AMTWPICL Chapter 54

“Linchu, Linchu, class is over.”

Li Chang shook Song Linchu, who had slept through almost half of the class. This was the first time he had seen him sleeping in class since he came to college. Even when they stayed up all night singing karaoke, he could still tough it out and attend classes before taking a nap.

Song Linchu lifted his head from his arm. He looked drowsy, with a red face and drooping upper eyelids that seemed to merge with the lower ones due to his drowsiness.

“My God, did you steal something last night? Why are you so tired?” Li Chang asked while packing his textbooks.

Song Linchu replied with a wooden face and a hoarse voice, “Stayed up all night filling out forms.”

Forms: ???

Fortunately, forms couldn’t talk, or they would have exposed this liar.

“You’re too hardworking,” Li Chang said with a worried expression. “Your health is important. If you need money, I can lend you some. As your brother, I can lend even lend you 10,000 yuan.”

Song Linchu: “…”

Behold, here is the loyal brother who would rather take a knife for you. He’s more reliable than some dogs.

If that arrogant straight man had any sense of how to cherish him, would he have run away?

Although Song Linchu’s heart was filled with bitterness, he still had to maintain a nonchalant demeanor and he said, “No, I was just playing during the New Year and didn’t finish the drawings.”

“Really?” Li Chang’s face was incredulous.

He felt that Song Linchu had nothing to do with the phrase ‘just playing.’

“If you need any help, just ask me directly. Don’t force yourself, or else I’ll be angry.”

“No, really,” Song Linchu smiled and said, “Let’s go.”

The two of them left the classroom. It was now spring, and the days were longer. They had finished their last class of the day, and the sun hadn’t yet set.

“Where are you going?” At a fork in the road, Li Chang grabbed his backpack. “Didn’t we agree to go to my place for hotpot as a housewarming celebration? Did you forget?”

Song Linchu had actually forgotten, and with his current condition, he would faint in the toilet if he had hotpot.

But he couldn’t disappoint Li Chang. “I’ll go back and change my clothes first, and then I’ll come. The others probably won’t be there yet.”

“Okay, hurry up. I’ll send you the location on WeChat.”

“Okay.”

As Song Linchu walked, he took out his phone from his pocket. His phone had been on silent mode the whole time, but now he saw that Tan Yue had sent him several messages.

When he saw the first message, he almost burst out laughing.

Tan Yue: [ I was too indulgent last night and couldn’t control my desires. I have reflected on my mistakes and deeply realize my wrongdoing. I promise there won’t be a next time. Please forgive me!]

This was not Tan Yue’s style at all, and it’s unclear how he managed to come up with such a paragraph.

This morning, shortly after he arrived at school, Tan Yue called, but Song Linchu was angry. Relying on his favor, he unceremoniously chose to hang up.

When the dog-like man called again, he hung up and sent him a message on WeChat saying “the user you are trying to call has died due to excessive use, please try again in a year,” and then he ignored him.

Tan Yue probably realized the seriousness of the situation and sent this message with sincere and humorous words.

However, Song Linchu couldn’t forgive him, and he continued reading.

Tan Yue: [(kneeling) (kneeling) (kneeling)]

Tan Yue: [(Wife, do you think my kneeling posture is standard.jpg)]

“.…”

Song Linchu burst into laughter again.

President Tan, please remember your cold and aloof demeanor and don’t go down the path of humor!

Song Linchu suspected that he had learned some strange things from an employee or on the internet; otherwise, he wouldn’t have said such outrageous things.

Just imagining Tan Yue sitting cold-faced behind his luxurious desk, earnestly sending these words and expressions to him with the guidance of an employee or netizen, made Song Linchu want to laugh out loud.

He continued scrolling down.

The next message was sent a few minutes ago and was much more normal, consisting of just five short words.

Tan Yue: [Are you coming home tonight?]

For some reason, an alarm bell went off in Song Linchu’s mind when he saw these words.

According to Tan Yue’s style of doing more and saying less, he wouldn’t just let him wander outside and was bound to come to school to catch him.

Most likely, he was waiting for the little rabbit to return under his dormitory building.

No, he couldn’t go back to the dormitory, or he would be delivered right to him.

With this in mind, Song Linchu’s footsteps immediately stopped, and without hesitation, he turned and went towards the school gate.

It was impossible to go back, he had to leave the old man hanging for ten days or half a month to make him realize how serious it was to lure and deceive an innocent university student without shame and restraint!

However, to prevent the old man from waiting for him, Song Linchu still sent him a message.

Little Songlin: [╭(╯^╰)╮ I’m not coming back for now!]

Little Songlin: [I’m going to my friend’s house for dinner.]

Little Tan: [President Tan, please continue to enjoy your happy bachelor life~]

Tan Yue: […]

Tan Yue: [How long will you be staying outside?]

Little Songlin: [It depends on my mood, hehe~]

Little Songlin: [Bye-bye!]

Under the male dormitory building was a temporary parking area.

Tan Yue looked at the chat messages that disappeared without a trace, helplessly rubbing his forehead.

In Tan Yue’s dictionary of life, there were no words for coaxing others, but he was an expert at making people angry.

Now that things had come to a head, he didn’t know where to start.

A certain someone would rather be disgusted by his roommate than go home, which showed how angry he was.

He had indeed gone too far last night and was unrestrained.

Tan Yue wasn’t someone who would shirk responsibility, but this situation was the first of its kind for him, so he had to choose to respect Song Linchu.

Finally, Tan Yue glanced in the direction of Song Linchu’s dormitory and ordered lightly, “Go back.”

Cheng Bin,who was sitting in front, was shocked and asked, “Shouldn’t we wait for Mr. Song to leave first?”

“Let him stay on campus for a few days.”

After pausing for a moment, Tan Yue said coldly, “Take care of his roommate for me.”

Cheng Bin’s heart trembled, and he replied in a low voice, “Yes, sir.”

———————–

Li Chang went to the convenience store to buy a few bottles of drinks when he received a call from Song Linchu saying he was waiting for him downstairs. He hurried back and saw that Song Linchu was still wearing the same clothes as before. Li Chang walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

“Brother, why didn’t you change your clothes when you went back?”

Li Chang’s palm was not too heavy or too light, just a normal greeting between guys. But it almost made Song Linchu cry out.

His expression twisted involuntarily, and he gritted his teeth and said, “Can’t I not change clothes?”

“Okay, okay,” Li Chang, the careless guy, didn’t notice anything wrong with Song Linchu, pushed him forward and said, “Let’s go, brother.”

Song Linchu: “…”

You’re not my brother, everyone in the neighborhood is your brother.

Li Chang rented a place in a relatively new residential area, which was a resettlement building for demolished houses. The quality of the construction was relatively mediocre, but the rent was relatively cheap.

Many property owners here don’t even come to live there. They divide a large suite into several smaller ones and rent them out to nearby students or some accompanying parents.

Li Chang and his girlfriend rented a one-bedroom apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, and balcony on the 19th floor. The view was pretty good, and except for being slightly smaller, there were no shortcomings.

However, it was enough for the two of them.

The others hadn’t arrived yet, Li Chang’s girlfriend had selected the ingredients for the hotpot in the afternoon, and they were delivered just in time for their arrival.

Song Linchu and Li Chang rolled up their sleeves and went into the kitchen to help wash the vegetables.

By the time Gao Yuan and He Wenyan arrived, most of the vegetables had been washed. There were a variety of vegetables, and they couldn’t even fit on the dining table, so a small table was placed next to it, as well as several plates.

Li Chang invited everyone to take a seat. The ingredients were put into the pot, but it wasn’t ready yet. Li Chang opened the wine he had ordered and filled everyone’s glasses, considerately pouring a glass of orange juice for his girlfriend.

Everyone had a toast to celebrate Li Chang’s move. After finishing the wine in his glass, Gao Yuan said, “This house is really nice. The lighting and view are better than my place.”

“Of course,” Li Chang continued to fill everyone’s glasses with wine, sounding pleased. “I fell in love with this place at first sight. The price is reasonable, it’s close to the school, and the only downside is that it’s a bit small.”

He Wenyan said, “Two people living together is enough. My house is too big and empty, it’s dull.”

“Damn it!” Li Chang pointed at him, “Are you showing off your wealth, you stinking tycoon?”

He Wenyan came from a wealthy family. He bought a fully furnished new apartment near the school, making the rest of them poor students envious.

“Well, how could that be? I’m just trying to enlighten you, look at my sincere KAZÉLAN big eyes.”

As he spoke, He Wenyan vigorously blinked his single-eyelid small eyes.

Everyone burst into laughter at He Wenyan’s shamelessness.

Just then, Gao Yuan suddenly asked, “By the way, didn’t Linchu move out too? So, where are you living now? Have you found a place?”

Song Linchu, as a bystander, had no idea why the conflict would involve him.

He pursed his lips and hesitated between telling the truth and lying. He said somewhat nervously, “I’m also living with my partner.”

This statement was like a thunderbolt from the blue. Except for He Wenyan, who had seen Tan Yue and knew about the situation, everyone else was shocked.

Li Chang pointed at him with trembling hands, “Damn it!!! When did you get a partner? Why didn’t I know?”

Song Linchu scratched his head, chuckled, and said, “It was around New Year’s last year. I didn’t deliberately hide it from you guys. I just didn’t know how to introduce him to you. His identity is a bit awkward.”

Gao Yuan took a sip of beer and asked, “Why is it awkward? It’s not that person from the neighboring aviation university, is it?”

There was a prominent figure at the neighboring aviation university who had made a public confession to Song Linchu on the school’s confession wall.

This person was somewhat handsome and had a cool and rebellious demeanor, which caused quite a discussion at the time.

However, his reputation wasn’t great, and everyone advised Song Linchu not to be swayed by such matters.

Later, the person clarified that the confession was just a bet with his friends and he didn’t actually know Song Linchu. The incident ended there.

“No, of course not,” Song Linchu sighed helplessly. Seeing the expectant gazes of his friends, he coughed and said, “His surname is Tan, but he’s not Tan Mingqing. He’s his uncle.”

The weight of those words was overwhelming, leaving the other four speechless.

Even He Wenyan, who was mentally prepared, looked stunned.

“Tan..Tan Mingqing’s uncle?” Li Chang stumbled over his words, “Why do you always get involved with people surnamed Tan!”

Gao Yuan chimed in, “Yeah, who knows what his intentions are for taking over… cough, I mean, for being with his nephew’s ex-boyfriend. Are you sure they’re not birds of a feather? Don’t let yourself be deceived!”

Even Li Chang’s girlfriend whispered, “Mingqing’s uncle, so he should be in his thirties, right?”

Song Linchu said, “Although he is Mingqing’s uncle, they’re not close relatives. He’s not with me because of Mingqing, and he didn’t deceive me. So, rest assured, everyone.”

“As for his age, he just turned 29 after his birthday this year. He Wanyan has seen him in person, he’s not old, right?”

He Wenyan nodded and said, “He’s quite handsome. If you compare the two, Mingqing is like an animal mutation.”

“No, I’m still worried,” Li Chang slapped his thigh, “Why don’t you invite him out for a meal? Then we’ll see.”

Song Linchu nodded firmly, “Okay, but give it some time. He’s been busy lately.”

Fortunately, now he knew that Tan Yue wasn’t Mingqing’s biological uncle. Otherwise, Song Linchu wouldn’t dare to confess to these people. He couldn’t say that he was irritated by Su Zhan’s constant boasting and decided to make Tan Mingqing lose his inheritance rights, leading him to pursue a terminally ill oldee man.

Due to physical reasons, Song Linchu only ate the light broth from the hot pot.

The group all had sneaky glances and expressions that said, “We understand, we understand.” This made Song Linchu feel embarrassed and annoyed, and he secretly held a grudge against Tan Yue.

They continued eating the hot pot until nearly 11 p.m. before dispersing.

When Song Linchu returned to the dormitory, Su Zhan had just finished showering. It seemed that they were destined to meet in this narrow passage outside the bathroom.

Because their dormitory’s bathroom was right by the entrance, and the dormitory door opened inward, Song Linchu didn’t notice someone and accidentally bumped into the basin in Su Zhan’s hands. The basin fell to the ground, causing toothpaste, toothbrushes, and cups to scatter everywhere.

Song Linchu inwardly cursed. He quickly bent down to help him pick up the things and handed them to him, saying, “Sorry.”

Su Zhan stared at him with a heavy gaze.

Probably due to the good New Year’s meals, Su Zhan had gained some weight, and he could vaguely see a double chin when he lowered his head.

However, his complexion looked a bit haggard, his eyes were red, as if he had been crying. It’s unclear whether it was because Tan Mingqing broke up with him, shattering his dreams of entering a prestigious family.

“It’s okay.”

Su Zhan smiled sullenly, snatching the basin from his hand before turning around and heading towards the balcony.

Song Linchu looked bewildered. Although Su Zhan replied reluctantly, he hadn’t said any provocative words, which was enough to astonish Song Linchu.

Presumably, in all likelihood, Tan Yue had done something to make Su Zhan treat him differently.

What a dog man. Song Linchu couldn’t help but curl his lips, feeling somewhat satisfied.

On the balcony, Su Zhan fiercely slammed the wall.

However, just like how he couldn’t move that wall, he had no power to resist that man. Even if Song Linchu accidentally knocked over his basin or intentionally smashed it against his face, he would have to endure it and show gratitude.

“Why?!” He slammed his fist against the wall once again. Why was Song Linchu able to find such a great boyfriend?

How was he inferior to him? Why didn’t he have a big boss so devoted to him!

The days after the start of the semester were dull yet fulfilling. Song Linchu quite enjoyed this routine of classroom, cafeteria, dormitory, and library. He would study in the library every day until it closed at 10 o’clock before leaving.

On one hand, he didn’t want to be alone with Su Zhan unless necessary. Sometimes, Su Zhan’s gaze made him feel as if he owed him millions.

On the other hand, he wanted to accumulate some capital so that he could launch his own studio in the future and put all his self-designed products on display.

At 10 pm, Song Linchu yawned and left the library with a single-strapped backpack.

In these few days, the weather had turned hot, gradually giving way to the breath of spring. It was uncertain whether this shameless season had infected Song Linchu, as he found himself yearning for Tan Yue.

He took out his phone, opened his chat with Tan Yue, and found that Tan Yue had sent him a message 20 minutes ago.

Tan Yue: [Yanyan, are you feeling better now?]

Song Linchu’s eyes curved as he typed away.

Little Songlin: [o(￣ヘ￣o＃) I have a very long temper!]

Tan Yue’s reply came quickly.

Tan Yue: [I have scissors.]

Song Linchu: “….”

What a hammer!

Don’t you know how to coax someone!

Little Songlin: [You have three seconds to retract that and make up for it with something nice!]

One second later.

System: Tan Yue has retracted a message.

Then it was “the other party is typing…” for about two minutes before the chat box finally displayed a new message.

Tan Yue: [You look so cute when you’re angry.]

Song Linchu: “….”

Song Linchu almost burst out laughing. It was clear that Tan Yue had tried his best.

Little Songlin: [╭(╯^╰)╮]

Little Songlin: [It’s so late and your mouth is still so foul! Did you forget to brush your teeth when you took a shower?]

Tan Yue: [I haven’t gotten home yet.]

Little Songlin: [!!]

Little Songlin: [Are you going to stay up late and work overtime again?]

Tan Yue: [No.]

Tan Yue: [I’m going to meet someone very important, then I’ll head home.]

Song Linchu: “???”

Very! Important! person!

Stay calm, stay calm. For someone like Tan Yue who prioritizes work, his partners and such are probably all important to him.

He won’t be a vinegar jar like Tan Yue!

Otherwise, won’t that despicable man die with pride?

Who knows, it might be his scheme!

Little Songlin: [Well, go meet them then. I’m almost at the dormitory, getting ready to take a shower and sleep.]

Tan Yue: [Okay, sleep early. Goodnight.]

Song Linchu pursed his lips, tossed his phone into his jacket pocket, and ignored him.

Not far from Song Linchu, under a sycamore tree, a black sedan was parked with the car window partially rolled down, revealing a man’s cold and stern face.

Some students couldn’t help but glance into the car window upon seeing the luxury car. When they caught sight of the man’s aloof expression, they were amazed but quickly averted their gaze, afraid to meet his eyes directly.

The man’s gaze lingered on his phone and the nearby male dormitory building, clearly waiting for someone.

After a while, Song Linchu appeared on the avenue.

The warm yellow streetlights filtered through the leaves, casting mottled patches of light on him. His beautiful face alternated between bright and dark in the interplay of light and shade, giving off a subtly unreal delicacy.

Tan Yue watched as he walked step by step, entered the dormitory’s gate and disappeared around the corner. His cold and aloof eyes curved slightly.

It was as if those fleeting few seconds of a glance made him happy.

After a while, Tan Yue withdrew his gaze and calmly instructed the driver, “Let’s go back.”