When Chi Shuyi saw Fu Linchen, he was a little surprised but still greeted him politely.
Fu Linchen opened the door and, seeing both Bai Zhou and Chi Shuyi standing there, froze for a brief moment.
His eyes flickered downward, catching sight of the suitcase in Chi Shuyi’s hand, clearly belonging to Bai Zhou and his expression cooled instantly. He gave a cold snort and a perfunctory nod in response to Chi Shuyi’s greeting before looking away.
“Our third roommate’s finally here?!”
Hearing the door open, Tang Mingyuan ran over excitedly, finally, someone had come to rescue him! He’d been alone with these two big shots for so long that he was about to die of awkwardness.
“Hi, I’m Bai Zhou.”
“I’m Tang Mingyuan. You look younger than me, so just call me Brother Yuan. I’ll take care of you from now on!” Tang Mingyuan gripped Bai Zhou’s hand tightly, his eyes full of warmth.
Judging by his personality, Bai Zhou guessed this must be “Tonight Not Sleeping” from the freshman chat group.
“Brother Yuan,” Bai Zhou said, his beautiful eyes curving as he smiled.
Tang Mingyuan froze mid-grin, struck as though by Cupid’s arrow. His face flushed bright red, his expression suddenly awkward, and he even forgot to let go of Bai Zhou’s hand.
When he finally realized everyone in the room was staring at their clasped hands, he hurriedly released him.
Seeing their hands separate, Fu Linchen slowly averted his gaze. Why am I even watching? He mocked himself inwardly. It’s not like I could hold his hand anyway.
It had been half a month since he last saw Bai Zhou. That fleeting, abrupt first love, like a bloom of ephemera, had seemed buried by time. Yet seeing the boy again, his heart still beat uncontrollably against his ribs.
Fu Linchen felt oddly wistful. After that night, when the boy was taken away, he’d actually regretted not asking for contact info, what if he’d misunderstood, what if they weren’t in that kind of relationship?
He’d even replayed that night in his head many times, if only he’d reacted faster and held the boy’s hand back before that “Chi-something” barged in like he was catching them in the act, maybe he could’ve claimed some kind of rightful place. It’d be easier to “rise to the throne” later.
Every time his thoughts reached that point, he’d scold himself harshly. What the hell is wrong with me?!
Thank god I didn’t actually do it, he thought, otherwise what would that make me, the heir of the Fu Group knowingly becoming the third party?!
Then again… maybe not. Bai Zhou had never explicitly said he was with Chi Shuyi, right? So technically, if Fu Linchen were to pursue him now, it wouldn’t count as being a homewrecker, it’d be “bravely chasing love”!
As he rationalized this to himself, Fu Linchen sighed. Guess my moral compass isn’t as high as I thought.
Trying to cover his earlier awkwardness, Tang Mingyuan quickly switched topics, introducing people enthusiastically,
“This here is Fu Linyi, our other roommate. And that’s his older brother, Fu Linchen. You’ve probably heard of him, right? The Fu Group’s young master.”
Bai Zhou followed his gaze, a boy in a black sweatshirt was quietly unpacking on his bed. His lashes were thick like crow feathers, his skin so pale that faint veins could be seen beneath the sunlight.
When mentioned, Fu Linyi slowly lifted his head. His pitch-black eyes swept briefly over Bai Zhou, then dropped to the luggage in his hand and to the hand Chi Shuyi had just been holding before nodding slightly in greeting.
“I didn’t expect President Fu’s brother to be in the same dorm as Zhou zhou,” Chi Shuyi said casually while helping Bai Zhou make his bed. “Please take care of him. Once everyone’s moved in, I’ll treat everyone to dinner.”
Fu Linchen leaned lazily against his brother’s bed frame, smirking. “I can’t control this kid.”
Fu Linyi’s dark eyes flicked over his strange older brother, then past Chi Shuyi’s busy figure, finally landing squarely on Bai Zhou.
Feeling that someone was watching him, Bai Zhou turned and met those calm eyes. Remembering his third mission, he felt a pang of guilt and quickly gave Fu Linyi a polite smile.
Fu Linyi lowered his gaze again, acting as if nothing had happened.
“Hey, Bai Zhou, you haven’t introduced this person who brought you here,” Tang Mingyuan said suddenly, trying to ease the tension and liven things up again.
But the moment the words left his mouth, the entire dorm went silent. Even Chi Shuyi and Fu Linyi stopped what they were doing. No one looked up but everyone was clearly waiting for Bai Zhou’s answer.
Fu Linchen’s emotions were a chaotic mix of hope and dread. If Bai Zhou admitted to being in a relationship with Chi Shuyi, then he’d lose all right to self delusion and would just have to accept being morally compromised.
He pressed his lips together and remained silent, reminding himself about ethics in his mind.
Tang Mingyuan: “???”
What’s going on again?
Bai Zhou looked at the main gong, then at the main shou. Obviously, today was not a good time to trigger Mission Three. No need to stir trouble between the main couple.
“Shuyi-ge is my neighbor’s older brother,” Bai Zhou said lightly. “It’s my first time living in the city, so my mom asked him to look after me.”
“Neighbor’s brother?” Fu Linchen straightened up, repeating the phrase. Bai Zhou nodded.
The corners of Fu Linchen’s lips lifted uncontrollably, for the first time, he felt light and free. His morals were saved! That hand he’d been obsessing over might actually be his to hold after all!
Even his tone softened, “Oh, so he’s just helping you settle in.”
Seeing how happy the main gong looked, Bai Zhou became even more convinced his “assist” had worked. So the main attack already likes the main shou! Great progress!
He nodded earnestly, not noticing Chi Shuyi’s grip on the bed sheet tightening until his knuckles whitened.
“If you ever need help, just ask me,” Fu Linchen said warmly, “Or my brother, either one of us is fine.”
Then he kicked his quiet younger brother lightly, “You hear that? Look after Bai Zhou.”
“Mm.” Fu Linyi replied without protest.
“How about I treat everyone to dinner once all the roommates are here this weekend?” Fu Linchen added smoothly, clearly using Bai Zhou as an excuse.
“No need,” Chi Shuyi said, dropping his polite smile. Without it, his face looked cool and distant. His tone flattened: “Zhou zhou and I will be going home this weekend.”
“You two live together?” Tang Mingyuan blurted out before thinking.
Chi Shuyi glanced approvingly at him before putting an arm around Bai Zhou’s shoulders. “Mm. Zhouzhou said he wants to go home for a hot pot this weekend.”
He dragged out the word “home,” deliberately emphasizing it. Even an idiot could tell he was staking his claim. No wonder he’d found Fu Linchen unpleasant the first time they met at the banquet, his instincts had been right.
Fu Linchen ground his teeth. When did I miss that this guy was such a damn green tea act?
Bai Zhou, meanwhile, was still dutifully following his mission, blissfully unaware that the main gong’s “detect-green-tea” radar had already triggered and was target wasn’t him but main Shou
He looked from one to the other, blinking, thinking to himself that their chemistry was great.
“So coincidence, huh?” Fu Linchen said through gritted teeth, his smile sharp. “What about next weekend then? Does Zhou zhou have time?”
“I promised Zhou zhou we’d install a display cabinet at home next weekend,” Chi Shuyi said smoothly, still holding Bai Zhou’s hand. Feeling the boy’s gaze, he smiled faintly, full of self-satisfaction. “He’ll want to be there to supervise, of course. It’s something that’ll be used for a long time.”
Fu Linchen snorted softly. “What about the weekend after that? I’ve got plenty of time. It’s just a dinner with classmates, surely a neighborly big brother doesn’t need to be that controlling.”
The two stared each other down, tension crackling in the air.
Tang Mingyuan, caught in the middle, looked back and forth between them, utterly lost. Weren’t we just talking about a group dinner? Why does it feel like a lovers’ quarrel now?
Still, he wasn’t stupid, he could tell the atmosphere was off. He bowed his head and pretended to fiddle with his phone, sneaking glances at the boy who’d unknowingly become the eye of the storm.
Bai Zhou, for his part, seemed completely oblivious to the emotional battlefield around him. He, too, peeked left and right with sparkling eyes, clearly lost in his own imagination.
Whatever he was thinking made him giggle quietly behind his hand until he noticed Fu Linyi watching him.
Startled, he immediately straightened, pressed his lips together, and stared at the ceiling as if nothing had happened.
Watching the main gong argue so hard just to have dinner with the main shou, Bai Zhou couldn’t help sighing inwardly. This is such a dramatic moment, “I invited the whole dorm just for an excuse to eat with you.”
And using me as the excuse, too. As if this dinner’s really about me.
Still, caught up in the moment, his brain glitched and before he could stop himself, he blurted out,
“Why don’t we all go this weekend then?”
✦ ✧ ✦
Vynellia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The Realm has many treasures. Coffee is currently its favourite.
☕ 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