Chapter 2

In terms of interpersonal relationships, Yang Yunran believed his attitude towards Zhao Youmo should be consistent; sudden changes would seem suspicious.

Clearly, he hadn’t done anything wrong.

After Zhao Youmo took the money, he said, “I’ll head back to the apartment first. I’ll pick you up at nine tomorrow.”

After Zhao Youmo left, the Samoyed squatted by the water feeder, took a few sips, then lay down in its kennel.

Yang Yunran ignored the pet and instead gathered all the items and computer information around him. It took him three hours to accept the current situation and sort out what was happening.

In the mirror, the blond punk version of himself looked exactly like him. The only notable difference was that he appeared about three or four years younger, with delicate and clean features. His eyebrows naturally grew thick and tidy, giving him a straight and almost flawless face, except for one imperfection that was barely noticeable.

Yang Yunran faced the mirror, gently tilting his head back. With his index finger and thumb, he removed the prosthetic crystal eye from his right socket, revealing a slightly turned white eye.

Even the imperfections were identical.

The novel hadn’t mentioned this detail. Yang Yunran skillfully cleaned and sterilized the prosthetic eye before reinserting it. 

Advanced materials and motion simulation made this prosthetic eye extremely lifelike, indistinguishable from a real eye in the mirror. He was quite satisfied with the craftsmanship of this prosthetic eye, which likely cost nearly tens of millions to produce.

The original Yang Yunran, sharing his name, hailed from Shangrao, Jiangxi Province. His family, spanning three generations, was in the business of engineering machinery manufacturing, specializing in excavators, cranes, and other equipment—a renowned giant in the engineering machinery industry.

Thus, the Yang family was a truly emerging wealthy family.

Currently, Yang Yunran was pursuing graduate studies in Boston at a relatively unheard-of university called Deberman University. Yang Yunran searched and found that the school ranked around 80th in the QS global rankings.

The reason for Yang Yunran’s study abroad was also quite intriguing.

Yang Yunran had studied at a prestigious university in Hong Kong for his undergraduate degree. During university, he was discovered by talent scouts due to his outstanding appearance and debuted as a star in acting, gaining a fanbase due to his persona as a highly educated individual.

However, what came with education, also fell with education.

Yang Yunran did a quick search online and found overwhelming negative information. The original Yang Yunran was arrogant and offended many people, with revelations coming from high school and university classmates.

“Yang Yunran’s grades were pretty poor, honestly. He was at the bottom of the class in high school. How did he manage to get into a prestigious university?”

“I know him, a former classmate of YYR. We took classes together. How do I put it? This guy’s English is at the level of a primary school student. God knows how he got into UDHK.”

“I’ve seen him… Yang Yunran really can’t speak a word of English. Damn, are his qualifications fake?!”

“Well, his family’s wealthy. What’s hard about getting into a prestigious school? UDHK is lenient in admissions but strict in graduation. If he really can’t speak English, how did he write his papers? How could he possibly graduate?!”

Despite what was said online, Yang Yunran still obtained his degree certificate.

So, the situation was temporarily suppressed.

However, Yang Yunran’s real English proficiency was exposed during a variety show, where he was caught misspelling common words.

The academic scandal implicated his alma mater. Combined with the lip-syncing controversy at a birthday party, netizens demanded an explanation:

“We’re going to unstan! Did Big Brother buy his degree certificate? Is what they say online true? I don’t believe it!!”

“Haha, thought he was a top student, turns out he’s just a fish in troubled waters.”

“Star personas are all fake!! They’re all fake!! Unstan, ahhh!!!”

“Why isn’t Big Brother saying anything? Big brother, just say a word!!”

The original owner didn’t dare to utter a sound.

After all, he really couldn’t speak English, and his thesis was also ghostwritten. Once it all got exposed, it would be over.

Seeing the situation escalate to a disaster for their image, the management company couldn’t handle it. Yang Yunran wasn’t even a top-tier star, just a somewhat famous minor celebrity, yet he was pushed to the top of the trending searches.

So the company suggested that Yang Yunran take a temporary break from the spotlight: “You can go abroad to study, improve your skills, learn English well, and then come back. After some time, everyone will forget about this incident. You’ll have learned English, and by then, you can film a movie to cleanse your image. It’s a small matter, just a small matter.”

So Yang Yunran relied on his degree certificate, resume, and a recommendation letter obtained through connections with his uncle, Professor Chen Fangzhou, to secure an offer from Boston Deberman University!

Now, after studying for a few months, someone anonymously emailed the school accusing Yang Yunran of past academic misconduct, though it was all hearsay without evidence. Despite this, the school took it seriously and examined Yang Yunran’s assignments. They compared them with the professor’s statements and felt they didn’t resemble Yang Yunran’s own work.

Thus, they decided on an “internal test” at the beginning of the next semester.

It was essentially a hearing.

Yang Yunran read the email.

The school administration solemnly stated, “We will conduct some academic English question-and-answer sessions with you during the hearing to ensure the legitimacy of your enrollment.”

In the novel, the former protagonist later became infamous and alienated from everyone.

Yang Yunran took off his glass eye, slept for a while, and woke up the next day, pulling back the curtains to see Boston’s winter outside. A snow-white Samoyed slept in the dog bed at the foot of his bed. He spent some time gathering his thoughts.

First, he had to deal with the hearing before the start of classes next year.

He also needed to find a job and start earning money on his own. After all, he dressed like a fake young master, and the money earned from being a fake young master turned star was long gone due to extravagance.

And there was Zhao Youmo…

Zhao Youmo wanted to apply to a prestigious school, and he had the ability; he just lacked money.

Thinking of this, Zhao Youmo came to the door.

For convenience in the accompanying study, Zhao Youmo lived nearby and came over in about ten minutes, just half an hour early.

Zhao Youmo was surprised to see Yang Yunran up. “Roy, you’re awake? I came half an hour early to help walk the dog.”

Harry wagged his tail and walked up to Zhao Youmo. Zhao Youmo squatted down to put the leash on him and saw Yang Yunran’s fluffy pajamas in front of him. He looked up.

Yang Yunran was paying, his face expressionless. “Help me walk the dog for the next three months, $4000, no need to look for change. I’ll freshen up, and you can bring me a cup of coffee on your way back.” He handed over an additional bill.

Zhao Youmo stared at the stack of bills, stunned.

Then he saw Yang Yunran do something he would never have done before—

Yang Yunran bent down and gently placed the money into his down jacket pocket. In a tone almost soft, he said, “I’ll have a latte, two sugars, and milk.”

“…Alright, thank you.” Zhao Youmo accepted everything but couldn’t accept this blonde and the aesthetic of the former owner.

He found a normal set of clothes in a pile of punk clothes with chains and decorations. After putting on a light-colored sweater, a camel plaid coat, and leather shoes, he waited twenty minutes for Zhao Youmo to return. Yang Yunran left the house.

“You forgot to take the car keys.” Zhao Youmo turned and found the keys in the foyer, bending down familiarly to say to Harry, “Harry, guard the house.”

Yang Yunran had never kept a dog before and asked him, pointing at the Samoyed, “I’m going out. Is it okay for it to stay home alone?”

“Alone?” Zhao Youmo laughed, but quickly concealed it and coughed, “It’s okay, there’s a pet monitor. After dyeing your hair, do you have anything else to do?”

“Yes.” Yang Yunran thought for a moment. “I’m going to MIT.”

Yesterday Zhao Youmo mentioned that his boyfriend was in MIT’s life science lab, named Evan.

He had to handle everything around him one by one, say goodbye to the past, find a job, and explain Zhao Youmo’s identity to his parents.

First, the first thing was to break up with the trash guy who hated the poor and loved the rich in the novel!

Zhao Youmo: “Oh, you’re going to see your boyfriend… okay, when you go, I’ll come back to feed and walk the dog for you. After your afternoon appointment, give me a call, and I’ll come pick you up.”

In the face of money, Zhao Youmo was very considerate. After all, he followed to accompany the reading. There was a salary of $100 a day and some generous tips from Yang Yunran.

He drove Yang Yunran’s luxury car and dropped him off at Kenmore’s hair salon.

“How long does it take to dye black?” Yang Yunran asked the hairdresser.

Zhao Youmo looked at him in surprise. When did Yang Yunran start speaking English?

He had never spoken before, like a mute, always an accompanying substitute for Zhao Youmo.

The hairdresser was an uncle from Hong Kong, who replied, “It takes three to four hours to dye black.”

“You go around nearby or go to the library.” Yang Yunran gave money to Zhao Youmo. “I’ll call you after I dye it.”

Yang Yunran was unusually generous today and didn’t look down on him. Zhao Youmo was flattered and took the money. “Okay… thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” He replied like this.

Three to four hours passed in a blink of an eye. Before Yang Yunran called, Zhao Youmo came back, waiting on the side, seeing the newly refreshed young master, he was slightly stunned.

“What’s wrong?” Yang Yunran looked at him with one eye.

Zhao Youmo hurriedly lowered his head, “Nothing, I think black hair suits you very well.”

Yang Yunran raised an eyebrow at him, “Really? I think so too.”

Yang Yunran had fair skin, so his blonde hair looked good, but when he dyed it black again, Zhao Youmo suddenly felt like he didn’t recognize him anymore.

Yang Yunran underwent a significant transformation overnight, in demeanor, speech, and even in his gaze. He became less detestable.

“I’ll take you to MIT.” After lunch, Zhao Youmo drove them outside the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Yang Yunran suddenly asked him, “Have you met my boyfriend?”

Zhao Youmo replied, “From afar… I’ve seen him once.”

Yang Yunran probed further, “What do you think he looks like?”

“He’s quite handsome, tall,” Zhao Youmo answered.

Yang Yunran continued, “When was the last time you saw him?”

“Over a month ago,” Zhao Youmo whispered. “Roy, did you guys have a fight?”

“Huh? We did? Oh, I see,” Yang Yunran responded casually. “Well, that works out perfectly then.”

Confused, Zhao Youmo asked, “So… are you going on a date? I’ll take the dog for a walk and you can call me after your date.”

Yang Yunran got out of the car. “Bye bye. Drive safe, see you later.”

Zhao Youmo was taken aback. “…Bye bye.”

He had never seen Yang Yunran so polite before.

Yang Yunran walked towards the campus. He preferred quick resolutions to breakups, so after ditching the guy, he wandered around the school for a while, asking around. After about twenty to thirty minutes, Yang Yunran found the Koch Laboratory building.

There were few Chinese people in this building. Yang Yunran casually asked a foreigner about his ex-boyfriend’s appearance. “He’s Chinese, tall, handsome… called… called Evan.”

Yang Yunran tried to recall the description of the scumbag from the novel.

His surname seemed to be Jiang?

He couldn’t remember his first name.

Upon hearing this, the foreigner immediately responded, “Oh! Are you looking for Evan? He’s in the lab and might not be able to leave right now. Do you have an urgent matter?”

Yang Yunran replied, “Not urgent. Just tell him I’m waiting downstairs.” It was too cold in Boston’s winter, and he didn’t want to wait too long. He added, “I’m his boyfriend.”

“Oh!” The foreigner stared at him in surprise, mouth agape, then blinked his blue eyes. “Okay, I’ll let Evan know immediately! Ask him to come down and see you!”

On the third floor of the building, in a tightly secured biological laboratory, Jiang Yi was focused on observing the changes in cell morphology in the petri dishes. He was tall with broad shoulders, long legs, and a narrow waist. He wore a long-sleeved white coat, gloves, goggles, and a mask.

“Evan,” Ken, his Caucasian classmate, approached from behind. “Are you done with the iPSC induction?”

“Almost,” Jiang Yi replied casually. He was conducting iPSC induction, reprogramming adult cells into pluripotent stem cells using specific transcription factors and growth factors—a small part of his work.

Ken said, “Let me help you observe. Do you want to come downstairs first? There’s a young man looking for you.”

“A young man?” Jiang Yi raised his eyelids. He had single eyelids, but deep eye sockets and long eyelashes. His goggles revealed profound eyes and brows.

Ken nodded. “Yeah, he said he’s your boyfriend.”

“Who?” Jiang Yi looked down again. “He must have mistaken me for someone else.”

“No, there’s only one Chinese person in the genetic engineering lab, and he specifically asked for Evan,” Ken persisted. “It’s none of my business, but it’s freezing outside. I think you should go down and see him.”

After completing the iPSC induction, Jiang Yi said, “Okay.”

He took off his gloves, mask, and goggles before heading downstairs. On the long bench outside the building, sat a dark-haired Chinese student who looked about twenty years old, dressed in a camel plaid coat with a black scarf. His eyes were bright and shiny as he held a cup of coffee and peered into the building.

Their eyes met. The student blinked, tilted his head, and peered through the glass, seeming uncertain and not greeting him, just staring at him with great interest. His eyes were exceptionally bright.

Zhao Youmo.

Jiang Yi recognized him. Walking out from the side door, he approached him and looked down at him from head to toe. “What do you want from me?”

Zhao Youmo looked up at Jiang Yi. Just seeing him through the glass had surprised him greatly. Now, with Jiang Yi standing in front of him, his face, which completely captivated his gaze, appeared close-up. Zhao Youmo was stunned for three or four seconds, feeling a thud in his heart.

How could his scumbag boyfriend be so handsome?!

Zhao Youmo had been single since birth. He was young when he entered the entertainment industry, and the first thing he did after earning money was to customize a new prosthetic eye for himself. At that time, he was excessively self-conscious and rarely went out or socialized. He preferred to stay at home writing songs or recording them in the studio.

He was gay but also repelled by the rules of the entertainment industry and didn’t socialize much with people in the industry, so he had never been in a relationship.

“We…” Zhao Youmo started, but hesitated to continue. How should he break up? Or maybe they shouldn’t break up yet? Should they take a break instead?

As he was thinking, Jiang Yi’s voice broke in, cold in tone and expression, showing no signs of being in a relationship. If one didn’t know better, they might have thought they were unfamiliar classmates.

But since he was apologizing, it must have been about their recent quarrel, right?

His boyfriend had forgotten to pick him up? It didn’t sound like a big deal.

Then how about… not breaking up today?

Zhao Youmo felt a little reluctant.

He naturally smiled and said, “It’s okay. But why did you just come down? Are you off class? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

Jiang Yi looked down at him, saying, “I just finished a cell experiment.”