Zhu Yangqi and Chen Luzhou, these two individuals, are truly hard to figure out.

Growing up together since childhood, Zhu Yangqi and Chen Luzhou, despite their close relationship, find it challenging to understand each other. Chen Luzhou can be sunny and self-absorbed, yet also a complete scoundrel at times. He knows exactly where to hit people where it hurts the most. Despite his flaws, he excels in putting up a front better than anyone else. In essence, it’s best not to cross him, as he has no taboos. The Chen family adopted him for his auspicious fortune.

It’s true that Zhu Yangqi, from a young age, often encountered supernatural occurrences, but after spending time with Chen Luzhou, those strange incidents ceased. Even Chen Luzhou’s precious younger brother, who used to cry incessantly at night, stopped crying once Chen Luzhou moved in.

Chen Luzhou, uninterested in Zhu Yangqi’s attempts to console him, decided to finish the remaining cola, then went inside to watch a movie. Suddenly, Zhu Yangqi’s voice echoed in his ear, “Isn’t that about Tan Xu?”

Chen Luzhou glanced at him lazily, “Do you know him?”

“Back from junior high school,” Zhu Yangqi squinted, carefully observing Tan Xu, “Remember Feng Jin? He was a friend from my junior high school who ended up transferring schools due to his mother’s pressure.”

Because of his mother’s pressure?

“Yes, his mother, the one who pressured him,” Zhu Yangqi added seriously.

A few years ago, the atmosphere at Yi Zhong was quite mixed, as the direct admission department of Fuzhong had not been canceled yet. Each year, there were students of varying abilities mixing in. Later, to improve the enrollment rate, Yi Zhong divided into three campuses: Zongshan, Main Campus, and Yulin. Zongshan was where Chen Luzhou and his five experimental class classmates were, all top students among top students, winners of major competition awards; the Main Campus housed ordinary academic achievers like Tan Xu and Feng Jin, with the largest number of students; and Yulin was filled with art students like Zhu Yangqi and Gu Yan, most of whom were directly admitted from Fuzhong.

Chen Luzhou did not come from Fuzhong’s direct admission, and his schedule was different from Zhu Yangqi’s. In Zongshan, they had classes from Monday to Saturday, with half a day off on Sundays, and they had to go back for self-study at night. Even during holidays, Chen Luzhou was usually attending competition training. On the other hand, Yulin students were more relaxed. This led to some information gaps between the two of them during their three years of high school. Otherwise, Zhu Yangqi wouldn’t have mistakenly thought Chen Luzhou and Gu Yan were dating.

Due to their different schedules and experiences, Chen Luzhou wasn’t very aware of Feng Jin’s situation. However, upon Zhu Yangqi’s mention, he vaguely remembered playing a game of basketball with Tan Xu. Tan Xu’s emotional control seemed lacking.

It was during the first-year league match between Yi Zhong and Lecheng High School. Both schools were provincial key schools, with similar levels of competitiveness. However, that year, Yi Zhong had won more awards in competitions. Lecheng High School wanted to dampen their spirits in the match; they played aggressively and recklessly. The referees were biased, and the Lecheng players repeatedly fouled maliciously. Chen Luzhou and his team endured the game, falling behind by a large margin, with several players injured. The cheerleaders on the sidelines, most of them girls, pleaded for Chen Luzhou and his team to stop playing.

The cheerleaders were in a heated brawl off the court, while the players on the court remained surprisingly calm. They completely ignored the opponent’s provocations, focusing during halftime on discussing tactics and strategies.

The charm of Yi Zhong students lies in their ability to set aside personal conflicts and differences to prioritize collective honor, especially in crucial moments. They trust each other wholeheartedly, demonstrating impeccable teamwork and support, ensuring that someone is always there to back up the play no matter where the ball goes.

Tan Xu was sent off by the referee after playing only half the game. Both Chen Luzhou and the team captain had varying degrees of foot injuries. With Tan Xu off the field, they only had a ten-minute break to rest and rotated players. Despite the challenging circumstances, they managed to turn the tide of the game. In the end, Chen Luzhou secured the championship with a last-second three-point shot.

It was a narrow victory, leaving the crowd exhilarated and teary-eyed. However, unexpectedly, Tan Xu rushed over without a word and punched the opposing team’s captain to the ground. Chen Luzhou and a few other players were catching their breath, unable to intervene in time. The scene was suddenly overwhelmed by the boys’ roar and the girls’ hysterical screams.

As a result of the incident, the results of that year’s tournament were annulled. Chen Luzhou and several players had foot injuries and ended up in casts for a month. Due to Tan Xu’s impulsive actions, they didn’t even secure a ranking in the end.

….

“Now, it’s unclear whether he did it on purpose. Feng Jin said Tan Xu likes to show off; he got sent off, and in the end, all the attention was taken by you and the captain. He must have felt unfairly treated. He knew the fight would annul the results, so charging in like that was either foolish or malicious. If he hadn’t been fighting for rebounds, would you have injured your foot?”

As Zhu Yangqi spoke, they had already entered the house. He came out of the bathroom, searching around the room for a lighter, and firmly told Chen Luzhou.

As the main person involved, Chen Luzhou, who had been in a cast for a month, wasn’t as indignant as Zhu Yangqi. He lifted a chair with one hand and placed it in the middle of the living room, preparing to replace the newly purchased lamp. However, upon inspecting the light fixture, which was swarming with dead insects due to the previous tenant’s heavy smoking, he gave up. The metal screw caps on the edge of the lampshade were covered in greasy smoke residue, making it impossible to proceed.

The living room light was dim, flickering as if on its last legs, ready to go out at any moment.

Chen Luzhou sat back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling with a sense of resignation. The old saying was true: it’s tough being a hero, especially if you have OCD.

“With such severe OCD, you’d better move back,” Zhu Yangqi mocked, distancing himself, “Don’t blame me; I can’t handle it. My OCD is even worse than yours.”

“You have OCD and still smoke?”

“Artists need inspiration, don’t you understand? Besides, my OCD only applies to others.”

Chen Luzhou earnestly asked him, “Does Tan Xu have OCD?”

“Get lost.”

“A real man knows when to bend,” Chen Luzhou surprisingly advised Zhu Yangqi seriously, “He can stand as tall as Mount Tai and also bow for a mere five bushels of rice. You should bend a bit too.”

“If you were born a hundred years earlier, I’d suspect you were a traitor. You’d just be one of those pick-up artists, what would I need to bow to him for?”

“Pick-up artist?” Chen Luzhou lounged lazily on the sofa, eyeing him sideways.

Zhu Yangqi explained, “He had a good relationship with Feng Jin at first, but then Feng Jin realized he was a bit of a pick-up artist with girls, and they fell out. Wherever he goes, he acts like an autistic child, easily evoking sympathy and a protective instinct in some girls. It’s a tried and tested tactic, you know?”

“So, does that mean he can get married by cutting off an arm like Yang Guo?” Chen Luzhou joked callously.

Ignoring Chen Luzhou, Zhu Yangqi continued, “Don’t you think the girl at his doorstep looks very innocent and easily fooled?”

Chen Luzhou chuckled, “I don’t know about being easily fooled, but looking innocent is just skin deep.”

Zhu Yangqi, with an expression of ‘what goes around comes around,’ remarked, “Are you feeling uncomfortable because she’s comforting your boyfriend? Why not just go after her then?”

He grabbed the remote control from the side, planning to watch a movie, and glanced at Chen Luzhou, “Am I the one with too much time on my hands?”

“Weren’t you pretty free these last few months before going abroad?”

“Well, that doesn’t involve love.”

“Are you not getting PTSD from the Gu Yan situation?”

“Not that extreme,” he switched to the movie channel, where “The Shawshank Redemption” was playing. Having watched it more than ten times, he found the film had reached the pinnacle in portraying themes of freedom and hope. Casually, he said, “My mom is strict; I promised her that I need her approval to have a girlfriend. Plus, I’m about to go abroad. If someone wants to pursue me, what’s the point of coming after me? Just video chat every day? Long-distance relationships can work, but I’m broke right now. Once my mom unlocks my card, I can consider it. Otherwise, if they want to meet you, but you can’t even afford a plane ticket.”

“Just mentioning it casually, why are you thinking so far ahead? You really planned it all out? Something’s not right; you definitely thought about it just now, otherwise your thoughts wouldn’t be so clear.” Zhu Yangqi knew him too well; this guy must have had some bad ideas.

“Yeah,” he shamelessly nodded, admitting, “Being used as an example to comfort my boyfriend, and I can’t even think about it? Honestly, she gives me more of a feeling than Gu Yan.”

About half an hour passed.

The doorbell rang urgently. Zhu Yangqi thought it was his delivery, so he leaped up excitedly from the sofa and rushed to open the door.

When he saw the girl’s face at the door, Zhu Yangqi sensed that things might be taking an uncontrollable turn. “You—”

Xu Zhi got straight to the point as she opened the door, “Bro, could you do me a favor and call your friend down?”

Zhu Yangqi stared straight at Xu Zhi, not turning his head, loudly calling out Chen Luzhou’s names in a ghostly manner, gradually becoming more agitated: “CY, Chen Luzhou, Xiancao! You jerk!!!! Scum!!!!”

Little sister has arrived!!!!!

“Are you stupid?” Chen Luzhou walked over, holding a freshly made bowl of instant noodles. With a fork in his mouth, a slight frown on his brow, and a cold look in his eyes, he approached Xu Zhi, enunciating clearly, “What’s up?”

“Can I borrow the baseball bat outside your yard?” Xu Zhi got straight to the point, “My necklace is stuck on the big tree in front of your door.”

Chen Luzhou glanced at the towering tree outside, “Can you reach it with a baseball bat?”

Xu Zhi turned to look outside, then calmly turned back, glanced at Zhu Yangqi, quickly dismissed him, looked at Chen Luzhou, and finally lowered her gaze to the bowl of noodles in his hand and the spoon in his mouth, “Are you free? I can wait for you to finish eating.”

Chen Luzhou: “…”

Zhu Yangqi: “…”

Outside the door was an old banyan tree, dense and tangled branches, layered leaves, making it hard to find even during the day.

Chen Luzhou went out with her, leaning on the rough tree stump. After silently staring up for a moment, he looked at her with a troubled expression, “How about this, let me buy you another…”

Xu Zhi hesitated for a moment, then responded swiftly, “That wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Chen Luzhou looked at her, his expression devoid of a smile, with eyes that seemed naturally sharp but cold. He lazily tilted his chin up, “Show me how you got it up there.”

Xu Zhi: “…”

The moon hung high and solitary in the sky, much like the slender and handsome young man in front of her. He appeared formidable yet filled with hope. Chen Luzhou was a rare talent, and because he had no taboos, no one could best him.

“This necklace is quite expensive,” she tried to persuade him.

“Is it?” He empathetically nodded, offering a suggestion, “Why not make a wish and give it a try, don’t waste it.”

Xu Zhi: ?

…

“This was left to me by my mother,” Xu Zhi finally looked at him and said.

Mrs. Lin Qiudie appeared frequently today in Xu Zhi’s thoughts, a rarity for her. Perhaps it was the lady from the afternoon, who shared a similar eloquence with Mrs. Lin Qiudie, that made her feel an inexplicable fondness towards Chen Luzhou. It seemed like even the necklace was reminding her of something.

Under the dim moonlight, their eyes met openly in the air. Chen Luzhou couldn’t help but feel that this encounter was different from the “icy collision” that afternoon. Her gaze was softer, almost pleading.

Frankly speaking, having a boyfriend and still flirting with other men was quite off-putting. Chen Luzhou considered himself experienced in matters of the heart, although he had never been in a serious relationship. He had learned early on how to maintain a distance from girls, having been caught writing love letters by his mother. She always assumed he had many girlfriends, but Chen Luzhou never thought he had any issues with relationships. Tonight, he suddenly felt like he might be meddling too much.

He looked away, his tone turning cold, “I can’t help you then. Could you please call the firefighters?”

“You seem to have a drone, could you use it to check?” Xu Zhi, clueless about being flirted with, cautiously hinted at the drone she had seen at his doorstep in the afternoon.

“You think it’s a kite-flying session?”

“Your eyes are sharp,” Chen Luzhou almost rolled his eyes, “My mom even has a plane, are you interested?”

Xu Zhi: “…”

Cai Yingying watched the back-and-forth between the two, her eyes nearly bloodshot. She found this handsome and dynamic duo quite entertaining.

The atmosphere fell into an instant silence, filled with the heavy and fervent sound of cicadas, as if emerging from the ground. Chen Luzhou intended to check on his instant noodles inside. Just as he stood up, he saw a person holding a long pole sticking out from the doorway.

Chen Luzhou, expressionless, asked, “Zhu Yangqi, what are you doing?”

Zhu Yangqi, sweating profusely, eagerly extended items from the doorway, “Helping the young lady find her necklace.”

The makeshift pole was about three to four meters long, comprised of an assortment of tools found in Chen Luzhou’s home, including but not limited to a baseball bat, a tripod, a clothesline pole, a broom, and even a wooden stick that seemed to have been dismantled from somewhere. What really irked Chen Luzhou was seeing a ladle tied to the top.

“How about that, am I clever?” Zhu Yangqi lifted his face, lacking any sense of remorse, seeking acknowledgment from him.

Finally realizing the material of the wooden stick, Chen Luzhou’s face darkened instantly, “Did you disassemble my model?”

Before Chen Luzhou could erupt, Zhu Yangqi swiftly slipped past him like an eel, scurrying to the towering tree and rummaging through it frantically. The rustling of the leaves echoed loudly, as if stirred by a wild wind. Startled birds fluttered their wings in panic, flying aimlessly into the vast night sky.

“How about that, did you find—”

Indeed, he did.

In the dense twilight, a bright and shimmering gold chain unexpectedly dropped in front of Chen Luzhou with a soft “thud.”

With his phone in hand, Chen Luzhou, questioning Xu Zhi’s aesthetics, also fully acknowledged her persistence.

To everyone’s surprise, Xu Zhi casually glanced at the chain on the ground and calmly stated to Zhu Yangqi, “This isn’t the one.”

Zhu Yangqi: “…”

Chen Luzhou: “…”

Finally, just as the old tree was on the verge of being stripped bare, Xu Zhi found her four-leaf clover necklace. She politely said, “Thank you, this is the one.”

However, Chen Luzhou, ever adaptable, tapped Zhu Yangqi on the waist and leaned against the nearby utility pole, calmly instructing him, “Come on, don’t stop, keep shaking, see if there are any gold bars or something else.”

Xu Zhi: “…”

Cai Yingying: “…”

Zhu Yangqi: “…”