Shi Ye’s favorite game just launched a new event, but the grind was intense. After just thirty minutes, he couldn't keep playing anymore. He switched screens, opened the new friends tab, and saw a pending friend request: Waiting for verification.
He refreshed the page: Waiting for verification.
It was past 7 PM, likely dinner time—missing a message seemed normal.
Shi Ye held back his impatience and returned to the game, continuing to grind for event points.
“DONG—DONG—DONG—”
The nearby clock tower chimed, announcing it was 8 PM.
Shi Ye couldn’t help himself; he switched back to WeChat.
Waiting for verification.
It was probably right after dinner, time for a walk, some fresh air, or maybe taking the dog out—checking the phone wouldn’t be a priority.
Shi Ye switched back to the game. Not even ten minutes later, he switched to WeChat again to refresh. This cycle repeated three or four times, and during the last refresh, he had a feeling, perhaps just a hunch, that the page loaded 0.01 seconds slower than before.
He turned his head. "Jiang Chicheng, is your lab’s internet slow or something?"
Jiang Chicheng didn’t look up. "Check by your feet."
Shi Ye looked down and saw the router plugged into the socket near his feet, all six antennas standing upright, with a huge "5G" engraved on it.
He rubbed his nose and muttered quietly, "Oh, maybe it’s my phone then—it’s been half a year."
The clock struck 9 PM, and Shi Ye stared at the same pending friend request. He thought to himself, Miss Jiang must be really busy, still working overtime at this hour.
The lab was too quiet, with only the soft sounds of keyboards clicking and occasional conversations that Shi Ye couldn’t understand a word of. He started to feel restless, glancing left and right. Not wanting to disturb anyone with the sound of crunching chips, he grabbed a Snickers bar from the snack box, eating it while watching Jiang Chicheng work.
One of the junior students was holding a computer, demonstrating something to Jiang Chicheng. Jiang Chicheng was half-turned in his chair, holding a pen with its barrel pointed at the screen. His brow was slightly furrowed, though his eyes showed little patience, it was well-hidden, as his tone revealed none of it.
Shi Ye couldn’t understand most of the technical jargon, but he caught the last couple of sentences.
Jiang Chicheng said, "Yes, do it like this from now on. Got it?"
The junior’s face lit up with a big smile as he hugged the computer. "Got it, thanks, senior! You’re so patient. Earlier, senior sister called me a blockhead, but you explained it three times without scolding me."
Jiang Chicheng tapped his foot on the ground, spinning his chair back to his workstation, and began typing again. "You’ve misunderstood. I’m not patient. I’m just afraid if I ever get sick, I’ll end up in your hands."
The junior blushed at his comment, and Shi Ye couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Both of them looked up at him, making the junior blush even more as he hurried back to his seat.
Shi Ye wanted to strike up a conversation too, but before he could get off the sofa, someone beat him to it. Left with nothing else to do, Shi Ye turned back around and checked his phone again, almost by muscle memory. Unsurprisingly, the friend request was still pending.
Even the overly sweet Snickers bar tasted bland now.
Just as Jiang Chicheng sent off another junior, another person plopped down in the chair beside him, sitting sloppily with their legs spread apart, their knee bumping into Jiang Chicheng’s thigh.
Jiang Chicheng frowned deeply and was about to see who had the audacity when he turned and saw a face so dejected it seemed to have lost all hope. Instantly, his frown smoothed out. He spun the pen in his fingers twice. "What’s up with you?"
Shi Ye replied, "Find me a book to read."
Jiang Chicheng thought Shi Ye was just bored of the lab. "You don’t have to wait here. You could wait at home; it’s the same."
The words "home" and "wait" both carried a bit of ambiguity, especially since Shi Ye was still wearing Jiang Chicheng’s jacket, drawing frequent curious glances from people around them.
Shi Ye shook his head. "No, if I’m not with you, I get anxious."
People nearby, hearing this, looked as though they’d just uncovered some shocking secret. Their eyes grew wide, and two girls in the corner exchanged glances, playfully hitting each other on the shoulder.
"How long will you be busy?" Shi Ye asked.
Jiang Chicheng glanced at the time. "About another hour."
Shi Ye gasped, clutching his head. "Oh my god, just give me a book!"
Jiang Chicheng sifted through a pile of papers and pulled out a printed English paper. He picked up a red pen but then put it down, borrowing two highlighters from a female student nearby—one thick and yellow, the other thin and purple.
"Start from the first word. If you don’t recognize it, use the yellow pen to highlight it. Then, use your phone to search for its translation, and write the first word you find next to it with the purple pen."
Jiang Chicheng knew Shi Ye too well. If a paper seemed semi-readable at first glance, Shi Ye wouldn’t bother with it. But if he didn’t understand a single word, he’d get excited and have to mark everything with colorful pens, filling the page until it was crammed with notes. Only then would he feel accomplished.
Shi Ye took the paper, looking eager. "The spacing between these lines is a bit tight, though."
Jiang Chicheng replied, "Use arrows to point to things or write smaller."
Shi Ye gave a soft "oh," took a textbook as a writing pad, and happily settled on the sofa, busy with the highlighters and the paper.
Jiang Chicheng finished his work around 10 PM, changed his clothes, and, looking over at the sofa, saw Shi Ye seriously writing. Jiang Chicheng chuckled—it felt like he was babysitting an elementary school kid.
He packed up his laptop and slung his bag over his shoulder. "Let’s go."
Shi Ye looked back. "But I’m not done yet."
Jiang Chicheng walked over and saw that Shi Ye had finished the third line and barely started the fourth. He took the paper and textbook away. "Leave it with me. You can finish next time."
Shi Ye handed the pens back too. "Don’t lose them."
As soon as they left the lab, Shi Ye couldn’t hold it in any longer. "Why hasn’t your sister added me yet?"
Jiang Chicheng remained calm. "Maybe she’s busy."
"Is she working overtime? Does she often work overtime?"
Looking at Shi Ye’s anxious face, Jiang Chicheng thought, If it really were Jiang Zao, by now, not only would you be added, you’d probably be in bed together already.
He nodded. "Yes, she works overtime a lot."
Shi Ye looked troubled. "So when will I get accepted? What if she never adds me?"
Jiang Chicheng patted his shoulder. "Relax. With me around, what’s there to worry about? Be patient. Give it a little more time."
Shi Ye nodded, feeling much better knowing she was indeed busy. He pocketed his phone and waited. All the way until 11:30 PM, Jiang Chicheng had already showered and was getting ready for bed, but there was still no notification on Shi Ye’s phone. He grabbed Jiang Chicheng again, who gave the same response as before: "Just wait a bit more. Check again in the morning."
Lying in bed, Shi Ye kept glancing at his phone. It felt like a hundred little cats were scratching inside his chest. Eventually, he fell asleep, only to dream about finally getting his friend request accepted, with Miss Jiang inviting him out. The excitement woke him up.
The room was pitch black, with a cat lying on his chest, making it hard to breathe. He pushed the cat away, checked his phone—it was 2:30 AM. The friend request: Waiting for verification.
A wave of disappointment washed over him. He closed his phone and couldn’t fall back asleep. He got up, not caring if Jiang Chicheng would be mad, and knocked on Jiang Chicheng’s door. After pounding for a while with no response, he called him.
Finally, Jiang Chicheng woke up and hung up the phone. Shi Ye heard the sound of slippers shuffling inside, followed by a click as the door opened.
The bright light hurt Jiang Chicheng’s eyes, causing him to squint. He sighed deeply when he saw Shi Ye. "What in the world are you doing at this hour?"
Shi Ye was holding a cat in his arms. "I can’t sleep."
Jiang Chicheng said, "I’m not a hypnotist."
Shi Ye pushed past him into the room, flopped onto his bed. The startled cat jumped out of his arms and quickly darted out through the door.
Shi Ye couldn’t get comfortable without holding something, so he grabbed a pillow, but as he picked it up, something was revealed underneath—a box of opened Okamoto condoms.
"Seriously?!"
He instinctively turned his head to look at the trash can, noticing several crumpled tissues inside. He could see two used ones in clear view. He cursed again, "Damn!" and looked up at him, "You sure have a lot of energy!"
Jiang Chicheng closed the door and slowly walked over, taking away the box of Okamoto condoms. He opened a drawer and tossed it inside, saying, "Do you have something to say, or not?"
"Your sister still hasn’t added me. I feel unsettled," Shi Ye, with his chin resting on the pillow, looked a bit downcast and sullen, "You’ve dated more Omegas than I’ve ever met. Can’t you give me some advice?"
Jiang Chicheng sat on the sofa, "I’ll help you get her to add you tonight. Does that mean tomorrow night I’ll have to help you chat with her, and the night after that, I’ll have to help you go on a date with her? Who's actually pursuing her, you or me?"
He sounded rather annoyed, probably because his sleep had been disturbed. Shi Ye didn’t have the confidence to argue back since he felt there was some truth to what Jiang Chicheng was saying—and not a small possibility at that.
Shi Ye pouted, "I’ve never pursued an Omega before. You’re my good brother and my roommate. If you don’t help me, who will?"
"Hah! Didn’t you punch me last Friday and say you didn’t want to live with me anymore?"
Shi Ye didn’t expect him to bring that up, so he felt even less confident. He knew that punch was deserved, but who could blame him when he now needed Jiang Chicheng’s help?
Shi Ye tossed aside the pillow and got up, starting to massage Jiang Chicheng’s shoulders and back with great diligence, "Brother, I was being immature back then. After meeting your sister, I really regretted hitting you. Whatever compensation you want, as long as I can give it to you, I will."
Jiang Chicheng, enjoying the massage, said, "Do you really want me to help you? Really want me to teach you?"
Shi Ye nodded like crazy, his eyes filled with determination. He was nearly driven mad by the lack of response to his friend request.
"Alright."
Jiang Chicheng got up, pulled a piece of paper and a pen from his bag, and handed them to Shi Ye. "I’ve got an agreement here. Take a look, and if you’re fine with it, sign it."
Completely confused, Shi Ye took the paper and unfolded it. The title caught his eye: Love Assistant Teaching Agreement.
Party A: Shi Ye
Party B: Jiang Chicheng
Shi Ye glanced at Jiang Chicheng and continued reading.
In order to protect the interests of both parties, after mutual understanding and assessment, the following terms are agreed upon:
1. During the agreement period, Party A shall take into account the feelings of Party B and shall not, under any circumstances, bring the scent of any unfamiliar Alpha or Omega into the house. If such scents cause discomfort to Party B, Party A must immediately wash them off until Party B's discomfort subsides.
2. During the agreement period, except for necessary social interactions, Party A shall not engage in any ambiguous behavior with any Alpha or Omega, including but not limited to frequent chatting, long phone calls, flirtatious conversation, or private dates. If such behavior is discovered and verified, Party B has the right to terminate the agreement and demand compensation from Party A.
3. During the agreement period, Party A has the right to request guidance from Party B regarding romantic interactions, and Party B shall respond within a reasonable time. If Party B refuses to cooperate or causes serious loss due to delays, Party A has the right to terminate the agreement and demand compensation from Party B.
4. Similar to clause 3, when Party B is providing guidance to Party A, Party A must fully cooperate. This includes, but is not limited to, conversation simulations, physical contact, or intimate contact. If Party A refuses to cooperate or causes physical harm to Party B, Party B has the right to terminate the agreement and demand compensation.
5. During the agreement period, Party B has the right to regulate Party A's social behavior and reasonably avoid any uncertain factors. Party A must fully cooperate, including but not limited to personal attire, social distance, and conversation content.
6. Following the principle of mutual assistance, while Party B is teaching Party A, Party A must also provide assistance to Party B when needed. This includes, but is not limited to, accompanying Party B to medical appointments, providing care when ill, and providing support during susceptibility periods.
7. If either party violates the terms of the agreement, the offending party must compensate the other with 200,000 yuan for emotional distress and voluntarily serve as the other’s caretaker, fulfilling all their requests for three months without charge.
8. This agreement is made in three copies and takes effect upon signing.
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