Chapter 45
Unlike the transparent barrier that seemed to surround He Yanlu, as soon as class ended, Ye Yixing was swarmed by his classmates.
Everyone bombarded him with questions, trying to uncover his whereabouts for the past month. Ye Yixing handled the inquiries from his classmates and friends with ease, even fabricating some stories to entertain the girls.
The girls were charmed by Ye Yixing’s eloquent speech and couldn’t help but tease him, saying, “How can a cat fall in love with a person?”
Ye Yixing would reply with a smile, “Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”
One girl asked curiously, “Oh my, how beautiful is that little white cat? You described it as if it’s a celestial being!”
Ye Yixing responded, “He has a flawless, pure white body, and every time he looks at me with his innocent and pure eyes, I feel deeply loved by him.”
Another girl laughed, “You’re just being delusional!”
Ye Yixing continued his embellishments, “He makes me feel like the happiest person in the world. I wish I could give him my heart and pamper him, making him smile every day.”
One of the girls joked, “Oh my, that’s so cheesy! Besides, cats can’t smile, haha!”
Another girl asked suspiciously, “Hey, Ye Yixing, do you have a girlfriend? Who could be so lucky to be liked by you!”
Ye Yixing raised an eyebrow and said, “What do you think?”
One of the girls interjected, “No way! Could it be true?”
Ye Yixing kept smiling but didn’t answer, his eyes fixed on the entrance of the common area.
Following his gaze, they saw a male student standing hesitantly near the potted plants, holding a book. He was wearing the same style of casual clothes as Ye Yixing, only in a different color.
That person, of course, was none other than He Yanlu.
Ye Yixing immediately stood up and walked towards him.
The girls knew that He Yanlu was someone they could only admire from afar, but now they saw him standing there, looking astonished as he watched Ye Yixing affectionately take the book from him. The two of them then proceeded to the food counter.
The student working at the food counter, who was on a work-study program, was lucky enough to witness the whole process of Ye Yixing and He Yanlu’s intimate conversation.
Ye Yixing said, “Are you hungry? You only had a little porridge in the morning.”
He Yanlu replied, “I’m fine. How about you? There were so many people surrounding you earlier…”
Ye Yixing replied nonchalantly, “They were all classmates. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, so we chatted.”
He Yanlu said, “Oh…”
Ye Yixing teased, “What’s wrong? Are you jealous?”
He Yanlu glanced at him sideways and said, “I want pork rib rice.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Ye Yixing responded respectfully, then turned to the female student who was looking at them with a flushed face. “One pork rib rice, one pork with black fungus rice, one Earl Grey milk tea, and one latte.”
He Yanlu leaned against the counter, resting his chin on his hand, and said, “I want lemon tea.”
“Okay, we’ll change the Earl Grey milk tea to lemon tea,” Ye Yixing said as he caressed He Yanlu’s back.
Even though He Yanlu was accustomed to being noticed, he still felt uncomfortable under the curious gazes of others. However, Ye Yixing acted as if they were the only two people in the room, doting on him and making every effort to please him.
He Yanlu’s heart fluttered as he felt Ye Yixing’s gentle hand wiping the corner of his mouth. With his long lashes slightly lowered, Ye Yixing’s emerald green eyes were filled with deep affection. The slight curl of his lips blossomed into a smile only meant for He Yanlu, making him incredibly charming.
The fujoshis and fudanshi around them felt their hearts racing, their pores opening, and their excitement was beyond their control.
Fangirl A: “Those two! There must be something between them!”
Fangirl B: “Could it be that He Yanlu is the white cat prince Ye Yixing mentioned? Oh my god! My heart!”
Fangirl C: “What about that black cat that was talked about so much recently?”
Fangirl D: “Even though it’s weird, I have to say, Ye Yixing really resembles that black cat He Yanlu!”
Fangirl A: “Forget about the cat stuff, all I can feel right now is…”
Fangirl B: “Shut up! Don’t say it out loud…!!!”
Fangirl A: “Ye Yixing and He Yanlu are in love.”
Fangirl B: “Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!”
Fangirl CDEFG: “Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!”
…
“Fool, why are you taking notes during this boring theory and history class?” Ye Yixing teased as he flipped through He Yanlu’s textbook.
He Yanlu’s earnestness always made him seem especially adorable. His handwriting was not as casual as Ye Yixing’s, but it was neat and delicate. At first glance, it even looked like a girl’s handwriting, but there was a certain strength in the strokes and flourishes, exuding a gentle charm.
Ye Yixing felt hopeless, even looking at He Yanlu’s handwriting made him feel that this guy was attracting people left and right.
It’s said that a person’s handwriting reflects their personality, and He Yanlu was no exception. He appeared serious and straightforward, but deep down, he exuded a natural allure.
Ye Yixing couldn’t help but ask, “Has the results for the computer class come out? How did you do?”
With a piece of rib still in his mouth, He Yanlu replied, “Thanks to you, I got the highest score ever in a science-related subject, 82.”
“Wow, really?” Ye Yixing exclaimed. “I practically memorized the whole paper and let you see it. How come you didn’t get a perfect score?”
He Yanlu pouted, “Do you look down on me?”
Ye Yixing shook his head, “How could I?”
Although he said that, Ye Yixing was secretly delighted. This silly guy, hehe.
“Do as you say,” He Yanlu said. Although he acted tough, he felt a little hurt by his lover’s prowess in the field he disliked the most.
These types of people, like Ye Yixing, were the ones who could easily attract He Yanlu’s attention. They excelled in everything he was not good at. If he indulged in this feeling, he wouldn’t be able to resist, would he?
He Yanlu got frightened by his own imagination and instinctively moved closer to Ye Yixing, seeking comfort.
Ye Yixing naturally hugged He Yanlu into his arms. Feeling his lover’s proximity, he felt a heat rising in his lower abdomen, his heartbeat quickening. He didn’t even notice the gasps and exclamations from the surrounding crowd.
“What’s wrong, silly?” he asked in a soft voice.
He Yanlu turned his head and met Ye Yixing’s gaze. There, on Ye Yixing’s neck, above his collarbone and the black V-neck shirt, gleamed a bright silver pet collar. Etched on it was the word “律” (Lu), elegant and enchanting.
Originally meant for a cat, the collar looked surprisingly natural on Ye Yixing’s neck. It seemed like it was custom-made for him.
He Yanlu reached out to touch Ye Yixing’s neck, his finger tracing the word over and over before giving the collar a gentle pull.
During this whole interaction, Ye Yixing wore a completely submissive expression, like a docile black panther, gazing at his master with unwavering loyalty.
“Mine,” He Yanlu said.
“Uh, I am yours.” Ye Yixing comforted him with a smile.
×
Ke Xiangming stood by the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor of the public lounge, looking down at the couple below, entangled in each other’s affection. He took out his phone and dialed a number.
“Hello, Yanze…”
As he made the call, his fingers fiddled with the pendant on his phone. It was made of three pure platinum rings, said to be crafted by a top jewelry designer from Paris.
This was the first gift Ke Xiangming received from Mo Yanze after they slept together.
Mo Yanze was generous and extravagant with his lovers, a well-known fact in their circle. However, under what circumstances would someone caught the eye of Mo Yanze be so intimately nestled in another man’s arms?
“What’s the matter?” At this moment, Mo Yanze was standing at the door of Room 2P in Xingyue Garden, his face full of anger, his words almost freezing the person on the other end of the phone.
“If I tell you what I see now, you might be very unhappy.” The other person laughed ambiguously.
“Don’t beat around the bush with me.”
“The person you are interested in seems to have a special relationship with another student in the school…” Ke Xiangming said with a sneer.
Mo Yanze’s fingers paused on the wall.
“Where is he?”
“At school, of course. Where else?”
“Who is that person?”
“As far as I know, he seems to be a star student in the Literature Department.”
“A star student?”
“Because he’s eye-catching, dazzling, bold, and confident.”
Mo Yanze coldly snorted, “No matter how eye-catching he is, he’s just a twenty-something kid. What qualifications does he have to boast?”
Ke Xiangming continued to play with the platinum ring with his fingers, and Mo Yanze’s stiff tone made him feel a kind of angry and feigned calm.
The emotions between the two young men were as intimate as leaves on a branch. Their affection was genuine, without any pretense or exaggeration. They had an unbreakable faith, holding each other’s hands tightly, and there was a token of conquest borne out of admiration.
Ke Xiangming touched his bald head and the corners of his mouth hooked up into a self-deprecating smile. He said to the person on the phone, “You come and see for yourself; then you’ll know.”
Mo Yanze held the phone, pressing hard with his fingertips until they turned pale.
The room in front of him was empty, making him feel like the warmth and intimacy belonging to his younger brother that he had felt here were all illusions.
At that time, he received the photos from a private detective: the living room bathed in the afternoon sun, the messy sofa filled with clothes, the scattered little trinkets, and the plush toys that only girls would like…
His younger brother was undeniably lonely.
If he had stayed with him, he would undoubtedly be much happier than when he was alone.
Whatever he wanted, he would buy it for him. He would take him to the finest restaurants every day, pamper and love him, so that there would be no one else in his eyes but himself…
But why did things turn out like this?!
He Yanlu had actually left! After being cruelly and aggressively pressured by Mo Yanze, he left without hesitation. He left with pride, dignity, and contempt for Mo Yanze.
This empty house seemed to be mocking Mo Yanze’s infatuation—
“You think you can tie me down with a house? Dream on! I’m not interested!”
Just like that.
This kind of development made Mo Yanze’s love exist only in fantasies and assumptions, like bubbles, illusory and empty.
Mo Yanze felt insulted and his heart felt as if it were being scratched.
Unable to obtain, he desired even more…
He went downstairs, sat in the driver’s seat himself, started the car, shifted gears, stepped on the gas, and sped away like the wind.
The driver who had just been shouted at with cold words was left behind, looking puzzled.
At that time, Ye Yixing and He Yanlu were about to go to their respective classes, unwilling to part with each other.
“You can skip class and come with me to Contemporary Literature,” Ye Yixing cooed softly, as if he were being cute.
He Yanlu frowned, “I’ve taken that class last year.”
Ye Yixing persisted, “So what? Listen to it again.”
Actually, if He Yanlu went to class with Ye Yixing, he would feel embarrassed surrounded by students lower than his grade. However, he didn’t dare to say the reason out loud and could only fidget and cling to Ye Yixing’s clothes.
“Fine, then should I skip class and attend with you?” Ye Yixing teased, his fingers restlessly kneading He Yanlu’s waist through his clothes.
He Yanlu replied, “Didn’t you say skipping class again will get you in trouble? You haven’t been to class for so long, and on the first day back to school, you want to skip again. It’s not a good idea, right?”
Ye Yixing pouted, “Then tell me what to do. It’s not good this way, and it’s not good that way either. Yet, you seem like you don’t want to be separated from me.”
He Yanlu was caught off guard, his face flushed with embarrassment. He had thin skin and was flustered, “Get lost, go to your class. It’s just two hours, hmph.”
Ye Yixing raised his hand and rubbed He Yanlu’s hair, “Alright then, I’m going.”
“Go, go,” He Yanlu turned his head away.
“Hey,” Ye Yixing stood up, unable to hold back his laughter, “Silly, I’ll be waiting for your text.”
He Yanlu widened his eyes; how could he forget they could text each other!
But, but…
As Ye Yixing left, the obedient baby hesitated again.
Should he send a text to his lover during class? It seemed quite risky…
What should he say in the text? Maybe he should draft it now and send it later?
Oh, and don’t forget to put the phone on silent!
After Ye Yixing left for a while, He Yanlu was left alone, huddled on the soft chair, wrestling with his phone—
“[Ye Yixing, what are you doing?]” (=_=)
Ugh, so dumb, he had gone to class…
Was he stupid? Why did he write such a text!
He Yanlu shook his head, deleted the last four words, and continued typing: “[The lunch was delicious; I’m so full. How about you?]” (=_=)
He Yanlu scrunched his nose, staring at the phone as if it were his archenemy, feeling like a complete idiot!
At that moment, a new message popped up on the screen—it was from Ye Yixing. He Yanlu opened it, his face turning red when he read the six words in the message:
“Silly, I love you, oh.”
