Thus, Di Zhe’s college life began in a tangled mess that could neither be cut nor unraveled.
On his first night in the dorm, Di Zhe lay in bed feeling uneasy, telling himself that he had to stay alert even while sleeping. At the same time, he worried that this kind of vigilance might affect his sleep quality.
In the end, he had worried for nothing.
Not even ten minutes after his head hit the pillow, he was already fast asleep and he slept soundly until morning.
The next day, when Shen Yandong woke him up, Di Zhe jolted awake, immediately wanting to check whether he had been “attacked” in the middle of the night.
But Shen Yandong was standing right by his bed. If he did that openly, it would be far too obvious, practically treating him like a criminal suspect, so his movements stalled.
Shen Yandong said flatly, “You’re really something, fall asleep the moment your head hits the pillow and get up the moment you’re called.”
Di Zhe smacked his lips, not knowing how to respond. Shen Yandong’s face darkened as he turned and left.
What rotten fate.
They had already broken things off, so why had the heavens still placed them in the same university, even the same dorm?
Forget it. No point dwelling on it for now.
Di Zhe quickly threw himself into all kinds of freshman activities, running around everywhere and making new friends.
His personality was naturally extremely outgoing and before long, he had become a shining presence among the new students at F University.
On the school forums, people were constantly posting photos of him, asking who this handsome, sunny alpha was, saying they had a crush on him.
New classmates invited him to eat, sing karaoke, play games, Di Zhe accepted every invitation. He was full of energy every day, his schedule packed to the brim.
As a result, aside from returning to the dorm to sleep at night, he barely stayed there at all. This meant he had less interaction with Shen Yandong, which allowed him to breathe a little easier.
Fortunately, they weren’t in the same major.
Shen Yandong was still studying law, while Di Zhe had chosen computer science. He hadn’t picked it out of passion, he had simply been in a rush to change his application back then, choosing a few popular majors at random.
Since they were in different majors, their schedules were naturally different as well.
Sometimes, if Di Zhe returned early, he would quickly pretend to be asleep but most of the time, Shen Yandong got back earlier, while Di Zhe came back late at night.
However, no matter how late he returned, Shen Yandong would always wait for him.
If he didn’t come back for a long time, Shen Yandong would even message him, asking where he was and whether he wasn’t coming back that night.
Up until now, aside from the night after graduating from high school, Di Zhe had never stayed out overnight.
He didn’t dare drink outside anymore either.
These days, even alpha guys had to learn to protect themselves when they were out.
Every time Shen Yandong asked like that, Di Zhe would hesitate but in the end, he would still return to the dorm to sleep. Mostly because he felt that an alpha who stayed out all night partying didn’t sound good, it made him seem like a scummy alpha. And if that happened, he worried he wouldn’t be able to find a new partner.
Yes.
Even though his relationship with Shen Yandong had been a major setback, Di Zhe had no intention of giving up on finding a second chance at love.
It just felt a little awkward.
Every time he came back from a social gathering, especially those with matchmaking intentions and saw Shen Yandong, he would inexplicably feel a sense of guilt, as though he had done something wrong.
Shen Yandong never asked where he had been. He would just look at him.
At times like that, Di Zhe would mutter, “Why are you staring at me like that,” while trying to reassure himself:
We’re not even in a relationship anymore.
This is my freedom.
Then he would think that it was actually a good thing, let Shen Yandong understand sooner that alphas and betas were different.
See? This is what alphas are like. You’re just a beta, don’t try to control how an alpha lives outside.
Unfortunately, his attempts at a new romance weren’t going very smoothly.
He had added a few omega classmates and seniors. At first, the conversations went well but after a certain point, they would stop replying to him.
Di Zhe wasn’t the type to juggle multiple people at once. He talked to them one by one, only moving on when things didn’t work out. So for now, he still hadn’t found a new partner.
In the blink of an eye, a month passed.
The bed and desk that his parents had neatly arranged for him at the start of the semester had long since become a mess. Di Zhe decided to tidy things up but he was completely inexperienced with housework and had no idea where to begin.
He couldn’t even figure out how to change his bedsheets properly.
Standing there, staring at the tangled mess of bedding, he scratched his head in frustration.
Just as he was feeling troubled, Shen Yandong stepped in without a word and began helping.
Di Zhe froze for a moment. By the time he reacted, Shen Yandong had already put the quilt cover on, giving it a sharp shake so it lay smooth and flat. In a few swift movements, he finished folding everything neatly and even fixed the crooked bedsheet Di Zhe had laid out earlier.
Di Zhe didn’t even get a chance to help. A slow wave of embarrassment crept up, coloring his face red. “Thanks…”
Shen Yandong replied in a calm, seemingly gentle tone, “It’s nothing. You’re not good at these things, I can help you. Your parents asked me to take care of you in daily life. I’ve kept that in mind.”
Di Zhe felt a little embarrassed.
During this period since school started, it had indeed been Shen Yandong who took care of cleaning the dorm. It wasn’t that Di Zhe was deliberately slacking off, he just wasn’t good at it. Besides, he was busy all day long and by the time he got back, whatever chores there were had already been finished by Shen Yandong.
He had brought up sharing the housework twice but Shen Yandong had stubbornly insisted on doing it himself.
If Di Zhe had no morning classes and didn’t get up, Shen Yandong would even buy him breakfast.
Di Zhe’s feelings were complicated. Wasn’t this exactly what he used to do back in high school when he was chasing Shen Yandong…? Now it had all been reversed.
Back then, Shen Yandong hadn’t accepted the food he gave him. So now, he obviously couldn’t accept it either.
Di Zhe firmly refused.
Shen Yandong remained calm, his dim, shadowy eyes fixed on him as he simply asked, “Do you want me to cook it myself? There’s no kitchen in the dorm, so cooking isn’t very convenient. That’s why I can only buy you breakfast for now. I’ll think of a solution as soon as possible.”
Di Zhe felt uneasy. “Y you… don’t be like this.”
Shen Yandong asked, “Don’t be like what? You can give me suggestions. If I can change it, I will.”
Di Zhe said, “Then change it so you don’t like me anymore.”
Shen Yandong replied, “That’s not possible.”
Di Zhe: “…”
Facing this new side of Shen Yandong, Di Zhe felt both a sense of novelty and an indescribable fear.
At times, though, he also felt… it wasn’t entirely bad.
If Shen Yandong really pushed too hard, he would definitely want to run away but for now, there was still a barely manageable sense of distance between them.
Shen Yandong didn’t interfere with where he went or what he did. He didn’t overly question him about new friends either. He simply worked tirelessly, almost like a devoted partner, taking care of his daily life.
That day, Di Zhe had a morning class, so he woke up early. When he got up, he noticed that the bed across from him was empty. Shen Yandong wasn’t there.
Di Zhe felt puzzled. He picked up his phone, wanting to ask Shen Yandong where he had gone but hesitated, then gave up.
When he arrived at the lecture hall,
He had just taken his seat when a delivery guy appeared at the classroom door and called out, “Is Di Zhe here? Your express delivery has arrived.”
Huh? I didn’t order anything.
Confused, Di Zhe went to collect it. Inside the white transparent plastic bag was a yellow and white Pikachu themed wrapping cloth tied with a neat bow.
When he opened it, there was a Pokémon themed lunchbox inside. On top of it lay a card, written in a bold, flowing hand:
“Remember to eat breakfast.”
By now, Di Zhe had already gotten familiar with many of his classmates. They gathered around, curious and excited.
“Someone sent you a love lunch?”
“Open it, open it! Let’s see what’s inside!”
Amid the teasing and cheers, Di Zhe opened the lunchbox.
A wave of astonished reactions erupted around him.
“Damn, it’s really a handmade lunch!”
“What kind of shoujo manga plot is this?”
“It’s arranged so carefully, it looks delicious too.”
“As expected of the new campus heartthrob in our department. You’ve already got an omega chasing you?”
Everyone joked and teased him.
But Di Zhe couldn’t smile.
He had chased Shen Yandong for two years, of course he recognized the handwriting on the note at a glance.
He had just told Shen Yandong not to buy him breakfast anymore.
And now Shen Yandong had gone and cooked for him instead?
If it had been given to him privately in the dorm, he could have refused.
But delivered like this, in front of everyone, by a courier, he had no choice but to accept it.
Di Zhe thought about it.
Wasn’t this exactly what he used to do to Shen Yandong back in high school?
The scene felt strangely familiar.
Since it had already been delivered, he couldn’t just throw it away.
In the end, Di Zhe ate all of it.
Later, he carried the empty lunchbox back to the dorm, washed it clean and waited until noon for Shen Yandong to return from class.
He handed the lunchbox back, full of questions but in the end, what came out was, “Where did you go this morning?”
Shen Yandong replied, “I went to the place I rented nearby to make breakfast for you.”
He smiled slightly and asked, “They told me you finished it all. I made it according to your taste. Did you like it? If you did, I can cook lunch and dinner for you too.”
Di Zhe shook his head so fast it was like a spinning fan. “No need, really. Don’t trouble yourself.”
Shen Yandong smiled again. “It’s not trouble. As long as you like it.”
Di Zhe’s heart started to race. He had a habit of speaking without thinking and blurted out, “You even rented a place nearby? That’s not necessary… it must be expensive, right?”
Shen Yandong paused for a moment before answering, “No.”
Just as Di Zhe was about to relax, Shen Yandong continued, “I bought it. Bought a place that’s convenient for cooking. Do you want to come take a look?”
Di Zhe: “?”
What was he even talking about?
Wasn’t Shen Yandong supposed to be the hardworking, self reliant type from a poor background?
Di Zhe’s curiosity was practically bursting but his instincts told him not to ask any more questions.
So he held back, giving a vague reply. “Oh… I see. Um, that’s still too much trouble. You really don’t have to cook for me anymore. I, I’ve got something to do, so I’ll head out first. You don’t have to wait for me tonight. Just go to sleep.”
Shen Yandong nodded lightly. “Alright. Have fun at your gathering today.”
Di Zhe practically slipped out the door as fast as he could.
Halfway down the road, he suddenly realized something felt off.
Wait… he had only said he had something to do. How did Shen Yandong know he was going to a gathering?
No, no, don’t scare yourself.
Lately, whenever he went out, it was always to hang out anyway. It wasn’t strange for Shen Yandong to guess he was going to some kind of gathering.
That afternoon, since he had no classes, Di Zhe went out with a few newly acquainted classmates. First they went to a KTV to sing, then to play a script based mystery game. By the time they finished, it was already past eleven at night.
For some reason, Di Zhe felt especially restless today.
He couldn’t fully enjoy himself.
Out of habit, he kept taking out his phone, over and over again, as if he were waiting for someone’s message.
Finally, with a soft ding, a message from Shen Yandong arrived:
“It’s late. Are you coming back soon?”
Wait.
Was he… waiting for Shen Yandong’s message?
A strange feeling rose in Di Zhe’s chest.
He stared at the screen for a long time, until it dimmed and went dark. Only then did he tap it again, lighting it up and slowly typed his reply:
“I’m staying out tonight. Not going back.”
His finger hovered over the send button for several seconds before he finally pressed it.
His heart instantly lifted into his throat.
He wasn’t even this nervous when telling his parents he was staying out overnight!
Would Shen Yandong ask why?
Or would he get angry and tell him to come back immediately?
Before Di Zhe could even think further, Shen Yandong replied instantly:
“I’ll come pick you up.”
Di Zhe typed: “No need, ”
He had only written two words and hadn’t even sent them yet when another message popped up, cutting him off completely:
“I’m across the street. Look up.”
Di Zhe jolted.
Stiffly, he raised his head and looked across the road. His confused gaze swept around twice before freezing in place.
Recently, a sudden cold front had swept in and the temperature had dropped sharply. Wrapped in a black coat, Shen Yandong stood beneath a streetlamp surrounded by fluttering insects, like a shadow, dim, unreadable.
At the exact moment Di Zhe looked over, the bulb of the streetlamp flickered violently, as if it were about to burst.
“Zhi, la.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
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← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Love at first sightChapter 2 · Lack of discretionChapter 3 · ShamelessChapter 4 · UnreasonableChapter 5 · PerseveranceChapter 6 · College Entrance Examination EndChapter 7 · Graduation dinnerChapter 8 · Confession nightChapter 9 · Pressing in step by stepChapter 10 · Enough is enoughChapter 11 · A huge blowChapter 12 · University start dateChapter 13 · Roommate meetingChapter 14 · Relentless harassmentChapter 15 · I’ll pick you upChapter 16 · It’s my vulnerable periodChapter 17 · Voluntary datingChapter 18 · Open your heartChapter 19 · Obedient to allChapter 20 · Not a virginChapter 21 · Swear to love meChapter 22 · Youthful DaydreamsChapter 23 · Teenage ThoughtsChapter 24 · EmptyChapter 25 · Extremely anxiousChapter 26 · Too lazy to struggleChapter 27 · From now on