PTCQT Chapter 23

Shen Chun had finally left by car. Xie Baiyuan watched the disappearing rear of the vehicle and let out a soft sigh. Parting so suddenly always left a trace of reluctance. But since they were in the same city, it made sense to go home first now that the holidays had started, everything else could wait and be arranged later.

Xie Baiyuan stepped into the dormitory building. Most people had already left; the few who remained were carrying their suitcases on the way out. The entire building felt both lively and desolate.

He climbed up to the third floor. Many dorm rooms were already locked, their interiors pitch-dark. Xie Baiyuan didn’t expect to run into anyone at this point—yet, as he walked through the hallway, he happened to see Xu Ze stepping out of one of the rooms.

The two of them were at least somewhat acquainted, and with no one else around, Xu Ze paused for a moment and said, “Hello, President.”

“Mm, heading home tomorrow?” Xie Baiyuan asked politely.

“No, I’m not going back for the winter break,” Xu Ze replied.

Xie Baiyuan was slightly surprised but didn’t press further. “Alright. Stay safe at school.”

“Thank you,” Xu Ze responded quickly.

Xie Baiyuan turned and went into his dorm room. When the door closed behind him, leaving only silence, Xu Ze finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.

He had seen the meeting between Xie Baiyuan and Shen Chun’s mother. Since there were so many onlookers, he hadn’t stood out, so even though he’d been walking behind Shen Chun and Xie Baiyuan, he was able to slip quietly back to the dorm without anyone noticing.

Xu Ze didn’t recognize the exact model of that red sports car, but he did recognize the logo, even the cheapest model from that brand cost over a million.

Seeing how much Shen Chun’s mother liked the president, and considering how close the president was with Shen Chun, if he chose to give him a hand in the future… Xu Ze let out a quiet sigh.

That really was someone he could never catch up to, no matter how hard he tried.

Shen Chun had only been home for a day, and already the house was filled with his mother’s phone calls, proudly showing off her “daughter-in-law” to her girlfriends. Father Shen had initially felt a bit awkward, but now he sat firmly on the sofa, steady as a rock, clearly, he had already entered the desensitization stage.

“Let me tell you, that young man is even the student council president, and he’s so good-looking…”

“University A, University A! Same school as Shen Chun. Isn’t my son amazing? Managed to reel in the very best one…”

“They’re not official yet, but that kid was so nervous when he met me, his ears turned bright red! Way more shy than my son, honestly. Super cute. Once it’s official, I’ll show him off properly…”

“Jealous, aren’t you? I only gave birth to one son, but now it’s like I’ve got two…”

Red ears really are cute. Shen Chun held his phone in one hand, sending a message: President, how’s the packing going?

A quick reply came: I’ve set the time, arriving at 10. What about you?

Shen Chun pressed the phone: I’ll come pick you up. It’s a good chance to try out the new car I just got.

President: Better not. If they see us driving such a nice car, they’ll charge us an arm and a leg.

Shen Chun: President, you really know how to be frugal. See you at the subway entrance.

President: Alright.

“Mom, I’m going out for a bit,” Shen Chun said, putting away his phone and standing up.

“Where are you going?” Mother Shen looked up and asked.

“The President is about to start his internship, and his school dorm is too far away. I’m helping him check out a place,” Shen Chun replied. “I’m off.”

“Hey, drive slowly!” Mother Shen hurriedly reminded him.

Her son had been in a car accident before. Even though he had a driver’s license now, she still worried.

“I’m taking the subway,” Shen Chun waved his hand dismissively.

“But you have a car, why take the subway?” Mother Shen muttered under her breath.

“Being frugal is a good thing. The subway is much safer,” Father Shen chimed in, clearly agreeing.

“Worrying about my son, and you call that being frugal?” Mother Shen rolled her eyes.

Father Shen: “…He just got on holiday and isn’t home much, who’s worried about him?”

Mother Shen scoffed, “He stays home all the time, and you still complain he doesn’t go out. What’s wrong with staying home? Why are you so hard to please?”

Father Shen: “…”

If he stays home all day staring at his phone and computer, won’t his eyes go bad?

Shen Chun didn’t even need to listen to know what his parents were arguing about. Still, such noisy quarrels were a sign of a close relationship. In the original memories he had, his parents rarely even met, let alone argued.

After walking a while, the subway entrance came into view. Even though it wasn’t rush hour, during this winter break lull, the subway was packed with people.

Shen Chun stood in a corner by the door, lightly holding the handrail as he leaned against it. He lowered his head, casually browsing through various listings for the place they had agreed on earlier. Just then, he heard a soft inquiry: “Hello, are you Shen Chun from University A?”

Shen Chun looked up slightly and saw three or four girls squeezed around him. “Yeah, that’s me. What’s up?”

“No way, it really is him!!!”

“He looks even more handsome in person!!!”

The girls whispered among themselves for a moment, then the one who had spoken earlier asked cautiously, “Um, we all really admire you. Could we take a photo together?”

“Sorry, I have a lover, this service is off the table,” Shen Chun replied.

That was a clear refusal. The girls exchanged glances, and one of them asked, “So, are you spending the holiday with your girlfriend? How come you’re taking the subway then?”

“The subway is cheap and there’s no traffic,” Shen Chun smiled.

“Well then…” another girl tried to ask.

Shen Chun’s smile faded slightly as he picked up his phone. “Sorry, I need to take this call.”

His tone was gentle, but his words were enough to silence the girls. They only dared to sneak a few glances at him in secret.

[Does the host not want to talk to them?] 521 asked.

[My patience is limited,] Shen Chun smiled.

Before he was in a relationship, he could be casual about these things. But now that he had one, he needed to keep the right distance. A sentence or two was fine, but more than that would become troublesome.

521 silently jotted down in its little notebook: Host’s patience is limited.

As a proper system, it was essential to understand the personality of the host it served and cooperate accordingly.

[You’re my partner, I have unlimited patience for you,] Shen Chun added.

521 suddenly felt it somewhat understood the human concept of being pleasantly surprised… and it was a little happy.

“President!” Shen Chun called out when he saw the familiar figure standing by the subway exit.

In the deep winter season, the tall young man wore a knee-length coat that made him look especially slender and upright. His striking features seemed to add a touch of brightness to the bleakness of the cold season. Xie Baiyuan watched as he slowly rose up in the elevator, taking in his gently curved eyes and the smile on his face. In that moment, he somewhat understood what it meant to be captivated for a lifetime at a single glance.

The process of choosing the apartment went smoothly. They were renting rather than buying. Although Xie Baiyuan’s wealth couldn’t compare to the Shen family’s, he wouldn’t compromise himself just to save money, nor would he compromise Shen Chun.

They rented an entire two-bedroom apartment. The master bedroom was large, but the second bedroom could only serve as a study. The décor was in a young person’s style—clean and bright.

Xie Baiyuan wasn’t very satisfied with the second bedroom at first, but Shen Chun, standing nearby, promptly banged the table to finalize the decision.

“It’s fine since it’s just the president living alone,” Shen Chun said with a smile.

“Exactly,” the agent quickly chimed in. “This price for the whole place is the most reasonable. It’s hard to rent for a family of three; usually one person either shares a place or rents a studio. Finding such a good deal for a single renter is rare, especially for a two-bedroom.”

“Let’s go with this one,” Xie Baiyuan agreed.

Throughout the entire process, Xie Baiyuan’s heart pounded fiercely in his chest, it didn’t stop until they finished negotiating the price and signing the contract.

With the key handover, this space now belonged entirely to the two of them. Unlike the dorm, where someone could knock at any time, this was just theirs.

Shen Chun closed the door and locked it from the inside with a click that made Xie Baiyuan, who was just sitting on the sofa, straighten up instantly. Shen Chun raised his eyebrows slightly, pulled out the key, and walked over, but instead of sitting down, he stopped right in front of Xie Baiyuan and then… bowed.

In a private space, it was only natural for two people who shared mutual feelings to be close. At school, they had to hold back, but here… Xie Baiyuan felt the breath lightly brush against his face, and in that instant, his anticipation turned into urgency.

But then, the breath shifted slightly, and there was a faint pressure at his pocket. Shen Chun had already straightened up, hands in his pockets, saying, “President, keep this key safe. Whether you stay for a long time or a short time, the lock still needs to be changed.”

Xie Baiyuan looked up at him, feeling an inexplicable mix of disappointment and embarrassment. He prided himself on not being impatient or losing control over such things, but just moments ago, he had really wanted to be close to Shen Chun.

Being too eager might scare him, Xie Baiyuan steadied his mind and said, “Okay, I’ll change it soon.”

“Then let’s clean the place first. We’ll also change the sheets and duvet covers. Tomorrow, I’ll drive over the things the president needs. That should be enough to move in,” Shen Chun said, sitting down beside Xie Baiyuan with a smile. “Then I can come over every day to hang out with the president.”

That word hang out seemed to linger on his tongue for a moment, carrying a feather-light trace that brushed against Xie Baiyuan’s heart.

Xie Baiyuan’s body stiffened slightly, and the calm he had just forced returned to his heart was suddenly set ablaze again.

He was utterly done for, this lifetime, he was completely trapped in the hands of this little rascal. There was no escape.

Support me on ko-fi for more additional updates~ ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ