CFL 22

“Is that so?” The senior picked up a clean towel from beside him, wrapped it around his fist, and spoke in a leisurely manner, “Then you’re quite bold.”

His tone was indifferent, neither excited nor bored. As the sound of the showerhead rained down with a whoosh, it wasn’t long before the bottom of his pants was soaked, as if even the phone through the screen was about to get wet.

The scene was quite vivid, drenched and dripping, making one’s mouth dry and parched.

Wen Ci shifted his gaze and said defiantly, “I do too. And it’s big as well, you just can’t see it.”

“Where?” he asked earnestly, making Wen Ci’s heart race with anxiety.

As if suddenly remembering something, the senior chuckled lightly, “I saw it last time, it was okay.”

With a sudden boom, it felt like a volcanic eruption inside Wen Ci, making his head buzz.

The senior began to untie the rope around his waist.

Wen Ci, worried that he was actually going to take off his pants, quickly said, “You go take a shower first, I still have to write a manuscript, I’m leaving now.”

His voice grew quieter and quieter.

“Alright.”

Wen Ci turned off his phone, holding it in his palm, which had become hot.

He absentmindedly unlocked the balcony door and stepped outside, only to find Lu Xuesong standing in front of him with his hands on his hips.

“Do you know, as soon as I turned around and didn’t see you on the balcony, I thought you had jumped off the building. I was so scared. But it turned out you went to the bathroom. Why didn’t you flush the toilet?”

Wen Ci explained, “I didn’t go to the bathroom, I was making a phone call.”

“Who calls while in the bathroom? You gave me such a fright.” Lu Xuesong didn’t dwell on this matter, “Are you going to take a shower?”

Wen Ci’s heart was still a bit tight, and the heat in his ears hadn’t subsided yet: “You go first, I’ll rest for a while, I’m tired from standing.”

He had just told a small lie. In fact, the manuscript was already written and had been checked by the tutor without any issues.

Because of this, he didn’t have to gather in the morning the next day, and he could directly attend the conference speech in the afternoon.

The next morning, Wen Ci was still lying in bed. He was awake but didn’t want to get up. He wrapped himself in the quilt, pulled aside the bed curtain, and squinted to watch Lu Xuesong and Tao Peng preparing downstairs.

Lu Xuesong had two dark circles under his eyes: “.”

Tao Peng also looked at him with a deep sense of grievance.

Wen Ci shrank back a bit: “You guys hurry up and go.”

He closed his eyes and made a gesture of clasping his hands together: “I’ll pray for you.”

Once they left, the dormitory became quiet. Only then did Wen Ci slowly start doing his own things. He really enjoyed this time of solitude.

When Wen Ci arrived at the administration building, he happened to run into Jiang Yufeng. He greeted him stiffly, and Jiang Yufeng nodded at him slightly, very politely.

But when Jiang Yufeng had no expression on his face, he looked quite intimidating and seemed hard to approach.

Wen Ci looked into his eyes and nodded. After entering the elevator, Jiang Yufeng suddenly spoke: “Have you had breakfast?”

Wen Ci looked at his face and said, “Yes, good morning.”

“Good morning.” Jiang Yufeng tilted his head slightly, revealing a faint, barely noticeable smile: “Why were you staring at me just now?”

Wen Ci lifted his eyelids: “Because it’s polite to do so.”

The elevator door dinged, and Wen Ci pressed the exit button, politely saying, “You go first.”

As Jiang Yufeng was leaving, he said thank you.

After a brief pause, he added: “Your hair isn’t combed properly.”

Wen Ci glanced at his reflection in the elevator mirror and saw one side of his hair sticking up. He sighed inwardly, realizing he had failed in terms of appearance.

Wen Ci put on his hat to flatten the unruly hair and thought to himself as he walked, why should he care about what Jiang Yufeng said? It was none of his business.

Their speeches on stage only lasted a few minutes, and they spent the entire morning in the tutor’s office.

After listening, the tutor commented: “Wen Ci’s speech has more of a human touch. Since you are representing all the freshmen, Jiang Yufeng, it would be better if you added some inspiring words at the end.”

Jiang Yufeng hummed in agreement.

“If you don’t have time, you can use Wen Ci’s ending.”

Wen Ci responded generously: “Sure, no problem.”

At one point, the tutor left for a short while. Wen Ci had nothing to say to Jiang Yufeng, and they ended up awkwardly staring at each other until Wen Ci finally lowered his head in embarrassment.

When the tutor returned, she assumed the two had been rehearsing their speeches. They seemed calm and composed, exuding an air of confidence: “You’re both ready, right? Tidy up and if you can maintain this state this afternoon, it should be fine.”

In reality, they hadn’t exchanged a single word.

Wen Ci, driven by the need for credits, declared: “Ready!”

Jiang Yufeng glanced at Wen Ci’s profile and curled his lips slightly.

The summary meeting was held in the auditorium, where Wen Ci and Jiang Yufeng waited backstage.

It wasn’t Wen Ci’s first time speaking on stage, but it was his first attempt at a joint speech with someone else, and that someone happened to be Jiang Yufeng. He wasn’t nervous, but he felt his heart contract a little.

Wen Ci tried to make conversation: “Who should walk in front later, you or me?”

Jiang Yufeng looked down at him, his expression calm, without any ripples.

Wen Ci pursed his lips, talking to himself: “You’re taller than me, so it’s better if I walk in front. It’ll look more balanced.”

Jiang Yufeng pressed Wen Ci’s shoulder, with a bit of force, quite heavy: “It’s just a few sentences, no problem.”

Wen Ci nodded: “Let’s not mess this up.”

“Okay.”

It seemed that when it came to important matters, Jiang Yufeng was still reliable. Of course, they were both facing difficulties for the sake of credits.

Even if it hadn’t been Jiang Yufeng, it would have been someone else.

When it was time for the freshmen representatives to speak, after the host called their names, the two walked out together.

Whether it was student representatives or leaders speaking, the content was incredibly dull, making people drowsy.

Unless, of course, the speaker on stage was a charming and handsome figure.

Jiang Yufeng had been in the spotlight since the beginning of the school year. He had good grades, was tall and handsome, and had a cold personality. He was the typical novel school prince and academic overachiever. However, because he was really too hard to approach, people gradually shifted their focus to Wen Ci.

Wen Ci’s appearance could be described as beautiful, the kind that takes your breath away at first sight. His personality, however, was too ordinary and lacked any standout features, so many people hadn’t paid much attention to him at that time.

Now, the two of them standing together, the surrounding atmosphere suddenly became harmonious. They looked good together no matter how you looked at it.

Jiang Yufeng was no longer cold, and Wen Ci’s personality was no longer ordinary.

How to put it?

There was an indescribable CP (couple) vibe between them, which immediately stirred the students below.

In less than ten minutes of their speech, no one really knew what they were saying. When it ended, the applause was thunderous, and an exhilarating atmosphere filled the entire auditorium.

Wen Ci was taken aback by the scene. The instructor’s speech earlier hadn’t been this exaggerated.

After getting off the stage, Wen Ci kept looking back, seemingly reluctant to leave. His heart was trembling, and he whispered: “Our speech was just too influential.”

Jiang Yufeng: “?”

When Wen Ci returned to the group, the two of them, one in front of the other, sat down, drawing even more attention.

But with the instructor present, no one dared to speak and could only hold it in, waiting to unleash their thoughts on the forum after the event.

After the military training ended on a weekend, Room 504 was plunged into darkness. They had bought a blackout curtain for the balcony, which worked exceptionally well. Even early in the morning, the dormitory was still pitch black. Wen Ci woke up two or three times in the middle, thinking it was still night.

When he finally woke up completely, Wen Ci lifted the bed curtain and looked down to see Lu Xuesong and Tao Peng kissing.

“……”

He retracted his hand and lay back down quietly.

Incidentally, he noted a significant event in his mind: today was Wen Ci’s birthday.

However, at the university, no one else knew about it except for Wen Ci himself. So he turned on his phone and clicked on the family group with 35+ messages.

Wen Ci: “?”

His father had sent him ten messages, which Wen Ci opened, from seven in the morning until half past ten just now—hurry to grab the red packet.

Wen Ci fully woke up and checked the family group.

[Wife’s Rules: WeChat Red Packet]

[Wife’s Rules: Happy birthday, son!]

“Prettiest in the Family” has collected the red packet from Wife’s Rules.

[Wife’s Rules: What is mom doing?]

[Prettiest in the Family: Grabbing red packets.]

[Wife’s Rules: ?]

[Prettiest in the Family: ?]

[Wife’s Rules: WeChat Red Packet.]

[Wife’s Rules: @Baby, hurry up!]

Prettiest in the Family has collected the red packet from Wife’s Rules.

[Wife’s Rules: …Mom!!!!]

[Prettiest in the Family: Kiss.jpg]

Wen Ci: “……”

[Baby: Good morning to mom and dad.]

Baby was kicked out of the group chat by Wife’s Rules.

Wen Ci: “???”

Prettiest in the Family invited Baby back into the group.

Wen Ci: “……”

Then the group went crazy with red packets.

[Wife’s Rules: WeChat Red Packet]

[Prettiest in the Family: WeChat Red Packet]

[Prettiest in the Family: WeChat Red Packet]

Wen Ci counted, and the two of them took turns sending eight red packets.

Wen Ci opened each one, the amounts were—five yuan, two yuan, one yuan, one yuan, three yuan, one yuan, four yuan……

The second to last was dad’s 520 yuan.

The last one was mom’s 888 yuan.

[Prettiest in the Family: Go out and treat yourself to something nice. The military training is over, right? Find a day to come home next week.]

[Baby: Okay, love you (heart)]

Wen Ci slowly got out of bed and, as usual, sent a good morning message to his senior.

[Senior: Have you had breakfast?]

[W: Not yet.]

[Senior: I’ve ordered a delivery for you.]

Wen Ci didn’t react to these words until the senior called him.

“It will be delivered to the dormitory entrance.”

Wen Ci knew there were part-time delivery people in the school. He slowly responded with an “Oh,” and then asked, “How did the senior know which dormitory I’m in?”

“You mentioned it.”

Wen Ci was puzzled. Did I mention it?

Maybe I let it slip unintentionally. Wen Ci convinced himself.

“Alright, thank you, senior. I’ll transfer the money to you.”

“No need.” The senior was very straightforward, “I’m hanging up now.”

Wen Ci looked at the disconnected call and pouted. Before long, he heard a knock on the dormitory door. He walked out and saw that Lu Xuesong had already picked it up for him.

Lu Xuesong was surprised: “You ordered a delivery. That’s quite extravagant.”

“No, the senior ordered it for me.” Wen Ci took it and, facing Lu Xuesong’s curious gaze, he didn’t know what to say, “I’ll transfer the money back.”

“?” Lu Xuesong sometimes doubted that he was a straight man, “Why are you paying him back? You could just treat the senior to a meal. Are you silly?”

“He gave me a breakfast that costs less than twenty yuan, and I should treat him to a feast.” Wen Ci thought for a few seconds. Since he was pursuing the senior, “It’s not impossible.”

Lu Xuesong shook his head in exasperation: “What he gave you was not just a meal, it was a gesture of affection.”

Tao Peng, who had been listening to the gossip and was confused, summarized: “Are you two in an online relationship?”

Wen Ci opened the breakfast and ate while simplifying the story.

Lu Xuesong was also quite shocked: “So you still don’t know his name?”

Wen Ci had never asked, and the senior had never mentioned it. He had been busy with military training and couldn’t spare the time.

“I’ll ask when we meet, probably in the next day or two.” Wen Ci realized that he hadn’t tanned much during the military training, so he wouldn’t be too embarrassed.

Tao Peng suddenly spoke up: “What are his characteristics? Maybe I know him.”

Lu Xuesong’s tone was mocking: “Really, you know?”

Wen Ci turned his head, eating a warm char siu bun: “He has a great physique, similar to Jiang Yufeng’s……”

Lu Xuesong gave him a puzzled look. Why was it always Jiang Yufeng? Were you looking for a substitute for Jiang Yufeng?

“He doesn’t live in the dormitory, somewhere off-campus, but I don’t know exactly where. He’s in the same major as us.”

Tao Peng asked: “What sports does he like?”

“I don’t know.” Wen Ci thought for a moment and emphasized, “He’s really good at drawing, extremely good.”

Lu Xuesong found Tao Peng’s puzzled expression amusing: “Is there anyone like that, great detective?”

Tao Peng frowned: “There is someone who fits the description, but I’m not sure.”

“Who?”

“Yu Bin from Class Three, Grade Two of Architecture. He has a good physique. I’ve played a few basketball games with him. He lives off-campus and works as a freelance illustrator, occasionally taking on projects, but I heard this from his friends.”

Wen Ci asked: “How tall is he?”

“Probably over one meter eighty-six.”

Wen Ci thought to himself, it seemed to match quite well.

Lu Xuesong suddenly became excited: “Ha, is he handsome?”

Tao Peng glared at him: “Lu Xuesong, why are you so excited? Don’t you guys know Yu Bin?”

Wen Ci and Lu Xuesong tilted their heads in unison: “?”

“……” Tao Peng coughed lightly, “He is a member of the Student Union’s Propaganda Department and also the vice minister of the basketball club. He’s handsome and good at basketball, so he’s very popular.”

Lu Xuesong shouted: “Wen Ci, you’ve hit the jackpot!”

This got Wen Ci excited as well: “Really? Is he as handsome as Jiang Yufeng?”

Lu Xuesong: “……”

Why was it always Jiang Yufeng???

Were you looking for a substitute?

Tao Peng didn’t make a definitive statement: “It depends on personal aesthetics. I prefer Yu Bin’s looks.”

Lu Xuesong shook Wen Ci: “You should quickly get him to meet up, so I can see him too.”

Wen Ci, holding his bag, said: “How do I ask him……”

For some reason, after finding out the senior’s identity, Wen Ci became nervous.

Tao Peng offered to help: “I can arrange a meeting for you?”

“No, no, no, I’ll check the situation first.” Wen Ci was cautious. There was no concrete evidence yet to confirm that Yu Bin was the senior. It would be embarrassing if he got it wrong.

Since they had just finished military training, everyone was quite tired. The three of them stayed in the dormitory without going out. The senior, however, sent him quite a few deliveries, snacks, or lunch, and even dinner. It was as if he had taken care of his entire day.

[W: Why did you send me so many things today?]

Jiang Yufeng leaned against the balcony railing and replied to the message with one hand.

It wasn’t the right time to reveal his identity. It might scare Wen Ci.

Moreover, Wen Ci had quite a few complaints about him.

[Senior: Don’t you like them?]

[W: No, it’s just that you’ve sent too many. I feel like I’m taking advantage of you. I should pay you back. We haven’t even met yet. Aren’t you afraid that I might be a scammer?]

[Senior: They’re not expensive. Keep them.]

Jiang Yufeng couldn’t quite put his finger on the feeling. If this was an online relationship, he thought it was about time. Yet Wen Ci always maintained a certain distance, neither too close nor too far.

He was the only one who had taken the bait.

[Senior: Today is your birthday.]

[W: ?]

[W: You know?]

[Senior: I guessed.]

[W: ?]

Jiang Yufeng had frequently visited the tutor’s office in the past few days and saw the file information. Of course, some people’s ID cards might not reflect their exact birth dates, so Jiang Yufeng was also taking a gamble.

[W: You’re amazing. But today really is my birthday. So these are birthday gifts?]

[Senior: If thinking that way makes you feel less burdened, then yes.]

[Senior: There’s still one more thing.]

[Senior: Your phone number.]

[W: You’re not planning to send me a red packet, are you? Really, there’s no need.]

[W: Kitten observing secretly.jpg]

Jiang Yufeng went back into the room, took out a bottle of ice beer from the refrigerator, and held the glass bottle. His palm instantly turned cold and damp.

[Senior: I just want to save it in my contacts. Nothing else.]

[W: Alright then, 134xxxxx83]

A few seconds later, Wen Ci’s phone received an Alipay notification of a fund arrival.

“……”

[Screenshot]

[W: You tricked me!!!]

[W: Why did you transfer money to me?]

[Senior: Happy birthday.]

Jiang Yufeng couldn’t help but curl his lips, almost able to imagine Wen Ci’s flustered appearance.

[Senior: When we meet, you can decide whether to give the money back to me.]

This sentence successfully stopped Wen Ci’s fingers.

[Senior: It’s not much money. No need.]

[Senior: Is that okay?]

After a long while.

[W: Okay.]

After replying, Wen Ci climbed into bed. He felt a bit dazed and uncomfortable. The senior was like the wind, elusive. Especially after analyzing with Tao Peng that there was an 80% chance the senior was Yu Bin, he felt like hiding.

But that wouldn’t be fair to the senior, who had initiated the contact.

Wen Ci couldn’t be a heartless person.

He needed to find an opportunity to sneak a look at Yu Bin and confirm it.

Come to think of it, how did the senior know his birthday? It was quite strange……Wen Ci was indeed suspicious; he wasn’t stupid.

After the lights were turned off, the people in the beds hadn’t fallen asleep yet. Lu Xuesong suddenly lifted the bed curtain: “Wen Ci, have you checked the forum?”

Wen Ci poked his head out and asked: “What’s up?”

“After your speech with Jiang Yufeng yesterday, someone started a CP (couple) thread with your photos, and it’s now hot. You’re about to make your debut.”

Wen Ci repeated: “Me and Jiang Yufeng?”

“Yep.”

Wen Ci was surprised: “Why do they ship us like that?”

He and Jiang Yufeng had no interaction at all. How could they ship them?

“Forcefully.”

“……” Wen Ci didn’t quite understand, but strangely, he wasn’t averse to it. Mainly because his aversion wouldn’t make a difference anyway.

“You don’t get it. It’s this mysterious CP vibe. Your auras match, which is why people ship you.” Lu Xuesong even scrolled to last year’s hot CP threads, “I couldn’t get last year’s CP. My goodness, Yu Bin also has a CP thread, with someone from the Law School.”

“Ah, I see the photo. Wen Ci, I’ll send it to you.”

Wen Ci paused for a few seconds, “Go ahead and send it.”

It wasn’t a偷拍. Yu Bin was standing in the corner, dribbling the ball. His shirt was lifted as he wiped the sweat from his neck. The action was very natural and handsome, an extremely charming photo.

Wen Ci took a look. He indeed had a good appearance.

Not bad, quite an eye-catching look.

He then went to the forum to find the photo with Jiang Yufeng.

Since it was a candid shot, Jiang Yufeng’s hair was a bit shorter, and his eyebrows and eyes were very distinct and clear. For some reason, it seemed to Wen Ci that Jiang Yufeng was smiling at him.

Thump, thump, thump~

Wen Ci turned off his phone, placed it on his chest, and couldn’t help but bite his lip.

Stop racing, it’s so noisy.

Stop blushing, will you?

After a few minutes, he calmed down and saved both the candid shot and Yu Bin’s photo.

He had a good sleep. The next morning, Wen Ci was half-asleep. He lay in bed motionless, turned over, and continued to sleep. When he woke up again, it was already close to noon.

Wen Ci wrapped his head up, quietly stretched out his hand, touched the phone, curled his fingers, and quickly pulled it into the quilt.

The senior had sent him a message.

Wen Ci looked at it for a long time. It was the first time the senior had taken the initiative, which was quite rare.

[Senior: I’m going out today and will be busy. I won’t be checking my phone often and might not be able to reply in time.]

[W: Okay, go ahead and take care of your business~]

Wen Ci couldn’t help but compare again. Yu Bin’s sunny, youthful, and invincible college student vibe seemed a bit different from the indifferent personality online……

Did Yu Bin have two faces online……

While Wen Ci was still thinking about this as he got out of bed to wash up, Lu Xuesong nodded after hearing his doubt: “You’ll know if you go and see for yourself.”

“Alright.” Wen Ci was now somewhat reluctant to meet, with a strong urge to avoid the situation.

Tao Peng swept his messy hair and said: “Can’t meet, he’s going home this weekend and won’t be back until next Tuesday.”

Lu Xuesong made the final decision: “Then it’s settled for next Tuesday.”

“Hahaha, why am I suddenly feeling excited?” Tao Peng laughed mischievously.

Lu Xuesong also laughed: “Me too.”

“?” Wen Ci pushed Lu Xuesong away, unhappy, “You guys are making fun of me.”

Lu Xuesong explained to him: “It’s called the psychology of unboxing a blind box. Have you ever played with one?”

Wen Ci shook his head. He knew about blind boxes but had never tried them because they were expensive.

Today was Sunday. Lu Xuesong had previously promised to take Wen Ci to meet his brother, so the three of them went out together.

Lu Xuesong’s brother was named Lu Xuege. Their family had quite dreamy and pleasant names.

Lu Xuege was a junior at the neighboring University C. Half the reason Lu Xuesong had chosen this school was because his brother was here.

“My brother will also bring a few friends. Some of them are students from University A,” Lu Xuesong said, putting his arm around Wen Ci’s shoulder and smiling, “You should make some friends today.”

Wen Ci had only seen such situations on TV or in novels: “Is this what they call a mixer?”

“Um… I don’t think it qualifies as a mixer. In my book, mixers have a certain chance of being used for matchmaking,” Lu Xuesong said earnestly, “Of course, you’re not officially with the senior, so it’s normal to be a bit promiscuous.”

“I’m not promiscuous,” Wen Ci told Lu Xuesong to stop speaking nonsense. If others heard it, they would misunderstand.

Lu Xuesong patted his hand: “That’s not what I meant. You’re single now, and you have the chance to choose. You don’t have to stick only to the senior.”

“He’s already seen many things about me. How can I show them to someone else?” Wen Ci’s voice grew quieter as he spoke.

Lu Xuesong made an exaggerated expression, opening his mouth wide and exclaiming, “You’re quite innocent.”

Lu Xuesong said: “Actually, people in our class are quite promiscuous. It’s not as beautiful as you imagine.”

“I know.”

Ever since he had awakened, he had experienced countless instances of domestic violence, infidelity, various P, various playstyles, and even things on the XX platform… Wen Ci had seen it all and was no longer surprised.

Occasionally, Wen Ci would feel like he was the only sober one in a world of drunkards. Although he also wanted to indulge, he had to do so with principles. He didn’t want to engage in group activities; it felt dirty.

“You know?!” Lu Xuesong pinched the flesh on his shoulder, “Then you’re well-versed and very impressive.”

“Don’t laugh at me.” Wen Ci patted his hand, “You’re pinching me so hard, it hurts.”

Wen Ci looked at him enviously and said, “Although you talk about it, I know you’ve only been with Tao Peng. Don’t think you’re experienced; you two are a super 1v1.”

Lu Xuesong clicked his tongue.

The gathering place was at the large lawn park at the foot of Taihua Mountain. With filters applied in photos, it looked like a picturesque landscape, a utopia in a fairy tale.

In reality, it was just a barbecue and picnic. They would move to another place in the evening, but the scenery was nice to look at.

When the three of them arrived, others were already eating, with barbecues, tea-making stoves, and a group playing board games nearby. At a glance, there were about a dozen guys and a few girls, with a severe gender imbalance.

Wen Ci felt a bit overwhelmed and scanned the crowd, realizing he was somewhat afraid of men.

Lu Xuesong hugged his brother, and Tao Peng also happily integrated into the group. They all knew each other. Wen Ci stood meekly beside Lu Xuesong, trying to lower his profile.

However, Wen Ci’s appearance was very striking—gentle and fair-skinned. Perhaps due to stage fright, he looked weak and even more eye-catching. His looks and aura created a separate dimension from the others, making him seem out of place.

Lu Xuesong took the initiative to pull Wen Ci into their circle and introduced him to everyone.

Wen Ci forced a smile, “Hello, everyone.”

Someone in the crowd suddenly raised his arm and waved at him. Wen Ci looked at the handsome young man and couldn’t remember who he was.

Du Chengyan walked up to him with a wry smile, “Do you not remember me? I asked for your contact information during the military training the day before yesterday.”

It came back to him.

Wen Ci smiled at him, “You’re here too.”

“We used to play ball together, so we know each other,” Du Chengyan said nervously yet excitedly, “Shall I introduce you around?”

Wen Ci pursed his lips, about to decline, but then he saw Lu Xuesong wink at him.

“?”

It’s not a mixer, what are you doing?

Wen Ci had a good impression of him because this guy kept his word. After adding WeChat, he never disturbed Wen Ci except for the initial greeting.

If it were just a friendship, it would be too distant, but Du Chengyan seemed to have feelings for him, so they couldn’t be friends.

Wen Ci had experience with this. If he refused, the friendship would also break down. Accumulated disappointments would eventually lead to giving up on the hope for friendship.

Du Chengyan was a good person. He took Wen Ci around and introduced him to everyone, but Wen Ci didn’t remember a single name. His WeChat contact list, however, expanded significantly, probably destined to be ignored.

Lu Xuesong tried hard to help Wen Ci fit in. They had planned a mahjong game, but Wen Ci didn’t know how to play.

Actually, he did. He had watched his mother play mahjong since he was little and was familiar with the rules, but he was forbidden to touch the tiles. He was obedient and never disobeyed.

As a result, the three of them played a few rounds of Landlord. When Wen Ci was the landlord, Du Chengyan let him have the cards, which made Lu Xuesong so angry that he wanted to kill him.

When Lu Xuesong was the landlord, Du Chengyan played cautiously and conservatively. After the landlord won, Wen Ci looked at Du Chengyan’s cards in confusion and was furious: “Why didn’t you bomb him just now!!!”

Du Chengyan hesitated, “I thought Xuesong had a single card. Even if I bombed, we still wouldn’t be able to win.”

Wen Ci didn’t want to talk to him anymore and walked away with a very decisive demeanor.

Lu Xuesong had no words to say. He won, but he wasn’t happy at all.

Du Chengyan sat back down, feeling frustrated and in need of an outlet. He turned to Tao Peng and invited him: “How about tomorrow?”

He wanted to play basketball.

“Yu Bin isn’t here. Can you guys make it work without him?”

“He is,” Du Chengyan said, “He’ll come tonight and might bring a few more people who work part-time with him.”

Wen Ci: “?”

So soon.

Tao Peng asked, “Illustration work?”

“Of course not. It’s a construction project, outsourced to a few of them to work on together,” Du Chengyan said as he sat down, “I originally planned to join too, but now I feel like vomiting when I see CAD and SU. I’m not really in the mood for it.”

Tao Peng: “Didn’t he go home?”

“Who said that? He’s off-campus, collaborating with a junior. He didn’t go home,” Du Chengyan poked his arm, “Yu Bin won’t have time for the next few days. It’s just these two days. If you want to play, do it now.”

Tao Peng agreed readily.

Wen Ci sat in the corner, holding a glass of juice, and kept pondering their conversation.

Construction site, project, drawing.

It did sound like their architecture major.

Wen Ci took out his phone and sent a message to his senior.

[W: Senior, have you been busy with a project lately?]

It took twenty minutes for a reply.

[Senior: Are you interested?]

[W: I’m just asking…]

Ahhhh, it’s true!

So the senior is Yu Bin.

No, he needs to see the person himself. Guessing on his own isn’t reliable.

[Senior: The weather has turned cooler today. Remember to wear more clothes.]

[W: I have. I’m at a gathering with my roommates today. There are so many people.]

[Senior: What kind of gathering?]

[W: A mixer?]

W withdrew a message.

[W: It’s like a mixer, but not exactly.]

Lu Xuesong said it’s not a mixer, just to make friends.

At the construction site, with dust swirling, the door of the temporarily built office was pushed open.

“All the on-site dimensions have been recorded.”

Jiang Yufeng, with both hands on the armrests, looked up upon hearing the voice and met Yu Bin’s eyes.

Yu Bin was surprised: “You’ve finished your part already.”

Jiang Yufeng didn’t waste words: “I’ll give you the data next Tuesday.”

Yu Bin didn’t expect him to work so efficiently. He didn’t look like a freshman.

“Alright, I’ll wait for you,” Yu Bin smiled, “If you’re free, how about joining a gathering later? My roommates are all going, and so are some people from the neighboring University C. It’ll be lively with lots of people.”

Jiang Yufeng stood up and, after a brief moment of silence, replied: “Sure.”

Yun Anhe entered just in time to hear this and raised his eyebrows slightly: “Changed your tune? Didn’t you used to hate these kinds of activities? You wouldn’t go even if we begged you.”

Yu Bin stood with his hands on his hips, “Maybe he wants to make friends now. Yun, are you going?”

Yun Anhe, although Jiang Yufeng’s childhood friend, was actually three years older than Jiang Yufeng. He was also in college, close to graduation, studying business, and had a penchant for entrepreneurship. He and Jiang Yufeng had tried many ventures together, failing countless times.

Yun Anhe had previously hired a college student part-time, but he ran away. Introduced by someone, he met Yu Bin, and after a few conversations, they hit it off and started their cooperation.

Yun Anhe shook his head: “I need to stay here. You go with him. Jiang Yufeng won’t cause any trouble.”

Yu Bin said, “That’s obvious.”

Jiang Yufeng was steady and methodical in his work. This project was taken on by Yun Anhe, who was technically the leader, but many decisions were made by Jiang Yufeng.

He didn’t understand it at first, but Yun Anhe was very confident, entrusting everything to him.

Yu Bin felt inferior, feeling somewhat embarrassed to be outdone by a junior.

When Yu Bin was leaving, Jiang Yufeng had already packed the blueprints. He walked over and said, “Who’s driving? Have you got your driver’s license?”

“I have.”

Yu Bin said, “You just got it, didn’t you? It’s better if I drive.”

Jiang Yufeng directly opened the passenger door: “You drive. I’ll take a nap. Don’t make too much noise.”

Yu Bin: “……”

After getting in the car, Yu Bin took a phone call.

“Yeah, we’re on our way. It might be late, around seven or eight. No need to wait for us for dinner.”

“Tao Peng and the others are already there.”

“If Tao Peng is there, Lu Xuesong must be too, right?”

“Yeah, he just saw his boyfriend. He’s really handsome and is a good friend of Wen Ci.”

Yu Bin was a bit surprised: “You got his WeChat last time but didn’t say a word. What’s the point?”

Du Chengyan was almost driven crazy: “How dare I? I’m afraid that if Wen Ci gets upset, he’ll delete me.”

“So what now?”

“He seems to be out of his element. I don’t know what to say.”

Yu Bin laughed and scolded: “Useless.”

After hanging up the phone, Yu Bin looked at Jiang Yufeng: “There are quite a few people at this gathering. You don’t mind, right? Or should I take you back to school?”

“No need.” Jiang Yufeng took off his wrist guard and threw it into the drawer, decisive and brisk, “My classmates are there too. I’m looking forward to seeing them.”

Yu Bin asked on a whim: “This is Yun’s car, right?”

“Mine.” Jiang Yufeng planned to rest with his eyes closed and didn’t want to talk more, “Drive.”

On the other side——

The barbecue entertainment club was in full swing tonight, with no plans to close until dawn. Wen Ci was reluctantly following them to switch venues. If it weren’t for the chance to catch a glimpse of Senior Yu Bin, he would have left long ago.

When Yu Bin and Jiang Yufeng arrived, everyone was surprised to see Jiang Yufeng as well. Apart from Jiang Yufeng’s rather cold and unapproachable personality, everything else was fine. Most importantly, the recent hot thread on the forum was about the CP (couple) post regarding Jiang Yufeng and Wen Ci.

So everyone glanced at Jiang Yufeng and then subtly shifted their gazes to Wen Ci.

At that moment, Wen Ci was still sipping his milk through a straw.

He bit the straw in confusion, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter. Why were they suddenly looking at him?

He was already quite nervous because Yu Bin had walked in.

The two handsome guys at the entrance exchanged pleasantries with the people present. Jiang Yufeng took a seat next to Wen Ci.

The hot CP protagonists sitting together added to the entertainment in the room.

Wen Ci wasn’t short, but his frame was slightly small. Compared to Jiang Yufeng, he looked very petite. Jiang Yufeng could easily pull him into his arms. With a waist circumference of only 56 centimeters, he looked thin from the side, only half a palm width. Jiang Yufeng’s hands could effortlessly wrap around him, making one want to pinch him.

When people were obsessed with shipping a couple, they could imagine all sorts of scenarios.

Someone across from them cautiously took a photo, blurring the background and faces, planning to post it on the forum.

This scene was quite pleasing to the eye for some.

While others might be curious, Wen Ci didn’t feel much. Since they had classes together before, Jiang Yufeng often sat to his right, and he was probably used to it.

Now Wen Ci’s attention was on Yu Bin.

He seemed to be quite good-looking indeed.

Yu Bin sat next to Du Chengyan, laughed heartily, picked up a bottle of beer, and poured half a bottle of water into it.

Was he the one?

Wen Ci was still skeptical.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t a good time for a meet-up.

“Have you had a drink?”

The unexpected voice made Wen Ci turn his head and meet Jiang Yufeng’s indifferent gaze: “No……Do you want to drink?”

“No need.”

Wen Ci frowned tightly. Jiang Yufeng’s voice was so familiar. Yu Bin’s voice wasn’t very clear, but it didn’t seem quite the same as the one on the phone. Or maybe the voice on the phone was different because of the electronic processing.

Wen Ci couldn’t tell the difference, so he decided to stay silent.

Earlier, some people had come over to chat with Wen Ci, but now that Jiang Yufeng, like a big mountain, was sitting next to him, acting as a sort of protector, fewer people dared to approach.

Wen Ci didn’t notice this change. He only felt that Yu Bin was very popular because, in no time, the small table in front of Yu Bin was piled high with drinks and snacks that others had offered.

When Wen Ci first arrived, he also had drinks and snacks offered to him, but he didn’t drink or acknowledge them, indicating he wasn’t interested.

However, Yu Bin drank and ate heartily.

Wen Ci slightly pursed his lips, feeling that this person didn’t seem like his senior.

His phone vibrated a few times in his pocket. Lu Xuesong had secretly sent him a message. The long-dormant dormitory group chat came to life.

[Lu Xuesong: Is it Yu Bin?]

[Tao Peng: …waiting]

[Wen Ci: I don’t know.]

[Lu Xuesong: ?]

[Tao Peng: I’ll just go and ask directly.]

[Wen Ci: No, I’ll tie you guys up.]

He ignored the messages in his pocket, holding the milk and unconsciously sucking on the straw, not swallowing but just holding it in his mouth, and continued to observe Yu Bin. But as he watched, he began to daydream.

Soon, he felt his body getting tighter and tighter, as if he was being squeezed into a pancake, and even his breathing became labored.

Wen Ci was still pondering why Jiang Yufeng was pressing against him.

“……?”

The milk had filled his mouth too much, and his cheeks were bulging. It was hard for him to swallow. He struggled a bit and looked at Jiang Yufeng.

Jiang Yufeng responded with a calm and composed expression.

Pressed by Jiang Yufeng, the milk in Wen Ci’s mouth caused his cheeks to bulge, and his thin skin seemed like a balloon stretched to its limit, as if it was about to burst.

Wen Ci pointed to his mouth, and Jiang Yufeng leaned over and looked down. His body twisted and covered Wen Ci completely, casting a deep shadow that blocked Wen Ci’s view.

From this angle, it looked very much like they were about to kiss.

Wen Ci was instantly flustered.

The next second, the milky white liquid began to trickle out from the corner of Wen Ci’s mouth.

Jiang Yufeng nonchalantly took out a tissue and wiped his mouth: “You spit out your milk……”

Wen Ci: “……”