Chapter 1

Late June in South Boundary was at that awkward stage between hot and not hot.

In this kind of weather, the slightest extra movement made you sweat. So Jiang Mian really couldn’t understand how Chen Yishen and the others managed to skip the air-conditioned comfort of their dorms to review, instead choosing to play basketball under the blazing sun.

He took out his cell phone, unlocked it after lowering his head, double-checked the milk tea name Chen Yishen had sent him, and then scanned the QR code to pay. “That’s all.”

The young lady behind the counter flashed him a brilliant smile. “Okay, please wait a moment.”

As the milk teas were made one by one, the clerk was packing them up when Jiang Mian spoke. “Pack the pearl milk tea separately.”

The clerk hurriedly agreed and put it in a separate bag for him.

Jiang Mian reached out and hooked his finger through the bag handles, saying another thanks.

After he turned and left, the staff inside the shop started talking. “Was that Jiang Mian?”

The new girl didn’t know the name and was a bit curious. “Who’s that?”

“The campus heartthrob and Study God from the Law School,” the clerk said. “I heard his cousin is Rong Xun, that Rong Xun from the Finance Department.”

The girl had indeed heard that name. After all, working as a server at a milk tea shop inside South Boundary University, she’d seen it on the honor board her very first day. “No wonder he’s so handsome. Good family genes.”

By the time Jiang Mian rode a shared electric scooter from outside the milk tea shop to the indoor basketball court, Chen Yishen and the others were just taking a halftime break.

He glanced at the scoreboard and hooked his lips up very slightly.

Seeing him arrive, Chen Yishen immediately raised his arm and waved it wildly like a monkey. “Jiang Mian!”

Jiang Mian walked over and handed him a large bag of milk tea. “You guys figure out how to split these.”

The other classmates playing ball all chimed in. “Thanks, Boss, for treating us!”

“Chen Yishen’s treat,” Jiang Mian corrected. “I was just in charge of buying.”

Even his own drink was paid for by Chen Yishen.

So they smoothly shifted their thanks to Chen Yishen.

Chen Yishen’s family was quite well-off. Having two properties in a place like South Boundary, where land was worth its weight in gold, wasn’t all; they also ran a bit of a business, enough for Chen Yishen to splurge a little now and then.

Besides, a dozen or so milk teas wasn’t really splurging for Chen Yishen.

He took after his stepfather in personality—generous.

Jiang Mian gestured to Chen Yishen. “Keys.”

He’d forgotten his dorm room key when he left today. He and Chen Yishen had paid for a double room, an extra sixteen hundred a month, just like renting a place outside—though much cheaper than renting outside.

Chen Yishen took a sip of his ice-cold taro sago, feeling utterly refreshed. “In my bag. You’ll have to look for them.”

Jiang Mian fell silent for a few seconds, then asked slowly, “You haven’t been to see your girlfriend these past two days, have you?”

Reminded of certain awkward memories, Chen Yishen coughed. “No! Finals are coming up! I’m already swamped trying to grind credits, okay! She’s studying Traditional Chinese Medicine and is also super busy with finals!”

That was good. That way, a repeat of last time wouldn’t happen—when Jiang Mian was looking in Chen Yishen’s bag for his notebook and spotted a certain small box.

Jiang Mian turned around and went to the pile of bags to find Chen Yishen’s. He rummaged through it and finally found his keys in a small compartment.

He took the keys and was about to leave. After all, he wasn’t close with Chen Yishen’s friends, and with finals approaching, he wanted to go back and review some more.

But before he could go, someone called out to him. “Hey, Jiang Mian.”

Jiang Mian stopped and looked back at that classmate. “What is it?”

The classmate asked, “Chen Yishen’s been telling people again that he has a twin brother who looks exactly like him. Is it really identical?”

Jiang Mian told the truth. “I haven’t met him.”

Jiang Mian was actually a bit surprised.

He and Chen Yishen had been classmates since middle and high school, friends in another sense of the word. It was normal for them to ask him.

What surprised him was that they were asking him about this specific thing.

That classmate turned back to laugh at Chen Yishen. “Jiang Mian’s known you for so many years and hasn’t even seen him. You sure you haven’t just developed a delusion from wanting an older brother too badly? How about you just call me Brother, and I’ll accept you as a cheap little brother?”

Chen Yishen said, “Get lost, get lost! I really have one!”

“Evidence, then? Classmate Chen, when we speak and act, we need evidence. You’re making claims with no proof. Take it to court, and the Judge won’t believe you.”

“He’s been separated from me since we were little. He followed my biological dad. I’ve only seen him a few times… Who takes pictures of a face that looks exactly like their own!”

As they joked and laughed, Jiang Mian just nodded at them. Even though no one was paying him any attention, he still made his gesture, then quietly left.

After he was gone, the classmate who’d first started the conversation watched Jiang Mian’s retreating figure, then nudged Chen Yishen. “Forget about your brother for now.”

He said, “Let’s chat about Jiang Mian instead.”

Chen Yishen eyed him suspiciously. “What for? Song Wen, you’re not gay, are you?”

“Get lost, you.” Song Wen kicked him. “I’m just curious about our Study God.”

Song Wen wasn’t in their class and didn’t know Jiang Mian well, only having the most basic impression. “Feels like even though we’ve met so many times, he’s still so hard to talk to.”

Others couldn’t help but sigh too. “Yeah, Jiang Mian just has this certain… aura, you know? Feels like it’s hard to get along with him—not saying he’s a bad person, mind you.”

Chen Yishen said, “Jiang Mian’s just that kind of personality.”

He explained on behalf of his good friend. “A bit serious, not very good at socializing, but actually very easygoing.”

Someone else agreed with him. “Yeah, yeah! Last time, I screwed up my courage to ask Jiang Mian to mark the key points for me. Not only did he mark them, he also explained several problems I didn’t understand.”

“We’re in the same class, of course we know Jiang Mian is easygoing. But it’s just… we still don’t dare talk to him much about other things.”

In their eyes, Jiang Mian was like the Scales on the Legal Emblem: sacred.

——

Jiang Mian didn’t know they were discussing him after he left. But even if he’d known, he wouldn’t have reacted.

Because he didn’t care.

Jiang Mian returned to his dorm alone. After hesitating for a moment, he turned on the Air Conditioner anyway.

He poked the straw into his milk tea and opened his Criminal Procedure Law textbook to review earnestly.

When mealtime came around, Chen Yishen called. “What do you want for dinner? I’ll bring it back for you.”

This kind of weather, Jiang Mian didn’t like squeezing into the cafeteria.

So he didn’t stand on ceremony. “Braised chicken wing with rice, I guess.”

He paused. “If it’s on your way, help me grab a bottle of mosquito repellent.”

Chen Yishen exaggerated, “No way, Lawyer Jiang. It’s only twenty-nine degrees, and there are mosquitoes brave enough to bite you already?”

Jiang Mian, who wasn’t good at taking jokes, simply said, “Yeah.”

Hearing his straight-faced “Yeah,” Chen Yishen didn’t get mad. After so many years of friendship, he was long used to it. “Alright, I’m off, then.”

“Okay.”

When Chen Yishen came back carrying two takeout boxes, Jiang Mian was about to transfer him money when Chen Yishen stopped him. “Hey, no need.”

He grinned. “Got a favor to ask.”

Jiang Mian put down his phone, unwrapped his box, and asked, “The thing about Zhou Yuhui’s birthday?”

Chen Yishen snapped his fingers. “As expected of our Lawyer Jiang, so smart.”

He sighed. “I asked her what gift she wanted, she said anything is fine, everything is okay. Even told me I don’t have to give anything, since we’ve been dating for so many years now, there’s no need.”

Chen Yishen and Zhou Yuhui had been dating since high school, an early romance, then agreed on South Boundary University together. They’d been together for almost five years now. Both sets of parents knew, and they’d probably get engaged after college graduation.

Chen Yishen had made a big fuss when he was chasing Zhou Yuhui, and Jiang Mian even helped him. Because of this, Chen Yishen often lamented that without Jiang Mian as his bro, he’d probably be single his whole life.

“She wants a surprise.” Jiang Mian took a mouthful of plain rice first, swallowed, then said, “Give her something with ‘heartfelt meaning.'”

Chen Yishen asked, “Heartfelt meaning? Or ‘novel’ meaning?”

Jiang Mian looked at him and poked his own chest with the tail end of his chopsticks. “Heartfelt meaning.”

Chen Yishen immediately nodded. “Got it.”

“But I don’t know what’s good to give. Over these five years, I’ve practically given everything I could.”

Jiang Mian sighed softly.

He took out his phone, found Zhou Yuhui’s contact, and scrolled through her social updates. “Handmade DIY silver jewelry is really popular lately. Take her there. She posted about it on her Moments.”

Jiang Mian’s tone was calm. “Chen Yishen, if you want to collect my red envelope at your wedding, please pay a bit more attention to your girlfriend’s social updates, okay?”

Chen Yishen scratched his head, grinning foolishly. “I saw it, but I didn’t think of it that way. Before, Huihui always told me directly or hinted directly…”

Jiang Mian knew where his EQ was lacking, so he reminded him again. “If the shop clerk recommends you make a Ring, don’t nod.”

“Ah? Why?”

“Zhou Yuhui values a sense of ceremony. Something like a ring, she hopes you’ll be giving it to her as a proposal.”

“Oh, oh, oh! Thanks, our Great Lawyer Jiang!”

Chen Yishen laughed, then gestured to him. “Hey, after finals, a bunch of us are having a mixer. You coming?”

“No.”

“Why not? With that face of yours, just sitting there, tons of people will come add you. Lawyer Jiang, your big brother here is very worried about your love life.”

Jiang Mian glanced at him, his voice still as light and calm as ever. “Since when did you become my ‘big brother’?”

Chen Yishen smoothly replied, “I’m your little brother.”

Jiang Mian, who truly was just asking out of confusion, couldn’t respond to that.

Chen Yishen watched the faint trace of bewilderment between Jiang Mian’s brows and sighed inwardly.

This good brother of his was genuinely good-looking.

Ever since they met in middle school, they’d been called the school’s heartthrobs, each claiming half the mountain of admirers.

But everyone had always kept a respectful distance from Jiang Mian.

Jiang Mian had classic Willow Leaf Eyes, long, slender, and beautiful, though their too-deep color made them seem somewhat cold.

His lip line sloped downwards, his lips thin and sharp. Paired with a rather prominent nose bridge and fair skin, that sense of aloofness was even stronger.

But no one knew he was just naturally a bit airheaded.

Jiang Mian had absolutely no interest in the mixer, and Chen Yishen didn’t push it.

The Final Exams arrived quickly and ended just as fast.

After they were over, almost everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief, and Jiang Mian was no exception.

After all, Law during finals time was seriously a bit of a headache.

Even busier than the college entrance exams.

Without any lingering attachment, Jiang Mian packed up his things to go home. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to give Chen Yishen a mid-priced collaboration series phone charm he’d picked out a few days ago at the campus accessory shop. “Help me give this to Zhou Yuhui.”

Chen Yishen asked, “You’re not coming to Huihui’s birthday?”

“You two go enjoy your couple time. My dad set up a position at a Law Firm for me; I’m going to do a part-time internship.”

“Alright, come over to my place to hang out when you’re free. We still haven’t finished that puzzle from last time.”

The puzzle was their club assignment. Counting the days, it was due next month.

This counted towards their participation grade, so Jiang Mian truly would have to go.

He said okay, then said bye to Chen Yishen.

——

While packing his things, Chen Yishen unexpectedly received an overseas call.

He paused, then reached out to answer it. “Hello?”

“It’s me.”

The voice on the other end was somewhat similar to his, but lower and a bit hoarser. “I’m returning to the country tomorrow.”

Chen Yishen’s eyes widened in surprise and delight. “Brother! Are you coming back to stay?”

Chen Gu replied, “Temporarily.”

Chen Yishen said, “That’s great! Want to stay with me? I live alone, got extra rooms!”

“Sure.”

“Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow and give you the keys then.”

The brothers didn’t say much else. After confirming the time, they hung up.

On the other side of the ocean, Chen Gu leaned against the window, gazing at the room full of strangely colored oil paintings, absently toying with the ivy outside the window.

The basement was a bit chilly, the air thick with the smell of turpentine, somewhat intoxicating for a Painter.

His fingertip tangled with an ivy vine, winding tighter and tighter, until it tied off his fingertip, leaving it cold, red, and purple. Only then did he release himself.

And throughout this entire process, Chen Gu wore a faint smile on his face.

Because he was in a very good mood.