Tao Zhi agreed.
It wasn’t entirely for his sister’s sake.
When he first saw Fu Si Heng’s message, Tao Zhi’s initial reaction had been to refuse, but Fu Si Heng immediately expressed his confusion. The gist was that they were boyfriend and girlfriend, so why couldn’t they go on a date?
They had agreed not to meet or call beforehand because his girlfriend was busy with finals. Now that the exams were over, refusing to meet was just strange.
Those words successfully pinned Tao Zhi down.
Thinking it over carefully, it seemed like Fu Si Heng… didn’t have a point?
They were boyfriend and girlfriend now. Dating and meeting were necessary to maintain the relationship.
Otherwise, what if Fu Si Heng broke up with him?
Tao Zhi wasn’t completely done with the job. He planned to pick it up again next year. If he fell out with Fu Si Heng, and Fu Zheng made him finish this year’s unfinished tasks next year, what could he say? Actually, I’ve already broken up with your brother?
Just imagining that scene was enough to make it feel like a total soap opera.
Fu Zheng wouldn’t let him off. He’d tally up all the offenses, hold the hidden matters against him, and pin the mission failure on him too.
Then he’d be done for.
So Tao Zhi agreed.
But one thing: he had to keep this from Fu Zheng.
Because if Fu Zheng found out, he’d interrogate him back and forth, confirm the progress, ask why they were suddenly going on a date, and what the situation really was.
Tao Zhi couldn’t talk his way out of it, and he worried about slipping up.
Anyway, better to hide it for now.
Better no trouble than extra trouble. Hide it through this year first.
That was Tao Zhi’s plan.
After agreeing with Fu Si Heng, he cautiously lifted his head.
Just in time—Fu Zheng was looking at him.
Their eyes met, nearly scaring Tao Zhi to death.
His pupils dilated. Feeling like a thief caught red-handed, his voice trembled slightly. “W-Why are you staring at me like that?”
Fu Zheng: “?”
Huh? Had he been looking at Tao Zhi?
Fu Zheng didn’t know. He’d just been spacing out.
Originally, he’d only been thinking that Tao Zhi, as his little bro, shouldn’t be ordering him around. That wasn’t right—it felt a bit like the natural order was reversed.
But as he watched, he suddenly got drawn in.
The dorm AC was set high. After coming in, Tao Zhi had taken off his scarf.
With his head down sorting gifts and checking his phone, the section of his neck that was exposed gleamed white under the lights, coated in a lustrous sheen that made one want to… couldn’t help but…
Leave a mark there.
Stop, stop, stop—
What kind of messed-up thoughts were these? Why was he thinking such things?
Damn it.
Why was he thinking about it again?
Fu Zheng was about to die of embarrassment.
He didn’t want Tao Zhi to notice these weird thoughts of his, so he stiffly changed the subject. “I wasn’t looking at you… Wait, who were you chatting with?”
His tone turned into a demand, with a bit of overcompensation.
On anyone else, it might not work—it’s not like whoever spoke louder or questioned first was in the right.
But the other party was Tao Zhi, who was easy to bully.
Tao Zhi froze, as expected.
He was already guilty, and hearing Fu Zheng say that made the guilt worse.
Clenching his fingers nervously, he stammered, “N-No one…”
“Let me see.”
Their voices rang out at the same time—one tense, the other also tense.
Both so tense they didn’t notice the oddity in each other’s voices.
The other two seniors in the dorm, however, perked up their ears in unison.
“No one’s chatting, just my sister.” There was no way Tao Zhi would show him. He gripped his phone tightly, forcing calm. “Why do you even want to see my chat with my sister?”
“You’re so weird, Fu Zheng.” Tao Zhi attacked softly. “I usually listen to you, but I haven’t sold myself to you. I have privacy too.”
“At least respect my privacy a little.”
Fu Zheng: “?”
“What nonsense are you saying? Who cares about your chat logs!” Fu Zheng’s head buzzed from Tao Zhi’s words, his voice rising. “Look at you now, acting all high and mighty, even talking about privacy.”
Impressive.
Daring to talk back now.
Tao Zhi pursed his lips.
“So… you mean you’re not looking…”
“Not looking then.” Fu Zheng was full of backbone.
Of course, the real reason was that he didn’t actually want to see Tao Zhi’s phone.
He’d just grabbed a random excuse.
Which was exactly what Tao Zhi wanted.
Each harboring their own ulterior motives, neither pressed the other further.
Both let out a sigh of relief.
–
On the 25th, Tao Zhi finished his last exam at three in the afternoon.
The school was half-empty, and even the dorm building felt deserted and spacious.
Their dorm now only had him and Fu Zheng staying. The seniors had all left school—one yesterday, one today.
After the exam, Tao Zhi went back and his first task was packing his luggage. Fu Zheng sat in a chair watching him pack.
“You’re leaving this early.”
“Yeah.” Tao Zhi responded. “It’s not early.”
Their program had a relatively late break, but he was already itching to get home.
“That’s too rushed.” Finishing exams today and leaving tomorrow—Young Master Fu was very dissatisfied.
But dissatisfied or not…
He couldn’t exactly stop Tao Zhi from going home.
Anyway, once he was on break, there were plenty of servants and housekeepers at home. He didn’t need Tao Zhi…
Fu Zheng stared at him for a bit. “Uh…”
His tone was a little awkward. “Want me to book you a flight?”
“Ah? No, no need.” Tao Zhi waved his hands hurriedly. “I can buy my own.”
“Hmph, who cares.” Rejected again, Fu Zheng was annoyed and turned his head away. “I know you’re loaded now. Airplane tickets aren’t even a big deal to you.”
Tao Zhi: “…”
How could that be?
Tao Zhi hated spending that plane ticket money too—it hurt his heart.
