Bai Zhou burned with a fever all through the night, and when he finally woke up, his throat was still dry and scratchy.
Before leaving that morning, Fu Linyi had thoughtfully poured some warm water into a thermos, so that when Bai Zhou woke, he’d have something soothing to drink.
Holding the warm cup between his hands, Bai Zhou took a slow sip, then let out a long sigh.
The system’s voice chimed in, curious as ever.
[What’s wrong? Did the water get cold?]
Bai Zhou shook his head.
[No, it’s not that. I was just thinking… will I really never understand the C language in this lifetime?]
He had already been struggling to keep up with the lessons, and now, after missing a few days because of his leave, it felt completely hopeless.
The system fell silent for a moment, clearly at a loss.
[… You’ll have other chances. I can teach you in the future.]
Bai Zhou blinked.
[You know C language?]
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized how ridiculous the question was. Of course the system knew it, it was built from the C language itself. He didn’t wait for it to answer, instead quickly changing the subject.
[Oh, by the way, I hit him yesterday.]
[Hmm, very good,] the system responded cheerfully. [Next time, you can hit him harder.]
Bai Zhou laughed, setting the cup aside and heading to the bathroom. As he brushed his teeth, he continued chatting with the system in his head.
[Even though I know I’m not that great, it feels completely different when I say that to him.]
The system understood, even if the logic was a little roundabout. [But you’re not bad at all, Bai Zhou. You’re wonderful. The best in the whole world.]
Bai Zhou couldn’t help but smile at the overly earnest tone. His damp lashes trembled with amusement, but he pretended not to care and simply wiped his face dry with a towel.
[Whatever, it doesn’t matter,] he murmured.
A sudden knock sounded at the door.
Bai Zhou glanced at the clock, it was already lunchtime. Maybe someone had forgotten their keys? He opened the door, only to find a completely unfamiliar face standing there.
“Hello, Bai Zhou. I’m Du Kangan, from the Economics Department next door,” the young man said politely.
He was dressed in a black striped shirt, the top two buttons undone, a pair of small silver earrings glinting on his ears. His delicate peach-blossom eyes flickered nervously when they met Bai Zhou’s.
“Hello. Is there something I can help you with?” Bai Zhou asked, puzzled. He didn’t remember knowing anyone by that name, though the name Du Kangan did sound vaguely familiar.
The moment their eyes met, Du Kangan’s face turned bright red. He stammered as he fumbled something from his hands. “Um, I… I… please, you must take this!”
He bowed deeply, thrusting forward a pink envelope with both hands.
At that exact moment, a crisp mechanical chime rang in Bai Zhou’s mind.
[Mission Four activated, ]
[Mission Four: Assist Du Kangan in obtaining the confidential document inside Chi Shuyi’s study.]
Bai Zhou blinked in confusion.
“Take what?” he asked aloud.
Before Du Kangan could answer, a low voice cut through the air behind him, cool and sharp like a blade.
“Take what exactly?”
Fu Linyi appeared behind Du Kangan without a sound, his expression dark and unreadable.
Du Kangan froze, feeling the chill creeping down his back. He turned slowly to face Fu Linyi’s cold, black eyes, and for a moment, his courage nearly failed him.
He had hesitated for a week before daring to deliver this letter. According to the rumors on the school forum, Fu Linyi had already lost interest in Bai Zhou.
They hadn’t spoken for days, and the gossip said their relationship had gone sour.
Dozens of others had been eyeing Bai Zhou from afar, waiting for a chance to approach him, but Du Kangan had decided to take the risk first. He figured that even if he failed, he’d at least be remembered.
Yet the moment he saw Fu Linyi standing there, the rumors didn’t seem so believable anymore. This didn’t look like a man who was tired of someone, this looked like a man who had been left behind.
Du Kangan quickly tried to pull back the envelope, but before he could, slender pale fingers reached out and snatched it from his grasp.
Bai Zhou had taken his love letter, right in front of Fu Linyi.
Fu Linyi’s face went completely black, his chest rising and falling sharply. Even the air seemed to hum with his suppressed anger.
But when he looked at Bai Zhou, he didn’t dare to let out a sound. Instead, he turned his fury toward Du Kangan, his voice low and dangerous.
“Are you done delivering that? Then why are you still here?”
Du Kangan, who moments ago had been trembling, suddenly felt oddly triumphant. His letter had been accepted, hadn’t it? His spirits lifted, and he couldn’t resist one last jab. Straightening his shirt, he smirked.
“We’re all simps in this game. Who are you pretending to be, acting like you’re any different?”
Before Fu Linyi could react, Du Kangan turned and bolted, grinning like a fool once he reached the end of the hall, throwing a few excited punches into the air.
Bai Zhou had only taken the letter because the mission required it. Mission Four had Du Kangan’s name written directly in the task description, there was no avoiding it.
If Fu Linyi hadn’t shown up, Bai Zhou would’ve just asked for the man’s contact information quietly. But in front of Fu Linyi, that didn’t seem wise.
Between asking for a phone number and accepting a love letter, the latter felt… marginally less provocative.
Now he could only hope the letter itself contained some kind of clue.
At the table, Fu Linyi was silently dishing food into Bai Zhou’s bowl, but his gaze never left him. His eyes were full of hurt and grievance, like a scolded puppy. He had no idea that Bai Zhou was already trying to spare his feelings.
“Zhou Zhou…”
Fu Linyi’s voice was soft, drawn out, almost pitiful.
Bai Zhou looked up. “What is it?”
Fu Linyi hesitated. He wanted to ask if Bai Zhou could stop taking other people’s love letters, but then he remembered how their last argument went, and the words caught in his throat.
Instead, he lowered his head, tugged at the hem of Bai Zhou’s shirt, and muttered, “You can hit me.”
Bai Zhou blinked. “Hit you? Why?”
He wasn’t angry anymore. In fact, he had spent some time reflecting. It was true, he shouldn’t let himself get too emotionally entangled with the NPCs while completing missions.
He’d decided to keep a little distance from Fu Linyi, so that things wouldn’t get messy again.
“I messed up,” Fu Linyi said miserably. “You should hit me. It doesn’t even hurt much. You can hit harder if you want.”
He tilted his face up, so close Bai Zhou could feel his breath.
“Go on, hit me.”
Bai Zhou gave him a strange look, speechless, then quietly carried his bowl to the other end of the table to eat alone.
Fu Linyi watched him go, his panic rising. Bai Zhou didn’t even want to hit him anymore, that had to mean he’d given up on him entirely.
Horrible scenarios flashed through his head, visions of his older brother Fu Linshen with his arm around Bai Zhou’s waist, smirking as he called her sister-in-law.
No. Never. The idea alone made him want to die.
He forgot his pride completely and dropped to one knee beside Bai Zhou’s chair, wrapping his arms around Bai Zhou’s waist and pressing his head against the other’s stomach.
“Zhou Zhou… I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice muffled and desperate. “I’m just a jealous fool. I can’t control it. I say awful things, and I make you sad. It’s all my fault.”
Bai Zhou flushed scarlet. The public apology, and the way Fu Linyi was clinging to him like a child, made his whole body go rigid. He pushed at Fu Linyi’s shoulders, but the man only held him tighter.
“You can scold me, hit me, do whatever you want. Just don’t ignore me… please, don’t leave me,” Fu Linyi whispered, his voice trembling.
Bai Zhou was about to protest again when he suddenly felt something damp soaking into the fabric of his shirt. The strength he’d gathered to push the other away slowly melted from his hands.
The plan to keep a proper distance from Fu Linyi failed on the very first day.
The moment Fu Linyi noticed the resistance on his body weakening, he lifted his head and looked up at Bai Zhou, his eyes red and misty. He looked pitiful, like a little stray dog caught in the rain with nowhere to go.
For some reason, that sight reminded Bai Zhou of the only friend he had ever had in the real world. Many years ago, that person had also looked at him with the same kind of eyes and asked in a trembling voice if he could please not leave.
“Don’t cry.”
Bai Zhou reached out and gently wiped the tears from the corners of Fu Linyi’s eyes. “A man shouldn’t cry so easily.”
【Zhouzhou, are you this soft-hearted with everyone?】
No, he wasn’t. He had been ruthless toward that person. When he left back then, he hadn’t even looked back once. But even so, that silly, kind-hearted boy had still chased after him and found his way back to his side, no matter how many years it took.
Fu Linyi sensed Bai Zhou’s change in attitude. It was as if he had finally found his track in a race; the moment he felt a bit of leniency, he couldn’t hold back anymore.
He threw himself straight into Bai Zhou’s arms and burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
Bai Zhou sighed softly, helpless. He pulled the other man upright, and before Fu Linyi could pounce again, he said, “I haven’t eaten yet.”
Fu Linyi immediately stopped like a car hitting the brakes, then obediently sat back in his seat, resting his chin in his hand as he watched Bai Zhou eat.
A moment later, his hand began to creep toward the table, sneaking like a thief, trying to swipe the love letter while Bai Zhou wasn’t paying attention.
“Put it down.”
One sharp glance from Bai Zhou was enough to make Fu Linyi shrink back and release the letter with a pout.
Not long after, Tang Mingyuan and Chen Feng came back from lunch, crowding around Bai Zhou with curiosity.
“What happened this morning?” Tang asked. “Why didn’t you come to class?”
Bai Zhou patiently explained everything one by one.
Meanwhile, Fu Linyi, who had been pushed to the side, tried to drive everyone away using nothing but his glare.
“What’s this?”
Chen Feng’s eyes darkened the moment he spotted the love letter on Bai Zhou’s desk.
“A love letter?!” Tang Mingyuan’s reaction was even louder, almost explosive.
The three of them, the so-called “three swordsmen” of the dorm, had practically surrounded Bai Zhou every day, barely giving anyone else a chance to get close.
Even when Bai Zhou and Fu Linyi had been at odds a while ago, Tang and Chen had still refused to let Bai Zhou truly distance himself from Fu Linyi.
Across the dormitory building, a shriek pierced the quiet afternoon.
“Look, look, look! It’s Bai Zhou!!! He added me on WeChat! Ahhhhhh!”
The roommate, who had been about to curse, froze in shock. “What the, who did you just say?!”
“Bai Zhou!” Du Kangan shouted, practically shaking with excitement. “Bai Zhou added me! Ahhhh!”
Meanwhile, on the other side, Bai Zhou sat with his phone, waiting for a reply that never came. After a while, he guessed that Du Kangan must be deliberately fishing for attention, pretending to be calm.
Bai Zhou thought for a moment, then decided to take the initiative. He sent a message first.
[Bai Zhou: What do you want me to help you steal?]
✦ ✧ ✦
Vynellia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
(っ˘ڡ˘ς) ☕ please feed the translator
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Green Tea Bun (1)Chapter 2 · Green Tea Bun (2)Chapter 3 · Green Tea Bun (3)Chapter 4 · Green Tea Bun (4)Chapter 5 · Green Tea Bun (5)Chapter 6 · Green Tea Bun (6)Chapter 7 · Green Tea Bun (7)Chapter 8 · Green Tea Bun (8)Chapter 9 · Green Tea Bun (9)Chapter 10 · Green Tea Bun (10)Chapter 11 · Green Tea Bun (11)Chapter 12 · Green Tea Bun (12)Chapter 13 · Green Tea Bun (13)Chapter 14 · Green Tea Bun (14)Chapter 15 · Green Tea Bun (15)Chapter 16 · Green Tea Bun (16)Chapter 17 · Green Tea Bun (17)Chapter 18 · Green Tea Bun (18)Chapter 19 · Green Tea Bun (19)Chapter 20 · Green Tea Bun (20)Chapter 21 · Green Tea Bun (21)Chapter 22 · Green Tea Bun (22)Chapter 23 · Green Tea Bun (23)Chapter 24 Part 1 · Green Tea Bun (24)Chapter 24 Part 2 · Green Tea Bun (24)Chapter 25 · Green Tea Bun (25)Chapter 26 · Green Tea Bun (26)Chapter 27 · Green Tea Bun (27)Chapter 28 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (1)Chapter 29 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (2)Chapter 30 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (3)Chapter 32 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (5)Chapter 33 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (6)Chapter 34 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (7)Chapter 35 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (8)Chapter 36 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (9)Chapter 37 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (10)Chapter 38 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (11)Chapter 39 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (12)Chapter 40 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (13)Chapter 41 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (14)Chapter 42 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (15)Chapter 43 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (16)Chapter 44 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (17)Chapter 45 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (18)Chapter 46 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (19)Chapter 47 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (20)Chapter 48 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (21)Chapter 49 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (22)Chapter 50 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (23)Chapter 51 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (24)Chapter 52 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (25)Chapter 53 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (26)Chapter 54 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (1)Chapter 55 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (2)Chapter 56 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (3)Chapter 57 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (4)Chapter 58 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (5)Chapter 59 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (6)Chapter 60 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (7)Chapter 61 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (8)Chapter 62 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (9)Chapter 63 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (10)Chapter 64 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (11)Chapter 65 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (12)Chapter 66 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (13)Chapter 67 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (14)Chapter 68 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (15)Chapter 69 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (16)Chapter 70 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (17)Chapter 71 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (18)Chapter 72 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (19)Chapter 73 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (20)Chapter 74 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (21)Chapter 75 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (22)Chapter 76 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (23)Chapter 77 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (24)Chapter 78 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (25)Chapter 79 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (26)Chapter 80 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (27)Chapter 81 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (28)Chapter 82 · Apocalyptic Lord (1)Chapter 83 · Apocalyptic Lord (2)Chapter 84 · Apocalyptic Lord (3)Chapter 85 · Apocalyptic Lord (4)Chapter 86 · Apocalyptic Lord (5)Chapter 87 · Apocalyptic Lord (6)Chapter 88 · Apocalyptic Lord (7)Chapter 89 · Apocalyptic Lord (8)Chapter 90 · Apocalyptic Lord (9)Chapter 91 · Apocalyptic Lord (10)Chapter 92 · Apocalyptic Lord (11)Chapter 93 · Apocalyptic Lord (12)Chapter 94 · Apocalyptic Lord (13)Chapter 96 · Apocalyptic Lord (15)Chapter 97 · Apocalyptic Lord (16)Chapter 98 · Apocalyptic Lord (17)Chapter 99 · Apocalyptic Lord (18)Chapter 100 · Apocalyptic Lord (19)Chapter 101 · Apocalyptic Lord (20)Chapter 102 · Apocalyptic Lord (21)Chapter 103 · Apocalyptic Lord (22)Chapter 104 · Apocalyptic Lord (22)Chapter 105 · Apocalyptic Lord (24)Chapter 106 · The Real World (1)Chapter 107 · The Real World (2)Chapter 108 · Extra 1