Ji Zhi froze for a moment. He hadn’t expected Fu Huixu to take such an extended leave of absence, but for him, it was actually good news. After all, he was truly terrified of Duan Zhao and Fu Huixu clashing again.
Duan Zhao had been watching Ji Zhi’s expression the entire time.
He wasn’t surprised that Fu Huixu would take a temporary break from school. Fu Huixu’s condition was truly abysmal, and after what had happened at the banquet, Fu Zhen wouldn’t let him return to campus anytime soon.
Duan Zhao had told Ji Zhi about this in advance precisely to see his reaction. Seeing Ji Zhi look as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Duan Zhao finally felt a bit satisfied.
“Though I don’t know exactly when he’ll take that leave,” Duan Zhao said, “I’m thinking of sending you abroad to study in a while. I’ll cover all the expenses.”
He had already planned out what would happen after Ji Zhi went abroad.
Duan Zhao himself often had to travel overseas for business trips and conferences, so even if Ji Zhi studied abroad, he could visit him frequently.
Most importantly, once Ji Zhi was abroad, it would be nearly impossible for him to have any further contact with the other two.
Ji Zhi: ?
He hadn’t expected Duan Zhao to suddenly bring up studying abroad.
Ji Zhi had indeed considered it before, out of fear that his identity might be exposed. He’d even fantasized about fleeing overseas, but those were desperate thoughts born of having no other options—he hadn’t given them serious consideration.
Hearing Duan Zhao mention it now stirred something in his heart. Still, Ji Zhi knew there were many challenges to going abroad, so in the end, he spoke up. “Let me think about it.”
Duan Zhao didn’t press him on the matter. He was confident he could persuade Ji Zhi.
After all, Ji Zhi’s major was perfect for burnishing credentials overseas. Even if he chose to return to China for work afterward, it would benefit his career. And abroad, Duan Zhao could line up more suitable projects to embellish Ji Zhi’s resume.
Once he laid out all those advantages, Ji Zhi would surely come around.
Sure enough, just as Duan Zhao had said, when they entered the dorm room, Fu Huixu was nowhere to be seen.
Duan Zhao’s gaze swept over the room. This was his first time visiting where Ji Zhi lived. Before he knew of the connection between Ji Zhi and Fu Huixu, even learning they were roommates hadn’t fazed him. But now, he examined the space meticulously, as if he could already picture the traces of Ji Zhi and Fu Huixu’s life together here.
Ji Zhi had no idea what Duan Zhao was thinking. Nor did he know if it was just his imagination, but with his back to Duan Zhao, he kept feeling the man’s gaze land on him now and then—tangible, pressing down on him like a physical weight, sending a chill down his spine.
Eager to leave as quickly as possible, Ji Zhi hastily packed his books. Then he turned to Duan Zhao. “We can go now.”
Duan Zhao chuckled softly. “Alright.”
The path to the parking lot was fairly secluded, with few students around, so Ji Zhi and Duan Zhao didn’t draw many stares.
Duan Zhao asked about any tricky problems Ji Zhi had encountered in class that day, offering to hire another tutor for him. The casual tone reminded Ji Zhi of conversations with his father from childhood, evoking a rare sense of warmth.
But that fleeting warmth vanished the instant Ji Zhi saw who was standing right in front of him.
Duan Zhao seemed to think of something and suddenly smiled. “You’re quite diligent. Besides your live streams, you’re interning at Stellar Entertainment.”
“That’s a company under my name. Looks like we were fated to cross paths.”
He hadn’t believed in feng shui before, but when his secretary’s investigation report revealed that detail, he genuinely felt a sense of “fate.” His previously gloomy mood lifted considerably—
It was a bond the other two could never share with Ji Zhi.
Ji Zhi couldn’t help but freeze upon hearing Duan Zhao’s words.
It seemed Duan Zhao had thoroughly investigated him, enough to know even that. But apparently, he didn’t realize they’d already met once at the company, or he wouldn’t be explaining it now.
Still, choosing a company under Duan Zhao’s umbrella by chance was, in a way, a twisted kind of fate.
They soon reached the car.
Once inside, Duan Zhao abruptly changed the subject. “I know who Jiang Yaolin is now. A celebrity, right?”
Though he didn’t follow stars, he had heard the name before—which explained why it had rung a bell.
Ji Zhi: “…Yes.”
Though he’d anticipated Duan Zhao bringing up Jiang Yaolin eventually, hearing it now still made his heart tighten.
Duan Zhao continued, “I’ll contact him. You two won’t need to interact anymore.”
His tone was mild, but his words carried an undeniable authority that brooked no argument.
Ji Zhi had been about to nod, but he remembered his internship would inevitably overlap with Jiang Yaolin’s work.
He worried that mentioning it might spark unfounded suspicions about what had happened between them. Yet saying nothing risked an even bigger mess if Duan Zhao found out later.
Ji Zhi knew he was still under close scrutiny; every move had to be careful.
Fortunately, just as Ji Zhi was weighing how to broach it, Duan Zhao read his troubled expression and spoke first. “Your internship position will stay the same, but you’ll be assigned to other programs.”
“If you’d prefer a different role, I can arrange that too.”
Ji Zhi replied, “This one’s fine.”
Yao Shan was a great boss; he didn’t want to switch.
What surprised him, though, was that Duan Zhao didn’t ask a single question about what might have happened between him and Jiang Yaolin during the recording.
Had he already looked into it?
In a sense, Ji Zhi had guessed right.
Duan Zhao had indeed investigated Ji Zhi and Jiang Yaolin and confirmed nothing had happened between them, which was why he remained so calm.
After that, Duan Zhao mercifully dropped the topic of Jiang Yaolin, allowing Ji Zhi to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
The car sped along the road and soon arrived at their destination.
This time, Duan Zhao had brought Ji Zhi to a house near the school, decorated much like the previous villa. After introducing him to the housekeeper who would look after him and the driver who would take him to school, he showed Ji Zhi to his room and asked if he had any preferred style—he could have it redone.
Ji Zhi shook his head vigorously like a rattle. After all, he had no intention of staying here long-term. He was still hoping to return to the dorm once Duan Zhao’s anger subsided.
But eyeing the king-sized bed in the room made Ji Zhi’s nerves taut.
Last night, he’d been so relieved to have survived the ordeal that he hadn’t given much thought to sharing a bed with Duan Zhao.
Now, the idea of doing so every night made his temples throb faintly—
Should he order a locked pair of underwear on X Bao to protect his lower half? But what if Duan Zhao flew into a rage and called someone to pick the lock?
Maybe fingerprint unlock would be safer…
Ji Zhi fretted anxiously.
Duan Zhao said, “I have business at the company tonight, so after dinner, you can rest first.”
He’d had prior commitments today but had pushed them to evening to visit Ji Zhi at school.
Ji Zhi: !
Remembering Duan Zhao was still standing there, he bit back his smile, careful not to show his delight.
During dinner, Ji Zhi’s expression was noticeably more relaxed.
Duan Zhao noticed and, seeing that Ji Zhi no longer seemed as resistant toward him as before, felt his own mood improve.
True to his word, Duan Zhao left after dinner.
Watching Duan Zhao’s retreating figure, Ji Zhi let out a long breath of relief.
With Duan Zhao gone, Ji Zhi instantly found living there far more bearable. The house was spacious, and the mattress far larger and softer than anything in his dorm.
The next morning, the housekeeper had breakfast ready early. Ji Zhi just had to step out of his room to eat, and the driver waited nearby to take him to school afterward.
Duan Zhao had already sent the driver Ji Zhi’s class schedule for punctual pickups and drop-offs. If Ji Zhi needed to stay late, he’d have to inform Duan Zhao in advance.
It felt like asking a counselor for leave—Ji Zhi wasn’t sure which one would be harder to get approval from.
Heading to school that day, he was quite worried about how his classmates would react.
Duan Zhao’s sudden appearance on campus yesterday had caused quite a stir, not just on campus but trending online too.
Ji Zhi had seen the hot search during dinner. The attached photo was a blurry student candid shot. Though the angle didn’t capture everything clearly, it showed the silhouettes of the principal, Duan Zhao, and Ji Zhi leaving the teaching building.
Though Duan Zhao had quickly suppressed the trend, Ji Zhi had no idea how many people had seen it or recognized him.
The only silver lining was that he no longer had to worry about Fu Huixu spotting it and charging over—Fu Huixu was on leave for now, and Duan Zhao had handled the Jiang Yaolin situation…
But the moment he entered the school, Ji Zhi felt several gazes land on him. He could even faintly overhear discussions speculating if he was the other person in that hot search photo.
Ji Zhi pretended not to notice or hear.
He could ignore stares from strangers, but he had to deal with questions from people he knew.
The instant he entered the classroom, classmates approached—some bluntly curious, others beating around the bush—asking if he and Duan Zhao were close brothers or cousins.
Ji Zhi: !!!
Perfect—they were still thinking in terms of family!
Relieved beyond measure, he immediately agreed they were cousins.
Though their major had small classes, Ji Zhi wasn’t close with most of them. He arrived on time for lectures and left promptly after. He had the class group chat but only added the class monitor and a few seatmates.
Now that word of his “brotherly” connection to Duan Zhao had spread, he received a bunch of friend requests.
Ji Zhi had no interest in small talk with them. He simply ignored the notifications, pocketed his phone, and focused on the lesson.
Only after class did he slip out the back door to the hallway for some fresh air and to check his phone.
He walked to the edge of the corridor and took several breaths of fresh air, casually glancing downstairs.
At this hour, many people were in class. During the brief break, they either headed to the restroom or stayed seated in the classroom, scrolling on their phones. As a result, there weren’t many people downstairs.
Precisely because of this, Ji Zhi spotted a familiar figure at a glance.
