Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and during this time, Wang Yuan never came to school.

At first, Tao Fengche found it a bit hard to adjust, but habits can be a powerful thing. By Wednesday, when he saw that empty seat, he was no longer surprised.

He had many friends, so when Wang Yuan didn’t come to school, he ate lunch with other friends. After eating, he would send Wang Yuan a message or give him a call to make sure he hadn’t died from staying up all night coding. Then, at Wang Yuan’s insistence, he’d order takeout for him.

Sometimes, when Tao Fengche was chatting with his friends, he even thought it wasn’t so bad that Wang Yuan wasn’t at school. Now, all it took was for him to frown or show the slightest hint of displeasure, and everyone would immediately get the message, either changing the topic or sensibly remaining silent.

In contrast, Wang Yuan, who could never read the room, would persistently chatter on, like the annoying buzz of cicadas on a summer day.

With Wang Yuan not at school, it was much quieter. Tao Fengche thought wryly.

However, some things you can get used to, while others you can’t—like the three bodyguards who never left his side, like ghosts.

Every day, when Tao Fengche saw them on his way to and from school, he felt suffocated.

Because of this, on Wednesday afternoon before class, when the head of the senior year group announced over the loudspeaker, “Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival, and many students have reported family obligations, so the year group has decided to dismiss school one period early today,” Tao Fengche thought for less than three seconds before deciding not to tell the driver who usually picked him up from school. He definitely wouldn’t tell Xu Song either.

Even prisoners in jail are given time to breathe outside, and this rare chance to escape the watchful eyes of his bodyguards was something Tao Fengche yearned for—he desperately wanted to be alone for a while.

Cheerful voices erupted all around him, and his classmates were all beaming with joy. Anyone unaware of the context might have thought it was the New Year.

In the few minutes before class started, Yan Yi mustered up the courage to offer Tao Fengche a mooncake and casually asked about his after-school plans, clearly hinting at wanting to go see a movie together. Tao Fengche smiled and declined, using the excuse of needing to go home early for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

He then used the same reason to turn down invitations from a few alphas to play basketball or watch movies and play games in the activity room.

When the school bell rang, Tao Fengche eagerly packed his bag and said goodbye to his classmates. He walked out of the classroom and slowly made his way along the campus road towards the school gate.

His family’s driver usually arrived five to ten minutes early, which meant his precious free time would only be about thirty minutes—enough time to hurry back to the gate and keep this little escape under wraps.

The only place that fit his time constraints was the shopping street near the school. However, after attending this school for over two years and frequently going there for lunch, he had grown tired of it.

Frowning slightly, Tao Fengche walked while thinking about where else he could go. Before he knew it, he had already reached the school gate. As he casually glanced up, his eyes were suddenly drawn to a car parked by the side of the road—it was a matte black, tank-like George Patton vehicle.

From his vantage point, Tao Fengche couldn’t see the license plate, but his heart still pounded wildly.

Even in Jingpu, this type of vehicle and color were uncommon. And Tao Fengche just so happened to know someone who favored this car as their ride.

But that person was supposed to be in the Western Continent just a few days ago.

Unable to believe his guess but unable to hide his anticipation, Tao Fengche quickened his pace and left the school gate. To his surprise, he recognized the familiar license plate.

The bulletproof glass of the back seat window rolled down, revealing a face that was ageless and strikingly handsome: “Xiao Che.”

Zhao Jiayang smiled and waved at him.

“Uncle! When did you return to the country?” Tao Fengche exclaimed with delight.

It had been quite some time since he last saw Zhao Jiayang. The latter had flown overseas at the end of July, and since Tao Fengche had been busy with his internship at the research institute, they hadn’t chatted much due to the time difference. Occasionally, though, Tao Fengche would still see gossip about him on social media—one day, he was happily conversing with designers at a fashion week, and a few days later, paparazzi caught him having a late-night rendezvous with a supermodel. Then, in another country, he’d be spotted with someone else.

Not only was Zhao Jiayang’s whereabouts mysterious, but his turnover of romantic partners was faster than a wardrobe change. When Wang Yuan, who was also in the Western Continent, saw the reports, he grumbled jealously to Tao Fengche, saying, “Your uncle really knows how to live it up. If an alpha can live like him in this lifetime, he’ll have no regrets.”

Tao Fengche had rolled his eyes at the screen and couldn’t be bothered to respond to Wang Yuan’s snide remarks or explain the backstory. But at least, thanks to the internet and ever-present paparazzi, he knew Zhao Jiayang was safe and still enjoying life to the fullest.

The driver got out and opened the door for Tao Fengche, who sat beside Zhao Jiayang. The scent of rich white tea from the man calmed him instantly.

“I arrived in Jingpu last night. Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I thought I’d pick you up early for dinner. I was worried Sui Yuesheng might not let you go, so I came straight to the school gate to wait,” Zhao Jiayang said with a smile. “I thought I’d be waiting for at least an hour, but you came out so quickly.”

“We finished school a period early today,” Tao Fengche explained without looking up.

He tossed his bag on the floor and familiarly reached for the fridge, pulling out a can of soda. Just as he was about to take a gulp, Zhao Jiayang, who had been watching the whole time, finally couldn’t hold back and laughingly stopped him.

“Drinking straight from the can? Isn’t that a bit dirty?” he teased, handing Tao Fengche a straw. “You’re really in such a rush to drink?”

“I’m thirsty,” Tao Fengche muttered defensively.

For him, Zhao Jiayang had been the closest elder to him ever since Tao Zhixing’s passing. In front of Zhao Jiayang, he completely let his guard down, sloppily inserting the straw and downing half the soda in one go. Then, with a satisfied sigh, he opened his mouth.

Now that Tao Fengche had entered adolescence, Zhao Jiayang rarely saw him act so childishly, and his gaze softened with affection. “Want more?”

“One can is enough,” Tao Fengche said, shaking the can at him. Zhao Jiayang chuckled, grabbing a beer for himself, drinking it directly from the bottle.

Tao Fengche gave him a sidelong glance, silently accusing him of double standards, hoping his conscience would kick in. But Zhao Jiayang just smiled and said, “I’m an adult.”

Tao Fengche: “…”

Tao Fengche was momentarily speechless.

The driver turned the steering wheel, and the George Patton merged into traffic. Tao Fengche picked up the remote control and turned off the car’s TV. After sipping a bit more soda, his frustration faded. He turned to Zhao Jiayang, curious: “Why did you come to pick me up a day early? Do you have plans tomorrow?”

In the past, when Tao Zhixing was still alive, they used to celebrate traditional festivals like the Mid-Autumn Festival together.

Zhao Jiayang chuckled and reached out to ruffle Tao Fengche’s hair, ignoring the teenager’s protests as he messed up his carefully styled hair. “Are you dumb? I’m not close with Sui Yuesheng. It’s fine to have a business dinner or nod at each other at a banquet, but a family dinner would be too awkward. Besides, it’s just the two of us left—does it matter where we go to eat?”

… That’s true.

Realizing his slip, Tao Fengche silently stuck out his tongue and didn’t dare say more.

Tao Zhixing had always been tight-lipped about the past, but this past New Year, when he was half-drunk, he had mentioned a bit to Tao Fengche.

Zhao Jiayang’s parents had been close allies of the Tao family’s patriarch, Tao Fengche’s grandfather, helping to build the family’s empire. Unfortunately, they were killed in a terrorist attack in the Western Continent when Zhao Jiayang was just under five years old. Tao Fengche’s grandfather, took Zhao Jiayang in and raised him. Chu Yin’s story was similar.

Tao Zhixing hadn’t shared much more, but Tao Fengche knew that Chu Yin had been born after his father’s death, and because his mother was in poor health, Tao Fengche’s grandfather had also taken him in. Chu Yin had joined the Tao family not long after Zhao Jiayang.

Tao Fengche, knowing that both Zhao Jiayang and Chu Yin had been raised by his grandfather and grandmother, also understood that they were now gone, leaving Zhao Jiayang alone. After Chu Yin’s death two years ago and Tao Zhixing’s passing earlier in the year, in a sense, Zhao Jiayang was now completely alone.

Although he was surrounded by a vibrant array of lovers, each more dazzling than the last, when that beta who exuded the fragrance of plum blossoms left this world, his once lively garden of emotions fell into desolation.

For festivals like the Mid-Autumn Festival, which symbolized family reunions, it was nothing short of a long torment for Zhao Jiayang.

Once Tao Fengche understood what “liking” and “loving” truly meant, his sympathy for Zhao Jiayang reached new heights. He didn’t want to continue this topic, cleared his throat, feigning nonchalance, and quickly changed the subject, asking Zhao Jiayang why he suddenly went to Fashion Week.

“It doesn’t really seem like your style. When I first heard you went to the Western Continent, I thought you were going to buy a vineyard or a horse ranch,” Tao Fengche added.

“I didn’t really want to go either,” Zhao Jiayang shrugged. “The brand sent me an invitation, and I just tossed it on the table and forgot about it. But a kid nearby saw it, got really interested, and bugged me for days. I was getting annoyed, and since I didn’t have anything else to do, I just took him along.”

Meeting Tao Fengche’s gaze, which was full of unspoken accusations, Zhao Jiayang helplessly said, “It really wasn’t that fun. If I get another offer and still want to go, I can take you too. Oh, right, I saw a few outfits that would really suit you, and I had them delivered to the mansion this morning.”

Tao Fengche had long passed the age of eagerly waiting for gifts, but the feeling of having an elder think of him while away and carefully pick out gifts was just too good. It was as if he were still that carefree child living under his father’s protection.

So he smiled and nodded earnestly, looking quite excited.