Chapter 33

Bai Chen wouldn’t comment on the matter.

Nor would he take sides—he couldn’t let Zhu Yu think that running away from home was the right thing to do, but he also wouldn’t say something like, Your family did it for your own good.

But the truth was, the moment he chose not to take sides, the scale in his heart had already tilted toward Zhu Yu.

“Well, it was Mount Everest,” Zhu Yu said with a chuckle. “They probably thought something had happened to me there. Now that I think about it, I must have been such a headache for them.”

He scooped up a spoonful of cake and stuffed it into his mouth.

The cream melted on his tongue, and the sweet, fragrant taste of strawberries spread across his palate.

It was so sweet, so rich—the kind of sweetness that reached straight into his heart.

He mumbled to himself, “When I go back home, I really need to apologize properly to my grandma.”

Outside, the rain was still pouring, heavy droplets pounding against the clear window with sharp, rhythmic splats.

The only sources of light in the house were the glow from the laptop screen and the occasional flashes of lightning that tore through the sky, momentarily illuminating the room.

Each wearing one side of a pair of Bluetooth earphones, they sat close together. Liu Bo slept quietly on Bai Chen’s lap.

They were pressed against each other, and Zhu Yu’s body was always warm. The steady heat radiating from his arm seeped into Bai Chen’s skin, making it hard for him not to get distracted.

Zhu Yu usually didn’t like watching these heavy, melancholic films. If Bai Chen weren’t sitting beside him, he probably would’ve fallen asleep right at the beginning. To stay awake, he kept bringing up different topics to chat about with Bai Chen.

And those topics were mostly about his past.

He hoped Bai Chen would share something about his past, too.

But Bai Chen never said a word about it.

Zhu Yu, who was always so outspoken, suddenly became a quiet little pup when it came to this.

In the end, though, he couldn’t fight off his sleepiness and—thud—he slumped onto Bai Chen’s shoulder.

Bai Chen stiffened, his back straight as a board. Then, after a brief hesitation, he subtly adjusted his posture to make Zhu Yu more comfortable.

His attention was no longer on the movie.

Instead, he turned his head slightly, lowering his gaze. His dark eyes stayed fixed on Zhu Yu, unmoving.

The laptop’s glow wasn’t very bright. Maybe it was the movie’s bleak color grading, but the light filtering through had a dim, yellowish hue. It cast soft shadows over Zhu Yu’s face and lashes.

Bai Chen watched as Zhu Yu’s eyelashes trembled slightly. His breathing was steady. Since he had fallen asleep leaning against Bai Chen’s arm, his cheek was squished, making his face look even softer.

This moment—so close, so near.

But moments like these could never last forever.

Just as the movie was about to end.

The male lead stood amidst the fog, gradually fading from view.

The story cut off abruptly, leaving too much unsaid.

Bai Chen took off his Bluetooth earphone. Just as he was about to help Zhu Yu remove his, Zhu Yu’s head slid off his shoulder.

Quickly, Bai Chen reached out and steadied Zhu Yu’s forehead, but at that moment, Zhu Yu slowly woke up.

“Huh? Is the movie over?” Zhu Yu lifted his head, rubbing his sleepy eyes as he asked.

He was still groggy from sleep, his voice drowsy and muffled.

Bai Chen nodded. “It just ended.”

“Was it good?” Zhu Yu had just removed his earphone when the laptop’s battery ran critically low. Unable to hold out any longer, the screen went black.

The room was instantly plunged into darkness.

Not a single light remained.

They were so close that when Zhu Yu spoke, his lips were almost brushing Bai Chen’s ear. His warm breath fanned against Bai Chen’s face, carrying the faint fragrance of camellia.

The air grew thick with an inexplicable tension, tinged with something soft and ambiguous.

Bai Chen’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

In the darkness, hearing became the sharpest sense.

“It was good.” Even though the room had turned pitch black, Bai Chen’s gaze still rested on Zhu Yu. His deep, magnetic voice was laced with something undeniably seductive.

Zhu Yu’s heart skipped a beat.

Too ambiguous!! he thought, clutching his chest in secret panic.

How can someone’s voice sound this suggestive?!

“Senior Brother, I want to go back to sleep.” Zhu Yu quickly shrank back a little, his tone flustered and unsteady.

Bai Chen reached for the candle on the table. With a soft click of the lighter, a dim glow flickered to life, illuminating the space between them. The candle’s flame danced gently.

Zhu Yu’s beautiful eyes fixated on the flame. The flickering light reflected in his pupils, his eyelashes quivering slightly. Bai Chen looked at him and said, “I’ll walk you back.”

With his other hand, he picked up Liu Bo from his lap. The little dog lay quietly in the crook of his arm.

Zhu Yu nodded. “Okay.”

It was just a normal exchange, but maybe because the candlelight was too dim, or perhaps because the surroundings were too quiet, the air felt strangely thick—sticky with an unspoken warmth, something sweet and lingering.

Flustered, Zhu Yu hurriedly stood up and walked ahead.

A breeze swept through the hallway, making the candlelight flicker.

The next second, the overhead lights suddenly let out a faint buzzing sound. Two seconds later, the entire hallway lit up.

The electricity in the house came back on.

Seeing this, Bai Chen blew out the candle.

Zhu Yu unlocked the door with his key, pressed the switch at the entrance, then turned back to scoop up Liu Bo. He said to Bai Chen, “Senior Brother, good night.”

Bai Chen looked into Zhu Yu’s eyes, his voice deep and steady. “Good night, Xiao Yu.”

Zhu Yu patted Liu Bo’s little backside and instructed, “Liu Bo, say goodnight.”

Liu Bo’s round eyes blinked before obediently letting out a soft, “Meow~”

—

One week later.

7:30 in the morning.

In the warmth of the bedroom, the blanket on the bed was puffed up high. Underneath, Zhu Yu lay buried, sporting dark circles under his eyes and a messy head of hair. Scattered across the bed were several books.

He was busy working on a computer assignment.

He had pulled an all-nighter.

Beside him, Liu Bo was snoring thunderously.

Finally, the moment Zhu Yu hit the save button, the weight on his back lifted.

He lay there, half his face pressed against the bed, looking completely drained, as if all the energy had been sucked out of him—his aura so lifeless even ghosts wouldn’t dare approach.

Closing his eyes, he let out a huge yawn.

He originally planned to take a quick nap.

But just as he shut his eyes, his stomach let out a loud, grumbling protest.

Nope, too hungry.

Zhu Yu sat up on his knees, his messy bedhead flopping down. The bangs he had recently trimmed were already growing out, nearly covering his eyes.

He grabbed a jacket and threw it over his shoulders, rushed to the bathroom for a quick wash, then casually tied up his hair before dashing straight to the door of the dormitory across from his.

Because he had a key to Bai Chen’s place.

He had long since gotten used to barging in without knocking. It was a bad habit, sure, but he didn’t do this to just anyone.

Gripping the doorknob, he twisted it open and pushed the door wide with both hands on his hips, legs slightly apart, and loudly announced, “Senior Brother! Good morning!”

“What are we having for breakf—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence.

On the couch in the living room sat a middle-aged woman and a middle-aged man.

Both were unfamiliar faces.

Zhu Yu blinked: …

He stiffened, took a step back, and glanced up at the room number above the door.

514 Dormitory.

The furniture inside—it was definitely Bai Chen’s place.

Then… who were these two?!

Wait—WHAT?!

The two people on the couch also turned toward Zhu Yu upon hearing the commotion at the door.

Six eyes met.

Zhu Yu: …

The kitchen door was pushed open, and Bai Chen emerged wearing loungewear, carrying two steaming cups of tea. Upon seeing Zhu Yu at the entrance, a brief flicker of confusion passed through his eyes.

He was probably wondering why Zhu Yu was up so early today.

“Senior Brother…” Zhu Yu’s voice grew softer and softer.

These two people… No way… But they don’t look like…

“Xiao Yu, good morning.” Bai Chen placed the tea in front of the two elders and was about to introduce them when—

Before he could finish, the woman stood up with a gentle smile. She carried an air of elegance, her clothing clearly of high quality. Her refined features gave off the beauty of a classical Chinese lady, and she wore an expensive shawl draped over her shoulders.

“Hello, classmate. We are Xiao Chen’s parents.” Yu Shuyun approached Zhu Yu.

Zhu Yu looked like a mess.

His hair was a disaster, dark circles hung under his eyes, and he wore a plush pajama set with a knitted cardigan thrown over it.

If not for his clean and delicate face, he would probably look no different from a beggar right now.

Zhu Yu rubbed his hands against his legs before reaching out to shake Yu Shuyun’s offered hand, his voice going slightly high-pitched, “Hello, Auntie! My name is Zhu Yu—Zhu as in ‘blessing,’ and Yu as in ‘unyielding perseverance.‘”

“I’m Senior Brother Bai’s neighbor.” After introducing himself, he quickly withdrew his hand and hid it behind his back.

The middle-aged man on the couch also studied Zhu Yu. He had neatly slicked-back hair set with gel and wore rimless glasses. Like Bai Chen’s mother, he exuded an air of refinement.

Both of them seemed like gentle people.

But Zhu Yu was clearly nervous, and Bai Chen noticed his unease.

Bai Chen stepped forward and took Yu Shuyun’s arm, lowering his voice as he said, “Auntie, you and Uncle should enjoy your tea first. My junior brother and I need to talk.”

Zhu Yu, with his sharp ears, caught how Bai Chen addressed the woman.

He blinked, allowing Bai Chen to pull him away and lead him back home.

The door shut behind them.

Zhu Yu found himself pinned against the door.

Tilting his head up to look at Bai Chen, he asked, “Senior Brother, isn’t it a bit much to start the morning with a ^[1]“Kabedon” (壁ドン) is a Japanese term that describes a situation where one person slams their hand against a wall, usually pinning someone against it. It’s commonly seen in … Continue readingkabedon?”

Bai Chen coughed lightly, retracting the hand pressed against the door and taking a step back to create some distance.

“Auntie and Uncle are here on a business trip in London and stopped by to visit me,” Bai Chen explained.

Zhu Yu had just woken up, and his brain was still a little sluggish. How come that woman said they were Bai Chen’s parents, but Bai Chen called them Uncle and Aunt?

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Oh, oh.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I ended up barging in so rudely…” Zhu Yu had already pieced most of it together in his mind.

“They just arrived, and I remembered you didn’t have class this morning, so I didn’t get a chance to tell you,” Bai Chen explained.

Zhu Yu grinned. “That’s true, I don’t think I’ve ever been up this early.”

As he spoke, he let out another yawn. Bai Chen glanced at the dark circles under his eyes and asked with concern, “Did you not sleep well last night?”

Zhu Yu shook his head, pulled a carton of milk from the cupboard, inserted a straw, took a sip, and then said, “It’s not that I didn’t sleep well—I didn’t sleep at all. I spent the whole night rushing to finish my assignments.”

His stomach growled from hunger, and his voice sounded weak.

Bai Chen heard it too.

Feeling a little embarrassed but still justifying himself confidently, Zhu Yu placed his hands on his hips. “Thinking burns a lot of energy! It’s perfectly normal for me to be hungry.”

“No wonder you came straight to me without even changing your clothes—you were following the smell of breakfast, weren’t you?” Bai Chen’s smile carried a hint of indulgence.

Zhu Yu nodded without hesitation. “Yep.”

“But I really didn’t expect your parents to be here.” He lowered his voice. “I didn’t mess up, did I?”

Bai Chen shook his head, reassuring him, “No, don’t worry, Xiao Yu. They’re very kind, you don’t have to be so anxious.”

“I’ll be going out for lunch with them later. I made you breakfast—it’s in the microwave. Once I leave, you can go over to my place,” Bai Chen added, unconsciously lowering his voice as well.

Zhu Yu grinned mischievously. “Senior Brother, you’re the best.”

“Have fun, I’ll miss you!” As expected, the moment Zhu Yu heard there was food, everything else flew out of his mind.

All he registered was that Bai Chen had made breakfast for him.

As Bai Chen opened the door to leave, he paused at the doorway and called out, “Xiao Yu.”

“What is it?” Zhu Yu asked.

Bai Chen hesitated. “I won’t be coming home for lunch, so your lunch…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, I can handle it myself,” Zhu Yu replied quickly. “Don’t forget, before I met you, I was a superman who survived three months alone in London.”

Bai Chen chuckled, finally reassured, and headed back home.

Zhu Yu shut the door, finished the rest of his milk, poured some cat food for Liu Bo, and then plopped down onto the couch.

So from the looks of it, that couple wasn’t Bai Chen’s biological parents. Could it be that Bai Chen was… adopted?

Kicking off his shoes, Zhu Yu sat cross-legged on the couch. He never paid much attention to business affairs, but for some reason, he felt like he had seen those two before—perhaps at a banquet sometime in the past.

But his memory wasn’t great.

Since he couldn’t recall any more details, he simply stopped thinking about it.

Zhu Yu picked up his phone and played Happy Crush for a while.

This was the only game he hadn’t spent money on—he had made it past level 8,000 purely with skill. After all, even in Subway Surfers, he had spent money.

Just as he cleared a level, a WeChat notification popped up from Bai Chen:

【Bai Chen: Xiao Yu, we’ve arrived downstairs.】

【Bai Chen: Leave the dishes, I’ll wash them when I get back tonight.】

【Zhu Yu: Won’t your parents be coming back with you tonight?】

【Bai Chen: No, they’re staying at a hotel.】

【Zhu Yu: Got it! I’m off to eat breakfast, then I’ll take a nap—I’m so exhausted T^T】

【Zhu Yu: (Dog Fainting.jpg)】

【Bai Chen: Okay.】

Just as he replied, Wang Mouting pulled the car up in front of them.

Bai Chen put his phone back in his pocket and opened the rear car door for Yu Shuyun. After she got in, he bent down and said to Wang Mouting, who was in the driver’s seat, “Uncle, let me drive.”

Before Wang Mouting could respond, Yu Shuyun interjected from the back seat, “Xiao Chen, let your uncle drive. We haven’t seen each other in a long time, I want to chat with you more.”

Their driver’s car had broken down on the way, so they had no choice but to drive themselves for now.

Bai Chen nodded. “Alright.”

He walked around to the other side, opened the rear door, and got in beside Yu Shuyun.

Once he fastened his seatbelt, Yu Shuyun asked, “Xiao Chen, was that classmate just now the friend you mentioned over the phone?”

Bai Chen sat up straight, looking a little stiff and uneasy, but his expression remained gentle and calm. He answered, “Yes.”

“And the person you were chatting with just now was also him, right?” Yu Shuyun guessed.

Bai Chen nodded again. “It was him.”

Yu Shuyun looked delighted, unable to hide the smile on her face. “I liked that child the moment I saw him. He’s really adorable.”

“He’s a great person. I met him not long after moving to the UK.” As Bai Chen talked about Zhu Yu, he seemed to relax, unaware that he was smiling.

From the front seat, Wang Mouting suddenly spoke up. “Then we should’ve invited him to join us for lunch. After all, he’s your friend here in the UK.”

Bai Chen thought about how nervous and reserved Zhu Yu had been when meeting them that morning. His first instinct was to refuse on Zhu Yu’s behalf, but he couldn’t make that decision for him.

So Bai Chen said, “I’ll ask him tonight. If he’s okay with it, we can go out for lunch together tomorrow.”

Yu Shuyun nodded. “Yes, we should respect his decision.”

She then asked, “Are you adjusting well to life in the UK?”

Bai Chen’s tone was light. “Everything is fine.”

Yu Shuyun let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. After lunch, would you like to take us on a tour of your school?”

Bai Chen gave her a gentle smile. “Alright. Since it’s a holiday today, there won’t be too many people on campus.”

He then asked, “By the way, how have you and Uncle been lately? Has Uncle been taking his medication on time?”

“Of course I have. If I hadn’t, your aunt would have complained to you long ago,” Wang Mouting said, glancing at the two of them through the rearview mirror.

Bai Chen and Yu Shuyun both laughed.

Bai Chen was still the same as they remembered—he didn’t talk much, remained polite, and treated them with warmth and respect. Yet, deep down, he still kept a certain distance from them and this family.

No matter how many times they had reassured Bai Chen, telling him to forget about the two families that had abandoned him before, and promising him that they never would, he continued to place himself on the outskirts of their home.

Yu Shuyun and Wang Mouting had been married for over twenty years but had never had children of their own. They truly cherished Bai Chen.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have fought fiercely with the entire board of directors just to bring him home.

Yu Shuyun had always been observant. She quickly noticed that whenever Bai Chen talked about that person named Zhu Yu, his expression and tone became noticeably more relaxed.

If that was the case, perhaps she really needed to meet Zhu Yu and see if he could help Bai Chen.