Chapter 48

After a few days, Jimmy found an opportunity for revenge. Deberman University was a relatively modern institution, without MIT’s long history. The campus was small, and Jimmy’s black Hummer was easy to spot.

Jiang Yi remembered his license plate number.

On an empty stretch of road with no cars, Jiang Yi followed Jimmy’s car and instructed Yang Yunran in the back seat, “Hand me a water gun.”

Yang Yunran hesitated, “Children’s Day is over. Do we really have to do this?”

An eye for an eye. Jimmy spraying water on Jiang Yi was definitely payback for Jiang Yi cutting him off in traffic. Now, Jiang Yi was retaliating for both old and new grudges. But if Jimmy held a grudge after this revenge, what if he actually rammed their car?

Jiang Yi didn’t respond. He drove up, rolled down the window. Jimmy, seeing them, was pleasantly surprised and was about to greet them when Jiang Yi steered with his left hand and lifted the water gun with his right, spraying Jimmy in the eyes, mouth, and nose.

Yang Yunran, hiding in the back seat, also sprayed Jimmy’s car but didn’t dare to hit him directly.

Jimmy slammed on the brakes.

Yang Yunran didn’t dare lift his head and repeatedly apologized, “Sorry, Jimmy! I’ll treat you to a meal after exams! Jiang Yi, drive!”

Jiang Yi stepped on the gas, tossed the water gun aside, switched lanes, and lost Jimmy, then let Yang Yunran move to the front passenger seat.

Yang Yunran suggested, “How about I arrange a time for you two to have a meal together? Make peace and forget the grudges. We’re all going back to our country soon.”

Yang Yunran intended to resolve their conflict, but Jiang Yi didn’t think it was necessary. He glanced at Yang Yunran and said, “Maybe another time.”

They went home, and because Yang Yunran was nearing graduation, he seemed busier than Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi went out to walk his dog, while Yang Yunran stayed home to study.

Just then, Yang Yunran received a message from Zhao Youmo, whom he hadn’t heard from in a long time.

Zhao Youmo: “Roy, are you home?”

Yang Yunran: “What’s up?”

Zhao Youmo: “Nothing much. I bought some good food and wanted to bring you some. Also, I might be going back to China soon and thought I’d drop by to see you.”

He’s going back to China.

Yang Yunran suddenly remembered the original plot. Zhao Youmo’s return to China was because he got an offer to study there but had his visa sabotaged by the original character, resulting in his deportation. Now, it seemed Zhao Youmo was returning to China voluntarily, still with some offers, but due to a twist of fate, Yang Yunran had given him a chance to enter Harvard, causing him to choose not to go to another school.

So even though the visa sabotage didn’t happen, Zhao Youmo still chose to return to China at the same time as in the original plot!

Yang Yunran felt driven by fate and was a bit scared, “Why are you going back to China? Aren’t you working at an investment bank?”

“Yeah, but it’s just grunt work. Having some experience on my resume is enough. I’m going back to China because Hanjiang Group notified me to join. It’s your father’s company… Since it’s a big company, I wanted to get more experience.”

Yang Yunran was speechless.

According to the plot, this was how Zhao Youmo would be discovered by Yang Liming as his biological son. Yang Yunran had tried to reveal the truth through Professor Chen, but for some reason, there had been a delay without any justification.

Zhao Youmo’s life trajectory was happening exactly as the original plot described.

Yang Yunran said it sounded good and wanted to tell him not to come over, but Zhao Youmo immediately responded, “I’m already downstairs.”

Yang Yunran was taken aback.

“I’m not home, so you should go back,” Yang Yunran messaged, but Zhao Youmo didn’t reply.

Yang Yunran anxiously walked to the window and saw Jiang Yi returning with the dog.

“Jiang Yi!” Yang Yunran called him on the phone.

Jiang Yi answered immediately, “Yeah?”

Yang Yunran urgently asked, “Are you still out walking the dog?”

Jiang Yi replied, “I’m downstairs.”

Yang Yunran stammered, “Then, um, walk a bit longer… Harry needs at least half an hour. You haven’t walked him long enough… don’t come back yet.”

“Okay.” Jiang Yi sensed something was off in Yang Yunran’s tone. Looking up, he saw an unexpected figure—the “ex-boyfriend.”

Study partner?

Jiang Yi’s face darkened.

He quickly realized why Yang Yunran didn’t want him to come home.

Meeting an ex behind his back? Hmph.

Jiang Yi, holding the dog’s leash, walked towards the door and used his entry card to open it. Zhao Youmo hurriedly followed, “Wait, wait, wait.”

Zhao Youmo squeezed through the door just as Harry jumped up, barking happily.

Jiang Yi was puzzled.

Zhao Youmo laughed as Harry licked his face, “Harry! Haha! Long time no see! Good boy.”

Zhao Youmo thought Jiang Yi was a new dog walker, but the height and expression of the person in front of him made him feel an involuntary chill. He looked up.

Faced with a remarkable face, Zhao Youmo hesitated, “Are you… Roy’s boyfriend?”

Jiang Yi glanced at him coldly, pulled Harry the dog closer, and petted his head with a stern face, “Harry, don’t jump on strangers.”

Holding a bag from a dessert shop, Zhao Youmo rubbed his nose and followed Jiang Yi into the elevator.

He felt Jiang Yi staring at him, the gaze blatant, assessing, and quite impolite. Zhao Youmo twitched his mouth, unsure of what Jiang Yi was doing.

Jiang Yi spoke, “What’s your name?”

“Uh, Maurice.”

Jiang Yi’s expression was condescending, “Chinese name?”

Zhao Youmo was puzzled, “Chinese name… It’s Zhao…”

Before he could finish, the elevator arrived.

Yang Yunran was standing outside the elevator.

For a moment, all three of them stood in silence. Zhao Youmo felt the atmosphere become very strange as both men glanced at him and then looked at each other, sparks flying in the air.

Zhao Youmo: “…”

Maybe he should leave quickly.

Feeling awkward, he swiftly handed the dessert bag to Yang Yunran, “Roy! This soufflé is really good. It’s from a shop near my company. I buy it often, very soft! I bought it especially for you. I have to go now, I have something to do.”

He pressed the elevator button and stepped inside. Harry tried to follow, but Jiang Yi held him back by the harness, casting a sharp, thorny glance at Zhao Youmo.

“Harry, Roy, bye…” Zhao Youmo lowered his head, the elevator door finally closing. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Standing between a couple was terrifying.

Yang Yunran held the soufflé bag, biting his lip nervously.

Jiang Yi glanced at the bag and said, “Soufflé? I can make that too.”

Yang Yunran pretended to be indifferent, “You ran into each other in the elevator?”

“Yes.” Jiang Yi’s tone was icy.

Yang Yunran asked, “What did you talk about?”

“Nothing much.” Jiang Yi replied, entering the apartment and squatting down to wipe the dog’s paws.

Yang Yunran said no more, moving to his room and closing the door to call Zhao Youmo, “Did my boyfriend say anything to you?”

“Uh? No… not really.”

Yang Yunran persisted, “So he did say something.”

Zhao Youmo explained, “He really didn’t say much, just stared at me for a while and suddenly asked my name…” He wanted to say that Jiang Yi was rude and his gaze was odd, but he didn’t want to create misunderstandings with Yang Yunran.

Moreover, Zhao Youmo realized his explanation might cause unnecessary misunderstanding, so he quickly clarified, “Don’t misunderstand! I think he was just suspicious of my intentions in entering your apartment building, so he asked my name.”

Yang Yunran couldn’t listen anymore. He felt heartbroken. Jiang Yi’s personality wouldn’t casually ask someone for their name or stare at them.

As the plot developed, his boyfriend seemed attracted to the story’s protagonist.

Zhao Youmo mentioned meeting again in China, and then Yang Yunran hung up the phone.

Yang Yunran didn’t want to return to China. Maybe he should let the protagonist develop there and stay in Boston with Jiang Yi.

But he had signed a variety show contract and had to return to record it. Jiang Yi mentioned he was graduating and his lab contract was ending, so he chose to return to China for a lab job.

Yang Yunran felt stuck, everything was spiraling out of control. He felt miserable, curled up on his bed, wanting to cry.

Jiang Yi initially planned to stay angry, wondering why Yang Yunran met his ex behind his back, especially with the ex bringing soufflé. How did he know Yang Yunran liked soufflé?

But Jiang Yi’s anger lasted only forty minutes. Hearing no movement from the room, he couldn’t hold back.

Jiang Yi knocked on the door and said, “Yunran.”

Yang Yunran buried his head in the pillow, ignoring him.

“Yang Yunran.” Jiang Yi called his full name, turning the doorknob. It wasn’t locked, so he went in, seeing Yang Yunran lying on the bed with an open laptop beside him. Thinking he had fallen asleep studying, Jiang Yi softened his voice.

“Why sleep in this position?” Jiang Yi walked over, seeing Yang Yunran’s face buried in the pillow, long eyelashes closed but trembling, pretending to sleep.

The pillow was slightly damp, as if from tears.

Jiang Yi frowned. Was he sad about something? Because of the study partner? Was he that important?

Jiang Yi stroked his pale cheek, and Yang Yunran’s eyelashes trembled more. Jiang Yi said, “I know you’re pretending to sleep.”

Yang Yunran remained silent.

Jiang Yi sat on the bed, taking Yang Yunran’s hand from the pillow and placing it on his leg, gently rubbing it with his thumb.

“You can tell me if something’s bothering you.”

Yang Yunran felt his fingers tingle from Jiang Yi’s touch, wanting to speak.

But how could he say it?

Could he say, “I suspect you want to be with my study partner. I suspect you have an inappropriate interest in him. I suspect this world is a giant matrix where everyone’s fate is predetermined. You will uncontrollably leave me, even if you like me now, you’ll end up with another guy in the future…”?

Yang Yunran, touched by Jiang Yi for a while, couldn’t stand it anymore, feeling both sad and longing for a hug. Jiang Yi brushed his eyelashes, saying, “They’re wet.”

Yang Yunran replied, “Jiang Yi, stop teasing me.”

“I meant your tears.” Jiang Yi said helplessly, “Why do you cry so much?”

“It’s just my nature.” Having had eye surgery, he couldn’t help it. He rubbed his eyes, wiping away the moisture with the back of his hand.

He opened his eyes, Jiang Yi’s arm supporting his slender neck, his gaze falling, covered by crow-feather-like eyelashes, appearing focused and affectionate, his handsome features like they were sculpted. He said to Yang Yunran, “Lie on my lap and tell me why you’re upset. I won’t be angry.”