IROAWTMTFL Chapter 53.2

A few days later, on Tuesday, Zhuang Yiyun caught Yan Yan again at the library. Yan Yan was searching for a book when a thick book suddenly disappeared from the shelf, revealing Zhuang Yiyun’s face. It wasn’t a coincidental encounter like in movies; it was obvious Zhuang Yiyun came to find him, his gaze fixed on him.

Previously, it was the weekend, so Zhuang Yiyun not working made sense, but what about today? It was Tuesday afternoon; why was he here?

Yan Yan looked at him with suspicion. Zhuang Yiyun raised his hand and passed an envelope through the gap in the bookshelf.

It was a simple brown envelope, typically used by adults for money. But Zhuang Yiyun wouldn’t use it for money. Yan Yan hesitated to accept it.

A thought popped into his mind, one he couldn’t suppress: Could this be a love letter? So…what should he do?

When he didn’t take it, Zhuang Yiyun handed it over again. Yan Yan had no choice but to take it, putting down the book he held, and opened the envelope. As he did, Zhuang Yiyun put the thick book he had taken back on the shelf.

Across the bookshelf, Yan Yan saw Zhuang Yiyun turning around and walking toward him. His emotions were stirred involuntarily, one end connected to the envelope, the other to Zhuang Yiyun, who was half-hidden from view.

Opening the envelope, he found a plain sheet of paper, a type he hadn’t seen in years. Yan Yan unfolded it. The was content brief—

[Yan Yan,

I would like to formally invite you to spend the festival together tomorrow. Can you?

Zhuang Yiyun

2.13]

After reading these lines, Zhuang Yiyun walked right in front of him. As soon as he looked up, he met Zhuang Yiyun’s gaze and completely forgot about his previous doubts. This invitation to spend Valentine’s Day together was the most touching love letter he had ever received.

After the dinner last Saturday, Zhuang Yiyun sent fewer messages. Probably knowing he didn’t check his phone much during the day, he adjusted to his schedule, usually talking to him only in the morning or evening. He could have invited him for Valentine’s Day through WeChat, or even a phone call, but he came to the school in person, delivering the letter without prior notice.

Yan Yan felt sweet inside but still pretended to ask, “You came all this way just for this?”

Zhuang Yiyun nodded, “It’s formal.”

“Don’t you have work?”

“I do. I just had some errands to run.”

In that moment, Yan Yan felt the sensation of being in love, experiencing Zhuang Yiyun’s unique kind of romance. Despite his busy job, Zhuang Yiyun made time for him, doing some unnecessary silly things and creating a sense of ritual for him. He had experienced this person’s sincerity before; Zhuang Yiyun wouldn’t use sweet words to deceive him. After all, when he said he would do something, he did it. So, when he said he had errands, that meant delivering the letter was the main task, and the errands were secondary.

Yan Yan couldn’t contain his smile anymore.

The library was quite crowded, but rows of bookshelves separated the space. The row they were in happened to be deserted. Yan Yan’s smile was enchanting, and Zhuang Yiyun took a step forward, pressing him against the bookshelf.

His right hand caressed Yan Yan’s cheek, the fingers gently tracing the jawline with rhythm. It was a posture ready for a kiss. Yan Yan was trapped between the bookshelf and Zhuang Yiyun in an ambiguous and domineering posture.

“I missed you,” Zhuang Yiyun said. Feeling like it wasn’t enough, he added, “I missed you so much.”

“Your letter didn’t mention the location. Where do you want to take me tomorrow?” Yan Yan’s heart was beating fast, his gaze flickering between Zhuang Yiyun’s lips and eyes. Zhuang Yiyun was wearing silver frameless glasses today, and his already full sense of abstinence was doubled, dancing according to Yan Yan’s aesthetics.

“To be honest, I don’t know. I’ve never celebrated Valentine’s Day before. I don’t know how to make you happy.”

“You do know… otherwise, how could I be so happy now?”

Yan Yan’s voice was soft. Before he finished speaking, Zhuang Yiyun’s lips had already gently pressed against his.

Footsteps approached from nearby. Before the kiss could deepen, Yan Yan slipped away from Zhuang Yiyun like a fish. He smiled at Zhuang Yiyun and waved the letter in his hand, then retreated backward, swimming to the other end of the bookshelf and merging into the vast reading room, no longer allowing Zhuang Yiyun to “catch” him.

Zhuang Yiyun chuckled and placed the coffee he was holding on Yan Yan’s table. Then he walked out of the library and wemt straight to the pharmacy department’s classroom for his lecture.

Except for people like Yan Yan, who studied offline, the title of the newly arrived guest lecturer from the pharmacy department had spread throughout the university. He was so handsome that all his classes were fully booked. He had given three lectures in half a month. From his second lecture onwards, not only seats but even the aisles were packed with students squeezing in to listen.

Discussion threads about him on the forum were all hot topics. People were quite expressive on the forum, with many expressing a desire to marry him. Not just girls; many boys joined in, showing that this professor was universally attractive. This kind of widespread appeal was unprecedented at the university. His background was thoroughly investigated, and interviews with him were compiled, forming a collection called “Professor Zhuang’s Wisdom”. One could find it the moment they came on the forum.

Today, Zhuang Yiyun’s class was also packed. The moment he entered the classroom, it caused quite a commotion. It turned out that not only Yan Yan found him sexy in glasses; others sensed the sexual tension brought about by his abstinent demeanor.

“I’m dead! Professor Zhuang, please shine your direct sunlight on me!”

“I’m the nose pad on his glasses, licking his towering nose bridge.”

Some bold individuals had already started beeping. Students in the front row turned around and gave them thumbs up. It turned out these were students from other departments, emboldened because they were wearing masks and no one knew them.

Students from the pharmacy department felt a strong connection with each other. A unanimous thought popped into their minds: who would’ve expected to lose in this aspect? They were all familiar with each other, so they were all restrained!

The goddess has the heart, but the king has no dreams, alas. Zhuang Yiyun deliberately wore glasses today, but it was not to show off his sexual appeal. He didn’t know a small accessory could strike Yan Yan’s heart, nor did he know it would stir so many students.

He put down what he was holding, raised his eyes and scanned the room. Facing the enthusiastic gazes of the university students, he raised his left hand and casually adjusted his glasses frame. As a result, the wedding ring on his left ring finger was quite eye catching.

Yes, he wore glasses today to show off his ring. He had Yan Yan and didn’t want to attract anyone else’s unwarranted attention. The ring he bought to ward off unwanted advances at work, was now being used to fend off romantic interests at school. But this time, he genuinely hoped that this ring symbolized his relationship with Yan Yan.

The forum exploded In the afternoon. Before class was even over, pictures of Professor Zhuang’s ring were posted from various angles, causing an uproar.

[Twenty-eight years old, he’s only twenty-eight! Why marry so young!]

[Can someone tell me why it’s not me???]

[Of course it’s not you, I’m taking my husband, no reservations.]

[Another one has gone crazy, drag them away.]

Yan Yan was unaware of all this. He was in a good mood because of Zhuang Yiyun’s invitation. The latte Zhuang Yiyun bought for him didn’t have any sugar, but why did it taste so sweet? Did the café make a mistake? Was it a mocha?

He returned to his dorm after dinner happily, and Yan Yan found Hu Cong, who had said he had something to do today and would not study, already back.

“Hu Cong, I’m back.”

Hu Cong didn’t respond; he was busy with his phone. It didn’t look like he was playing a game, but Yan Yan wasn’t sure what he was doing exactly. He called him again, and this time he snapped out of it. Seeing that Yan Yan had returned, he had a look of wanting to say something but hesitating.

“What’s wrong? Do I have ink on my face?”

“No.”

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

Hu Cong hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Is your cousin, the professor at our school?”

“Who?” Yan Yan then realized he was talking about his fake cousin, Zhuang Yiyun. “What professor? He isn’t.”

Upon hearing this, Hu Cong became anxious, thinking of the photos he had seen just now. He took a deep breath and asked, “He’s not your cousin, right?”

Yan Yan didn’t say anything, and Hu Cong stomped his foot in frustration. “You’ve caused me so much trouble! I was defending you on the forum, saying Professor Zhuang is your cousin, there’s no way you’d have an inappropriate relationship with your cousin. But then someone posted evidence. Why did you deceive me!”

Hu Cong’s words were confusing, and Yan Yan didn’t understand. He asked him what had happened.

“He became a professor at our school? Are you sure it’s him?”

As Yan Yan spoke, he took the phone Hu Cong handed him.

What met his eyes was a towering red building: ‘A certain school grass is really awesome, the new guest lecturer from the pharmacy department was taken down within a few days.’

Yan Yan frowned and opened the post. It was posted during dinner today, and within an hour, it had over five hundred comments. The first picture was of Zhuang Yiyun kissing him in the library, followed by a picture of them hugging on the way to the library that day. Although the photos were slightly blurry and distant, his iconic golden semi-long hair was recognizable.

“This post wasn’t there this afternoon; the one next to it was the one everyone was talking about. Professor Zhuang wore a wedding ring today, and the forum was in chaos. Everyone was crying that the new male god is already married. There’s a person in that post who specifically named you, saying you seduced the married Professor Zhuang, that you’re shameless, and the like.”

“I certainly didn’t accept it. I was ready to fight him, I rolled up my sleeves and said he’s your cousin, how could you mess around!”

On hearing this, even Yan Yan felt suffocated.

He was just teasing Zhuang Yiyun, and what happened? His straightforward roommate fought a fierce battle for him on the forum. He should be moved, but how could he? Is this some sort of karma? Did he inadvertently invite this upon himself?

“And then?”

“And then that person argued with me for dozens of floors. When he couldn’t win, he accused me of being your licking dog. He said he had evidence and immediately slapped me in the face.”

“And then?” Yan Yan could already foresee what kind of chaotic scene it would be.

As expected, Hu Cong said, “And then he directly posted the pictures, uploaded this one.”

Hu Cong pointed to the kissing photo. His hand was stretched out far, almost making himself cross-eyed. He glanced at the position of the photo and immediately shifted his gaze. As a straight man, he felt a bit embarrassed.

“I can’t believe it and said it was photoshopped. He told me to wait, and when I checked again, he had posted a separate thread with a bunch of pictures.”

Yan Yan: “…” Should he say Hu Cong’s loyalty as a good friend was exaggerated?

“Yan Yan, is Professor Zhuang lying to you about being single?” Seeing his pale face, Hu Cong asked cautiously, “Men with high education levels aren’t necessarily honest, especially good-looking ones. How many handsome guys are faithful? Don’t be fooled.”

“I don’t mean you of course.” Hu Cong belatedly corrected himself.

Yan Yan almost couldn’t breathe. He took out his phone, dialed a number and angrily shouted into it, “Zhuang Yiyun, go home and take a photo of our marriage certificate right now!”