Spring turned to summer, and Su Bin completed his first year of studies at M University with grades in the second tier or above, allowing him to continue his undergraduate education there. In China, educational qualifications are deeply valued, so this result brought Su Bin great relief. However, Su Bin’s successful continuation in school also meant one thing—Jin Fei was graduating.
Before the exam period, Su Bin learned that Jin Fei did not plan to pursue a master’s degree. Jin Fei was still undecided about his next steps—possibly returning to China or staying in Country B to seek other business opportunities and continue his entrepreneurial ventures, as he could apply for a business visa due to his status as an investor in “Su Boss’s” enterprise.
Su Bin certainly didn’t want him to leave and had been playing the emotional card daily. However, Jin Fei was not keen on staying in one place for too long. He loved to travel, seek adventures, and live a fresh life. Despite being loyal and brotherly, the chances of Jin Fei staying in M City for Su Bin were very slim. This thought left Su Bin feeling dejected.
One day, Su Bin and Sun Yujie were working at the takeaway shop. With the arrival of summer vacation, customer traffic decreased, and the business hours were shortened. Su Bin gave Dani a short break and took turns with Qin Chao managing the shop.
Coincidentally, a female classmate from their department came to buy food and asked, “Are you going to attend Leo’s graduation ceremony?”
Indeed, Cheng Ang, who was in the same grade as Jin Fei, was also graduating this year. It was said that he achieved first-class honors, making quite an impression.
Su Bin had already decided to attend Jin Fei’s graduation ceremony, so he naturally wouldn’t go to Cheng Ang’s. As for Sun Yujie, he was avoiding Cheng Ang due to their unpleasant past and would never actively seek a meeting.
The girl continued, “Afterwards, there’s a farewell party. Leo booked the whole place at ‘Heart of China.’ Did you know?”
Su Bin was shocked, “The finance department doesn’t have that many people. Is it necessary to book the whole place?”
The expenses at Heart of China were very high. The restaurant was well-known, luxuriously decorated, and people went there more for the status than the food quality. Su Bin still remembered the New Year’s Eve dinner there, where just five people spent nearly two hundred dollars, equivalent to two thousand yuan. How much would it cost to book the whole place?
The girl said, “Besides our finance department, there will be many other handsome guys and beautiful girls from different departments. Oh, Leo also said we’re welcome to bring friends. He’ll accommodate however many people come.”
…Wow, how extravagant!
Su Bin understood. This wasn’t just a dinner; it was a social event! Those personally invited by Cheng Ang were his acquaintances, but their friends might not know each other. Through this event, Cheng Ang could showcase his academic and familial background and expand his social network.
…Such high-level events were truly beyond the reach of ordinary international students.
“So, are you going?” the girl asked again.
Su Bin himself had no significant grudge against Cheng Ang. They even received excellent grades in a group discussion last semester. Logically, attending such an event to congratulate him would be appropriate. However, as Sun Yujie’s friend, Su Bin felt attending such an event would be a betrayal. Moreover, thinking about Cheng Ang’s heartless actions towards Sun Yujie made Su Bin uncomfortable.
Seeing a hint of melancholy in Sun Yujie’s eyes, Su Bin sighed and declined the girl’s invitation, “Forget it, we’re not going.”
“What? Neither of you?” The girl looked at them with a strange expression and said, “Hey, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you two for a long time…”
Su Bin and Sun Yujie’s hearts skipped a beat. The former worried she would ask if he was “Su Boss,” while the latter feared his past relationship with Cheng Ang would be exposed…
They were both anxious, but the girl lowered her voice and asked, “Are you two a couple?”
Su Bin & Sun Yujie: “Pfft—!”
Their faces turned red instantly, seemingly confirming the girl’s suspicion.
Su Bin awkwardly said, “Why would you think that?”
The girl replied, “I knew Jason was gay, but Su Bin, when you first came here, didn’t you say you had a girlfriend back home? A straight guy hanging out so closely with a gay guy, then saying you broke up with your girlfriend recently, it makes anyone suspicious! Besides, you two are always together in class, after class, and even working together. It’s so gay!”
Sun Yujie protested, “Don’t talk nonsense, we’re not!”
The girl giggled, “It’s okay if you are, I don’t discriminate.”
Su Bin said, “We really aren’t!”
Seeing their firm denials, the girl reluctantly believed them but still smiled ambiguously.
After she left, Su Bin and Sun Yujie looked at each other, both amused and exasperated.
Though Su Bin had refuted the girl, he couldn’t help but imagine how he and Sun Yujie might appear to others as an intimate couple.
—Su Bin: “Xiao Jie~~ I miss you~~~”
—Sun Yujie: “Hubby~~ I miss you too~~~”
Ahhhh…
Su Bin got goosebumps and said to Sun Yujie, “Should we keep some distance?”
“You…” Sun Yujie was stunned, then picked up a rag and smacked Su Bin’s arm, “I thought you were my best friend!”
Hearing “best friend,” Su Bin immediately felt guilty and said, “I’m sorry, I was wrong… forget I said that.”
Sun Yujie clutched his chest dramatically, “You’ve already hurt my heart, how cruel~~”
Su Bin: “I’m sorry!”
Sun Yujie: “Wah wah wah~~~”
Su Bin: “…Xiao Jie, I think you should take up acting!”
Qi Xin came to the shop to take over their shift and saw them pushing each other, saying things like “You’re so mean” and “I’m sorry,” and frowned, “What are you two doing? It’s disgusting!”
Su Bin: “……” Ahhh~~
That evening, Su Bin told Jin Fei about Cheng Ang booking Heart of China for a party.
Jin Fei: “Huh? He booked the whole place? That’s over the top.”
Su Bin: “You think so too?”
Jin Fei: “Am I that extravagant?”
Su Bin glanced at Jin Fei’s designer clothes and found his statement unconvincing.
Jin Fei rubbed his chin: “It sounds interesting. Why aren’t you and Xiao Jie going? As his juniors, it’s natural for you to attend. What are you afraid of?”
Su Bin: “Uh, afraid Xiao Jie will feel awkward.”
Jin Fei: “What’s there to be awkward about? Tell Xiao Jie to bring Andy! Cheng Ang said guests can bring friends, right? He might end up feeling more awkward than anyone else, haha!”
Su Bin: “Why?”
Jin Fei: “Xiao Jie and Andy are so close. They live together and cook together every day. If Cheng Ang still has feelings for Xiao Jie, he’ll definitely feel upset!”
Su Bin didn’t get it: “They broke up, and Cheng Ang even gave him a breakup gift. Why would he feel upset? And how does he even know Xiao Jie and Andy live together?”
Jin Fei: “He asked me.”
Su Bin: “What the…!”
Jin Fei: “He can’t understand his own feelings. He probably still has lingering feelings but won’t admit it. That’s just how he is, haha.”
Su Bin: “And you told him? I thought you two were sworn enemies?”
Jin Fei raised an eyebrow: “Of course, for a price.”
Su Bin: “So, how much did Cheng Ang pay you?”
Jin Fei: “Do you think money can buy me?”
Su Bin: “…I feel like there’s something fishy between you two!”
Jin Fei grabbed a couch cushion and threw it at Su Bin: “Fishy your butt!”
Su Bin hugged the cushion and laughed: “Then tell me, how did you and Cheng Ang become enemies?”
Jin Fei leaned back on the sofa, took a few deep breaths, and seeing Su Bin’s curious expression, he ruffled his hair and finally started talking.
It turned out that Jin Fei and Cheng Ang attended the same elite school from a young age. The school was so prestigious that it was filled with children of celebrities and officials. From elementary school, Jin Fei witnessed various forms of bootlicking and sucking up. Family background determined a child’s status in school. Even a rich kid like Jin Fei was just average.
Of course, if someone wanted to stand out, it wasn’t hard. For example, frequently treating classmates and socializing could make one popular, like Cheng Ang did. The Jin and Cheng families were on the same economic level and business partners. Because of this, Jin Fei and Cheng Ang often met at social events outside of school, inevitably being compared to each other.
Cheng Ang was a “model student” in the eyes of the teachers. He had good social skills, excellent academic performance, and was very popular. Jin Fei, on the other hand, had average grades and a rebellious personality, doing whatever he wanted without trying to please others.
Jin Fei didn’t mind the contrast. He wasn’t the type to get petty if someone outdid him. Because of their families’ relationship, he and Cheng Ang maintained a friendship. Once, Cheng Ang, drunk, confided in Jin Fei about his struggles. He revealed that his “smooth” behavior was due to family expectations, and he wasn’t happy.
“I felt sorry for him. He had a tougher life than me,” Jin Fei sighed.
Imagining a middle schooler constantly hiding his true feelings behind a perfect facade, Su Bin also felt it was a bit horrifying. After that talk, Cheng Ang started showing his true, more unpleasant self to Jin Fei.
“He’s a hypocrite. All those pranks I pulled with some guys, the bad ideas were all his!”
If it weren’t for what happened next, Jin Fei and Cheng Ang might have remained good friends. But events took an unexpected turn.
In Jin Fei’s last year in China, during his first year of high school, he fell for a girl and pursued her openly, much like Su Bin had pursued Chen Xiaotian. Jin Fei’s pursuit was well-known throughout the school.
Su Bin: “Was it your first love?”
Jin Fei thought for a moment: “I guess so. I had flings before, but they were just for fun.”
At first, the girl was aloof, but after nearly six months of Jin Fei’s persistent efforts, she finally agreed to date him. Jin Fei flaunted his new relationship, feeling on top of the world. However, just a month later, the girl broke up with him and quickly got together with Cheng Ang.
“Damn!” Su Bin finally understood why Jin Fei had often comforted him by saying he’d been through something similar.
Su Bin: “Cheng Ang stole your girlfriend?”
Jin Fei: “Strictly speaking, I misjudged her character.”
Su Bin: “…What do you mean?”
“After a month with me, she felt we were incompatible and broke up. Then she confessed to Cheng Ang, who didn’t refuse, and they got together.” Jin Fei spoke lightly, but Su Bin knew it must have hurt deeply at the time.
Jin Fei: “Can you believe it?”
Su Bin shook his head. He couldn’t understand why Cheng Ang would do that. If he considered Jin Fei a friend, why would he get involved then?
Jin Fei smiled bitterly: “Back then, I was really into her. I even asked Cheng Ang if he genuinely liked her, thinking that if he did, I’d let them be together. Cheng Ang hesitated and said, ‘Maybe.’”
Su Bin: “…” Maybe? Those words would make anyone want to punch him!”
Jin Fei chuckled: “I was a fool back then, telling him to treat her well.”
Su Bin: “…”
Jin Fei: “A month later, Cheng Ang dumped her.”
This twist made Su Bin feel a pang of sympathy for Jin Fei.
Jin Fei: “I asked him why he broke up with her. Guess what that jerk said?”
Su Bin: “What did he say?”
Jin Fei: “He said he didn’t like her. I asked why he dated her then. He said he wanted to see what it felt like since I was so into her.”
Su Bin: “…” Is Cheng Ang out to get you?”
Jin Fei: “Do you think I should hate him?”
Su Bin: “Absolutely!”
Watching someone easily get what you deeply desired and then treat it as nothing would be unbearable for anyone, especially a friend. From then on, Jin Fei and Cheng Ang’s relationship was irreparably damaged. Jin Fei couldn’t stand Cheng Ang and opposed him at every turn, while Cheng Ang resented Jin Fei for being antagonistic. Their grudge deepened, and they became sworn enemies.
After finishing his first year, Jin Fei went abroad, while Cheng Ang stayed in China, attending an international school before applying to M University. By coincidence, they ended up in the same city again. Knowing they didn’t get along, they mostly avoided each other until Sun Yujie’s situation brought them back into contact.
