Mu Xinghai threw himself into his campus life as usual. Aside from attending classes, he also participated in all kinds of activities and gatherings. His schedule was always packed to the brim.
He could finish his morning classes, then head out for a lunch gathering at noon, attend a club activity in the afternoon, sing karaoke with friends in the evening, grab a late night snack afterward and then go dancing at a nightclub.
By the time he returned home at dawn, he might sleep for only two or three hours before waking up again, refreshed and energetic.
He simply had more energy than ordinary people.
In every possible sense.
Two days had passed since he slept with Ruan Chen.
He hadn’t taken the initiative to contact Ruan Chen. After all, he was the type of person people called a “sea king”, someone surrounded by admirers. Why would he ever be the one chasing after someone first?
But Ruan Chen hadn’t contacted him either.
Still, it didn’t matter.
Ruan Chen was the one covering that class.
Mu Xinghai brought his textbooks with him and went to class leisurely, looking calm and unhurried. He waited until the bell rang to start the lesson but instead of Ruan Chen appearing at the door, a strange man stepped into the classroom right as the bell rang.
The man walked straight to the front and introduced himself.
“Hello everyone. I’m here to substitute for Senior Brother Ruan and teach this class…”
Mu Xinghai frowned.
In an instant, all of his interest turned into impatience.
Why wasn’t it Ruan Chen?
Only then did he belatedly realize something.
Was Ruan Chen avoiding him?
Mu Xinghai spent the entire class in a foul mood. At the same time, he spent the entire class hesitating.
By the time all the other students had left the classroom, he was still sitting there. Only after everyone else was gone did he slowly stand up and leave. In the end, he still took the initiative and sent Ruan Chen a message.
【Senior Brother Ruan, are you not continuing to substitute teach anymore?】
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
…Time’s up.
Ruan Chen didn’t reply instantly.
In fact, he didn’t reply at all.
Mu Xinghai waited five minutes. Ten minutes.
Still nothing.
Even by the time dinner rolled around that evening, there was still no response.
Damn it.
Mu Xinghai thought irritably.
His friends noticed that he kept checking his phone over and over again. They even noticed how his expression would subtly change each time, a faint hint of anxious concern appearing on his face.
One of them laughed and asked, “What’s up? Your girlfriend checking in on you?”
For some reason, the moment he heard that question, Mu Xinghai suddenly pictured Ruan Chen’s expression from before, the way he had looked at him with regret and resistance in his eyes while asking, “Don’t you have a girlfriend?”
An indescribable irritation instantly wrapped around Mu Xinghai’s emotions, pushing him into an impulsive, irrational response.
“No,” he said. “We broke up.”
The few friends who had been planning to go to an internet café together to play games instantly froze.
The atmosphere went quiet for two seconds before someone forced a laugh and tried to lighten the mood.
“Well, you know what they say, out with the old, in with the new! Hahaha.”
In their student years, how many people truly prayed for a love that would last forever?
“Damn, the junior girls and senior girls who like you are going to line up to get their love number tickets now.”
“Weren’t you two planning to study abroad together before? Are you still going or not?”
“You’re not about to tell us you’ve already found a new target, are you?”
Mu Xinghai was just about to respond when the corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of a figure in the distance.
An unremarkable figure standing off to the side.
If it had been in the past, he definitely wouldn’t have noticed.
Mu Xinghai looked over.
Ruan Chen was walking straight toward them.
He wore a bulky coat with an outdated design, the color of dull earth. His back was slightly hunched, as though he wished he could shrink himself smaller. In his hand, he carried several books stuffed inside a thin plastic bag from a supermarket.
He still looked poor and shabby.
Meanwhile, on Mu Xinghai’s side, he was surrounded by wealthy young men dressed in designer brands. They were laughing and chatting loudly, the group full of lively energy.
The livelier they were, the lonelier Ruan Chen appeared in comparison.
Mu Xinghai had known that since they attended the same school, they would inevitably run into each other again.
But he hadn’t expected that the first time they met after sleeping together would be like this.
And with so many friends standing beside him, Mu Xinghai only glanced at Ruan Chen once, no more than two or three seconds, before quickly withdrawing his gaze, pretending that he hadn’t noticed him at all.
Ruan Chen and Mu Xinghai passed each other like strangers.
It was as if they had never seen each other before.
As if the other person didn’t even exist.
They simply brushed past one another.
Mu Xinghai suddenly heard the sound of books hitting the ground.
He turned his head to look.
Sure enough, it was Ruan Chen.
His books had fallen.
Ruan Chen crouched down awkwardly, picking up the scattered books from the ground in a flustered manner.
“What are you looking at?” One of his friends slapped him lightly on the shoulder and asked, following his line of sight. “Who’s that? You know him?”
Mu Xinghai thought for a moment before answering, “I don’t know him.”
They had all seen Ruan Chen.
One of them laughed and joked, “That guy looks so rustic.”
Yeah.
Rustic.
And shabby.
That was exactly what Mu Xinghai thought as well.
Mu Xinghai truly wanted to go back and help pick up the books but there were people around him, so he couldn’t. Not only that, he had to listen to them laughing and making fun of Ruan Chen. Even though what they said was technically the truth, the more he listened, the more unpleasant it sounded to his ears.
It felt strange.
The fun of the day seemed to drain away.
By the time they arrived at the internet cafe, they played games for three hours straight yet Mu Xinghai never quite got into the rhythm of it. Thoughts about Ruan Chen kept popping up on their own, without warning, like an annoying computer virus that forced automatic pop up windows onto the screen again and again, relentlessly disturbing his mind.
Suddenly, on the computer screen, his character was shot dead with a single bullet.
Bright red letters appeared.
GAME OVER.
Mu Xinghai cursed under his breath and took a drag from his cigarette.
When Ruan Chen saw Mu Xinghai earlier that day, he had actually felt a bit guilty.
Today he had just bought a small gift for his junior sister. He himself wasn’t entirely sure whether it was because he liked her or because he felt guilty about sleeping with her ex boyfriend.
He had even formally asked her, “You… you and your boyfriend… how are things going between you two?”
Then, as if trying to cover up his real intention, he quickly added, “Have you been able to focus on your assignments again?”
His junior sister said dejectedly, “Don’t even mention it… sigh. I’m sorry, Senior Brother. Being heartbroken isn’t an excuse for not studying properly. I’ve already caused you too much trouble. I should just do my assignments myself.”
Ruan Chen’s heart skipped a beat.
He hurriedly said, “It’s fine. I.. I didn’t mean it that way. You don’t have to put so much pressure on yourself. Don’t force yourself too hard. If there’s anything you need help with, just come find me.”
His junior sister replied, “No need. Otherwise it would feel like I’m ordering you around. Thank you, Senior Brother. You’re really such a good person. How about this… tonight, could I come to your dorm room and we work on our homework together?”
Ruan Chen’s face turned red as he answered, “Of… of course you can.”
But that didn’t match what Mu Xinghai had said.
Had they actually broken up or not?
Could it be that Mu Xinghai wanted to break up unilaterally but his junior sister still couldn’t bear to let go?
Maybe the two of them hadn’t completely separated yet.
Ruan Chen returned to his dormitory.
He opened an EMS document package and took out an official letter that had been mailed to him from the court. It was the reply regarding the lawsuit he had submitted.
He had only read halfway through it when someone knocked on the door.
Ah, was his junior sister here already?
Ruan Chen hurriedly stuffed the document and the envelope back into the drawer.
Then he called toward the door, “Coming, please wait a moment.”
He even remembered to glance at himself in the mirror. He quickly ran a hand through his hair, tidying it slightly so that he wouldn’t look too exhausted. Then he straightened his collar before finally walking over to open the door.
Ruan Chen didn’t quite dare to look directly at his junior sister. He lowered his eyelashes as he opened the door.
The first thing he saw was a pair of large feet.
Men’s branded sneakers.
His gaze moved upward, straight, long legs, an esports style jacket.
Finally, his eyes landed on the man’s handsome face.
It wasn’t his junior sister.
It was the boyfriend she was currently trying to break up with, Mu Xinghai.
Ruan Chen froze.
Panic surged through him instantly and the question slipped out before he could stop himself.
“What are you doing here?”
Mu Xinghai raised an eyebrow. He pressed his lips together slightly, the corners of his mouth tilting downward as he spoke in a cold voice.
“Senior Brother Ruan, you weren’t this indifferent when you were doing it with me.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
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☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Rear WindowChapter 2 · Kahlil Gibran, “I Have Spit My Soul Seven Times”Chapter 3 · His ToyChapter 4 · Star GazingChapter 5 · Just a dreamChapter 6 · ColdChapter 7 · Yearning for LoveChapter 8 · A Good PersonChapter 9 · Such a good boyChapter 10 · Delivered to your doorChapter 11 · Not familiar with itChapter 12 · First loveChapter 13 · Giving giftsChapter 14 · HeartstringsChapter 15 · Chinese New YearChapter 16 · TruthChapter 17 · SeparateChapter 18 · Planting minesChapter 19 · ChoiceChapter 20 · More hereChapter 21 · Could things have gotten any worse?Chapter 22 · Not because you like me?Chapter 23 · Not because you like me?Chapter 24 · It’s a tangled mess, impossible to unravelChapter 25 · The truth has been revealedChapter 26 · Extra: 1Chapter 27 · Extra: 2Chapter 28 · Extra: 3Chapter 29 · Extra: 4Chapter 30 · Extra: 5Chapter 31 · Extra: 6Chapter 32 · Extra: 7