“I will definitely not lose it.”
The top celebrity looked extremely serious when making a promise, and Xuan Congnan was very satisfied.
The morning class was theoretical knowledge. Seeing him arrive, Zhang Que moved the book he had used to reserve the seat next to him and said, “Right here.”
Xuan Congnan walked over, sat down, and thanked him for saving the spot.
Zhang Que said, “It looks like you recovered pretty quickly. There’s no sadness on your face today from being wounded by love.”
Xuan Congnan pulled out his book and said, “I didn’t have any yesterday either.”
“Heh, if you say you didn’t, then you didn’t.” Pressing against Xuan Congnan’s arm, Zhang Que said cheerfully, “I drew a picture yesterday, but the coloring seems to have some issues. Are you going to the art studio after class? Can you help take a look?”
Xuan Congnan said, “Alright.”
It wasn’t time for class yet, and the teacher hadn’t arrived. The classroom was buzzing with noise, making the phone’s vibration barely noticeable.
Feeling the skin of his thigh numb twice right around his side pocket, Xuan Congnan pressed his lips together. In the past, it was always Shen Qian sending him messages, while Zhuo Yajun and the others would call directly.
Shen Qian had already been blocked.
Seeing Gu Shi’s name come up, Xuan Congnan was quite surprised.
Gu Shi: [Congnan, how do you use the washing machine at home? I don’t know how.]
Gu Shi: [I bought a few changes of clothes and need to wash them.]
The washing machine was of the oldest model; you had to add water directly into it by hand and then toss the clothes in.
Although he had mentioned that Gu Shi could message him if anything came up, Gu Shi was a top celebrity, and Xuan Congnan had only been polite.
He didn’t even know how to use a washing machine what an idiot, Xuan Congnan thought to himself.
Lowering his head, he typed out a reply: [Connect a water pipe to the faucet. The water pipe is in the cabinet under the bathroom sink where the shampoo is kept. After hooking it up, let the water run into the washing machine. If there aren’t many clothes, don’t let the water level go past the first line in the tub.]
Gu Shi: [Alright.]
Xuan Congnan: [There are a few twisting switches on top of the washing machine. One of them is for draining. When you’re letting water in, you have to adjust it to the ‘normal’ mode. Make sure not to set it to ‘drain’ mode, or else there won’t be any water in the washing machine even if you leave it running all day. Don’t waste my water.]
Gu Shi: [Alright. I won’t waste it.]
Xuan Congnan didn’t reply anymore.
Zhang Que watched him chat.
Just as Xuan Congnan was about to turn off his phone, he glanced sideways and noticed: “What is it?”
“Ah, I didn’t mean to look at your phone. I just lowered my head to grab something and happened to catch a glimpse,” Zhang Que apologized first, then asked, “Gu Shi?”
Xuan Congnan: “…”
Not everyone was as out-of-touch with the world as he was when it came to not knowing Gu Shi.
Xuan Congnan said, “It’s not the real Gu Shi; that’s just his display name.”
Zhang Que said, “Ah, that explains it.”
He asked, “Did you have a friend move into your rental place?”
Xuan Congnan: “Mm, they’re leaving tomorrow.”
The class bell rang, and the teacher walked in right on time. Xuan Congnan opened his book, nonchalantly glanced left and right, placed his phone right in the middle of the book to block it, and changed Gu Shi’s contact nickname to—Scavenger.
Anyway, it was Gu Shi’s own nickname.
Scavenger: [[Picture]]
Scavenger: [Didn’t waste water; put in this much. Adjusted the drain to normal.]
The picture showed water that had just barely covered the first water level line, with a few pieces of clothing tossed inside, not yet stirring.
Xuan Congnan reminded him: [You didn’t add laundry detergent.]
A few seconds later, Scavenger: [It’s spinning now; can I still add it?]
Xuan Congnan: [Yes.]
Scavenger: [Added.]
Xuan Congnan felt he should have added one more sentence just now: [How much did you add?]
Scavenger: [Two bottle caps.]
The large tub of laundry detergent was 10kg, and the bottle cap was huge.
Xuan Congnan was defeated: [It’s summer, and you added two bottle caps for just these few clothes?]
Xuan Congnan: [I advise you to wash it again later, and just use clean water this time.]
Xuan Congnan felt depressed: [What a waste. Remember to buy me a bucket of laundry detergent a 20-jin one.]
Scavenger: [Got it.]
After a while, Gu Shi sent another WeChat message. Xuan Congnan felt this person did not match his surface appearance of quiet coldness at all he was annoying.
Scavenger: [[Video]]
A tub’s worth of bubbles was squeezing out from under the lid of the washing tub. Gu Shi had never seen such a scene before and was standing there frantically trying to catch them with his hands, looking foolishly at a loss for how to handle it.
Scavenger: [Congnan, it’s overflowing.]
Xuan Congnan suddenly found it funny. Zhang Que’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and he whispered in amazement from the side, “Goodness, rein in that unplaceable charm of yours. You glow even when you’re expressionless, but when you smile like this? Forget it.”
Using his right index and middle fingers to form a “V” sign, with the fingertips touching the corners of both lips, Xuan Congnan manually pulled his upturned lips back flat facing Zhang Que, performing a live display of technique as he said, “Cold-blooded killer.”
Zhang Que clutched his chest and said, “Damn… good thing I’m straight.”
Xuan Congnan said, “I only did it because I know you’re straight.”
He lowered his head to reply to Gu Shi: [Mop the floor clean after you finish washing the clothes. I’m going to check when I get back tonight. Don’t leave my place in a mess.]
Scavenger: [Alright.]
Scavenger: [Aren’t you coming back after morning classes end?]
Xuan Congnan was certain he had already told Gu Shi about this: [Not coming back. I’m eating at the cafeteria.]
Scavenger: [Oh.]
Theoretical knowledge classes were bone-dry and utterly boring. If the teaching method didn’t have a bit of innovation, it only ever made people want to sleep.
Zhang Que was dizzy with fatigue from listening. Halfway through the class, taking advantage of the teacher turning their back, he nudged Xuan Congnan’s arm and said, “I heard a new spicy hot pot place opened at the north cafeteria and the food is really good. Shall we head over there to try it at noon?”
Xuan Congnan said, “Alright.”
With two big back-to-back classes finally over, Zhang Que grabbed his books and bolted, urging Xuan Congnan to hurry: “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go. If we go too late, it’ll be too crowded. And we’ll go to the art studio after eating.”
Xuan Congnan was enthusiastic when it came to three meals a day, and without a second word, he kept pace: “Mm.”
“Ah… crap, you might not be able to eat lunch,” Zhang Que clicked his tongue and said.
Xuan Congnan: “Hm?”
A stream of students poured out of the teaching building, a bustling crowd of bobbing heads.
Amidst the moving crowd, a black car parked by the roadside stood out conspicuously. Shen Qian was leaning against the car body smoking a cigarette. His sharp gaze seemed to have grown legs, precisely locking onto Xuan Congnan from amongst countless male and female students.
Xuan Congnan paused slightly.
Previously, when Shen Qian came to the school, he wouldn’t enter the campus grounds. Every time he came, he would send Xuan Congnan a message in advance saying he had arrived and asking Xuan Congnan to come out and find him.
Zhang Que knew of Shen Qian’s existence and had occasionally bumped into him when Xuan Congnan and Shen Qian were eating together.
But today was the first time he saw Shen Qian driving right into the school to look for Xuan Congnan: “Holy shit, your boy… ex-boyfriend drives a Maybach?”
“Is that a car?” Xuan Congnan asked, frowning. “I know very few cars.”
He thought of a car he had seen before a Cayenne.
The man in the back seat was wearing a mask and looking outward. As Xuan Congnan carefully recalled, it seemed to be Gu Shi.
“Nannan,” Shen Qian waved. “Come over here. Let’s talk.”
Many eyes stared over with intense curiosity. Xuan Congnan cast a detached glance at him, shoved Zhang Que’s shoulder, and continued walking toward the cafeteria direction, having no intention of conversing with Shen Qian at all.
Zhang Que asked in bewilderment, “Aren’t you going over?”
Xuan Congnan said indifferently, “We broke up.”
Zhang Que understood: “Xuan Congnan says it and means it, Xuan Congnan never looks back!”
Watching his figure walking further and further away, Shen Qian furrowed his brows deeply.
During the year he spent with Xuan Congnan, Shen Qian had only seen him like this during the half-year he spent pursuing him.
Xuan Congnan was slow to warm up and wasn’t resistant to making friends, but most of the time he just preferred the solitude of being alone. Toward outsiders, Xuan Congnan always maintained a guarded attitude. Even when Shen Qian fell in love at first sight and pursued him, he didn’t receive any special treatment.
…Just like that person.
Xuan Congnan’s change lay in the fact that he agreed to Shen Qian’s pursuit, and the two of them became boyfriends.
He was still slow to warm up, but Shen Qian would receive special treatment.
Xuan Congnan liked him and stuck close to him even though compared to the clinginess of other couples, he still appeared rather cold.
Now, all those changes had been pulled back within an exceptionally short span of time, and Shen Qian was extremely unaccustomed to it.
In a daze, he could no longer recall what Xuan Congnan looked like when he was still just an ordinary friend, nor did he want a Nannan like this.
“Nannan.” Shen Qian stubbed out his cigarette, wrapped it in a tissue to throw in the trash can, and utilizing his advantage of long legs, caught up to Xuan Congnan and grabbed his wrist. “Let’s talk. I don’t want to break up.”
Xuan Congnan said, “There’s no such thing as wanting or not wanting to break up. Once it’s broken, it’s broken.”
Shen Qian said, “I don’t know the reason for the breakup. Is it because I didn’t do something well enough?”
Xuan Congnan pressed his lips together in frustration and remained silent.
Staring at his own tightly gripped wrist, his eyes flashed with annoyance.
Caught in the middle neither leaving nor staying, Zhang Que awkwardly said, “Congnan…”
Xuan Congnan said, “You go ahead to eat first. I’ll find you at the art studio this afternoon.”
Zhang Que: “Alright. Bye-bye.”
He glared at Shen Qian and urged Xuan Congnan, “Call me if you need anything.”
“Mr. Shen, let go of me,” Xuan Congnan said.
Shen Qian’s expression sank abruptly; in a year of dating, he had never experienced this: “Tell me, what on earth is the reason? We’ve never quarreled, and you were still bringing up marriage with me when we went out to eat. Why say let’s break up just like that? You aren’t the kind of person to make unreasonable scenes.”
“I bruise easily; if you grip this hard, my wrist is going to bruise. Let go.” Xuan Congnan shook his wrist, but Shen Qian only gripped tighter.
Realizing it hurt, Xuan Congnan gave up, looked straight into Shen Qian’s eyes, and said word for word, “I am unwilling to be anyone’s substitute.”
Shen Qian froze, and his grip loosened. Seizing the opportunity, Xuan Congnan pulled his hand out and stepped back several paces to open up a safe distance.
“Is that what I said?” Shen Qian asked softly.
Xuan Congnan wanted to put him out of his misery so he could die knowing the truth, and said, “Actually, you’ve said it many times; it just wasn’t as obvious before. I didn’t understand it previously, but this time I understand.”
Shen Qian said, “I…”
Xuan Congnan’s phone rang. Too lazy to listen to Shen Qian talk, he turned his back and answered the call.
“Congnan, did you see the message I sent you?” Gu Shi’s deep voice came through the phone, slightly altered in transmission.
Xuan Congnan glanced at the caller ID—it was unfamiliar: “How do you know my phone number?”
Gu Shi said, “It’s written on your WeChat profile.”
“Apologies, I called you without your permission, but I did send you a message,” he explained. “You didn’t reply.”
Xuan Congnan lowered his head to open WeChat. Gu Shi had sent several messages.
Scavenger: [Congnan, can you come back for lunch at noon? I can’t go out; it’s inconvenient.]
Scavenger: [I could order takeout, but I’m afraid the delivery worker might accidentally see my face when I open the door. It’s unsafe.]
Scavenger: [I’m not picky. Whatever you’re eating at the cafeteria, can you bring some back for me?]
There was also a voice call during that time that Xuan Congnan hadn’t answered because his phone hadn’t rung at all.
Scavenger: [Is your phone running too slowly causing voice calls not to register?]
Scavenger: [Can I call you?]
Xuan Congnan exited WeChat and said, “My phone really does lag… didn’t see it.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Gu Shi said. “Can you come back for lunch?”
Xuan Congnan didn’t want to go back. He didn’t want to get too tangled up with a celebrity.
“Whose call is that? Is that a man’s voice?” Shen Qian stood behind Xuan Congnan, his brows darkening slightly as he said, “Is he asking you to go back for lunch? Is he living in your rental place?”
On the other end, Gu Shi said, “Congnan, who is that with you?”
He slowly inquired: “Is that your ex-boyfriend?”
Xuan Congnan had a massive headache, unwilling to answer either of their questions, and hung up on Gu Shi’s call.
With a cold voice, he snapped at Shen Qian: “You don’t need to try and pin a dirty accusation on me that I’m hiding someone at home and cheating on you to break up. Let alone the fact that there’s nobody at my place, even if there were, it has zero to do with us breaking up. I am incapable of treating people as substitutes or cheating.”
Shen Qian’s expression shifted as he said, “I didn’t mean that.”
The phone he had just opened WeChat on wasn’t lagging and could receive messages in real-time.
Scavenger: [Accompany me for lunch.]
Scavenger: [If I go out myself, it’ll cause traffic congestion. I’m very hungry.]
Scavenger: [‘Scavenger’ transferred 10,000 yuan to you.]
Scavenger: [Lunch money. Add more if it’s not enough.]
10,000 yuan for a single lunch?
Can you ascend to immortality after eating this lunch?
Xuan Congnan didn’t dare accept it.
Xuan Congnan: [What kind of food costs 10,000? Do you want me to go order a few dishes from a high-end restaurant and bring them back? High-end restaurants might not even cost 10,000, the portions are super small, and you won’t get full. I’m not buying it for you.]
Gu Shi replied instantly: [What are you planning to eat for lunch?]
Xuan Congnan: [Spicy hot pot.]
Scavenger: [Mm, I’m having spicy hot pot for lunch.]
Xuan Congnan felt like he didn’t recognize Chinese characters anymore, and confirmed: [Spicy hot pot is worth 10,000?]
Scavenger: [It is. Bring it home to me.]
Xuan Congnan replied resolutely: [Home in twenty minutes. Wait for me.]
Scavenger: [Alright.]
Thus, clicking to accept the payment brooks no delay.
Without giving Gu Shi any chance to go back on his word, Xuan Congnan took the money and, without sparing Shen Qian a single look, ran straight off to buy lunch at the cafeteria.