11: Another Encounter

With great excitement, Yu Yue filled out his college application, and he didn’t tell Jiang Qian and Yu Jingnian.

After all, these two had been drifting apart and were busy working outside, rarely returning home.

Once the college application deadline passed, Yu Yue messaged Xu Yuanzhe.

He lay on his bed, his feet kicked up, and sent a message to Xu Yuanzhe: “I’m going to attend university in B City soon.”

That night, Jiang Qian called, asking if Yu Yue had applied to a local university.

Yu Yue said he hadn’t.

Jiang Qian asked where he had applied.

Yu Yue replied with B City.

On that same night, both Jiang Qian and Yu Jingnian returned on different flights from their respective locations. They arrived home at 2 AM and immediately pulled Yu Yue out of bed, talking to him all night.

But no amount of talking could change anything.

The applications were already submitted, and nothing could be altered.

At that moment, Yu Jingnian just gripped Yu Yue’s ear and said with frustration, “Going so far away to attend university, you will regret it in the future.”

Yu Yue didn’t take it to heart.

Before leaving for B City, Yu Yue messaged Xu Yuanzhe.

Because Xu Yuanzhe had said he would come to the airport to pick him up.

The three-hour flight felt long, but at that time, Yu Yue was focused on leaving his parents, becoming independent, and starting his own life. Since high school, he had wanted to live on campus but failed to do so. He was thrilled at the prospect.

As an eighteen-year-old, Yu Yue was full of anticipation for his future life in B City.

Upon landing, Yu Yue opened his phone and saw a message from Xu Yuanzhe.

Xu Yuanzhe said, “I’m waiting for you at the airport pickup area. You should be able to see me when you come out.”

When he was getting off the plane, Yu Yue started recalling what Xu Yuanzhe looked like.

He quickly remembered.

Back then, during that “chance encounter” at the barbecue restaurant, Yu Yue felt that there were very few people who could forget Xu Yuanzhe’s appearance.

However, at the airport, after two years, when Yu Yue saw Xu Yuanzhe again, he was still taken aback for a moment.

Xu Yuanzhe seemed to have grown a bit taller, and Yu Yue had also grown slightly, just reaching 1.8 meters, but still much shorter than Xu Yuanzhe.

Moreover, after not seeing each other for two years, Xu Yuanzhe had shed some of the slight youthful awkwardness from his student days. His demeanor had become more mature and composed, especially since he had cut his hair shorter, making him look neater and more handsome. His features were sharper, and standing there was like a long shot from a movie, gradually zooming in, allowing Yu Yue to see him more clearly.

It was the height of summer, and Xu Yuanzhe was wearing a white shirt and black trousers.

Somewhere between a young boy and a man, Yu Yue thought at the time that if he were a girl, seeing Xu Yuanzhe would probably make his heart flutter.

But Yu Yue was a boy.

Boys don’t have crushes on boys.

Yu Yue raised his hand and enthusiastically waved to Xu Yuanzhe, as if he had seen an old friend. He dragged his suitcase and ran over, loudly calling Xu Yuanzhe’s name, “Xu Yuanzhe!”

Yu Yue ran towards Xu Yuanzhe with a big smile on his face.

According to Xu Yuanzhe’s later words, at that moment, Yu Yue looked like a Samoyed, his smile as cute as an angel’s.

Yu Yue soon learned that Xu Yuanzhe had enrolled in the Film and Performing Arts Department of a university in B City. It wasn’t the best university in B City; it was just a regular university with a performing arts program.

Xu Yuanzhe’s grandmother had been taken in by his mother, so he hadn’t returned to A City in the past two years. During school and breaks, he worked, worked, and worked to earn his tuition.

Xu Yuanzhe took a taxi and accompanied Yu Yue to the university for registration. He stayed with Yu Yue the whole time to complete the procedures. Even though he didn’t talk much, Yu Yue felt a sense of security when Xu Yuanzhe was around. If there was anything he needed, he’d ask Xu Yuanzhe, and if there was something he couldn’t handle, Xu Yuanzhe would help him get it done.

When Yu Yue went to the dormitory, there was already someone in it.

His roommate curiously asked Yu Yue, “Is that your brother?”

Yu Yue was momentarily surprised.

He turned around and saw Xu Yuanzhe, who had rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and was wiping the bed frame for him. After a brief pause, he turned to his roommate and said, “No, he’s my… friend, my brother.”

The roommate understood.

Yu Yue, accustomed to being treated like a little prince, didn’t see any problem with Xu Yuanzhe helping him tidy up.

While packing, Yu Yue found a small ornament in his suitcase. He took it out and handed it to Xu Yuanzhe, saying, “This is for you.”

Xu Yuanzhe was still holding the cloth.

He lowered his gaze and accepted the small desktop ornament from Yu Yue. It was a little pig happily drinking cola.

“I colored it myself,” Yu Yue smiled, “a gift for you as a token of our meeting.”

That evening, Xu Yuanzhe took Yu Yue out for steak.

The restaurant seemed quite popular, and they had to wait for a table.

While waiting outside, Yu Yue checked his phone, replied to messages from friends and family, and then looked up to start a conversation with Xu Yuanzhe. Just as he lifted his head, he saw Xu Yuanzhe standing in front of him.

Xu Yuanzhe offered the only available seat to Yu Yue.

Yu Yue looked up at Xu Yuanzhe, who was gazing at a performance on the stage at the shopping plaza in the distance. The stage lights made Xu Yuanzhe’s profile exceptionally handsome.

Yu Yue watched Xu Yuanzhe for a long while and suddenly remembered something.

“Hey,” he softly called out to Xu Yuanzhe.

Xu Yuanzhe turned to look at him.

Yu Yue waved his hand and motioned for Xu Yuanzhe to bend down.

Xu Yuanzhe obliged and bent down.

Yu Yue, shielding his mouth with his hand, leaned closer and whispered very softly into Xu Yuanzhe’s ear, “Do you… have a girlfriend?”