DTTCM Chapter 39

Yu Zuojin stared at Sheng Yuan’s empty wrist for a while, said nothing, and turned back to school.

The temperature dropped significantly at night, a full ten degrees lower than during the day.

Yu Zuojin emerged from the bathroom, clad only in a pair of gray sweat pants. Water droplets slid down the contours of his back muscles, and a towel covered his head, accentuating his cervical bones when he lowered his head.

He sat on the bed, drying his hair and intending to sleep.

He had a habit of not wearing shirts while sleeping. At the age of seventeen or eighteen, his vitality was in full swing, and even a thin layer of clothing would make him feel hot and unable to fall asleep. So, he always slept shirtless.

His tall figure lay on the single wooden bed. All the beds in the dormitory were custom-made with the same dimensions, measuring two meters by one meter three.

Yu Zuojin lay on top of it, feeling somewhat aggrieved.

Tonight, the autumn wind blew fervently, and the whooshing sound of the wind beating against the window seams could be heard.

He tossed and turned on the bed, unable to sleep.

He felt restless, furrowing his brows and displaying an easily angered and irritable demeanor.

It seemed as though a fire was burning up and down in his chest, completely obliterating his drowsiness.

He tried changing his position, lying face down on the bed, burying half of his face in the pillow, with his strong and powerful arms resting by the side of the pillow.

This was his most common sleeping posture.

Still, he couldn’t fall asleep.

Unable to bear it any longer, Yu Zuojin threw off the covers, got up, and opened the wardrobe. He grabbed a thick coat haphazardly and put it on his bare body. He reached into his pants pocket and took out several hundred yuan before leaving Room 408.

The evening wind howled, and it was approaching half-past eleven now. Most of the dormitory lights were still on, and students were diligently studying inside their rooms.

Efforts like these often took place where others couldn’t see.

Yu Zuojin made his way to the first floor, frowning as he looked at the illuminated duty room.

In the past, he wouldn’t have had any concerns and would simply walk out, not even the dormitory supervisor could stop him.

But now things were different.

The dormitory supervisor would not only stop him but also report him.

For the first time, Yu Zuojin sneaked past the duty room, crouching low because of his tall stature.

Once he left the dormitory building, his complexion turned as dark as the night, overwhelmed by an unprecedented sense of shame.

To keep up the pretense, he didn’t leave through the main gate but instead climbed over the wall on the eastern side of the school.

Outside the school, the lights were bright, and he headed towards the city center.

The closer he got to the city center, the more crowded the streets became. Eleven or twelve o’clock was the beginning of the night’s activities, and the streets were bustling with people, lively and noisy.

Yu Zuojin entered a niche luxury watch store, which exuded dazzling extravagance from its storefront and interior design.

It had been a long time since he had been to such a store.

The last time was five years ago when his mother had a rare free time and took him shopping.

The shop assistant stood at the door and opened it for him.

“Welcome, may I help you?”

Glancing at his external cochlear implant on both ears and the suction cups on the side of his head, the shop assistant remained composed on the surface but was slightly surprised inside.

He was a hearing-impaired person, and he appeared quite young, only seventeen or eighteen years old.

Yu Zuojin looked at the bright and clean store and spoke in a hoarse voice, “Watches.”

After a moment of silence, he added, “Digital watches.”

“Very well, this way, please.”

Seeing that he looked like a student, the shop assistant naturally led him to the affordable section. The price range for digital watches worn by students was just right within this range; it would be unnecessary to go for something too expensive.

The shop assistant began the introduction.

“Dear student, you can take a look at these digital watches. They are the popular models in our store.”

The shop assistant took out several well-selling digital watches from the display cabinet, with prices ranging from three hundred to five hundred.

“These are just right for students, full of youthful energy, and the customer feedback is also very good.”

“Our store provides a one-year warranty and battery replacement.”

Yu Zuojin looked at those watches, turning around without finding what he wanted.

Clearly, these digital watches were similar to the one Shen Yuan wore on his wrist.

But he wasn’t satisfied.

There was nothing suitable for Shen Yuan.

There was nothing in this row of watch cabinets either.

Then he noticed a custom display cabinet with a metallic mechanical-style digital watch inside.

Seeing his gaze, the shop assistant approached and enthusiastically introduced it.

“This is our store’s new digital watch, designed in a fusion of futuristic science fiction aesthetics. It has automatic sensing, and the dial will display a blue holographic light with automatic technology.”

The shop assistant paused strategically, “But the price is a bit high for students. Do you see anything else you like?”

Yu Zuojin looked at the watch.

“How much is it?”

“5999.”

Yu Zuojin only had three to four hundred yuan in his pocket, not even enough for the remainder of the watch’s price.

His black pupils remained calm.

“Can you reserve it?”

The shop assistant replied, “We can reserve it, but you’ll need to pay an additional five hundred yuan as a reservation deposit. If you want to reserve it today, the reservation period will end by the middle of next month, with a maximum reservation time of only half a month.”

Yu Zuojin didn’t confirm whether he wanted to reserve it but started reaching into his pocket.

Four wrinkled one-hundred-yuan bills, followed by assorted paper bills and coins, totaling five hundred yuan.

The shop assistant said, “If the reservation period ends or if you change your mind midway and no longer want it, the reservation deposit can be refunded.”

Yu Zuojin acknowledged this and glanced at the digital watch before turning and leaving the store.

He retraced his steps back to the dormitory, searching for cash in various pockets of his clothes—pants, shirts, under the bed, and on the table. He searched everywhere.

Scattered and fragmented, he searched for a long time but couldn’t find many whole bills.

Adding his dishwashing wages from the barbecue restaurant in his phone for this month, he had a total of just over three thousand nine hundred yuan.

He earned two thousand eight hundred yuan as a monthly wage at the barbecue restaurant. Yu Zuojin went there every afternoon and worked until late at night. In addition, his strong physique allowed him to help with unloading cargo, making the job somewhat stable for over two years.

But because he was at the age of growing and studying, most of his money was spent on tuition fees, food, and daily necessities. At seventeen, his life was burdened with financial worries; he needed to do everything a lot.

He ate a lot, had high physical activity, and grew rapidly in these two years. In junior high, he was only 1.7 meters tall, but now he had grown tall and sturdy.

He drank two bottles of milk every day, a habit he formed since junior high. As long as he was taller and stronger than others, no one could bully him.

The quality of life declined significantly when he came tl No.1 Middle School, with a huge gap compared to before. He fell from being a wealthy kid, but he still had the habit of drinking milk—two bottles a day. If he didn’t have money, he would drink cheaper brands with lower protein content.

All he wanted was the familiar taste.

As long as he was satisfied.

Just like now, Yu Zuojin looked at all the money he took out, which still wasn’t enough.

He could easily a buy cheap and affordable watch for Shen Yuan or not buy anything at all.

But he wouldn’t be happy.

Just like lying in bed, even if he was shirtless and couldn’t sleep.

Shen Yuan had taught him that.

He always remembered it in his heart.

–Emotions were mutual.

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Author’s Note:

Wear cheap ten-yuan underwear but buy a six-thousand-yuan watch for your boyfriend.

Brother Yu: Save where you can, spend where you need to.