Song Zhiyuan had just finished washing up when he heard a knock at the door. Since his three roommates all had morning lectures, he was the only one left in the dormitory. He walked slowly to open the door.
Xu Huai had promised to bring him breakfast, and he truly delivered, showing up with soy milk and deep-fried dough sticks (Youtiao).
“Feeling better? Does it still hurt?” Xu Huai asked about Song Zhiyuan’s foot the moment he stepped inside.
Song Zhiyuan replied that he was mostly recovered. Xu Huai placed the breakfast on the table and signaled for Song Zhiyuan to sit down, then reached out to take off Song Zhiyuan’s sock.
Startled, Song Zhiyuan instinctively pulled his foot back. “What are you doing?”
However, his ankle was already held firmly in Xu Huai’s grasp. “I’m checking to see if it’s better.”
Xu Huai observed the injury; it was still a bit swollen, but much better than yesterday. He then helped Song Zhiyuan put his sock back on. His movements were incredibly careful, and throughout the process, Song Zhiyuan didn’t feel any pain.
The breakfast was freshly bought, and it was still warm when Song Zhiyuan ate it. Once he finished, Xu Huai insisted on taking him to his classroom.
After a night’s rest, although the swelling and pain had subsided, Song Zhiyuan knew that if he forced himself to walk all the way to the classroom, the injury might worsen. Consequently, he sat on the back of the bicycle and let Xu Huai ferry him to class.
Xu Huai smiled from the front. “Hold on tight, here we go.”
The two of them wove through the campus. Soon, Xu Huai arrived at the classroom. After helping Song Zhiyuan into his seat, Xu Huai sat down directly beside him.
Meeting Song Zhiyuan’s puzzled gaze, Xu Huai smiled. “I’m here to audit the class.”
“Don’t you have your own classes?” Song Zhiyuan asked.
“I have no classes this morning,” Xu Huai explained. “I said I would take responsibility until your foot is fully healed.”
Song Zhiyuan felt quite helpless. He thought to himself that he really shouldn’t have gone to play basketball that day. Just then, the professor entered the room, making it awkward to ask Xu Huai to leave.
Xu Huai leaned over the desk, looking a bit bored. Being from a different department, he didn’t quite understand some of the lecture content. He simply rested his head on the desk and occupied himself quietly. Fortunately, their seats were toward the back; as long as they didn’t disrupt the class, the professor generally didn’t interfere.
Xu Huai placed his phone on the desk and, upon looking up, saw Song Zhiyuan’s profile. Song Zhiyuan’s features were exquisite, making his side profile exceptionally striking. Xu Huai’s gaze eventually settled on the tiny red mole on Song Zhiyuan’s Adam’s apple.
It was a very beautiful, sexy little mole.
When Song Zhiyuan looked over, Xu Huai quickly turned his head to look at his phone. While Song Zhiyuan continued to listen to the lecture, Xu Huai secretly pressed his hand against his chest; his heart was beating remarkably fast.
The classroom was quite far from the cafeteria, so at noon, Xu Huai supported Song Zhiyuan as they walked there for lunch.
Xu Huai was half a head taller than Song Zhiyuan and very handsome, while Song Zhiyuan possessed an outstanding appearance himself. As a result, their appearance together in the cafeteria drew many eyes especially with Xu Huai supporting Song Zhiyuan, making them look very intimate.
Xu Huai told Song Zhiyuan to wait at a table. Soon, he brought the dishes Song Zhiyuan wanted to him before going back to get his own meal. He placed a bottle of Yakult in front of Song Zhiyuan. “And this.”
“Thank you,” Song Zhiyuan said. He really enjoyed drinking it.
Song Zhiyuan’s foot was still swollen. While cold compresses were necessary yesterday, it had now been over twenty-four hours, meaning he could switch to heat therapy.
Back in the dorm, Sui Tang watched as Xu Huai rested Song Zhiyuan’s foot on his lap. Song Zhiyuan had removed his left sock, revealing fair, tender feet. Song Zhiyuan was not only beautiful in face but also in his feet; even his toenails had a faint pink tint.
Xu Huai rubbed some medicinal ointment between his palms to warm it up, then applied it to the swollen area, beginning to massage it bit by bit to disperse the bruising.
Although Song Zhiyuan felt better than yesterday, he still frowned in pain when Xu Huai touched the spot.
“Endure it for a bit,” Xu Huai said. “It will heal faster if we rub the congestion away.”
Song Zhiyuan gave a soft “mm” in response, his voice trembling slightly. Xu Huai felt a strange, itchy sensation in his heart, as if it had been lightly brushed by something.
Song Zhiyuan was actually quite sensitive to pain. As Xu Huai massaged his foot, Song Zhiyuan’s hands secretly gripped the bedsheets behind him. His toes instinctively curled up, but when that caused more pain, he quickly relaxed them.
Watching Song Zhiyuan like this, Xu Huai couldn’t help but purse his lips. This version of Song Zhiyuan was truly beautiful. Moreover, because Song Zhiyuan’s skin was so fair, even a little pressure easily left light pink marks on his foot.
Song Zhiyuan’s ankles were truly slender; Xu Huai could easily encircle one with a single hand.
Though Xu Huai’s movements were gentle, Song Zhiyuan still let out a small whimper of pain. Ten minutes later, the massage was finished, and the fair skin of his foot had turned a rosy, primrose color.
“Thank you,” Song Zhiyuan said.
“You’re welcome,” Xu Huai replied. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to remind Song Zhiyuan to avoid walking as much as possible and to keep the area away from water.
After Xu Huai left, even the usually slow-witted Sui Tang seemed to notice something. He sensed that Xu Huai might like Song Zhiyuan. In modern university campuses, most people were very inclusive regarding same-sex attraction.
Whether it was the ointment or the massage, Song Zhiyuan felt much better the next day. The swelling had vanished. He tried taking a few steps and found that aside from a tiny bit of discomfort, he could walk normally.
Relieved that he could walk again, Song Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief. This meant Xu Huai would no longer have an excuse to “take responsibility,” nor would he need to bring him breakfast or escort him to class every day.
Just as he finished washing up, Xu Huai arrived with a lavish breakfast. Song Zhiyuan made a point to walk a circle in front of him. “I’m all better now. Thank you so much for everything these past few days.”
Xu Huai gave a noncommittal “oh.” Seeing Song Zhiyuan walking normally, he felt a small sense of loss, though he was genuinely happy for his recovery.
Over the past two days, Xu Huai had bought all of Song Zhiyuan’s meals. Whenever Song Zhiyuan tried to transfer money to him via WeChat, Xu Huai refused to accept it, and the funds were automatically returned after twenty-four hours.
Xu Huai thought for a moment. “How about you treat me to a meal instead?”
Song Zhiyuan agreed; he never liked owing people favors.
Since the foot was healed, Xu Huai no longer needed to take care of him, but he continued to play online games with Song Zhiyuan and his roommates every night. Song Zhiyuan’s roommates were more than happy to have him on the team.
A few days later, when everyone was free, Song Zhiyuan treated Xu Huai to a meal at a restaurant near the school. Both of them enjoyed spicy food, so they ordered a large bowl of Boiled Fish in Szechuan Chili Oil. The weather was perfect for something hot and spicy.
After finishing their meal, they headed back to the campus.
Fu Hangnian had just gotten off his plane. Once he sat in the car, he remained silent. The driver looked to Chu Wei for help, unsure where to drive but too afraid to ask Mr. Fu directly.
Chu Wei caught the driver’s desperate look and asked, “Mr. Fu, shall I take you home?”
Chu Wei had been on a business trip with Fu Hangnian for a week, and they had just returned from Hong Kong.
Fu Hangnian leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed. His expensive suit was crisp and sharp, giving him an air of cold unapproachability. He didn’t respond immediately, but having been by his side for years, Chu Wei understood his silence. He told the driver, “Home.”
The driver breathed a huge sigh of relief, shot Chu Wei a grateful look, and focused on the road. Chu Wei figured that once he dropped Fu Hangnian off, he could finally finish work.
During their week in Hong Kong, the local executives knew Fu Hangnian’s reputation and had specifically arranged for a popular young male idol to meet him. The young man was more than willing to hook up with a major financier like Fu Hangnian. However, the moment the idol met Fu Hangnian, he was promptly “invited” out of the room.
In the past, Fu Hangnian had all sorts of people around him, but none of them lasted long. His friends all knew he liked to “play,” but he never had a serious partner—or rather, he never had anyone he truly loved.
But even though he was a player, he never mistreated those around him, so many were willing to follow him, even if only for a short time.
However, Fu Hangnian recently discovered that he seemed to have lost interest in anyone other than Song Zhiyuan. Everyone else seemed dull and uninspiring; he felt no desire for them at all.
He thought of Song Zhiyuan’s face. And yet, in this entire week, Song Zhiyuan hadn’t sent him a single message.
Fu Hangnian suddenly opened his eyes. “Go to H University.”
Around 8:00 PM, Song Zhiyuan and Xu Huai were returning to campus after their meal, both feeling quite full. Song Zhiyuan’s foot had just recovered, so he couldn’t walk too fast. To accommodate him, Xu Huai walked very slowly.
As they walked, Xu Huai wondered: now that Song Zhiyuan’s foot was better and the “thank you” meal was over, what excuse could he use to see him again?
Based on his observations over the last few days, he concluded that Song Zhiyuan didn’t have a boyfriend. If he did, that boyfriend hadn’t so much as checked in while Song Zhiyuan was injured.
As Song Zhiyuan was stepping down a small curb, he lost his footing. Xu Huai, with quick reflexes, caught him. Song Zhiyuan fell directly into Xu Huai’s arms, and Xu Huai instinctively wrapped his arms around him.
From a distance, it looked as though Song Zhiyuan had initiated an embrace, and the two were hugging intimately.
Inside his car, Fu Hangnian witnessed this exact scene.
Xu Huai had noticed Song Zhiyuan’s waist looked thin, but he hadn’t realized just how slender it was until he was actually holding him. He could also smell a faint, sweet fragrance coming from him.
Song Zhiyuan stepped out of Xu Huai’s embrace. “Thank you.”
If Xu Huai hadn’t caught him just now, Song Zhiyuan might have twisted his foot all over again.
“Let me support you,” Xu Huai suggested.
“Really, it’s fine. I just wasn’t paying attention,” Song Zhiyuan replied.
As they continued toward the school gate, Song Zhiyuan suddenly froze. He had spotted Fu Hangnian’s car.