AMTWPICL Chapter 61[end]

After settling into their new home, it became very convenient for Song Linchu to go to school. Although the distance from here to Tan Yue’s company was slightly farther than his previous home, he could take the elevated highway directly without waiting for traffic lights, which actually saved him time.

Before, Song Linchu had told his roommates that he would treat them to a meal with Tan Yue. Now that they had moved into their new home and Tan Yue had recovered from his injury, it was time to fulfill that promise.

He didn’t mix up inviting them to his home for a visit and inviting them for a meal; he planned to do it separately, twice.

During his freshman year, his dormitory mates knew about his difficult financial situation and often found various reasons to treat him to meals. So now, Song Linchu also wanted to find more reasons to return the favor.

The place for the meal was chosen by the three roommates after a night of discussion. They said they wanted to treat Tan Yue well, but they didn’t blindly choose an expensive place without considering the quality. They spent the whole night making the selection and finally settled on a Japanese restaurant.

The restaurant’s grilled bird dish was said to be top-notch, and their tempura was also outstanding. However, getting a reservation was extremely difficult.

Of course, with Tan Yue around, it wasn’t a problem at all.

It was just a matter of a single sentence.

The Japanese restaurant was not very far from the school. The roommates took a taxi there, while Song Linchu and Tan Yue went from their home.

On the way there, Song Linchu suddenly thought of a very important question.

“Gege!” Song Linchu turned to look at Tan Yue. “Does Japanese cuisine have a lot of raw dishes?”

He remembered that this country belonged to the realm where everything could be eaten raw. He once saw a video of someone eating raw octopus, and the octopus was still moving while they dipped it in sauce and ate it.

Tan Yue nodded. “Yes.”

“…” Song Linchu covered his face.

Was he tempting fate by eating raw food?

“If I don’t eat those raw dishes later, will I be mocked again?”

He admitted that he was just a commoner who couldn’t get used to things like raw fish slices or medium-rare items.

But fortunately, this restaurant wasn’t like the steakhouse last time. He could eat grilled bird and other cooked dishes here.

Tan Yue said, “No.”

Song Linchu was a little surprised by his response and blinked. “Did you inform them in advance?”

“No,” Tan Yue glanced at him, saw his curiosity, and explained simply, “ Information is exchanged.”

With Tan Yue’s prominent status, his every move naturally attracted attention from the service industry. Information among such high-end restaurants would be shared among them.

It was estimated that on the night the incident occurred, the fact that Tan Yue’s partner didn’t like raw food had already been known by the major restaurants.

Who would be foolish enough to provoke him again?

Song Linchu knelt down to the wealthy once again.

Truly worthy of President Tan, such treatment was unparalleled.

When they arrived, Li Chang and his group had just arrived as well.

Several of them already knew that Tan Yue was wealthy, but when they saw them getting out of a car with a price tag exceeding eight digits, with a series of identical numbers on the license plate, their mouths opened in an “O” shape.

They looked at each other and saw the word “Fuck!” in each other’s eyes.

This wasn’t just a boss, he was a giant boss!

The Japanese restaurant had a traditional Japanese style, even the waitstaff were dressed in kimonos, creating a strong atmosphere.

The manager personally came over to receive them and led them to a private room. The waitstaff handed them the menu.

The roommates, who had vowed confidently in the group chat last night to eat Tan Yue’s fortune, became reserved now that the moment had arrived. They were all as timid as elementary school students facing their homeroom teacher, not daring to speak loudly.

Tan Yue noticed their discomfort and stood up, indicating that he would go to the restroom.

As soon as he left, it was as if the principal had left the room, and the atmosphere suddenly became lively.

Li Chang exaggeratedly rubbed his arms with his hands and said, “I’m freezing. I have to say, Linchu, your boyfriend’s oppressive aura is too strong. I thought he was only like that on stage, but it turns out he’s like that at the dinner table too.”

Song Linchu: “…”

Gao Yuan also took a few gulps of water and said, “The last time I sat so upright was when the high school principal came to observe the class.”

Although He Wenyan had seen Tan Yue once, he thought that at that time, Tan Yue was consumed by anger over Song Linchu’s unfair treatment, which made him appear intimidating. Now it seemed that it wasn’t the case.

He couldn’t help but ask, “Is he like this when he is with you?”

After asking, He Wenyan realized that it wasn’t an appropriate question and added, “I mean, is he so aloof?”

Song Linchu let out a soft “uh” and said, “It was more or less like that before, but he’s better now.”

“As expected, only you can find such a great partner,” Li Chang exclaimed, clenching his fist in approval. “Your mental strength is extraordinary.”

Song Linchu: “…”

Song Linchu felt it necessary to salvage some of his old gong’s image.

He cleared his throat and said, “He may appear aloof, but he’s actually quite good. There’s no need to be afraid of him. He really won’t bite.”

The three of them: “…”

They didn’t feel comforted.

Song Linchu also sensed that it sounded incredible, but that’s just Tan Yue’s nature. Today, he was already being gentle and considerate. It’s just that these three were seeing him for the first time and didn’t know that he could be even more distant.

“Anyway, he’s a good person, and there’s no need to be afraid. Hurry up and order, didn’t you say you were going to eat a hole in his wallet. Let me tell you, he’s not that considerate so you better hurry or you might end up not even getting full. I’ll help you with the ordering.”

Upon hearing this, the other three immediately started ordering.

They had decided what to eat yesterday, so they ordered quickly. Since Song Linchu had told them to enjoy themselves, they didn’t hold back and blindly ordered the restaurant’s specialties.

They had just finished ordering when Tan Yue returned.

He didn’t ask what the others had ordered since he heard that they had already done so. He casually flipped through the menu and ordered a bunch of dishes. Seeing him order so much, Song Linchu couldn’t help but ask, “Gege, can you eat all of this?”

Tan Yue looked at the others and said, “What of your friends?”

Song Linchu: “…”

Was there a need to slap him in the face like this?

The other three were sitting up straight, trying to keep a serious demeanor, but when they heard Tan Yue’s words, they couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

After ordering the dishes, Tan Yue asked for the others’ opinions and ordered some sake.

The restaurant was truly worthy of the time they spent selecting it. The taste was impeccable, especially the grilled bird. It was the first time Song Linchu realized that a chicken could be cooked in so many different ways.

As they enjoyed the skewers and sipped their sake, the conversation flowed.

The roommates were all talkative individuals. Their initial restraint was simply because Tan Yue exuded an overwhelming presence. But once they discovered that he was indeed, as Song Linchu had said, just a bit aloof but quite easy to talk to, their words became more plentiful.

“President Tan, you are truly fortunate. You’ve stolen away our school “flower”. If Linchu’s secret admirers found out, they would shed tears that could flood a mountain,” Li Chang said.

He had a low alcohol tolerance, and after two cups of sake, he was already showing signs of being tipsy, his eyes hazy.

For someone like Tan Yue, who could outdrink a crowd at the annual meeting, this amount of alcohol was child’s play. When he heard the term “school flower,” he raised an eyebrow and asked, “Shouldn’t it be ‘school grass?”

Upon hearing this question, the other three burst into laughter.

Song Linchu sighed, clearly feeling helpless about the matter.

“Originally, he should have been the school grass,” He Wenyan said, “but at that time, there was a handsome senior in the fourth year, and he had a lot of fans too. During the election, the two sides were constantly at odds. Later, when the votes on Linchu’s side surpassed the others, a fan of his from the Computer Science Department couldn’t accept it and directly sabotaged the forum by removing Linchu from the post about electing the school grass and put him on the one for school flowers.”

“…” College students really have too much time on their hands nowadays.

Gao Yuan continued, “Afterward, when everyone saw Linchu’s photo among a group of girls, there was no sense of discordance. He even looked better than them. So, they voted him onto the throne of the school flower.”

“To be honest, when I first saw Linchu, I was also stunned,” Li Chang recalled. “How should I put it? Like a pristine white rose blooming in the morning, clean and radiant. Apart from ‘beauty,’ I can’t find a suitable word.”

“Which one of you still has that famous photo of him that was posted on the forum when he just arrived?” He Wenyan asked.

Li Chang raised his hand and said, “I do, I do!”

Everyone immediately looked at him with weird expressions.

Li Chang realized something was wrong and quickly said, “No, I’m a completely straight man! Just a few days ago, that post was bumped up, and my girlfriend happened to see it. She took a screenshot while we were chatting. Don’t believe me? Take a look.”

Li Chang immediately took out his phone, opened the conversation with his girlfriend, and scrolled to that picture.

“Here, take a look.”

He turned his phone toward everyone and shook it around.

Finally, the screen stopped in front of Tan Yue, and Li Chang flatteringly said, “President Tan, you look first!”

Tan Yue was really interested in the Song Linchu of his freshman year. He took the phone, and when he saw the photo clearly, a hint of astonishment flickered in his eyes.

The person in the photo was still an eighteen-year-old youth, with a touch of youthful innocence on his face.

He was wearing a white shirt, and despite everyone having gotten a bit tanned after a summer break, he seemed to radiate a bright whiteness. The sunlight beamed down from above, casting its glow upon him, as if it could reflect back.

Song Linchu was pulling a suitcase with one hand and the other holding his acceptance letter. He was at the registration desk, and it seemed that the person taking the photo called out to him. He was looking over, a hint of confusion in his clear eyes, portraying absolute innocence. He embodied the six words “innocent male college student” to the fullest.

The hand holding the phone involuntarily tightened.

The Song Linchu at that time could have conquered ten suns.

Ahem, ahem, ahem, ahem.

No, it was a pit to have missed out on Song Linchu’s youthful period.

He observed subtly that Song Linchu’s shirt was visibly worn and had turned slightly yellow. It lacked any proper fit and relied solely on his looks. Even his luggage appeared old, indicating his unfavorable circumstances.

That summer, his mother had just passed away, leaving him burdened with debts. It must have been a difficult time for him.

Even a straight steel man like Tan Yue wished that they had met earlier.

“That photo went viral at the time,” He Wenyan said. “I remember it was even shared on Weibo, with over ten thousand retweets.”

“Yes, yes, even people from entertainment companies were inquiring, wanting to recruit him for that popular idol talent show at the time.”

“Then why didn’t you go?” Tan Yue suddenly asked Song Linchu.

It wasn’t that he wanted Song Linchu to participate in some silly talent show. It was just that Song Linchu was going through such hardships at the time, was a college student in a prestigious school and he was talented in singing.

Given his circumstances, he could have obtained a generous contract by participating in the show.

That’s why Tan Yue was curious about why Song Linchu had declined.

Song Linchu forced a laugh and said, “There are too many fraudsters.”

“Yes,” He Wenyan chimed in, “Remember the news about a girl from a rural area who was good at dancing? Someone deceived her by promising to take her to the talent show, but ended up doing something unspeakable to her.”

Tan Yue understood.

He returned the phone to Li Chang and decided to check the university forum on Song Linchu’s school later to save the original photo.

The conversation at the dinner table quickly shifted to other topics, but Tan Yue couldn’t shake off the image of that youthful and radiant teenager from his mind.

After the meal, Tan Yue easily out drunk the three. Although “out drunk” was the right word, Tan Yue was considerate and didn’t actually get them completely drunk, just enough to keep them pleasantly tipsy. He had the driver call them a car to take each of them home.

Song Linchu and Tan Yue, on the other hand, rode in their own car.

When they arrived home, it was only ten o’clock in the evening. Song Linchu was about to enter the house when Tan Yue held his hand.

Song Linchu turned his head and tilted it, asking, “What’s the matter, gege?”

“Are you tired?” Tan Yue asked.

“Not really,” Song Linchu rubbed his stomach and said somewhat sheepishly, “I just feel a bit stuffed.”

The roasted bird today was truly delicious, and with Tan Yue’s skillful spending…

Tan Yue suggested, “How about we take a stroll around your school?”

Song Linchu’s eyes brightened. “Okay.”

Their place was very close to the school, only a ten-minute walk away.

Song Linchu had been worried that Tan Yue, who clearly didn’t look like a student, wouldn’t be able to enter. But as soon as they reached the school gate, a security guard emerged from the security office and respectfully addressed Tan Yue, “Mr. Tan.”

Song Linchu: “…”

President Tan’s capitalism had infiltrated their school!

Corruption, it was too corrupt!

Once they entered the school, Song Linchu asked, “Is this the security guard you arranged to take care of my safety?”

“Yes, and no,” Tan Yue replied.

Song Linchu: ?

Tan Yue countered with a question, “Do you know that the security at your school is outsourced?”

Tan Yue briefly explained that the security is outsourced the same way the cafeteria is contracted. The security at their school was also contracted to a local security company.

Song Linchu immediately understood after hearing his explanation.

If the security guards were individually hired by the school, Tan Yue might have difficulty intervening. But since they were outsourced, it made things easier.

Corruption, it is utterly corrupt!

It was now ten o’clock at night, and many students had already returned to their dormitories. There were not many pedestrians on the road, only a few lovey-dovey couples.

The university campus was a natural haven for love, where young men and women, fueled by the cover of darkness, shamelessly indulged in this rare time alone together.

Song Linchu and Tan Yue, like any ordinary couple, held hands and strolled along the campus’s tree-lined avenue.

“Is that where your freshman registration was held?” Tan Yue suddenly pointed to an open space not far away and asked.

Song Linchu looked in the direction he pointed, recalled for a moment, and said, “It seems so. How did you know?”

“That building is the background of the photo,” Tan Yue pointed to a teaching building behind them.

Song Linchu: “…”

Is that so?

“At that time,” Tan Yue suddenly spoke, saying, “Did you have a difficult time?”

“It was alright,” Song Linchu reminisced about his circumstances back then and said, “That summer break was quite long. After my mother passed away, I didn’t sink into depression for long before I immersed myself in earning money. With the addition of financial aid for the underprivileged, it was actually okay. At least I didn’t have to worry about tuition.”

It was just the living expenses that caused some concern.

There were many courses in the freshman year, living expenses in the city were high, and he couldn’t get many jobs at that time. During the most difficult times, he would eat free rice and a vegetable dish in the cafeteria, spending two yuan for a meal. The auntie at the counter recognized him as a special case.

But at least he had enough to eat.

Due to his upbringing, Song Linchu was someone easily satisfied. As long as he had education and meals, it was enough for him.

Moreover, the people in his dormitory were very kind. They didn’t mock or mistreat him because of his poverty. They even racked their brains to help him without hurting his self-esteem.

For example, “Today, I bought a chicken leg, but I saw sweet and sour spare ribs and also wanted to eat them. I can’t finish both, so can you help me eat the chicken leg?”—such excuses.

So Song Linchu was very grateful to them.

Tan Yue tightened his grip on Song Linchu’s hand.

Feeling his emotions, Song Linchu asked, “Are you thinking that it would have been great if we had met during that time?”

Tan Yue awkwardly turned his head to the side and said, “Yes.”

“Forget it, with your typical straight steel man thinking, you probably would have thought I was pretending to be pitiful to deceive you with sympathy. My mind was filled with making money and studying at that time, I wouldn’t have the interest in pursuing or bothering you.”

Tan Yue: “…”

Why speak such blunt truths?

If they had met back then, their relationship would definitely have never progressed beyond exchanging a glance…..

After all, he didn’t fall in love with Song Linchu at first sight.

Ahem.

“Let’s cherish the present,” Song Linchu held his hand and swayed it, smiling, “It’s quite lovely this way, isn’t it?”

A smile also emerged in Tan Yue’s eyes: “Yes.”

The moon tonight was enchanting.

It was April, the perfect season of blossoming spring. The greeneries of A University were well-maintained, and at this time, the flowers competed in their vibrant splendor. Walking along the road, one could smell the rich fragrance of blooms.

It was the breath of spring.

It was the potent and fragrant wine, preserved throughout the winter.

Song Linchu and Tan Yue walked slowly. The warm yellow streetlights cast long shadows, and the mottled tree shadows intertwined crookedly with their figures, creating irregular geometric shapes.

They held hands, traversing through the bitter moments of Song Linchu’s youth, and venturing towards a future where he would no longer be alone.

Having you in the future is truly wonderful.

!!The End!!

We’ve come to the end of the main text🎉. Now we’ll go to the 19 extras!!