Lu Yuxing completely failed to grasp how twisted the thoughts of the person sitting next to him were at this moment.
He said, “After this period, it will get better on its own.” After a pause, he added, “You don’t need to worry.”
Shang Jue: “Mm-mm.”
He thought, Haha, how could I possibly worry about you?
“Let’s study.” After saying this, Lu Yuxing turned back to his book.
Shang Jue casually completed a couple of problems, and suddenly remembered how they often stayed behind in the classroom after everyone else had left in high school, doing problems together. In the stillness, he could hear the sound of pencils scratching against paper coming from the front desk.
But this time, that sound was coming from his right side.
He lowered his eyelashes and turned his gaze, spotting Lu Yuxing's hand, veins prominent, gripping a black pencil that looked a bit heavy, its sturdy metal casing actually being the same one from high school.
Shang Jue couldn't help but smile.
He glanced at the sheet of paper beneath Lu Yuxing's hand, frowning at the long black lines that had been crossed out.
“...”
“Hey...” Shang Jue nudged Lu Yuxing’s shoe with the tip of his foot.
Lu Yuxing stopped writing, turning his head to look at him.
Shang Jue asked, “Are you going to finish?”
Lu Yuxing replied calmly, “I think so.”
“Think so?” Shang Jue raised his eyebrows, “But baby, with your current pace your midterm scores are going to be pretty disappointing.”
He stared into Lu Yuxing’s eyes, a bit expectantly: if Lu Yuxing was willing to humbly plead with him, he might just be generous enough to let this foolish dog pass the exam.
Lu Yuxing maintained his usual calm expression. “Mm.”
Shang Jue: “You’ll fail.”
Lu Yuxing: “It doesn’t matter.”
Shang Jue: “....”
"Honestly, which brand of plastic bag are you?"
If he truly didn’t care, he wouldn’t have tortured himself into such a state.
Shang Jue couldn’t help but recall that every time Lu Yuxing came in first in exams, his face wore an expression devoid of emotion. He had always assumed that the other’s mental state matched his expression: completely unfazed.
But now, seeing Lu Yuxing's reaction, it was clear he wasn’t as indifferent as he appeared.
Shang Jue suspiciously thought: When this guy stood on the podium to receive awards in high school, he must have felt really proud inside, right?
As soon as this thought emerged, Shang Jue dismissed it.
It shouldn’t be, right...
He raised his gaze slightly and met Lu Yuxing’s straight, pale lips and his eyes, which didn’t seem as bright as usual.
“...”
Why should I care? What does it matter to me?
Shang Jue turned away expressionlessly, staring at the pages of his book.
After reading for two minutes, he grit his teeth and turned back:
“Give me the book.”
Lu Yuxing didn’t say anything, but there was a hint of confusion in his cold gaze directed at Shang Jue.
Shang Jue forced a gentle fake smile, “Baby, give me the book.”
I’ll help you pass.
—
Shang Jue was a very good teacher, and Lu Yuxing was the easiest student to teach; with just a little prompt, he could grasp concepts immediately.
Even though Shang Jue found him annoying, he had to admit that Lu Yuxing’s comprehension skills were astonishing.
The two were completely in sync, to the point of having a tacit understanding. Shang Jue felt uncomfortable with this harmony, yet he found a bit of enjoyment in it, likening it to the joy of parent-child teaching.
If all parent-child teaching could be this smooth, there wouldn’t be any parents driven to despair.
During their session, while Lu Yuxing was solving problems, Shang Jue remarked, “I hope my kid can be this easy to raise.”
This thought interrupted Lu Yuxing’s flow. He paused his pen and looked at Shang Jue. “We won’t have kids.”
“...”
Who said anything about your kid?
“You like kids?”
Shang Jue replied, “I’m indifferent.”
“Mm.”
Lu Yuxing resumed writing but slowed down significantly.
After a while, he looked up. “We can’t get married, so we probably can’t adopt either.”
Shang Jue thought: What does this have to do with anything?
Lu Yuxing replied calmly, “There’s no way around it. You might consider getting a dog.”
Shang Jue said, “...Focus on the problems.”
The two stayed until the library closed before leaving.
Lu Yuxing had a thorough approach to studying; rather than using ready-made formulas, he insisted on deriving everything step by step, a method more suited for academic research. Shang Jue, on the other hand, preferred not to delve too deeply, adept at spotting test-taking strategies, and even with only a vague understanding of the principles, he could score very well, making it useful for cramming.
With him teaching, Lu Yuxing’s progress had certainly improved.
As they left the library, Lu Yuxing walked quietly beside Shang Jue, his thoughts unreadable.
Only as they were about to part did he speak: “I can review by myself tomorrow.”
Shang Jue teased with a smirk, “What’s wrong, baby? Don’t look down on my quick-fix study methods?”
Lu Yuxing didn’t think highly of him, and Shang Jue knew it. He himself had little passion for math; he had chosen the math department only because it was the least resistant option among a bunch of majors he didn’t like, which was entirely different from Lu Yuxing’s genuine enthusiasm.
“It’s not that. It would waste your time.”
Shang Jue paused, turning to look at Lu Yuxing's face. The latter had his eyes half-closed, seriously gazing at him, clearly believing this sincerely.
Lu Yuxing said, “You helping me will slow down your progress.”
“I don’t mind.”
“You don’t care? Why?”
Shang Jue looked at him, thinking: My goal is you. Since you’re in such a bad state, what’s the point of me reviewing? I can just take the exam casually and get around ninety points; that’s good enough.
But he pretended to be nonchalant, saying, “What reason do I need?”
Just as they reached the fork beside the seventh dormitory and were about to part ways, Shang Jue's cold and clear voice rang in Lu Yuxing’s ear.
“I’m your boyfriend; that’s enough.”
—
At the end of the month, after Shang Jue finished his last exam and submitted his paper, he walked out of the exam hall.
Outside the corridor, students who had just finished were chattering excitedly, discussing how to relax after surviving the midterm week.
As Shang Jue exited the exam hall, he spotted someone leaning against the wall waiting for him. Due to his height, he stood out among the crowd.
Seeing Lu Yuxing, Shang Jue felt a bit surprised.
They had finished the exams and didn’t need to go to the library anymore. Why was he still looking for him?
Just as he was about to walk over, a shadow suddenly darted past him from behind. Shang Jue felt a weight on the back of his neck as someone yanked at it. Turning around, he found He Yang’s precious head.
Shang Jue ruthlessly pushed away the arm that was hooked around his neck.
He Yang, laughing, was about to put his arm back when his eyes darted, unexpectedly meeting Lu Yuxing’s gaze not far away.
“—Cough cough!”
He hurriedly leaned in closer to Shang Jue’s ear, lowering his voice to ask, “Why is he here... You’re not done playing yet?”
Shang Jue smiled, “Not enough playing.”
Besides, he had spent time helping Lu Yuxing review, so he needed to make up for it.
He Yang: ...
Lu Yuxing watched the two whispering, his long eyelashes lazily half-closed, revealing no emotion.
He Yang quickly glanced at Lu Yuxing.
Compared to a month ago, the person standing quietly beside Shang Jue now seemed to carry a more complex aura.
The aura of someone’s boyfriend!
He Yang was startled.
No way, straight men aren’t that easy to bend...
As he pondered this, he heard his friend say, “Baby, you should go back to the dorm.”
Lu Yuxing slowly replied, “It’s fine; I’ll wait.”
He Yang: ...
“Did you need something?” Shang Jue asked.
“Oh…” He Yang came back to his senses. “I wanted to ask if you wanted to go out and relax this afternoon. I also invited Mi Feng; she finished her exams too.”
This time, he didn’t lower his voice, and Lu Yuxing heard him clearly.
Although he had only seen Mi Feng twice, he had a deep impression of He Yang, the one who took Shang Jue to the gay bar before.
Going out... to a place with a bunch of guys dancing?
They were all acquaintances. Shang Jue thought for a moment and said, “Sure.”
Lu Yuxing's jaw tightened slightly.
He Yang said, “Alright, Mi Feng needs to go back to the dorm to do her makeup. It’ll take half an hour for her to arrive.”
Half an hour wasn’t enough for Shang Jue to go home, so he decided to wait at the small pavilion near the cafeteria.
He said to Lu Yuxing, “Babe, I’m going with He Yang to the small pavilion to wait; you—”
Lu Yuxing interrupted, “I’m going to the cafeteria. It’s on the way; let’s go together.”
Alright then.
Shang Jue didn’t think much of it and followed Lu Yuxing.
On the way, He Yang didn’t dare to glance at Lu Yuxing. Just thinking about how Lu Yuxing was being played around by Shang Jue made him feel guilty.
Shang Jue, however, keenly sensed that the pressure around Lu Yuxing seemed a bit low. He stole a glance at Lu Yuxing’s expressionless face, feeling a bit gloating as he speculated: He probably didn’t do well on the exam.
It shouldn't be so bad as to fail, right? Shang Jue certainly didn’t want his teaching ability to be doubted as well.
A’s small pavilion is actually not small; it’s a replica of an ancient pavilion corridor, surrounded by small food stalls built specifically for students looking to buy snacks nearby.
When they arrived, Lu Yuxing didn’t rush to the cafeteria and suddenly changed his mind, saying he wasn’t hungry yet and would wait a few more minutes.
So the three of them sat together in the pavilion, waiting for someone.
After a few minutes, Shang Jue stood up to buy drinks.
He Yang was left alone with Lu Yuxing. Despite the lack of conversation, He Yang felt a subtle sense of suffocation.
The person sitting across from him didn’t even think to acknowledge him, staring down lost in thought. Occasionally, he would suddenly lift his eyelashes and glance at He Yang with a cold stare.
He Yang felt as if that gaze wanted to rip him apart.
He stiffened, trying to hold his neck up straight.
What are you looking at? It was Shang Jue who tricked you, not me!
If you want to kill someone, kill my brother!
He Yang gritted his teeth and faced the gaze, unable to hold it any longer, he quickly messaged Shang Jue for help.
Shang Jue had just arrived at the shop and was about to pay for his drink when he saw a barrage of messages from He Yang.
【He Yang】: Help me, help me!
【He Yang】: How much longer will you be?
【He Yang】: Can you hurry up? [crying]
【He Yang】: Damn it, your boyfriend’s expression is too scary, I really can’t handle it!
Shang Jue read the messages without changing his expression, skipped them, and paid first, then slowly replied.
【Shang Jue】: What do you mean, my boyfriend?
【Shang Jue】: I’m not even in character, and you’re already playing along.
【He Yang】: Fine... Sorry.
【He Yang】: That bookworm's gaze is terrifying.
【He Yang】: What’s wrong with him? Did he forget something during the exam and hand in a blank paper?
Lu Yuxing was lost in thought.
His boyfriend might go meet some unsavory people in unsavory places later; he felt he had the right to demand that the other not go.
“As my boyfriend, you can’t restrict me from doing ‘what things I can’t do.’”
The image of Shang Jue saying that with a smile flashed through his mind, lowering Lu Yuxing’s mood even further.
He Yang typed quickly!
【He Yang】: I’m about to freeze to death from your boyfriend’s glare!
Shang Jue couldn’t be bothered to correct him again.
The milk tea shop that Shang Jue entered was not far from the small pavilion. He could see the two people sitting inside from a distance. They had similar builds, and the one facing him had a cold demeanor, clearly looking unhappy with his head down.
Shang Jue sneered in his heart: This silly dog, is it really that serious over one exam?
“Student, your fruit tea is ready.” The staff handed him a cup of the packed drink.
“Thank you.”
After taking it, Shang Jue took a few steps before awkwardly turning back.
“Do you have anything with a nut flavor?”
He regretted asking as soon as he said it.
Damn it, why do I have to coax him?
The staff paused for a moment. “How about our pecan milk tea?”
Shang Jue grimaced slightly.
“Sure. Please make it hot and not too sweet.”