Raine: Continuing my tradition of posting on my birthday, here’s a little birthday update (´｡• ᵕ •｡`). I know I should really post more often, but honestly… I hate my job hahaha. The commute alone drains me out every day, and by the time I get home, even opening my laptop feels like a chore (；￣Д￣). So my birthday wish this year is to get into the company I’m applying for. It’s 100% remote, which means I can sneak in some translating during downtime (ง •̀_•́)ง.
Big thanks to everyone who still sends me Kofi. Those coffee sessions were lifesavers. Without them, I probably would’ve lost my mind from all the stress (╥﹏╥).
I’m on leave until Monday hehe, so I actually have time to build up a chapter stash and schedule them. I’ll try to set things up so there’s at least one or two releases every week in September. That way I won’t stress myself out over keeping up or overthinking the posting schedule (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵).
Su Zhiyan felt restless.
He nibbled at his ice cream in small bites, occasionally glancing up at Shen Nianjing.
Why wasn’t this guy saying anything?
Did he really have the same dreams as him or not?
Su Zhiyan thought it over carefully.
He realized Shen Nianjing didn’t dream every day like he did, and he didn’t recognize him when they first met, so the chances of him having the same dreams weren’t very high.
Did he really dream at all?
This bastard wasn’t messing with him, was he?
From the beginning, Shen Nianjing only acted like he “knew” him after hearing his name. Even if he did dream,, then at most the dreams mentioned his name and that “Xia Shi” they met at the mall that day.
Su Zhiyan licked his ice cream and winced at the brain freeze. He gently pressed his tongue against his teeth.
Shen Nianjing’s eyelashes fluttered as he felt his breathing quicken.
He discreetly averted his gaze.
He had impulsively blurted it out under Su Zhiyan’s questioning just now, but thinking about it carefully, he really didn’t need to tell Su Zhiyan about this at all.
He didn’t care about that vague dream anymore, so why bring it up now and complicate things?
Su Zhiyan had just broken through his psychological barriers to explain the misunderstanding to him. Telling him about this now would just add another burden.
But he had already acted like he was going to say something…
Shen Nianjing wanted to sigh dramatically. Staying silent like this wasn’t going to work. Was there anyone who could drop from the sky and save him?
“Click.”
A sound came from the door, and Shen Nianjing’s eyebrows twitched.
Did some god really hear his prayer?
Wait… what kind of god breaks into people’s homes?
What came through the door wasn’t a god, but Lin Yue dragging a suitcase, smiling brightly while talking on the phone.
“Yeah, just send that to her and have her write a first draft.”
“Mm-hmm, then send the report to my email.”
“Okay, let’s talk later, bye.”
She casually tossed her phone and bag aside, quickly kicked off her high heels, and turned around beaming, “Son—”
“Mom?” Shen Nianjing gaped. Why was she back early? Not that he minded. What perfect timing!
“!” Lin Yue narrowed her eyes.
That was definitely her son at the dining table, but how did one become two?
A pretty young man she’d never seen before was looking at her with a confused expression, still holding half an unfinished ice cream.
“Oh?” Lin Yue’s exhaustion from the business trip immediately disappeared. She smiled at Shen Nianjing, “Son, is this handsome young man your friend?”
“He’s—” Before Shen Nianjing could finish, Su Zhiyan stood up and greeted her like an elementary school student introducing himself, “Hello Auntie, I’m Su Zhiyan. Shen Nianjing and I are in the same college and major.”
“Zhiyan, what a nice name.” Lin Yue smiled, looking at the dining table covered with fruits, snacks, and little desserts.
She raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Her son usually stuck to the same boring trio of tea, dried fruit, and mints when entertaining guests. Today he was being unusually generous.
“Ms. Lin[mfn]Not sure if this was an author’s mistake or if SNJ really called his mother Ms. Lin lol[/mfn], weren’t you supposed to come back the day after tomorrow?” Shen Nianjing frowned, wondering if he’d remembered the date wrong.
Lin Yue walked over and smacked his head, making Shen Nianjing yelp and clutch his head.
“What’s wrong with me finishing my business trip efficiently and coming back to rest for two days?” She pinched Shen Nianjing’s ear and smiled warmly at Su Zhiyan, speaking very enthusiastically, “Zhiyan, stay for dinner tonight. I’ll order takeout and get us a feast. Let’s celebrate my successful business trip together!”
Su Zhiyan watched their violent mother-son interaction, not sure what to say. “Thank you for your kind invitation, Auntie, but really, there’s no need. I’ll be heading home soon.”
However, Auntie Lin was even more forward than her son. Su Zhiyan couldn’t refuse her enthusiasm and ended up staying.
“Ugh, traveling is so exhausting.” Lin Yue used a toothpick to remove her press-on nails, waving her hand with a smile, “I’m going to nap in my bedroom for a bit. You two have fun.”
She spoke in the tone used with children, like telling kids who weren’t even in high school yet, “There’s food and games in the living room, just play nicely and don’t shout too loud.”
Su Zhiyan nodded.
Shen Nianjing’s mother was different from what he’d imagined. She was very lively and had a carefree personality, much like her son.
Was this what having human presence meant? His gaze shifted to Shen Nianjing, who wore a strange, relieved smile.
Su Zhiyan: “?”
He couldn’t help but speak up, “What are you, a baby? You’re this happy just because your mom is home.”
Shen Nianjing kept smiling.
He smiled so much that Su Zhiyan felt creeped out.
“What’s so funny?”
They moved to the living room, pulled the curtains closed, and dimmed the lights. Shen Nianjing turned on the projector and randomly put on a popular recent anime.
He plopped beside Su Zhiyan with a very punchable expression, “I’m happy, I’m delighted, today is the happiest day of my whole week!”
“Psycho,” Su Zhiyan muttered.
He kept his eyes on the screen, then suddenly said after a while, “Continue what you were saying.”
Because of Shen Nianjing’s mom suddenly coming home, that long awkward silence had been interrupted, but the lighter atmosphere now was better suited for talking about weird stuff.
Shen Nianjing froze for two seconds, “Continue what?”
Su Zhiyan frowned, “Didn’t you say you also had dreams?”
Shen Nianjing made an “oh” sound and laughed, “Oh, that? I was just teasing because you seemed nervous.”
“!” He really was messing with him.
Su Zhiyan felt annoyed and silently grabbed a bag of chips from the table, tearing it open with a loud rip and making a huge hole.
Shen Nianjing turned to look at him, looking a bit guilty, “Are you mad?”
Crunching loudly, Su Zhiyan ignored him.
Mad? What right did he have to be mad?
It was just a joke, who would get angry over something like that? He wasn’t that petty.
The two of them didn’t talk for a long time. Su Zhiyan silently ate his chips, and after finishing one bag he grabbed another bag of cookies, not stopping for a moment.
It was like keeping his mouth busy meant he didn’t have to talk or chat.
Did Shen Nianjing really like snacks this much? His house actually had so many. Su Zhiyan glanced at the coffee table covered with colorfully packaged snacks and gained a new understanding of this person.
How could someone eat so much spicy, salty, sweet, and sour things while maintaining a normal appetite?
What an iron stomach.
The screen showed a funny, action-packed anime that was universally recognized as high quality in both plot pacing and animation, but Shen Nianjing just couldn’t focus on it.
He absentmindedly paid attention to the movements of the person beside him.
Su Zhiyan finally stopped eating.
The chips were too salty, the cookies too sweet, all things that made him thirsty. He regretted eating so much.
Wouldn’t it be more cost-effective to focus on watching anime like Shen Nianjing instead of constantly eating snacks?
No need to open his mouth to talk, and he wouldn’t be thirsty like he was now.
His elbow was gently nudged.
Su Zhiyan looked down and saw a glass of fresh orange juice shimmering invitingly, as vibrant as the roses on the coffee table.
Su Zhiyan: “…”
He looked at Shen Nianjing.
This guy was staring at the screen without blinking, light and shadows from the screen dancing in his eyes. Anyone could see how absorbed he was in watching.
Watching anime while providing customer service on the side.
If you don’t become a model socialist citizen, who will?
Su Zhiyan casually took the orange juice and accepted this service without any guilt.
The moment the sweet and sour refreshing fruit juice went down his throat, Su Zhiyan felt like his whole body came back to life.
Ah, the perks of socialism.
With his hand now empty, Shen Nianjing glanced over slightly. Under the shifting light and shadows, Su Zhiyan’s eyes curved into crescents, bright light dancing in them. He looked much happier than before.
Shen Nianjing’s lips curved up slightly as he silently turned his head back.
After eating a hearty takeout feast with Lin Yue at Shen Nianjing’s house and cleaning up the aftermath, Su Zhiyan prepared to say goodbye.
“Son, see Zhiyan off.” Lin Yue ordered. “Take him straight to campus, it’s not safe for a pretty boy to be out alone at night.”
Su Zhiyan: “…”
Auntie Lin was too lively, her energy was overwhelming.
Shen Nianjing walked Su Zhiyan to the community entrance and opened his phone to book a car.
“You don’t need to take me to school.” Su Zhiyan righteously refused, “I’m an educated adult with basic self-defense skills.”
Why did he add that last part?
Su Zhiyan held his forehead, led astray by Auntie Lin.
“I know.” Shen Nianjing scrolled through his phone with one hand, completely dismissive, “But if I only walk you to the street corner, Ms. Lin will definitely kill me.”
“Good, she should kill you. Crematoriums probably have Double Eleven discounts.”
Shen Nianjing laughed out loud. He looked sideways at Su Zhiyan, who had his hands in his pockets with an indifferent expression, “Handsome Su, are you still angry~”
Su Zhiyan chuckled lightly, “How could I be?”
“Dogs will always be man’s best friend.”
Shen Nianjing: “…”
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![Fake Sweet Omega [BL]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/僞裝甜O.png "Fake Sweet Omega [BL]")
