Shang Jue couldn't figure out why Lu Yuxing had come back until he got home. Was it just to hug him? That silly dog wouldn't do that, right?
Unable to make sense of it, Shang Jue decided to put the matter aside.
The class group chat was still buzzing with chatter. After a long string of “lit candle” emojis flooded the screen, the topic shifted back to the newly announced couple. Somehow, it veered off into a discussion about the bizarre classmates in college, getting more and more off track.
The discussion about Shang Jue and Lu Yuxing’s bizarre ship faded away.
Shang Jue still felt puzzled by the "wedding photo" that Xiao Mifeng had sent; it had genuinely caught him off guard. If he had seen that picture before, he would definitely remember it.
After thinking it over, he decided to privately message Xiao Mifeng.
【Shang Jue】: Bee.
【Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee】: Class monitor!!!
【Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee】: Are you here to hunt me down? T.T
【Shang Jue】: Let’s hold off on that for now.
【Shang Jue】: Where did that picture come from?
【Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee】: I stole it from the group.
【Shang Jue】: From the class group? I didn’t see it.
【Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee】: No, it’s from your and the study god’s ship group.
Shang Jue's eyes widened.
A cp… group?
He and that silly dog actually had such a group!!
【Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee】: It was created by the class committee after the sophomore anniversary celebration.
【Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee】: Didn’t you and the study god perform together at the celebration? That picture was taken after the performance, but the red backdrop was edited in.
【Shang Jue】: …………
【Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee】: But now that we’ve graduated, not many people are active in the group anymore, and there’s hardly anyone producing content. It’s heartbreaking…
Producing content!
Suddenly, Shang Jue felt like the world was getting a bit hard to understand.
He took another look at the picture in the Class Seven group, once again struck dumb by the shocking image. This picture came from the CP group that Xiao Mifeng mentioned. Could it be that the group was filled with such eye-searing stuff?
Just the thought of dozens, if not hundreds, of such bizarre images lurking in some corner he couldn't see left Shang Jue feeling a bit disoriented.
[Shang Jue]: Add me to the group.
He wanted to see just how ridiculous this world could get.
[Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee]: No way.
[Shang Jue]: Why not?
[Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee]: It's a group rule; the main character is not allowed in.
Why not?!
[Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee]: It’s for your own good, and for the learning god, so you two won’t be struck dead by lightning.
“...”
If I can’t join, then I won’t. Out of sight, out of mind.
[Shang Jue]: Remember to keep one eye open while sleeping tonight.
[Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee]: ?
[Shang Jue]: [smile]
[Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee]: [terrified][terrified]
[Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee]: Class leader, you’ll be seen as a pervert if you sneak into the girls’ dorm at midnight!
[Shang Jue]: I didn’t say I was going.
[Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee]: Then who?
Shang Jue typed “Silly Dog” in the input box but deleted it after a moment’s thought.
[Shang Jue]: Lu Yuxing.
[Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee]: ... I ship that.
[Shang Jue]: .
[Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee]: Why him?
[Shang Jue]: He’s pretty much a pervert too; it fits perfectly to call him one.
[Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee]: ...
[Xiao Mifeng is not a little bee]: Class leader, does the learning god know you’re trash-talking him behind his back?
Shang Jue replied with a smiley emoji and put away his phone to take a shower and sleep.
Meanwhile, after getting on the subway, Lu Yuxing also saw the messages from Class Seven. However, without any memories from his second and third years of high school, he found the chat history to be utterly confusing.
Wang Yuanzhou and the others didn't directly mention that Shang Jue and Lu Yuxing didn’t get along in the group, and with Xiao Mifeng and others mixing things up with their CP talk, Lu Yuxing couldn’t quite understand what kind of relationship he had with Shang Jue in high school.
As he scrolled through the messages, he instinctively grimaced when he saw the wedding photo posted by Xiao Mifeng in the subway car.
To stimulate his memory, Lu Yuxing even decided to browse through the Class Seven group album. However, after looking at a few photos, he felt that the faces in those pictures were all too unfamiliar, so he stopped scrolling.
The next morning, Lu Yuxing arrived at the airport for a flight out of the province, accompanied by Lu Yunsheng.
After visiting two well-known neurological hospitals in the country and going through several treatment plans, it had been over three weeks, but Lu Yuxing only managed to recall some fragmented memories at first, mostly unorganized math knowledge.
After that, it felt as though a small stone had jammed the gears of his memory, causing them to come to a halt.
It was at that moment Lu Yuxing realized that his situation was not as optimistic as he had initially hoped. There was even a possibility of the worst-case scenario: he might never regain those three years of memory.
The two in dormitory 323 occasionally checked in on him via WeChat about his treatment progress. Lu Yuxing didn’t know how to respond, so he simply replied with “It’s okay.”
But this vague reply didn’t fool his “boyfriend.”
[Shang Jue]: Not really okay, huh.
[Shang Jue]: Baby, did you not remember anything at all?
[Lu Yuxing]: … How did you know?
On the other end, Shang Jue looked at the message and thought: Well, if you remembered anything, you’d be confronting me with a grim face instead of putting up with me calling you “baby,” right?
[Lu Yuxing]: It’s a bit troublesome.
A bit, troublesome?
Shang Jue chuckled.
What a tough cookie; what kind of plastic bag are you, able to hold so much?
[Shang Jue]: You sat in front of me in high school. If you want to know anything, just come back and I’ll tell you.
Lu Yuxing looked at the seemingly comforting words and fell silent for a moment.
He didn’t feel too panicked or unwilling to accept it.
Second and third years of high school were just about day after day of studying and preparing for exams. The most troublesome part of losing a piece of memory for him was the time it would take to make up for the knowledge he had forgotten.
As for everything else, it would be great if he could remember it, but if it really was impossible, then he would just have to face reality.
But right now, his brother and his two roommates in Room 323 seemed even more nervous than he was.
Lu Yuxing sent a simple "Hmm" in reply.
Lu Yunsheng was beside him. “Are you chatting with a classmate?”
“Yeah, the one who took care of me in the hospital.”
“Ah, Xiao Shang?” Lu Yunsheng laughed. “I thought that name sounded familiar. I finally remembered a couple of days ago. He’s your high school classmate, right? The one who sat behind you and always competed for first place?”
Lu Yuxing raised his eyes. “Competing for first place?”
“Yeah! Back in your second and third years of high school, you studied late every night, afraid he would outscore you one day. I found it strange because you were never really the competitive type.”
Lu Yuxing replied, “That’s impossible.”
He wouldn’t study for such childish reasons. His tone was casual. “I study to get into A University.”
Lu Yunsheng didn’t want to argue with someone who had amnesia. “Forget about that. He took care of you in the hospital all night, and you still haven’t properly thanked him. Last time, you were in such a hurry that you just bought some snacks and fruit. That was a bit awkward.”
He had been too busy lately, focused solely on his brother’s amnesia and neglecting other matters. He had meant to thank Shang Jue but had kept putting it off.
Lu Yunsheng recalled how he rushed to the hospital and saw Shang Jue explaining Lu Yuxing’s condition and comforting him, then laughed. “That kid has a great personality, well-mannered, and responsible. He’s not bad-looking either—he looks like a star. He said over the phone that he’s your roommate, right? You two sat in front of and behind each other in high school and are now roommates in college. It must be fate! Make sure to keep in touch after graduation; a good brother like that is for life.”
“... Yeah.”
If only he were just a good brother.
“Once we get back to school, you should invite Shang Jue out. We need to treat him to a meal.”
Lu Yuxing fell silent.
Inviting him out... with his brother... What was the difference between that and introducing Shang Jue to his parents?
Lu Yunsheng noticed Lu Yuxing’s complicated expression and thought his brother’s expressions had become more varied since his amnesia.
Lu Yuxing said, “Forget it. He probably wouldn’t... feel comfortable.”
Lu Yunsheng pondered for a moment. Young people nowadays seemed to dislike such gatherings. “Then I won’t go. You can find a time to treat Xiao Shang to a meal alone.”
“Okay.”
Lu Yunsheng felt relieved.
“Brother, there’s something I want to tell you.”
“What is it?”
Lu Yuxing said, “I like boys.”
Lu Yuxing wasn’t sure what he had been worried about before, but he had kept his relationship with Shang Jue hidden from his brother. However, the promise he made to Shang Jue, saying “I will change,” wasn’t just empty words.
Whether Shang Jue was willing to come out or not, he felt it was necessary to let Lu Yunsheng know that he liked a man.
Lu Yunsheng responded, “Oh...”
“Ah?!!!”
Comments
Post a Comment
We’d Love to Hear from You!
Share your thoughts, feedback, or questions about this posts. Your comments are important to us.