Chapter 49
“Damn, so it was written for He Zhen by his little brother?”
“But I heard Yu Chen isn’t actually He Zhen’s biological brother?”
“Ahhh! The CP I ship is so sweet!”
Standing at the finish line, He Zhen was tall and straight, his gaze fixed the whole time on the distant announcer’s platform. A long, lean shadow stretched across the track beneath him.
The looks around him were intense and eager.
A gentle voice suddenly fell by He Zhen’s ear. “He Zhen, have some water. You’ll need to go receive your award soon.”
He Zhen was still looking into the distance. His eyes rested for two seconds on the person offering the water. “Thanks, I’m not thirsty.”
Lin Yiyi slowly lowered her arm and gave up completely.
Up on the announcer’s platform, Xiao Yu had already stepped aside and ran into He Zhen as he came over.
“Congrats, champ.”
With both hands in his pockets, Xiao Yu glanced toward the platform. “What’re you doing up there?”
He Zhen said, “Looking for Yu Chen.”
Xiao Yu teased, “You should be going to get your award.”
“Mm.” He Zhen passed by Xiao Yu and strode quickly up the platform steps.
The moment He Zhen appeared on the platform, it caused quite a stir below. Especially among the first-year students, everyone started whispering, nearly craning their necks to watch the interaction between He Zhen and Yu Chen.
“What kind of novel plot is this?”
“Are the two of them actually dating?”
The upperclassmen on the platform immediately looked toward Yu Chen, all wearing excited, gossip-hungry expressions.
Yu Chen had just finished broadcasting. When he saw He Zhen, he quietly turned off the microphone.
“Didn’t you go get your award?”
“I’m about to.” Standing at Yu Chen’s side, He Zhen’s gaze fell on the poetry recitation script.
Seeing that, Yu Chen hurriedly folded it up and shoved it into his pocket. “I already kept my promise. Don’t forget to give me my reward.”
He Zhen curved his lips faintly. “What reward do you want?”
Yu Chen had not actually thought of anything. He just wanted to say it.
That poem recitation had cost him countless brain cells. If it had been for anyone else, no matter what they gave him, he would never have written it.
“What’s the champion’s prize?” Yu Chen’s dark eyes shifted. “This year’s prizes are especially good. I was dazzled just looking at them.”
He Zhen said, “Do you want to come receive it with me? I heard first place gets a lot of prizes and can choose for themselves.”
“Me?” Yu Chen mumbled, “But I still have work to do.”
“No need, no need, it’s our turn to read next.” The senior girl quickly urged Yu Chen to go with He Zhen. “Don’t worry.”
“Right, leave it to us.” The senior boy smiled warmly.
Yu Chen’s cheeks instantly reddened, and his hands curled helplessly.
“Go on, Chencheng.”
After thanking them, Yu Chen lifted his head and stole a glance at He Zhen.
“What am I going for? You go by yourself.”
“You pick the gift. I’ll give it to you.” He Zhen took Yu Chen’s hand and led him down from the platform.
He Zhi’an and Fang Jingrao were smart. In order to eat the melon from the front row, they turned on the recording function on their phones and followed closely behind them.
“No way, my Brother Zhen can’t actually be with Fat Chencheng, right?” He Zhi’an suddenly felt like he could not accept it.
The way those two interacted was no different from a little couple. His good friend had somehow become his sister-in-law.
Fang Jingrao spoke in his usual mild tone. “I don’t think it’s like that. The two of them have always been close since they were little. Do you remember that poem Chencheng wrote for Brother Zhen, ‘My Boss’?”
He Zhi’an said, “Mm. That poem was pretty mushy too.”
Fang Jingrao said, “So they’re just good brothers.”
He Zhi’an still sounded suspicious. “I’m going to keep observing.”
At the award area, He Zhen had already put on his medal and taken a commemorative photo.
Yu Chen sent the photo and video to Old Master He, then stared at the medal on He Zhen’s chest and gently picked it up.
He Zhen said, “What are—”
Before he could finish speaking, Yu Chen hugged the medal and bit it with his teeth, then frowned and muttered, “Not real gold.”
“Why are you biting it?” He Zhen pinched Yu Chen’s chin and checked his teeth. “That’s filthy.”
Still not giving up, Yu Chen’s glossy dark eyes continued to size up the medal. “It just looked too real. I thought I’d suddenly struck it rich.”
He Zhen let out a helpless laugh. “It’s gold-plated.”
“Gold-plated is still valuable.” Yu Chen held the medal and played with it. “And with the honor it represents, no amount of money could make us sell it.”
Staring at Yu Chen’s bright eyes, He Zhen took off the medal and slipped it over Yu Chen’s neck.
Yu Chen suddenly looked up, his eyes shining. “Why are you giving it to me?”
He Zhen laughed softly. “Wear it. It looks good on you.”
Yu Chen said, “Oh,” hiding the shyness in his eyes. “Then I’ll keep it safe for you.”
“Mm, it’s yours.” He Zhen gently flicked the medal resting on Yu Chen’s chest. “Is it heavy?”
“Nope.”
At that moment, a teacher reminded them, “Student He Zhen, hurry and go claim your prize. If you go earlier, you can pick first.”
He Zhen nodded. “Thank you, teacher.”
The second he heard about choosing a prize, Yu Chen—wearing the medal—ran even faster than He Zhen. He Zhen teased him, “Next time sign up for the hundred-meter dash. If I dangle a chicken drumstick in front of you, you’d definitely take first place.”
Yu Chen retorted, “You’re underestimating me. One chicken drumstick isn’t enough. You’d need something truly tempting to motivate me.”
He Zhen asked, “Like what?”
Yu Chen thought about it carefully and realized he did not really lack anything. The only people who could truly spark his fighting spirit were Li Huan and He Zhen.
If He Zhen were dangling in front of him, he might actually give it his all.
The more Yu Chen thought about it, the more he could not stop himself from snickering.
His boss acted cool every day. If he were the prize hanging up there, it would definitely look hilarious.
He Zhen stared at him, lips lifting slightly. “What are you thinking about?”
Yu Chen shut his mouth and deliberately hid it. “Nothing.”
Of course He Zhen did not believe him, but he followed Yu Chen into the prize room anyway.
The teacher in charge of registration took one look at the gold medal on Yu Chen’s chest and laughed teasingly. “Well, well, here comes a first-prize winner.”
A small smile curved Yu Chen’s lips. “This is my brother’s medal. I came with him to collect his prize.”
The teacher said, “First prize can choose between a laptop, a smartwatch, and an iPad.”
Still holding Yu Chen’s hand, He Zhen started looking over the prize selection. “What do you want?”
“Me?” Yu Chen walked up and chose a stylish silver watch. “I like this one.”
The teacher praised him. “You’ve got good taste. That watch is very nice. I was even thinking of buying one for my son.”
He Zhen said to the teacher, “Alright, teacher, we’ll take this one.”
The teacher asked, “You’re giving the prize to your little brother?”
“Mm.” He Zhen nodded.
The teacher sighed emotionally. “It must be wonderful to be your younger brother.”
Yu Chen wholeheartedly agreed with that. After receiving the silver watch, he tucked it into his pocket like a treasure. Before leaving, he even pretended to be reserved and said, “Boss, why don’t you wear the watch instead? It even has a champion’s crown logo on it.”
He Zhen saw right through Yu Chen’s thoughts and pretended to agree. “Alright.”
Yu Chen’s smile froze little by little. Wrinkling his nose, he unwillingly pulled out the watch and lowered his head as he handed it over to He Zhen.
The loose bangs over Yu Chen’s forehead shadowed his eyes, so He Zhen could not clearly see his expression. He Zhen bent slightly, and the moment Yu Chen shoved the watch into his hand, he turned and walked away.
“Yu Chencheng.”
He Zhen hurriedly chased after him and stopped the stubborn little calf of a boy in his tracks. “I was teasing you. It’s for you.”
Arms crossed, Yu Chen huffed. “I don’t want it.”
He Zhen regretted what he had just done.
He should not have teased Yu Chen.
“Don’t be mad. It was my fault.” He Zhen bent down and helped smooth the dark hair by Yu Chen’s ears. “How about I put it on for you?”
Holding back a smile, Yu Chen deliberately closed his eyes and ignored him.
He Zhen looked at Yu Chen’s soft, squishy face and was reminded of how he used to sulk at him when they were children.
Unable to resist, He Zhen reached out and pinched it, then helped Yu Chen put on the new watch. “Tonight, I’ll take you out for barbecue?”
Yu Chen deliberately hid the delight in his eyes. His thick lashes drooped obediently as he gave an intentionally dissatisfied snort. “Didn’t you say that was junk food and refuse to let me eat it?”
Patience showed in He Zhen’s deep brown eyes. “We’ll pick a restaurant that’s more reliable. Tonight I’ll take you.”
Yu Chen finally smiled. “Fine then.”
The two of them made up, and after He Zhen escorted Yu Chen back to the announcer’s platform, he returned to the class seating area.
Ever since He Zhen came back, the homeroom teacher had been silently observing him from behind.
“Brother Zhen, what exactly is going on?” He Zhi’an secretly tugged on He Zhen’s sleeve. “Are you and Yu Chen that kind of relationship?”
He Zhen glanced around and, after confirming no one was nearby, said calmly, “Not yet.”
He Zhi’an immediately translated that for himself. “Which means… maybe in the future?”
Since He Zhi’an was practically like a blood brother to him, He Zhen did not hide it. He gave a slight nod.
“Holy shit, you actually like guys?” He Zhi’an was utterly dumbfounded and could not accept it at all.
“I don’t like boys. I only like Yu Chen.”
He Zhen lowered his eyes, his pupils clear and clean.
He had long since thought this question through.
The one he had always liked was Yu Chen himself.
He Zhi’an’s thoughts became a mess. “No, wait. Does Grandpa know? Would he agree?”
“He doesn’t know yet, but I’ll make him agree.” He Zhen’s eyes gradually dimmed. “So I hope you’ll keep this secret for me.”
He Zhi’an asked, “Then what does Yu Chen think?”
He Zhen looked at him. “Other than me, you’re the only one who knows I like Yu Chen.”
“Damn! Brother Zhen, you trust me way too much!” He Zhi’an felt his blood boil with excitement. “Don’t worry. Even if you beat me to death, I won’t say a word.”
He Zhen answered with a quiet “Mm.” “Thanks.”
“You and I are brothers. Why are you thanking me? For the sake of the trust you’ve placed in me, I’ll definitely help you and Yu Chen become a real couple.” He Zhi’an patted He Zhen’s shoulder. “Brother Zhen, don’t worry. I won’t even tell my mom.”
He Zhen gave him an approving look. “Mm.”
Ever since learning this secret, He Zhi’an had been bursting with excitement.
Even Yu Chen did not know that He Zhen had a crush on him, but he knew?
That must mean his place in He Zhen’s heart was incredibly important.
He swore he would never betray that trust.
A while later, the homeroom teacher used the excuse of organizing the submission list to call He Zhen away.
As they walked across the green field, the teacher studied He Zhen’s calm expression and probed tentatively, “He Zhen, are you tired?”
He Zhen replied, “Thank you for your concern, teacher. I’m not.”
The homeroom teacher cleared his throat. “That poem Yu Chen wrote for you just now was pretty good. It had real talent.”
A flicker passed through He Zhen’s expression. “Mm.”
The teacher smiled and said, “I heard Yu Chen isn’t your biological little brother? Then the two of you…?”
He Zhen handed over the list and avoided the topic. “Teacher, it’s organized now.”
The teacher hesitated. “He Zhen, I—”
“Teacher, although Yu Chen isn’t my biological brother, my whole family treats him as family. He’s the same as a real younger brother to me—there’s no difference. I don’t know what you may have heard that made you ask these questions, but I hope you don’t ask Yu Chen, because this matter is very sensitive for us.” Having said his piece, He Zhen turned and left.
“Sensitive?”
The homeroom teacher suddenly thought of all those wealthy-family secrets in novels.
Worried about causing trouble, he quickly strangled his curiosity in time, feeling grateful he had not gone to question the parents about the situation of these two children.
Two hours later, this year’s sports meet came to a perfect close. The students headed home one after another.
School let out early that day, and the malls around Hongwen High were practically overflowing with students. He Zhen took Yu Chen out for barbecue, and along the way they ran into many familiar faces.
When they saw Chen Ru lining up to buy scallion pancakes, Yu Chen took the initiative to greet him. “Chen Ru, what a coincidence.”
Chen Ru noticed Yu Chen’s new watch at a glance and said, “That’s the sports meet prize, right? Liu Chong told me he struggled for a long time between the watch and the laptop before finally choosing the laptop.”
Yu Chen lovingly touched it. “My boss gave it to me.”
Chen Ru’s eyes were full of envy. “That’s so nice.”
The fragrant scallion pancakes came fresh out of the pan. Chen Ru awkwardly scratched his head. “Do you two want some? My treat?”
The greedy little bug in Yu Chen’s stomach was instantly lured out. He first sneaked a glance at He Zhen, then nodded tentatively. “Sure. Thanks.”
Grinning, Chen Ru handed them the pancakes. “This place is super good. I’ve been eating here since I was little. By the way, what are you two doing after this?”
“My boss…” Yu Chen could not wait and took a bite, only to be caught off guard by the hot juices inside the pancake. “Hot hot hot!”
He Zhen quickly fed him a mouthful of water. “You always eat so fast.”
Yu Chen forgot the pain as soon as it was gone. Once his mouth stopped hurting, he immediately started chewing the delicious pancake again and making excuses. “It’s because Chen Ru treated me to this pancake. It smells too good.”
Chen Ru laughed. “If you like it, I can buy one for you every morning.”
“Really?” Yu Chen’s eyes widened, round and bright. “If that’s okay, I can transfer you the money.”
“Sure.” Chen Ru agreed with a smile.
“Chen Ru, don’t listen to him.” He Zhen tugged Yu Chen along. “He needs to eat growth breakfast.”
“Growth breakfast?” Chen Ru asked curiously. “What’s that?”
The moment his height was mentioned, Yu Chen—whose skin had grown thinner and thinner about that topic—stormed off in a huff. He Zhen said goodbye to Chen Ru and quickly went after him.
Watching the two of them bicker as they ran off, Chen Ru inexplicably found it heartwarming.
After National Day, the school would hold its first placement exam.
To prepare for it, Yu Chen practically forgot both sleep and food. During the entire National Day holiday, he had no time to play at all. Aside from attending lessons with He Zhen, he just worked through workbook after workbook. His face visibly grew thinner, making Li Huan terribly anxious.
He Zhen had noticed too that Yu Chen had become a little too hardworking lately, to the point where he seemed to want to recite vocabulary even while washing his face in the morning.
He had reminded Yu Chen several times, but it had not helped.
That day, everyone was in self-study class.
Lately, He Zhen had been trying out for the national math olympiad competition, so every Tuesday and Thursday during self-study he had to attend the school’s training sessions.
Staring at He Zhen’s empty chair, Yu Chen rolled up his sleeve and fully revealed the silver watch He Zhen had given him.
High school uniforms had to be worn for three years, so most students ordered them two sizes too big. As the weather got colder, the homeroom teacher had everyone switch to autumn uniforms. Yu Chen’s sleeves were long, so the only way to show off the watch was by rolling them up.
After the sports meet, everyone in class knew that Yu Chen had received the champion’s gift.
Yu Chen loved this watch very much. Even though it was waterproof, he still took it off when bathing, and whenever he had the chance, he wiped it down with alcohol to disinfect it.
Lin Jiashu was handing out workbooks. His gaze fell on Yu Chen’s wrist, and he smiled lightly. “That watch is pretty nice.”
“This is the first-prize award from the school sports meet.” Yu Chen introduced it like this to absolutely everyone, using the chance to show off to Lin Jiashu. “Did you know? It glows in the dark too.”
Hearing Yu Chen’s bragging, He Zhi’an thoughtfully began analyzing the emotional state between Yu Chen and He Zhen lately.
He Zhen had told him that Yu Chen did not know He Zhen liked him.
But in his opinion, Yu Chen at least liked He Zhen too.
Or at least had that kind of feeling.
“Really?” Lin Jiashu played right along and asked exactly what Yu Chen most loved to hear. “He Zhen gave it to you, right?”
“Yep. He even gave me his medal.” Yu Chen was on pretty good terms with Lin Jiashu. If it were anyone else, he usually would not mention the medal.
Lin Jiashu raised his brows lightly. “He Zhen is really nice.”
Holding his fountain pen, Yu Chen smiled as he did his homework.
Xiao Yu watched quietly from the side.
He had noticed that Yu Chen had changed a lot recently. Especially when interacting with He Zhen, the two of them always carried a certain special atmosphere.
“Let me tell you something.” Xiao Yu lowered his voice. “I heard the school wants to try a new mutual-learning model, and they’re planning to form support groups based on this monthly exam’s results. At the end of the semester, the group with the biggest improvement each exam will be commended.”
After hearing this, Fang Jingrao looked concerned. “The top students might not necessarily want to help the weaker students. With that time, they could just do more sets of practice papers themselves.”
Xiao Yu retorted, “There are exceptions. If you had He Zhen help Yu Chen, he would definitely give it everything he had.”
Being called out so suddenly made Yu Chen look a little uncomfortable, but hearing Xiao Yu say that, a faint trace of smugness appeared in his expression.
Fang Jingrao muttered quietly, “That’s because it’s Yu Chen. It definitely wouldn’t work for anyone else.”
After hearing that, Yu Chen lowered his eyes, and the smile on his face deepened.
Xiao Yu opened his textbook. “My dad promised that if I make it into the top hundred in the whole grade, he’ll build me a VR gaming room.”
“Wow, your dad is really generous.” Fang Jingrao felt a little inferior when it came to grades. “If I can just make it into the top two hundred, that’ll be enough. If I end up at the bottom, my parents will definitely scold me.”
Xiao Yu comforted him. “Don’t be sad. He Zhi’an will be there to prop up the bottom for you.”
The distracted He Zhi’an at the side: “???”
When Fang Jingrao thought of He Zhi’an, he felt extremely envious.
Because not only was He Zhi’an’s family well-off, but his parents had always advocated happy education. As a result, He Zhi’an had grown up carefree, doing whatever he wanted. As long as he did not do bad things, his parents supported him completely, and he did not even attend extracurricular classes.
He Zhi’an had entered through the high school entrance exams ranking third from the bottom in their class.
Fang Jingrao silently sighed and looked at Yu Chen, who was solving problems in the row diagonally ahead of him, secretly cheering himself on inside.
Yu Chen’s grades were already that good, yet he was still studying desperately. He ought to work even harder.
Xiao Yu had told him that for this placement exam, Yu Chen had not rested at all during National Day—he did practice questions and test papers every single day.
Fang Jingrao pulled out his workbook and buried his head in hard work.
A few days later, the placement exam officially began, and on the third day after it ended, the steaming-hot results came out and were posted on the bulletin board.
A huge crowd of students packed the board. Although the homeroom teacher would later send out the electronic grade sheets, nothing was as eye-catching as seeing the ranking for the entire grade displayed in public.
Standing behind He Zhen, Yu Chen first aimed straight for the top of the list. When he saw He Zhen ranked number one, he excitedly hooked onto He Zhen’s arm. “Boss! You’re seriously amazing! I knew you were the best!”
A trace of joy flashed through He Zhen’s eyes, but all his attention was on Yu Chen’s ranking.
Yu Chen quickly covered his own eyes. “Boss, check my rank for me. If I didn’t meet Dad’s requirement, I’m throwing myself into the river tonight.”
He Zhen frowned slightly. “Don’t say nonsense. If you jumped into the river, wouldn’t that be taking Uncle’s life too?”
Yu Chen seemed to sense something and suddenly opened his eyes.
The moment he saw that he had ranked twenty-fifth in the entire grade, he wilted on the spot, full of frustration and defeat.
He pushed through the crowd and walked away silently. For the entire rest of the day, no matter how He Zhen tried to coax him, he hardly said a word.
During evening self-study, he sat there gloomily with his chin propped in one hand.
For the first time, he truly felt the gap between the two of them.
How was he supposed to go abroad with He Zhen like this?
When they got home, Li Huan—who had already known their scores—had specially prepared a whole table of dishes. Old Master He in particular was beaming, having received a congratulatory call from the principal, and looked so full of spirit he could barely close his mouth from smiling.
The moment the two boys got home, Li Huan immediately noticed Yu Chen’s dejection. He exchanged a look with He Zhen and cheerfully served Yu Chen a huge bowl of rice. “Chencheng, today you need to eat more.”
Yu Chen lowered his head and nodded lightly. “Okay.”
“Last time, what did we agree on? If you made it into the top twenty-five in the grade, Dad would reward you, right?”
Yu Chen pressed his lips together and shook his head. “You said top twenty.”
“How come I remember saying top twenty-five?” Li Huan put a chicken wing into his bowl. “What present do you want? Dad will buy it for you.”
“Thanks, Dad. When I really reach top twenty, then you can reward me.” Yu Chen poked at his rice and only took a few bites. His appetite was poor, and he wanted to go upstairs to do homework, but worried about He Zhen and Li Huan’s feelings, so he forced himself to finish dinner anyway.
He Zhen peeled a lot of shrimp for Yu Chen, wanting to comfort him but not knowing how to begin.
“Xiao Zhen, after dinner go upstairs and see Grandpa for a bit.”
“Mm.”
Watching the listless Yu Chen, Li Huan felt terribly anxious. In the past, his precious baby could eat three full bowls of rice for dinner. Today, after eating for ages, he had not even finished half a bowl. What if Yu Chen got sick again?
In the bedroom, Old Master He invited He Zhen to watch the latest admissions promotional videos from major foreign universities.
He Heng was there too. After hearing about He Zhen’s latest exam results, Old Master He had called him over to help He Zhen choose a major.
Holding He Zhen’s hand, Old Master He sighed deeply. “When I was young, my ambitions were still pretty great. Since I was in the humanities, I especially wanted to study at Harvard. But in the end, my grades took me to Yale. Your father was the smartest among all my children, and I had high hopes for him back then too, but he still didn’t get in.”
Now, when Old Master He mentioned He Jingyue, he was much calmer. In his heart, no one mattered more than He Zhen now.
The grandchildren of his old friends—some of them had gone to Harvard too, yes, but only after donating buildings worth hundreds of millions.
If his He Zhen could truly get in through his own efforts, then in this life he would have no regrets.
Flipping through the materials on these world-famous schools, He Zhen said softly, “Grandpa, for mathematics, MIT is ranked number one in the world.”
Old Master He smiled thoughtfully. “If you want to go to MIT, that’s fine too. Science is your strength after all. That school is just as good as Harvard.”
“Mm, I’ll think about it.”
Old Master He asked again, “How did Fat Chencheng do?”
He Zhen answered honestly. “Twenty-fifth in the grade. He’s a little upset. Uncle Li is downstairs trying to comfort him.”
Old Master He nodded. “Don’t be fooled by how direct and cheerful Fat Chencheng usually is—he’s got a pretty competitive side too. Twenty-fifth in the grade is already very good. Your school’s top students are very strong.”
He Zhen did not look very spirited. “Mm. I’ll try to comfort him too later.”
“Tell Chencheng that he did well this time, and I have a reward for him too. Wasn’t he envious recently that someone else had a VR gaming console? Tell him to pick whatever he wants—I’ll buy him the full set.”
Only then did He Zhen finally smile. “Thank you, Grandpa.”
“No need to thank me.” Old Master He was in a good mood today. “Grandpa’s doing it to make you happy.”
He Zhen’s shoulder line suddenly went tight. Quietly, he put away the materials and helped Old Master He into bed.
“You think I don’t know you? If Fat Chencheng is happy, then you’re happy.” Looking at He Zhen’s increasingly sturdy shoulders, Old Master He suddenly asked, “Xiao Zhen, do you resent Grandpa for being so strict with you?”
Sitting at the bedside, He Zhen slowly massaged Old Master He’s legs. “No. You’re doing it for my own good.”
Old Master He looked gratified. “It’s good that you understand. Before I retire, I’m planning to divide our family business according to everyone’s contributions. The part that belongs to me will all go to you.”
“Grandpa, even if you didn’t give it to me, if you needed me, I would still enter the company and do my utmost to help you.” He Zhen’s expression was calm. “Because you’re my grandfather, and I want to make you happy.”
Those words filled Old Master He with countless emotions.
In just ten short years, his youngest grandson had become more and more sensible, something that filled him with pride. The old man’s weathered cheeks trembled faintly as he patted He Zhen’s shoulder. “Good child.”
“And likewise, even if you told me to leave the company, I wouldn’t resent you.”
Old Master He suddenly froze, then laughed in surprise. “Why would you think that? I’m raising you precisely so you can take over my position.”
He Zhen gave a slight nod to show he understood.
After He Zhen left, Old Master He and He Heng looked at each other for a long while.
Staring at the materials from those universities, Old Master He frowned. “Why would that child make such a hypothetical statement?”
He Heng had some guesses, but he did not rashly tell Old Master He.
The meaning behind that sentence was very subtle.
If he had not been mistaken a few days ago, then it was probably a kind of declaration.
What He Zhen meant was that he did not care about the inheritance rights to the group.
But if even that did not matter to him, then there was almost nothing left in the world that could move He Zhen.
When He Zhen returned to the room, Yu Chen was already asleep under the covers.
That day was Friday, and for once He Zhen had not studied. After showering, he lay down beside Yu Chen and quietly gazed at the slim back in front of him.
Only a dim little lamp by the bedside was still on.
He Zhen carefully watched Yu Chen’s lightly trembling shoulders and spoke gently. “Fat Baby.”
Yu Chen opened the eyes he had cried sore and moved his lips hesitantly.
“Can you tell me why this exam upset you so much?”
They had gone through countless exams together. No matter how poorly Yu Chen did, he had never cried over grades before.
Yu Chen’s lashes trembled lightly. “I’m just worried…”
He Zhen asked, “Worried about what?”
Yu Chen did not continue.
He was worried that if he said it out loud, He Zhen would feel pressured.
Even though Yu Chen said nothing more, He Zhen already understood.
He leaned closer, propping his head on one elbow at the side of the pillow. “Are you worried you won’t be able to go abroad?”
After a long silence, Yu Chen said, “Mm.”
He Zhen comforted him. “Didn’t you say before that even if we don’t end up at the same school, being apart would only be temporary? After graduation, we could still be together.”
Yu Chen’s nose turned sore, and he rubbed at his eyes gently.
He Zhen continued, “So don’t put pressure on yourself. Besides, this placement exam doesn’t really prove anything.”
“In my opinion, you just don’t want to study together with me.” Yu Chen’s eyes reddened, and he said sourly, “You spend every day with me already. You must be tired of me by now. Once you go abroad, you’ll make loads of good friends. By the time you graduate and come back, won’t you have forgotten all about me?”
He Zhen laughed. It was his first time seeing Yu Chen like this.
Yu Chen sat up and faced him. “Going abroad is great, right? Without me tagging along after you, you’d definitely be especially happy.”
Yu Chen actually knew that this was not what He Zhen really thought, but he still could not help saying it.
What he really wanted was to hear He Zhen deny it, to hear He Zhen coax him.
His nose grew even more sour, and the ache in his throat surged up all at once.
Soft little sobs slowly escaped him.
“Look at you—more and more unreasonable now.” He Zhen raised a finger and gently wiped away his tears. “Do you really think of me that way?”
Yu Chen lowered his eyes stubbornly and ignored him.
He Zhen knew exactly what Yu Chen was thinking. After so many years, that kind of tacit understanding was still there.
He rubbed lightly against Yu Chen’s red, crying nose, his voice gentle. “You know that I’ve always hoped I could be with you every minute, every second.”
