Chapter 86: Main Story Finale — The End
After a semester filled with chaos and drama, everything finally seemed to be slowly returning to its proper track.
Things like vicious fights, catching cheating lovers, and melodramatic family grudges gradually faded from daily life.
At the very least, life had returned to what a group of normal third-year high school students should be doing—either preparing for the college entrance exam or applying to overseas universities.
This period of calm lasted all the way until the day of the exam.
Outside the school gates were crowds of parents who had come to see their children off. When Song Yinxing got off the bus, the scorching summer heat washed over him.
Carrying his backpack, he looked at the scene before him and, for once, felt slightly dazed.
In his previous life, at this exact same time, he had been riding his bicycle to the exam center. Halfway there, however, he was stopped by a group of thugs, dragged into an alley, and brutally beaten. His right hand was broken, and just like that he lost his chance to take the exam.
But this time, he could finally make up for that regret.
During the preparation period, he had heard news about Nie Ying from others. It was said that she had been sent abroad together with Nie Runhua, entrusted with the task of expanding overseas markets. Even her student registration had been transferred overseas.
As for where exactly she had gone, it seemed to be some small African country with an extremely long name—one he had never heard before.
In fact, it sounded even worse than what had happened to Nie Siyu in the previous life.
Once she left like that, it was essentially the same as being officially kicked out of the core power circle of the Nie Group, with no possibility of ever returning.
After hearing the story back then, he simply tossed it aside and continued focusing on solving practice questions for the exam.
He no longer wanted to waste energy on people who didn’t matter.
To him now, Nie Ying was merely someone who had exited the story. Only when the last trace of hatred in his heart disappeared did he truly let go.
Song Yinxing took a deep breath to calm the ripples in his heart.
But the moment he raised his gaze again, he froze.
Among the crowd, he clearly saw Gu Yang.
Gu Yang saw him too and gave him a gentle smile.
Song Yinxing jogged over, surprised.
“How come you’re here?”
He remembered that Gu Yang had applied to overseas universities. He should have already received his offers and made his decision by now.
“I came to see you off for the exam,” Gu Yang replied lazily. “So? Are you touched?”
He Ming’an had come along as well. With a cheerful smile he said, “Good luck on the exam, Xiao Song.”
Looking at them, Song Yinxing sincerely said thank you.
“After all, you’re our top investment target,” He Ming’an said, his eyes narrowing like a fox’s. “We’re counting on you to become our recruitment poster boy this year.”
“…I’ll do my best.”
“But you don’t need to be too nervous,” He Ming’an waved his hand. “Just do what you can.”
“No,” Song Yinxing said firmly. “I’ll do the best I possibly can.”
When he said that, his eyes were fixed directly on Gu Yang.
Even after he sat down in the exam room, Gu Yang’s faint smile from earlier—when he had lifted his head and the corner of his lips curved slightly—still lingered in his mind.
The bell rang. The test papers were handed out.
He gathered his thoughts and devoted all his focus to the exam.
After graduating from high school and before reporting to university, there was a rare stretch of free time.
After everything they had been through, the relationships among the students of Class 11 had clearly become more genuine—less superficial, much more solid. They often met up to hang out.
As he had said before, Xie Wu had gone to learn motorcycling. Even in the scorching weather that made dogs want to hide indoors, he still enjoyed cruising through the streets.
He parked his motorcycle by the roadside, planning to buy a bottle of mineral water.
The class group chat was buzzing. Yesterday the college entrance exam results had been released. Even during the short walk to the store, he could hear people around him discussing it.
Coincidentally, the group chat was talking about the same thing.
“I heard from someone in Class 10 that Song Yinxing ranked 9th in the entire province. Is that true?”
He Ming’an replied below:
“It’s true. Xiao Song is indeed amazing (^_^)”
“Damn, that’s awesome,” Xie Wu muttered to himself.
His own grades weren’t great, and he had never been interested in studying. But that didn’t stop him from admiring people who were good at it.
After buying a bottle of ice-cold water, he walked outside while drinking.
He wondered whether Gu Yang knew about it.
He should know, right? It was such an important thing—and considering the relationship between those two…
Xie Wu knew that the relationship between his classmate and that top student from Class 10 was extremely ambiguous. Although as a straight guy this was completely outside his knowledge zone, he still expressed great respect and understanding for it.
He wondered how far things between them had progressed…
If they were already together, with their current relationship with Gu Yang, shouldn’t they at least bring him along for a meal and formally meet everyone?
While thinking about this, Xie Wu happened to see a shop selling discs nearby and walked in to take a look.
Nowadays most households had already entered the era of internet television. DVD players were something from his elementary school days.
But that didn’t stop him from occasionally feeling nostalgic.
The shop had a strong retro vibe. Of course, simply selling discs wouldn’t be enough to survive these days, so it also sold various small miscellaneous items.
And in this quiet little shop, he unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure.
Before he could go over to greet him, the shop owner had already stood up and warmly greeted the rare customer.
“Hello, what can I help you with?”
Gu Yang withdrew his gaze from the discs, looked at the shop owner, and said expressionlessly:
“I need calcium tablets.”
The air froze for a moment.
The shop owner’s expression twitched slightly, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
After a few seconds, he stiffly turned around, picked up the half-used bottle of calcium tablets a doctor had previously prescribed for him, and cautiously held it out.
Gu Yang shook his head.
“Not that.”
The shop owner fell silent. He looked at the young man with a slightly horrified expression, feeling an unprecedented pressure since opening the shop.
He really shouldn’t have asked.
Beside them, Xie Wu: “……”
Bro, why are you messing with the shop owner like he’s Japanese?
Before Gu Yang could say something even more shocking, Xie Wu dashed forward, apologizing to the shop owner while dragging him outside.
“Are you half-asleep in broad daylight?” Xie Wu hissed through clenched teeth, giving him a serious lecture. “You’re already this old. Can’t you behave a little?”
Gu Yang let himself be dragged out without resistance.
He listened to Xie Wu’s scolding and only spoke softly when the other paused to breathe.
“He’s probably going to confess to me soon.”
Xie Wu immediately knew who “he” referred to.
He let out a low whistle and stopped talking.
“Nice. But what do you mean ‘probably’?”
“Don’t tell me you’re just guessing?” Even if the orientation was different, the basic rule of relationships was the same—being overly confident in your assumptions was dangerous.
Gu Yang turned his face away.
“Anyway, that’s probably the case. Don’t ask how I know.”
On the day the results came out, Song Yinxing had sent him a screenshot of his score page, along with the message: “Is this okay?”
What exactly was “okay” was obvious.
“So I’m a little nervous right now,” Gu Yang skipped straight to the conclusion.
“Hey, that’s normal for this kind of thing. I didn’t expect you to be the innocent type… Wait, hold on.”
Xie Wu suddenly frowned.
“What does that have to do with you buying calcium tablets?”
“Didn’t we just get to the confession stage? How did you jump straight to R-18? Didn’t you skip a few steps?”
“I’ve never experienced this kind of thing before. I’m pretty nervous,” Gu Yang repeated calmly. “I need to prepare myself mentally.”
Xie Wu looked at him and felt like there were too many things to complain about. For a moment he didn’t even know where to start.
But given Gu Yang’s past behavior, he was worried the guy might do something shocking again. Driven by a strange sense of loyalty and responsibility, he said:
“Fine. I’ll find something for you.”
In the following days, however, he deeply regretted those words.
During the endless viewing sessions, he went from helpless, to embarrassed, to completely numb. At one point he even felt that his straight male heart had suffered a slight impact.
When he met Gu Yang again, he couldn’t even look at him normally. After handing over the items, he shut his eyes and fled in humiliation.
When Song Yinxing came to visit later, this was the scene he encountered.
On the projected screen was a scene that absolutely required censorship, accompanied by faintly suggestive breathing sounds.
The room was well soundproofed. Only when he opened the door did the lingering atmosphere spill over him.
Gu Yang was sitting cross-legged on the bed. Turning his head in the shifting light, he patted the spot beside him.
“You’re here. Want to watch together?”
His tone sounded as casual as if he were inviting someone to watch a popcorn movie.
Song Yinxing: “……”
Gu Yang pressed pause, and only then did Song Yinxing realize he had been holding his breath.
The room lights turned on, and the once-clear projection dimmed instantly. Only then could Song Yinxing finally drag his gaze away from it.
“Why are you…” he asked stiffly.
“Preparing mentally in advance,” Gu Yang said.
That sentence completely scrambled Song Yinxing’s thoughts. He didn’t even know whether he had come today to confess or to do something unspeakable.
He was still holding a bouquet of flowers.
Gu Yang shifted forward, changing from cross-legged to kneeling. He straightened his back, took the flowers from Song Yinxing, held them close, and sniffed them.
“So fragrant,” he murmured.
Then he handed them back. Song Yinxing set them aside, but couldn’t help glancing at the screen again.
Even with the air conditioner on in such hot weather, Gu Yang was dressed very lightly. Beneath the loose collar, there was a tiny black mole near his collarbone, appearing and disappearing with the movement of his body.
Song Yinxing noticed it for the first time today.
The flowers had brushed lightly against Gu Yang when he held them earlier, leaving behind a faint fragrance that now seemed endlessly amplified.
From this angle, when Gu Yang lifted his eyes, the lines of his face curved delicately downward, drawing one’s gaze instinctively below his neck.
Song Yinxing restrained himself and quietly asked,
“Can I say that sentence now?”
His heart was pounding uncontrollably.
“What sentence?” Gu Yang asked innocently, as if he had no idea what he meant.
Song Yinxing’s heartbeat faltered midair, and an awkward expression appeared on his face.
He knew it wouldn’t go smoothly today.
“Then what should I do for you to remember?”
It was clearly the worst negotiation tactic—he gave up all leverage immediately without asking for anything in return. But Song Yinxing didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.
Gu Yang looked at him and then picked up a transparent bag containing tablets.
“…What is that?”
“An aphrodisiac,” Gu Yang said with a slight smile.
Song Yinxing’s eyes widened in shock.
“If you eat it, maybe I’ll remember.”
He wore a rather wicked grin, but on his face it somehow added a different kind of charm.
Song Yinxing had already lost count of how many times he glanced at the screen.
He wondered if it was some hint Gu Yang had prepared for him to understand the moment he entered—but at the same time it felt far too fast. He didn’t know whether he was simply too conservative or Gu Yang too open.
Slowly, he took the pill and swallowed it, standing stiffly in place.
“Do you feel anything?” Gu Yang rested his chin on his hand, watching with interest.
“It’s hot,” Song Yinxing murmured.
“How could that be?” Gu Yang leaned closer to observe him. “I gave you a vitamin tablet.”
He raised his eyebrow, clearly pleased with his prank.
“But it’s really hot,” Song Yinxing lowered his head, looking at the face so close to his own. Unable to suppress his feelings any longer, he cautiously raised his hand to touch Gu Yang’s cheek.
A flicker of surprise crossed Gu Yang’s face.
Watching the hand reaching toward him, his expression shifted several times before he slowly closed his eyes.
It was a quiet, composed expression—almost like silent permission, indulging the storm that was about to come.
Their bodies gradually leaned together under an invisible pull.
Through the thin fabric, Song Yinxing’s tightening fingers and open arms felt the delicate bones beneath.
His lips were brushed now and then by long eyelashes. Clumsy and inexperienced, he explored aimlessly. Through the thin eyelids he could feel the uneasy trembling beneath them. Moisture seeped out when the eyes closed tightly, tracing lines across his face before quickly drying.
Gu Yang only breathed heavily, saying nothing.
Although he had taken the first step, at this moment he seemed especially passive—as if handing all control to the other person.
After the kiss ended, they didn’t pull apart.
Gu Yang leaned against him, his forehead resting lightly on Song Yinxing’s shoulder. Hidden from view, no one could see the expression on his face.
“Aren’t you going to continue?” he asked softly.
Song Yinxing was still catching his breath. His ears were burning red, and the heat on his face was so intense he didn’t even need to touch it to feel it.
He reached out again and touched Gu Yang’s cheek.
It was the same temperature.
Just like the summer they had shared.
“It’s okay. This is enough,” he said gently. “From here on, we can just take things one step at a time.”
“After all, we have plenty of time, don’t we?”
“Plenty of time…”
Gu Yang murmured the words against his chest. Where no one could see, the corners of his lips curved slightly upward.
“Alright then. Please take care of me from now on.”
“Boyfriend.”
The title made Song Yinxing’s breathing quicken instantly.
He hugged Gu Yang tightly, slowly lowering his head until it rested against the other’s hair. His voice trembled as he said with utmost sincerity—
“Okay.”
