Ye Mingxuan, flustered in his fancy clothes, nearly lost his footing. His feet slipped, and he scrambled to grab the banister, narrowly avoiding a fall down the stairs.
“…
With Aunt Fu’s reassurance, Ye Mingxuan straightened up, his face flushed, and glanced at Tan Sizhe.
The latter had long turned his head away, staring unblinkingly at the newspaper, seemingly oblivious to the scene.
Ye Mingxuan’s awkwardness eased slightly as he shuffled over in his slippers.
Aunt Fu remarked, “Mr. Mingxuan looks truly handsome today. This outfit fits perfectly and complements your complexion beautifully.”
Receiving such praise for the first time, Ye Mingxuan responded awkwardly, “Thank you, Aunt Fu.”
“No need to thank me—it’s the truth! Wouldn’t you agree, sir?”
Ye Mingxuan glanced at Tan Sizhe, who took a sip of congee with his head bowed, his expression hard to read. “Mhm.”
Cool air wafted from the room, easing Ye Mingxuan’s flushed heat. He lifted his glass, burying half his face in it.
Didn’t you say you’d be happy?
Ye Mingxuan blinked his lashes twice, silently sipping his soy milk.
Tan Sizhe suddenly asked, “When did you get your hair cut?”
Ye Mingxuan lifted his head, his clear pupils fluttering slightly as he licked soy milk from his lips.
Tan Sizhe watched the movement, his gaze darkening briefly before he quickly concealed it.
“I cut it. I cut it,” Aunt Fu chuckled. “Yesterday I saw Mr. Mingxuan’s hair had grown long, so I trimmed it a bit. Not bad for my first try, huh?”
Ye Mingxuan shyly brushed aside the strands of hair falling across his forehead.
“It looks good.”
Ye Mingxuan paused, his fingers still in motion, and looked up at Tan Sizhe. His reflection was mirrored in the other man’s dark eyes.
He flushed and looked away. “Thank you, sir.”
Tan Sizhe’s lips curved slightly.
Then, Ye Mingxuan felt something warm crawl up his calf, rubbing against him restlessly.
Startled, Ye Mingxuan looked under the table. The man’s bare foot slipped into his pant leg, curling upward along Ye Mingxuan’s smooth, pale calf.
A tingling current shot from his shin to his thigh. Ye Mingxuan dropped the soup ladle, which clattered into the bowl.
Aunt Fu asked, “Mr. Mingxuan, what’s wrong?”
“N-nothing.”
Ye Mingxuan clamped his legs together and glanced at the man. Tan Sizhe raised an eyebrow.
“…”
Ye Mingxuan bit his lower lip hard, forcing his attention back to his food.
But Tan Sizhe only intensified his actions, reaching toward Ye Mingxuan’s chest. Ye Mingxuan let out a soft “Mmm!”
Aunt Fu, wiping down the island counter, turned her head. “Mr. Mingxuan?”
Ye Mingxuan’s cheeks flushed crimson. “Nothing, I’m just a bit warm.”
Aunt Fu: “Shall I turn the AC down?”
Ye Mingxuan: “No, no need.”
He looked imploringly at the man, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he shook his head urgently.
Sir, please don’t…
Tan Sizhe raised an eyebrow.
After several minutes, Ye Mingxuan’s legs grew numb and weak. Only when he finally relaxed his grip did Tan Sizhe slowly withdraw his leg.
The man left him undisturbed afterward. Ye Mingxuan finished his meal, his legs trembling with soreness.
Rain suddenly began falling outside, pattering softly. Droplets splashed against the window, pooling into beads.
There were still classes today. Ye Mingxuan went upstairs to grab his backpack, pausing briefly in his new study to pick up his tablet and new phone.
Last night, they hadn’t done anything. They’d just lain together while Ye Mingxuan watched Tan Sizhe download study tools onto his tablet, teaching him as he went.
Thanks to Mr. Tan, Ye Mingxuan’s backpack was light today—no heavy textbooks, just a slim iPad.
Dressed in new clothes, carrying his new backpack and stationery, he felt momentarily transported back to his elementary school days.
On the eve of the first day of school, the old fan creaked as it whirred. The makeshift dormitory, constructed with steel plates, remained pleasantly cool. A man wearing a construction helmet sat on the bed, conjuring a blue backpack emblazoned with a rocket design as if by magic.
“Congratulations, Xiao Xuan, on becoming an honored elementary school student!”
“Wow!” Ye Mingxuan grabbed the backpack and bounced around the dorm several times. “A new backpack!”
“Do you like it?”
“I love it!”
“And a Pleasant Goat pencil case! You can sharpen pencils here.”
“Wow! It’s Pleasant Goat! I’m going to be as smart as Pleasant Goat!”
“It’s okay if our Xuan isn’t Pleasant Goat. He can be any kind of goat he wants!”
Time flew by, and the memory of Happy Lamb faded. Ye Mingxuan descended the stairs in silence, catching sight of the man standing by the door.
Tan Sizhe wore a thin black shirt and pants, his entire demeanor aloof and cold, showing no trace of what he’d just done under the dining table.
Ye Mingxuan bit his lip. The stinging sensation in his groin had subsided somewhat. He jogged over.
Tan Sizhe tucked his phone into his pocket and said to Ye Mingxuan, “I’ll drive you to school.”
…
To keep things low-key, Tan Sizhe deliberately drove an Audi.
Ye Mingxuan sat in the passenger seat, clutching his backpack. Unsure where to look, he gazed out the window.
Fresh rain had just passed, and now sunlight broke through the clouds. Golden rays spilled onto the streets, bathing the city in brilliant light.
Tan Sizhe rolled down the window. Fresh air flowed in, ruffling both their hair.
Ye Mingxuan squinted, tilting his head toward the window like a cat basking in the sun.
“Which building is your first class in?”
Ye Mingxuan opened his eyes and looked at Tan Sizhe. “Building 5.”
Tan Sizhe said, “I’ll drop you off downstairs.”
“Sir, there’s no need to trouble yourself… Just take me to the school gate.”
Tan Sizhe turned the steering wheel to the right. “I’m not in a rush to get to work.”
Ye Mingxuan responded blankly, pulling his phone from his bag to find directions for Tan Sizhe, worried the campus might be too vast for him to navigate.
But Tan Sizhe didn’t ask for directions. He drove straight into the school grounds and pulled up beneath Building 5 within minutes.
The whole process was surprisingly smooth, leaving Ye Mingxuan somewhat astonished.
Crowds poured in from all directions as students gradually entered classrooms. Ye Mingxuan opened the car door and stepped out, thanking Tan Sizhe before closing the door.
He clutched his backpack tightly and headed toward the stairwell when Lin Jiale ran over and slapped his shoulder. “Mingxuan!”
Ye Mingxuan jumped.
A hint of admiration flashed in Lin Jiale’s eyes. “Damn, dude, you look killer today.”
“R-really?”
“Totally. Your outfit looks great—it really suits you.” Lin Jiale looked up. “And you got a haircut. You look totally different.”
“Not that you weren’t handsome before,” Lin Jiale clarified. “Your long hair used to cover your eyebrows and eyes, giving you this brooding, mysterious vibe.”
“Now you look full of energy—if only you’d stand a little straighter.”
Hearing this, Ye Mingxuan instinctively straightened up a bit. He accidentally bumped into someone and immediately apologized, his back slumping again.
Lin Jiale glanced at the time: “Oh no, only one minute left.”
The two hurried upstairs, stepping into the classroom just as the bell rang.
Several girls chatting in the front row caught sight of a flash of brightness.
Recognizing Ye Mingxuan, they exchanged surprised glances.
“You’re way too handsome, Ye Mingxuan,” Zhang Shushu remarked from behind, slapping his shoulder. “Trying to steal my thunder?”
Lin Jiale teased him, “You’re just fooling yourself. Everyone knows Mingxuan was crowned the department’s heartthrob on his first day.”
Zhang Shushu shrugged. “Alright, alright, just kidding. Since that’s the case, I’ll reluctantly settle for second place.”
Ye Mingxuan pulled his tablet from his bag, paused, then looked out the window.
Below, the man had already departed, leaving only the swaying shadows of the Chinese tallow trees dancing on the ground….
Ye Mingxuan felt his mind brimming with knowledge as he stepped out of the classroom after an unusually productive morning of lectures.
Lin Jiale was browsing cosplay outfits on a certain online marketplace, bookmarking over a dozen links before meticulously comparing each one.
Ye Mingxuan glanced over curiously. When he saw the price, he shut his eyes in shock, afraid to open them.
“This seller is so generous—not only free shipping, but they’re throwing in a wig too!” Lin Jiale paid and asked him, “Our club has an event this week. What about your radio station?”
Ye Mingxuan shook his head. “I haven’t heard anything yet.” “
Huang Xiaochu had asked him to add her WeChat and the club group chat earlier, but she hadn’t contacted him since. The club group chat, however, was bustling with activity every day.
Someone had named the group chat “Private Customization. Massage. Ear Cleaning. High-End Club.”
“Then wait a bit, it should be coming soon,” Lin Jiale said. “Let’s eat, I’m starving to death.” “
The two entered the cafeteria and joined the queue.
University cafeterias differed greatly from high school ones.
In high school cafeterias, students queued energetically, chattering away. In university cafeterias, everyone kept their heads down, glued to their phones, never lifting their gaze until it was their turn to get food.
Ye Mingxuan silently joined the line, moving steadily toward the serving window.
The girl ahead of him wore pink spaghetti-strap ripped jeans, her brown ponytail pulled high. She stood with one hand in her pocket, talking on the phone.
The line was packed, and it was easy to bump into others. Ye Mingxuan made a conscious effort to keep his distance.
Soon, the girl spoke up: “No compensation? Are you saying I deliberately put the cockroach in to scam you?”
“Never seen a cockroach? Of course not—it crawled right into the pot!”
“Hmph. Should I thank you for the free meal?”
“I’m going to file a complaint with the consumer association!”
Ye Mingxuan looked at the girl, feeling strangely familiar with that voice.
“Oh oh, scared now? Too late!!”
The girl hung up, clutching her chest and taking deep breaths. “This is infuriating.”
She tucked her phone into her bag, caught someone staring from behind, and glared: “What are you looking at—are you Ye Mingxuan?”
Just as Ye Mingxuan was about to apologize, the girl suddenly called his name. He looked up and realized she was none other than Huang Xiaochu, the station manager of the broadcasting club.
Huang Xiaochu’s eyes lit up: “It really is you, junior.”
“Hello, senior.”
“Call me Sister Chu,” Huang Xiaochu said, sizing him up. “My taste is spot-on, isn’t it? Look at that face, that skin—you’d be the top star at our club, ha ha ha!”
Her booming voice drew shocked stares from everyone else.
“Top star at a club?” Lin Jiale muttered. “How did this turn into an unspeakable channel…”
“Just kidding, just kidding,” Huang Xiaochu raised her hands. “By the way, our club has an icebreaker event this week. You have to come.”
Ye Mingxuan: “Icebreaker?”
“It’s just a bunch of people hanging out, introducing themselves, playing games to build rapport—it’s a lot of fun.” Huang Xiaochu moved to the window. “I’ll post the time and location in the group chat later.”
Ye Mingxuan nodded.
After Huang Xiaochu bought her meal, it was his turn. Ye Mingxuan walked up to the window, placed his meal card on the tray, and the auntie asked what he wanted.
Ye Mingxuan looked at the five thousand yuan balance on his card, hesitated for a long time, and finally chose two bowls of inexpensive vegetarian dishes.
As if by telepathy, Tan Sizhe’s call came through.
“Sir.”
“Are you eating?”
“Mhm.”
“What are you having?”
“…”
Ye Mingxuan stammered.
Tan Sizhe: “Take a picture of your meal and send it to me later.”
The line went busy. Ye Mingxuan broke out in a nervous sweat and looked up. “Auntie, I’d like to change my order.”
Ten minutes later, Ye Mingxuan sat down at his table and snapped a photo of the visually appealing, aromatic dish before him.
His finger hovered over the chat window. Ye Mingxuan paused, exited the app, and opened his photo gallery to adjust the food’s color.
After making the twenty-yuan dish look like it cost two hundred, he tapped save and obediently sent it to the man.
