ABBWW Chapter 72

Chapter 072 Sea King – “Shouldn’t it be natural to kiss your boyfriend?” (18/20)

 

Suddenly his other roommate also remembered the bet he’d made, and his gaze lingered on the guy’s head. He instinctively covered his neck and shot a furious glance in that direction. “What the hell are you looking at?” As he spoke, he turned back to Duan Yihan. “I’m just curious. What made you jump to that conclusion? What does Brother Xu have to do with Shi Jingge? It doesn’t make any sense!”

Duan Yihan sent him the post. “It’s right here. A few days ago, I wanted to visit Brother Xu to see Xiao Bai, but Xiao Bai was asleep and wouldn’t pay any attention to me. So I figured I’d hang out at Brother Xu’s a little longer, just in case Xiao Bai woke up. Well, I had to find something to talk about, right? We couldn’t just sit there in silence, staring at each other. That would’ve been so awkward.

“So I brought up Shi Jingge to Brother Xu. At the time, Shi Jingge’s paper had just been published, and everyone was talking about him everywhere I went, so I just mentioned it offhand. Brother Xu didn’t say anything. I thought he was mad. But now that I think about it, his expression back then was a little different. It was like…he was proud of something, with his head held high in a dignified way.

“But I was such a fool back then! I thought Brother Xu was mad, so I ran off. I meant to try and smooth things over, right? When I saw that dirt on Shi Jingge, I rushed over to share it with Brother Xu right away. And you all know what happened after that…”

The two roommates exchanged glances. One of them said timidly, “That’s just speculation…”

“But the words Brother Xu used to describe Shi Jingge today are the exact same ones he uses to describe his own boyfriend,” Duan Yihan said thoughtfully.

Roommate: ……

“Let’s just talk about Shi Jingge’s scandal,” the roommate managed to squeeze out.

Duan Yihan mused, “What do you guys think? Did Brother Xu just go find Shi Jingge? Is he there to comfort him? Or to clear his name? Or maybe to stand up for him?”

The roommate snapped. “Just shut up!”

Just then, the other roommate, who hadn’t said a word until now, suddenly chimed in, “I don’t think either is necessary.”

Duan Yihan looked over at him in confusion.

That roommate brought up a transparent display screen, scrolled down, and said quietly, “People speaking up for Shi Jingge under their real names have been popping up one after another.”

…Huh?

A thread blew up on the Kalandi College forum. Most students were skeptical, and since the OP’s evidence wasn’t solid enough, there were more spectators than anything.

But as the OP dug deeper so to speak, the identifying traits of the “fish” being “hooked” by the “Sea King” Shi Jingge became increasingly clear, and almost anyone who’d interacted with them could figure out who they were.

Take Qiu Yuanjiu, for example. He was the only person in the entire Kalandi College who failed so many courses last semester. It’d be hard not to recognize him, right?

So Qiu Yuanjiu was the first to feel the heat.

As soon as Qiu Yuanjiu saw the post, he was completely thrown off balance.

What the hell is this crazy OP even talking about?

They described him as affection-starved, sensitive, twisted, and deranged, a pariah despised by everyone, a nuisance everyone wanted to drive out. Yet when he encountered a tiny spark of tenderness from the “Sea King,” he fell madly in love with this “guardian,” believing him to be a divine gift from heaven, the “light” that would pull him out of the abyss of suffering.

Pitiable, tragic, and such a shame.

Qiu Yuanjiu completely lost it.

You’re the one who’s fucking twisted! You’re the one everyone wants to hunt down, you fucking nuisance!

Qiu Yuanjiu was so furious he swore, nearly smashing the cup in his hand. His roommates looked at him sympathetically; this was nothing short of an unwarranted disaster, a case of being judged by others’ standards!

Ying Changyuan patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t be so pessimistic, bro. At least you’re mentioned alongside my idol. Look at me. I don’t even catch OP’s eye!”

Qiu Yuanjiu took a deep breath. He was so furious he wanted to smash Ying Changyuan’s head in. Finally, he forced a smile and said, “Well, that really is too bad for you.”

Ying Changyuan: “?

Ying Changyuan clutched his chest dramatically and exclaimed, “That’s too much, bro!”

The other two roommates burst into laughter, playing along. They took turns teasing Qiu Yuanjiu and Ying Changyuan, only to turn around moments later and get beaten up by the two of them together.

For a moment, the dorm lounge was filled with laughter as the teenagers roughhoused together. Then they sat down and brainstormed ideas to help Qiu Yuanjiu clear his idol’s name.

The dorm living room, once cold, quiet, and silent, had somehow transformed into this scene at some point.

As Qiu Yuanjiu replied to the post, he couldn’t help but glance at his roommates and suddenly felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders.

【It seems I’m the “A” the OP is talking about. I’m the only one in the entire Kalandi Intermediate section who’s failed several major courses in a row and at risk of being held back. Let me clarify a few things. I did meet up with Senior Shi that day at the dessert shop near school, but unfortunately, he only planned to combine courtesy with discipline. The main reason he asked me to meet there was… do you really think I’m the type who’d agree to meet in places like the study hall, library, or training room on campus?

【Less than half an hour into the meeting, Senior dragged me to the study hall for a make-up session, then dumped me in the training room for a full hour—and that’s when my hellish boot camp began. As for why Senior met with my roommates, it’s simply because he didn’t have time to keep an eye on me every day, so he asked them to keep me in line.

【I’ve attached my training logs, study (cram session) logs, and problem-solving (homework) logs from that time. I’ll ask you this: who would fall for the mastermind behind such a brutal training regimen? To be honest, there was a time when just hearing my senior’s name would make my legs go weak—I wanted to play dead. But now, I’m truly grateful to Senior Shi. I thank him for shaping a pile of mud into a clay sculpture and showing me another side of the world.】

The last paragraph was something Qiu Yuanjiu improvised on the spot. Then his roommates collapsed onto the couch, laughing.

“Qiu Yuanjiu, that metaphor—hahaha, I’m dead, oh my god!”

“My stomach hurts. Qiu Yuanjiu, listen. If you’re not good at metaphors, don’t force yourself. It’s painful!”

“Qiu Yuanjiu, you…” A roommate just opened his mouth when he started laughing uncontrollably.

Qiu Yuanjiu felt both annoyed and somehow relieved. He opened his mouth to retort, but swallowed it all back. He simply hung his head and whispered, “I’m sorry. And… thank you.”

The roommates’ laughter suddenly stopped. Silence fell over the dorm room. It was as if someone had pressed pause.

Qiu Yuanjiu’s heart was pounding so hard he found himself unconsciously clutching the hem of his shirt.

……Should he really have said something so killjoy at a time like this?

Qiu Yuanjiu licked the corner of his lips, and his breathing slowed.

At that moment, Ying Changyuan’s shocked voice rang out, “Whoa, Xiao Jiu got so flustered by that OP’s rant that he thinks he owes us an apology. Guys, it’s time to ask for some rose tea!”

“Xiao Jiu, I won’t ask for much, just give me one bottle!” one roommate shouted.

“You’re way too greedy,” another roommate said disdainfully. “Xiao Jiu, don’t listen to him. Half a bottle is fine. I’ll take just half a bottle. Isn’t that more generous than this guy?”

“Xiao Jiu, I want two bottles!” Ying Changyuan winked. “Given our relationship, even three bottles wouldn’t be too much.”

Qiu Yuanjiu: ……

“Get lost!” Qiu Yuanjiu shouted, though his eyes brimmed with amusement. “I knew you guys were after something. You’ve only been hanging around me for the rose tea!”

“Huh, you’re just figuring that out today?” Ying Changyuan exclaimed in shock. “Our innocent Xiao Jiujiu is such a pure-hearted treasure.”

Another “head-on clash” erupted in the dorm.

Laughter, screams, and threats intertwined, forming a joyful symphony unique to life in student dorms.

Amid the chaos, Qiu Yuanjiu felt as if a weight were lifted from his shoulders. It was as if some invisible shackles had quietly slipped away. All that indiscriminate resentment and anger seemed to dissipate into the air along with the laughter and merriment.

The records Qiu Yuanjiu had posted were truly terrifying.

Especially the training logs.

From failing the physical fitness test to now consistently training for over three hours a day—the leap was unimaginable. How on earth did he manage that?

This was definitely grueling training! Downright brutal Hell Training!

What was more, Qiu Yuanjiu compiled these records using student information. After all, he used the school’s training rooms and study halls, which couldn’t be faked, so naturally, no one questioned their authenticity.

With Qiu Yuanjiu leading the way, those who followed, like Mu Qingyun and the others, knew exactly how to respond: Just post the records.

And add this line: 【Hell Training Victims x2.】

【Hell Training Victims x3.】

Once all the “fish” who’d been called out were present, everyone finally realized: This isn’t fish farming at all! It’s clearly a boot camp—and a free one at that!

Most importantly, everyone in it was making rapid progress!

【The fish you mentioned have turned out quite differently. Do you have any explanation for this, OP?】

【To be honest, is this boot camp still accepting new members?】

【Count me in, count me in! I need a boot camp like this to cure my laziness!】

【Under this kind of high-intensity training, I bet the “fish” would just want to turn and run the moment they see the “Sea King”, let alone like him. They’d be doing well just not to curse him under their breath.】

【Forget about any vague crushes they might’ve had before. After all this training, there’s absolutely zero left. The moment they spot him from afar, they just want to run away. I get it.】

【Isn’t this exactly how a freshman feels when they run into a strict dean? They just want to hide!】

【Hahahaha, it’s killing me. I just want to know how OP’s going to explain this. What happened to the fish-raising business?】

【Did OP run away? Don’t run, OP! I’m still waiting to see the joke play out!】

The OP didn’t run.

The OP forced himself to save face by bringing up the “substandard rose tea” business.

Only this time, the wording was a bit more tactful. Unfortunately, no amount of tact would help.

Lin Yiwen personally stepped in to call him out. Of course, knowing Lin Yiwen’s character, he would absolutely never go to a student forum thread to argue with a student.

He simply announced the rose tea was ready for purchase, which was supposed to be officially unveiled two days ahead of schedule. He included various test reports, along with an endorsement from the official Weibo account of the Pharmacists’ Association and praise from many senior pharmacists.

【Rose tea is an absolutely wonderful product. The energy it contains is very gentle and extremely pure. As it’s continuously steeped in hot water, that pure energy is gradually released, offering tremendous benefits to the body. It can even help improve one’s physical constitution! Keep in mind that there are rules governing the use of potions; just because you can buy a high-level potion doesn’t mean you’re allowed to use it.

【Potions act directly on one’s spiritual power and spiritual sea. You can only use them if your own can withstand the fluctuations; otherwise, an excess of energy—or a spiritual sea unable to absorb it—will actually cause more harm. Take injuries to the spiritual sea, for example: while some people can use high-grade soothing potions, others cannot and must settle for intermediate-grade healing potions.

【But this rose tea is different. Although it consists of the same pure energy, rose tea—due to its unique preparation method—slowly disperses its stored energy, allowing it to be consumed in multiple doses! This has profound implications for the world of potions!

【It’s not as if no one had suggested this method before: since high-grade potions contain too much energy, making them unusable for those whose spiritual power falls short, why not simply dilute them?

【Take a soothing potion, for example: those with sufficient spiritual power could drink the entire bottle at once, while those who fall under the minimum threshold would only need to drink half—wouldn’t that work?

【But no. Never mind half a bottle—even a single sip would cause a backlash for someone whose spiritual power is insufficient! So what other options are there? Since it has nothing to do with “quantity,” does that mean dilution is the only option? Over the years, everyone has put a great deal of effort into finding a way to dilute potions, but nothing has changed.

【Some people with insufficient mental strength have suffered psychological trauma—conditions that could clearly be treated with a Soothing Potion—yet they cannot use it. The resulting casualties have broken the hearts of countless alchemists. Consequently, everyone has wanted to change this situation but has been unable to do so.

【Now, however, the existence of rose tea has given them new hope. This is nothing short of a revolution in the history of potion-making!】

When Lin Yiwen went to have the rose tea appraised, he had already alerted the upper echelons of the Pharmacists’ Association. After consulting with Shi Jingge, Lin Yiwen “lent” the rose tea recipe to the Pharmacists’ Association, and they, in turn, guaranteed that they would never sell it.

They’d been given a big secret. If they were to stab them in the back after that, they’d be a real scoundrel!

To that end, the Pharmacists’ Association even placed a large pre-order. The appraisal report assured them it was an exceptional product, so buying more wouldn’t be a loss. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lin Yiwen even gave them a 10% discount.

Meanwhile, the research on rose tea over the past few days opened up many new avenues for the Pharmacists’ Association. Ideas were springing up left and right, and every senior pharmacist was incredibly busy. Many pharmacists also wanted to speak with the true “owner” of the rose tea, but Shi Jingge was currently occupied with family matters and had no time, so Lin Yiwen had been turning them all away.

Later, the matter of the Three-Star Flower Nectar once again caused a huge stir in the Pharmacists’ Association. At this point, many astute pharmacists had already surmised that the true “author” of both the Three-Star Flower Nectar paper and the rose tea must be the same person.

So, even though Lin Yiwen made the official announcement ahead of schedule this time, the pharmacists still rallied behind him in droves. A true, peerless genius of noble character and extraordinary ability was naturally someone worth defending!

Someone reposted all of this in a thread, leaving the OP’s reputation in tatters. The OP struggled desperately for a while, accusing Shi Jingge of deceiving his relatives and disregarding family ties, but he couldn’t back up his claims. Since he told nothing but lies earlier, no one believed him, and he soon vanished.

However, the thread remained pinned at the top by Kalandi students, where it was repeatedly dragged through the mud.

As for Ye Mingxu, he messaged Shi Jingge immediately, keeping him occupied. He didn’t want Shi Jingge to see what was on the forum. He didn’t want him to get hurt.

Meanwhile, Ye Mingxu went to see Professor Zhao.

Zhao Jiangcheng remained silent for quite a while before messaging him: [Come to my place.]

After sending it, Zhao Jiangcheng tossed aside his smart bracelet, leaned back on the sofa, and let out a heavy sigh.

His fiancée came over, cradling a pretty little white cat, and sat down, asking with a chuckle, “What’s gotten into you?”

Zhao Jiangcheng remained silent for a while before sighing. “I just have this feeling that my student’s about to stop being my student.”

“Whose student would he be?” his fiancée asked curiously.

“Kalandi’s student!” Zhao Jiangcheng said, sounding aggrieved. “All he sees now is his boyfriend. He doesn’t even notice his teacher anymore!”

His fiancée couldn’t help but burst out laughing. As she laughed, she pulled out her smart bracelet. “Just—that pose, that look—don’t move!”

Zhao Jiangcheng: ?

“I’m going to record a video to post on Moments as a keepsake!” his fiancée exclaimed happily.

Zhao Jiangcheng: ?

Not only was his student no longer his, but his fiancée…also didn’t love him anymore, QAQ!

“Let everyone see just how adorable my fiancé is!” his fiancée declared emphatically.

Zhao Jiangcheng: !

W–Well, I guess I’ll just play along. Making her happy is what a fiancé should do.

When Ye Mingxu arrived, what he saw was Professor Zhao and Aunt Song snuggled up close together with a cute white long-haired kitten lying across their laps, its body on Zhao Jiangcheng’s side, its tail draped over Aunt Song.

That family-of-three vibe dealt Ye Mingxu a crushing blow right then and there.

Zhao Jiangcheng saw the urgency, worry, and faint anger in Ye Mingxu’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but feel as if he were looking at himself back when he first started dating his fiancée.

Even knowing that his partner didn’t care about those slanders and provocations, even knowing that those words couldn’t possibly affect her in any way, he had still felt a genuine sense of anger.

Precisely because he knew it was all false—and because he knew just how wonderful his partner was—he felt all the more furious.

“Come take a look.” Zhao Jiangcheng cut to the chase, motioning for Ye Mingxu to come closer. He showed Ye Mingxu, one by one, the things Lin Yiwen had done. “You don’t need me at all.”

Ye Mingxu froze for a moment, his lips tightening slightly.

“Ah Xu.” Zhao Jiangcheng softened his tone and smiled at him. “Do you remember what I used to say about hiding your strengths?”

Ye Mingxu looked puzzled, seemingly unsure why Zhao Jiangcheng had brought this up, but he nodded anyway.

Zhao Jiangcheng stood up, placed a hand on his shoulder, and spoke in a rare, gentle tone, “That time is over. Ah-Xu, from now on, you no longer need to hide your talents. You don’t need to pretend to be ordinary for anyone or anything. Go after your boyfriend. He’s a dazzling figure—you can’t be too dull by comparison.” After a pause, Zhao Jiangcheng cleared his throat, seemingly unaccustomed to such warmth, and added somewhat awkwardly, “Don’t let that bastard Lin Yiwen outshine me again!”

At those words, his fiancée sitting beside him nearly burst out laughing.

Ye Mingxu stared intently at Zhao Jiangcheng, then nodded firmly. 

“Go.” Zhao Jiangcheng sighed. “Go do what you want to do. When you’re strong enough and shine brightly enough, nothing in this world will be able to stop you.”

Ye Mingxu stared intently at Zhao Jiangcheng and suddenly said, “I discovered recently that mixing the sap from the Mengzhi Grass meridians with the nectar of the Three-Star Flower can have a delaying effect.”

Zhao Jiangcheng blurted out, “What?”

“It’s like this,” Ye Mingxu said after a moment’s thought, struggling to describe it. “Some mental injuries are inflicted all at once while others gradually worsen over time. Mixing the sap from the Mengzhi Grass’s meridians with the Three-Star Flower’s nectar helps slow down the progression of such mental trauma.

“For example, the venom of the Dream Spirit Path flowers changes over time. For the first two days, there’s almost no effect; over the next three days, hallucinations gradually appear; and starting on the sixth day, there’s a certain fatality rate.

“However, mixing the sap from the Mengzhi Grass’s meridians with the nectar of the Three-Star Flower can delay it. For example, there would be no noticeable effects on the third day, and hallucinations wouldn’t begin until the fourth day, and so on.

“More specific details are still under research. I think there might be other ingredients we could add to create some kind of delaying agent. Or perhaps a protective agent? A new kind of potion like that.”

Zhao Jiangcheng stared intently at Ye Mingxu, and his fiancée standing beside him also grew increasingly serious. At that moment, they both realized what the development of this new potion would mean for the potion industry—and for the entire galaxy!

In a sense, it could even be a life-saving potion!

After a long pause, Zhao Jiangcheng slapped his thigh. “Show me! Show me your experiment!”

Ye Mingxu: …Oh.

So much for do whatever you want.

Ye Mingxu was practically dragged to the potions lab. He was very famous at Siming Teji and had brought considerable honor to the university; with Zhao Jiangcheng’s backing, he even had his own private potions lab.

It was only then that Zhao Jiangcheng suddenly realized something. “What exactly is the sap from the Mengzhi Grass’s meridians?”

The Mengzhi Grass was a low-tier spiritual herb. Outwardly, it really looked no different from weeds; non-experts could easily mistake it for them. Moreover, many Mengzhi Grass contained very little energy and reacted sluggishly; it wasn’t even easy to detect them with a mental scan.

Where on earth would you find its meridians?

In most cases, when people used the sap of the Mengzhi Grass, they simply crushed it to extract the juice.

“This.” Ye Mingxu took out a needle, pricked the herb’s base very carefully a few times, and then, bit by bit, peeled off the outer skin. Inside was a long, thin, transparent “thread.”

Zhao Jiangcheng was practically dumbfounded. “…How did you even find that?”

Ye Mingxu hesitated for a moment, but then told the truth. “I missed Xiao Ge too much.”

Zhao Jiangcheng: ?

“I couldn’t focus on anything. All I could think about was him.”

Zhao Jiangcheng: ???

I asked how you discovered this thing. I didn’t ask about your love life, did I?

“Well…” Ye Mingxu scratched the back of his head. “I just wanted… to kill some time. I didn’t have any spiritual flowers or herbs to process at the time, only the Mengzhi Grass. So I just… played around with it a bit…And then I discovered this. It felt like the energy was different, so I set it aside and tried again. Then I noticed it seemed to react to the Three-Star Flower’s nectar.”

Zhao Jiangcheng was speechless. At that moment, he didn’t even know how to react.

Just look at how this young man was dating. How was it so different from how ordinary people date? But…

“Wait a minute!” Zhao Jiangcheng said instinctively. “Where did you get the nectar?”

Ever since Shi Jingge’s paper was published, the Three-Star Flower nectar had been flying off the shelves. It seemed Kalandi had been prepared all along and had bought up a massive stockpile in advance. Zhao Jiangcheng had gone to buy some last time but couldn’t get a single drop!

“Oh,” Ye Mingxu said matter-of-factly, “Xiao Ge gave it to me.”

Zhao Jiangcheng: ……

He felt a twinge of jealousy.

“I have plenty.” Ye Mingxu paused then, noticing Zhao Jiangcheng’s expression. “Do you need any?”

Zhao Jiangcheng: ……

Damn it, so what if he has a boyfriend? He has a partner too! And she’s his fiancée, no less!

 Zhao Jiangcheng coldly and ruthlessly refused. Ye Mingxu didn’t mind; he just looked at Zhao Jiangcheng expectantly. “Do you have any ideas or theories?”

Zhao Jiangcheng: ……

Sorry, I really don’t.

Zhao Jiangcheng silently shook his head.

Ye Mingxu’s eyes lit up, and he said cheerfully, “Xiao Ge definitely does!”

Zhao Jiangcheng: ……

Zhao Jiangcheng looked at Ye Mingxu with deep exasperation. “So what?”

Ye Mingxu said with absolute certainty, “Let’s invite Xiao Ge over. We’re sure to get something out of it!”

After a long silence, Zhao Jiangcheng wiped his face and sighed. “Go ahead.”

Ye Mingxu happily scampered off.

“Children grow up and can’t be kept; the more you try to hold on, the more resentment you breed.”

Zhao Jiangcheng sighed and sent a message to his fiancée: [Honey, when are we actually getting married?]

His fiancée saw the message and smiled; the hint of hurt between the lines really tugged at her heartstrings: [Guess ^_^]

Zhao Jiangcheng: [……QAQ!]

His fiancée let out a soft chuckle. Maybe it really was time to get married? She could see this fool’s true feelings crystal clear.

From the very beginning until now, it had been twelve years, hadn’t it? Their love was as passionate as ever. Next year, they’d have to pick an auspicious date. It was time to trade-in the “fiancée” title.

She chuckled, her heart filled with joy and relief.

Ye Mingxu went back to look at that post; there were many comments below defending Shi Jingge, which made him feel proud and happy. Xiao Ge was simply the best.

But gradually, Ye Mingxu started to feel a little jealous. Xiao Ge was leading their training sessions and didn’t even bother with him!

But…

Looking at the comments below—“I want to run away the moment I see him,” “My legs go weak just thinking about it,” “I never want to cross paths with him in this lifetime,” and so on—Ye Mingxu didn’t want Shi Jingge to train him anymore.

Although he firmly believed that his bond with Shi Jingge was stronger than gold and wouldn’t be affected by anything, still…some advice from those who’d been there was worth listening to.

Although Qiu Yuanjiu and the others were all speaking up for Shi Jingge, there wasn’t any hint of romantic innuendo in their words, only genuine gratitude and respect, and the fact that their legs really did go weak at the sight of him was true.

That tone was just like how one would speak to an elder who’d been of great help and whom they were deeply grateful to; there was absolutely no way it could develop into romantic feelings.

So Ye Mingxu didn’t take any of this to heart.

But he thought back to “The Dating Handbook” he’d read a few days earlier. It said that the child who cried got the candy, so you should know how to act cute, get jealous, and throw a tantrum. Doing it once or twice now and then adds a little spice to the relationship.

One of the examples cited was being jealous. Showing a little jealousy lets your partner know you cared about them, so for both of you, it was a little joy in a relationship that deepened your bond.

So, should he try being a little jealous, too?

But before Ye Mingxu had a chance to act on it, he received a message from Shi Jingge: [Where are you?]

[I’m on the street outside Siming Teji, the place where I picked you up for the first time.]

[Do you want to come pick me up? You haven’t taken me to your new place yet.]

Ye Mingxu: !!!

Shi Jingge… Wasn’t Shi Jingge still at home with his parents? How did he end up at Siming Teji?

Ye Mingxu hurried to find Shi Jingge. From a distance, he spotted a young man as tall and straight as a green bamboo, standing quietly under a streetlight, his skin fair, his lips a faint shade of peony. He seemed to have heard him; he turned around, then gave Ye Mingxu a faint smile.

That smile, bathed in the lamplight, was utterly captivating.

Ye Mingxu’s breath caught in his throat.

“Why are you here?” Ye Mingxu whispered.

Only when he spoke did he realize how hoarse his voice had become.

“You’ve never been one for many words,” Shi Jingge said in a flat tone. “You’ve said so much, yet you’re all over the place. The topics jump around so wildly. Even a fool could tell you’re not in your right mind. You’re my boyfriend. I had to come see for myself.”

Ye Mingxu walked toward Shi Jingge. Shi Jingge held out his hand. Ye Mingxu grabbed it, then suddenly pulled hard, squishing Shi Jingge against the wall.

Those lips were far too tempting under the light. He couldn’t help but kiss them.

At first, his breathing was a bit ragged. But gradually, Ye Mingxu grew more confident. This was his boyfriend.

Wasn’t kissing your boyfriend supposed to be the most natural thing in the world?

Ye Mingxu hadn’t known what to do at first, but as their breaths intertwined, it was as if he’d recalled something. It was just a fleeting thought—he didn’t even have time to dwell on it—but he followed his instincts and parted Shi Jingge’s lips.

As their lips and tongue entwined, they exchanged everything that belonged to each other.

Ye Mingxu felt his heart beating so fast it seemed as if it might leap right out of his chest. He subconsciously tightened his grip on Shi Jingge’s hand and pulled him closer, his gaze suddenly fixating on Shi Jingge’s ear.

It was so red.

Ye Mingxu suddenly felt like laughing. That pure, heartfelt laugh made his whole being glow.

Shi Jingge was about to scold him, but that smile left him frozen in place, leaving him unable to utter a single word. Following his heart, he kissed Ye Mingxu in return.

Their lips pressed together, gentle yet lingering. It was slightly different from Ye Mingxu’s kiss just moments before, but the tender affection was exactly the same.

In that moment, it felt as though the entire world had shrunken to just the two of them.

That night, Ye Mingxu didn’t return until very late, and then, with Xiao Bai in tow, he was about to head out again.

Duan Yihan asked, “Brother Xu, are you going out this late? And you’re bringing Xiao Bai too?”

Ye Mingxu nodded slightly. “My boyfriend’s coming to pick me up.”

There was a faint hint of pride in his tone, which hit Duan Yihan like a bolt of lightning.

Poor Duan Yihan. His mind went blank. Even though Ye Mingxu gave him plenty of hints, hoping he’d ask more questions, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

In the end, Duan Yihan left, looking dejected.

From then on, Ye Mingxu moved out of the Siming Teji dorm, taking Xiao Bai with him.

All three roommates were heartbroken, especially Duan Yihan. Every time he thought about how that day was the last time he’d see Xiao Bai, he felt like bursting into tears right there.

Why didn’t he just take a few more glances back then? Was he stupid?!

After that, they never saw Ye Mingxu return to class.

Only Duan Yihan kept mentioning it, constantly pestering his roommates to go check on Ye Mingxu together.

His roommate replied coldly, “I won’t even get into the rest of it, but I’m just afraid of seeing Shi Jingge and Brother Xu coming out of the same room.” He paused for a moment, then added, “I’m afraid I won’t keep my head.”

Since his mind was the priority, he couldn’t force the issue.

Duan Yihan didn’t dare go himself, so he had to turn to another roommate for help.

The other roommate said he couldn’t help. “I’m afraid I’d be too shocked.”

Why did Ye Mingxu move out? He must have gone to live with his boyfriend!

Who is his boyfriend? It’s probably Shi Jingge.

Although he could guess as much, the roommate really didn’t want to face the truth head-on. After all, he could still delude himself into thinking these were just guesses.

If he actually saw it with his own eyes, there’d be no room for guesswork.

The next time they saw Ye Mingxu was in the pages of “Pharmacy Weekly”. He had also published a paper.

It was about the meridians of the Mengzhi Grass, and he put forward a bold hypothesis: Could it be that plants like the Three-Star Flower and the Mengzhi Grass, which everyone considered low-grade spiritual herbs, lacking in energy and impure, have simply not yet discovered their true source of energy?

The nectar of the Three-Star Flower and the meridians of the Mengzhi Grass were tightly concealed, yet the energy they contained was, in fact, extremely pure.

Did this mean that it wasn’t that low-tier spiritual flowers and herbs lacked purity, but rather that people simply hadn’t discovered it yet?

As one might imagine, this paper once again caused quite a stir.

Shi Jingge of Kalandi became the pride of Kalandi College and the idol of countless students in the Pharmacy Department, while Ye Mingxu of Siming Teji has become the pride of Siming Teji University and the idol of every student in the Siming Teji Pharmacy Department.

The two schools were like rivals in a showdown, each boasting a genius who had captivated the world.

How could this not lead to clashes between the students of the two schools?

Debates over who had better talent, who was more capable, and who was more impressive raged on round after round.

It was just a pity for Duan Yihan and the others who knew the inside story.

But the problem was… they didn’t dare speak up either!

Then Ye Mingxu and Shi Jingge made their first joint appearance.

It was on the Pharmacists’ Association’s official Weibo account, announcing that the two had become Senior Pharmacists. It was also to announce a new potion: Delay Potion.

And the creators were none other than Ye Mingxu and Shi Jingge!

That’s right—the two of them!

The two arch-rivals from the rumors, the ones who were supposedly at each other’s throats, representing different academies, and locked in a life-or-death struggle!

How on earth could these two have developed a new potion together?

Author’s Note:　　

Now:

Everyone: These two are definitely arch-rivals!

Later:

Everyone: Only they are worthy of each other!!

#OnTheSpeedOfAChangeOfHeart#

 

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Edit: Krone

Proofread: Choux_choux