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Chapter 10.1 Because of his low level in the Q-form
The novel Vicious male counterpart isn't competing anymore [Rebirth] is still being translated, but with a password attached to the chapters because of the --jjwxc incident.
The novel It is said that 'I give out sugar everyday' is still being translated, but with a password attached to the chapters because of the --jjwxc incident.
Chapter 171.2
Chapter 177.2
Chapter 38.2
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Chapter 232.1Editor: PrincessThis time, he was sitting in Cheng Yu’s arms while Cheng Yu held him. The two of them were flipping through photographs together.Lin An Lan heard himself in the dream very clearly as he looked at his mother’s photograph and sighed with emotion, “She left too early. I was only in my senior year of high school when she passed away. I was deeply saddened for a long time back then, yet I didn’t dare show it. My father was grieving for her while simultaneously worrying about my emotional state, afraid it would affect my university entrance examination. He wasn’t young to begin with, and that year, he aged instantly.”Lin An Lan’s eyes suddenly opened, his entire being in a daze.He sat on the bed blankly for quite a while before his consciousness finally began functioning again. How could this be? He thought to himself. Although his mother was already over sixty, according to modern life expectancy, she should be able to live at least another ten years or so. How could she be gone when he was in his senior year?Lin An Lan seemed to realize only then that he was already a sophomore! That meant the time remaining until his mother’s death was really not much!When exactly had she passed away? During the first semester of his senior year or the second semester?Was it an accident or an illness?He couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard he tried. He lay back down on the bed hurriedly, wanting to continue the dream he had just been having. However, this time, he couldn’t fall asleep no matter what. He remained fully conscious until dawn broke.Early the next morning, Father Lin had just gotten up when he saw that his son had already prepared breakfast.“Why did you get up so early today?” Father Lin asked him.Lin An Lan looked at his father, who was no longer young, and his heart filled with bitterness.His father had experienced the pain of losing a son in middle age and had almost never recovered from it. Later, after adopting him, he had slowly regained his spirits. If he had to witness his wife’s death at this time, how sorrowful would he be?“I won a prize.” Lin An Lan tried to make his tone sound cheerful. “So I’m in a good mood and got up early.”“What kind of prize?” Father Lin smiled. “It’s not a scam, is it?”“Of course not. That time when my classmate asked us to help him fill out a survey questionnaire, we could enter a lottery after completing it. I won a health examination package that’s just right for three people. The three of us can go together.”“Alright, we’ll go this weekend when we have time.”“That won’t work.” Lin An Lan said hurriedly. “Today is the last day for this. Let’s go today. I’ll go call Mom.”Father Lin was somewhat reluctant. “But your classes today…?”“I already asked for leave.” Lin An Lan said. “It’s fine, Dad. Today they’re going over test papers, and I got a perfect score. Whether I listen or not makes no difference.”Hearing this, Father Lin said nothing more. Indeed, since his son had gotten a perfect score, taking one day off wouldn’t matter.Father Lin sat at the dining table proudly and began eating breakfast. Lin An Lan knocked on the door and entered Mother Lin’s bedroom to wake her up.Mother Lin had always loved sleeping in when she was young. She had only gotten up early every day because of work. Now that she was retired, she didn’t want to get up unless she slept until nine or ten o’clock. Lin An Lan called her for quite a while before she sat up reluctantly and got out of bed to wash up.The three of them took a taxi to the hospital. Lin An Lan ran back and forth to handle all the procedures and underwent various examination items with his parents with an anxious heart.He actually didn’t want to have a health examination since his main target this time was only his mother. However, if only his mother had the examination alone, she definitely wouldn’t be willing, so he had to drag himself and Father Lin along as well.The examination results came out quickly. Everything was normal on his and Father Lin’s side, but there was a problem on Mother Lin’s side. The doctor suggested that she go to the tumor hospital for further examination.Lin An Lan’s heart instantly turned cold.Mother Lin also asked in surprise, “What’s going on?”“Please go for an examination first.” The doctor said. “We can only tell that you seem to have grown a tumor, but we don’t know whether it’s benign or malignant, so you need to go there for a detailed examination.”Hearing this, Mother Lin was completely stunned.Father Lin was quite composed. He immediately thanked the doctor, took Mother Lin’s hand, and left the hospital to go to the city’s best tumor hospital.Lin An Lan followed them in a daze. He felt that he knew how his mother had passed away.It must have been a malignant tumor, which was why she had died when he was in his senior year.He couldn’t accept this for a moment. His eyes stung with pain, yet he desperately held back his tears. It would be alright. Since he had already detected this danger in advance through his dreams, he would definitely be able to get through this safely.He definitely could!He stepped forward and grasped his adoptive mother’s hand tightly, comforting her. “It’s alright, Mom. It’s definitely not serious. It’s fine.”Mother Lin nodded, obviously frightened by this sudden situation. She gripped his hand tightly, her heart full of worry.***Cheng Yu looked at Lin An Lan’s seat. It had been half a day, why hadn’t he arrived yet?Had something happened to Jiang Xu again?Thinking of this, he asked Xu Sheng, “What is Jiang Xu doing now?”Xu Sheng asked around and answered him, “Playing games online.”“Did Lin An Lan go look for him?”“No.” Xu Sheng looked at him. “After all this time, you’re beating around the bush trying to find out where Lin An Lan went?”“What else? Do you think I actually care about Jiang Xu?” Cheng Yu raised an eyebrow. “Whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with me.”Xu Sheng: …That was also true.Cheng Yu waited all day but didn’t see Lin An Lan. After school ended, he went home.When he saw Lin An Lan again, it was in the evening at the hospital.Cheng Yu was somewhat surprised. He walked closer to take a look and vaguely felt that Lin An Lan seemed to have cried, although he wasn’t entirely certain. His voice couldn’t help but soften as he asked, “Why are you here?”Lin An Lan was no less surprised than he was. His mood wasn’t very good today, and normally, he would have given a perfunctory response and politely left.However, probably because he had been seeing Cheng Yu in his dreams every day recently, and in the dreams, the two of them appeared intimate, he rarely didn’t refuse someone else’s concern and replied, “My mother is ill.”At this moment, Lin An Lan felt that those dreams he had been having at night were probably real dreams about the future. That was why he had dreamed of his mother leaving when he was in his senior year, and why his mother’s health had indeed developed problems upon examination.Fortunately, the doctor said that the discovery wasn’t too late. She could still be treated, though it would be expensive.Father Lin and Mother Lin had accumulated some savings over the years, and they also had a house, so they weren’t afraid of the expense. As long as spending money could cure the illness, that would be fine.Although Cheng Yu had guessed from his appearance that someone in his family must have fallen ill, hearing him say it still made him feel sorry for him. “Is it serious?”“Not particularly serious.”That meant it was still somewhat serious. No wonder he hadn’t attended school all day.“Can I go see her?” He asked tentatively.Lin An Lan nodded and said to him, “Come with me to the cafeteria first. I’m going to buy them some food.”Cheng Yu nodded immediately. “Right, I should also buy a fruit basket or something.”“That’s not necessary.” Lin An Lan refused. “There’s no need for that. Just your presence is enough. You don’t need to bring anything.”However, Cheng Yu didn’t feel comfortable about this. In the end, he still carried a fruit basket and went to Mother Lin’s hospital room.By this time, both Father Lin and Mother Lin had calmed down. The discovery wasn’t too late, and the probability of successful surgery wasn’t too low. For them, this was the greatest comfort.
Chapter 232.2Editor: PrincessCheng Yu followed Lin An Lan into the room and politely said, “Hello, Uncle and Aunt.”Mother Lin nodded and asked Lin An Lan, “An An, who is this?”“My classmate, Cheng Yu.” Lin An Lan placed the food on the table nearby and explained, “He came to the hospital to visit someone and happened to run into me, so he also came to see you.”Mother Lin nodded. She rarely saw Lin An Lan associate with peers other than Jiang Xu, so she was somewhat pleased and couldn’t help but quietly observe Cheng Yu for a while.How handsome Cheng Yu was! Just standing there casually, he looked like a painting. Moreover, at this moment, he was standing properly and upright, elegant as jade trees, looking simply like an untainted young nobleman.Mother Lin felt that he had good temperament and was also clean-cut. Her eyes curved with pleasure. “Thank you, Xiao Cheng. Please sit. Would you like some water?”Cheng Yu shook his head and held out the fruit basket. “I bought you some fruit.”“You eat it.” Mother Lin smiled. “You’re just a child and don’t have much money. Why did you buy these things? It’s not necessary. Just eat it yourself.”“It’s fine.” Cheng Yu handed the fruit basket to Lin An Lan and smiled. “Please eat more fruit. It’s good for your health.”Lin An Lan took it and placed it on the table.Seeing this, Mother Lin asked him to open the fruit basket and share some with Cheng Yu.Lin An Lan opened the fruit basket and handed the banana inside to him. “You eat it.”After saying this, he took the porridge and handed it to Mother Lin. “Mom, drink some porridge.”Mother Lin accepted it. Lin An Lan helped her set up the small table, then handed the dumplings to Father Lin before sitting down himself.“Aren’t you eating?” Mother Lin asked him.Lin An Lan smiled. “I already ate while waiting for the food at the cafeteria.”He had indeed eaten, but only two steamed buns. Lin An Lan clearly had no appetite for eating. Cheng Yu could see this and silently peeled the banana in his hand and handed it to him.“You eat it.” Lin An Lan said. “I already ate.”“This is fruit, not dinner.” Cheng Yu pulled over his hand and stuffed the banana into it, then peeled another one for himself and took a bite. “Look, I’m eating too.”Father Lin watched this and was probably reminded of when he was still teaching students, because he smiled subconsciously.Lin An Lan stopped refusing and began eating the banana.Cheng Yu didn’t stay too long. Father Lin was still concerned about Lin An Lan’s classes tomorrow. Seeing that it was about time, he sent them away together.“It’s getting late. You should both go back. An An, you go back too. You didn’t go to school at all today, so you have to go tomorrow.”Lin An Lan didn’t want to go home. “I’ll stay to keep Mom company. Dad, you go back.”“How can that work?” Father Lin disagreed.Mother Lin also persuaded him, “That’s right, An An. You have classes tomorrow. Go back first. Your father is here, so it’s fine.”“I’ll go in the afternoon tomorrow. It’s the same.”“Be good.” Mother Lin comforted him. “There’s only one accompanying bed here. If you stay, you won’t even have a place to sleep. You’re just making Mom worry. Go back first. If you want to come, come again tomorrow, understand?”The woman in the bed next to hers had been watching Lin An Lan busy himself back and forth since Mother Lin was admitted to the ward. She also joined in persuading him, “That’s right, child. Listen to your mother. School is most important for children your age. If you stay, your mother will still have to worry about your studies in her heart. Wouldn’t that be bad for her condition?”Lin An Lan had no choice but to reluctantly agree.“That’s perfect. You and Xiao Cheng can keep each other company and look after each other on the way. It’s fine. If anything happens, Dad will call you.” Father Lin said this and stood up, preparing to see them off.Seeing this, Lin An Lan also stood up. He helped Mother Lin refill her thermos with hot water and washed some fruit before reluctantly leaving with the room’s garbage.The woman in the bed next to Mother Lin was somewhat envious and couldn’t help saying, “Your child is really filial. Unlike my son, who acts as if he’s dead. I’ve been hospitalized for so many days and he hasn’t come to see me once. When I ask, he just says he’s busy. People who don’t know would think he’s busier than the president!”Mother Lin smiled and, unlike traditional parents, didn’t act modest. She said gently, “Our An An is indeed quite filial, and he studies well too. He’s a three-good student every year and receives scholarships.”After saying this, she seemed to feel that speaking this way wasn’t quite right and was somewhat boastful and annoying. So she comforted the woman in the next bed, “Maybe your son is really busy. Don’t be sad. Wait a little longer. An An is a student, so it’s easy for him to ask for leave. From what you just said, your child should already be working. Once you’re employed, sometimes it’s hard to get leave.”Hearing her say this, the woman felt somewhat comforted. She nodded and began chatting with her.Lin An Lan and Cheng Yu left the hospital and walked all the way to the bus stop.Lin An Lan asked him, “Which bus do you take?”“Which one do you take?”“Route 9.”“Me too.” Cheng Yu immediately said with delight.Lin An Lan was somewhat suspicious, but there was no benefit for Cheng Yu to lie to him about this kind of thing, so he only doubted briefly.Cheng Yu saw that he had been silent and unhappy since leaving the hospital room. He thought Lin An Lan must still be worried about his mother. Indeed, with such a big incident happening, no one would be able to be happy.He took out his phone and sent a WeChat message to Yu Heng, asking if he knew any oncology experts.Yu Heng replied quickly: [Why are you suddenly asking about this? Are you sick?]Cheng Yu: [It’s not me, it’s my classmate’s mother.]Yu Heng just assumed it was a close friend and didn’t ask further. After a while, he sent over a WeChat contact: [Professor Wang, a leading figure in this field. I just told him about you. You can chat with him about the rest.]Cheng Yu quickly thanked him and added this Professor Wang.With Yu Heng’s introduction, Professor Wang approved his friend request quite quickly. After adding him, he began asking about the patient’s condition.How could Cheng Yu explain this clearly? He poked Lin An Lan.Lin An Lan turned to look at him. Cheng Yu silently held his phone in front of him. “Well, I asked my big brother to help me contact an expert in this field. He’s asking me about the condition, but I’m not too clear about it. You talk to him.”Lin An Lan hadn’t expected that when he was looking down at his phone just now, he was actually doing this. He looked at him with surprise and joy, almost giving him a delighted hug.He took Cheng Yu’s phone and seriously reported the condition to Professor Wang.Professor Wang listened and asked some other questions. Lin An Lan had been by Mother Lin’s side all day and remembered almost all the X-rays and diagnoses clearly, so he answered without much hesitation.Finally, Professor Wang replied: [That should be considered fortunate in the midst of misfortune. I’ll go take a look tomorrow.]Lin An Lan quickly thanked him.After learning that Mother Lin had a tumor, he had already searched online for experts in this field. Therefore, as soon as he took Cheng Yu’s phone and saw the familiar work photo in the other party’s avatar, he guessed that this should be Professor Wang Yue, who everyone said was an expert among experts, a leader among leaders.Too many people wanted to see someone like him, but too few actually got to see him. Now that he said he would come to see Mother Lin’s condition tomorrow, Lin An Lan naturally understood that he wasn’t giving face to himself, but to Cheng Yu.Lin An Lan added Professor Wang on WeChat and only then returned the phone to Cheng Yu, saying sincerely, “Thank you.”“You’re welcome.” Cheng Yu didn’t care at all. “You’ve helped me too.”Lin An Lan heard his words and knew that his so-called “you’ve helped me too” referred to him explaining some problems he didn’t understand at school.That was just a small favor from him. How could it require such a heavy repayment?He looked at Cheng Yu and could vaguely see the familiar gentleness of the Cheng Yu from his dreams. He thought for a moment and said to him, “Did you want me to be your tutor before?”Cheng Yu nodded immediately.Lin An Lan smiled and said gently, “I agree.”“Really?” Cheng Yu was delighted.Lin An Lan nodded. “Until your grades improve.”Cheng Yu thought that was it then. His grades probably wouldn’t improve until the university entrance examination.“Then I’ll pay you according to market rate, the kind that’s 500 yuan per hour.”Lin An Lan: …Lin An Lan chuckled softly. “That’s not necessary. Although my mother is ill now, our family still has some savings, and we also have a house. So if I need money later, I’ll ask to borrow from you. But there’s no need for that now.”“You’ve already helped me tremendously. There’s no need to give me money anymore, or I’ll feel embarrassed.”Hearing this, Cheng Yu wanted to say something more but swallowed it back. He did want to give Lin An Lan more money, both to keep him and to help him get through this difficult time.However, since Lin An Lan wasn’t willing, that was fine too. He could completely work from Professor Wang’s side and the hospital’s side. As long as he paid enough money in advance, the Lin family naturally wouldn’t need to pay too much.After all, Mother Lin had medical insurance. When the time came, he could say it was covered by medical insurance, and they definitely wouldn’t think much about it.Yes, Cheng Yu thought this method was good. After all, he was now so poor that he only had money left!
Chapter 233.1Editor: PrincessThe next afternoon, Lin An Lan hurried out as soon as school ended. Cheng Yu quickly caught up, walking beside him. “I’ll go with you.”Lin An Lan thought it over. After all, he’d connected with Professor Wang through Cheng Yu, so naturally it would be best if he was willing to come along.“Thank you.”“No problem.” Cheng Yu smiled. “I don’t have anything to do at home anyway, and going with you means I can see if there’s anything I can help with.”Hearing this, Lin An Lan’s heart stirred. Remembering their relationship in the dream, he asked, “Why are you helping me so much?”The question caught Cheng Yu off guard. He was already sixteen or seventeen, not some six- or seven-year-old kid, so he couldn’t very well say “I want to be friends with you.” So he could only respond, “We’re all classmates, right? Of course I’d help when I can. Besides, aren’t you supposed to be my little tutor? Naturally I hope I can help you too.”Reasonable and well-founded, very much in line with socialist core values. Lin An Lan nodded and didn’t pursue it further.He hailed a taxi, and he and Cheng Yu went to the hospital together.Professor Wang had arrived earlier than them. He’d already asked about Mother Lin’s condition and had her redo some tests. Now he was discussing changing hospital rooms with Lin An Lan’s parents.Mother Lin was reluctant, feeling that the current room was fine. It was crowded, yes, but cheap, and there were people to chat with.But Father Lin disagreed. Mother Lin was getting on in years, and though the doctor said the surgery success rate wasn’t low, he’d also tactfully indicated that at this age, the risks would be somewhat higher.Father Lin was terrified that if something really happened to her, she’d still be frugally saving money on her deathbed. The thought of future regret was unbearable, so he immediately expressed their willingness to move to a better room.The two were still arguing when Lin An Lan and Cheng Yu entered.They immediately saw Professor Wang in his white coat. After politely asking about the situation, Lin An Lan also urged Mother Lin to change rooms.With a different room, he could stay with Mother Lin instead of leaving only one person for care because this room was too crowded.Seeing him say this, Mother Lin stopped insisting and agreed to move to a VIP room.Professor Wang chatted briefly with Cheng Yu, then didn’t stay long, just saying he’d come check on her daily and they could do surgery in a week.Cheng Yu repeatedly expressed his thanks.Mother Lin watched this, and after Professor Wang left, she earnestly thanked him.Since connecting with Professor Wang was good news, Lin An Lan had told his parents about it last night so they could feel somewhat more at ease.Father Lin and Mother Lin weren’t stubborn people. Knowing that their son had helped find connections, they didn’t feel that the other party looked down on them. Instead, they were very grateful to Cheng Yu, simultaneously marveling at this youthful friendship—how genuine children’s feelings were for each other—while telling Lin An Lan that he had to help him more in the future and never forget this kindness.Lin An Lan naturally agreed.Because of this, the Lin family elders were particularly fond of Cheng Yu when they saw him now. Holding his hands, they asked how his studies were going, thanked him repeatedly, and said he had to tell them if he ever needed anything. If Cheng Yu hadn’t clearly been from a wealthy family—beyond their reach—Father Lin and Mother Lin would have wanted to adopt him as a godson.How clever was Cheng Yu?! Seeing such a perfect opportunity before him, he quickly acted cute: “My grades aren’t very good, not as good as Lin An Lan’s. But fortunately Lin An Lan is kind. Whenever I ask him questions at school, he always answers them seriously. So this time, I was just helping out casually. Uncle and Auntie, you don’t need to be so polite.”Father Lin had been a teacher for half his life and loved nothing more than students who actively asked questions after class. For a responsible veteran teacher like him, he wasn’t afraid of students who couldn’t learn well. He was afraid of students who didn’t want to learn.So hearing Cheng Yu say this, he immediately liked him even more: “You’re only in your second year of high school. It’s fine if your grades aren’t good now. As long as you work hard later, you can catch up. Having this mindset and knowing to ask others questions proves you’re diligent and eager to learn. You’ll definitely catch up in the future.”“I hope so.” Cheng Yu smiled. “When my grades improve, I’ll give Lin An Lan a big red envelope.”“That’s not necessary.” Father Lin smiled warmly. “You’re classmates, helping each other with studies is what you should do. An Lan isn’t helping you for any reward. Your grades improving would be the best reward for him.”Lin An Lan nodded cooperatively. “Mm.”“Then I’ll definitely work hard.” Cheng Yu said.“Good.” Father Lin was very satisfied.Then he said as if remembering something: “An Lan, why don’t you and Xiao Cheng do homework here for a while? I’ll go buy you some food. That way, you can also see what Xiao Cheng doesn’t understand and help him.”“Right.” Looking at her newly changed room, Mother Lin now thought it was quite nice. It was spacious and quiet, suitable for the children to do homework.“This room has a table that’s big enough for both of you to write. Try to finish early so you can go straight to sleep when you get home.”“Okay.” Lin An Lan smiled.He picked up his schoolbag and glanced at Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu quickly stood up and walked with him to the round table nearby.Cheng Yu pulled a chair right next to Lin An Lan’s and sat beside him. Lin An Lan looked up at him. Cheng Yu blinked innocently: “This is more convenient.”Lin An Lan thought: Is it?He somewhat suspected that Cheng Yu was already starting to like him at this point. Otherwise, why would he be so dedicated to his mother’s situation? Not only that, even doing homework, he had to sit right next to him.But thinking it over, he didn’t refuse, just said, “You write first. Ask me when you don’t understand something.”“Mm.”Seeing them pick up their pens, Father Lin prepared to go downstairs to buy food. Before leaving, he thought of something else: “Xiao Cheng, is it okay for you not to go home for dinner? Won’t your parents worry?”Cheng Yu shook his head, very well-behaved: “My dad doesn’t care about these things. I live alone.”Mother Lin found this strange and asked, “What about your mom?”Cheng Yu smiled, his voice very soft: “She’s not around anymore. She’s been gone since I was in middle school.”Not only Father Lin and Mother Lin, even Lin An Lan froze, staring at him in shock.Mother Lin immediately felt regretful: “I’m sorry, Xiao Cheng. Auntie didn’t mean to.”“It’s fine.” Cheng Yu didn’t mind these things. “You were just concerned about me, Auntie. I know.”Mother Lin smiled slightly, feeling somewhat sorry for him.Father Lin also felt that such a kind, loving, and studious child shouldn’t have encountered such circumstances. His heart filled with pity, and his occupational hazard kicked in again. He began worrying about whether Cheng Yu’s family environment might affect his college entrance exam.This wasn’t his fault—for Father Lin, he’d spent half his life worrying about students. What he feared most was when students’ families had problems during their second or third year of high school, causing children who could have gotten into first-tier universities to end up in second or third-tier schools, or unable to take the exam at all.Wouldn’t this directly affect the child’s entire future?!So after buying food and returning, Father Lin still worriedly asked, “Xiao Cheng, are you usually alone at home?”Cheng Yu nodded: “My dad is busy, and our house is far away. For convenience with school, I moved near the school.”“Your dad is comfortable with that? He didn’t find someone to take care of you?”Lin An Lan listened quietly, also wondering about this.Cheng Yu smiled: “It’s fine. I can manage on my own. I’m already 17, I’m not a little kid anymore.”Father Lin felt that this wasn’t the right way to think about it. Students who hadn’t graduated were still children! He thought Cheng Yu’s father was inappropriate. How could he let his child live alone?Cheng Yu wanting to study well and moving near school wasn’t a problem. It showed he was motivated and progressive. But as a father, he couldn’t be absent!Especially during the crucial second year of high school, when children easily felt psychological pressure and most needed parental companionship and encouragement. How could he be absent?!But Cheng Yu wasn’t his student after all, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to directly contact Cheng Yu’s parents to tell them to care for and accompany their son more. So he could only pat Cheng Yu’s shoulder and say, “If you encounter any problems in life, call An Lan. You’re classmates, and living alone, you’ll inevitably need help sometimes. Don’t feel like you’re troubling anyone, just ask An Lan to help you.”
Chapter 233.2Editor: PrincessLin An Lan hadn’t expected him to be in such a situation. Although he’d been abandoned by his birth mother early on, fortunately his adoptive parents treated him well, raising him like their own son. He’d never lacked warmth. By comparison, Cheng Yu’s situation seemed truly pitiful.Under normal circumstances, with his mother gone, shouldn’t his father care for him even more? Clearly, this father was also unreliable.Lin An Lan suddenly thought of his never-met birth father. Indeed, reliable fathers like his adoptive father were truly rare among fathers.“Mm.” He replied warmly, “I’ll help you as much as I can.”Cheng Yu hadn’t expected Lin An Lan’s parents to be such warm and kind people, making even Lin An Lan more affectionate toward him.He quickly responded gratefully, not forgetting to praise: “Uncle, you’re really kind.”Father Lin smiled: “You’re all still young, you’re all children.”“My dad used to be a teacher, so he can’t stand to see students’ studies affected by family problems.” Lin An Lan smiled.Cheng Yu had already sensed that although Father Lin was older than he’d expected, he was very refined. He’d guessed he might work with words, but hadn’t expected him to be a teacher.“No wonder I thought Uncle seemed so approachable. It turns out you’re a teacher! Of course you’d be approachable.”Lin An Lan chuckled quietly, thinking: You’re definitely not this approachable when you see the teachers in our class.Father Lin also laughed: “That’s because you’re eager to learn. The ones who don’t want to learn run away scared when they see me.”Cheng Yu: …Cheng Yu felt that Father Lin really thought too highly of him. He was actually the one who really didn’t love studying.However although he felt ashamed inside, his face still beamed as he said, “Uncle, you’re so impressive. No wonder Lin An Lan is our school’s top student—like father, like son! Our class teachers and classmates all especially like him!”Father Lin quite enjoyed hearing this, and not only enjoyed it, he even asked deliberately, “Really?”“Mm, otherwise I wouldn’t ask him questions. All our classmates love asking him questions. He’s even more popular than the teachers!”Lin An Lan: …Don’t you dare, I’m not worthy of such praise. Are you sure there’s no problem with flattering me like this?Clearly there was no problem, at least not with Father Lin.Father Lin’s smile deepened: “As it should be. When poor, perfect yourself alone; when capable, help perfect the world. You’re all classmates, so it’s normal for you to ask him when you don’t understand something. When I was teaching, I found that you students don’t like asking teachers questions. You prefer finding classmates to solve problems privately, as if teachers would eat you alive. But that’s fine. As long as you understand in the end, it’s good. It’s a good thing that An Lan can help you all.”“You’re so kind.” Cheng Yu sighed. “If only my dad could be like you.”Father Lin had already been grateful that he’d helped their family with such a big favor, moved by his diligent studying and kind heart, and then pitied him for being alone and helpless. Now hearing him say this, he immediately responded, “Xiao Cheng, if you don’t mind, once your auntie gets better, come to Uncle’s house often. This situation with your auntie—we owe it all to you. Our family doesn’t know how to thank you. So if you’re willing, come visit often in the future. An Lan said he’d tutor you, right? It’s convenient at home too. I have all kinds of teaching materials here, practice tests from every year and every province.”Cheng Yu wanted to grab his hands directly. Uncle, you’re like a real uncle to me!! No one can ever break our uncle-nephew bond!“I’d love to.” He said sincerely. “I’m just afraid I’d disturb you.”“It’s no disturbance at all.” Father Lin smiled. “Your auntie and I are both retired, so we’re not busy. There’s only An Lan at home. Having you come would give him company too.”“This child.” Father Lin looked at Lin An Lan, his eyes both proud and somewhat disapproving, “is just too filial. Sometimes I tell him to go out and play with classmates like you, but he won’t go—he just stays home with us. Having you come would be perfect. You could accompany him to movies or chat about games you young people like. Otherwise, spending all his time with us, he won’t look like a trendy young person.”Lin An Lan just smiled and replied to his dad, “I think I’m quite trendy.”“Exactly.” Cheng Yu praised without hesitation. “He’s the most trendy person in our class!”Father Lin: …This little classmate really knows how to talk! He’s a good child!Lin An Lan watched as, in the course of conversation, Cheng Yu practically started moving into his house. He could only think that Cheng Yu’s eloquence was truly impressive.When they’d arrived, he’d barely known his parents, but before it was time to leave, his dad practically wanted to adopt him as a godson!He was simply too skilled at winning people over!But this time Cheng Yu had truly shown great kindness to their family, so Lin An Lan thought it was normal. Never mind just having him come to their house. Even if his dad really adopted him as a godson, he’d have no objections.Looking at Cheng Yu, Lin An Lan felt more and more that he didn’t seem to treat him as an ordinary classmate.Could he really already like him?This early?Why?Lin An Lan couldn’t understand. What was there about him that could attract Cheng Yu’s attention?Surely it couldn’t really be his good grades, right?Had he helped Cheng Yu somehow without knowing it?Lin An Lan couldn’t figure it out, but…He suddenly realized a terrifying problem. He didn’t know if it was because he’d been dreaming too much, and the future from his dreams had been verified, but now he seemed to no longer reject the idea of Cheng Yu liking him. He was even thinking about why Cheng Yu might like him!My god, Lin An Lan shuddered. Was he really going to accept Cheng Yu’s secret crush?!
Chapter 234.1Editor: PrincessPropping his cheek on his hand, Lin An Lan recalled the scenes from his dreams. How should he put it? This future didn’t seem unacceptable.After all, he’d been having these dreams for so long now, he was used to it.It was just that suddenly becoming bent like this was inevitably a bit hard to accept.Knowing something was one thing, and digesting it was another. Lin An Lan felt that he needed some time to help facilitate his digestion.Cheng Yu and Lin An Lan stayed in the hospital room until 9 PM. When Mother Lin was preparing to sleep, Father Lin sent them home.Seeing how late it was, Cheng Yu called a taxi and first took Lin An Lan home, then went to his own place.He tossed his schoolbag aside, casually changed clothes, and went to play games.After all, he never turned in homework anyway. Acting the part in front of Lin An Lan and Lin An Lan’s parents was one thing, but back home with no one to supervise him, who would want to do homework?Cheng Yu thought that if Lin An Lan required him to do homework properly, he would definitely do it.Too bad Lin An Lan had never said such a thing to him. With no one managing him, he had no desire to advance. He just wanted to waste time.Sometimes people really couldn’t be too smart. Being too smart, learning everything easily, made one not care.If he really struggled more with studying, then even just to give Yu Heng a good grade at final exams, he would study diligently and work hard every day. But unfortunately, he really wasn’t bad at all, so studying became something he didn’t take to heart.Cheng Yu sighed and lay down on his bed.He thought that if Lin An Lan’s father knew about his attitude, he’d probably really want to have a heart-to-heart talk with him!When Lin An Lan got home and pressed the elevator button, he remembered that he and Jiang Xu hadn’t been in contact for several days.Mother Lin’s condition had occupied all his thoughts, so these past few days, he simply hadn’t thought of Jiang Xu.With this realization, he pressed the button for Jiang Xu’s floor and walked to his door.He knocked, but got no response. He’s probably not home, Lin An Lan thought to himself.Since Jiang Lirong had left, Jiang Xu was both guarding this home and unwilling to return to it.Father Lin was a kind and good person, plus teachers had a natural sense of responsibility toward children this age, so he’d told Jiang Xu more than once that if he was willing, he could come to their house. Whatever his mother had done, his most important thing now was the college entrance exam. He needed to study well and prepare for it first. This was a matter affecting his entire life.But Jiang Xu obviously couldn’t listen. Even though the Lin family had shown sufficient goodwill, he hadn’t continued sitting in the classroom listening to teachers lecture as Father Lin had hoped. Instead, he’d chosen to abandon himself.Father Lin couldn’t persuade him, and Lin An Lan couldn’t persuade him either. But after all, they were friends who’d grown up together. Just watching the other person give up on himself left Lin An Lan unable to bear it.He called Jiang Xu, but Jiang Xu didn’t answer.Having no choice, Lin An Lan returned to the elevator, preparing to go home.He had too many things to keep busy with now—running between school, hospital, and home every day. He no longer had much energy to manage Jiang Xu.For Lin An Lan, the most important people in this world would always be his parents.When his parents were fine, he could spare energy for Jiang Xu or others. But when his parents had problems, he was too lazy to care about even himself.In his world, his parents were always the most important.After going to the hospital with Lin An Lan for several days, Cheng Yu had completely warmed up to Father Lin and Mother Lin. He was simply too good at talking. He could praise people, coax them, and figure out what others wanted to hear. Father Lin and Mother Lin were so delighted by his flattery that their address for him changed from “Xiao Cheng” to “Xiao Yu”.Lin An Lan felt that he should be called “Little Flower”—flowery words and honeyed speech, all pleasant-sounding talk.**This Friday, Lin An Lan finally convinced Father Lin to go home and rest while he kept watch in the hospital room.Cheng Yu said he’d stay to keep him company, but was forcefully taken away by Father Lin. Cheng Yu was very reluctant, saying he’d come back tomorrow.Lin An Lan chuckled and waved at him, telling him to go home and do his homework properly.“I’ll see what you don’t understand when you come tomorrow and explain it to you.”“Okay.” Cheng Yu replied.Mother Lin waited until he’d left before smiling: “Xiao Yu is quite interesting. Is he especially popular in your class?”Lin An Lan’s hand that was peeling an apple froze. Cheng Yu really wasn’t like this at school. He usually looked quite cool, and when playing with Xu Sheng and the others, he smiled very brightly. But when he got to his parents’ place, he inexplicably became lively and animated, quite different from his usual appearance.Lin An Lan figured that this was probably because he was there. Since Cheng Yu liked him, he’d be different in front of him than in front of others. This was normal.“Mm.” He continued peeling the apple. “His family is well-off, and he’s handsome, so not just girls in our class, many girls throughout our school like him.”“An Lan, you think he’s good-looking?!” Mother Lin was surprised. “This is the first time you’ve praised someone like this. You never used to say others were handsome.”“Did I not?” Lin An Lan asked her.“Of course not. You’d only say things like, ‘His studies aren’t good’, or ‘His grades are decent but his personality isn’t good.’”Lin An Lan: …Was he really such a picky person?He silently handed the peeled apple to Mother Lin and changed the subject.Mother Lin smiled but didn’t call him out, eating the apple he’d peeled slowly.
Chapter 234.2Editor: PrincessCheng Yu indeed came early the next day, even bringing breakfast for them.Father Lin hadn’t arrived yet. He’d been keeping watch for several days and had finally gotten to go home once—Lin An Lan hoped he’d rest a bit longer.Mother Lin had been awake for a while, reading a book. Both she and Father Lin were educated intellectuals who maintained the habit of reading even at their age. Watching them, Cheng Yu felt that their whole family had quite a cultured atmosphere.After eating the breakfast he’d brought, Lin An Lan began tutoring him.He checked Cheng Yu’s homework. Most of it was done, with only some problems he didn’t know left blank and some completed but incorrect.Lin An Lan started with chemistry, where he’d made the fewest mistakes. Cheng Yu listened cooperatively, and though he clearly understood everything, he had to pretend to look like he’d just grasped it. His acting was quite convincing.At noon, Father Lin brought homemade lunch to the hospital room. Everyone ate together and chatted for a while.Cheng Yu praised Father Lin’s cooking skills for a long time. Then after receiving another dinner invitation from Father Lin, he and Lin An Lan began a new round of studying.While listening to Lin An Lan earnestly explain the problems he’d deliberately gotten wrong, Cheng Yu could occasionally hear the quiet conversation between Father Lin and Mother Lin nearby.Probably to avoid disturbing Lin An Lan and himself, they spoke very softly, their voices gentle and warm.This was a very happy family, Cheng Yu thought to himself. He’d seen it long ago. Although Lin An Lan’s family had modest means and his parents were getting on in years, they were a happy family.Lin An Lan cared for and loved his parents, and his parents were concerned about and cherished their son.Every time he praised Lin An Lan, Father Lin and Mother Lin would become especially happy, and when Father Lin and Mother Lin were happy, even if Lin An Lan said nothing, his eyes would sparkle with gentle, smiling warmth.They were like the most ordinary family in the world, consisting of loving parents and a filial child. Yet it was a longing he could never possess.Cheng Yu really loved their family atmosphere. He even wanted to station himself here so he could feel this warmth and kindness from all directions.Unfortunately, when evening came, he still had to leave.Lin An Lan didn’t want to leave either, but having spent a night at the hospital yesterday, Father Lin felt sorry for him and refused to let him stay at the hospital again today.Lin An Lan had no choice but to leave the hospital with Cheng Yu and head home.Just as they were approaching Lin An Lan’s home, his phone rang. Lin An Lan looked and saw that it was Jiang Xu.Calling him at this hour, he was either injured or drunk. Lin An Lan could already guess. He answered the call calmly: “Hello.”Jiang Xu was indeed drunk, calling groggily from the other end, asking him to come pick him up and take him home.Lin An Lan looked at the time and didn’t refuse. He asked, “Where are you?”Seeing him hang up, Cheng Yu asked, “Did Jiang Xu ask you to pick him up?”Lin An Lan nodded and said to him, “Let me take you home first, then I’ll go get him.”Cheng Yu immediately became jealous, madly jealous!He remembered that it was the same before. At 1 AM, Jiang Xu had called Lin An Lan. They’d all thought Lin An Lan wouldn’t come, but he’d still shown up to take him home.Cheng Yu clenched his fists subconsciously, however his expression remained relaxed: “I’ll go with you. It’s so late, and he’s drunk. If something happens, that wouldn’t be good.”“It’ll be fine.” Lin An Lan really didn’t want to trouble him further. “You go home and rest. I’ll text you when I get home.”“Let’s go together.” Cheng Yu said. “It’s the weekend tomorrow anyway, I don’t have anything to do.”Seeing his insistence, Lin An Lan stopped refusing. He had the driver turn around and head to the bar where Jiang Xu had gone.Jiang Xu was obviously drunk. Seeing Lin An Lan, he struggled to stand up, took a couple of steps, and hugged him.Lin An Lan supported him, looking at his condition with both anger and helplessness.He didn’t like this version of Jiang Xu who was acting half-dead because of his mother’s departure, but he couldn’t just ignore him either. With so many years of friendship, if he didn’t care about Jiang Xu, truly no one would.People in adversity always hoped someone could help them.Little Lin An Lan had hoped someone could take him away and give him a home. Father Lin and Mother Lin had done that, so he was grateful and respected them.Because of this, he hoped he could become like his parents, become someone who could give others hope.So he didn’t want to give up on Jiang Xu, didn’t want Jiang Xu’s world to be completely dark.“Let’s go.” He supported Jiang Xu as they walked outside.Cheng Yu went to the other side, wanting to help him support the drunk Jiang Xu, but was pushed away by Jiang Xu.Jiang Xu frowned and looked at him carefully for a moment, seeming to recognize him: “Cheng Yu?”“Mm.”Jiang Xu didn’t want to deal with him. He and Cheng Yu weren’t close to begin with, and besides, what would a rich young master like Cheng Yu understand?He stayed close to Lin An Lan, swaying as they walked out.Cheng Yu wanted to help Lin An Lan share some of the weight on his body, but unfortunately Jiang Xu wouldn’t have it: “Mind your own business! What are you doing here?!”Hearing him shout like this, Lin An Lan couldn’t help but get angry.“What are you yelling about?” He said angrily. “What’s he doing here? He came with me to pick you up. If you hadn’t gotten yourself into this state, would he need to accompany me here?!”Cheng Yu hadn’t expected that before he could even speak, Lin An Lan would defend him first. He looked at Lin An Lan in surprise, hardly believing it.Jiang Xu also couldn’t believe it, saying angrily, “I didn’t ask him to come.”“I asked him to come.” Lin An Lan said. “Look what time it is. Look at the place you’re in. Is this somewhere a student should be? Aren’t you worried about something happening to yourself?!”Seeing that he was really angry, Jiang Xu didn’t dare say anything more.Lin An Lan looked at him coldly and lectured him: “Someone kindly comes to help you, and instead of being grateful, you blame them. Do you think that’s appropriate?!”“I didn’t ask him to come. I never wanted him to come.” Jiang Xu said quietly.Hearing this, Lin An Lan let go of him completely, pulling Cheng Yu directly toward the door.Jiang Xu was startled and sobered up considerably. He stumbled after them, apologizing: “I was wrong.”“Apologize to him.” Lin An Lan said coldly. “What’s the point of apologizing to me? You didn’t push me just now.”Jiang Xu was reluctant in his heart, but since Lin An Lan was still angry and he didn’t dare provoke him, he could only say to Cheng Yu, “I’m sorry.”“It’s fine.” Cheng Yu replied.He fundamentally didn’t care about Jiang Xu, so whether Jiang Xu’s attitude toward him was good or bad didn’t matter to him. He just didn’t want Lin An Lan coming to pick up Jiang Xu so late at night. He wasn’t really concerned about whether Jiang Xu lived or died.After Jiang Xu apologized, he looked at Lin An Lan pitifully.Seeing that he’d admitted his mistake, Lin An Lan reluctantly forgave him, though he didn’t want to support him anymore. He looked like he could walk independently anyway.“Let’s go.” He said, walking outside.Cheng Yu looked down at his sleeve. The sleeve that Lin An Lan had grabbed still had some wrinkles that hadn’t smoothed out. But now, the hand that had been gripping it had already let go.He caught up quickly, looking at Lin An Lan’s pale, slender wrist, wanting to grab it but not daring to.Jiang Xu could only follow along, getting into the car with them.Lin An Lan sat in the middle, with Jiang Xu and Cheng Yu each on one side.Jiang Xu was somewhat dissatisfied, muttering, “Why do we have to ride in the same car as someone else?”Lin An Lan asked him, “What did you say?”Jiang Xu: …Jiang Xu closed his mouth obediently.He did care about Lin An Lan as a friend after all—this was the only person he could depend on now. So he quickly softened his attitude and begged for forgiveness.He leaned against Lin An Lan, resting on his shoulder, complaining pitifully: “Xiao Lan, my head hurts.”Lin An Lan thought he deserved it. Drinking so much, if he didn’t get a headache, who would?“If a headache can’t stop you from drinking, what else can I say?” He said coldly.Jiang Xu leaned against him obediently: “I won’t drink next time.”Lin An Lan laughed coldly: “You made me the same promise last time, and the time before that.”Jiang Xu: …Listening to this, Cheng Yu watched as Lin An Lan’s expression wasn’t great, but he ultimately didn’t push Jiang Xu away.He still cared about Jiang Xu very much, that’s why he’d come pick him up so late at night, why he’d speak so bluntly about things he disapproved of.They really were close friends.Cheng Yu felt uncomfortable. He looked at his own hands quietly. Jiang Xu could openly lean against Lin An Lan, but he didn’t even have the right to hold his wrist.Lights slowly swept across his face as they passed. Cheng Yu looked out the window and said nothing.By the time they reached Lin An Lan’s home, it was very late.Lin An Lan turned to look at Cheng Yu and saw him with half-closed eyes, seeming somewhat tired.Well, it was so late now. Cheng Yu had accompanied him in this ordeal until now, he must be tired too.Jiang Xu opened the door and got out. Cheng Yu also opened his eyes and looked at Lin An Lan quietly.“Are you tired?” Lin An Lan asked him.Cheng Yu smiled slightly: “I’m okay.”His emotional regulation ability had always been strong. No matter what mood he was in, he could present whatever mood he wanted to show others.Lin An Lan thought he was quite gentle. These past few days, Cheng Yu had indeed helped him a lot and worked hard. Plus, his feelings toward Cheng Yu were quite complex now. So he thought it over and asked, “Would you like to stay at my house tonight?”Cheng Yu: !!!Lin An Lan’s voice was soft and pleasant: “You’ve been running around with me for half the night. Don’t trouble yourself further. I can see you’re tired too. Since there’s no school tomorrow, if you’re willing, just make do at my house for one night.”Cheng Yu quickly replied, “I’m willing, willing. I’m especially willing!”What “making do”? This was simply an unexpected delight!
Chapter 235.1Cheng Yu instantly pushed open the door and got out of the car, afraid Lin An Lan might change his mind.Lin An Lan followed suit and got out, the group standing together at the entrance to the residential complex.Seeing Cheng Yu get out, Jiang Xu said with displeasure, “Why did he get out too?”“It’s too late. He’s resting at my place tonight.” Lin An Lan replied.Jiang Xu immediately bristled. “Why should he?”He pointed at the taxi, annoyed. “The car’s still here, isn’t it? How long would it take him to get home by taxi right now?”Having made his decision, Lin An Lan naturally didn’t need Jiang Xu’s approval or objection. He pulled Cheng Yu along as they headed into the complex.Jiang Xu grabbed hold of him, confused. “Since when have you two been close enough for him to rest at your place? Make him leave!”Lin An Lan broke free from his grip and looked at him coldly. “During the time you’ve been wallowing in self-pity.”“Having fun?” He asked Jiang Xu. “Been living it up lately? Have you bothered to care about your good friend, asked him if he’s been having fun lately? Living it up? You don’t ask, don’t care, but you won’t allow others to show concern either?”Jiang Xu sensed there was more to his words but, still not fully sober, could only respond superficially. “So you accepted his concern.”“What’s wrong with that?” Lin An Lan said. “We’re all classmates. Is there a problem with classmates helping each other?”“I can help you too.” Jiang Xu said. “Whatever you need help with, I can help you instead.”Lin An Lan laughed lightly. “First, I’d have to be able to reach you.”After saying this, not wanting to continue arguing with Jiang Xu at the complex entrance, he pulled Cheng Yu into the complex.Jiang Xu hurried to catch up, wanting to speak but not knowing what to say.The group entered the elevator together. Jiang Xu didn’t press the button for his own floor, saying, “I’m coming to your place.”Lin An Lan reached over and pressed the button for Jiang Xu’s floor, saying bluntly, “There’s no extra space.”“I’ll sleep with you, let him sleep on the sofa.” Jiang Xu said.Lin An Lan said nothing. When the elevator reached Jiang Xu’s floor, he pushed him out. What a lovely thought—him sleeping in the bed, Cheng Yu on the sofa. How presumptuous.“Sleep well in your own bed.” Lin An Lan said, closing the elevator doors.Cheng Yu had been quietly watching the drama unfold. Only when Jiang Xu completely disappeared from view did he breathe a sigh of relief, feeling his night was secure.Lin An Lan was tired too. He brought Cheng Yu into his home, had him change shoes, showed him where the bathroom was, and returned to his own bedroom.It was already very late. Lin An Lan planned to shower and sleep.He opened his wardrobe to get his pajamas, but just as he picked them up, he remembered something and asked Cheng Yu, “Is it okay if you wear my pajamas tonight?”Of course Cheng Yu was okay with it!He wasn’t picky about such things to begin with, and besides, wearing Lin An Lan’s pajamas would bring them one step closer to intimacy.“Sure.”Seeing his brilliant smile, Lin An Lan felt inexplicably embarrassed. After all, Cheng Yu’s feelings for him weren’t pure, and in the future they’d even be together directly. Having him wear his pajamas now made something that should have been nothing feel like something.But having already spoken, Lin An Lan couldn’t take it back. He could only search around and find a new set of pajamas he hadn’t worn yet to hand over.“This set then. My mom just bought it for me. I only tried it on once, never actually wore it.”Cheng Yu thought it wouldn’t matter if he had worn them, but he couldn’t say that aloud. He just accepted them, preparing to change.While Cheng Yu was changing, Lin An Lan secretly stole a few glances. Mm, same body as in the dream—very good. Just younger, with more of that youthful lightness and resilience.Thinking of this, Lin An Lan recalled certain less harmonious scenes from his dream. He quickly grabbed his pajamas and headed out. “I’ll go shower first.”“Oh.” Cheng Yu replied.He sat on Lin An Lan’s bed, taking in Lin An Lan’s room.Lin An Lan’s room wasn’t large—certainly not as big as his own bedroom—but it looked very warm and cozy.On the nightstand sat a family photo of three. Cheng Yu picked it up, seeing a young Lin An Lan, about seven or eight years old, being held by his father and smiling sweetly.Cheng Yu unconsciously smiled too, poking at little Lin An Lan in the photo. He was so adorable.If only he could have met him when they were little. Then they could have become friends early on, and he would have cared for and looked after him just like with Jiang Xu.Cheng Yu sighed and slowly put down the photo frame.Lin An Lan took a quick shower and came out.Hearing his voice, Cheng Yu stood up and saw Lin An Lan enter wearing panda pajamas.Cheng Yu looked at the little pandas on his shirt raising their hands, finding it quite cute. Of course, the person wearing these pajamas looked even cuter.Seeing him staring at the little pandas on his pajamas, Lin An Lan felt somewhat helpless. His mother had recently watched several panda videos, found them super adorable, and when she saw these pajamas online, immediately bought them for him. She even made him try them on right away, barely stopping short of making him raise his hands too.“You can go shower now.” Lin An Lan reminded him.Cheng Yu nodded and headed out. As he passed Lin An Lan, he looked down at him and said, “You look quite cute in that.”Lin An Lan: …Lin An Lan silently looked at him and turned to follow him to the bathroom.Cheng Yu was puzzled. “Something else?”“Don’t I need to explain which towel is for your face and which is for your body?” Lin An Lan said.Cheng Yu nodded, thinking this indeed needed explaining.Lin An Lan walked beside him. After a couple of steps, he noticed that since Cheng Yu was a bit taller, the pajamas were somewhat short on him, with his wrists and ankles showing.But since the weather was warm now and it wasn’t cold, Lin An Lan didn’t have him change.He entered the bathroom and briefly introduced the towels Cheng Yu would use, the body wash, and other items before leaving.
Chapter 235.2Cheng Yu showered quickly and came out shortly after.Both had been tired all day and were sleepy now. They pulled back the covers and went straight to bed.Lin An Lan had originally planned to get another set of bedding from his parents’ bedroom, but finding his blanket was large enough, he didn’t bother moving his father’s bedding.Cheng Yu looked at the little tigers on Lin An Lan’s blanket, thinking his parents were quite playful—panda pajamas and tiger blanket covers, all quite adorable.Lin An Lan turned off the lights. The 1.5-meter bed wasn’t exactly cramped for two male students, but it wasn’t spacious either. Cheng Yu could feel the warmth and breathing of the person beside him.Lying in bed, in the quiet darkness, he asked Lin An Lan, “Are we friends now?”“Mm.” Lin An Lan replied. “Yes, we are.”Cheng Yu felt happy and turned over to face him. “I’ve actually always wanted to be friends with you.”Lin An Lan turned his head to look at him, thinking: You want to be friends with me? You want to be my boyfriend! You’re just using friendship as a cover, gradually advancing, like a whale swallowing or silkworm devouring!“Why?” He asked Cheng Yu.Cheng Yu thought for a moment and answered, “Because I don’t have friends like you around me. Everyone around me is like me—cynical, indifferent to everything, not taking anything seriously. But you’re different. You’re serious, serious about people and things. Being treated seriously by you must be very happy.”Lin An Lan was surprised, not expecting this reason.“You want me to treat you seriously?” He asked.Caught off guard having his thoughts exposed, Cheng Yu quickly said, “I didn’t say that.”But isn’t that what you implied?Lin An Lan wondered if he was lacking love. His mother was gone, his father didn’t care for him, so he hoped someone would treat him seriously.Was that it?He couldn’t be certain, but it was certainly possible. But why would it be him?Lin An Lan thought for a long time but couldn’t figure out why. He and Cheng Yu didn’t have much interaction. Perhaps he had unknowingly done something to help Cheng Yu, or maybe he had touched Cheng Yu’s heart in some way he didn’t know about.Most likely, Cheng Yu had conjured up a perfect, serious version of himself in his mind.Lin An Lan felt somewhat guilty and said quietly, “I’m not as good as you say. I also have times when I’m indifferent, when I don’t care about people or things.”He didn’t want Cheng Yu to love an illusory version of himself. If they ended up together and he discovered it was all his imagination, that would truly be a waste of feelings and time.But Lin An Lan thought it probably wouldn’t happen. In the dream, he and Cheng Yu weren’t their current age—they both looked quite mature, and their relationship seemed stable. So presumably, he liked more than just the imagined version of himself.“I know.” Cheng Yu said gently. “But it’s okay. I think you’re already very good.”He thought for a moment and added, “Your family is very good too.”He really is lacking love!Lin An Lan felt he could stamp this conclusion now. After all, liking him might just be adolescent romantic confusion, but specifically commenting that his parents were good—that could only mean his parents had unknowingly warmed Cheng Yu these past few days, making him yearn for such a family.Indeed, which child wouldn’t want a happy family with loving parents?Even he, as a child, had wanted nothing more than to have a family with a father and mother who were good to him.He had gotten that, but Cheng Yu hadn’t.So wanting it was perfectly normal.Lin An Lan felt he understood now. He closed his eyes and said to him, “You’re very good too. My parents really like you. If you’d like, after my mom gets out of the hospital, you can come over often. Sleep now.”“Really?” Cheng Yu asked. “Can I really come over often?”“My dad already agreed. What are you afraid of?”“Do you want me to come too?” Cheng Yu asked, feeling nervous.Lin An Lan turned over to face him directly. “Come.”He said, “I’ll tutor you while you’re here.”His boyfriend absolutely couldn’t have grades like this!Even if he couldn’t beat his scores, he couldn’t be this far below him!Lin An Lan felt somewhat melancholy. With his current scores, can he even get into a second-tier university? Probably third-tier, right?It wasn’t that he looked down on third-tier schools, but… how could his boyfriend be from a third-tier school?!This wasn’t scientific!Lin An Lan closed his eyes, hoping he’d dream about discussing university with Cheng Yu tonight. He really wanted to know which university Cheng Yu graduated from. If he really was a third-tier graduate and they still ended up together in the future, then Lin An Lan felt his love for Cheng Yu was absolutely true love!Truer than gold!
Chapter 236.1Despite Lin An Lan’s eager anticipation, that night he didn’t dream about Cheng Yu’s university. Instead, he dreamed of some rather inappropriate scenes.In the dream, he and Cheng Yu were at home with rain falling outside. They weren’t in a hurry to get up. Cheng Yu held him, slowly kissing him, until finally the blanket covered them and they engaged in activities unsuitable for minors.Lin An Lan’s heart filled with shock. He instinctively wanted to skip this part, yet couldn’t help being secretly curious. The covering blanket was slightly lifted, revealing his dream-self’s somewhat flushed cheeks.He watched himself reach out to embrace Cheng Yu, kiss him back, and nestle into his arms like a spoiled child. He also saw the smile in Cheng Yu’s eyes as he gently held him tighter.The rain outside continued, pattering away. Lin An Lan opened his eyes, his heart full of subtle feelings.He never would have imagined that his first time watching an adult film would star himself and Cheng Yu.He silently turned to look at Cheng Yu, who hadn’t awakened yet. His face was turned slightly toward him, chin tucked under the blanket.His eyes were closed, eyelashes lowered like a dense curtain.Lin An Lan quietly watched, thinking he looked exceptionally handsome no matter when you looked at him.Handsome in his current teenage years, handsome in the young adult years from his dreams.Each had its own charm, different kinds of attraction, with the only common point being likability.But still…Having spring dreams about someone while lying next to them—this feeling was indescribably awkward.Lin An Lan touched his nose and quietly got out of bed to go to the bathroom.He discreetly washed his underwear, then brushed his teeth and washed his face before heading back.Cheng Yu was still sleeping soundly.Lin An Lan didn’t disturb him, just sat on the bed silently watching him.He heard raindrops striking the window—it was raining in his real world too, pattering the same way as in his dream, making Lin An Lan feel somewhat dazed.But Cheng Yu hadn’t awakened yet, still sleeping peacefully. His features were still youthful, proving they weren’t in the dream but were still just high school classmates in reality.Lin An Lan didn’t understand why he suddenly had dreams about the future, but he didn’t want to investigate too deeply. Being able to glimpse the future was always good—at least he could help his mother with treatment early, and at least he wouldn’t have to wonder in adulthood where his love life would land.Some people in this world preferred knowing definitively which person they would ultimately possess rather than opening blind boxes to unknown futures.Lin An Lan was like that. He knew, he didn’t reject Cheng Yu, so he was willing to try being with Cheng Yu.Cheng Yu turned over, finally showing signs of waking.He rubbed his eyes and drowsily opened them, looking toward Lin An Lan. “Morning.” He mumbled.“Morning.” Lin An Lan looked at his watch. “It’s already 10:30—not really morning anymore.”Cheng Yu smiled, about to say something when he heard the rain and asked, “It’s raining?”“Mm.” Lin An Lan nodded.“Heavy?”Lin An Lan stood up and walked to the window to check. Not particularly heavy, but not light either.“It’s okay, not too heavy.”He watched Cheng Yu sit up and asked, “Want breakfast?”“At this hour?” Cheng Yu looked at him. “Shouldn’t it be about time for lunch?”“True.” Lin An Lan said, “Let’s have lunch then. What do you want to eat?”“What do you want to eat?”Lin An Lan thought of his dream where after everything ended, Cheng Yu held him and asked what he wanted to eat. They had hot pot that time.“Let’s have hot pot.” He said.But right after saying it, he seemed to remember something and changed his mind. “Actually, let’s have noodles instead. There probably aren’t enough ingredients at home, and I don’t want to go out shopping in this rain.”But Cheng Yu smiled. “If you want it, let’s have it. We just won’t go out shopping.”“What do you mean?”A minute later, Lin An Lan completely understood—Cheng Yu had ordered hot pot delivery.“That’s too expensive.”He looked at the final price displayed on the app. “This money could buy groceries for several meals.”“My treat.” Cheng Yu said with a smile, submitting the order. “Consider it my lodging fee for last night.”He looked at Lin An Lan with a smile. Perhaps because Lin An Lan in panda pajamas looked so harmless, Cheng Yu boldly patted Lin An Lan’s head once, saying gently, “You let me sleep well, so I’m treating you to something you want to eat.”Lin An Lan wanted to refuse, but since Cheng Yu had already paid, refusing would be pointless. So he said nothing more.Seeing that he didn’t pursue the matter of his wandering right hand, Cheng Yu silently breathed a sigh of relief, tempted to pat him again.But Lin An Lan didn’t give him this opportunity. Instead, he pushed him, indicating, “Since you’re awake, go wash up. Then I’ll tutor you. You still have one test paper left to do, right?”Cheng Yu: Mentioning test papers right after waking up—too cruel.But he still nodded obediently. “Yes, one more.”“Finish that before we eat. After completing that paper today, I’ll properly go over the second-year material with you. Your previous foundation wasn’t bad—you should still be able to catch up.”You’re really diligent and dedicated!Cheng Yu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, while feeling unconsciously happy about having someone look after him. He cooperated fully, “I’ll go right now.”“Mm.”Seeing his slightly curved eyebrows, Cheng Yu couldn’t help but lean closer and say, “An An, you’re really good.”Lin An Lan was surprised to hear him call him this for the first time.Cheng Yu quickly said, “I noticed Uncle and Aunt call you that. Can I call you that too?”“I guess so.” Lin An Lan had no particular objection. After all, in his dream, that’s exactly what Cheng Yu called him—he was used to it.
Chapter 236.2Hearing this, Cheng Yu became even happier. Smiling, he patted Lin An Lan’s head again, then quickly ran out of the bedroom before he could speak, heading to the bathroom to wash up.Lin An Lan watched his retreating figure, touching where he’d just patted him. He really is pushing boundaries—daring to pat my head now, twice even!Such audacity!After washing up, Cheng Yu sat at Lin An Lan’s desk and began working on the test paper.For each problem, he’d write for a bit then ponder for three seconds, considering whether he should appear to know the answer or make appropriate mistakes to maintain his underachiever image.Fortunately, Lin An Lan didn’t disturb him. While Cheng Yu worked on the paper, he read his book, not rushing him.Cheng Yu tilted his head and saw him reading Maupassant Short Stories with his head lowered. He asked, “Is that good?”“It’s okay.” Lin An Lan said. “You can borrow it if you want.”“Sure.” Cheng Yu was happy to create any connection with him.“But you’ll have to wait until I finish.” Lin An Lan said.“No problem.”After speaking, Cheng Yu lowered his head to continue with his paper while Lin An Lan continued reading. The two were surprisingly compatible.Close to noon, the hot pot arrived.The delivery worker quickly helped them spread out disposable tablecloths and arranged various ingredients on the dining table.“Enjoy your meal.” The worker said.Lin An Lan nodded and thanked him, then they left.The two sat at the dining table waiting for the pot to boil. Cheng Yu looked up at Lin An Lan across from him, finding it incredible. Two weeks ago, he’d been racking his brains trying to figure out how to approach Lin An Lan, and now he was sitting in Lin An Lan’s home, eating hot pot with him.This feeling was too surreal, beautiful like a fantasy.Cheng Yu pinched his arm, feeling slight pain, finally daring to confirm he wasn’t dreaming.He didn’t know about Lin An Lan’s dream world, thinking the turning point was helping Mother Lin contact Professor Wang. This made him even more determined to hold tight to Lin’s parents’ support—he could see that as long as Father and Mother Lin liked him, Lin An Lan wouldn’t distance himself.“Is Auntie having surgery soon?” He asked.Lin An Lan nodded. “The day after tomorrow.”Cheng Yu comforted him, “It’ll be fine. I’ll go with you when the time comes. Professor Wang said he’d perform the surgery personally—the success rate is quite high.”Hearing this, Lin An Lan still felt unconsciously worried.In his dream, Mother Lin passed away during his senior year. He was really afraid that despite all their efforts, she still might not make it past the senior year hurdle.But since no one else knew about this except him, Lin An Lan couldn’t tell anyone. He could only respond with hope for a successful surgery.The pot boiled. Cheng Yu added meat and vegetables. Lin An Lan looked at the bubbling pot, took a photo, and sent it to his father, telling him they were having hot pot today.Seeing it, his father felt reassured and advised him not to come to the hospital today—the rainy weather made the roads difficult, and he had school tomorrow.Lin An Lan thought about it and didn’t argue, essentially agreeing.He wondered how long this rain would last. If it kept up, would Cheng Yu continue staying at his place tonight?Lin An Lan looked at Cheng Yu, who placed a slice of beef in his bowl. “Try this, see how it tastes.”Sigh, Lin An Lan thought. The way Cheng Yu is, if I ask him, he’ll definitely use the excuse that it’s hard to get a taxi in the rain and stay another night.Well, that’s fine, Lin An Lan thought. After eating such an expensive hot pot meal, providing another night’s lodging isn’t much.He picked up the beef and tasted it. “Not bad.”Cheng Yu also ate a piece. “It really is good.”The two slowly ate their hot pot while the rain grew heavier outside, but it didn’t affect their mood.Steam filled the small room with warmth, and Cheng Yu’s heart was full of tenderness.After finishing their meal, they simply cleaned up and prepared to return to the room.Just as they stood up, they heard knocking at the door.Cheng Yu looked at Lin An Lan, who frowned, guessing it was Jiang Xu.He got up and walked to the door, opening it. Outside was indeed Jiang Xu, apparently having just woken up and looking not quite alert. “Have you eaten?”“Yes.” Lin An Lan said.Jiang Xu said “Oh,” then “I just woke up.”“I can tell.”“Sorry.” Jiang Xu said. “I troubled you last night.”“If you really feel sorry, you’d better not wallow in self-destruction like this again.”Jiang Xu felt embarrassed but didn’t dare give him a definitive answer. He remembered something and asked, “What you said yesterday—have you encountered some problem recently?”“No.”Only then did Jiang Xu relax, afraid he’d also encountered something bad during his own period of negativity.“Let me come in first.” He softened his attitude. “Let’s talk inside.”Since he was being polite, Lin An Lan didn’t make things difficult and let him in.But as soon as he entered, Jiang Xu saw Cheng Yu wearing Lin An Lan’s pajamas. “Why is he still here!”Cheng Yu smiled and replied, “I just woke up.”Remembering that he’d slept here last night, even sleeping with Lin An Lan, Jiang Xu couldn’t contain his anger. “Then you should get lost! Don’t you know you’re bothering people?”Lin An Lan was exasperated. “Can’t you speak properly? Did nine years of compulsory education teach you to speak with barbed words and be nasty to others?”Jiang Xu was displeased. “It’s a new day and he’s still not leaving?”“It’s raining outside.” Lin An Lan said helplessly. “How can he leave in such heavy rain?”“He has feet to walk with, it’s not like his legs are broken. Besides, he’s so rich, he can just call a taxi to go anywhere.”Lin An Lan: …Lin An Lan grabbed his collar and started pulling him toward the door. “Come on, you go out. Your legs aren’t broken either. You can walk just fine with your feet.“
Chapter 237.1Jiang Xu hadn’t expected him to react this way. Clinging to his hand, he pleaded, “What are you doing, Xiao Lan?”“This is my home, and Cheng Yu is my guest. If you can’t learn to respect my guests, I’ll ban you from entering. That’s not hard to understand, is it?”Jiang Xu couldn’t believe it. “You’re going to kick me out for him? Xiao Lan, we’re best friends. What is he to you! How can you say such things to me because of him!”What is he to you? He’s my mother’s lifesaver, damn it!Whether Cheng Yu would become his partner in the future, whether they’d end up together, none of that mattered. The fact that he’d helped treat his mother’s illness was crystal clear and already done. With that debt of gratitude, he could never be just an ordinary classmate to Lin An Lan.“So you came here today just to fight with me?” Lin An Lan said calmly. “Well, you’ve succeeded. You can leave now.”“Of course not.” Jiang Xu quickly protested. “I just wanted him to leave.”Lin An Lan was speechless. “So you came looking for him, not me?”“Of course not.” Jiang Xu didn’t understand how he could say that. “I came looking for you. I’m not even close to him.”“But since you walked through that door, have you said a single word related to me?” Lin An Lan asked. “The moment you saw him, he became the focus of every conversation. Did you really come looking for me? Weren’t you actually here to see if he’d left, and if not, to make him leave?”“That’s not—” Jiang Xu felt he couldn’t defend himself. “I just don’t think he should be here.”“So what, do you want to keep talking about him?”Jiang Xu: …Jiang Xu didn’t dare continue.Looking at Lin An Lan, Jiang Xu wanted to say something but didn’t know what would make him stop looking so cold.After thinking hard for a while, he suddenly seemed to realize something. “Where are Uncle and Aunt?”He craned his neck to look inside, confirming there was indeed no sign of Mother and Father Lin. At this time of day, they should be home with Lin An Lan, talking and watching TV.“Did they go out?”That didn’t make sense. It was pouring rain outside.“My mom’s in the hospital.” Lin An Lan said calmly.Jiang Xu was shocked. “What happened? How did Aunt end up in the hospital? What’s wrong with her? Is it serious?”Seeing his concern, Lin An Lan’s attitude toward him softened slightly. But he never liked to elaborate on such matters, so he simply said, “She’s having surgery in a few days. Hopefully everything will be fine.”“It’s that serious?” Jiang Xu hadn’t expected Mother Lin’s condition to be so severe. Growing worried, he said, “I should go see her.”“There’s no need.” Lin An Lan replied. “My dad’s with her. Let her rest properly.”“You should have told me sooner.” Jiang Xu sighed.Lin An Lan laughed once. “What would be the point of telling you? You can barely take care of yourself right now. Where would you find time to worry about others?”“But I would still—”“Enough, Jiang Xu. Anyone can say nice things, but the fact is I genuinely might not be able to reach you. So I never counted on you. This is my family matter, so I’ll handle it myself. I don’t need your help, and I won’t blame you for it. So don’t worry too much about it. When my mom finishes her surgery, you can go visit her.”Hearing this, Jiang Xu felt Lin An Lan was growing distant from him, but he couldn’t find words to respond.Lin An Lan was right. During this period, how many times had he seen Lin An Lan’s calls and messages but ignored them, not replying? He was afraid that if he responded to Lin An Lan, he’d soften and return to school to study obediently as Lin An Lan wanted. And then his mother would be even less likely to appear.“I’m sorry.”“It’s fine.” Lin An Lan said peacefully.This really had nothing to do with Jiang Xu. He wasn’t family, so naturally he didn’t need to be by Mother Lin’s side when she was ill. He was just a friend, not a lover or family member. Lin An Lan saw this clearly, so he wouldn’t blame him for such things.“Cheng Yu and I are going to study now. If you’re willing to study too, you can join us. If not, then go home.”Jiang Xu looked at him, silent for a long while, then said quietly, “I’ll go get my practice problems.”“Mm.”Cheng Yu watched Jiang Xu leave and head toward his own house, feeling annoyed despite knowing that Jiang Xu was Lin An Lan’s real good friend, and that Lin An Lan hoped this friend would get back on track. He was still annoyed.Their perfectly good world for two suddenly had Jiang Xu added to it. How disgusting.Though he thought this, he didn’t feel comfortable saying it. Lin An Lan closed the door and, seeing him, said, “Come on, let’s go back to my room first. He’ll probably be a while.”After speaking, he seemed to suddenly remember something. “Do you mind having Jiang Xu around?”“I think he minds me being here more.”Lin An Lan felt somewhat helpless. He wasn’t blind, so naturally he could sense Jiang Xu’s dislike of Cheng Yu. Which was why whenever Cheng Yu asked him questions at school, he would just answer and not say much more, not wanting to make things awkward between Cheng Yu and Jiang Xu.He’d asked Jiang Xu about this before. Jiang Xu’s response had been: “Showing excessive courtesy without reason means he’s either a traitor or a thief. He suddenly asks you questions so frequently, is it really just for studying? I don’t believe it. If it’s for studying, can’t he hire a tutor? With his family’s resources, what tutor couldn’t he get? He has to ask you questions every day. He definitely has some ulterior motive. Rich young masters like him find their greatest pleasure in making fun of others. Maybe it’s some bet or joke. Anyway, just ignore him.”Lin An Lan didn’t think it was that serious. But he was naturally aloof and had no particular longing for interpersonal relationships. If Jiang Xu didn’t like Cheng Yu, he’d just let it be. Between his childhood friend and a classmate he barely knew, anyone would lean toward their friend. That was normal.But now Lin An Lan had a headache. Cheng Yu’s current identity was too complicated.Setting aside his future relationship with Lin An Lan, just the fact that he’d helped Lin An Lan’s mother meant Lin An Lan couldn’t help but favor him.For Lin An Lan, the most important people in the world were only his father and mother.If he and his parents were drowning simultaneously, he would unhesitatingly choose to have people save his parents first.And if his parents and anyone else were drowning simultaneously, no matter who that person was, Lin An Lan would save his parents first.His parents had given him so much that in Lin An Lan’s somewhat closed-off, not-very-rich emotional world, his parents occupied nearly all the space.So Cheng Yu, the person who had pulled Mother Lin from the water, had also become someone Lin An Lan couldn’t ignore.“I’ll talk to him about it later.” Lin An Lan said. “If you really don’t like being under the same roof as him, it won’t happen again.”“I didn’t think it through just now. Next time I’ll ask you first. Sorry about that.”Cheng Yu found this strange. “Why are you apologizing? There’s no need, there’s no need. I don’t mind that much, it’s not a big deal. But…”He looked at Lin An Lan. “If I said I didn’t want him here, you’d just ignore him?”“Not ignore exactly.” Lin An Lan replied honestly. “I’d just keep you two separated. I won’t let you two stay together.”“Isn’t that tiring?”“Not really.” Lin An Lan said. “I know all those problems anyway. The ones who need to study seriously are you two, not me.”Cheng Yu: …No, he knew them too. Only that idiot Jiang Xu didn’t know them, so the only one who needed to study seriously was him!“We’ll see.” Cheng Yu said. “As long as he doesn’t make snide remarks at me first, I can pretend he doesn’t exist.”Lin An Lan thought his temper was quite good. “Alright.”Jiang Xu spent considerable effort finding the test papers the school had distributed earlier, then came back to Lin An Lan’s house with them.Cheng Yu was doing homework while Lin An Lan read Maupassant. Neither spoke, creating a harmonious atmosphere.Jiang Xu sat down beside Lin An Lan with his papers and started working.Having not listened in class for over half a semester, he was completely confused looking at the papers. After doing just a few problems, he needed Lin An Lan’s help.Thinking about how Jiang Xu had been self-destructive for half the semester, Lin An Lan could only take out textbooks and notebooks, having him read first before explaining.To avoid disturbing Cheng Yu, he went to the living room with Jiang Xu.Seeing this, Cheng Yu couldn’t let it slide. Every five minutes he’d shout loudly: “An An, I don’t understand this problem. Can you come here for a moment?”Lin An Lan had just sat down to explain when he heard Jiang Xu calling from outside: “Xiao Lan, how did this step come about? Why can’t I understand it?”After several rounds of this, Lin An Lan understood that these two were deliberately competing.Feeling helpless, he simply had them circle all the problems they didn’t understand for him to explain all at once later.
Chapter 237.2Cheng Yu wrote for over an hour. After finishing the last test paper, he looked at Lin An Lan, who was reading, and moved closer to him. “I’m done.”He was sitting quite close. When Lin An Lan turned his head, they nearly kissed, startling both of them.Lin An Lan unconsciously blinked and said “Oh”, then quickly recovered. “Then rest for a bit. I’ll explain things to both of you together later.”“I’ll read with you.” Cheng Yu said. “I haven’t read this yet.”Lin An Lan nodded. “That’s fine.”Cheng Yu pulled his chair closer, sitting right next to him, looking at the story in the book and waiting for him to turn pages.When Jiang Xu came in, he saw them with their heads together, sharing a book. Furious, he walked over and tapped Lin An Lan’s shoulder.Lin An Lan turned around, confused. Jiang Xu jerked his chin toward his side. “Come sit over here.”“Study your notes properly.”“Xiao Lan…”“Get out.” Lin An Lan said coldly.“But he’s practically glued to you.”“I am not.” Cheng Yu quickly protested. “We’re just reading.”Jiang Xu sneered and looked at Lin An Lan. “Perfect, I have questions I don’t understand. Can you come explain them to me?”“Save them up.” Lin An Lan said. “I’ll explain everything to both of you together later.”“Xiao Lan.”“Enough. Go read quickly. You’re the slowest one here. In the time you’re wasting, you could have read two more pages of notes.”“If you don’t come out, I’m not studying anymore.” Jiang Xu said stubbornly.Lin An Lan remained calm. “Then go home. If you’re not going to study, don’t interfere with our studying.”“Exactly.” Cheng Yu chimed in.Jiang Xu: …Grinding his teeth, Jiang Xu walked out, his heart full of frustration.Lin An Lan didn’t explain the problems both had accumulated until nearly dinnertime.He could see clearly now. These two absolutely could not be put together. This time was his mistake. Next time… there would absolutely be no next time!After dinner, seeing the rain had stopped, Jiang Xu began urging Cheng Yu: “The rain’s stopped. Some people should go home now.”Cheng Yu didn’t really want to leave, so he ignored Jiang Xu. After all, this wasn’t Jiang Xu’s house.“What, playing deaf and dumb?” Jiang Xu looked at him.Lin An Lan felt a headache coming on. “You’re right, you really should go home.”He looked at Jiang Xu. “After dinner, you should leave too.”Jiang Xu was shocked. “I was talking about him!”“I was talking about you.” Lin An Lan said calmly.“Why?” Jiang Xu didn’t understand. “Why do you keep protecting him?”“Because you talk too much.” Lin An Lan said peacefully while eating. “Too noisy.”Jiang Xu: …Cheng Yu actually smiled. “I think so too.”Jiang Xu: !!!“Shut up.”“How about you shut up instead.” Cheng Yu said with a smile.When Jiang Xu was about to say more, Lin An Lan tapped the table. “Eat.”Jiang Xu had no choice but to quiet down, though his heart was full of anger.After dinner, Lin An Lan started kicking people out. Jiang Xu didn’t want to leave and sat on the sofa asking, “Why me?”“It’s so late, you should go home.”“I’m sleeping over at your place tonight.”“There’s no room.”“How is there no room?”“Because I plan to continue staying over tonight.” Cheng Yu suddenly said.“In your dreams.” Jiang Xu said angrily.Cheng Yu looked at Lin An Lan obediently. “May I? The roads outside are too muddy, I’d like to stay one more night.”Lin An Lan had already guessed he might find an excuse to stay another night. Hearing him say this, he wasn’t surprised at all. After all, wasn’t Cheng Yu still harboring a crush on him?He nodded without refusing. This wasn’t because Cheng Yu had a crush on him, but because Cheng Yu also bore the identity of his family’s lifesaver.Hearing this, Jiang Xu became even more upset. “I don’t agree!”“This doesn’t require your agreement.”“Xiao Lan, why is this?” Jiang Xu didn’t understand. “Why are you suddenly so good to him?”“Because he helped my mom contact the best professor, because he increased my mom’s surgery success rate by 30%, because he’s been having the hospital take care of my mom’s health these past few days. Is that enough?” Lin An Lan looked at Jiang Xu. “When you weren’t there, he was. He helped me a lot. It wouldn’t be too much to call him our family’s benefactor. So I don’t want you talking to him like that anymore. Now you know, you can go home first.”Jiang Xu was stunned and couldn’t speak for a long time.He finally left. As he was about to go out the door, Jiang Xu glanced at Lin An Lan, vaguely realizing that Lin An Lan probably wouldn’t distance himself from Cheng Yu anymore.He knew too well the position Lin An Lan’s parents held in his heart. As long as Cheng Yu had this layer of life-saving benefactor relationship, he would forever have unobstructed access to Lin An Lan.Jiang Xu felt some regret. Why hadn’t he been by Lin An Lan’s side then? Why had he chosen to self-destruct? Why weren’t his parents wealthy? Why hadn’t he been able to help Lin An Lan?As Lin An Lan was closing the door, Jiang Xu looked into his eyes and said sincerely, “If I could help your mom, I definitely would.”Lin An Lan believed this statement. “Mm, I know.”“I just didn’t know.”“I don’t blame you.” Lin An Lan said. “But he really did help me a lot, so I hope you can get along well with him. He’s actually a good person. You’ll discover that if you interact with him more.”Jiang Xu nodded perfunctorily, having no interest in discussing whether Cheng Yu was good or not. What did it matter to him if Cheng Yu was good? He didn’t like Cheng Yu; he didn’t even want Cheng Yu to be friends with Lin An Lan.Lin An Lan watched him leave dejectedly, closed the door, and sighed.Seeing his somewhat melancholy expression, Cheng Yu asked, “Did I make things difficult for you?”Lin An Lan looked puzzled. “Huh?”“What I said just now was just to annoy him. I don’t necessarily have to stay another night.” He looked at Lin An Lan with clean, sincere eyes. “I helped you just because I wanted to help. We’re classmates, it was just a small favor. If I could help, I helped. I didn’t want you to treat me like a benefactor, and certainly not to repay me for it.”Lin An Lan smiled. “No, you’re overthinking it. I was just looking at Jiang Xu with some emotion. It has nothing to do with you.”“Really?”Lin An Lan nodded.He moved closer to Cheng Yu and deliberately teased, “You’re not going to ask me to repay you with my body, so what do I have to worry about?”Cheng Yu: !!!Cheng Yu looked at him in shock. Repay with his body?! Of course he wouldn’t ask Lin An Lan to repay him with his body!Besides, Lin An Lan wasn’t a girl.Wait, it seemed like boys could repay with their bodies now too. The bill had passed and was just waiting for formal implementation.Hold on, what was he thinking about?! His feelings for Lin An Lan were pure friendship!“Why are you still standing there?” Lin An Lan looked back at him. “While we still have time, let’s watch a movie together. Of course, if you want to go home, then forget it.”Cheng Yu immediately walked over and even turned off the lights. “What movie?”Lin An Lan smiled. “The Man Who Wouldn’t Go Home.”Cheng Yu: …Was there really such a movie? Was he really not talking about him? Was he really not doing this on purpose?Seeing the expression on his face, Lin An Lan burst out laughing.“So cute.” He ruffled Cheng Yu’s hair.It was a fair exchange. Cheng Yu had ruffled his hair twice before, so he still owed him one. Thinking this, Lin An Lan walked toward the bedroom in a very good mood.
Chapter 238Contrary to Cheng Yu’s expectations, there really was a movie called “The Man Who Wouldn’t Go Home”, and it was actually a horror film.Cheng Yu was absolutely stunned, sitting on the bed next to Lin An Lan watching it.Lin An Lan maintained perfect composure throughout. Whether it was ghosts eating people or people eating ghosts, he looked completely unperturbed. Cheng Yu thought his psychological resilience was really excellent.When the movie ended, they prepared for bed.This time Lin An Lan showered first again. When Cheng Yu finished his shower and came out, Lin An Lan was half-reclining on the bed reading a book. The bedside lamp cast a soft glow on his face, giving him a sense of peaceful contentment.Perhaps noticing Cheng Yu’s gaze, Lin An Lan looked up. “Finished showering?”He closed his book and settled deeper into the covers. “Then let’s sleep.”Cheng Yu quickly walked over, lifted the covers, and lay down on the other side.He rarely had this kind of experience sleeping with someone else. It had been rare as a child and nonexistent as he grew up. Except for elementary school when he went to summer camp with Xu Sheng and the others and they all slept in one tent, at all other times he slept alone.This was Cheng Yu’s second time sleeping so close to another person after last night. Feeling the breathing of the person beside him, he wanted to hold him but felt too embarrassed. He could only close his eyes and try not to think about such inappropriate things.The next morning, Lin An Lan woke Cheng Yu up. The two of them went to the mouth of the alley together to buy breakfast, then took the bus to school.Cheng Yu was pulled along by Lin An Lan in what felt like a race. First buying breakfast, then rushing for the bus. It wasn’t until they got on the bus and he felt the crowded passengers that he belatedly realized, “We could have taken a taxi.”Seeing his somewhat uncomfortable expression, Lin An Lan smiled. “I forgot for a moment. If you think it’s too crowded, we can get off at the next stop.”How could Cheng Yu be so insensitive as to get off now? He could only say, “It’s actually okay, not too crowded. We’ll take a taxi next time.”“Alright.”Cheng Yu was delighted. “So there will be a next time?”Lin An Lan laughed, finding him quite amusing. “Don’t you want there to be?”“Of course I do.” Cheng Yu said.“Then as you wish.”Cheng Yu instantly became even happier, a smile unconsciously spreading across his face.Just then the driver braked suddenly, causing everyone on the bus to lurch forward. Cheng Yu couldn’t steady himself in time and fell forward, embracing Lin An Lan.Lin An Lan was surprised; Cheng Yu was also stunned. The bus stopped, and Cheng Yu slowly straightened up, his hands on Lin An Lan’s shoulders, looking at him.The sounds around them were noisy and chaotic, but Cheng Yu seemed to hear nothing. Looking at the person in front of him, he could faintly hear only his own heartbeat.Lin An Lan blinked without speaking or pushing him away, just looking directly into his eyes.It wasn’t until someone passed by them and bumped into Cheng Yu that he snapped back to reality.“Sorry.”“It’s fine.” Lin An Lan smiled.Cheng Yu looked at him, then silently turned around and gripped the handrail.The bus window’s glass reflected Lin An Lan’s handsome face. He seemed to be smiling, his eyes curved like crescents.Cheng Yu thought he was really beautiful, both beautiful and warm. Just being near him felt like being cared for.But even though they were friends now, why was he still not satisfied?Cheng Yu couldn’t figure it out, yet somehow vaguely understood.Because he wanted to be even more intimate.Like last night, when he’d wanted to hold Lin An Lan and sleep with him in his arms, but hadn’t dared tell him, afraid of being rejected.Like just now, when he’d suddenly embraced Lin An Lan—without warning or notice—yet he’d held the other person tightly. After coming to his senses, his first reaction wasn’t to push away or apologize, but joy.He was really so thin, yet unexpectedly soft. Cheng Yu could embrace him with one arm and feel the warmth of his skin beneath his clothes.Cheng Yu felt that what he wanted was really too much.He was like a greedy snake. Having eaten these things, he still wanted those. He was too greedy.
Chapter 239.1When Jiang Xu walked into the classroom at noon, he saw Cheng Yu sitting in his seat with Lin An Lan seemingly tutoring him. The two were sitting very close together, looking quite intimate.Jiang Xu hurried over, threw his backpack onto his desk, and sneered coldly, “What’s this, a cuckoo taking over the magpie’s nest?”Lin An Lan got a headache just hearing his tone. “Can’t you speak properly?”He looked at Jiang Xu. “I’m the one who told Cheng Yu to sit here. If you have a problem, talk to me about it.”Jiang Xu couldn’t believe it, pointing at his seat. “This is my seat.”“But you don’t attend class anyway.”“It’s still mine!”“It belongs to the school.” Lin An Lan said calmly. “Before you, an upperclassman from the previous grade sat here. After you, an underclassman from the next grade will sit here. During regular exams, whoever is assigned this seat will sit here. So essentially, as long as they’re a student at this school, anyone can sit here.”“Well, now that I’m here, he should get lost too.” Jiang Xu said.“Can’t you speak properly? Is it really that hard for you to talk calmly?”Jiang Xu found it difficult, incredibly difficult. How could he possibly speak calmly with Cheng Yu? Anyone would lose their cool walking into a classroom to find their best friend sitting intimately with someone they dislike.Not wanting to put Lin An Lan in a difficult position, Cheng Yu stood up. “Fine, you weren’t here before anyway. Now that you’re back, I’ll go back to my seat too.”After speaking, he packed up his bag and returned to his own seat.Jiang Xu sat down, still feeling angry inside, sulking and refusing to talk to Lin An Lan.Lin An Lan was also unhappy. “Did you forget what I told you yesterday?”“I didn’t forget, but I just don’t like these rich young masters.”“Can’t you be a little more peaceful for my sake?” Lin An Lan looked at him. “Acting like this, don’t you think I’m embarrassed?”“But seeing you so close with him now makes me angry too.” Jiang Xu looked at him. “If I liked him, that would be one thing, but I don’t. Originally we had no connection with him, but now you have a close relationship with him. What about me? Don’t you think I’m embarrassed?”Lin An Lan said nothing more.Jiang Xu felt somewhat wronged. “I’m not saying you can’t show gratitude, I just don’t understand why it has to be him. Don’t you think it’s too much of a coincidence? He was always trying to get close to you before, and then suddenly an opportunity came for you to owe him a favor. Now he can brazenly use being your benefactor as an excuse to get close to you. Step by step, it’s like it was all carefully calculated.”“You’re overthinking it.” Lin An Lan said. “He’s not some divine immortal who can make my mom get sick on command. Regardless of his motives for helping me, I’m grateful. Nothing in this world is more valuable than my mother’s life, so even if his intentions aren’t pure, as long as he’s not committing murder or arson, I don’t care. If you keep up this attitude, we’ll definitely end up fighting, and that’s not what I want to see. Do you?”“Of course I don’t.”“Then speak to him properly, don’t target him, and don’t make things difficult for him.”Jiang Xu gritted his teeth and said nothing.Seeing his good brother return to his seat, Xu Sheng said in surprise, “Finally willing to come back?”“Not willing.”“So Lin An Lan drove you back?”“Of course not. Jiang Xu came back, so I had no choice.”Cheng Yu sighed with some regret. “Why doesn’t he continue his self-destructive ways? Did he run out of money? I could pay for a year-long internet cafe membership for him!”Xu Sheng: …You really don’t want him to come back!Of course Cheng Yu didn’t want him back. Watching Jiang Xu communicate with Lin An Lan during class, chat after class, and occasionally laugh together made his heart sour as a lemon!Right after the second afternoon class ended, Cheng Yu saw Lin An Lan and Jiang Xu leave, so he immediately walked toward his back desk.“Classmate, let’s switch seats.”The student wasn’t very willing.Cheng Yu took out his phone and sent him a red envelope. “Is this okay?”The student: “This isn’t about money.”Cheng Yu sent another one, “Just for a week.”“I really don’t mean that.”Cheng Yu directly sent three more. “Or tell me your price, classmate.”Student: …The student picked up his bag. “Bro, you sit here. I’ll switch with you right now!”Cheng Yu was happy and sent another one. “Thank you.”Such tangible gratitude!The student’s desk mate was envious. “Bro, look at my seat…”“You can keep sitting there.” Cheng Yu said while arranging his books. “I can’t sit in two seats.”“Actually, I’m cheaper than him.”“That won’t work.” Cheng Yu wasn’t interested. “Having Lin An Lan in front brings peace of mind, having Jiang Xu in front brings annoyance. You should be paying me.”Desk mate: …Now he found Jiang Xu annoying too!Xu Sheng hadn’t expected his good brother to come up with another plan when the first failed, so he grabbed his bag and followed.When Lin An Lan and Jiang Xu returned, they were surprised to find their back desk had become Cheng Yu and Xu Sheng.Cheng Yu smiled and greeted Lin An Lan. “I felt my seat was too far back, inconvenient for studying, so I found someone to switch with.”Xu Sheng quickly added, “Me too!”Lin An Lan didn’t believe it, but seeing Cheng Yu’s bright, sparkling eyes, he didn’t say anything and smiled slightly. “Is that so? Then listen carefully in class.”“Of course.”Jiang Xu was so angry his lungs nearly exploded. What kind of persistent haunting was this! He was deliberately going against him!!!“An An, let’s switch to the front too.” He said to Lin An Lan. “This seat is also a bit far back. Let’s discuss with the students in front.”Lin An Lan patted his shoulder, telling him to sit properly. “No need, this position is fine.”Besides, if you switched, Cheng Yu could just follow and switch too. Treating the symptoms but not the root cause, what’s the point?After sitting down, he turned back to look at Cheng Yu. “If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask me anytime.”“Okay.”Xu Sheng, propping up his chin, said, “Can I too?”Lin An Lan looked at him and didn’t refuse. “Sure.”He was the study committee member anyway; anyone could ask him questions.Cheng Yu quietly lifted his foot and stepped on Xu Sheng under the desk without making it obvious. What’s this got to do with you! Why are you butting in!Xu Sheng yelped in pain and looked at his good brother in shock.Lin An Lan: …???Cheng Yu smiled. “What’s wrong?”Xu Sheng sneered inwardly but didn’t dare expose his brother at this moment, so he had to cover: “I’m so moved! Ah, is this the friendship between classmates? So touching!”Lin An Lan: …Oh?He smiled and gave a meaningful look at his two new back-desk classmates, didn’t ask more questions, and turned back around in a good mood.Only then did Xu Sheng turn around and silently curse at Cheng Yu, occasionally throwing a punch!Cheng Yu fooled around with him for a while until Lin An Lan heard the commotion and turned around. Then they sat properly again, acting like nothing had happened.
Chapter 239.2All afternoon, Cheng Yu smiled while propping up his head, watching Lin An Lan in front of him, wanting more and more to pat his head.However, in full view of everyone, he ultimately didn’t act so brazenly. But while he couldn’t be brazen, he certainly didn’t hold back on the subtle moves.When Jiang Xu asked Lin An Lan about a problem, Cheng Yu immediately poked Lin An Lan too. “I have a question.”When Jiang Xu chatted with Lin An Lan, Cheng Yu immediately tapped Lin An Lan. “I have a question.”When Jiang Xu spoke with Lin An Lan, Cheng Yu immediately leaned over with an eager-to-learn expression. “I have a question.”“Why do you have so many questions!” Jiang Xu said angrily. “Can’t you ask the teacher if you have questions?”“I’m eager to improve.” Cheng Yu said righteously. “Only people who don’t love studying have no questions. The teacher said not to be afraid of having questions, but to be afraid of having no questions!”Jiang Xu felt he really had problems now.Lin An Lan advised him, “He’s doing it for studying. You, on the other hand, have fallen so far behind but still aren’t working hard, yet you have time to think about what to eat for dinner!”Jiang Xu: !!!Cheng Yu mercilessly added fuel to the fire. “He doesn’t like studying, that’s normal. People as passionate about learning as me are indeed rare, so study committee member, you must help me! My future destiny is in your hands!”Jiang Xu: …Jiang Xu wanted to flip Cheng Yu’s desk.Lin An Lan laughed and glanced sideways at Cheng Yu. “Is that so? Then your fate is at my mercy?”“Exactly. Study committee member, you’re so kind, would you be willing to give me a better fate?”Lin An Lan felt he was speaking with double meaning!He seriously considered it and felt it wasn’t impossible.“What’s your question?” He asked. “Let me help you solve the problem first.”“Alright.”Cheng Yu handed over his test paper. Lin An Lan looked at it and began explaining.Jiang Xu sat angrily in his seat, feeling more and more that this was intentional.With Cheng Yu constantly looking for trouble like this, expecting him to remain calm? He’d like to, but the key was whether he could actually manage it!Jiang Xu felt this was truly testing him!Finally, when afternoon classes ended, Jiang Xu felt like he’d finally come alive again. Then he heard Cheng Yu ask Lin An Lan, “An An, are we going to the hospital today?”“I’m going too.” Jiang Xu quickly said.“We’re not going today.” Lin An Lan looked at them both. “My dad said not to let me go today, worried it would put too much psychological pressure on my mom.”Cheng Yu nodded. “Then I’ll take you home.”“No need, I can take him.” Jiang Xu zipped up his backpack. “Let’s go, Xiao Lan.”Cheng Yu felt somewhat unwilling and followed beside Lin An Lan, saying softly, “Let me walk you partway too, and give me some tutoring on the way.”“Then use that as an excuse to stay at Xiao Lan’s house again?” Jiang Xu sneered. “Cheng Yu, don’t you have your own home?”Cheng Yu was stunned and asked him, “What does this have to do with you? I’m not staying at your house.”“I’m just asking casually. Otherwise, staying at other people’s houses all the time, don’t your parents care?”“Jiang Xu, this isn’t your business.” Lin An Lan said with displeasure.He remembered Cheng Yu mentioning that his mother had passed away and his father didn’t really care about him. If there wasn’t no one waiting for him at home, why would he want to stay at other people’s houses so much?Wouldn’t staying at his own home be more comfortable?For Cheng Yu, it was certainly somewhat uncomfortable.“I’ll go to your house.” Lin An Lan said. “I haven’t been to your place yet anyway.”Cheng Yu was surprised, then quickly became happy. “Great! I rent a place nearby. It’s less than a ten-minute walk.”Lin An Lan nodded and said to Jiang Xu, “You go home first.”Jiang Xu couldn’t believe it. “I should go home first? Why?”“Because I don’t want you at my house.” Cheng Yu said calmly. “Don’t you have your own home? Don’t your parents care about you?”Jiang Xu instantly flared up as if his reverse scale had been touched, grabbing his bag to fight with Cheng Yu.Cheng Yu had long found him annoying too and threw down his bag, ready to fight him.Lin An Lan was startled and quickly reached out to stop them. Cheng Yu, afraid of hurting him, immediately held back. Jiang Xu was still in his rage, his mind full of that phrase “don’t your parents care about you?” Seeing Cheng Yu hold back, he didn’t care and swung his fist toward him.Lin An Lan immediately grabbed his hand. “I said stop!”“Didn’t you hear what he just said about me?” Jiang Xu said angrily. “At a time like this, you’re still helping him!”“But you said it first. He doesn’t know anything, he was just returning your words to you.”“Just because he doesn’t know anything means he can say whatever he wants?! Right, this young master who’s never experienced hardship, what would he know!”“But you said it first!” Lin An Lan argued for Cheng Yu.“Was I wrong? He dares to do it but I can’t say it?!”“So only you can get hurt and angry? When you heard it you wanted to hit someone, but when he heard it and returned your exact words, that’s not allowed?”“Lin An Lan!” Jiang Xu was shocked. “Whose friend are you exactly!”“I’m friends with both of you.” Lin An Lan looked at him. “I’ll help whoever is right. This wasn’t his fault, so you have no right to hit him.”Jiang Xu stared, his eyes somewhat red. He bit his teeth and looked at Lin An Lan for a long while, then bitterly withdrew his hand, shouldered his bag, and walked toward the school gate.Cheng Yu suddenly felt panicked and looked down at Lin An Lan, afraid he’d be angry at him because of Jiang Xu’s final hurt and grievance.“You should go check on him.” He said. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said that. I lost control for a moment. I’m sorry.”Hearing this, Lin An Lan finally pulled himself out of the emotions from Jiang Xu leaving.He turned to look at Cheng Yu. There was some anxiety in Cheng Yu’s eyes as he said, “I didn’t expect him to get so angry. I didn’t mean to make you two fight. I’m sorry. Go check on him, don’t let this affect your friendship because of me.”He spoke softly and sincerely. Lin An Lan listened and felt he was gentler than he’d expected.“What about you?” He asked Cheng Yu. “I go check on him, go comfort him, then what about you?”“Xu Sheng already left. Who’s going to comfort you?”-----
Chapter 240.1Cheng Yu froze. Looking at Lin An Lan, for a moment he seemed to hear the sound of flowers blooming.Soft, fragrant, gently opening in his heart.It had been so long since anyone had comforted him.When he was young and his mother was still alive, she would comfort him when he was unhappy. But later, after his mother was gone and his relationship with his father grew increasingly strained until he finally moved out, aside from his brother Yu Heng, no one had comforted him anymore.Cheng Yu didn’t think he needed comforting. He was grown up now, long past the age of needing others’ comfort. But Lin An Lan seemed to want to comfort him.Looking at Lin An Lan, his mood felt strange. The gloom that had just covered his heart was suddenly blown away by this single sentence, leaving only soft joy. Even though Lin An Lan hadn’t said anything yet, it was enough to make him happy.“No need.” Cheng Yu said quietly. “I’m fine.”“Really.” Lin An Lan moved closer to him. “Think carefully, if you really don’t need it, I won’t comfort you.”Cheng Yu truly didn’t need it at first, but when he asked like that, he began to want it. He couldn’t help blinking and said quietly, “Then… comforting me would be okay too.”Lin An Lan smiled.He found Cheng Yu’s expression, wanting something but embarrassed to ask, somewhat cute, like a child wanting candy but uncertain if they could have it. So he reached up and patted Cheng Yu’s head, giving him that candy. “Don’t be angry. It was his fault. Don’t feel bad, he shouldn’t have said that, so it was normal for you to retort.”Cheng Yu just looked at him, softly hummed in acknowledgment, wanting to hug him but not quite daring.“Let’s go.” Lin An Lan withdrew his hand. “Let’s go to your place. I promised to tutor you.”“Okay.” Cheng Yu smiled and went downstairs with him.The house Cheng Yu rented was very close, purely for convenience. The interior was nicely decorated. Although Cheng Yu initially wasn’t impressed, after visiting the school dormitory, he unhesitatingly rented this place.At least it was better than the school dorm.Lin An Lan looked at him living alone in this hundred-plus square meter house and thought no wonder he didn’t want to go home. The house wasn’t small, but with only one person, it was indeed rather lonely.They bought dinner on the way back. Not rushing to study, they ate first before starting homework.Lin An Lan had already finished half his homework at school and completed the rest quickly.Cheng Yu still had much left. Intentionally wanting to drag out time, he planned to use “it’s too late” as an excuse to make Lin An Lan stay the night, so he deliberately wrote slowly, not finishing even by 10 PM.Lin An Lan looked at the time and said, “Still not finished?”“Mm.”“Then mark the parts you don’t understand, and I’ll explain them tomorrow.”Cheng Yu looked at him in surprise. “You’re leaving?”“It’s too late. I should go home.”“Why don’t you just stay here tonight?” Cheng Yu said. “Your family’s not home anyway. I’ll get you some pajamas, stay at my place.”“No.” Lin An Lan refused. “I’m not used to staying at other people’s houses.”Hearing this, Cheng Yu felt hurt. He naturally knew not everyone would easily sleep over at others’ houses, but Lin An Lan calling him “other people” still stung.“Aren’t we friends?”“We are friends, but I’m just not used to it.”“Have you ever stayed over at Jiang Xu’s?”Lin An Lan: …Lin An Lan felt that he and Jiang Xu really did have this strange sense of rivalry and jealousy.“No.” Lin An Lan said. “Our houses are close, going to his place versus going to mine is just a matter of a few floors’ difference, so I always go home to sleep.”This was true. Since childhood, his greatest fear was that his parents wouldn’t want him, so he always firmly guarded his home. He could go out and play, but he had to sleep at home. So Jiang Xu had asked him to stay over, but he’d always refused.However, there was also something he hadn’t told Cheng Yu, and that was that besides not being used to staying at others’ houses, he was still somewhat worried about Jiang Xu.That look in Jiang Xu’s eyes before leaving clearly showed he was hurt.Lin An Lan hadn’t immediately gone to comfort him because Cheng Yu’s mood was also bad then. He didn’t think Cheng Yu had done anything wrong, so he didn’t think Cheng Yu should bear the innocent consequences.But after all these years of friendship, he didn’t want Jiang Xu, who had finally returned to class, to indulge himself again the next day.“Maybe in the future.” Lin An Lan said. “Maybe someday I’ll overcome this psychological barrier and stay at others’ houses, but not tonight.”Seeing him say this, Cheng Yu stopped insisting. “Then I’ll take you.”“No need, I’ll just take a taxi home.”“Let me take you. I’d feel more at ease.” Cheng Yu said.Lin An Lan had no choice but to confess: “I need to check on Jiang Xu, so don’t take me. Just finish your homework and get some rest early.”Cheng Yu had guessed he might want to find Jiang Xu. After all, Jiang Xu’s expression before leaving was too easy to feel sorry for.He nodded and said quietly, “Then you really should go check on him.”Of course he should go check on him. They were such good friends for so many years, and Lin An Lan had always been so good to him. He knew better than anyone how good Lin An Lan was to him. If he didn’t go at a time like this, that would be abnormal.But Cheng Yu still felt suppressed. Even though both reason and emotion told him this was normal, this was Lin An Lan’s character, he still didn’t want it.Why did he have to go find Jiang Xu?Why couldn’t he stay at his house?Why hadn’t he met Lin An Lan earlier?Why was his relationship with him so fragile?
Chapter 240.2He’d thought that as long as they were friends, as long as Lin An Lan cared about him half as much as he cared about Jiang Xu, he’d be happy. But why, now that they were friends and Lin An Lan treated him the same as Jiang Xu, sometimes even favoring him, why was he still unhappy?Because he wasn’t satisfied. He was far too unsatisfied. He was greedy to the extreme.Cheng Yu felt disgusted with himself. Lin An Lan was so sincere toward him, yet he remained insatiably greedy, despicably so.“You should go quickly.” He controlled himself, reined in his emotions, and smiled at Lin An Lan. “I won’t take you then. Get home early.”“Mm.” Lin An Lan nodded.He stood up and packed his bag. Cheng Yu watched him, also standing up, and after he finished packing, walked him out of the apartment.“See you tomorrow morning.” Lin An Lan said to him.Cheng Yu nodded and smiled slightly.Lin An Lan looked at him leaning against the doorframe. The interior was dark, with only light flowing from the bedroom pooling at his feet, looking very desolate.He wore black pajamas and was smiling, yet somehow seemed lonely.Lin An Lan didn’t move for a moment, just quietly looked at the person in front of him.Naturally, Cheng Yu wouldn’t rush him to leave, so he also silently looked back at him.After a long while, Lin An Lan sighed and reached up to pat his head, like parents comforting their child before leaving.“Don’t look at me like that, it gives me psychological pressure.”“Why?” Cheng Yu didn’t understand.It feels like I’m abandoning you, Lin An Lan thought. We’re nothing special right now, just friends.Well, not just friends. After all, Cheng Yu had a crush on him.Thinking of this, Lin An Lan felt somewhat guilty.Although he’d been openly confessed to many times and knew people certainly had crushes on him, Cheng Yu was the only one who’d had a crush on him to his face and would end up with him in the future.And Cheng Yu was so good at acting pitiful. Quietly, without making a fuss, just looking at you silently, not saying anything even when hurt.The squeaky wheel gets the grease, but since Lin An Lan himself didn’t like to cry, he also liked children who didn’t cry.He helplessly stepped forward and hugged Cheng Yu. “Next time, okay? Next time you come to my house, I won’t let you leave. I’ll make you stay over. How’s that?”Caught off guard by the hug, Cheng Yu couldn’t pay attention to what he was saying.He was dazed for a moment before reacting, responding softly, then slowly and carefully raising his hands to hug Lin An Lan back.The hallway sensor light went out just then. In the shadowy darkness, Lin An Lan felt Cheng Yu hold him tighter, slowly and cautiously.“Will you hug him like this later?” He heard Cheng Yu ask quietly.Lin An Lan wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, just feeling that he really did love being jealous. They hadn’t even gotten anywhere yet, but his concerns were already numerous.“If he needs it.” He said deliberately.Sure enough, Cheng Yu fell silent, only tightening his arms around him.Lin An Lan chuckled quietly and asked, “Or would you like this privilege?”He waited a moment and heard Cheng Yu ask tentatively, “May I?”“I suppose so.” Lin An Lan said. “After all, you’re a new friend. I can give you one privilege.”Cheng Yu was delighted. “Then you can’t hug him anymore either.”Lin An Lan clicked his tongue. “How domineering.”Seeing no anger in his tone, Cheng Yu smiled. “That’s why it’s called a privilege.”Lin An Lan laughed despite himself. “Fine.”“So have you hugged him before?” Cheng Yu made a comeback.Lin An Lan: …Lin An Lan felt he must be a jealousy incarnate. They hadn’t even gotten anywhere yet, but his concerns were certainly numerous!“No.” He explained helplessly. “Maybe once or twice when we were kids playing around, but naturally we stopped doing that as we grew up.”They were just friends, both boys, not like the girls in class who hugged each other all the time.Cheng Yu was satisfied and whispered in his ear, “Thank you. You’re so good.”“Happy now?” Lin An Lan asked.“Mm.”“Can I go now?”Cheng Yu felt instantly less happy and held him without speaking.Lin An Lan had no choice but to wait until he’d hugged enough, then clapped his hands to make the hallway light come on again.He saw the obvious reluctance in Cheng Yu’s eyes. Bright and clear, brighter than the overhead light.“Let me walk you partway.” Cheng Yu said. “I’ll take you to see him, then come back when we get there. Is that okay?”“No.” Lin An Lan was merciless. “Go do your homework. With your current grades, you want to walk me? You’d get more value from doing two more problems than from walking me anywhere.”“I’ll bring my books along.”“You won’t listen to me?” Lin An Lan asked.Cheng Yu: …Cheng Yu listened, and was happy to listen. “Fine, then get home early.”“I will. Don’t worry, I’ll text you when I get there.”“Mm.”Only then did Lin An Lan finish coaxing him and turn toward the nearby elevator.
New changes made to solve unreachable patreon chapters!!!(130 coins for the $3 tier), (260 coins for the $7 tier) and (500 coins for the $20 tier) per month to read the advanced / locked on the main website. You just need to subscribe to your tier here, then create an account on the main website and the website administrator will deposit the coins in your created account when you inform them.Perk of subscribing to patreon is you get more coins than buying it directly on BMC...
New changes made to solve unreachable patreon chapters.(130 coins for the $3 tier), (260 coins for the $7 tier) and (500 coins for the $20 tier) per month to read the advanced / locked on the main website. You just need to subscribe to your tier here, then create an account on the main website and the website administrator will deposit the coins in your created account when you inform them.Perk of subscribing to patreon is you get more coins than buying it directly on BMC...

New changes made to solve unreachable patreon chapters!!!

(130 coins for the $3 tier), (260 coins for the $7 tier) and (500 coins for the $20 tier) per month to read the advanced / locked on the main website.

You just need to subscribe to your tier here, then create an account on the main website and the website administrator will deposit the coins in your created account when you inform them.

Perk of subscribing to patreon is you get more coins than buying it directly on BMC…

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