Chapter 50

Since the meeting place with Yu Xingteng’s aunt was right outside the school, Mi Zhao only slowly got out of bed after receiving a call from his parents saying they were on their way.

Yan Qinting poked his head out and said, “You suddenly becoming lazy like this feels a little unnatural to me.”

Mi Zhao had been catching up on sleep in the dorm these past few days, sleeping like the dead. His head was still heavy as he lazily grabbed a long, goose-yellow down jacket, threw it on, and ruffled his hair before getting ready to leave.

“Hey, not to be mean, but you at least have decent looks—can’t you put some effort into your appearance? It’s not like no one’s interested in you, so why keep holding on to that—”

Mi Zhao shot him a glance.

Yan Qinting immediately shut his mouth.

Originally, Mi Zhao had already reached the door, but after a moment’s thought, he turned back and said, “I’m going to see my parents, not anyone else. It doesn’t matter what I wear.”

Yan Qinting sighed in relief and made a motion of zipping his lips. Then, he glanced disapprovingly at Mi Zhao’s down jacket. “How many years have you been wearing that poop-colored thing? It’s time for a change. You’re generous with that guy, but why aren’t you generous with yourself?”

“Enough.” Mi Zhao slapped away Yan Qinting’s hand that was tugging at his jacket. “What poop color? This is goose yellow. Don’t talk nonsense if you don’t know. Oh, by the way, I won’t be back for dinner tonight.”

Yan Qinting: “Got it.”

—

Outside the dorm, the overcast sky was filled with tiny floating specks. A thin layer of white covered the ground, the trees, and the nearby buildings.

Mi Zhao had been lying in bed the whole time, not even stepping onto the balcony, so when he finally looked up, he was surprised to see that it had snowed.

In the open space ahead, several people were running around, laughing and playing, leaving a mess of footprints on the white carpet of snow.

Lowering his head, Mi Zhao walked forward, his feet gliding over the snow, leaving two long trails behind him.

The wind was strong, so he buried half his face into his thickly wrapped scarf. His bangs were blown aside, his eyes fixed on the path ahead, but his thoughts drifted away with the wind.

He thought about a time when he and Li Sipei had been together for a while, and he had asked if they should go on a trip.

Anywhere was fine—domestic or international, by the sea or in the mountains—as long as it was just the two of them.

He hadn’t mentioned a specific date back then, but in his heart, he had quietly decided on December 23rd. It was after Li Sipei’s birthday, but that day was a Friday. He had planned to book an afternoon flight so that they could arrive the next day and spend Christmas Eve together. Then, on Sunday night, they would return.

The timing had been planned out perfectly.

Unfortunately, before he could plan anything else, he and Li Sipei were already over.

Naturally, the plan never happened.

There was always a bitterness stuck in Mi Zhao’s throat, like a piece of huanglian* lodged there—every time he swallowed, he could taste the astringent sting.

(*Huanglian: A bitter Chinese medicinal herb.)

“Mi Zhao!”

Suddenly, a hand clapped onto his shoulder.

Caught completely off guard, Mi Zhao shuddered violently and whipped around—too fast, nearly losing his balance.

Fortunately, the person who had patted him quickly steadied him.

However, their hands landed on his waist. With all the thick winter layers between them, they weren’t actually that close, but the position still looked like they were embracing.

Mi Zhao quickly removed his hand, which had instinctively grabbed the other’s shoulder, and took two steps back before looking up.

It was his classmate, Qi Luo.

Qi Luo didn’t seem to mind his reaction and smiled good-naturedly. “The ground is icy—be careful when you walk, or you’ll slip and fall.”

Mi Zhao ran a hand through his wind-mussed hair, his voice muffled behind his scarf. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Qi Luo looked at Mi Zhao. A snowflake had landed on his eyelashes. He blinked, and the tiny flake quickly melted into water, making his dark eyes gleam even brighter.

Qi Luo stared for a moment, momentarily dazed.

Until Mi Zhao asked, “Did you need something?”

“Oh!” Qi Luo snapped back to reality, his gaze drifting for a bit before refocusing on Mi Zhao’s face. “I just wanted to ask if you’re coming to this week’s class gathering.”

The class president had mentioned the end-of-year gathering a month ago, but it was voluntary. Qi Luo, who shared a dorm with the president, had checked the list of attendees and noticed that Mi Zhao’s name wasn’t on it.

Lately, Mi Zhao had been slipping in and out of class right on the dot, as if he was always in a hurry. But from what Qi Luo had heard, he rarely went out and spent most of his free time in the dorm with Yan Qinting.

Qi Luo had been meaning to ask for a while, but he hadn’t found the right opportunity. Today was the last day to sign up, so he had been waiting in the lobby.

Mi Zhao had long since forgotten about the gathering. He had to think for a while before even remembering it.

“I’m not going. No time.”

Qi Luo was momentarily stunned, his expression visibly disappointed. “Are you going on a date with your boyfriend this weekend?”

His tone carried a hint of probing.

Qi Luo had heard that Mi Zhao had a boyfriend, but it was only a rumor—one that had been circulating since last year.

Normally, Mi Zhao would have picked up on the underlying meaning, but lately, it felt like his brain was filled with mush. Even as he spoke with Qi Luo now, his gaze unconsciously drifted to the snow-covered ground.

His mind wandered back to that trip he never got to take with Li Sipei.

Snapping out of it, he forced a smile. “I don’t have a boyfriend. I’m just going to see my parents this weekend.”

“Oh, oh.” Qi Luo’s face reddened as he nodded quickly, a little flustered. He wasn’t very good at hiding his emotions, and the happiness in his eyes was almost overflowing. “Sorry, I just heard it from someone else.”

Mi Zhao simply said, “It’s fine.”

—

After they parted ways, Mi Zhao waited at the school gate for over ten minutes before Mi Bin and He Linfang arrived in a cab, in a hurry.

It was their first time visiting A University, and their eyes were practically glued to the grand entrance.

It took all of Mi Zhao’s effort to push them away from the school gate.

This is not the time to waste any more.

As He Linfang gazed at the grand entrance and the students coming and going, she suddenly regretted not accompanying her son when he first arrived at A University. Other children had their parents with them, but she and Mi Bin had been too busy making money, missing out on much of their son’s growth.

“If only I had come earlier. I’ve never even toured your school,” He Linfang said regretfully to Mi Zhao.

Mi Zhao didn’t have much of a reaction. He had long been used to being on his own. “Then you’d better hurry up, because by this time next year, I might not be living on campus anymore.”

He Linfang was stunned. “Aren’t you just a junior? Next year, you’ll still be a senior. Where would you live if not at school?”

“If we don’t have classes in our senior year, I’ll most likely move out. It’ll be more convenient for work,” Mi Zhao replied. He had long planned to spend a few months traveling in his senior year—wandering from place to place, gathering inspiration, and selling his paintings to make money. But since that was still more than half a year away, and plans could always change, he saw no need to bring it up now.

He Linfang didn’t really understand these things and merely murmured an “Alright.”

When they arrived at the meeting place, Yu Xingteng’s aunt was delayed by something. She apologized several times over the phone, asking them to wait a little longer as she would get there as soon as possible.

Seeing that it was getting dark, Mi Zhao decided to take Mi Bin and He Linfang to find a restaurant for dinner first.

Since he and Yan Qinting often wandered around this area, he was very familiar with the restaurants. A few swipes on a food app later, he picked a Peking duck restaurant.

There were no private rooms in the restaurant, so they had to sit in the main dining area.

Fortunately, since it was a Thursday and not yet peak dining time at six, the spacious restaurant only had two other occupied tables.

A server led them to a seat by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

After placing the order, Mi Zhao was about to ask Mi Bin and He Linfang if they wanted anything else when he noticed the two of them huddled together, intently looking at a phone.

He tapped the menu lightly with a pen.

Both of them looked up simultaneously.

“What else do you want to eat?” Mi Zhao handed them the menu and pen.

He Linfang waved her hand. “You order. We’ll eat whatever.”

Mi Bin echoed, “Yeah, yeah, you decide.”

Mi Zhao was speechless. He casually added two more dishes, and after the server left with the order, he noticed that Mi Bin and He Linfang were still staring at the phone, completely absorbed.

Crossing his arms, Mi Zhao watched them for a long time before finally asking, “What are you looking at?”

Without looking up, He Linfang replied, “We’re talking to Mr. San.”

“…” A wave of exhaustion hit Mi Zhao, and he rubbed his forehead. “You have such a great relationship, huh? Even during dinner, you still find time to chat with him.”

“Oh, no, it’s not that,” He Linfang explained. “ Mr. San is asking where we are so he can bring us an invitation to his birthday party. We’re just explaining things to him.”

Mi Bin, who was typing, had his thumbs tapping rapidly on the screen. After sending the message, he suddenly recalled something. “Wait, didn’t we already tell him about today? His memory isn’t that great, is it?”

He Linfang immediately glared at him. “What do you know? Important people have so much on their minds that they forget things easily. Besides, it’s not like he forgot we were out today—he’s just asking where we’re having dinner.”

Mi Zhao couldn’t be bothered to argue with them. He rested his chin on his hand and looked out the window.

As he stared, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure stepping out of a golden Bentley.

Behind the Bentley were three low-key yet clearly expensive black cars. Several middle-aged men emerged from them, surrounding Li Sipei with flattering smiles.

Mi Zhao: “…”

He froze, blinking hard.

Looking again—

It really was Li Sipei!

But what was he doing here? The place where he lived was at least ten or twenty kilometers away from A University!

Mi Zhao stared at Li Sipei in shock. If not for the Bentley and that face engraved in his memory, he would have thought he was hallucinating from longing.

It had been a while since he last saw Li Sipei, and now he was walking much more smoothly. Though he still needed a cane, at this rate, he would probably be able to walk freely by next year.

Tonight, Li Sipei was dressed formally—his tailored suit fit him perfectly, and a deep blue tie rested neatly against his chest. His hair, seemingly styled with gel, was slicked back, revealing his smooth forehead and well-defined facial features.

This was the first time Mi Zhao had seen Li Sipei with a slicked-back hairstyle, and he hadn’t expected it to look so good. It added an extra layer of sharpness to his already imposing aura, making him appear even more untouchable and distant.

It reminded Mi Zhao of the night they had confirmed their relationship at the villa—Li Sipei had also dressed formally then.

Though it had only been a few months ago, it felt like ages had passed.

A sour, bitter feeling welled up in Mi Zhao’s heart.

That familiar discomfort crept up on him again.

It felt like his whole heart had been soaked in a jar of lemon water, fizzing with acidity. The sourness spread to his throat, making it hard to swallow. Even after gulping down several glasses of warm water, he couldn’t shake it off.

Just as he set down his glass and looked out again, he saw Li Sipei heading straight for the Peking duck restaurant.

The sudden closing of distance made his breath hitch.

Maybe because he had been staring too blatantly, Li Sipei seemed to sense something and turned his head in his direction.

Mi Zhao: “…”

Meanwhile, after waiting a long time for a reply from Thord Master with no response, Mi Bin and He Linfang were about to put away their phone when they heard a sudden commotion across the table.

They looked over in surprise—

Only to see Mi Zhao, who had been sitting just fine a moment ago, now awkwardly hiding under the table.