He Yang arrived at the school cafeteria with a large bag of takeout, while Shang Jue had already started eating his meal. He exaggeratedly slammed the takeout down, still unable to let go of the fact that Shang Jue had mocked him earlier.
Shang Jue helplessly paused with his chopsticks. “I really wasn’t laughing at you.”
“Ha ha.”
“...” Shang Jue didn’t want to explain further. “What are you planning to do? Call the police?”
He Yang opened the takeout box. “I wasn’t asleep at the time, so I noticed the moment his hand reached in and he didn’t touch that area. So, I didn’t think about calling the police. But I definitely can’t just let it go.”
“You want revenge?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“If I could, I’d want to beat him up, but this is a society governed by law…”
“So?”
“Uh…” He Yang hesitated. “I could humiliate his dignity with money?”
Shang Jue: “...Just stop.”
He Yang: T.T
“However,” He Yaung spoke with confusion, “did he recognize me earlier? If he did and still smiled at me, that’s just too arrogant.”
“Most likely not.”
“How do you know?”
“Lu Yuxing’s two roommates didn’t know Tian Miao liked men. He probably hasn’t shown his sexual orientation in the law school. Also,” Shang Jue said, “you mentioned that when you saw him last night, he wasn’t wearing glasses. With the bar’s lighting and his unclear vision, he probably didn’t see your face clearly.”
“No way, he couldn’t even see what I look like, yet he touched me? Isn’t he afraid I’m ugly?”
Shang Jue shook his head. “He probably just likes your type.”
He Yang and Lu Yuxing were somewhat similar in height and build, both having broad shoulders and long legs. Unfortunately, one had a high IQ, while the other was just average.
Ge Zhicheng’s earlier comment about “always trying to suck up to Lu Ge” indicated that Tian Miao had likely had feelings for Lu Yuxing for a long time. Seeing someone at the gay bar who looked like his crush, especially with alcohol involved…
It was entirely possible that he acted impulsively.
Shang Jue didn’t intend to meddle in other people’s affairs. Their character issues had nothing to do with him. His time wasn’t so abundant that he could interfere in others' emotional disputes, even if one of the people involved was his nominal boyfriend.
“I’m done eating. You can figure out your own problems.”
“Oh…” He Yang thought for two minutes but couldn’t come up with a good solution, so he generously started scrolling through his phone.
—
After all the classes that day, the math department’s Class Three held a class meeting. It was only a short while after the second-year students had been divided into streams, and this was the second class meeting since the reorganization.
Shang Jue didn’t stay in the dormitory, and since he had nowhere to go half an hour before the meeting, he decided to come to the classroom early to work on some problems.
Students entered the classroom one after another.
Shang Jue usually focused intensely while studying, wearing headphones and not paying attention to what was happening around him.
It wasn’t until a slightly thin boy came to sit next to him and called out, “Shang Jue?”
Shang Jue paused his writing and turned his head, seeing a face with thin-framed glasses. Perhaps the prescription was too strong, as the triangular eyes looked quite disproportionate beneath the lenses. Up close, he could see dark circles under the boy’s eyes, and the sclera appeared bloodshot, clearly indicating he hadn’t rested much last night.
It was Tian Miao.
When Shang Jue helped him with his questions during lunch, he hadn’t really noticed the dark circles under Tian Miao’s eyes. Now, recalling He Yang’s comments, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
It seemed this classmate, suspected of harassment, had a good night out and hadn’t returned until morning.
“Is anyone sitting next to you?”
Shang Jue raised the corners of his lips. “No, feel free to sit.”
However, he was a bit surprised to find that Tian Miao was also in Class Three.
Tian Miao sat down beside him and said, “I didn’t see you at the last class meeting.”
“I had something come up that day.”
The first class meeting for Class Three had been the day the police took Shang Jue to the hospital.
He continued working on his math problems.
Just as his pen had written half of a formula, Tian Miao struck up a conversation again. “That’s too bad. The last meeting was for the class committee election. I remember you signed up to run for academic committee.”
“Yeah.”
“But you’re a big shot in our department,” Tian Miao said. “A few points from being on the committee probably wouldn’t affect you much.”
It seemed he wouldn’t stop talking anytime soon.
Shang Jue honestly wasn’t in the mood to chat with Tian Miao, but out of courtesy, he took off his headphones and patiently capped his pen.
It was too noisy to concentrate here anyway.
“By the way, thanks for helping me with my questions at noon.”
Shang Jue replied, “It was just a small favor.”
He speculated about Tian Miao’s intention in starting a conversation. Could it be that he thought Lu Yuxing was too hard to pursue and came to ask him about He Yang?
That might lead to disappointment.
Shang Jue stopped doing problems, propping his chin on one hand while casually scrolling through his phone.
He wasn’t doing anything particularly special, but every movement exuded a certain refined air.
Tian Miao secretly studied his profile, captivated without realizing it.
Shang Jue caught this gaze casually and almost lost his usual composure.
Having admirers since middle school, Shang Jue was far too accustomed to such expressions.
He originally thought it would be amusing to watch Lu Yuxing’s misfortunes, but now he realized he was no different from him.
Shang Jue: “…”
This guy really wasn’t picky at all.
He gritted his teeth and endured the gaze, quickly looking through his contacts to find someone to lighten his mood.
【Shang Jue】: Baby, I miss you.
After a while, he finally received a reply.
【Lu Yuxing】: We just saw each other this morning.
【Shang Jue】: It’s not the same! I was sitting in the front row and didn’t see you.
【Shang Jue】: We’re having a class meeting now. After it ends, how about we meet at Yunhu behind the dorm?
【Lu Yuxing】: What are we meeting for?
With one hand on his phone, Shang Jue casually typed.
【Shang Jue】: To kiss.
There was a long pause on the other end.
【Lu Yuxing】: I can’t tonight; I have something to do.
【Lu Yuxing】: Important business
He even forgot to use punctuation. Shang Jue couldn’t help but laugh.
He mischievously sent another message: More important than kissing me?
After half a minute.
【Lu Yuxing】: More important than kissing you.
“…”
That reply was truly something else.
However, the message “more important than kissing you” was retracted by Lu Yuxing two seconds later, creating an air of awkwardness.
Shang Jue blinked, watching the “typing…” indicator at the top of the chat flicker for quite a while.
After waiting patiently, no response came from Lu Yuxing. Losing his patience, he decided to change the topic.
【Shang Jue】: What are you doing?
This time, Lu Yuxing replied quickly.
【Lu Yuxing】: Studying.
Shang Jue pursed his lips. So “important business” was just studying in the evening?
Their department required classes to schedule at least two evening study sessions a week to ensure students kept up with their studies. However, attendance was optional, and no one ever bothered to enforce it.
Shang Jue didn't continue the conversation, and Lu Yuxing also remained silent. The class meeting didn't have much content, mainly just a few class committee members showing their faces, and it ended in a little over ten minutes.
"Shang Jue, you live in dormitory seven too, right? Shall we go together?" Tian Miao said with feigned enthusiasm.
Shang Jue was about to refuse when a girl with long, shoulder-length hair and an oval face approached from the other side of the classroom. She had gentle features and a sweet voice that matched her appearance.
"Wen Jiayue smiled and said, "Shang Jue, I saw you come to the classroom early. You haven't had dinner yet, right?"
Shang Jue replied honestly, "Yeah, I haven't had the chance."
"We agreed before that our dorm would treat you to dinner. Is it convenient tonight?"
Wen Jiayue had been in the same class as Shang Jue during their freshman year, and because they were both class committee members, they became familiar with each other. In their sophomore year, they unexpectedly found themselves in the same class again. She had previously asked Shang Jue to help communicate with their academic advisor about their dormitory arrangements.
This time, in the new dorm distribution, of the four girls in Wen Jiayue's dorm, two were from the mathematics department, while the other two were assigned to statistics. Although they were still separated, it was a good outcome that the ones from the same department were in the same dorm.
Shang Jue was reluctant to join the girls for dinner. Not for any particular reason, but simply because he felt awkward being the only guy at the table.
However, he had absentmindedly agreed to Wen Jiayue a few days ago, so he didn't want to backtrack now. He nodded in agreement.
Wen Jiayue said, "Then wait a moment; they're all in the dorm now. I'll call them over."
Seeing the two make plans, Tian Miao said, "Then I'll head back to the dorm."
"You're leaving already? Aren't you waiting for Xiao Han to come?" Wen Jiayue teased him.
Tian Miao's expression became a bit awkward.
"Xiao Han?" Shang Jue asked.
"Yeah, Xiao Han is my roommate," Wen Jiayue replied with a smile. "She's also Tian Miao's girlfriend."
Girlfriend...
Shang Jue looked at Tian Miao, his gaze fixing on him intently.
Tian Miao was taken aback by Shang Jue's direct stare and asked, "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing," Shang Jue replied slowly. "I just didn't expect you to have a girlfriend."
"Haha, what’s wrong with that? Do I look like I wouldn’t have one?"
Shang Jue's smile seemed a bit off. "Um, not really."
Tian Miao sensed that Shang Jue's gaze felt slightly colder than before, but when he looked closely again, that coldness seemed to have vanished as if it had never been on Shang Jue's face.
He didn't take it to heart and said, "If she comes, she'll join you guys anyway. There's no need for me to wait around to meet her."
Wen Jiayue said, "What do you mean there's no need? You men, once you get what you want, you stop caring. Tch..."
Tian Miao laughed and shrugged it off before leaving.
It was only after Tian Miao walked away that Shang Jue retracted his gaze, deep in thought for a moment.
The girls' dormitory wasn't far from the teaching building, and five minutes later, Wen Jiayue's roommates all arrived.
Shang Jue calmly greeted them, but inside he was feeling increasingly uncomfortable. He followed the girls out of the teaching building.
It was already dark outside, and a few streetlights cast dappled, swaying shadows of trees on the ground, illuminating the path.
Two minutes after the bell rang for the first evening class, there weren’t many students outside the building—just a few stragglers hurrying along.
Thus, a tall figure standing upright outside the teaching building was particularly conspicuous.
Shang Jue hadn't looked elsewhere at first, but that person was so tall and had such an impressive physique that he couldn’t help but be drawn to him when he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye.
He locked eyes with Lu Yuxing, who was standing in the corner.
Shang Jue: "…"
What is this silly dog doing just standing there? If he wants to stimulate his memory, he should at least take a few steps or move around a bit!
After hesitating for a moment, he walked over. "What are you doing here?" Hadn't he just said he was studying?
Lu Yuxing glanced at the few girls behind Shang Jue, then turned his gaze back to him, remaining silent.
He still had that expressionless face, but there were two leaves resting on his shoulders, as if he had been standing there for a while, waiting for someone.
Shang Jue was taken aback and suddenly recalled the shameless flirty messages he had sent to Lu Yuxing not long ago.
Yunhu, kissing...
Looking again at Lu Yuxing, who stood before him.
Shang Jue was shocked.
No way...
Are you really planning to kiss me?!
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