Chapter 25: Why Does It Feel Like Lu Liu Is Even Angrier…

Lin Zhi almost welcomed Lu Liu back with his eyes.

Lu Liu handed Lin Zhi’s thermos cup to him and smiled, “Why are you staring at me?”

“Class monitor,” Lin Zhi said, looking into Lu Liu’s eyes, “You’re really a good class monitor.”

Lu Liu: “…Thanks for the compliment.”

“No need to thank me.” Lin Zhi blinked a few times, testing the water temperature. He could tell Lu Liu had already adjusted it. After taking a big sip, his dry throat felt much better, and his voice sounded clearer. “But I think I’ve told you before, when you’re always so casually kind to others, it’s easy for people to misunderstand.”

“I think I’ve also told you before, I never treat others casually,” Lu Liu raised an eyebrow. “So, did you misunderstand?”

Lu Liu rarely made this slightly mischievous expression, and Lin Zhi found it quite new and interesting. He said, “A little bit.”

Indeed, Lin Zhi hoped he could let go of his obsession with Lu Liu. But after spending so much time with him this semester, their relationship had become much closer than it had been in his past life.

“What did you misunderstand?” Lu Liu asked.

“Uh,” Lin Zhi glanced around at the front and back rows, then leaned in closer to Lu Liu. “Class monitor, come a little closer.”

Lu Liu obediently leaned closer, so close that Lin Zhi had to retract his neck and step back slightly.

“Do you remember,” Lin Zhi whispered, “When the semester was almost over, I accidentally bumped into you talking to a female classmate in the little garden?”

“I remember,” Lu Liu lowered his voice and asked, “Then what?”

“At that time, you said,” Lin Zhi cleared his throat, “That you liked… boys. Was that true?”

Lu Liu’s expression shifted slightly, surprised that Lin Zhi would ask this, but he didn’t keep him guessing and answered truthfully, “Yes, I said it was true back then, it’s just that you didn’t believe me.”

Lu Liu said it so casually, it was hard for Lin Zhi to believe it.

“Then what kind of boys do you like?” Lin Zhi asked again. “Hmm… Do you like boys like Yao Wenjing?”

“Not really.” Lu Liu glanced at Lin Zhi. “Why are you using him as an example?”

Because Yao Wenjing likes you, Lin Zhi thought to himself, but unfortunately, the feelings are one-sided.

“Did he tell you?” Lu Liu asked, suddenly alert.

“Mm.” Lin Zhi nodded absentmindedly, wondering whether he should give Yao Wenjing a heads-up first.

No wonder Lin Zhi suddenly brought up this topic, it seemed like he was startled by the confession from the boy.

Lu Liu slightly lowered his eyelids, pretending to be indifferent, and asked, “What do you think about it?”

“That’s between you and Yao Wenjing,” Lin Zhi said, feeling awkward. “Although we’re good friends, I can’t just… “

“Wait, wait,” the moment Lin Zhi said the first sentence, Lu Liu immediately sensed something was off and quickly interrupted, getting straight to the point, “How did he tell you? Or did you misunderstand?”

“Wasn’t it…” Lin Zhi was not sure. “Did he have a crush on you, and did you find out?”

Lu Liu: “…Of course not.”

“Then what was it?” Lin Zhi had a vague guess in his heart.

His guess wasn’t confirmed, though. Since Lu Liu said he wouldn’t say more, he kept his word. The conversation between him and Lin Zhi ended here, based on the assumption that Lin Zhi already knew the situation.

After Lin Zhi guessed that Yao Wenjing might like him, he initially wanted to clarify things with him. However, since Yao Wenjing seemed to have completely let go of the issue after Lin Zhi talked to him, focusing solely on his studies, their interactions returned to normal, just like before.

Honestly, if Lin Zhi hadn’t speculated that Yao Wenjing liked Lu Liu and later realized that conclusion was nonsense, it would have been hard for him to see that Yao Wenjing’s feelings for him were real. He really couldn’t have guessed that Yao Wenjing could like him.

There was absolutely no ambiguity between them. Lin Zhi treated Yao Wenjing like a good friend, and Yao Wenjing openly expressed how close they were.

Yes, Lin Zhi saw Yao Wenjing as his good buddy, and he even suspected that Yao Wenjing hadn’t figured out exactly what kind of liking he had for him.

It’s not that Lin Zhi was bragging, he had experience with that kind of affection.

Yao Wenjing was just somewhat dependent on him, after all, Lin Zhi was the only real friend he had ever had since childhood.

After coming to this realization, Lin Zhi acted like he knew nothing in front of Yao Wenjing. Since Yao Wenjing was no longer troubled by it, Lin Zhi decided not to bring it up again and risk affecting his mood. Yao Wenjing was cautious and sensitive, and his grades had been slipping lately, which wasn’t something to take lightly. Lin Zhi figured it would be better to wait until after the college entrance exams to talk about it.

Once the days became more fulfilling, time seemed to fly by. The first semester of their senior year ended with all kinds of notes and revisions, and with Lu Liu’s help and supervision, Lin Zhi barely managed to patch up his weaknesses.

In J City, senior high students had a later winter break, and the second high school’s break came just a week before the New Year. Lin Zhi waited until the next morning to head home with Yao Wenjing, so he politely declined Lu Liu’s offer to drop him off.

The next day when Lin Zhi arrived at the store, it was around lunchtime. A month ago, Lin Qingye had taken over a shop on the street that used to be a lamb noodle restaurant. The previous owner had urgently needed money, so the price was lower than expected, and Lin Qingye ended up getting a good deal.

“I originally wanted to continue selling lamb noodles,” Lin Qingye brought two bowls of beef noodles from the neighboring beef noodle shop into his store, “The equipment was all ready, and the lamb noodles tasted pretty good. A few days ago, some regular customers even came by asking about it.”

“Good thing you didn’t,” Lin Zhi took one of the bowls and said casually, “With your cooking skills, you’d go bankrupt in two months.”

“I thought about it later,” Lin Qingye laughed a few times, “Better not ruin someone else’s reputation.”

“Right, this is fine.”

The shop now sold cigarettes, alcohol, and small daily goods. There weren’t many large items, and most things were delivered by regular suppliers. Lin Qingye mostly just sat behind the counter, handling sales, and occasionally restocking the shelves.

There were three or five similar stores nearby, so the business wasn’t great but didn’t tire him out.

During his break, Lin Zhi took over at the shop. When there were no customers, he would do his homework at the counter. The winter break was only about half a month, and although no assignments were given, Lu Liu had set up plenty of tasks for him.

Lu Liu always spoke kindly, never directly telling him that he had to finish a certain amount, but instead “suggesting” that he shouldn’t slack off during the break, or else he might become lazy and fail to get into a school in B City.

Lin Zhi, being a firm believer in the traditional virtue of gratitude, was very grateful for Lu Liu’s fatherly concern, even though his real father never worried about his college entrance exams.

No matter how late it got, Lin Zhi would complete the tasks that Lu Liu set. It wasn’t that he was obedient, but because Lu Liu would send messages to “check” his progress every day.

At certain times, Lin Zhi would blur the lines between Lu Liu and “Zhi,” remembering how “Zhi” used to check in on him even though their subjects and exams were different. Although “Zhi” couldn’t assign him tasks every day, he would randomly check if he was slacking off.

Of course, Lin Zhi could lie and brush it off, since neither “Zhi” nor Lu Liu would video call or expose him, but Lin Zhi, despite his few virtues, couldn’t bring himself to deceive someone who cared for him.

So, after “Zhi” found out he was slacking off, he would send an angry emoji and say nothing. Within a minute, Lin Zhi would feel extremely guilty, swear to never slack off again, and send some sweet words before “Zhi” would respond.

It was almost one o’clock in the morning by now, and after playing mobile games all afternoon, Lin Zhi had piled up homework that he hadn’t finished. Lu Liu had asked about his progress an hour ago, then asked again, and after learning that Lin Zhi still had a math paper to finish, he was silent for a moment.

【Lin Zhi: Don’t worry, no matter how late, I’ll finish it, okay?】

Lin Zhi thought his promise would be enough, but Lu Liu immediately sent an angry emoji.

Lin Zhi’s heart skipped a beat. What should he reply?

Before he could come up with a response, Lu Liu sent several messages:

【Lu Liu: There’s no need to stay up late to finish it.】

【Lu Liu: I was just asking, I don’t have the right to control you.】

【Lu Liu: I said it was just a suggestion. If you don’t want to do it, don’t force yourself.】

Lin Zhi: “……”

Why did it feel like Lu Liu was even angrier?

He had made a promise, and usually, whenever he promised “Zhi,” he wouldn’t be angry anymore.