As soon as the bell rang, the lecturer left the classroom lecturing professor left the classroom. Meng Ting quickly packed his belongings; in truth, he didn’t have much to begin with—just a book, a notebook, a pen, and his phone, which he always kept in his pocket.
His idea of ‘quickly’ was more of a mental urgency than actual speed. No matter how much he hurried, his movements never matched the pace he envisioned. By the time he finally finished packing, the flood of students rushing out had already blocked his path. Despite his efforts, he still ended up at the back of the crowd.
Meng Ting was already in his third year, and this was the last class of the semester. The exams for other subjects were completed a few days earlier, and starting from the fourth year, they will be busy with internships and graduation theses, leaving little room for full courses.
Because of this, the attendance for this lecture was unusually high—even students from other departments had squeezed into the back rows to audit the class.
Meng Ting wouldn’t usually notice such things, but with so many extra attendees, he almost didn’t have a seat a few times, so he couldn’t help but pay attention.
“Senior Xiao, I don’t understand this problem. Can you stay behind and explain it to us?” An apple-faced[mfn]蘋果臉 (píng guǒ liǎn): refers to having a round, plump face that resembles the shape and appearance of an apple.[/mfn] girl approached Meng Ting, stopping two steps in front of him, and whispered. A few other students who hadn’t left the classroom stopped in their tracks, a knowing smile playing on their lips.
“Sorry, I’m in a hurry,” Meng Ting replied, stopping briefly. He had no ill feelings toward diligent underclassmen and offered a sincere suggestion. “Professor Zhang is very approachable. He probably hasn’t left yet—you can ask him in his office.”
With that, Meng Ting strode out of the classroom. The apple-faced girl stood frozen, torn between feeling wronged and realizing she couldn’t. She’d heard the rumors—their strikingly handsome, top-ranking senior treated everyone the same, regardless of gender.
“Wondering why he’s always in such a rush? Just follow him and see for yourself.”
One of the female onlookers remarked with a hint of interest before walking off herself.
Among their class, it was an open secret that Meng Ting was married. When Meng Ting personally admitted it, the sound of shattered hearts had been almost audible—hers included. But with his heart already taken, all she could do was admire from afar.
Moreover, three years had passed since then. Just seeing Meng Ting cleanly turn people down had long since cooled her lingering feelings. She had pretty much let go.
Meng Ting exited the classroom and walked down to the teaching building. The path cleared considerably. Meng Ting’s gaze scanned the crowd, and suddenly his eyes lit up, and he broke into a run.
“Yan Sui, I’m here.”
Meng Ting waved his hand, his aloof senior demeanor completely gone. His eyes curved into a smile, his happiness clearly visible.
Yan Sui had spotted Meng Ting as soon as he descended the stairs of the teaching building. However, he was moving against the tide of students, which made it hard to reach him. He stopped and waited for Meng Ting to close the distance.
“Yan Sui,” Meng Ting called softly again as he drew near. He didn’t say more, but his thoughts were written plainly in his gaze.
“Let’s go home,” Yan Sui murmured, gently wrapping an arm around Meng Ting’s shoulders to guide him forward.
Meng Ting nodded. His eyes kept drifting from the path ahead back to Yan Sui, a smile tugging at his lips. He slid Yan Sui’s hand from his shoulder and laced their fingers together instead. “This time, let’s walk holding hands.”
To avoid causing Meng Ting any unnecessary trouble at school, they always exercised restraint when meeting in public, with their most intimate gesture limited to a hand on the shoulder. But Meng Ting could sense Yan Sui’s concern.
Starting next semester, he would be in the lab most of the time, only returning to school once or twice when necessary. Moreover, he never cared about how others viewed him—he had wanted to hold Yan Sui’s hand and walk like this for a long time.
“Alright,” Yan Sui nodded, clasping Meng Ting’s hand in return and slowing his pace slightly.
Yan Sui’s gaze shifted subtly, noticing the expressions of disappointment and dazed eyes around them, and he tightened his grip on Meng Ting’s hand.
These three years had been no small test for Yan Sui. Over the years, he had lost count of the love letters he’d sorted out from Meng Ting’s backpack, not to mention the times they’d been walking only for Meng Ting to be stopped for a confession.
“Student Xiao, I drove here—let me take you home.”
A male student, with an air of confidence, managed to push through the surrounding crowd and block Meng Ting and Yan Sui’s path.
Yet Meng Ting didn’t pause. Still holding Yan Sui’s hand, he simply walked around the person, continuing forward and completely ignoring both his presence and his words.
“There are plenty of people with the surname Xiao at school—he definitely wasn’t talking to me,” Meng Ting turned his head and explained earnestly to Yan Sui, giving his fingers a light squeeze. “I have you. I don’t need anyone else to take me home.”
The nameless anger in Yan Sui’s heart was instantly extinguished by Meng Ting’s words. Besides, Meng Ting was on break—it was a happy occasion. There was no need to let some irrelevant person ruin the mood. Yan Sui gave a soft hum in response. “Mm.”
“Student Xiao, I know a department manager at Tingya Company. If you’d have dinner with me, I can introduce you to an internship opportunity.”
The male student wasn’t giving up. He had been utterly smitten by Meng Ting’s face for months. With their third year almost over, if he didn’t seize this opportunity now, he would never get another.
And he was confident that the offer he made would be irresistible to someone in Meng Ting’s field.
Tingya Company had been established less than four years ago, yet it had already become a globally renowned high-end brand. For most students at Haicheng University, such achievements were something they could only dream of.
“Besides, someone as outstanding as you might catch the eye of a perfumer, who could then introduce you to the legendary ‘Ting’ himself.”
At male student’s words, the surrounding crowd gasped, and some even seemed tempted to take Meng Ting’s place and have dinner with him.
Finally, Meng Ting turned to look at this male student whom he had no recollection of. His gaze cooled slightly. “Annoying!”
“You—you don’t—” The male student was somewhat startled by Meng Ting’s intensity and took half a step back, but his words were cut off by Yan Sui, who had remained silent until now.
“Ignorant!” Yan Sui released Meng Ting’s hand and instead wrapped his arm around Meng Ting’s waist. “Get lost.”
“CEO Yan, Madam, the car is this way.”
Zhao Bing had appeared nearby at some point, bowing slightly to Yan Sui and Meng Ting.
Meng Ting had been a day student for the past three years, but he also had a dorm room at school, usually used for midday breaks. Zhao Bing and Yan Sui had first gone to Meng Ting’s dorm to pack his things. When it was about time, Yan Sui came here to pick him up, while Zhao Bing continued moving the belongings.
However, Meng Ting was still a bit angry, especially because the male student had said such things right in front of Yan Sui. Meng Ting stood rooted to the spot, then turned his head, planting a kiss firmly on Yan Sui’s lips. A fleeting tenderness flashed in Meng Ting’s eyes, then he grasped Yan Sui’s hand again, holding it up for everyone to see.
“He is my lover, the one I love most. There’s no way I’m having dinner with you.”
Meng Ting paused, then continued, “Also, Tingya Company only accepts those with real ability and common sense. You—don’t qualify.”
With that, Meng Ting pulled Yan Sui along, and with Zhao Bing clearing the way, they headed toward their car.
The male student was clearly unprepared for the usually reserved, beautiful, and taciturn Meng Ting to suddenly become so sharp, and he felt an inexplicable sense of crisis, as if what Meng Ting said would actually come true. “Y-you… how can you say that?”
Hearing this, Meng Ting halted his steps. Though he didn’t raise his voice, his words still carried a deafening impact.
“He is Yan Sui. I am Meng Ting. Xiao Zinuo is another name of mine.”
After speaking, Meng Ting pulled Yan Sui into the car. Zhao Bing had already taken the driver’s seat, and soon the car drove out of the campus. Yet that particular area remained eerily silent.
Many people stood with their mouths agape for a long time, unable to close them.
“Ting… he’s ‘Ting’—the youngest Perfume Grandmaster, ‘Ting’!”
“So I’ve been classmates with the Perfume Grandmaster ‘Ting’ for three years…”
A female student who had been watching nearby murmured to herself. At this moment, the last bit of hope in her heart was completely extinguished. She quickly composed herself, patted the girl with the apple-shaped face beside her, then turned and walked away.
Of course, the most shocked was the male student who had blocked their path. Since he knew about Tingya and even claimed to be acquainted with some department manager, it was impossible for him not to recognize Yan Sui of the Yan family in Haicheng. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and he looked as if he were about to collapse.
Trembling, he picked up his phone to call for help, his earlier arrogance completely gone. The crowd dispersed, but Meng Ting’s identity, hidden for three years, could no longer remain a secret.
While photos of Yan Sui and Meng Ting had circulated online before, they had kept an extremely low profile these past three years, with little news, and gradually faded from public memory. Netizens’ attention always shifts to fresh, sensational topics. Since Meng Ting had enrolled under the name Xiao Zinuo, no one had connected him to the Meng Ting of Tingya Company.
***
Once in the car, Meng Ting nestled in Yan Sui’s arms and didn’t move, holding onto him tightly as if afraid someone might snatch him away. Though in reality, it had been someone trying to take Meng Ting from Yan Sui.
“That person was really annoying,” Meng Ting muttered, then lifted his head to press a soft kiss to Yan Sui’s chin. “I’m yours; no one can take me away.”
Yan Sui kissed Meng Ting’s cheek in return, tightening his arm around him. He was deeply moved—he knew Meng Ting had said all those things mostly for his sake—Meng Ting was afraid he would be unhappy.
“Are we going home to eat?” After a while, Meng Ting had almost forgotten about that person and that matter. He grabbed Yan Sui’s hand and placed it on his hungry stomach, then rubbed his cheek against Yan Sui’s and said, “I’m hungry, really hungry.”
“Find a restaurant nearby.”
Yan Sui raised his voice to instruct Zhao Bing, then continued to rub Meng Ting’s little belly. “Did you not eat the snacks I prepared for you this morning?”
“On the way here, I fed them to Xiao Hua and Xiao Hei.”
Meng Ting responded, then snuggled closer into Yan Sui’s embrace. “Xiao Hua and Xiao Hei had babies.”
So the amount Nanny Wang prepared was enough; he had given it all to the two stray cats at school.
Over the years, Meng Ting had picked up quite a few stray cats and dogs at school, but every so often, new cats and dogs would wander into the school. There were many students like Meng Ting who loved to feed them, and they generally had a better life at school than on the streets.
“I’ll have Zhen Han come over later to take a look at them.”
Yan Sui gently kissed Meng Ting’s forehead. With their mutual understanding, he naturally knew why Meng Ting was looking at him like that.
Upon hearing this, a smile indeed appeared on Meng Ting’s face. He kissed Yan Sui’s lips and said, “You’re so good.”
“I feel embarrassed to call Cousin.”
Zhen Han’s pet hospital was still open, but over the years, he hadn’t focused on it. He had studied under Doctor Gu Li for two years, and then started traveling both domestically and internationally again. This time, he had been away for two months before returning, and he had lost quite a bit of weight, which made Yan Manjia feel distressed.
As for Yan Manjia and Gu Li, they had officially started a relationship a year ago. Their thoughts were quite Westernized, and they were very satisfied with their current lives. Marriage was not currently in their plans, but Meng Ting felt he would eventually witness their wedding day.
“But Cousin is very happy,” Meng Ting said as he continued to snuggle against Yan Sui, then wrapped his arms around Yan Sui’s neck and closed his eyes.
Meng Ting’s thoughts jumped quickly. Yan Sui chuckled softly and continued to rub Meng Ting’s back.
People are generally happy when doing things they love; Zhen Han is like this, Meng Ting is like this, and so is he.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Extra 2.1″]
失魂落魄 (shī hún luò pò): lit. lost soul, dropped spirit; driven to distraction; panic-stricken; to lose one’s wits; beside oneself (idiom); dazed; be scared out of one’s wits; be hopeless and despondent; describing someone who is frightened or upset, and in a trance.大名鼎鼎 (dà míng dǐng dǐng): celebrated; famous; well-known; grand reputation; very famous/well-known/renowned; someone who is very famous or extremely famous. Describes great fame.
振聾發聵 (zhèn lóng fā kuì): lit. so loud that even the deaf can hear (idiom); to rouse the deaf and awaken the unhearing; to awaken the deaf; to enlighten the benighted; rousing even the apathetic; stir sb. into action; stimulate sb. into action; rouse the deaf; so loud that even the deaf can hear; loud enough to arouse the insensible; a sound so loud that even a deaf person can hear it; it is a metaphor for using words to awaken a numb person.
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