Chapter 071 Sea King – “ “Could Xu Ge’s boyfriend be Shi Jingge?” ” (17/20)
Shi Jingge made a very decisive getaway. Since everything had seemed perfectly normal up until that point—and he’d played his part flawlessly—his relatives didn’t even have time to react. By the time they realized what was happening, it was already too late.
He was already gone and the doors were locked. What else could they do?
But some of them weren’t willing to let it go, especially the two who had come looking for him in the first place. Those who hadn’t tasted the rose tea might just be feeling resentful, but how could those who had actually experienced it accept letting a sure thing slip through their fingers like that?
So those people proposed going to Kalandi to find Shi Jingge.
But the round-trip tickets weren’t cheap. Who could afford them? So they decided to pool their money, figuring that if they could spread the cost, they’d each pay a little less.
They spoke with great conviction, using the excuse of “seeking justice” and claiming that since Shi Jingge was a Kalandi student and had a reputation to uphold, he would definitely have to give them something in return if they made a scene.
But by then, wouldn’t they already have rose tea? And plenty of it, too!
Their rhetoric was quite passionate, and a few people were actually swayed. But most weren’t fools; they still had a sense of shame. Stirring up trouble behind closed doors was their own business, a private matter, but making a scene right under everyone’s noses—what kind of example would that set?
Those two might have thrown aside their dignity, but the rest of us still had some!
Besides, wasn’t that Kalandi College, the Federation’s top academic institution? Causing a scene there would be asking for trouble!
Not to mention, could they even justify their reasons for causing that kind of disturbance?
Most people knew their own limits. The few who were tempted were dragged away by their families. No matter how dissatisfied the two families were, there was nothing they could do. They simply couldn’t afford the round-trip travel expenses!
So that was the end of the matter.
Before long, word of all this reached Shi Jingge’s ears.
His earlier visits to those neighbors hadn’t been in vain.
Most of those neighbors had been friends with the Shi family for decades, and having passed the test of this incident, their values and character were beyond reproach. When Shi Jingge paid them a special visit to thank them, most of them were too embarrassed to accept his gratitude.
Moreover, Shi Jingge had brought them quite a few gifts—all high-quality items—so when he asked them to keep an eye on the situation here, they naturally didn’t refuse; in fact, they felt quite sorry for him.
Shi Jingge had made thorough preparations and anticipated what might happen next; he was quite satisfied with this outcome.
Not getting in each other’s way—wasn’t that the best possible outcome?
Since Shi Jingge’s parents had just arrived and were still getting their bearings, he made a point of staying with them. With their son by their side, they gradually settled in and began to adapt.
To be honest, they really loved the apartment Shi Jingge had rented for them.
It was spacious, bright, and comfortable, with a sizable yard to boot. Chang Ningning was quite fond of the swing there; it reminded her of her own teenage years. When she first arrived, she’d been too shy to try it, but now that she’d settled in, she’d asked her husband to push her on it.
The soft murmur of conversation between the couple drifted through the air, carried by the gentle evening breeze, spreading their laughter throughout the surroundings. It was a serene scene, peaceful and beautiful.
Seeing this, Shi Jingge gradually felt at ease. Just then, his smart bracelet lit up. He tapped it open to find a message from Ye Mingxu.
Ye Mingxu: [Xiao Bai misses you]
Ye Mingxu: [Photo]
In the photo, Xiao Bai was sprawled on the bed, looking listless, like a salted fish that had lost its dreams.
A gentle breeze ruffled Shi Jingge’s hair, and the corners of his mouth turned up: [What’s wrong?]
Ye Mingxu: [Missing you.]
That sentence had no subject.
A smile flickered in Shi Jingge’s eyes: [Xiao Bai?]
After a long pause, Ye Mingxu finally replied: [Me.]
[So, when are you coming home?]
Ye Mingxu clenched his smart bracelet, his face flushing red. The device lit up with an incoming video call; he quickly accepted with a smile.
Having abandoned its nap, the salted fish lifted its gaze to glance at him, unsure what he was up to. He tilted its head, yawned lazily, flicked its tail nub, and buried its head to go back to sleep.
That bastard—last night, it refused to settle down to sleep no matter what. It clung to him, chattering on all night long. Who knew what it was even saying? Anyway, since its owner couldn’t sleep, it wouldn’t let the poor salted fish sleep either.
He was a total scumbag! Xiao Bai was so annoyed it made his teeth itch; he couldn’t hold back and swatted at Ye Mingxu.
But Ye Mingxu grabbed his paw with ease and scooped the kitten right up.
The salted fish who’d lost his dreams: ?
“See?” Ye Mingxu cleared his throat and held Xiao Bai up. “Aren’t cats supposed to sleep during the day and be active at night? Why is Xiao Bai different? It feels like he sleeps during the day and stays up even longer at night.”
“Meow.”
Xiao Bai flashed his claws at Ye Mingxu, who calmly dislodged him before adding, “And it’s being aggressive.”
“Mrow-ow-ow!!”
Xiao Bai wouldn’t let Ye Mingxu tarnish its reputation and protested repeatedly.
It was still a sick cat—pfft—a patient! So what if a patient slept a little longer or acted a little meaner?
You’re a grown-up! Why are you getting into a spat with a sick cat?
1-star review!
Shi Jingge watched Xiao Bai and Ye Mingxu bickering and playing around with a smile, as if he were seeing Wen Xusheng and the Three-Tailed Cat from his previous life.
How lovely.
Just then, Xiao Bai suddenly darted in front of the smart bracelet and let out a sharp cry at the light screen.
“Mao!”
—If you don’t come back soon, someone over here is going to go crazy from missing you!
“Mrow mro, meow!”
—I miss you too.
Shi Jingge froze.
The next second, Xiao Bai jumped right back onto the bed, expertly made up Ye Mingxu’s bed, and burrowed inside.
It seemed… It might be a little hot…
…Ye Mingxu, you idiot. How could you not even set the temperature right?
It’s getting even hotter, meow!
Shi Jingge couldn’t help but laugh. He looked at Ye Mingxu and whispered, “I miss you, too.” After a pause, he added, “I miss you both.”
Ye Mingxu: !!!
Xiao Bai perked up his ears, listening to every sound coming from the smart wristband.
The human inside the room was so overcome with emotion he couldn’t even string a complete sentence together; his stammering was something only the person on the other end could make out.
Xiao Bai snorted disdainfully, but his tail nub wagged happily. Before long, he quietly poked his head out, lifting it haughtily to scan the room.
—This is all territory I, Master Meow, have conquered!
Shi Jingge and Ye Mingxu’s video call went on for a while, and it wasn’t until there was a knock on Shi Jingge’s bedroom door that the call finally ended.
Then Ye Mingxu crawled back into his bed, his eyes fixed intently on Xiao Bai. A sudden sense of foreboding welled up inside the kitten. He poked his head out and lifted a paw, ready to run.
But he didn’t get far.
Ye Mingxu grabbed him and pulled him back.
Ye Mingxu’s eyes sparkled. “Xiao Ge just told me he misses me too.”
Xiao Bai: ……
It had a premonition. Yesterday’s nightmare was about to start all over again.
“Mew.”
Xiao Bai covered his face in agony. Could human matters please stop bothering a sleepy little kitten?!
Ye Mingxu pried Xiao Bai’s paws away and said with great seriousness, “I miss Xiao Ge and Xiao Ge misses me too. Since that’s the case, why don’t we just go find him together?”
Xiao Bai tilted his head. “Meow!”
Ye Mingxu exclaimed in delight, “So you agree too, right? I knew it. I’ll book a ride right away.”
Ye Mingxu scrambled off to find his smart bracelet. Xiao Bai stared blankly at his retreating back. Was he always this quick?
But this was a good thing. The tired little kitten could finally get some rest.
Xiao Bai stretched and closed his eyes contentedly.
Three seconds later, he was shaken awake.
“Mro!”
Xiao Bai was beyond indignant. What happened to the rest we agreed on?
“Xiao Bai, listen,” Ye Mingxu said, his eyes sparkling, “Xiao Ge gave me the address. Does that mean he wants us to find him, too? Do you think so? I do. Xiao Ge mentioned before that he wanted me to meet his parents. This is considered meeting the parents. Xiao Ge also wants to meet my parents, but…”
Ye Mingxu paused for a moment, then said earnestly, “As for my parents, let’s just forget about it. They’ve already disowned me. Why would they want to meet Xiao Ge? But Aunt Song likes Xiao Ge, so Teacher Zhao and Aunt Song are like my parents. Xiao Ge also said parents from both sides could meet. Should I make some arrangements? We can’t leave everything up to Xiao Ge. I need to be more dependable, too.”
Xiao Bai: ……
Oh my god. When will this ever end?!
At that moment, Xiao Bai and Ye Mingxu were engaged in a “harmonious” and “friendly” conversation, while Shi Jingge and his parents were having a family discussion.
“Xiao Ge,” Chang Ningning said, feeling a bit anxious. Her husband reached out to take her hand; she quickly clasped his in return. Their hands intertwined, as if drawing strength from one another.
“It’s time for you to go back to school, isn’t it?” Chang Ningning said quickly. “Don’t worry about me and your dad. You’ve been away for so many days. You spent several days at the old family home and several more here. You’re still a student, and it’s not even winter or summer break. How many days of vacation do you even have? If it’s time to go back to school, then go back. Don’t worry about us.”
Father Shi nodded vigorously. “That’s right. You don’t need to worry about me and your mom. We’ll take care of each other. This Capital Star isn’t quite what we feared.” He scratched his head and laughed a bit sheepishly. “Everyone’s really nice. Aunt Liu from upstairs hit it off with your mom right away. They go out every day and get along great.
“I also have plenty to talk about with Uncle Zhang. You know, the one in the building next door. We’ve both suffered some mental energy damage, and he’s even taught me lots of ways to rebuild it! Don’t worry, Xiao Ge. Your mom and I are doing just fine here; we don’t need you to look after us.”
“That’s right.” Chang Ningning nodded firmly. “We’re both adults now. How could we not take care of ourselves?”
“Exactly,” Father Shi added. “Just focus on your own life and take care of yourself. That’s all Mom and Dad need to feel at ease.”
The couple took turns speaking, their words firm and sincere, all with Shi Jingge’s best interests in mind. As for anything else, they didn’t mention a thing.
Every single sentence was filled with their deep, heartfelt love for their son.
Shi Jingge stood up, threw his arms around his father’s neck, and gave him a hug, then turned to hug his mother, refusing to let go. “Dad, Mom,” Shi Jingge said, his voice hoarse. “Thank you both. I’m truly so lucky to have been your child in this lifetime.”
His parents were taken aback before having the urge to cry. Chang Ningning, in particular, felt a stinging sensation in her nose; tears welled up in her eyes.
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Chang Ningning scolded gently. “You have no idea how many people envy us for having a child like you.”
Father Shi spoke softly but earnestly, “Xiao Ge, you are Mom and Dad’s pride. We’re also very lucky to have a child like you.”
The three of them embraced, and in that moment, all the hardships of the past seemed to fade away. And the happiness and joy that belonged to them had only just begun.
That evening, the family of three snuggled together and talked for hours on end. It was as if all the words they hadn’t spoken over the years were finally made up for that very night.
They talked until dawn.
Before closing his eyes to sleep, Shi Jingge didn’t forget to message Ye Mingxu, telling him that he should wait until the afternoon to come by. He probably wouldn’t find anyone awake that morning.
When Ye Mingxu woke up and read the message, he sighed rather gloomily.
There was still so much time until noon. How was he supposed to get through it?
“Xiao Bai.” Ye Mingxu looked at Xiao Bai in the bed. Xiao Bai flicked his paw, stepping on Ye Mingxu’s mouth, as if to say that if he dared to speak, he’d cut him up.
Ye Mingxu had a change of heart, sparing Xiao Bai, then opened the door and walked out. As it turned out, he bumped right into his roommate, Duan Yihan.
“Brother Xu.” Duan Yihan paused in surprise. “Up this early?”
Ye Mingxu nodded. “I just woke up.”
Immediately, Duan Yihan’s eyes lit up.
“Brother Xu, Brother Xu! There was a problem yesterday that I just couldn’t figure out. Do you have time right now? Could you walk me through it?”
Ye Mingxu nodded casually. He was just sitting around anyway, and he was genuinely bored, so he didn’t mind doing a favor. He’d treat it as a way to kill some time.
“Brother Xu, please wait!” Duan Yihan blurted out, then hurried back to his room, slamming the door shut with a bang.
You could tell just from his retreating figure how eager he was.
But Ye Mingxu was slightly taken aback. Wasn’t Duan Yihan wearing his smart wristband right there on his wrist? Why did he even go back to his room?
Two minutes later, Duan Yihan emerged.
He was holding a cat bed filled with a pile of stuff, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Ye Mingxu. “Brother Xu, Brother Xu, I’m back.”
Ye Mingxu: ……
He saw right through it. Talking about homework was just an excuse; petting the cat was the real reason.
But he was about to be disappointed. Xiao Bai was catching up on sleep.
Ye Mingxu opened the door nonchalantly and let him in.
Ever since Xiao Bai had arrived, his relationship with his roommates had improved by leaps and bounds. In the past, when his roommates passed by his door, they’d tiptoe and never dare to knock.
Now, whenever they had a free moment, they’d come over to his side.
Ye Mingxu couldn’t say whether this was a good thing or a bad thing; in any case, he figured he’d just let things take their natural course.
Duan Yihan came in cheerfully, happily looking for Xiao Bai. When he saw Xiao Bai on the bed, he didn’t dare touch him, just called out his name.
Xiao Bai let out a warning growl and burrowed deeper into the covers.
Duan Yihan: ……
Xiao Bai—Xiao Bai doesn’t love him anymore! Waaah!
The real agony was yet to come.
Duan Yihan had just picked a difficult problem at random to pet the cat, so no matter how Ye Mingxu explained it, he couldn’t make head or tail of it. It was like listening to a foreign language.
His world was spinning, his head was spinning, and he felt like he was about to collapse!
“Brother Xu, Brother Xu…” Duan Yihan gasped for breath. “I give up. This problem isn’t something someone at my level should be able to understand. I don’t get a single word.”
As he spoke, Duan Yihan looked at Ye Mingxu with admiration.
They were all human beings, all in the same grade. He’d been praised for his talent and called a genius before, but compared to Ye Mingxu, it was like the difference between heaven and earth. They weren’t even in the same league!
How could the gap be so vast?
But Duan Yihan was a laid-back guy. Having been outshone by Ye Mingxu for years, he didn’t take it to heart at all; he just mused on it for a moment and let it go.
What worried him more was whether Xiao Bai had grown to dislike him. Why wasn’t it playing with him anymore? Had it forgotten their once-wonderful friendship?
Ye Mingxu said casually, “It’s sleepy.”
Duan Yihan suddenly realized: cats were nocturnal, after all. Wasn’t it perfectly normal for them to be sleepy during the day?
As long as he could stall a bit longer here with Brother Xu, he’d eventually get to wait until Xiao Bai woke up and wasn’t sleepy anymore!
So, Duan Yihan racked his brain for a way to stay. But coming up with a good excuse wasn’t exactly easy. Duan Yihan’s mind raced, and his gaze gradually settled on Ye Mingxu’s closet.
“Brother Xu, do you still need help picking out clothes? Don’t just wear your school uniform to class. We should mix it up every now and then to give everyone something new!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Duan Yihan realized he’d truly run out of ideas. But to his surprise, Ye Mingxu actually opened his closet!
Duan Yihan: !!!
Brother Xu, are you usually this approachable?
Duan Yihan was stunned!
Ye Mingxu recalled that the last time he went out with Xiao Ge, he’d warned him not to wear his school uniform. So this time, even if Xiao Ge hadn’t said anything, he wouldn’t consider wearing his school uniform anyway!
“Can you help me pick out an outfit?” Ye Mingxu asked.
Duan Yihan certainly wasn’t going to turn down this request. He’d be more than happy to!
While picking out clothes, Duan Yihan stole glances at Ye Mingxu, trying hard to find something to talk about.
Duan Yihan recalled a recent major event. “Brother Xu, do you know Shi Jingge from the Intermediate Department of Kalandi? That Shi Jingge is seriously impressive. At such a young age, he actually published a paper in Pharmacy Weekly on how to use the Three-Star Flower Nectar. Rumor has it it’s already caused quite a stir in the pharmaceutical world! And he’s just a second-year Intermediate Division student!
“Back then, forget about the Three-Star Flower Nectar. I probably couldn’t even identify all the varieties of Three-Star Flowers! How on earth can someone be so amazing?”
Ye Mingxu proudly puffed out his chest, a hint of smugness visible between his brows. He nodded in wholehearted agreement, though Duan Yihan didn’t notice.
This was his Xiao Ge, after all. His Xiao Ge was, of course, the most amazing of them all.
Keep praising him, keep praising him.
He loved hearing others praise Xiao Ge!
Ye Mingxu was still waiting for Duan Yihan to continue praising, but then Duan Yihan suddenly realized something: wasn’t it a bit inappropriate to keep praising Kalandi’s students while standing right next to Ye Mingxu?
…Brother Xu hasn’t said anything in a while, has he?
…Had he accidentally hit a nerve with Brother Xu?
Duan Yihan’s voice abruptly stopped. Ye Mingxu looked over in confusion.
The moment their eyes met, Duan Yihan felt tears welling up.
How could he be so stupid, waaah!
So, in a panic, Duan Yihan pointed at a set of clothes. “This outfit’s pretty nice!”
Ye Mingxu: ?
Was that it? No more compliments for Xiao Ge?
Ye Mingxu blinked and looked back at Duan Yihan.
Duan Yihan was silent for three seconds, then panicked and grabbed the first opportunity to escape. “I’ve got something else to do. I’ll be going now. See you later, Brother Xu!”
Duan Yihan opened the door, bolted out, and slammed it shut all in one fluid motion.
Ye Mingxu: ?
The door slammed so hard it woke up Xiao Bai.
Xiao Bai meowed in offense. “Mao!”
—Disturbing a patient’s sleep? That’s just too much!
Ye Mingxu changed into that outfit, checked himself out in the mirror, and thought it looked pretty good. Then he went out to show it to his other roommates, who all gave unanimous praise.
One of his roommates asked, “Brother Xu, do you have a date today?”
Ye Mingxu nodded demurely, hoping they’d ask more questions, but they didn’t! With no other choice, he returned to his room and video-called Zhao Jiangcheng.
Zhao Jiangcheng didn’t want to answer at first—he had a feeling it wasn’t anything good—but since his precious apprentice was initiating a video call for the first time…
Zhao Jiangcheng gritted his teeth and answered. Then he saw Ye Mingxu dressed in a new outfit and looking radiant.
“Master,” Ye Mingxu said in a flat tone, “I’m going to meet Xiao Ge’s parents today. How does this outfit look?”
Zhao Jiangcheng: !
In an instant, Zhao Jiangcheng ended the call. He hadn’t just received a video call! No way!
Ye Mingxu: ?
With no other choice, Ye Mingxu headed out to continue looking for his roommates’ help.
Meanwhile, a lively gossip session was underway in the living room.
“Brother Xu is definitely out on a date! This must be the second time, right?”
“He’s definitely in a relationship! If he’s not, I’ll write my name backwards!”
“She probably isn’t a student at our school, right?”
“Aaaah, Brother Xu has a girlfriend! Why am I still single?”
“Not a girlfriend.” Ye Mingxu walked out, his tone flat.
Everyone: !!!
What… What is Ye Mingxu doing here?
Ahhh, is Brother Xu going to get mad? Will they even live to see tomorrow’s sunrise? Is it too late to apologize now? He could do a 180-degree spin and slide on his knees to apologize. Wuuuuh!
Ye Mingxu added, “A boyfriend.”
Everyone: ???
Everyone: !!!
I–I–Is he admitting he’s in a relationship?
Ye Mingxu’s few words were like a bomb, one powerful enough to blow everyone away.
Speculation was speculation; no matter how confidently it was stated, it was still just speculation. It’s completely different from the person himself admitting it!
Their Brother Xu was actually, really… in a relationship!
It took quite a while before someone muttered, “That must be some seriously amazing person…”
In an instant, the others all turned to look at him. Only then did he realize he’d actually spoken his thoughts out loud.
What did “wanting to cry but having no tears” mean? Exactly this! He was doomed!
And just then, Ye Mingxu spoke up. “He really is impressive,” he said bluntly.
Everyone: !!!
They’d never heard Brother Xu say that about anyone before.
“W–What about his personality?” Unable to resist their curiosity any longer, someone finally asked.
Ye Mingxu thought for a moment. “Gentle, kind, sincere, strong, brave, exceptionally talented, outstanding…”
Ye Mingxu rambled on and on, practically using every positive adjective he could think of.
The others’ initial shock gradually gave way to calm. It turned out that no matter who you were, once you fell in love, you’d end up acting just like this.
Beauty was in the eye of the beholder. They understood that.
“I can’t even describe a tenth of how wonderful he is.” Ye Mingxu pursed his lips. “I’m not good with words.”
…And you call that not being good with words?
…You’ve practically recited half the dictionary, Brother Xu!
“So, are you two going on a date today?” a roommate asked cautiously.
Ye Mingxu lifted his head proudly. “I’m going to meet his parents.”
Roommate: !!!
Did it already progress to meeting the parents?!
“So… have you prepared a gift?”
Ye Mingxu: !!!
He knew he’d forgotten something!
Ye Mingxu rushed back to his room and slammed the door shut.
Everyone stood there dumbfounded. The next second, Ye Mingxu poked his head out. “What should I buy?”
Damn it, he’d been so happy yesterday that he’d completely forgotten to ask Xiao Ge what his parents liked!
“Search for gifts for elders on Skynet and just pick the most expensive one,” one roommate said timidly.
“Thanks.” Ye Mingxu dove into shopping.
Everyone: ……
They exchanged glances for a while, then sighed in unison.
“Brother Xu’s boyfriend must be seriously awesome.”
“Absolutely! I’ve noticed he’s been so much more energetic ever since that last date.”
Another roommate nodded in agreement. “He’s become much more approachable, too.”
“And he even got a cat.”
“He’s willing to interact with people now.”
“He’s found new hope in life.”
“What do you call this? Love changes your life?”
“Now I’m even more curious about who Brother Xu’s boyfriend is.”
“He’s not from our college. Where could he be from? Kufen Road College? Tuanzhen College?”
“No idea…”
“It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s not Kalandi College.”
“How could it possibly be Kalandi?”
“If he’s a Kalandi student, I’ll cut off my own head and let you kick it around like a soccer ball!”
“Hahaha, your head’s safe. Congrats.”
While the group was discussing this heatedly, Ye Mingxu was immersed in a sea of gifts.
Under his roommates’ ‘guidance’, he’d avoided the embarrassment of showing up empty-handed and brought a huge pile of presents.
Before leaving, he’d also gone through a rigorous screening process by his roommates, who confiscated all the less appropriate gifts.
Watching Ye Mingxu’s receding figure, one roommate suddenly asked, “Do you guys think that last time Brother Xu bought gifts, he was buying them for his boyfriend?”
“Of course he was!” another roommate declared confidently. “If not for his boyfriend, then who else?”
“But…” the first roommate said wistfully, “We went to ask Teacher Zhao what kind of gift Brother Xu bought for him.
Another roommate: …!!!
Three seconds later, the two of them said in unison, “I didn’t know!”
“I don’t know anything!”
The two decided to throw all of this out of their minds. They didn’t want to have nightmares that night.
Ye Mingxu arrived with bags of gifts and was warmly welcomed by Father and Mother Shi.
He was extremely handsome, and when he softened his usual aura, he came across as well-behaved and sensible, the kind of person elders naturally took a liking to.
And with Xiao Bai perched on his shoulder, he scored even more points.
Chang Ningning had always loved small animals, but her family couldn’t afford to keep them. After hearing about Xiao Bai’s tragic background, she felt deeply sorry for him, so much so that she even gave Xiao Bai a portion of the fish meatballs she’d prepared for Shi Jingge.
Xiao Bai was exceptionally well-behaved this time—sweet, soft, and adorable—and even rolled over to show HIS belly. When Chang Ningning stroked it, the way he acted so affectionate and clingy was something it had never done with Shi Jingge before!
Shi Jingge laughed. “Xiao Bai really seems to like you.”
“Really?” Chang Ningning couldn’t stop smiling. “I like our Xiao Bai, too.”
Since this was the first classmate or friend Shi Jingge had ever brought home, his parents paid special attention to him, eager to make a good impression on Ye Mingxu.
Knowing how much Shi Jingge valued his parents, Ye Mingxu also did his best to make a good impression. The two groups hit it off immediately and spent a truly wonderful afternoon and evening together.
Xiao Bai played a major role in this.
Even Father Shi, who usually had no interest in small animals, was quite fond of Xiao Bai. Though he pretended to be annoyed and refused to get close, the moment no one was looking, he’d sneak over to Xiao Bai and secretly feed it spirit fruit, only to be caught red-handed by Chang Ningning.
Chang Ningning came over and took the spirit fruit away. “Aren’t you the one who claims to dislike Xiao Bai? I’ll feed it. Don’t bother yourself.”
Father Shi tried to take the fruit back, but Chang Ningning refused. Father Shi watched longingly from the side and finally blurted out, “I’ve got nothing better to do. It’s no trouble.”
Seeing his flustered expression, Chang Ningning quickly tossed him the spirit fruit and ran off outside, laughing out loud.
As Chang Ningning ran off, she doubled over with laughter, a sound Father Shi could naturally hear, causing his face to flush crimson on the spot.
Xiao Bai tilted his head and let out a demanding chirp. His little paws shot out and hooked around Father Shi’s arm. He gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and bowed his head to continue feeding Xiao Bai.
Let her laugh if she wanted to. They’d been together for most of their lives. What hadn’t his wife seen him do?
Let her laugh. A laugh a day kept the doctor away—he was even contributing to his wife’s youth!
That evening, Chang Ningning wanted to tidy up a guest room for Ye Mingxu, but Shi Jingge stopped her.
“Mom, it’s fine if I share a room with him. I actually have a research project I need to discuss with him.” He paused. Seeing the look of disapproval on Chang Ningning’s face, Shi Jingge cleared his throat and added, “We need to catch up on some progress.”
Only then did Chang Ningning look as if she’d just realized something, and she hurriedly said, “Well then, you two should go ahead.”
Shi Jingge and Ye Mingxu went to the room. Xiao Bai also wanted to go in. Chang Ningning was a little reluctant to let him go, and Xiao Bai gritted his teeth before jumping up next to her.
Oh well, I’ll just do those two jerks a favor today.
“Mew~” Xiaobai swished his tail nub.
Chang Ningning scooped it up in her arms and said with a smile, “Let’s go back inside too!”
Once they were inside the room, Ye Mingxu fell silent.
As sensitive as Shi Jingge was to Ye Mingxu’s emotions, he naturally picked up on it. “What’s wrong?”
Ye Mingxu stared intently at Shi Jingge and said gravely, “Just friends?”
Shi Jingge froze for a moment, then laughed. “You’ve got to give my parents some time, right? They’ve just arrived on Capital Star. They don’t know anyone here, and they’re already feeling a bit uneasy.” After a pause, Shi Jingge said casually, “If I hadn’t said that, would you be staying in my room tonight?”
Ye Mingxu’s eyes lit up.
Shi Jingge poked him. “Are you still mad?”
Ye Mingxu grabbed Shi Jingge’s arm with his other hand, pushed him onto the bed, and pinned him down.
Shi Jingge stared at Ye Mingxu in shock. Ye Mingxu gazed deeply at Shi Jingge. In that moment when their eyes met, it felt as if flames were burning between them.
“Xiao Ge,” Ye Mingxu said hoarsely, “I want to kiss you.”
Shi Jingge closed his eyes, a silent nod of consent.
Ye Mingxu leaned down, pressing his lips against Shi Jingge’s, gently brushing against them. He repeated this several times, his kisses growing deeper and deeper.
Their breaths seemed to intertwine.
“Xiao Ge… Xiao Ge…” Ye Mingxu called out softly, kissing Shi Jingge’s lips with increasing intensity.
Shi Jingge: ……
Ye Mingxu, you silly fool. You don’t even know how to stick out your tongue!
The next day, Ye Mingxu stayed another day, under the pretext of catching up on his thesis. It wasn’t until the third day that a phone call from Teacher Zhao finally summoned him back.
When he left, Shi Jingge’s parents were both a little melancholic; his father even set aside a spirit fruit from his own supply and stuffed it all into Xiao Bai’s mouth.
Ye Mingxu set off on the return journey with a sense of longing, wondering when Shi Jingge would be back.
Ever since his last “slip of the tongue,” Duan Yihan hadn’t dared to show his face to Ye Mingxu. But he liked Xiao Bai and missed him terribly; not seeing him for three days had left him longing and restless.
So Duan Yihan paid extra close attention to news about Shi Jingge, hoping to be the first to catch wind of any negative stories about him so he could “report” them to Ye Mingxu and make up for his previous mistake.
Consequently, he also kept a close eye on the Kalandi College forum.
After some digging, he actually managed to uncover some dirt on Shi Jingge!
Immediately, Duan Yihan excitedly knocked on Ye Mingxu’s door. “Brother Xu, Brother Xu! Big discovery, some major scoops!”
Ye Mingxu asked, puzzled, “What?”
“It’s about Shi Jingge!” Duan Yihan shouted, a bit worked up. “Shi Jingge’s been called out on the Kalandi Academy forum!” He tapped his smart bracelet, and a transparent light screen appeared before the two of them. “Look at this! It says Shi Jingge comes from a remote little planet and is extremely poor, but he refuses to apply for financial aid. He spends a fortune and has been bleeding his parents dry all along. He puts on a respectable front to deceive his younger classmates, but in reality, he’s incredibly promiscuous. Those underclassmen are nothing more than fish he keeps. He’s got them completely wrapped around his finger, and they’re even sacrificing for him!
“Wow, there’s more here too. This Shi Jingge is so, so evil. He even uses his admirers to peddle uncertified products—holy crap, uncertified products! This guy is such a scumbag! Look, there’s more here, something about scamming his relatives. His relatives are all poor, and he—”
Duan Yihan’s voice trailed off abruptly. He suddenly felt a chill. Lifting his head, he saw Ye Mingxu’s cold, impassive face.
This… What is this…?
“He’s not that kind of person,” Ye Mingxu said, enunciating each word clearly. “He’s gentle, kind, and exceptionally talented. There’s absolutely no way he’d do anything like that. Has anyone who was scammed actually come forward in this thread? Can you provide any evidence?”
Duan Yihan instinctively shook his head.
“Spreading baseless rumors without a shred of evidence.” Ye Mingxu’s eyes flashed with an icy, piercing intensity. “Spreading false information and slander are grounds for a lawsuit.”
With that, Ye Mingxu closed the bedroom door and walked out. Duan Yihan stared blankly at his retreating figure. The conversation from just moments ago was still echoing in his mind, and he suddenly felt that a certain phrase sounded very familiar.
That day, after Ye Mingxu had left, his roommates jokingly mentioned what had just happened, saying things like, “Brother Xu’s boyfriend—gentle, kind, sincere, and so on…”
Suddenly, a bold, terrifying thought popped into Duan Yihan’s mind.
“Old Duan, you okay?” A roommate came over and patted him on the shoulder. “Brother Xu really respects Shi Jingge as a rival. After all, geniuses recognize each other’s worth.”
“Old Duan, Brother Xu isn’t targeting you. If you’re upset, just yell at him a couple of times!” another roommate advised.
“It’s not that…” Duan Yihan shook his head. “It’s just that…”
“What is it?” the roommate asked curiously.
“Tell me,” Duan Yihan said through gritted teeth, “do you think Brother Xu’s boyfriend might actually be Shi Jingge?”
Clang!
One roommate fell heavily to the floor and broke down, exclaiming, “Don’t talk nonsense! That’s absolutely impossible!”
“I made a vow!”
Author’s Note:
Once upon a time—
Roommate: If it’s one of Kalandi’s students, I’ll cut off my own head and let you kick it around like a ball!
Now—
Roommate: Thanks for the invite, but I’m afraid I can’t offer my head anymore 🙂
Edit: Krone
Proofread: Choux_choux
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