du Yang was fast asleep. Fu Yan hesitated and then slipped back out of the room.
For several nights running, Fu Yan would check on him before bed, and then leave without sleeping in his bed.
In the following days, Du Yang became very busy, specifically in these areas:
At noon, Ji Zichu would drive him out for lunch. At first, Du Yang was completely against it, but Ji Zichu was too thick-skinned and followed him to the cafeteria.
To avoid gossip from his classmates, Du Yang ate with him twice, and that guy was finally happy.
At school, he kept bumping into He Lin, who would either ask why Du Yang hadn't replied to his WeChat or ask if he was free and invite him to see a movie or eat.
Each time, Du Yang turned him down coldly; he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
In the evenings, Lu Jin'an would come bearing food. The first time, he said it was sent by his grandmother, but later he just brought it himself.
Du Yang accepted everything. In this life, Lu Jin'an was kinder to him than in the previous one.
He was willing to be a stand-in for himself.
This was his biological brother, and he wanted his brother's attention.
It just felt like Fu Yan had been a bit cold these days, as if he wasn't exactly welcoming to Lu Jin'an.
Schoolwork was heavy, so Du Yang only streamed once in between. F and Ji Zichu worked together without saying a word to hold the top two spots on the leaderboard, a rare moment of harmony.
Before they knew it, it was Friday. Around noon before school ended, heavy rain started falling.
The early spring rain mixed with the wind felt cold on the face. Du Yang walked to the library corridor, with his backpack slung over one shoulder, zipped up his windbreaker, and prepared to brace the rain and head to the subway at the school gate.
In the rain and mist, He Lin, holding an umbrella, walked side by side with Lu Yu, just a short way out of the library.
Du Yang stared unblinkingly, following the two figures as they walked farther and farther away.
"Hey, want to share my umbrella?"
Du Yang withdrew his gaze and turned, meeting a pair of bright eyes. The guy was tall and handsome, holding a double umbrella in his hand.
"Thank you, but someone is coming to pick me up." Du Yang curled the corner of his mouth and politely said no to the guy's offer.
The guy seemed a little shy. "Sorry, then I'll be going."
Du Yang watched the guy walk off, then took out his phone and dialed a number.
He Lin was halfway down the path when his phone suddenly rang. He stopped in his tracks.
"Xiao Yu, hold on, let me get this call." He Lin's heart raced as he pulled out his phone.
"What call? Can't you answer it in the car? It's pouring rain." Lu Yu had to stop, but couldn't help complaining; his limited-edition sneakers are gonna get ruined.
When he saw that the caller was indeed Du Yang, He Lin's expression instantly softened. Without hesitation, he answered the phone, his voice turning gentle.
He had set a special ringtone for Du Yang, but hadn't really expected Du Yang to call him.
"Du Yang, you finally called me!" He Lin's voice was filled with uncontrollable excitement, his fingers gripping the umbrella handle tightly.
That poor bastard Du Yang!
Lu Yu's face immediately fell. When did he get He Lin's number?
Shameless! He seduced Brother Yan, and now he's seducing He Lin behind his back!
Du Yang said something on the phone—He Lin couldn't make it out—but He Lin immediately replied with concern, "Don't move, wait for me to pick you up!"
"Okay, I'll be quick!"
After hanging up, He Lin turned around and ran back with his umbrella.
Freezing rain instantly pelted him, soaking his clothes.
"He Lin! Where are you going!" Lu Yu practically yelled, his eyelashes wet with rain, blurring his vision.
He Lin looked back without breaking stride, "Xiao Yu, find someone else to share an umbrella with! I have an emergency! Life or death!"
His voice and footsteps quickly faded away. Lu Yu stared in disbelief at the blurry figure, his nails digging into his palms in anger.
He knew in his heart that He Lin was going to Du Yang, but he couldn't accept the truth.
Forced to choose between him and Du Yang, He Lin had actually chosen Du Yang without a moment's hesitation.
There were few people on the road to the library. Occasionally one or two students passed by with umbrellas, but seeing someone standing in the rain, they didn't dare to ask.
The rain was freezing, but Lu Yu didn't seem to feel it. He stood still in the rain, staring straight in the direction of the library, until two blurry, familiar figures emerged through the rain.
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