The desks were shared between two people, with Jiang Wan and Jiang Wenyan using one together. Jiang Wenyan had a sullen expression, occupying both chairs by himself.
“Jiang Wenyan,” Jiang Wan called him.
Jiang Wenyan fiddled with his phone, opening every app he could look at, but ignored Jiang Wan completely.
His knee was bruised and throbbing with pain, making it hard for Jiang Wan to stand. A cold sweat broke out on his back. He endured the pain and thought about sitting on the bed for a while, but before he could walk over, Jiang Wenyan stretched his long legs out, blocking the way. The intention couldn’t have been clearer.
Jiang Wan smiled softly, his voice light.
“Brother! What kind of posture is that!” Xu Yichen practically burst into the dormitory. He was unbearably hot and quickly turned on the air conditioner.
Lu Xingheng glanced up. The air conditioner was set to a high temperature—thirty-eight degrees. Xu Yichen was fanning himself by lifting the collar of his T-shirt. Tall as he was, he almost blocked the air conditioner entirely, with only a few stray gusts of cold air occasionally slipping through.
Xu Yichen wailed dramatically, “Class Monitor! I’m dying of heat!”
Jiang Wan replied, “Don’t talk nonsense. The class monitor isn’t dead.”
Only after his outburst did Xu Yichen notice there was an extra person in the dormitory, and the previously messy desk was now clearly divided into two distinct sections.
“140!” Xu Yichen exclaimed excitedly, looking at Lu Xingheng.
Jiang Wan said, “What 140? That’s your dad.”
Lu Xingheng: “…”
Xu Yichen: “Huh???” Although he had a mild case of face blindness, he wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t recognize his own father.
“You’re the dad!” Xu Yichen retorted with full confidence.
Jiang Wan was puzzled. “Didn’t you acknowledge him yourself? During the chemistry exam.”
Xu Yichen: “No way!”
Jiang Wenyan was still angry, and Jiang Wan didn’t insist on sitting down. Instead, he walked forward, stopping at a moderate distance from Lu Xingheng, and teased gently, “Lu Xingheng, your son.”
“…”
Lu Xingheng leaned to the left, blocking the air conditioner vent.
For no particular reason.
But Jiang Wan didn’t notice. He was genuinely “perplexed” and seriously waiting for Lu Xingheng’s response.
Jiang Wan pressed, “Isn’t he?”
Lu Xingheng: “No.”
Jiang Wan persisted, “Then has he ever secretly called you that in private?”
Lu Xingheng: “No.”
Xu Yichen, furious and heartbroken, raised his voice, “Class Monitor!”
Jiang Wenyan frowned and spoke up, “Keep your voice down.”
“Oh, okay,” Xu Yichen replied softly and meekly. “When did I acknowledge him?”
Jiang Wan: “During the chemistry exam.”
“That’s not what I’m asking! I already know that—”
Xu Yichen couldn’t hold back, his voice rising again. Before he could finish, Jiang Wenyan shot him a cold glare.
His raised voice abruptly faltered, dropping to a whisper. “I’m asking whether it was before or after the exam. I want to see who’s spreading rumors!”
Jiang Wan: “During the exam.”
Xu Yichen: “You—”
Jiang Wenyan stood up at some point. “If you have something to say, say it properly. Why are you yelling at him?”
Xu Yichen felt wronged. “Does he look like he wants to talk properly with me?”
Jiang Wenyan was unreasonable. “Just keep your voice down.”
Xu Yichen complained, “Class Monitor, look at him.”
“Jiang Wenyan,” Jiang Wan called out.
Jiang Wenyan looked impatient. “What is it?”
“Don’t call me if it’s nothing. Hearing you talk gives me a headache.”
Jiang Wan softened his voice. “Little brother.”
Jiang Wenyan couldn’t stay angry. “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Wan: “I was just joking, it’s not like I really want to live alone.”
Jiang Wenyan: “I know.” But he couldn’t help feeling annoyed.
Xu ignored Yichen: “”
Xu Yichen was naturally sociable and had unilaterally become “familiar” with Lu Xingheng.
“Are you going to live in our dorm from now on?”
Lu Xingheng didn’t respond, only giving a slight nod.
“Have you eaten lunch? What did you have?”
Lu Xingheng: “I haven’t eaten.”
Xu Yichen felt a bit awkward and was about to say something more when Lu Xingheng finally looked up at him. He said indifferently, “Move aside.”
“Huh? Oh.” Xu Yichen was momentarily stunned and somewhat woodenly shifted to the side.
Jiang Wan was still leaning against the bed, listening to Jiang Wenyan talk. It sounded like they were discussing a chemistry problem, and Jiang Wan only occasionally responded.
Just as Lu Xingheng raised his hand to take down the bed curtain, Jiang Wan suddenly looked over.
“You’re not going to use it either?”
Unlike Lu Xingheng’s aloofness, although Jiang Wan often seemed listless, he looked at people with great seriousness, his eyes bright.
Being stared at like this, Lu Xingheng couldn’t refuse Jiang Wan’s “housewarming gift,” nor could he refuse the very childish, very childish bed curtain.
But it really was…
Lu Xingheng avoided Jiang Wan’s gaze, looking at the bed curtain rod in his hand. He exerted a bit of force and directly removed one of the rods.
Suddenly, his knee hurt intensely, and Jiang Wan’s voice sounded faint and light, “I thought you’d like it.”
Lu Xingheng’s hand, which was removing the bed curtain, paused. He turned to look at Jiang Wan, “You… are you uncomfortable?”
Jiang Wan’s lips were pale, and his brow was slightly furrowed.
“No.”
Lu Xingheng: “You look terrible.”
Xu Yichen turned off the air conditioner, “The class monitor is always like this, no need to worry, no need to worry.”
“There are always 365 days a year when he’s not feeling well.”
Jiang Wenyan didn’t say anything either. He had probably been checking answers with Jiang Wan earlier and now turned to ask Xu Yichen, “The problem mentions copper sulfite…”
“Why aren’t you taking it down anymore?” Jiang Wan steadied the slightly tilted bed curtain rod.
“Still reluctant to part with it?” Jiang Wenyan turned back again, “It’s just a bed curtain.”
Jiang Wan: “Yeah, reluctant.”
Jiang Wan had his back to Lu Xingheng, so Lu Xingheng couldn’t see his expression, but he was probably smiling.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Xu Yichen teased, “Aren’t you being a bit too girly!”
Jiang Wan: “You’re not done yet.”
Xu Yichen was already prepared to sprint away instantly, but Jiang Wan ignored him. Instead, he leaned against the bed and sat down.
Lu Xingheng felt inexplicably irritated. He heard himself say, “I’m not taking it down.”
Jiang Wan: “What?”
Lu Xingheng: “Decoration.”
Jiang Wan smiled faintly, “It does look nice.”
That feeling of irritation dissipated a little, and Lu Xingheng responded softly, “Mm.”
Lu Xingheng tidied up his personal belongings one by one. By the time he climbed down from the bed, Jiang Wan was already asleep, leaning against the bedside.
The dorm room was quiet, and even Xu Yichen and Jiang Wenyan’s voices had softened.
Xu Yichen: “Bro, is it okay for the class monitor to sleep like this? Should I pull some blankets over him?”
Jiang Wenyan stopped him, “No need, we have a history exam soon. Being a little cold will keep him alert.”
“That’s true.” Xu Yichen opened his workbook, “750 micromoles per liter… So why exactly…”
Jiang Wenyan leaned over to take a look, “Based on our approach, there might be something wrong with the problem… Which publisher is this from?”
“This is a competition question from last year.” Xu Yichen was desperate enough to even ask Lu Xingheng for help. “140! Can you check which step we got wrong? My brother and I have gone over it three times, but something still doesn’t add up.”
140 glanced at the paper.
The page was covered in scribbled calculations.
140 took another look.
It was a chemistry problem.
Under the weight of two pairs of expectant and reverent gazes, 140 asked unhurriedly, “What’s a free radical?”