Facing the Alpha’s playful gaze, Ji Xingjian moved his lips and let out a few syllables.
Huo Chengye asked, “What?”
Ji Xingjian shook his head, mumbling vaguely, “Nothing.”
“Were you secretly cursing me?”
Ji Xingjian’s heart skipped a beat, and he instantly swallowed most of the food in his mouth. Does this person have mind-reading abilities?
Under Huo Chengye’s gaze, Ji Xingjian uncharacteristically blushed again. Feeling distressed and embarrassed, he had no idea where to look, so he tactically picked up his cup to drink some water, only to realize after taking a sip that he had grabbed the white wine.
Huo Chengye withdrew his gaze and began peeling lobsters. His phone kept ringing, though he did not seem to plan on answering it.
Xiao Ye furrowed its brows, moved closer to Huo Chengye, and nudged his trouser leg, seemingly reminding him to pick up the call.
Huo Chengye tilted his head slightly and casually tossed a piece of squid tentacle to the dog. “Professor Ji, do me a favor and answer my phone.”
Ji Xingjian looked at him and did not move.
Huo Chengye raised both hands in explanation, “My hands are not convenient right now.”
Ji Xingjian thought to himself that there was nothing inconvenient about it; taking off a pair of gloves would do. Though he thought this, Ji Xingjian still picked up the phone. The caller ID displayed: Lu Wei.
Just as he had guessed, the two were friends, and Huo Chengye had been the one teaching his class this afternoon. If not for that, he would never have crossed paths with Huo Chengye.
“Put it on speaker or…” Ji Xingjian’s voice was dry. He actually hoped Huo Chengye would put it on speaker, because if not, it meant he would have to hold the phone to Huo Chengye’s ear. Such an action was far too intimate; just thinking about it felt awkward.
“Speaker,” Huo Chengye paused, “and turn the volume down a bit.”
Ji Xingjian complied. The moment he pressed the speakerphone button, the person on the other end of the line began to curse furiously, “Huo Chengye! I swear! To think I spent a fortune buying you a volleyball signed by a major celebrity, and you repay me by getting me marked absent on the very first day of class.”
The sudden roar startled Ji Xingjian so badly his hand shook, almost dropping the phone. People nearby heard the shouting and simultaneously turned to look at their table.
The caller was furious, hurling a steady stream of profanities. Ji Xingjian apologized to the surrounding people while lowering the volume of the phone. In some aspects, Huo Chengye was quite prescient.
After adjusting the volume, Ji Xingjian placed the phone close to Huo Chengye and slowly let out a sigh of relief.
Huo Chengye’s reaction was quite calm. He ate leisurely and even fed Ji Xingjian twice.
After about five minutes, Lu Wei finally finished cursing, paused to catch his breath, and asked, “Hey, don’t you plan on explaining?”
“Explaining what?”
“What on earth happened? How did it end up as an absence?”
Ji Xingjian looked like he was drinking sparkling water, but his attention was entirely focused on Huo Chengye’s side. So Lu Wei had called to settle scores.
Huo Chengye glanced at Ji Xingjian and smiled meaningfully. He certainly could not tell that big-mouthed Lu Wei that he knew Professor Ji, let alone that he was his one-night stand partner. “Well, it is a long story.”
Ji Xingjian pursed his lips slightly, abruptly raising his head to crash straight into eyes filled with mischievous amusement, his fingers tightening involuntarily around the cup.
Lu Wei on the other end of the line let out a cold snort, “Then make it a short story.”
“You only fail a course after three absences. It is only the first one, are you really this angry?” Huo Chengye did not answer directly, instead posing a question of his own, “Did you break up again?”
Silence on the other end.
Huo Chengye adjusted his seating posture, “You break up once a month and make a fuss for half a month each time. Aren’t the two of you tired of it?”
“This time is different. He really wants to break up with me. I have washed his clothes, bought him flowers, taken his hits without fighting back, and swallowed my pride. I agree to and go along with everything he wants, practically ready to rip out my heart and hand it to him. I have done all of this, and yet he still wants to break up with me. What should I do?”
Huo Chengye did not offer constructive advice, summarizing his behavior instead, “Simp.”
Two seconds later, Lu Wei roared back in retaliation, “Single loser!”
“Woof, woof.” Xiao Ye chimed in with barks.
Ji Xingjian made a hush gesture toward the dog, “Xiao Ye, quiet.”
True to his word, Xiao Ye shut his mouth. As a reward, Ji Xingjian handed him a small piece of watermelon, “Good boy, good dog.”
Huo Chengye stared blankly. Was he doing that on purpose?
The voice on the phone continued. Too lazy to listen, Huo Chengye stared persistently at Ji Xingjian instead. For some reason, he had a hunch that while Ji Xingjian appeared to be playing with the dog, he was actually cursing him out in secret.
Growing furious at receiving no response for so long, Lu Wei snapped, “Hey, if you are not dead, make a sound.”
“Just pretend I am dead.”
Lu Wei choked on his words for a moment before demanding angrily, “Where are you? Remember to bring two bottles of wine when you come back, or I will not let you into the dorm.”
Huo Chengye took off his gloves, took a sip of white wine, and completely ignored the threat, “As long as you swear you will not cry on my shoulder like last time and wipe your snot and tears all over me, I can go back right now.”
“Get lost! Go die outside! Even if you beg me, I will not open the door for you.” The tail end of his sentence finished, and the phone was hung up abruptly.
This meal lasted about an hour. At first, Ji Xingjian worried that ordering too much would lead to waste, but the facts proved that an Alpha’s appetite was far greater than he had imagined.
Watching Huo Chengye finish off the final piece of cod, Ji Xingjian could not help his mind from wandering. Perhaps because he ate so much, the Alpha’s living expenses were tight, and being too embarrassed to ask his family for money, he was looking for a long-term meal ticket. Coincidentally, he had given him money at that time, so the Alpha must have viewed him as a sugar daddy.
Setting aside his personality and other conditions, purely judging by his physique and appearance, Huo Chengye made a fine sexual partner and could be worth considering.
Wait, considering what! Ji Xingjian quickly shook that bizarre thought out of his head. How could he have such notions about someone he had only met three times? It definitely had to be the alcohol he drank earlier.
Considering that Huo Chengye was still a student and needed money, Ji Xingjian took the initiative to get up and pay the bill, only to be stopped by Huo Chengye. “I said I was treating you to a meal, how could I let you spend your money? Sit down, I will go.”
The sea beneath the night sky was deep and quiet, waves gently slapping against the beach. The distant lighthouse flashed its light, casting long shadows of their figures on the ground.
Ji Xingjian stared at the shadows of the two people and a dog for a long time, eventually stopping in his tracks, his eyes full of confusion, “Why do you keep following me?”
“I have nowhere else to go. You heard it just now, my roommate said he would not open the door for me.” The Alpha sighed with an air of absolute innocence.
Come to think of it, he really had to thank Lu Wei. If not for that phone call, he would not have had an excuse to follow Ji Xingjian. Even though he had taken a verbal beating, it was quite worth it.
“Professor Ji, if you do not take me in, I will only be able to sleep on the streets tonight. Have you no heart?” Huo Chengye lowered his head and began playing the pity card.