The commotion was too loud—even with his eyes closed, Jiang Zhihuo knew someone had entered the room next door.
He simply kept his eyes shut, letting his arms and legs go limp, and fell straight into Yan Mu’s embrace.
Jiang Zhihuo: “Yan-ge, you can do it. I’ll get away with this through drunkenness.”
Yan Mu: “…”
Wen Da and Qu Xiao stood still for a long while on the balcony next door. They watched as Shin’s body suddenly went weak; his forehead was rested on Yan Mu’s shoulder, seemingly fallen asleep. Yan Mu’s face was as dark as steel; he turned to glance at them icily before supporting Shin and leading him into the private room.
Jiang Zhihuo pretended to be too intoxicated to walk, cracked open one of his eyes, and said to Yan Mu, “With the boss’s personality, those two will definitely come over soon. He still thinks I’m an alpha—don’t mention the whole turning-into-an-omega thing yet. Just smooth it over. I’m counting on you!!”
“…” Yan Mu gritted his teeth. “And how exactly do you expect me to deal with this?”
Jiang Zhihuo made himself comfortable on the sofa, shamelessly admitting, “You can’t ask me that—if I knew, I wouldn’t have escaped by pretending to be drunk, right? Good luck, God of Learning. There is no problem that you can’t solve.”
Just as he said that, the door lock clicked, and the sensor let out a soft beep.
Jiang Zhihuo quickly closed his eyes and said solemnly, “Yan-ge, handle it well.”
Yan Mu: “…”
There was no time for him to forcibly shake Jiang Zhihuo awake. In less than two seconds, Qu Xiao had already rushed in first, shouting, “Young Master Yan, Young Master Yan?!”
“Be quiet.” Yan Mu shot him a glance.
Only then did Qu Xiao notice that there was a girl lying on the long table on the other side…
“Oh.” Qu Xiao didn’t react in time and hurriedly shut his mouth.
Two seconds later, he suddenly looked toward that direction again—
His pupils trembled.
Still? Lying down? A girl?!
“Th-th-this?!” Qu Xiao lowered his voice. Pointing at Bai Yujun. “Is she sleeping?!”
Yan Mu: “Mhm.”
Qu Xiao pointed at Jiang Zhihuo. “Is he as well?”
Yan Mu gritted his teeth and responded with a sharp mhm.
Qu Xiao took a very deep breath and, along with Wen Da, dragged Yan Mu onto the balcony before closing the door behind them. Unable to hold back any longer, he blurted out, “What’s going on here?! You two invited a girl over, got her drunk, and then you…you…”
The words were too difficult to say and too bizarre. Qu Xiao quickly changed his phrasing. “You two…kissed?? In front of the girl? No, wait—behind her back?? Kissing?!”
Wen Da couldn’t stay calm either. “Young Master Yan, are you drunk?!” How could something like this happen if it weren’t because of drunkenness?!
Qu Xiao: “So, are you guys love rivals or are you having an affair?!”
Yan Mu: “…”
Wen Da asked again, “Do you like men?”
Qu Xiao: “Do you like yourself? You and Shin are the same in every way except for faces!”
Wen Da concluded. “Are you in love with yourself?”
Qu Xiao felt this was the most reasonable explanation. “Old Wen, you’re right. It can’t be anything other than self-love if I ended up with someone whose personality is just like mine!”
Yan Mu: “…”
Although the floor-to-ceiling window helped isolate sound, it didn’t completely block it. The sofa was close enough that if one listened carefully, one could still make out the conversation.
Jiang Zhihuo couldn’t help wanting to laugh but couldn’t make a sound. He held it in, shaking all over.
After laughing enough, Jiang Zhihuo gave a thumbs-up and slowly raised his arm.
Impressive.
Yan Mu stood facing the private room; his eyes caught every movement Jiang Zhihuo made.
Enjoying this, right?
Yan Mu sneered and said, “It’s exactly like you have seen.”
Wen Da mentally came up with countless excuses for Yan Mu, but before he could even speak, he was stunned by that one sentence.
Wen Da: “Exactly like what we have seen?”
Qu Xiao was even more confused than he was. “Which one? Is it self-love, an affair, or…?”
Yan Mu explained in the simplest terms, “I’m as confused as you. We were drunk, and Shin…just confessed to me.”
Wen Da: “?”
Qu Xiao: “?”
Jiang Zhihuo: “????????????”
Qu Xiao stared, stunned. “You…you’re not love rivals?”
Wen Da was speechless. “Yeah, exactly. Aren’t you both chasing the same girl?!”
Yan Mu said without chasing an expression, “It’s to get closer to me.”
Wen Da hesitated. “Ah, so then earlier…?” He didn’t finish his sentence.
Qu Xiao picked up where he left off, “Just now, Shin…forcibly kissed you?”
Yan Mu responded with a heavy mhm.
Jiang Zhihuo: “???????”
Ah?
Who the hell forcibly kissed you?!
Wen Da exchanged a look with Qu Xiao, and neither of them knew what to say.
Yan Mu rubbed his forehead. “You guys should leave for now. It’s a bit messy. Let me sort things out.”
Being confessed to by a love rival certainly made things chaotic. Wen Da and Qu Xiao couldn’t stay any longer. With expressions that were hard to describe, full of things left unsaid, they left room 3001. Before closing the door, they both cast a meaningful look at Jiang Zhihuo.
Qu Xiao said, “Young Master Yan, once sort things out, you should tell us…”
Wen Da: “If you can’t figure it out, we can help you too.”
Yan Mu nodded heavily. “Alright.”
As soon as the door was locked, Jiang Zhihuo immediately jumped off the sofa, grabbing Yan Mu’s collar. Considering that Bai Yujun was still asleep, he had to lower his voice but still hissed fiercely. “Who the hell is trying to get close to you?!”
Yan Mu remained calm and composed. “Do you have a better explanation?”
Jiang Zhihuo: “Why don’t you just say that you love me?! Say that you love me so much it drives you crazy, that you can’t stop thinking about me, that you’ve lost your mind over me?!”
Yan Mu: “You said you’d leave it to me—how I handle it is my business.”
Jiang Zhihuo: “Do you dare talk even more nonsense?”
“I dare.” Yan Mu replied smoothly. “You love me. You approached me. You schemed your way into my house. You tried everything just to get close to me. You were even willing to become another version of me. Choose any of them—no need to hold back.”
Jiang Zhihuo gritted his teeth. “…Well, thank you so much for preparing many options for me!”
Yan Mu: “Anytime.”
After a whole night of chaos and that much alcohol, the effect had hit—he was already feeling dizzy.
Yan Mu lay down on the sofa. Jiang Zhihuo’s body warmth still lingered in the blanket. He closed his eyes and calmly said, “Let’s talk tomorrow; sleep for now.”
*
When Bai Yujun woke up, it was 6:45 in the morning.
She had drunk too much last night, and her head still hurt. Her neck was sore to the point of being unbearable. The only reason she woke up was thanks to her powerful biological clock.
She was a bit disoriented right after waking up. Bai Yujun froze for a moment before she remembered where she was.
She didn’t want to be sent to President Wang’s bed by her father. She had originally planned to end her life before her birthday, but a call from Jiang Zhihuo brought her here.
She couldn’t recall what she said and did last night; she no longer remembered any of them.
She opened her phone and saw numerous ‘Happy Birthday’ wishes. The message list was filled with unread notifications, and one of her friends even wrote a long post on their Moments, specifically tagging her.
October 10th, Bai Yujun is eighteen today.
Before she could even reply to them one by one, various apps bombarded her with an overwhelming amount of news.
Bai Yujun’s heart skipped a bit.
—At 11 PM last night, Bai Group was exposed for allegedly being involved in smuggling and drug trafficking. The CEO, Bai Zhengou, had been detained for investigation, and the company’s operation had been suspended.
Many reporters, having received the news in the middle of the night, gathered outside the company’s office building. A large crowd of them. The public relations department issued a statement overnight, responding: We don’t know anything. Please refrain from spreading rumors or believing them.
The moment they had released the statement, an anonymous person posted a video. The flashing lights of police cars surrounded the scene, and a man was being escorted by the criminal police, his arms restrained as he was forced into a police car.
Although the man’s face was blurred, Bai Yujun recognized him at a glance—the man was Bai Zhengou.
Within only one night, these were all the details that could be known for the time being.
Bai Yujun stared blankly at the table, not knowing when the screen had automatically turned off nor when she had let go. The corner of the phone hit the table.
The mansion collapsed within one night.
So…he just went in?
So…she is…free now?
Bai Yujun couldn’t believe it.
At that moment, a pair of hands waved in front of her.
Xiang Yao was open all night, offering breakfast. Jiang Zhihuo went to get some milk, making honey water for hangovers, and grabbed a small six-inch cake.
Jiang Zhihuo: “Happy Birthday, Yujun!”
Bai Yuyun: “…ah?”
Yan Mu lit the candles and placed them on the cake, saying, “Make a wish.”
Bai Yujun still hadn’t fully processed everything. She stared blankly and asked, “Why?”
Jiang Zhihuo: “Blow the candles, make a wish, and eat the cake. What’s there to question?”
Bai Yujun blinked.
The cake was beautifully decorated. It featured a sky with clouds and a rainbow painted in cream. In the bottom right corner, there was a tiny flower blooming in the wind.
“I don’t know… what wish to make.” Bai Yujun said.
Jiang Zhihuo: “Anyway, there’s no limit to how many wishes you can make. How about I make one for you?”
Bai Yujun smiled faintly. “Mhm, sure.”
Jiang Zhihuo closed his eyes and nudged Yan Mu with his elbow. “You close your eyes too.”
After a moment, Jiang Zhihuo said sincerely, “I hope Bai Yujun will no longer give up so easily and continue being herself.”
Bai Yujun lowered her eyes. “You…”
“I’m sorry, Yujun.” Jiang Zhihuo said, “When I first approached you, it was to investigate Bai Zhengou. There had already been rumors about him, but he was too cautious, and we couldn’t find any evidence. The only way in was through you.”
Once the report was out, the matter was already settled. Jiang Zhihuo no longer needed to hide anything from Bai Yujun.
He took a step back. “I’ve caused you a lot of trouble during this time, and it’s my fault. From today on, I won’t pursue you anymore. As for you, please don’t have any thought of ending your life.”
Bai Yujun: “How did you know…”
Jiang Zhihuo smiled. “I also know that you wouldn’t think like that now, right?”
The sky had fully brightened, and from the open window, the sound of wheels rolling by could be heard.
A new day.
Bai Yujun’s eyes were slightly moistened. She tilted her head back, trying her best to hold back the tears, and forced a smile. “Mhm!”
Yan Mu handed her a tissue. The candle had burned down to the end, so Yan Mu replaced it with a new one and said, “We don’t have time to waste here. You need to go back. There should be a lot of things for you to handle.”
“Okay.” Bai Yujun rubbed her eyes forcefully; the corners of her eyes were red. She blew out the candles, cut the first slice, and took a large spoonful of cream, speaking to herself.
“Happy Birthday, Bai Yujun.”
*
The weather was exceptionally clear. The sky was deep blue, the clouds were pure white, and there was a faint hint of osmanthus fragrance in the air.
It would take at least another twenty minutes to get to school from the bar, and it was already close to being late. Yet, Yan Mu still walked at a leisurely pace.
Jiang Zhihuo: “Aren’t you running? You’re going to be late.”
Yan Mu said, “It doesn’t matter.”
Jiang Zhihuo: “Being a top student is great. You can just say any excuse, and it will be alright.”
Although they had argued before bed, their interaction was still natural. In fact, it wasn’t really an argument—at most, it was mutual harm. They had long since gotten used to having their personalities shattered over the smallest things.
Yan Mu glanced at him.
Walking unhurriedly along the curb, his body swayed from side to side.
The scar on his neck seemed to have faded a bit.
Yan Mu asked, “Has your scar faded?”
Jiang Zhihuo touched the back of his neck. “It’s been two months. It’s normal for it to fade a little, right?”
Yan Mu: “Mhm.”
Jiang Zhihuo jumped off the curb and bounced in front of Yan Mu, yawning. “One thing after another keeps happening lately. I’m so tired.”
Yan Mu: “It’s true.”
“What do you plan to do when you get back?” Jiang Zhihuo asked.
“Study,” Yan Mu said.
“…” Jiang Zhihuo, “I shouldn’t have asked you.”
Jiang Zhihuo arrived in the classroom just before the first bell for class rang. The first class was Chinese, and Ding Jianhui was already standing on the podium.
“Class,” Ding Jianhui handed the exam schedule to the class monitor. “Next week, on October 17th, is the midterm exam. It will test your progress for the first half of the semester, so make sure to do your best!”
The author has something to say:
If nothing happens between the main characters during the midterm exam, it can’t really be called a ‘midterm exam’ ~
