As it turned out, Jiang Mian’s relief that Chen Gu had flown out this morning was utterly premature.
Shortly after his morning classes ended and he returned to the dorm, right around lunchtime, he received a call from a delivery driver.
The driver said it was a Fresh Shrimp Braised Rice, with his name and phone number on the order. But Jiang Mian hadn’t ordered anything.
Just as Jiang Mian expressed his confusion, the delivery driver let out an “Oh” and added, “The note says to tell you it’s from Chen Gu.”
Jiang Mian: “…”
He hadn’t expected Chen Gu, still on the plane, to pull something like this.
In the end, Jiang Mian went to pick up the delivery. He wasn’t sure if Chen Gu had specifically asked the restaurant for a smaller portion with more variety, but this bowl of braised rice had only a little rice. Not only were there shrimp, but also potatoes, wood ear mushrooms, lettuce, enoki mushrooms, tofu skin…
Since Chen Gu hadn’t told him about it, Jiang Mian had to open their chat to ask.
He waited a minute before getting a reply from Chen Gu, still on the plane: 【Mm. Eat first.】
Only after confirming Chen Gu had ordered it did Jiang Mian feel at ease picking up his chopsticks.
He bit into a piece of shrimp perfectly drenched in sauce and hesitated before asking, “How did you know I wanted to eat this?”
【Chen Gu: Such a coincidence?】
【Chen Gu: I just happened to be craving it a little. Since you never said you don’t eat shrimp, I ordered it for you.】
That really was quite the coincidence.
Jiang Mian didn’t think even Chen Gu could have calculated this. After all, what a person wanted to eat was a random occurrence.
Before he could reply, another message popped up from Chen Gu: 【Is it good? I saw their shop rating was pretty high.】
【Jiang Mian: It’s okay. Their sauce is quite unique.】
【Jiang Mian: It’s not my first time eating there.】
After all, having lived in South Boundary for so many years, unless it was some newly opened place he didn’t know about, Jiang Mian had been to old establishments like this many times.
Chen Gu didn’t say something like “I’m glad you like it,” which would definitely fluster someone of Jiang Mian’s temperament. Instead, he steered the topic to self-pity: 【Now I’m hungry too.】
Even through a screen, Jiang Mian could keenly sense the hidden message beneath this sentence.
He bit his chopstick lightly. “You haven’t eaten?”
【Chen Gu: I don’t like airplane food. Just prepared some bread for myself.】
But Chen Gu would be on the plane for a whole day.
Jiang Mian pursed his lips slightly.
Indeed, Chen Gu spent a full 24 hours on the plane.
By the time he landed, due to the time difference, it was still the wee hours of the morning here. Getting a taxi was tough.
But he had someone to pick him up.
Chen Gu didn’t bother sulking with Chen Hongyu, insisting on waiting until daylight here.
He let the Assistant lift his suitcase and open the car door for him as he got into the back seat.
Unsurprisingly, Chen Hongyu was not in the car.
He leaned back against the leather seat, listening to the Assistant respectfully say in a hushed voice, “If you’re tired, you can sleep. We’ll wake you when we arrive.”
Chen Gu: “I don’t want to see him. Tell him to come crawling to me himself.”
His tone was flat. Those puppy-dog eyes held none of the softness or pitifulness he showed around Jiang Mian. Instead, they were filled with a cold ferocity he had never displayed before, making him seem like the legendary “Ghost Mastiff.”
The kind of terrifying, fierce existence.
The Driver was new, unaware of the undercurrents here. He spoke hesitantly, “But Little Mr. Chen, the Mister instructed us to take you to him…”
The Assistant silenced the Driver with a gesture. Without batting an eye, he nodded at Chen Gu. “Very well. I will relay the message.”
He gave the Driver an address. “Go here.”
That was Chen Gu’s own residence.
Chen Gu didn’t speak again. He simply closed his eyes.
The moment he got off the plane and set foot on this land, his suppressed emotions began struggling wildly within the tiny cage that held them.
Uncontrollable impulses, like a demon’s scythe, threatened not only to sever all his threads of reason, but to force him to seize that blade and lop off someone’s head.
After driving for a while, the Driver, probably assuming Chen Gu was asleep, secretly asked the Assistant, “Didn’t the Mister want us to bring Little Mr. Chen to him?”
The Assistant answered calmly, “The Mister always prioritizes Little Mr. Chen’s requests. Even if the Mister were here right now, and Little Mr. Chen told him to get lost, the Mister would get out of the car first.”
Inside, Chen Gu let out a cold scoff.
Chen Hongyu was good at nothing else, but he was truly a master at putting on an act.
If his name wasn’t on the Oscar Best Actor monument, it was an insult to the award’s value.
Chen Gu’s home abroad was a small Western-style house.
Upon arriving, he didn’t rush to unpack. He took a shower first, then went straight to sleep.
He wasn’t used to sleeping on planes. Even in first class, just knowing someone else was in the same space made his sense of security not just very low—it was practically in the negatives.
But before sleeping, Chen Gu first replied to Jiang Mian’s messages.
【Chen Gu: Arrived. Going to sleep first. Call if anything.】
He always put his phone on Do Not Disturb when sleeping. Jiang Mian was just his only exception contact.
Honestly, Chen Gu found it a bit hard to fall asleep.
Because his entire being was teetering on the edge of exploding or not. Yet, seeing the name “Jiang Mian,” he thought of Jiang Mian’s overly clear eyes.
Jiang Mian said the sunrise photo he took was beautiful. But Chen Gu thought the most beautiful scenery in the world was on Jiang Mian.
Strangely, Chen Gu’s heart calmed down.
He curved his lips, calculating the days in his head. Just thinking that after wrapping up the annoying business here quickly and returning to South Boundary, he could see Jiang Mian—even the people, matters, and things here didn’t seem so infuriating anymore.
Chen Gu slept straight through till three in the afternoon, local time.
Waking up, he first noticed the six missed calls from Chen Hongyu and the text messages sent every half hour asking, “Are you awake?”
He lit a cigarette first.
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the glorious scenery, listening to the cheerful chirping of unknown birds in the branches, his gaze remained a sheet of cold frost.
So, one cigarette burned to the end, and he lit another.
Until a message from Chen Yishen arrived.
At first, hearing the DingDong sound, Chen Gu glanced subconsciously. Seeing the notification banner showed it was Chen Yishen, he almost lost interest and put the phone down.
Thankfully, Chen Yishen’s typing speed saved this conversation.
Because the notification preview showed a line: 【Brother, look at Jiang Mian.】
Chen Gu clicked in without hesitation.
What Chen Yishen had sent first was a photo.
The person in the photo was Jiang Mian. He was wearing a black and red jersey, head lowered as he adjusted his wrist guard.
Jiang Mian’s features were the kind that, at first glance, gave a very delicate, fresh impression.
But this “freshness” wasn’t a euphemism for anything. It was simply that seeing him, you’d understand that the word “fresh and refined” could be another peak of attractiveness.
And against the black and red jersey, his normally slightly distant willow-leaf eyes gained an edge of intimidation. His whole person looked cold and aloof.
Why did he look a bit unhappy?
Also… Chen Gu had heard from Chen Yishen before that Jiang Mian was on the basketball team, but only as a substitute, and he’d never actually played.
Yet today he was playing?
Chen Gu didn’t ask Chen Yishen this question. He simply transferred one hundred yuan to Chen Yishen.
【Chen Yishen: ?】
【Chen Gu: During evening self-study, bring him a Bubble Tea. Just pearls, no ice, full sugar.】
【Chen Gu: The rest is delivery fee.】
【Chen Yishen: Oh, oh, okay.】
【Chen Yishen: But Brother, why do you suddenly want me to bring Jiang Mian milk tea?】
Chen Gu didn’t reply to that.
On the other side of the vast ocean, Jiang Mian, doing warm-up exercises amidst the suppressed shrieks of girls, though silent on the surface, would definitely have made Chen Gu laugh internally. He was practically radiating the words “Why is this my life” all over again.
Because he’d joined the basketball team solely for credits.
The Senior Brother who had recruited him had promised he’d never have to play. He only needed to show up for games and sit there, basically being a pretty face for the team.
But that Senior Brother had graduated. Jiang Mian had also forgotten to quit the team. Which led to today—because a team member was injured and couldn’t play, the Coach dragged him out to make up the numbers in a practice match.
Quitting on the spot now would be bad, so Jiang Mian could only steel himself and go for it.
No one knew who spread the word that the two campus heartthrobs from the Law School were playing. Now the gymnasium was packed solid.
Considering Chen Yishen had a girlfriend, and his girlfriend was also present, more than half the stares were on him.
Even as slow as Jiang Mian could be, he could feel it.
Their Law School was playing a practice match against the neighboring Music Department today. Chen Yishen was childishly throwing trash talk at the opponents.
Because Jiang Mian and Chen Yishen’s faces had drawn such overwhelming popularity, the Music Department’s Captain said resentfully, “If only our Department Heartthrob, Liang Buyuan, was willing to join group activities! This spotlight wouldn’t be yours!”
Chen Yishen shot back with an International Friendly Gesture.
After the practice match, Jiang Mian followed Chen Yishen over to Zhou Yuhui.
Zhou Yuhui handed water to Chen Yishen and a sports drink to Jiang Mian. “You were both so cool!”
Jiang Mian wasn’t weak in stamina; he wasn’t a sports idiot. His passes were good, and he’d sunk a few baskets.
He leaned against the railing to stand—he’d wanted to sit, but before his knees could bend, he remembered Chen Gu saying not to sit right after exercise. So he could only find a support point to prop himself up.
Since evening self-study was about to start, they didn’t linger. They went back, took turns showering, then headed to self-study.
Jiang Mian showered first and left first, not waiting for Chen Yishen.
Mainly, he wasn’t used to moving in packs.
Then, after settling into a seat in the lecture hall, Chen Yishen arrived fashionably late, nearly tardy, and placed a cup of iced pearl milk tea next to him.
Jiang Mian paused. Before he could ask, Chen Yishen said in a lowered voice, “It’s not from me. My brother asked me to bring it. He even sent me a delivery fee.”
Jiang Mian was even more stunned.
Chen Yishen tried again to get from Jiang Mian the answer he couldn’t get from Chen Gu. “Why is my brother suddenly buying you milk tea?”
Good question.
He wanted to know, too.
Jiang Mian gave a vague “Mm” without offering any meaningful word. He pulled out his phone to message Chen Gu.
【Jiang Mian: Why did you suddenly buy me milk tea?】
When the message arrived, Chen Gu was on the second floor, watching Chen Hongyu, dressed in a suit, walking down the small path towards his house.
Initially, Chen Hongyu couldn’t even enter this residential compound.
And upon discovering Chen Gu had deliberately chosen this place, Chen Hongyu, without a second thought, had bought a villa here to become a property owner. He could now openly enter and had even found out which building Chen Gu lived in.
Chen Gu didn’t play money games with him by constantly moving to new compounds Chen Hongyu hadn’t bought into.
Because he knew that even if his paintings fetched sky-high prices, he ultimately couldn’t outmatch a capitalist.
And there was no need, for someone like Chen Hongyu—no matter what emotion, there was no need—to spend unnecessary money.
As long as Chen Hongyu couldn’t enter this residence, that was enough.
Chen Gu lowered his eyes, focused on typing on his phone. At the very moment the doorbell rang, the message was sent out—
【Chen Gu: I’m in a bad mood. So I wanted you to have something sweet.】
It was enough if he alone was in a bad mood. Jiang Mian should smile more.
