At the beginning of the new semester of their third year of high school, all the S-class alphas were assigned to Classes One and Two. Xu Ze and He Wei were in Class One, while Lu Heyang and Gu Yunchi were in Class Two.
On the morning of the first day of school, Xu Ze was absent, and so was Gu Yunchi. Gu Yunchi had always attended school whenever he felt like it, so his absence was nothing unusual. Xu Ze, on the other hand, was in his susceptible period. He had originally planned to come to school, but Lu Heyang had told him to rest for another day.
By the time Xu Ze woke up, it was already nine thirty. Thanks to Lu Heyang’s care the previous day, he had slept soundly for more than ten hours, without having even half a dream.
The only problem was that his entire body now ached.
There was a message from the preparatory school on his phone, congratulating students on entering their third year of high school and notifying them that the scholarship from the previous semester had been deposited. The school’s scholarships were funded directly by the Alliance government, which had always been generous with them. They might have seemed like a small sum to other students, but to Xu Ze, it was already a lot.
After transferring the entire scholarship into the account of the sanatorium, Xu Ze got out of bed. A pile of fever reducers and suppressor patches sat on his desk. Lu Heyang had arranged for someone to deliver them later. The only thing missing was suppressants, because those had the most severe side effects.
After washing up, Xu Ze stood in front of the rice cooker, staring blankly at the bubbling porridge.
Now that the summer vacation was over, there were many things he needed to consider. Early recruitment programs targeting S-class students would begin one after another during the first semester of their final year of high school. There would be a succession of preliminary examinations, second-round examinations, and interviews. This meant he would no longer be able to balance his studies with a part-time job.
Even if he continued working, there was no job that could earn him more money than fighting in the ring. But he needed to get out of the club, and he could no longer afford to put this body—which was about to face all kinds of important examinations—at risk. Returning was out of the question.
After weighing his options for a few minutes, Xu Ze switched off the rice cooker and ladled himself a bowl of porridge. He planned to go to school after breakfast. There would probably be some important announcements on the first day of the semester, and it was best to be there to hear them.
The first piece of terrible news of the new semester was that He Wei had become his deskmate.
Of course, that wasn’t Xu Ze’s opinion. It was Lu Heyang’s assessment.
Xu Ze walked upstairs with his schoolbag on his back. It was the break between third and fourth period. Lu Heyang and He Wei were standing in the corridor outside Class One, talking. Xu Ze had barely climbed the final step when his eyes met Lu Heyang’s, who happened to look up at that very moment.
Xu Ze hadn’t figured out how he should act around Lu Heyang at school, nor did he know what kind of attitude Lu Heyang wanted him to adopt. Instinctively, he chose the simplest response: avoid eye contact, just as he had done last semester, when the two of them had still been complete strangers.
But Lu Heyang looked at him. “Xu Ze.”
Those two words effortlessly shattered Xu Ze’s stiff performance. He looked at Lu Heyang, then walked toward him as though something were pulling him along.
“Bad news,” Lu Heyang said. “He Wei is your deskmate.”
Leaning against the railing, He Wei blew Xu Ze an exaggerated kiss from a distance. “Xiao Ze, give me a smile.”
“Chi Jiahan.” Lu Heyang looked over He Wei’s shoulder at the person behind him. “You’re coming upstairs.”
“Xiao Chi!” He Wei spun around in a flash. He hadn’t even managed to get a proper look at Chi Jiahan’s figure. “Where are you going?”
“Back to class.” Chi Jiahan happened to glance at Xu Ze and noticed that Xu Ze was completely unaware of how his gaze was fixed entirely on Lu Heyang. Speechless, Chi Jiahan turned away.
He Wei followed him like a big bad wolf. “What class? Let me see your book.”
“I thought you were still asleep. I just sent you a message.” Lu Heyang raised his hand and touched Xu Ze’s forehead, then quickly withdrew it. “Feeling better?”
“Yeah.” Xu Ze shook his head.
“Did you take the fever reducer?”
“I did.” Xu Ze nodded.
“Why is your voice hoarse?” Lu Heyang asked. “Does your throat hurt?”
He hadn’t thought much of it, assuming that Xu Ze’s susceptible period had caused some inflammation in his throat. But when he saw Xu Ze’s slightly strangled expression, Lu Heyang understood. He smiled a little and said, “I see. Remember to take care of your throat next time.”
Xu Ze looked away. After a while, he quietly asked Lu Heyang, “Did you leave marks on my neck?”
He had noticed that Lu Heyang’s school uniform collar was buttoned all the way to the very top.
“Mm.” Lu Heyang seemed perfectly frank about it.
Xu Ze opened his mouth. Just by looking at his expression, Lu Heyang could tell what he was about to say. He cut him off in time, helplessly saying, “You’re not going to apologize for that, are you? Talk less for the next couple of days and let your throat recover.”
—Although he knew Xu Ze had never been much of a talker to begin with.
At this instruction, Xu Ze obediently pressed his lips together and nodded.
“Class is about to start.” Lu Heyang gently tapped the back of Xu Ze’s hand to remind him. “He Wei talks a lot of nonsense. Don’t believe a single word he says, and don’t let him distract you from your studies.”
Xu Ze’s fingertips twitched. He wanted to touch the spot Lu Heyang had just touched, but he resisted the urge. He looked at Lu Heyang, then truly didn’t say another word. He nodded and headed toward the back door of the classroom.
After finding his seat, Xu Ze took out his phone and saw a message Lu Heyang had sent ten minutes earlier: Remember to take your fever reducer when you wake up. If the teacher hands out any materials, I’ll bring them to you after school.
Xu Ze felt a little regretful.
If he hadn’t come to school today, Lu Heyang might have come to his house to deliver the materials.
The last class of the morning passed in unexpected peace for Xu Ze, because He Wei knew his susceptible period was not yet over and didn’t bother him much.
At lunchtime, He Wei patted Xu Ze on the shoulder. “Let’s go out to eat together. We’ll go to the hotel owned by Yunchi’s family.”
Xu Ze looked up, feeling dizzy and weak. “I’m not hungry. You guys go ahead.” He really wasn’t hungry. He’d eaten breakfast quite late and had no appetite now.
“All right, then get some rest. If you feel any worse, ask for leave and go home.”
Xu Ze murmured an acknowledgment, lay down on his desk, buried his face in his arms, and closed his eyes.
A few minutes later, Xu Ze heard footsteps. Then he felt a hand press against the back of his head before moving downward to cover his gland. The palm was slightly cooler than his feverish gland, making Xu Ze shiver.
“Are you feeling really bad?” Lu Heyang asked.
Xu Ze raised his head. A red mark had been pressed into his forehead. Looking rather dazed, he licked his lips and said, “I’m a little sleepy.”
“I ordered you some pastries and soup. The soup is good for your throat, so make sure you finish it.” Lu Heyang looked away from Xu Ze’s face and sat down in He Wei’s seat, opening the food containers. “Get some sleep during the lunch break.”
The small serving of pastries was perfect for Xu Ze, who had little appetite. He caught the faint fruity fragrance rising from the soup, and his throat inexplicably began to feel dry. He wanted to take a sip.
“Okay.” Xu Ze nodded.
“I’ll go eat with He Wei first.” Lu Heyang stood up. When he saw Xu Ze tilt his head up to follow him with his eyes, he ruffled Xu Ze’s hair.
Soon, Xu Ze was alone in the classroom. Most of the other students had gone back to eat and rest. Only a few would eat in the cafeteria before returning to the classroom for a nap.
Distracted by his thoughts, Xu Ze sipped the soup. He was wearing the wristband Lu Heyang had given him. Compared with his old wristband, this one was much more comfortable, especially during his susceptible period.
He Wei’s seat was particularly lively today because Chi Jiahan had come over to sit there again.
He glanced at He Wei’s signature on the homework notebook and offered a compliment that sounded more like criticism. “At least your handwriting looks nice.” Then he asked Xu Ze, “Your susceptible period still isn’t over?”
“Mm.”
The tableware was stamped with the logo of a hotel belonging to one of the Gu family’s businesses. But of course, Gu Yunchi hadn’t personally sent over the pastries and soup. Chi Jiahan asked, “Did Lu Heyang have someone bring these to you?”
“…” Only then did Xu Ze belatedly inspect the packaging, looking for the delivery slip.
“This place doesn’t offer delivery.” Chi Jiahan’s expression was complicated. “And the kind of pastries you’re eating are all made by a chef specially hired by—”
“Forget it,” Chi Jiahan said. “Just eat.”
But Xu Ze seemed unable to continue eating. “Is it very expensive?”
“It doesn’t matter. Gu Yunchi isn’t going to charge him for it anyway.” Chi Jiahan tried to hold back, but couldn’t. He asked, “What exactly is going on between you and Lu Heyang?”
Last semester, he’d only heard that Xu Ze and Lu Heyang occasionally walked together. How had things evolved over the summer into a relationship where Lu Heyang would specifically order special meals for him during his susceptible period?
Chi Jiahan didn’t know Lu Heyang very well, but he knew Lu Heyang wouldn’t normally bother with this sort of thing. To a certain extent, Lu Heyang’s attitude toward social relationships wasn’t all that different from Xu Ze’s.
When Xu Ze remained silent, Chi Jiahan asked, “Do you think Lu Heyang could like someone of the same sex?”
Xu Ze frowned slightly before answering, “I don’t know.”
“You two… something has happened between you, right?”
With a question like that, Xu Ze’s silence amounted to an admission. Chi Jiahan secretly drew in a sharp breath, then asked, “Are you together?”
“No.” This time, Xu Ze answered quickly and decisively, as though he didn’t need to think about it at all.
He thought Chi Jiahan would get angry, but instead, Chi Jiahan relaxed. “Good. As long as you’re not.”
“Leave it here. Don’t fall in love with someone from the Lu family. It’ll only end in unhappiness. Both of you will be miserable,” Chi Jiahan said. “Lu Heyang’s older sister was once…”
“Forget it.” Chi Jiahan interrupted himself again. He had already said forget it twice today. “Deep down, you actually understand this better than I do.”
He did understand, especially after learning about Lu Heyang’s background. That was a position Xu Ze could look up at until his neck broke without ever being sure he could see the top. Perhaps some people would dare to take a chance, or ambitiously chase after someone and claw their way upward, but Xu Ze was neither type.
When the time came, he would put away everything connected to Lu Heyang, jump down from that lofty pavilion in the sky that had never belonged to him, return to his little room, place everything in his desk drawer, and close it.
And that would be the end.
Chi Jiahan nudged Xu Ze’s wrist, reminding him to stop spacing out and continue eating. Then he changed the subject. “The documents have been distributed. Which universities are you planning to apply to through early recruitment?”
“I haven’t looked through them carefully yet,” Xu Ze said.
“You’re not thinking of going to the same university as Lu Heyang, are you?”
“No,” Xu Ze replied.
Their futures were clearly headed in completely different directions. Lu Heyang would most likely enter politics, making Alliance University the best choice for him. Xu Ze, on the other hand, preferred a field with stronger technical and professional requirements. He didn’t mind being busy or exhausted. As long as the environment wasn’t too isolated, and the university wasn’t too far from the capital, it would be fine, since he needed to visit his grandmother frequently.
“What about you?” Xu Ze asked Chi Jiahan.
“Doesn’t matter.” Chi Jiahan shrugged. “It’s not up to me anyway.”
At the School of Diplomacy at Capital University, Lu Qingmo had not set foot on campus for several years.
Starting in her second year of graduate school, Lu Chengyu had arranged for her to join the Alliance government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She had risen effortlessly to the very top of her profession, becoming one of the most outstanding people ever to emerge from the school.
After she graduated, the school invited her on multiple occasions to return and give speeches as an exemplary alumna and a serving Alliance diplomat. Despite being surrounded by one honor after another, Lu Qingmo had consistently avoided the invitations.
She knew why she was afraid. Returning to a place filled with memories could sometimes be a cruel thing.
The large multimedia lecture hall had been renovated, and much of its familiar atmosphere had disappeared. More than three hundred students from the School of Diplomacy sat below, all watching Lu Qingmo attentively. Having grown accustomed to facing heads of state and appearing before serious cameras, she actually found this kind of occasion relaxing.
As her speech neared its conclusion, the door on the right side of the lecture hall opened halfway, and someone slipped quietly inside. People had been coming and going throughout the speech. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Lu Qingmo glanced in that direction this time.
It was a completely casual glance, but it caused her otherwise fluent delivery to falter for two whole seconds.
She suddenly forgot what she had intended to say. Somewhat stiffly, she lowered her head to look at her notes. It was the first time she had consulted her prepared speech that day, only to realize that she had already covered all its contents. She was now speaking freely, expanding on the topic.
“Sorry.” Forcing her thoughts back on track, Lu Qingmo raised her head and smiled. Her unfocused gaze settled on the audience as she continued her speech.
Afterward, Lu Qingmo stayed in the lecture hall for another half hour, answering students’ questions until the dean arrived. She said goodbye to the dean, then glanced around the room before leaving, seemingly searching for someone. But she found no one.
Finally, she pushed open the door and stepped into the corridor, where only a handful of students remained.
With her eyes lowered, Lu Qingmo felt empty, both in her head and in her body. She was caught between disappointment and a strange sense of relief that the person she had been looking for was nowhere to be found.
“Ms. Lu.”
Someone called out to her from behind.
Lu Qingmo stopped abruptly. She repeated that voice in her mind once, then turned around.
Han Jian was holding a lesson plan as he slowly walked toward her, his left leg slightly lame. A faint smile still rested on his face.
“You walk so fast. I can barely catch up with you.”