TFS | Chapter 29

Qiyue woke up just as dawn was breaking.

He had been excited all night last night and did not fall asleep until a little after four in the morning. When he woke up now, he did not feel sleepy at all. Instead, he felt absurdly energetic.

He still had a faint, dreamlike sense that he was floating, and he kept thinking that making up with Ruanruan was not real. So early that morning, the boy had washed up and gone to the entrance of the housing complex to wait for her.

He waited patiently for a long time. From far away, he saw the curtains behind her window being drawn open, and the girl’s slender figure stretching behind them.

He imagined her heading downstairs to wash up, her hair a little messy, wearing bear pajamas while she washed her face and brushed her teeth. He imagined the moment she came out and saw him, smiling at him.

Then he would smile back at her gently and say good morning. That would be their first meeting after making up.

By the time Xu Linruan came out, the boy who had been waiting for so long was already impatient to see her, and Xu Linruan got a fright from the person who suddenly popped out.

“Morning, Ruanruan.”

Today the boy wore a dark navy shirt. The fabric was still damp with dew, probably because he had crouched in the bushes for too long, and even the tips of his hair were a little wet. At first glance, he looked especially eye-catching.

“I bought you breakfast, it’s still warm.” Qiyue handed over a bag of breakfast food, looking a little proud, like a kid who had come to claim credit. He did not mention that he had kept the food warm against his chest.

Mainly because even he had not expected to get up this early, just to buy her a breakfast she liked.

It was a little embarrassing to say out loud.

So Qiyue did not say it. He fidgeted, his bright black-and-white eyes fixed on her.

That gaze was clearly asking for praise. Xu Linruan poked the dew on the tips of his hair with a finger and, being very generous, greeted him, “When did you get here?”

Qiyue blinked and took the chance to grab his girlfriend’s hand. It was really soft. “I just got here.”

“Oh. Then have you eaten breakfast yet?”

Xu Linruan thought the conversation was pretty boring, and pulled her hand back without making a fuss.

She discovered that this guy was still the same as before, always full of himself when given a little encouragement, always wanting to touch and cling to her, like sticky taffy. He loved taking advantage of her.

“I ate.” The boy patted his stomach, wanting very much to show that he was not hungry at all, only for his stomach to betray him with a loud growl.

That was awkward.

Xu Linruan raised a brow and looked over. The young master’s face went a little red with embarrassment as he said, “Fine, I forgot. I came over early because I missed you too much. Actually, I haven’t eaten yet…”

This guy was really good at playing pitiful, and he liked to act spoiled. Once his skin got thick, he was no less shameless than Xu Linruan. He shook her hand lightly, “You’re not ignoring me, are you? I just wanted to see you earlier.”

His voice was so soft it was almost sickening, and there was a little grievance in it too. Xu Linruan could see that he was genuinely nervous. He had been scared by Ruanruan before, and now he had no sense of security. He was afraid that if she really got angry, she would not want him anymore.

He had only ever had one relationship this serious. He lacked experience, and had never even coaxed anyone before. He did not know if he had been disliked again.

And after going home last night, he had thought about it for a long time. Besides having a nice face, it seemed like he really had no other merits.

The boy, who was a little uneasy inside, hurriedly admitted fault. “You’re really mad? Okay, sorry. I won’t do this next time, all right? Are you sick of me?”

He reached for her hand again, his large, clearly defined fingers wrapping around hers. “I just want to stay with you.”

Xu Linruan figured this guy probably had some kind of skin hunger syndrome, always wanting to touch, pinch, and ask for hugs. He was clingy, very clingy.

She pushed away his face when he leaned in too close. “When did I ever get angry?”

She thought this guy was kind of lacking in love. Early in the morning, he did not even eat breakfast and ran to her door to block her. If that was not needy, what was? He was still acting all sticky and spoiled, even more so than before.

“I was just saying, if you’re hungry, we can eat together.”

Her slightly warm palm took his hand back in return. Xu Linruan smiled gently at him, then led him to the pavilion nearby.

It was still early anyway. Having breakfast together would not hurt.

The young master was obediently led along by her. The words he had wanted to say were suddenly cut off, and he just looked at her with those very subtle eyes.

Xu Linruan was confused. “Why are you staring at me like that? Aren’t you going to sit down?” She felt like this guy was a little dumb, staring at her blankly for quite a while.

She pulled him down to sit, and only then did Qiyue come back to his senses.

As if he had suddenly woken up, his eyes shifted awkwardly away, like a classic guilty conscience. “…I wasn’t looking at you. I just think your outfit looks especially good today, and you look good too. Everything about you looks good.”

Xu Linruan: “…”

Fine, this guy was so stupid it was almost hard to look at.

Xu Linruan silently turned her face away.

Qiyue finally came back to himself after saying that. He tilted his head in annoyance, stealing glances at the person beside him, and felt a little embarrassed at how stupid he had sounded.

Ruanruan was not looking at him. There was a faint smile in her dark, shimmering eyes, and he heard her say, “Come on, open your mouth.”

Qiyue subconsciously opened his mouth, and a warm, fragrant soup dumpling was stuffed inside. He looked over and met her gentle gaze head-on.

Xu Linruan rested her chin on her hand and smiled at him. “It tastes pretty good. You should try it too?”

The boy immediately got the hint. “You like it a lot?”

Xu Linruan nodded and gave him a very generous compliment. The young master, who had always been ignorant of the meaning of being considerate, was instantly happy. He thumped his chest and said that if she liked it, he would buy it for her every day from now on.

And so Xu Linruan gained a free long-term meal ticket.

…………

After breakfast, Xu Linruan went to school for class, and Qiyue obediently followed behind her.

The first to notice something was off was his underling.

The yellow-haired lackey realized that their boss was a little strange today. He was in an unusually good mood.

From the moment he entered until he sat down, he had smiled at least seven times.

The lackey curiously leaned over and poked Qiyue’s arm, grinning wickedly. “Boss, did you have a wet dream last night? Why are you smiling so indecently?”

The response he got was a beating from their boss.

Qiyue grabbed this guy by the ear and sneered. His expression was cold and sinister. “Who are you calling indecent, you little punk? Do you think your boss is the kind of hopeless person who has no ambition?”

“Ow, boss, easier, I said it wrong, I said it wrong.” The lackey yelped in pain after getting beaten, quickly hugging his head and begging for mercy. “It’s not indecent, not indecent, it’s…”

“It’s what?”

The yellow-haired kid rubbed his ear and thought hard for a long time before coming up with a phrase. His eyes lit up, and he shouted excitedly, “I know! Boss, this is called ‘full belly, lustful thoughts’[[1]]! That’s what the books say!”

“Books my ass. You want another beating? What kind of trash are you reading?”

Qiyue picked up a dictionary and threw it at him. The angle was perfect, neither off to the side nor too high or low. With a smack, it hit the lackey right in the face.

The yellow-haired kid let out a miserable cry, clutching his head and complaining in a low voice, “What else would I be reading? The great literary classic *Jade Mat*[[2]], of course…”

“Boss, you really hit hard. If you mess up my face, how am I supposed to get a wife later?”

“Serves you right. Who told you to ruin my purity?” Qiyue laughed lazily, and his blows became much lighter. He was in a good mood right now, so he would not bother arguing with him. But…

“What kind of classic is *Jade Mat*? Why have I never heard of it?”

He did not like reading, but he had read a few classics. *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* and *Journey to the West* were his favorites when he was little, but he really had never heard of *Jade Mat*. He did not even have the ability to sound impressive if he wanted to.

The lackey widened his eyes and leaned in with a sleazy grin. “No way, boss, you’ve never even read this world-famous classic?”

Qiyue was disgusted by that expression and slapped him away. “Keep your distance. Does your dad look like someone who likes reading? Forget *Jade Mat*, even if it were a golden mat, this young master still wouldn’t be interested.”

The yellow-haired lackey went “uh, uh” several times, not knowing what to say. He had been embarrassed by his boss’s ignorance. “All right then, boss, if you’re interested you can come find me. I’ve got a color-printed edition, I guarantee it’ll leave you wanting more.”

Qiyue could not be bothered to deal with him.

The class bell rang…

The math teacher shuffled into the classroom in slippers.

The moment the boys in the last two rows saw him, they instantly lost all motivation. The bald homeroom teacher’s class was even more headache-inducing than chanting sutras.

The yellow-haired lackey did not even bother greeting anyone before collapsing onto his desk. He had stayed up all night playing games last night, and with that droning voice, it was practically more effective than a lullaby.

Qiyue did not feel sleepy.

He just felt very… unmotivated.

He had never been cut out for studying. Although he was already making a serious effort to concentrate on the lesson, after half an hour, Qiyue still could not keep it up.

So… boring.

He missed his girlfriend.

He had clearly come here to date.

Why did he have to listen to the bald guy chanting like scripture?

Qiyue felt that studying was much more dull and tedious than eating, drinking, and having fun, especially for someone like him, whose mind was full of nonsense. It was practically torture.

He yawned and rested his chin on his hand, looking out the window at the scenery.

And then, just that unlucky, he saw a man and a woman standing in the corridor opposite.

The distance was a little far, but he would never mistake Xu Linruan’s back. As for the guy standing beside her, he knew him too. It was precisely Xu Canyang, the one he had argued with last time.

The two of them were walking side by side. He did not know what that guy had said, but Xu Linruan was amused by him, her eyes and brows curved with laughter, revealing her beautiful side profile.

From an appearance standpoint, the two of them were undoubtedly a good match.

But Qiyue found it extremely irritating, so irritating that his fingers unconsciously tightened.

He did not know why those two were walking together, but rushing over rashly would only make the situation even more embarrassing. He was not stupid. He knew that Xu Linruan did not like him very much. If she agreed to be with him, pity might have been a bigger part of it.

If she fell for someone else…

No… that was impossible.

The boy lowered his eyes, and the dark emotion flashing through them made him look especially stubborn. He could not accept that possibility.

Qiyue’s possessiveness was very strong. Maybe it was just his nature. For the person and things he wanted, no matter what means he used, he would never let go.