Chapter 57: The Campus Heartthrob Has a Partner
#Hello everyone, I’m He Siming#
Hello everyone, I’m He Siming. This is my first post, and I’d like to say a few words through the forum.
I’ve always been very grateful for the recognition and support I’ve received from my fellow alumni in various aspects. The reason for this post is that recently some alumni have posted photos on the forum, which has caused significant trouble for the people around me. Here, I sincerely ask everyone to show some consideration and refrain from photographing my daily life and posting it in any public spaces.
In addition, I’d like to clarify that I already have a partner. Our relationship is stable, so please do not dig into it further.
If photos related to my private life continue to appear on the forum, I will apply for their removal. If serious disruption is caused, you may receive a letter from my lawyer.
Finally, I wish everyone a pleasant weekend.
—Holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit! What’s going on?! Did I click into the wrong thread?
—Is this really the campus heartthrob himself? It’s not fake, right?
—The campus heartthrob… has a partner?
—Help, someone tell me—did the campus heartthrob post this himself, or is this some malicious prank?!
—Admin verification: It’s him.
—Ahhh, damn it. Tonight a lot of people’s hearts are going to shatter. The campus heartthrob has a partner!
—Not only does he have a partner—anyone who digs into or secretly photographs his partner and posts it on the forum will get a lawyer’s letter.
—What? Does he think he’s some big celebrity? Sending lawyer’s letters and all.
—The campus heartthrob absolutely has that capability. He really will send lawyer’s letters—don’t doubt it. His family has a legal team. His parents’ company’s legal team is known online as the “sure-win squad.” I’ve wanted to say this for a long time—he’s way too low-key, and honestly very tolerant of you guys. Posting people’s private photos all day long—this time you really stepped on a landmine and pissed him off.
—No, but who exactly is his partner?!
—His partner is either male or female—not you, and not me.
Even more excited than the people on the forum was Ding Yan. He had been out having fun with friends, and after scrolling on his phone for a bit, he saw a classmate share the campus heartthrob’s statement.
The campus heartthrob—isn’t that Old He?
What kind of statement would Old He even need to make?
His hands were fast. The post wasn’t long, and he finished it at a glance.
He could understand the first part—being watched all the time and having one’s private life scrutinized would naturally affect friends as well. But the second part—how did he not know about this?!
His partner?!
“Holy shit, when did Old He get a partner? How come I didn’t know?!”
Even though they weren’t like high school anymore, going to and from school together every day, they still ate together two or three times a week!
So who was his partner?
He knew that in the past couple of days, Yao Shule had even been mistaken for Old He’s boyfriend because of some photos.
Oh, he got it. This had to be something He Siming made up—to scare off those crazy pursuers. Some people just had a voyeuristic streak, staring at other people’s private lives all day long.
At this time, the small group chat of Room 519 in the boys’ dorm was also trying to get the truth from He Siming. But after the main character posted, he didn’t reply to anyone—shoot and forget.
Li Yizhou: @He-god, is it true that you have a partner?
Yao Shule: Holy shit, my WeChat is about to explode. Everyone’s asking me who He-god’s partner is, and half of them think I’m his partner and are congratulating me. Ahhh, are they sick?!
Ding Yan: @He-god, the partner thing is made up, right?!
Li Yizhou: I also think He-god having a partner is probably made up, but honestly, it’s a one-and-done solution. Who’s going to keep following us around taking photos after this?
Ding Yan: That’s true. Seriously, my WeChat and Moments are about to blow up. Old He’s influence is way too strong.
Li Yizhou: No wonder He-god joked with us about opening a harem. His partners must be us—the stable roommates.
Yao Shule: That makes sense. Rongrong lives with He-god—he’d definitely know if He-god didn’t have a partner.
Ding Yan: Hahaha, if there really is a partner, then it must be Jiang Rong.
Yao Shule suddenly froze. “No way…”
When Jiang Rong woke up the next morning, He Siming was still asleep. He must have stayed up late again last night.
Between the two of them, whoever woke up earlier would prepare breakfast. Whatever Jiang Rong ate, He Siming would just go along with.
Sometimes Jiang Rong felt that He Siming—who seemed to be skilled at everything under the sun—didn’t resemble a rich second-generation heir at all. What kind of rich kid could endure hardship like him, know how to do everything, have such a good temper, and be so good at coaxing people? A man like that would be impossible to find even with a lantern.
Jiang Rong didn’t know how much his feelings for He Siming had accumulated, but they had already overflowed.
This morning he wanted plain rice porridge with some light side dishes. Recently he’d fallen in love with a kind of cold vegetable dish—paired with porridge, it was just too good.
He Siming, on the other hand, was a meat-lover. Jiang Rong planned to pan-fry some beef and corn dumplings for him. His little aunt had made them, and he’d brought them back a couple of days ago. Since He Siming hadn’t woken up yet, Jiang Rong heated himself a cup of milk first and scrolled through the news on his phone.
He wasn’t a heavy phone user. Probably because entertainment news in this world didn’t really resonate with him—he focused more on his own matters and wasn’t easily disturbed by outside information.
But as soon as he opened his phone, the few friends he had all started messaging him one after another. Even a senior he wasn’t very familiar with sent him a message.
WeChat was a sea of red notifications.
What was going on?
He immediately went to check their dorm group chat and found the source of it all. After one night, he finally saw the huge thing He Siming had done while he was asleep.
He had actually publicly announced on the forum that he had a partner. So everyone was asking him who He Siming’s partner was.
Jiang Rong sat there in a daze for a long while before looking at what people were saying in the group chat.
After making the post, He Siming hadn’t said a single word in the group. Yao Shule and the others even thought that He Siming had deliberately fabricated a partner to keep people around him from getting hurt.
Jiang Rong took a deep breath and pressed a hand to his chest.
He Siming hadn’t lied. Wasn’t his partner himself?
But He Siming hadn’t told him beforehand that he was going to make it public. Did he think the people around them wouldn’t believe it otherwise?
Jiang Rong knew He Siming did this for him and for the baby—he didn’t want them to be overly disturbed by others.
He Siming had done so much for him, and Jiang Rong didn’t know how to respond.
Suddenly, a slightly cool hand touched his face. “You’re spacing out first thing in the morning?”
Jiang Rong turned to look at He Siming, whose hair hadn’t even been tidied yet, and hugged him directly. “He Siming, why are you so good to me?”
He Siming had just woken up, his brain not fully running yet. “Hm?”
Then he immediately understood and chuckled. “Isn’t it only right that I’m good to you? You’re my pursuit target, after all.”
Jiang Rong smiled along with him. “Yeah, that’s true.”
He Siming lowered his head and stole his breath. He always carried a faint peach-like fragrance that made Jiang Rong unable to resist tasting.
The warm morning kiss had only gone halfway when Jiang Rong received a voice call from Yao Shule.
Jiang Rong pushed the He Siming who was about to treat his tongue like breakfast. “I’ll take this.”
He Siming let Little He cling to him, reluctant to let go. “Hmph, am I still not as important as Yao Shule?”
Jiang Rong said, “You’re not the same as him.”
That answer pleased He Siming, and he helped him swipe to answer the call. “Indeed.”
Guessing Yao Shule had something to talk to Jiang Rong about, He Siming turned and went to the kitchen to finish the breakfast Jiang Rong had only half-prepared.
Jiang Rong answered the call, braced himself, and sat down on the sofa.
As his belly got bigger, he felt his movements becoming more and more inconvenient. He couldn’t act like nothing was happening the way he could three months ago.
The first thing Yao Shule said was, “You’re up?”
Jiang Rong: “I just got up not long ago.”
Yao Shule: “I didn’t sleep all night.”
Jiang Rong: “What’s wrong?”
Yao Shule: “Are you free today? Let’s go shopping together.”
On weekends, Jiang Rong would also go shopping with He Siming. Because of the pregnancy, he hadn’t gone shopping with Yao Shule, and from Li Yizhou he knew that Yao Shule’s shopping trips usually lasted at least six hours—completely impossible for him in his current condition.
But maybe the purpose today was different. From Yao Shule’s tone, it sounded like he had something to say, not as relaxed as usual.
Jiang Rong said, “How about we have lunch together?”
Yao Shule: “Sure. You pick the place, or I can.”
Jiang Rong: “Didn’t you say last time you wanted Sichuan food? I saw a pretty good place. I’ll send you the address in a bit.”
He remembered Yao Shule’s preferences. After all, Yao Shule had always treated him kindly since he came to this world and had always defended him.
“Okay.” Yao Shule still couldn’t help asking, “Um… are you okay? Are you…?”
Jiang Rong: “I’m fine. What’s wrong?”
Yao Shule: “Forget it. We’ll talk at noon.”
Jiang Rong: “Then let’s meet at the mall at noon.”
He Siming probably guessed why Yao Shule wanted to see Jiang Rong, but he didn’t say anything. Around noon, he drove Jiang Rong straight to the mall entrance, gave him a few reminders, and then left.
He Siming: “Don’t overdo it. Watch out for crowds.”
Jiang Rong: “Got it.”
He Siming: “When you’re done, should I come pick you up?”
Jiang Rong: “He Siming, I know how to take a taxi home. It’s only five kilometers. Ten minutes by cab—don’t be so nervous.”
He Siming: “Who says I’m nervous?”
Jiang Rong felt like He Siming was a bit anxious about him leaving his line of sight.
Before getting out of the car, he unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over to kiss He Siming on the lips.
Jiang Rong: “I’m going.”
Jiang Rong, who was always shy, actually kissed him in a place where people might pass by. That made He Siming even less willing to let him go.
Jiang Rong got out of the car, turning back every few steps to look at him, only entering the mall when he reached the door.
Thinking about it carefully, it seemed that over the past six months, the two of them rarely spent weekends apart like this. It wasn’t just He Siming who was reluctant—Jiang Rong himself felt a bit unaccustomed to it.
He had never felt this strange sensation before.
Even though he studied psychology, doctors couldn’t diagnose themselves. Sometimes even he wasn’t sure.
Perhaps he hadn’t learned how to love someone—or how to be loved—from his mother. Many times, when He Siming expressed his affection, he would feel at a loss, not knowing what to do. Or perhaps because of physical limitations, what he could do was limited. So he could only follow his heart and tell He Siming what he needed and wanted.
Could He Siming feel how much he liked him?
Was he just not very good at expressing himself?
When Jiang Rong saw Yao Shule, he thought of a solution. Yao Shule was better at expressing emotions than he was. He’d grown up in a very gentle and open-minded family—maybe Jiang Rong could ask for his opinion.
But when Yao Shule saw Jiang Rong, his eyes were full of worry.
“What’s wrong with you? Who made you unhappy?” This expression wasn’t right—he was usually so lively and cheerful. Why did he look so troubled today?
“I can’t be happy,” Yao Shule said. He was never the type to bottle up his emotions. He always took revenge on the spot, vented his anger immediately, never letting feelings carry over to the next day. With his ex, he’d beaten him up first before going to a bar to drown his sorrows.
Jiang Rong sat down across from him. He wanted to take off his jacket after entering the restaurant, but with his small belly now, he let his hand drop.
“Is it because of me?” Yao Shule asked anxiously. “Tell me honestly—what exactly is your relationship with He Siming?”
Only last night had he realized something. If Jiang Rong was unwell, he could have stayed in the dorm. Why did he have to live at He Siming’s place?
Was he being forced by He Siming?
And then there was the way He Siming often joked in front of them, calling Jiang Rong his wife—plus last night’s forum announcement that shook half of Qin University.
Li Yizhou was a straight guy and wouldn’t think in that direction. Ding Yan was single-minded and wouldn’t think things through on his own unless the truth was shoved straight into his mouth.
There had always been something off between He Siming and Jiang Rong—they’d been standing in the dark under the lamp all along.
During their entire freshman year, the two had had no interaction at all. So why, after Jiang Rong got sick, did they suddenly become inseparable?
And what about He Siming’s forum statement last night?
This all happened after Jiang Rong had been verbally attacked by his pursuer. He could understand He Siming protecting his partner. Eliminating everyone around him who couldn’t possibly be that partner, the only one left was Jiang Rong—who lived with him.
They were already living together. How had he not suspected anything at all?
Because there was a preconceived premise: Jiang Rong was sick and needed care.
Now countless scenes were flooding his mind.
He’d been tossing and turning the entire night, only falling asleep in the latter half of it. He couldn’t talk to Li Yizhou about this yet—it was just his own guess. But he was almost certain he was eight or nine parts right.
Jiang Rong was a second slower in answering, and Yao Shule fired off more questions.
“Did He Siming force you at the beginning?”
“Are you really living at his place because you’re sick?”
“You two had no interaction before—why so sudden?”
“Did he bully you?”
“No wonder he suddenly moved back into the dorm and treated you so well—this was all premeditated! What a despicable man!”
“I misjudged him. What cold campus heartthrob? He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a refined scoundrel! No, I have to get justice for you!”
“You’re moving back to the dorm today. Don’t live at his place anymore. I think he’s taking advantage of your innocence—he has ulterior motives. I regret not seeing through him sooner. Shameless!”
Hearing him rattle off so much in one breath, Jiang Rong was stunned. Seeing Yao Shule’s guesses grow more outrageous and his anger escalate, he couldn’t help interrupting.
He stood up and pressed the about-to-explode Yao Shule back down. “Lele, Lele, stop the imagination for a second. It’s not what you think. It—it was me who slept with him first…”
Yao Shule thought he’d misheard. His eyes widened. “You—you said what? Who slept with whom?”
Jiang Rong’s face flushed bright red under his gaze. He said softly, “It—it was me who slept with He Siming first.”
This time, it was Yao Shule’s brain that crashed. “You—you slept with He Siming?”
Jiang Rong’s easily embarrassed nature came out in full force. “Y-yes.”
But after saying it out loud, the pressure on him finally eased a little.
Yao Shule lowered his voice too. “Holy shit! No way? He didn’t force you? You—you slept with him—tell me more!” This was so thrilling!
Luckily they’d chosen a window-side corner with no one around. Otherwise, Jiang Rong really wouldn’t have been able to say the words “I slept with He Siming.” He was already mortified beyond belief.
But aside from Yao Shule, there was no one else he could confide in.
Struggling with how to explain, Jiang Rong cupped his face, trying to cool it down. “It was just… a small reason. I slept with him, and later I discovered there was a little thing in my belly that had something to do with him. So he let me live at his place and has been taking care of me ever since.”
The look in Yao Shule’s eyes changed completely. “And then you got together? Is the partner he talked about yesterday you?”
Jiang Rong nodded. This much he was sure of. “It’s me. But we started from a sexual relationship. I don’t know if he’s good to me because of sex—if he only likes me because of that.”
He’d tried to find answers in psychology books here some time ago, but he hadn’t found any. If one day He Siming no longer had sexual needs, would he still like him? Or was it just temporary pleasure—passion fading, everything returning to how it was, no longer love?
Yao Shule’s emotions were thrown into turmoil as well. Compared to his own secret guesses, Jiang Rong’s honest words were even more convincing—reality was always more exciting than fiction.
“Let me sort this out. I’m a bit overwhelmed too,” Yao Shule said. “First, you slept with He Siming.”
Jiang Rong’s ears burned again. “Y-yes.”
Yao Shule: “Then not long after, you moved in together. Have you been maintaining a sexual relationship this whole time?”
Jiang Rong nodded slightly, his face burning hotter, his answer barely audible. “Mm, yes.”
Yao Shule was shocked even by his own summary. “So you’ve been living together for almost half a year since last year, and for this entire half-year you’ve been having sex?”
Jiang Rong: “Y-yes…” He’d never told anyone this kind of private thing before. He probably wouldn’t ever tell a second person in his life!
Yao Shule suddenly felt a bit envious. “Then you’ve really been eating well. Hey, Rongrong—He Siming’s body’s pretty good, right? Is he strong? Does he last long? How many orgasms do you have? How many times a week?”
Jiang Rong’s face was already flushed red. “Huh?” N-no—Yao Shule was asking way too detailed!
How was he supposed to answer that?
Yao Shule: “I’m just teasing you. You don’t have to answer. Hahaha, look how nervous you are. So—you’re worried that He Siming only likes you because of sex? Then do you like him?”
Jiang Rong lowered his head, looking at the hot water the server had brought. He’d thought about this question for a long time too.
At the very beginning, what he needed was He Siming’s pheromones. He was dependent on them, and even now he still liked them very much.
Seeing him not answer for a long time, Yao Shule said, “Because it started with sex, you’re unsure?”
Jiang Rong nodded. “Mm.”
Yao Shule looked at him speechlessly. “You’ve been together for half a year. He’s already made a public statement. And you’re still agonizing over whether he likes you? Or whether you like him?”
Jiang Rong: “I’m worried he’ll regret being with me in the future.”
Yao Shule knew how clingy the two of them were, and how well He Siming treated Jiang Rong. They were roommates—He Siming didn’t even glance at others, but would always go buy Jiang Rong a cup of hot milk tea during the ten-minute break after class.
He felt this was a sign of Jiang Rong’s lack of confidence.
Yao Shule: “I think he likes you a lot. Over the past six months, He Siming has changed a lot. He used to be genuinely aloof, but now he gets along pretty well with everyone. Didn’t he even joke with us last week? Speaking of which—he said several times that you’re his wife!”
Jiang Rong: “I guess so…”
Yao Shule wiped his face. “Damn it, he low-key showed off right under our noses. From what I can tell, you’ve practically bewitched him into an embryo.”
So many things suddenly made cursed sense. He’d been force-fed so much PDA, and that ten thousand yuan he’d received last week turned out to be disaster-blocking money—not on behalf of He Siming, but on behalf of Jiang Rong!
Jiang Rong: “…” R-really? But He Siming really, truly treated him incredibly well.
Yao Shule: “But the real problem now is—you don’t know how much you like him, right?”
Jiang Rong: “Mm.” He liked He Siming, but didn’t know how much.
Yao Shule: “Let me make an inappropriate analogy. When you’re doing it, has there ever been a moment when you thought you could give him two children?”
Jiang Rong straightened his back, one hand resting on his belly. “Huh? G-give birth to two? You can give birth too?”
Yao Shule: “No, I’m just making a comparison.”
Jiang Rong’s eyes lit up. He nodded seriously and sincerely. “Mm. I’m willing to give him children.”
Yao Shule: “…” You’re smiling like this, and you say you don’t know whether you like him?!
