Chapter 99: Cold, Crazy Campus Hunk x Spoiled, Delicate Little Brat 7
The sun outside the classroom was scorching. Beams of light streamed through the window, striking Jiang Luoluo’s face and causing a thin layer of sweat to glisten on his cheeks.
A small hand pushed over a bottle of ice water purchased from the school store. His bright eyes sparkled with tiny flecks of light.
“Mu Jianian~ Shouldn’t we start now~?”
Ever since the math class incident, Jiang Luoluo had become much more diligent about his studies, constantly pestering Mu Jianian for tutoring.
Mu Jianian opened his textbook, and Jiang Luoluo leaned closer.
The sweet fragrance of Mu Jianian’s body filled his nostrils.
Having sprinted all the way under the scorching sun, Jiang Luoluo was a bit warm. He tugged at the loose collar of his T-shirt and began fanning himself with a cartoon-themed clipboard.
Mu Jianian raised his eyes, and his gaze unexpectedly drifted down the open collar, where a glimpse of snow-white skin met his gaze. Its delicate glow was like the finest jade.
Mu Jianian’s pupils widened slightly.
He felt as if he had caught something from Jiang Luoluo, a sudden surge of heat rising through his entire body.
Jiang Luoluo remained oblivious.
He poked his cheek with a clipboard, then leaned in close. “Mu Jianian~”
His eyes sparkled, clear and bright.
He’d run too fast and hadn’t caught his breath yet, his voice slightly breathless as he spoke.
His voice ended on a delicate, lingering note, soft and sweet.
The classroom was a cacophony of noise, with shouts and playful chases echoing through the air.
Mu Jianian stared at the beautiful face magnified before him, listening to the soft, gentle way Jiang Luoluo called his name.
Suddenly, he couldn’t hear anything else.
In this small world, it seemed as if only he and Jiang Luoluo remained.
Mu Jianian’s Adam’s apple bobbed quickly. His elegant phoenix eyes settled on Jiang Luoluo’s face, and he gave a barely audible “Mhm.”
His voice was low and suppressed.
A certain thought within him stirred, urging him forward, restless and eager.
His gaze drifted from Jiang Luoluo’s face to his soft, crimson lips.
Li Chuan ran in from the classroom door, shouting, “Luoluo! Luoluo!”
Mu Jianian snapped back to reality. He reached out and tugged at Jiang Luoluo’s clothes, and the wide neckline obediently settled against his collarbone.
Mu Jianian’s clear voice was a bit low. “Hot and cold, don’t catch a chill.” [footnote] after sweating so much,the breeze will cause him to have a cold [/footnote]
Jiang Luoluo nodded obediently, still a bit dazed. Hearing a voice behind him, he turned his head. “What?”
He was never this well-behaved around Li Chuan.
Li Chuan said excitedly, “Teacher Wang is looking for a few students to move things in the library. We don’t have class next period, so let’s go together!”
Jiang Luoluo shook his head. “I don’t want to skip class!”
Li Chuan gave him a “I don’t understand you” look and dashed off in a flash.
Jiang Luoluo turned back to Mu Jianian, tilting his head. His voice was still soft.
“Mu Jianian, why did you stop talking?”
Mu Jianian looked at the small face getting closer and closer to his, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. He spoke without thinking. “I’m thirsty.”
Jiang Luoluo said “Oh, oh” twice, his small hand gripping the mineral water bottle covered in condensation. He said enthusiastically, “I bought water!”
The bottle he’d bought was frozen solid, with ice crystals still floating inside.
Mu Jianian gripped the bottle with one hand and twisted the cap with the other, his lips slightly pursed as if he were exerting all his strength.
But the bottle slipped from his grasp, sliding straight out of his palm. It bounced off the desk, changing direction, and hurtled toward Mu Jianian’s abdomen.
Jiang Luoluo gasped in surprise, his round, innocent eyes widening as he followed the bottle’s trajectory, determined to catch the culprit that had struck Mu Jianian.
Suddenly, Mu Jianian’s body stiffened.
A fluffy head appeared between him and the desk, cheek pressed against his abdomen.
A hand reached down from his leg, groping around on the floor.
His breath hitched for a moment, then quickened its pace.
Mu Jianian lifted Jiang Luoluo by the collar of his shirt, pulling him off. His voice was low and stern.
“Don’t move.”
Then he bent down to pick up the mineral water bottle that had rolled to the side.
Jiang Luoluo beamed, his curled lashes fluttering like butterfly wings. “Mu Jianian~ Thank you~”
Mu Jianian’s ears burned. He picked up his school uniform jacket and draped it over his lower abdomen.
The culprit behind all this was completely oblivious, smiling innocently and asking him insistently:
“Mu Jianian~ are you cold? Why did you put your jacket over your legs?”
His rosy lips opened and closed.
His tone was cheerful and soft.
Mu Jianian stared at his face for a moment, his dark eyes deep and unfathomable—
He really wanted to violate him.
As the online competition entered the preliminary round, Mu Jianian found himself overwhelmed.
He had to study during the day, tutor in the evenings, and work on his own projects at night.
By the time he finished everything, it was already late.
He grabbed his change of clothes, took a quick shower, and soon drifted into a deep sleep.
In his dream, a soft little hand clung to his shoulder, his cheek pressed against his chest.
Those eyes, usually brimming with laughter, were now wet and glistening, as if washed by water or perhaps after a good cry.
His voice trembled as he called out to him, each word a plea:
“Mu Jianian… Mu Jianian…”
When he woke up the next morning, Mu Jianian changed his underwear with a grim expression.
It wasn’t until he returned to the classroom and saw that familiar face that the strange feeling surged through him again.
He was momentarily lost in thought, recalling Jiang Luoluo’s appearance in his dream.
His eyes were red-rimmed, his eyelashes matted together in clumps, as if soaked by tears.
Crystalline teardrops rolled down his cheeks, sparkling in the dim light.
He looked beautiful when he cried.
So different from how he is now.
Jiang Luoluo and Li Chuan were huddled in a corner, whispering conspiratorially.
Li Chuan did most of the talking, while Jiang Luoluo chimed in with a few words here and there.
Their heads kept inching closer together.
Mu Jianian walked over, catching snippets of their conversation about confessions. But when Li Chuan looked up and saw him, the topic abruptly changed.
He clapped Jiang Luoluo on the shoulder. “After this goes well, Brother Chuan will treat you to a swim at the new pool!”
Jiang Luoluo nodded, then quickly realized, “But I can’t swim!”
Li Chuan puffed out his chest grandly. “Don’t worry, Brother Chuan is a master of the dog paddle! I’ll teach you!”
Before Jiang Luoluo could reply, a hand grabbed his arm from behind and yanked him away.
Jiang Luoluo turned around, his voice as light and cheerful as a bird’s chirp. “Mu Jianian!”
Mu Jianian pulled him close, as if a male lion had claimed his mate.
“Do you want to learn to swim?”
He looked down at the delicate, beautiful face before him, a slight stirring in his heart.
“I’ll teach you.”
“Who teaches me doesn’t matter, Mu Jianian! Are you looking down on the dog paddle? What’s wrong with the dog paddle?!”
Mu Jianian said nothing, his refined and aristocratic phoenix eyes simply gazing at Jiang Luoluo.
Jiang Luoluo eagerly agreed, “Yes, yes! We can go to that swimming pool together later! And you can teach me!”
This morning, when he woke up, he checked Mu Jianian’s favorability rating in the System. For some reason, it had jumped significantly overnight, now standing at 60.
If he kept up his good behavior and continued his pursuit, he was confident he could reach 100 favorability in no time!
Jiang Luoluo was ecstatic. He stuck to Mu Jianian like a shadow all day, his enthusiasm redoubled.
The hotter the weather grew, the more lethargic it made everyone feel.
Jiang Luoluo slumped over his desk, listlessly stifling a yawn.
He drifted off into a light nap. When he opened his eyes, he saw Li Chuan busy at his desk.
A row of colored pencils, heart-shaped cards, and decorative tape lay scattered across the surface.
Li Chuan had two sheets of paper in front of him.
He glanced at the left one, scratched his head in frustration, then turned to the right sheet, which looked like he was copying something.
It certainly wasn’t homework.
Jiang Luoluo leaned over to peek. Seeing the words “Dear Yao Yao” at the top of the card, he realized it was Li Chuan’s confession plan from earlier that morning.
He read aloud softly:
“My dearest Yao Yao, you have no idea how important you are to me.”
“You are like a beam of light. When you appeared, my entire world was illuminated.”
Li Chuan chuckled and raised an eyebrow at Jiang Luoluo. “So, what do you think?”
Jiang Luoluo nodded. “It’s quite literary, but it doesn’t sound like you wrote it.”
“Of course I didn’t!” Li Chuan grabbed the other love letters and slapped them down in front of Jiang Luoluo, his voice righteous. “These were all written by your rivals in love.”
Jiang Luoluo: “What?”
Li Chuan flipped open the one he’d borrowed from and showed it to him. “See?”
“Mu Jianian received this today. He just threw it away, and I picked it up.”
“Since I had to write one anyway, I figured I might as well borrow some ideas.”
Jiang Luoluo flipped through the letters casually. “He can’t possibly get love letters every day, can he?”
Li Chuan nodded. “Pretty much. Over the years, there’s been a constant rotation of love letters, water bottles, breakfasts—something every day.”
After speaking, Li Chuan patted Jiang Luoluo’s shoulder reassuringly. “Of course, Brother Chuan only borrowed from their letters, but Brother Chuan doesn’t approve of their actions.”
“In my eyes, only the two of you are truly meant to be together!” He gave Jiang Luoluo a thumbs-up.
Jiang Luoluo: “…”
“Holy shit!” A loud voice boomed from the back of the classroom. “You guys have to see the Campus Gossip Group! Someone just confessed their feelings to Mu Jianian!!”
Jiang Luoluo’s body stiffened. “Who?”
Li Chuan gloated, “Hurry, Luoluo, it’s your turn!”
“Someone’s trying to steal your man! You should go catch them in the act!”
Jiang Luoluo quickly opened his phone and scrolled to their Campus Gossip Group. Messages were flooding in so fast that it had already reached 99+.
He clicked in and was met with a barrage of frantic posts.
Before he could make sense of it, a loud voice shrieked again:
“Ahhhhhh! The Campus Belle and the Campus Hunk!!!!”
“I’m shipping them so hard!!!!”
Li Chuan’s gloating grin hadn’t faded yet. “Campus Belle? Which one?”
The loud voice turned around. “Who else? Of course, it’s Yao Yao, the goddess from the class next door!”
Li Chuan’s smile froze on his face.
He exchanged a look with Jiang Luoluo, both seeing the green glow above each other’s heads.
Then, they both bolted for the door—?
Translating this chapter gave me whiplash: one second it’s “I’m thirsty,” the next it’s a dream so spicy it fried Mu Jianian’s underwear. And two bros are turning green at the speed of gossip.
Buy me a Ko-fi before I start billing fictional teenagers for therapy. 💀☕