Chapter 27: Pei He: The greatly wronged Pei He’s face must be pitch black right now…

Zhou Zhuoyuan had never been carsick before, but this time—whether it was Ji He’s malicious prank that had startled him, the excitement from just confirming his relationship with He Qinglan, or the overpowering scent of the air freshener the rideshare driver had chosen—in any case, after riding for over half an hour, he began to feel dizzy and nauseous.

He Qinglan stopped at a service area to buy some motion sickness pills and fed them to him. They contained a sedative ingredient, so Zhou Zhuoyuan soon dozed off against the window. It was his first romance, and he hadn’t yet learned how to lean on his boyfriend.

He Qinglan shrugged off his jacket, folded it neatly into a pillow, and gently guided Zhou Zhuoyuan to rest his head on his lap.

He slept the whole way to the school gate. When the car door slid open, a blast of cold wind woke him. The car had grown stuffy and warm, and the breeze brought just the right touch of refreshing chill.

He Qinglan had already hauled their luggage to the roadside. Once the driver pulled away, he draped the jacket over Zhou Zhuoyuan’s shoulders and squatted down. “Hop on. I’ll carry you back.”

Zhou Zhuoyuan’s instinct was to refuse, but He Qinglan’s flushed ears and eager gaze made him swallow the words.

It wasn’t pity or condescension. As lovers, He Qinglan was entitled to occasionally override Zhou Zhuoyuan’s wishes with a bit of corny affection—and it deserved understanding, even indulgence.

So Zhou Zhuoyuan simply pointed out the repercussions of such blatant PDA. “What about our luggage?”

Ever considerate, He Qinglan had no intention of troubling him over something so minor. “Pei He can handle it. I texted him ahead—he’ll be here any second.”

With nothing left to say, Zhou Zhuoyuan shot him a look of helpless fondness and clambered onto He Qinglan’s back with practiced ease.

Pei He was nothing if not punctual. He appeared right as He Qinglan hoisted Zhou Zhuoyuan up.

Zhou Zhuoyuan had no idea just how thunderously dark poor Pei He’s face had turned, though his curiosity burned. For once, though, his empathy kicked in—if it were him, he’d hate for anyone to see, let alone his love rival.

He tamped down the urge to peek and nestled against He Qinglan’s shoulder, drifting off to sleep.

Pei He wore a backpack the size of a turtle shell, dragging two suitcases—one in each hand—while his long bangs failed to conceal his grotesquely twisted expression.

“I think you two are being a little unethical,” he said.

He Qinglan genuinely worried that Zhou Zhuoyuan, who’d been listless since last night, might collapse after the long trek back to the dorm following all that travel. He had zero intention of rubbing it in poor, hopeless Pei He’s face. “Sorry. Little Yuan and I will buy you dinner tomorrow.”

At those words, Pei He finally cracked, rolling his eyes dramatically behind their backs.

Did He Qinglan really have nerves of steel, oblivious to his feelings? Or was he fully aware and deliberately nudging him to back off?

They were clearly the better match—their names both had “He,” practically guaranteeing a happy ending if they got together.

It was all Zhou Zhuoyuan’s fault. That face of his was custom-made to reel people in, and he never took proper care of himself, always making He Qinglan fret. Today, for whatever reason, he’d gone completely still and silent, face buried out of sight.