Shoutout to Kari for the commission!
“Orange-flavored cupcakes?” Le Cheng repeated blankly.
“Mm-hmm.” Zhou Shirui nodded. “There’s a bakery up ahead. Let’s go get some.”
“Oh… oh, okay.” Le Cheng unconsciously followed him, momentarily unable to process what was happening.
Huh?
We’re not breaking up??
Zhou Shirui walked beside him, and as Le Cheng stared at his profile, a wave of confusion washed over him.
Why aren’t we breaking up?
Why aren’t we breaking up?
Le Cheng couldn’t help but ask again to confirm: “Are we really still going out to eat tomorrow?”
Zhou Shirui nodded: “If you don’t want to go out, we can always go to the cafeteria.”
Le Cheng was a bit flustered: “Really?”
Zhou Shirui looked at him intently: “Mm-hmm.”
Under the gaze of those eyes, Le Cheng fell silent, lowering his head as if deep in thought.
Zhou Shirui observed his reaction, wondering if he looked even a little happier.
They walked into a beautifully decorated cake shop. The store was enormous, with various certificates and medals displayed on the walls. The kitchen was open to view, and the entire shop was filled with a sweet, pleasant aroma.
Zhou Shirui kept his eyes downcast, glancing over the dazzling array of desserts on the shelves. A server in a uniform smiled as they approached: “Hello, sir. Our new ‘Orange Taro Paste’ series is a hit, it tastes amazing, and we can’t keep it in stock every day.
Would you like to give it a try?”
Zhou Shirui didn’t hesitate: “Sure. I’d love to.”
He pointed to a few items in the display case. “Wrap all of these up, please.”
Le Cheng, standing beside him, widened his eyes slightly: “That much?”
Only then did Zhou Shirui look at him: “Can’t you finish all that?”
Le Cheng hesitantly nodded, and Zhou Shirui said, “It’s fine. Share them with your roommates.”
The server smiled and said, “That’s right. Our new products are delicious. Share them with your roommates so they can try something new, they’ll definitely be happy.”
That was certainly true, so Le Cheng obediently replied, “Mm-hmm, okay.”
Zhou Shirui seemed to be in a good mood. After the server finished wrapping the orange-taro paste series, he walked further into the store and picked out a few popular items.
Seeing that he was a big spender, the server couldn’t stop smiling: “Sir, you really have great taste. Is the person next to you your… boyfriend? He’s really handsome.”
Zhou Shirui turned his head ever so slightly to look at Le Cheng.
Le Cheng didn’t hear the clerk’s small talk. Watching Zhou Shirui buy more and more, he couldn’t help but think, it looked like he wouldn’t need to eat all day tomorrow, he’d be grateful just to finish all these “Glow” cakes.
As they left the cake shop, Zhou Shirui carried three wrapped gift boxes with one hand. Le Cheng couldn’t stand to watch, so he reached out and said, “Let me take one.”
“No need,” Zhou Shirui said casually. “ “Want to try some now?”
Le Cheng looked troubled. “I might get my hands dirty.”
Zhou Shirui: “Then we’ll eat them when we get home.”
As the two walked toward the street, Le Cheng glanced at Zhou Shirui. Looking at his calm, chiseled profile, with his eyelashes cast downward, he felt a sense of wonder.
—I never would’ve guessed Zhou Shirui had such a high tolerance.
He’d thought that after they kissed, they’d break up.
He’d even given him a breakup gift! One he’d spent three whole days making! A breakup gift!
Le Cheng felt a bit sad and a bit frustrated, it had all been for nothing. What would he give him next time they broke up?
But fortunately, Le Cheng was never one to give up easily.
He quickly pulled himself together and, reasoning that since they weren’t breaking up after all, asked with a touch of drama, “By the way. Why haven’t you been talking to me these past couple of days?”
It wasn’t exactly ignoring him, just a bit cold.
But he might as well use that excuse, right?
Zhou Shirui curled his fingers slightly, his heart racing, and in a steady tone, he offered an excuse: “I’ve been pretty busy lately.”
After speaking, Zhou Shirui tilted his head to gauge Le Cheng’s reaction. He was looking down, kicking a small pebble; his cheeks were innocent and soft. Whether he believed him or not, he suddenly felt as if he were the “bad guy” he’d just described, and feeling a bit annoyed, he whispered, “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”
Le Cheng looked up, surprised inside but saying aloud, “All right… I’ll reluctantly forgive you then.”
They took a taxi back to school and arrived at the dorm building. Le Cheng, hugging a stack of cakes, waved goodbye to Zhou Shirui.
He turned and headed upstairs, struggling to open the dorm room door. He Ziqing was playing “Dou Dizhu” on his phone with Tan Xiaobai.
Hearing the noise, He Ziqing looked up, instantly shocked, and hurriedly put down his phone to greet him.
Tan Xiaobai screamed from the side, “Ziqing!!! Who did you ‘blow up’!!! You just blew me up!!! We’re on the same team!!!”
He Ziqing looked very embarrassed: “What? Did I blow you up?”
Le Cheng chuckled: “Oh, come on, stop playing. Everyone come down and eat some cake, there’s plenty, and they’re all new flavors!”
Tan Xiaobai tossed his phone aside and followed He Ziqing to take the package from Le Cheng’s hands. When he opened it, his eyes lit: “Le Xiaoqing, have you hit the jackpot? Is this brand from that store downtown? I remember it being really expensive.”
“No,” Le Cheng said absentmindedly, resting his chin in his hand. “Zhou Shirui bought it for me.”
“That’s so nice,” Tan Xiaobai said, patting his shoulder. “Starting today, I, Tan Xiaobai, fully support you in this relationship.”
He Ziqing said slowly, “I support you, too.”
Le Cheng pretended to hit them both: “Oh, come on, you two, you’ve actually let yourselves be bribed by dessert!”
“That’s right,” Tan Xiaobai said. “I hope the great Zhou will bribe me more often in the future. I’d be eternally grateful.”
Le Cheng smiled as he took a bite of cake. The sweet flavor instantly filled his mouth, brimming with the scent of oranges.
The taro paste was rich and creamy, blending beautifully with the whipped cream.
Delicious!
Le Cheng closed his eyes blissfully and pulled out his phone, only to find that Zhou Shirui had sent him a message two minutes ago.
[Zhou Shirui: Have you had the cake yet?]
[Zhou Shirui: Did you eat the cake?]
Le Cheng typed with one hand.
[Orange: I did! I like it, I really like it.]
[Orange: Puppy New Year Greeting.jpg]
“Ding-dong—”
[Zhou Shirui: Glad you like it.]
Le Cheng set his phone aside and joined everyone for a hearty meal.
It was late at night, and they couldn’t possibly eat all that much dessert, so the shop gave them two insulated containers, the treats wouldn’t go bad even if left for a day. Le Cheng put all the leftovers into the containers before heading off to wash up.
Sitting at his computer while drying his hair, he opened a document he’d created and began reviewing the “Drama Queen Plan” and the “Straight Guy Action Plan” he’d made earlier.
Thankfully, he hadn’t accidentally deleted them.
Le Cheng scanned through the document line by line and drew a checkmark in the “Kiss” column.
A kiss would never make Zhou Shirui want to break up!
Or rather, just one kiss wouldn’t make Zhou Shirui want to break up at all!
Le Cheng reflected on himself. Could it be that he’d been slacking off lately, not acting as dramatic or annoying as before?
Exactly.
Because he sensed the relationship was on the verge of ending, he’d started slacking off, he’d stopped following the “Straight Guy Action Plan,” and the “Drama Queen Plan” had never really gotten off the ground.
Le Cheng rested his chin in his hand, thinking deeply.
That’s exactly it!
Without realizing it, he’d strengthened Zhou Shirui’s “antibodies.” The Zhou Shirui of today wasn’t just any Zhou Shirui, he was Niu Huluru-Zhou Shirui.
Was he not being aggressive enough? Or wasn’t he being dramatic enough?
Le Cheng decided to return to his old ways and put his skills as a clingy drama queen to good use.
He glanced at his phone, it was 10:10 p.m. and tapped Zhou Shirui.
[Orange: What are you up to?]
[Zhou Shirui: What’s up?]
Le Cheng gathered his thoughts.
[Orange: Can’t I just message you for no reason?]
After sending the message, Le Cheng felt like he was being unreasonable.
But what can you do? That’s just how we drama queens are.
Zhou Shirui’s status read [Typing…]
[Zhou Shirui: Sure.]
For some reason, Le Cheng felt like Zhou Shirui had become a bit more easygoing.
He was too easygoing, Le Cheng almost felt bad about acting up.
He paused for a moment, then tapped the screen.
[Orange: I said before that I wanted to go to class with you, but I couldn’t make it, so I’d like to go tomorrow.]
[Orange: Do you have class tomorrow?]
Rule Number Three of the Drama Queen: Be clingy! Be clingy! Be clingy!
Zhou Shirui replied three minutes later.
[Zhou Shirui: First period tomorrow.]
[Zhou Shirui: Want to come?]
[Orange: I’m in!]
It’s just an 8 a.m. class, Le Cheng was adamant that, compared to his grand plan, it didn’t matter!
Zhou Shirui replied: [Okay, I’ll wait for you downstairs tomorrow morning.]
–
The next morning.
Le Cheng struggled to drag himself out of bed. “Early-bird people, early-bird souls, those who take 8 a.m. classes are a cut above the rest,” he kept telling himself as he washed up.
He quickly grabbed a pale yellow-looking shirt, and by the time he went downstairs, Zhou Shirui was already waiting there, broad-shouldered and long-legged, dressed all in black.
Le Cheng strode over, a strand of hair still sticking up at the back of his head: “Let’s go.”
Zhou Shirui lowered his gaze: “Mm, let’s go get breakfast.”
After breakfast, they arrived at the classroom. Le Cheng took a deep breath, feeling a little nervous.
Although he’d come to “visit” as Zhou Shirui’s boyfriend before, those times weren’t during class, so not many people had noticed him.
Now that he was accompanying his boyfriend to class, Le Cheng felt a bit self-conscious.
“Brother Rui!” Cheng Yufei, with his sharp eyes and loud voice, spotted them immediately and called out, “Wow, you’re so slow! You left so early, yet you’re this late… Huh? Le Cheng? Are you here to accompany Brother Rui to class?”
Not many people had arrived in the classroom yet, but upon hearing Cheng Yufei’s loud voice, those eager for gossip turned their heads one after another.
“Wow, a hottie.”
“A hottie I’ve never seen before!”
“Why does he look familiar… Didn’t he come here last time?”
“I remember now, isn’t this Zhou Shirui’s boyfriend?”
“D*mn, he’s got a boyfriend to accompany him to an 8 a.m. class…”
Le Cheng greeted him, and Cheng Yufei quickly leaned in, grinning in a way that just begged a punch: “No wonder, Big Brother Rui, you’re so late, you were waiting for your boyfriend, weren’t you~”
His drawn-out tone was full of teasing.
Zhou Shirui gave him a cool look and curled the corner of his lip. “You know that, so why don’t you move?”
“D*mn. Friends for nothing.” Cheng Yufei picked up his book. “Fine, I’ll make room for the two of you. I’ll sit in the back.”
Le Cheng: “Huh? No, no, don’t…”
“Let him sit in the back,” Zhou Shirui said.
“Oh…” Le Cheng sat down next to Zhou Shirui. The bell rang, and the classroom quickly fell silent.
Although he’d arrived full of ambition, seeing how intently Zhou Shirui was listening to the lecture, Le Cheng didn’t have the heart to disturb him. He forced himself to stay alert and tried to listen for a while, but realized he couldn’t understand a thing. Propping his head up, his eyelids began to fight against each other.
So sleepy…
His head bobbed up and down, like a chick pecking at grain. It suddenly lurch forward, it didn’t hurt, but it landed in Zhou Shirui’s hand. Le Cheng blinked dazedly, then simply lay his head down and said in a soft voice, “Senior Zhou… I want to sleep. Could you keep an eye on the teacher for me? If he comes down to the front, wake me up.”
Zhou Shirui agreed, “Okay.”
Le Cheng fell asleep almost immediately.
His sleeping face was serene, his slender nostrils rising and falling. His eyelashes were long and looked soft; every feature seemed as if it had been meticulously carved, coming together to create a soothing, beautiful sight.
Zhou Shirui rarely let his mind wander during class, not even during theory lectures, but now he found himself staring at Le Cheng uncontrollably for a while.
Le Cheng’s sleep was restless.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it must not have been a full lecture yet. The classroom was filled only with the rustling sound of pen and paper as students took notes. Le Cheng’s eyelashes fluttered slightly; he opened his eyes, looking a bit dazed, but didn’t move.
He had been sleeping with his face turned toward Zhou Shirui. He didn’t know what the teacher was saying up front, but Zhou Shirui was sitting with a relaxed posture at the blackboard, his gaze calm, his long, well-defined fingers tapping lightly on the desk.
Le Cheng had just woken up; his mind was still sluggish. Suddenly struck by a fleeting thought, they say a man is most handsome when he’s focused, he found Zhou Shirui’s appearance as he listened intently to the lecture quite attractive.
He quickly committed the scene to memory. Zhou Shirui’s peripheral vision caught him, and upon realizing he was awake, he tilted his head slightly.
Le Cheng, lying face-down, couldn’t help but curve his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes, then beckoned Zhou Shirui with a flick of his finger.
This expression made him look like a sly little fox.
Zhou Shirui hesitated briefly, but leaned in anyway, asking softly, “What’s up?”
Le Cheng leaned close to his ear and whispered in a soft, breathy voice, “You look really good like this.”
It’s a treat for my eyes.
“………” Zhou Shirui’s Adam’s apple bobbed; his hand gripping the pen suddenly tightened, and his heart began to race.
Zhou Shirui lowered his gaze: “Is that so?”
Le Cheng was perfectly honest: “Yeah.”
He didn’t realize at all that this sounded a lot like flirting. His eyes darted around, and he suddenly grew curious: “Zhou Shirui, has anyone ever pursued you before?”
After all, he’d already known Zhou Shirui when he traveled through time, and the beginning of the novel didn’t go into much detail on that front. Le Cheng hadn’t bothered to read it carefully before, but now he really wanted to know.
Zhou Shirui put a little distance between them and said flatly, “Yeah.”
This was perfectly normal, after all, the male lead was naturally all charm and charisma, and Le Cheng understood that completely. But he immediately started putting on a show, asking in a deliberately dramatic tone: “So that’s how it is? Hah, I’m jealous! Tell me, did you turn them all down?”
He deliberately furrowed his brow, looking as if he were very angry.
But this expression held no threat whatsoever.
Zhou Shirui said softly, “No. ”
“Huh?” Le Cheng’s eyes widened, the script didn’t mention that. “You didn’t turn who down?”
Zhou Shirui fixed his gaze on him: “You.”
Zhou Shirui repeated softly, “I didn’t turn you down.”
Le Cheng froze. Staring into Zhou Shirui’s deep, dark, focused eyes, he suddenly felt his face grow hot and mumbled, “That’s different…”
He stammered, “You’re… being a cheater!”
Zhou Shirui gave a short chuckle, finding him as cute as a kitten: “I’m telling the truth, why is that being a cheater?”
“That’s not true,” Le Cheng said, unable to argue with him, and turned his face away, his cheeks flushed.
A long lecture ended, and the clock struck 10:30. Le Cheng stood up, stretched, and said to Zhou Shirui, “Let’s go get something to eat.”
“Sure,” Zhou Shirui nodded.
Le Cheng decided to go to the cafeteria.
It wasn’t mealtime, so the cafeteria was quiet. Le Cheng walked to the far end to get his meal, thinking to himself that once he got back to the dorm, he’d first finish the manuscript he had to turn in, and then sketch another picture of Zhou Shirui’s fish.
He’d use the scene he’d just imagined.
After all, they hadn’t broken up yet, and he still had to keep slowly paying off his debt, so what was wrong with freeloading on Zhou Shirui’s body for a bit?
Le Cheng thought to himself, his reasoning may not have been sound, but he felt completely justified.
Besides… Zhou Shirui didn’t even know.
Le Cheng felt he was really lucky. Although there had been a lot going on since he’d been transported here, overall he was happy, and besides…
He’d been secretly drawing for so long, and Zhou Shirui still hadn’t noticed!
Le Cheng was absolutely certain that Zhou Shirui definitely hadn’t noticed he was secretly drawing him.
Because in his imagination, if Zhou Shirui found out, as a straight guy, he’d definitely be very angry and coldly confront him: “What is this? Why are you secretly drawing me? Classmate, please immediately delete any drawings related to me.”
And then break up with him.
A sudden flash of inspiration struck Le Cheng.
…Or maybe he could just come out of the closet to rile Zhou Shirui up a bit?
No, no. He quickly dismissed the idea in his mind.
That would be way too embarrassing. Forget it, forget it, forget it, he wouldn’t come out of the closet; he had his own clever plan.
After quickly getting his meal, Le Cheng walked back and, upon seeing Zhou Shirui, set his food down on the table.
During the meal, Zhou Shirui was very quiet, and Le Cheng wasn’t much of a talker either. Since he’d just eaten that morning, he wasn’t hungry, so Le Cheng was somewhat distracted. Just as he was chewing on some shredded potatoes, he heard Zhou Shirui suddenly say, “Le Cheng.”
“Hmm?” Le Cheng looked up.
Zhou Shirui’s tone was calm: “When I was posting a job opening on the forum, you called me. Why did you turn it down back then?”
He had carefully reviewed Le Cheng’s Douyin work; the art style was beautiful, consistent, and mature, as if he’d been drawing for many years. He was a hardworking artist with a high level of natural talent.
Before this, he’d thought perhaps Le Cheng felt he didn’t meet the requirements, which was why he’d hung up, but now it seemed he didn’t believe that was the case.
Le Cheng froze for a full three seconds before it dawned on him.
Job posting?
Come to think of it, that did happen. The novel mentioned that the original protagonist’s first encounter with Zhou Shirui was through a job posting on the campus forum, only the original protagonist’s skills were lacking, he didn’t meet the requirements, and he was desperate for money, which is why he turned Zhou Shirui down.
Le Cheng felt inexplicably guilty and mumbled, “Um… I didn’t want to work that hard back then, so I did something else.”
Zhou Shirui didn’t say anything; he seemed deep in thought. Afraid Zhou Shirui wouldn’t believe him, Le Cheng looked down and took a couple of bites of rice before changing the subject: “…I’m so thirsty. This rice is way too dry.”
Zhou Shirui looked at his plate: “Why didn’t you get any soup?”
Le Cheng replied honestly, with a touch of petulance, “I don’t like soup.”
“Would you like some water?” Zhou Shirui stood up. “Room temperature or hot?”
That’s exactly what Le Cheng meant, so he immediately said, “Hot!”
Zhou Shirui went to buy him some water.
They were sitting in the middle of the third floor of the cafeteria. There were vending machines on every floor, but the one that sold hot drinks was at the far end of the second-floor staircase. Le Cheng let out a quiet sigh of relief only after he saw Zhou Shirui walk far enough away.
Zhou Shirui was smart, and Le Cheng was afraid he’d catch on to something.
Besides, to avoid a tragic ending, Le Cheng was careful enough not to ask Zhou Shirui what game he was playing; he’d just glance at Zhou Shirui’s Moments to check on his progress.
Still, Le Cheng swallowed a mouthful of greens, feeling a bit puzzled, why would Zhou Shirui ask that question?
After quickly finishing his meal in two or three bites, Le Cheng looked down, opened his phone, and logged into Douyin to kill some time.
But his private messages showed “999+.” Unable to resist, he tapped in to take a peek.
To his surprise, countless ship fans were sobbing uncontrollably in his private messages.
[Radish Flatbread: Laosi, Laosi, you haven’t updated your drawings of the male model in days, did you break up?]
[Happy Popo: Laosi, did you break up?]
[Qi Yueyue: Dear, I’ve always supported you. Don’t be sad if you broke up, we’ll wait for you to come back!]
[Rich and Cool: Laosi, send me your QR code. I happen to have a little extra cash to cheer you up.]
[Little Cotton: Teacher Orange, I’m waiting for you!]
Le Cheng: “…………”
How could he have forgotten about this?
And… why do he and Zhou Shirui actually have ship fans?!
Wait, no, it’s with the “male model.”
***
Why do he and the male model actually have ship fans?!
Le Cheng clicked on every private message offering comfort, explained that they hadn’t broken up and were doing just fine, and promised that tonight he’d draw some pictures and cook dinner for everyone.
[Little Cotton: Really, Orange Rolls? Then will I still be able to see the male model in the future?]
Le Cheng typed: Of course you can…
After all, he and Zhou Shirui haven’t broken up yet.
After he finished replying, he faintly heard someone calling his name.
“Hm?” Le Cheng looked in the direction of the voice and saw a figure that looked somewhat familiar.
The person wasn’t short, quite tall, actually, and was dressed rather strikingly: a white jacket and a dark green scarf.
He racked his brain to place the person: “Hmm… Lin He?”
“I didn’t expect you’d still recognize me,” Lin He said as he approached, chatting away. “What a coincidence, I never thought I’d run into you here.”
“Yeah, it is a coincidence,” Le Cheng nodded.
“Why are you eating alone?” Lin He glanced at the table. “Where’s your roommate?”
“Oh, I’m not eating with my roommate,” Le Cheng replied. “I came here with my boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” Lin He paused in surprise. As far as he knew, Le Cheng was supposed to have broken up with his boyfriend.
“Yeah,” Le Cheng nodded. “He went to get me some water.”
Lin He quickly regained his composure and smiled: “You… you two are getting along pretty well?”
Le Cheng hesitated for a moment before replying vaguely, “Yeah, it’s okay.”
Lin He fell silent for a moment, then pulled out his phone and said, “By the way, about that hot spring I told you about last time, I asked Xu Yuan about it too. We have a break in a couple of days, right? Let’s go then…”
Le Cheng: “Really? Let me check…”
Zhou Shirui said goodbye to a classmate who had suddenly run into him and greeted him warmly, grabbed the water, and turned decisively to head back.
He was very tall and had a wide field of vision. After climbing the stairs, he spotted from a distance that someone was sitting next to Le Cheng, the two of them were leaning very close together, their heads touching, as if they were talking.
Was that Le Cheng’s roommate?
Zhou Shirui strode forward and got a clear look at the person’s face.
He didn’t recognize him, Zhou Shirui was certain. He had an excellent memory, he could almost remember everything he saw at a glance, and neither of Le Cheng’s roommates looked like that.
He didn’t know what they were talking about, but Le Cheng seemed to be laughing happily.
Zhou Shirui furrowed his brow.
Le Cheng and Lin He had been discussing where to go for quite a while when suddenly they heard a “clink.” A bottle of mineral water appeared right in front of them.
Le Cheng’s gaze followed the bottle upward, past a pair of slender fingers, and landed on Zhou Shirui’s sharp jawline.
He paused in surprise: “You’re back?”
“Mm.” Zhou Shirui’s expression was impassive as he tilted his chin slightly. “Shall I introduce you?” ”
“Oh, oh right.” Le Cheng cleared his throat. “This is Lin He. You probably haven’t met him before. He’s my… friend.”
Lin He stood up, seemingly in a friendly manner: “Hello.”
Fearing Zhou Shirui might not recognize him, Le Cheng thought for a moment and added, “I was just discussing going to a hot spring with him.”
Hot springs?
Le Cheng was going to soak in the hot springs with him?
Zhou Shirui pressed his lips together, his expression suddenly darkening.
Before Lin He could say anything, Zhou Shirui spoke with extreme coldness: “I’m Le Cheng’s boyfriend, Zhou Shirui. Hello…” He paused, then murmured through his thin lips, “Friend.”
