Chapter 41: Memo
Jiang Rong didn’t know exactly what He Siming had said to Li Yizhou and Yao Shule. In any case, once Jiang Rong nodded in agreement, the two of them immediately packed up his things and sent him straight into He Siming’s car—like a pair of parents anxiously sending their child off to a training camp, hoping he’d get into the nation’s top university the very next day.
After the car door closed, He Siming held the steering wheel and smiled.
Jiang Rong let out a sigh. “He Siming, what on earth did you tell them?”
He Siming reined in the grin he’d been wearing and tried to suppress the corners of his mouth. “I just told them that there’s a little thing growing in your belly that needs surgery, and that you need to stay at my place to recuperate your body and emotions.”
Jiang Rong said, “Isn’t it bad to lie to them like that? I’m not having surgery right away either.”
In fact, He Siming wasn’t making things up out of thin air—he had his reasons for explaining it that way.
He Siming said, “When the baby’s born, you really will need surgery. Giving them a heads-up now means it won’t feel abrupt later. And I never said you were sick—being ‘ill’ was something they imagined themselves.”
“But you did guide them in that direction,” Jiang Rong said. He wasn’t good at lying to begin with, and deceiving his friends made him feel a bit guilty.
Yao Shule and Li Yizhou had actually taken very good care of him.
Starting the car, He Siming said, “That’s called the art of language. Don’t worry—it’s just a white lie. We don’t have bad intentions. It’s also to protect you and the child. Once our family situation is more stable, you can tell them the truth. Special circumstances call for special handling.”
Jiang Rong nodded. “Okay.”
When He Siming stopped at a traffic light, he squeezed Jiang Rong’s hand, a little surprised at how pure-minded he was.
Were kids who grew up in welfare homes all this simple-hearted? He was like a child who’d been protected all his life.
Maybe that was why He Siming liked him more and more.
A new thought suddenly flashed through He Siming’s mind.
The two of them carried Jiang Rong’s not-so-many belongings back home.
Jiang Rong hadn’t brought much with him anyway. He still planned to take his afternoon naps in the dorm, so what he brought were mostly books and personal clothing.
He Siming didn’t let him lift a finger.
After Jiang Rong went inside, he realized the apartment was no longer as cold and austere as it had been the first time he came. Back then, the black-and-white color scheme had felt overly bleak.
Now, more and more things belonged to him, and everything was becoming more complete. Even the sofa had several extra throw pillows that hadn’t been there before, along with a soft, pure blue wool blanket.
He Siming seemed to know that he liked blue.
He’d never told him.
That feeling of being quietly cared for made his whole body and mind feel warm.
It wasn’t just the sofa—next to He Siming’s computer desk, there was now another identical desk, with a laptop and an external monitor on it.
For Jiang Rong, this was the biggest surprise.
After He Siming’s patient tutoring, he’d developed a strong interest in his current major, and he was actually learning pretty well.
Jiang Rong noticed a dark blue apron draped over the ergonomic chair. “Why did you put an apron here?”
He Siming took it down and held it up against him. “It’s a radiation-protection apron for you—pregnant Omega–specific. Not many color options, but the size fits.”
Jiang Rong: “……”
So far, he’d been accepting the fact that he was pregnant fairly well, and sometimes he even forgot about it.
But at this moment, he was acutely aware that he was a pregnant Omega!
He Siming had also prepared all kinds of pregnancy supplements, snacks, and several pairs of flat shoes…
Suddenly, he didn’t want to live at home that much anymore. He didn’t want to be constantly reminded that he was pregnant. He just wanted to be an ordinary college student!
After moving back home, Jiang Rong wasn’t quite used to it for the first couple of days.
First of all, when He Siming wasn’t around, he had to face Ding Yan’s inquisitive gaze.
Ever since Yao Shule and Li Yizhou learned that there was a little thing growing in his belly but that surgery couldn’t be done yet, the two of them would proactively help Jiang Rong get his meals every time they went to the cafeteria. No matter how much Jiang Rong tried to persuade them otherwise, it was useless, and in the end he could only let them have their way. After he told He Siming about it, Yao Shule and Li Yizhou received gift packages from He Siming the very next day.
The fewer people who knew about his situation, the safer it was.
Ding Yan still didn’t know.
Ding Yan had originally been quite self-righteous, but when he thought of He Siming’s warning, his shoulders slumped. “What did you even do to make Old He so devoted to you? Teach me too.”
Jiang Rong was speechless at his choice of words. “That phrasing is inappropriate.”
Ding Yan said, “I’m just really curious. He never used to let me go to his place—how come you’re already living there?”
Jiang Rong said, “Because he’s a good person?”
Ding Yan: “……”
Thinking of Ding Yan’s sharp tongue, Jiang Rong recalled a line he’d seen in a news push notification a couple of days earlier: Sometimes you should look for the problem in yourself. If you didn’t get to go to his place, have you reflected on yourself and corrected your bad habits?
Ding Yan: “……” You’re a bit too honest. That line sounds so familiar—like I’ve heard it somewhere before.
He humbly asked, “So what do you think I should fix?”
Jiang Rong was just about to speak when someone called Ding Yan—it was Yang Qin.
She sat down next to Ding Yan with two other classmates.
Yang Qin said, “What a coincidence. Why don’t I see He Siming?”
Ding Yan said, “No idea.”
He wasn’t He Siming’s personal bodyguard. Besides, Old He had already said he had nothing to do with Yang Qin, so there was no need to tell her where he was.
Yang Qin set down her tray and smiled at Jiang Rong. “Classmate Jiang, your cello performance last time was really amazing.”
Jiang Rong felt a little uncomfortable with her sudden friendliness. “Thank you.”
He remembered what Yao Shule had warned him about.
Yang Qin asked, “Our school has a music club too. Are you interested?”
Jiang Rong said, “Sorry, not really.”
Yang Qin said, “That’s such a pity. The music club would be losing a talent.”
Jiang Rong felt awkward chatting with her, but she insisted on continuing the conversation.
Fortunately, Yao Shule and Li Yizhou arrived with his food. With Yao Shule around, even awkward situations could be salvaged.
Li Yizhou put the tray in front of him, and Jiang Rong handed out the spoon and chopsticks he was holding.
Yao Shule sniffed the air. “Oh? The campus beauty’s here too.”
Yang Qin knew Yao Shule was He Siming’s roommate. “It’s livelier sitting together.”
Yao Shule smiled, then switched seats with Jiang Rong, putting some distance between Jiang Rong and her—he always felt she was up to no good.
“Rongrong, eat up. After you’re done, go back and rest.”
Jiang Rong really didn’t want to deal with Yang Qin, so he buried his head and started eating. These days he could find food in the cafeteria that he could eat without vomiting, which honestly wasn’t too bad.
Seeing this, Yang Qin stopped asking Jiang Rong questions and instead chatted idly with Ding Yan, dropping hints and probing for information about He Siming the whole time—clearly trying to get things out of him.
The three of them finished eating and left first.
After they left, Yang Qin walked behind Jiang Rong and glanced several times at his coat and shoes.
Yao Shule cursed at Ding Yan. “No, bro—she was fishing for information and you couldn’t even tell? You’d be sold off and still not know it.”
If it weren’t for the fact that Ding Yan hadn’t been hanging out with He Siming much lately and hadn’t answered her questions, he’d probably have stripped He Siming down to his underwear by now.
Ding Yan looked confused. “She was fishing for information?”
Yao Shule said, “Are you an idiot? You couldn’t tell? I’m starting to suspect that the reason she used to show up with He-god at student union events was all thanks to you.”
Ding Yan immediately defended himself. “No, I mean—if the campus beauty is willing to talk to me, how does that turn into fishing for information…” He suddenly seemed to realize something.
Yao Shule said, “Are you really clueless, or just pretending?”
Ding Yan said, “I’m really clueless!”
Yao Shule said, “Figures—rich and dumb.”
Ding Yan said, “That’s a personal attack.”
Yao Shule had just finished eating and started scrolling through forum posts, matching them up one by one with Ding Yan.
Jiang Rong didn’t particularly like the campus beauty either, but he hadn’t been in this world long and wasn’t good at judging people. Instead, he thought Yao Shule was very clear-headed and impressive, especially how fiercely he protected his friends. It seemed that he and He Siming had also been included within that protective circle.
Yao Shule pointed at a photo on the basketball court. The campus beauty was standing on the sidelines holding water, gazing affectionately at a figure on the court.
Many people said this photo was the ultimate CP “pinned post” of the campus beauty and campus hunk—the most beautiful depiction of youth on a college campus, something even movies couldn’t replicate.
Yao Shule asked Ding Yan, “Does this photo remind you of anything?”
Ding Yan said, “Just playing basketball.”
Yao Shule said, “The photo has a date—7:30 a.m. on a winter morning last year. How do you think the campus beauty knew He-god would be playing basketball? Getting up that early just to bring him water?”
Ding Yan said, “She seemed to have asked me…”
Yao Shule continued, “Now look at this one. I’m honestly embarrassed for you. This is outside the Computer Science student union office. How did she just ‘run into’ him there? They’re not even from the same department.” He really didn’t know where the logic of all those CP shippers on the forum came from.
Ding Yan said, “I think I casually mentioned that Old He was having a meeting at the student union…”
Because those photos had been pretty popular on the forum, he remembered them clearly.
Yao Shule looked at him like he was an idiot. “Without you, our He-god might’ve had a lot less trouble.”
Ding Yan was so scolded he was on the verge of tears. What Jiang Rong had said earlier really seemed right—he needed to reflect on himself!
Li Yizhou hadn’t dug into it as deeply, but he still said, “I don’t think He-god is the type to play around with ambiguity. These photos make it look like he’s being ambiguous with the campus beauty while refusing to give her a title.”
Yao Shule said, “Who took the photos, and who uploaded them—shouldn’t that be pretty easy to guess?”
Ding Yan was already regretting how many stupid things he’d done.
“Stop, stop scolding me. So I was a stumbling block on Old He’s road to love?”
Yao Shule said, “What else would you be?”
Ding Yan clutched his head in agony. “Is it still in time for me to apologize now?”
Yao Shule said, “If I were He-god, I’d have cut ties with you ages ago.”
“……” That was a critical hit for Ding Yan.
Now Jiang Rong finally understood why He Siming didn’t let Ding Yan go to his place—it really was too easy for him to be sweet-talked.
He Siming didn’t come back for afternoon classes. Under his private tutoring, Jiang Rong had already started learning programming languages and could write some code. The teacher’s lectures were no longer like heavenly scriptures to him, and he listened quite attentively.
After class, he thought he’d have to go home by himself, but Ding Yan was waiting for him at the door.
Looking dejected, Ding Yan said, “Old He told me to take you home.”
Jiang Rong said, “Thanks.”
He didn’t stand on ceremony. It was too cold, and walking back would take at least half an hour—the campus was huge.
Jiang Rong messaged He Siming on his phone: Are you coming back for dinner tonight?
He Siming replied: Yes. I’ll eat with you, but I’ll be a bit late. Can you wait?
Jiang Rong: I can. Then I’ll make you some specialty dishes you haven’t had before—want to try my cooking?
He Siming: Mm.
Jiang Rong asked Ding Yan to take him to the supermarket, which was actually not far from home. After dropping him off, Ding Yan still felt uneasy—Old He had told him to make sure Jiang Rong got home safely. So after parking the car, he dutifully helped carry the groceries, escorted Jiang Rong home, and finally reported back to He Siming that the mission was accomplished.
Seeing how virtuous Jiang Rong was, Ding Yan sorrowfully felt that he wasn’t being a very good friend at all.
From the end of lunch onward, Jiang Rong was inexplicably in a good mood.
As a former Omega-in-training, his mother had taught him how to cook since he was six. After middle school, if he got out early, he’d be the one making dinner; every morning he’d get up early to prepare breakfast before going to school. His mother had high standards for his cooking—steaming, frying, baking, boiling, all of it. Not only did he have to know how to stew soups, he also had to make various pastries. That said, his culinary talent wasn’t particularly outstanding—nowhere near as good as He Siming’s. Of course, it might also be that the cooking techniques of his original world weren’t as advanced as those of this one.
He was just a sophomore, and after entering university he rarely had the chance to cook, mostly eating simple cafeteria food.
Still, he did have a signature dish. Despite his mother’s high standards, the one thing she’d praised him for was how well he pan-fried meat.
This world was also a bit different—for example, the types of meat were different.
He chose steak over pork chops, after consulting Ding Yan.
Jiang Rong also bought potatoes, which could substitute for a kind of fruit purée from his world and serve as a staple food. He’d eaten potatoes before and thought they worked well. Then there was soup—something sweet and sour. He bought some vegetables to make a vegetable soup. He Siming didn’t seem picky with food, so he’d probably like it.
Oh right—he also bought a bouquet of flowers. Back at the training center, a chef had once said that if you wanted atmosphere during a meal, flowers were the best choice.
Jiang Rong had seen He Siming use the kitchen appliances before, so it didn’t seem too difficult. Besides, with how convenient the internet was now, you could look up any appliance model and find instructions instantly.
Thinking of what He Siming had mentioned about prenatal education, he smiled for no particular reason. While cooking, he even played music on his phone—he could hum along to some of the popular songs here now.
When He Siming got home, he smelled the aroma of pan-fried meat and froze for a moment, then quickly changed his shoes and headed for the kitchen.
He’d always been afraid Jiang Rong would tire himself out, or that food from outside wouldn’t be clean, so he’d tried to take care of everything. He hadn’t expected Jiang Rong to have these cooking skills.
He Siming was a carnivore, and the steak smelled incredible.
But compared to the meat, Jiang Rong in an apron had an indescribable allure of his own.
“Smells amazing. I’m already hungry,” he said, a different kind of light flickering in his eyes.
Jiang Rong looked up and smiled at him, a bit embarrassed. It was his first time cooking here, and he’d made a bit of a mess in the kitchen—he’d have to clean up properly later.
Holding a ladle, he lifted the lid. “There’s also a vegetable soup. It’ll be ready soon.”
He Siming walked in, washed his hands, wrapped his arms around Jiang Rong’s slim waist, and kissed him on the cheek.
“So good.”
Jiang Rong dodged slightly, laughing. “That tickles.”
He Siming didn’t tease him further and helped carry the cast-iron pan with the steaks and the soup bowl.
“The seasonings you used seem different from what I usually see.”
Jiang Rong told him, “This is my secret recipe. No one else has ever had it. You’re the only one in the world.”
He’d found bay leaves with a similar flavor at the supermarket and ground the spices himself.
He Siming smiled at him. “Then I’ll give you a very special reward tonight.”
Jiang Rong: “……”
He Siming helped place the two steaks on the dining table. At that moment, there was also a floral arrangement on the table—a graceful white ceramic vase paired with colorful small chrysanthemums.
The mood was perfectly set.
He Siming knew that Jiang Rong was someone who cared deeply about ritual and atmosphere.
The two of them sat facing each other.
Jiang Rong couldn’t drink alcohol, so He Siming poured some juice into wine glasses, fully committing to the ambience.
He Siming took a bite of the steak—crispy on the outside, tender inside, with Jiang Rong’s freshly ground spices. The flavor was outstanding.
He praised sincerely, “This is the best steak I’ve ever had.”
Jiang Rong said, “Really?”
He Siming said, “Really. The vegetable soup is different from anything I’ve had before too, and the mashed potatoes are so smooth—steamed just right, soft and fluffy.”
Jiang Rong’s face grew warm from the praise.
After dinner, Jiang Rong sat on the sofa, opened a video, and started studying a new course.
After cleaning up the kitchen, He Siming walked over and bent down to share a kiss with him.
Just as he was considering whether tonight’s reward should be light or heavy, the memo reminder on Jiang Rong’s phone rang.
Jiang Rong picked up his phone and held the screen up to He Siming. “He Siming?”
Memo: Prenatal checkup tomorrow.
He Siming: “……”
He pulled Jiang Rong into his arms and took a deep, fierce breath of that peach scent at his neck.
Damn it.
