Chapter 29
That’s right, the person in front of him was Cong Yuan, who Wei Yuhuan had pursued and chased after for a year and a half, only to be ruthlessly dumped after a night of passion.
Now that he came to J University, Wei Yuhuan was mentally prepared to meet Cong Yuan again, but he didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
To be honest, Cong Yuan was one of the few people that Wei Yuhuan wanted to take “seriously”, but obviously their ending was regrettable.
Rolling down the car window, Wei Yuhuan wanted to greet him calmly, but before he could speak, he heard Cong Yuan’s questioning voice: “What are you doing here?”
Wei Yuhuan was taken aback and raised an eyebrow, asking back in displeasure, “Why can’t I be here?”
Although he had a flirtatious relationship with Cong Yuan, Wei Yuhuan now had Xie Xiaojiang, who was sweet, cute, and could coax him in her own unique way. He was taken care of in every way possible, so seeing this guy who once made his heart beat faster, Wei Yuhuan didn’t have much of a reaction. Naturally, Cong Yuan’s questioning also made him very unhappy.
Wei Yuhuan thought to himself that when he pursued him back then, he didn’t treat him unfairly, lowering his own value to accompany him for dinner, drinks, and chat about ideals and life all night long. Even when he gave him a gift, he was so careful not to hurt his self-esteem, he was so considerate that he almost worshipped him. And the thing that happened on his birthday was also his personal promise. Did he have to make that disgusted face as if he had been raped by someone?
Love is something that is mutual, you can’t force it. Wei Yuhuan was not a person who would cling on stubbornly. That phone call a year ago was just a misunderstanding. He mistook Xie Xiaojiang, who was secretly living in Chunjiang Huajing Garden, for Cong Yuan.
Cong Yuan looked around at the students pointing and gesturing around them, and made a very awkward expression: “You should have called me first.”
Wei Yuhuan chuckled, guessing that Cong Yuan probably thought he was here to see him, which was a bit embarrassing.
Although he didn’t have much fondness for Cong Yuan anymore, Wei Yuhuan had no hatred towards him either. After all, this kid was still in college and hadn’t encountered any setbacks yet. Wei Yuhuan was in his thirties and didn’t need to argue with a younger generation.
He didn’t expose him either, pointing to the door of the passenger seat and saying, “Let’s talk in the car.”
Wei Yuhuan thought Cong Yuan would walk away like before, which would be best, but he didn’t expect him to get in the car without hesitation.
Well, let’s chat for a while and pass the time. Maybe he could even find out why Cong Yuan had made the resolute decision to break up with him back then. That was all Wei Yuhuan cared about now.
Inside the car, there were two different worlds separated by the bulletproof glass window: the outside world with its scorching sun and noisy crowds, and the inside world with its comfortable temperature and fresh air.
“You still have a year before graduation, right?” Wei Yuhuan spoke calmly.
“Yeah,” Cong Yuan breathed in the faint scent of cologne emanating from Wei Yuhuan beside him, momentarily distracted.
“What are your plans for the future?” This was a topic that Wei Yuhuan knew Cong Yuan enjoyed talking about, so he asked out of habit.
“I haven’t decided yet, maybe I’ll just start working,” Cong Yuan replied.
Wei Yuhuan nodded, knowing that Cong Yuan’s family background was also quite average. His parents were ordinary working-class people and couldn’t afford to send him abroad for further studies. Cong Yuan was quite ambitious and eager to make a name for himself, but he probably wouldn’t have the patience to pursue a master’s degree in China, so working directly was likely his most practical option.
Cong Yuan’s expression dimmed quite a bit. When he was with Wei Yuhuan before, the latter would always analyze the prospects of various career paths for him and promise him a bright future, mentioning names like Huan Yu, Sheng Xuan, and Morgan… wherever he wanted to go in the future was just a matter of Wei Yuhuan’s words.
At that time, he didn’t understand, and even arrogantly thought that even without Wei Yuhuan’s help, he could easily get those positions himself. It wasn’t until this summer internship that he encountered some walls outside and realized the weight of the promises Wei Yuhuan made to him. In today’s society, there is no shortage of college graduates, even those from prestigious universities are just a dime a dozen. With just his own resume, without any background or work experience, it would be difficult to get an offer from one of those companies mentioned earlier. Even if he did get in, he would have to start from the bottom and it’s hard to tell when he would have a chance to move up.
The uncertainty of his future made him once again think of Wei Yuhuan’s shortcut. If he had stayed with Wei Yuhuan back then, he would be… No! Cong Yuan gritted his teeth, looking out the window with a complex expression. That’s impossible! How could he stoop so low as to become a sugar baby?
But he was also somewhat unwilling to let go. Unconsciously, he said, “Do you know why I broke up with you back then?”
“Hmm?” Wei Yuhuan became interested, turned to look at him, and smiled somewhat mischievously. “Tell me.”
“It’s because you were too high above me,” Cong Yuan tried to find the right words, stumbling over his explanation. “We were not from the same world. The difference in our status and wealth made me feel inferior. Do you remember how I refused many gifts you gave me?”
Wei Yuhuan: “Hmm.”
Cong Yuan: “Because I couldn’t return them. The only thing I could give you was my body… I guess that’s what you were after too. You could withdraw those benefits anytime you lost interest in me, which made me feel very insecure. I wanted equality.”
Wei Yuhuan: “…oh.”
Upon hearing that “oh,” Cong Yuan suddenly felt a strong sense of disappointment. This version of Wei Yuhuan made him feel like a stranger. He had thought that Wei Yuhuan would be more…maybe a bit more passionate.
He had said so much, but it all boiled down to one thing – he didn’t want to be financially supported by Wei Yuhuan. In fact, Wei Yuhuan had never said anything about wanting to support him financially. It was something Cong Yuan had heard from Wei Yuhuan’s secretary. If he were to tell Wei Yuhuan now, it might clear up the misunderstanding. But he was too proud to say it directly, so he talked around the subject, spouting all sorts of flowery platitudes that even confused Wei Yuhuan.
Wei Yuhuan thought he had a point – perhaps he had been too domineering, always wanting to arrange everything for others. But all of that came from his affection for Cong Yuan. If he had the ability to do something, why wouldn’t he do it? Was sitting on the subway and eating fast food with Cong Yuan every day the only way to have an equal relationship?
No wonder Cong Yuan had said they weren’t suitable for each other. It seemed like they really weren’t.
Wei Yuhuan sighed and said, “You’re overthinking things.”
Cong Yuan: “…”
At the same time, Wei Yuhuan felt relieved that Xie Xiaojiang was simple-minded and didn’t think about these things.
Wei Yuhuan’s lukewarm response made Cong Yuan feel lonely, and he couldn’t continue the conversation. He couldn’t help but ask, “What did you come to see me for?”
Just then, Wei Yuhuan’s phone rang. He answered it and immediately called out “baby” with a relaxed expression.
Cong Yuan was stunned – baby? Who was he calling with that tone?
“How are the formalities going?…Okay, I’ll wait for you…Alright, see you in a bit.” After a brief exchange, Wei Yuhuan hung up the phone and explained apologetically to Cong Yuan, “It was my lover on the phone.”
Cong Yuan: “…Lover?”
Wei Yuhuan looked out the car window and smiled. “Yeah, he just enrolled in this school too, in the finance department. He’s going to be your junior. Hehe, I’m here to accompany him for enrollment today.”
“Oh, I see…” Cong Yuan’s face turned pale and he felt so embarrassed that he wanted to dig a hole in the ground. He opened the car door hastily, said “I’ll go first,” and left in a hurry.
Wei Yuhuan didn’t try to hold back, and spoke in his official tone, “Okay, we’ll keep in touch.”
As soon as the car door closed, Wei Yuhuan chuckled to himself, as if he had finally relieved himself of a long-standing annoyance.
Cong Yuan hadn’t gone far and was getting angrier the more he thought about it. He was angry at himself for being so presumptuous earlier, and angry at Wei Yuhuan for being so “heartless.”
Who was the one who pursued him so eagerly in the first place, but in just a year and a half, had already found a new love? This man was truly promiscuous!
And today was the day for undergraduate students to report for registration. Was Wei Yuhuan’s new love just starting college? Only 18 years old? Ugh! An old cow eating tender grass! Disgusting!
Cong Yuan fumed for a while, but couldn’t resist his curiosity and circled back to hide on the side, wanting to see what Wei Yuhuan’s “lover” looked like.
Sure enough, in less than ten minutes, a young man with an Adidas cap on his head was walking towards the Porsche with Qi Muying. He held a stack of new books in his hand, had a dimple at the corner of his mouth, and smiled with his eyes and eyebrows curved, looking very pretty.
Cong Yuan stared at his face for a while, and as soon as he thought that this person might also be a “sugar baby” kept by Wei Yuhuan, he looked disgusted. What’s wrong with young people nowadays? They learn to use their bodies to serve others at such a young age. Is it because society is too open, or because there are too many people with distorted values?
In fact, Xie Xiaojiang was a year older than Cong Yuan, but his baby face was too pleasing to the eye. Even if he was sandwiched among a group of immature high school students, he didn’t look any different.
Xie Xiaojiang got back in the car, stuck out his tongue and panted, fanning himself with his hand, “I’m so hot!”
“Like a little dog,” Wei Yuhuan took off his cap, smiled and rubbed his flattened hair, not minding the dampness at his hairline, “Turn on the air conditioning and cool down.”
Qi Muying was lying on the car window, complaining, “I’m hot too. I’ve been with you all morning, but there’s no air conditioning to use.”
Wei Yuhuan started the car, waved his hand and said, “Alright, stop seeking attention. Get in the car, let me treat you to a meal.”
Qi Muying: “……”
Xie Xiaojiang cooled down and chattered excitedly to Wei Yuhuan about what he had just seen and heard. Wei Yuhuan listened and felt like he had returned to his university days, feeling full of energy.
After talking for a while, Xie Xiaojiang flipped open a brand new book on his lap, showing his joy.
Wei Yuhuan smiled and asked if Xie Xiaojiang had completed the procedures. Xie Xiaojiang pulled out his newly acquired student ID and campus card from his pocket, showing them off, “Look! With these two cards, I can go anywhere in J University!”
Wei Yuhuan chuckled and teased him, “Then let me come along and mooch off the cafeteria food with you in the future.”
Although it was something he had never done with Cong Yuan before, Wei Yuhuan wanted to do it with Xie Xiaojiang. He realized that no matter what the occasion, it was always romantic when he was with Xie Xiaojiang.
Xie Xiaojiang patted his chest and promised, “No problem! When we get to the school, just stick with me and I’ll take you to eat all around J University!”
Wei Yuhuan said, “Baby, you’re so good.”
Qi Muying sat in the back seat, silently crying. He was wrong. He shouldn’t have come along just for a meal. He hadn’t even eaten yet, but the dog food was already full, sobbing…
