In the late night, a light rain fell, and Li Wenshui was nestled in Liang Jin’s arms, sleeping soundly.

The next day was the graduation ceremony. Li Wenshui woke up early, and when Liang Jin got up, he saw Li Wenshui standing in front of the mirror, dressed up extravagantly, sighing at the bandage on his forehead. Li Wenshui was about to face those classmates in his class who didn’t think highly of him, and he wanted to present himself in the most polished and dignified manner. With the wound on his forehead, he could already imagine the schadenfreude^[1]pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune. on some people’s faces.

Liang Jin had no idea when he appeared behind him but casually looked him over, his expression lazy. “Is this outfit also borrowed?”

Li Wenshui wore a bright red cardigan with a short-sleeve shirt underneath, the top two buttons undone, revealing his collarbones just enough to be noticeable. The hem of the shirt was tucked into his jeans, accentuating his slim waist. He turned around, slightly raising his beautiful swan neck, and under the sunlight, his skin looked smooth and delicate, with several faint, passionate kiss marks on his collarbone. Liang Jin’s gaze lingered on the kiss marks for a moment, knowing that there were more hidden deeper under the clothes.

Li Wenshui extended his foot toward Liang Jin, showing off a pair of glowing white sneakers. “These aren’t borrowed.”

He had already revealed his embarrassment to Liang Jin, so there was no need to pretend to be rich in front of him anymore. Liang Jin tilted his head and looked at the white shoes on Li Wenshui’s feet. “Do they fit? Aren’t they a bit too big?”

Li Wenshui walked around Liang Jin a couple of steps. “They’re one size too big, but it’s just right. The bigger size will last longer.” He always bought clothes and shoes a size bigger so they could last a few more years, reducing expenses on clothing so he could spend more on other things. Saving where he could was important to him.

Liang Jin leaned down, wrapped his arms around Li Wenshui’s waist, and looked at the slightly pale face of the little liar in the mirror. “You could wear a hat, if you don’t mind the heat.”

“I don’t have a hat, and I can’t borrow one in time.”

“Just borrow mine.”

Liang Jin turned Li Wenshui’s chin and kissed him, his lips moving against his in a steady rhythm. Li Wenshui was now better at kissing than before, closing his eyes, his lashes trembling, and parting his lips to welcome Liang Jin’s advances. Sometimes, he would respond slightly, gently licking the tip of Liang Jin’s tongue, which made his heart race and leap with excitement.

After exchanging a deep kiss, Liang Jin looked at Li Wenshui’s flushed face, kissed his pouty lips again, and said, “Go pick a hat.”

He smiled, pinching Li Wenshui’s cheek before walking toward the bathroom. Li Wenshui eagerly rushed into Liang Jin’s wardrobe and picked out the most expensive baseball cap among the many hats.

When Liang Jin finished his shower and came out dressed, he saw Li Wenshui wearing a hat that didn’t suit him at all. Both the color and style of the hat clashed with his outfit, which looked like a colorful peacock. Liang Jin sat beside Li Wenshui, gently pushed the brim of the hat aside, and looked into Li Wenshui’s clear, bright eyes.

“I think it’s better to match your hat with your style rather than just go for something expensive,” he said.

Li Wenshui held onto the hat, not letting Liang Jin take it off. “But I think this one is really good. Let’s keep this one.”

Liang Jin thought for a moment and replied slowly while eating: “Not everyone will recognize the value of your hat. Wouldn’t it be better to just be yourself instead of trying to compete with others?”

Li Wenshui frowned slightly. Here it came again—Liang Jin starting to lecture him in his usual high-and-mighty tone.

Liang Jin, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, didn’t need to say anything when he appeared in public. From his hair to his feet, everything about him exuded confidence and nobility, and such a person naturally didn’t care to dress in expensive clothes to showcase himself. He was different from Liang Jin. He didn’t have that confidence—he needed the packaging. But this was something he couldn’t explain to Liang Jin. He could almost predict that Liang Jin would lightly ask him: “There are so many ordinary people who don’t dress up. Can’t they live normal lives?” Of course they could. But at this moment, Li Wenshui couldn’t. He longed for money, and when others looked at him with admiration, it made him feel proud. His vanity helped heal the wounds from when he had been looked down upon. Even though it was all fake, he could still gain temporary satisfaction from it. There were few moments in his life where he truly felt satisfied, and this was one of the few things that gave him that sense of fulfillment.

Li Wenshui, irritated by Liang Jin’s words, said stubbornly, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this. You’re just meddling too much.”

Liang Jin pressed his lips together, thinking to himself that the sharp-tongued and lively Li Wenshui was more likable when he wasn’t acting pitiful. He put down his utensils and walked out. Just as he sat in the car, someone jogged up and knocked on his car window. The window rolled down, and Liang Jin extended his arm outside, asking knowingly, “What’s the matter?”

Li Wenshui: “…”

His eyes widened slightly. He seemed like he might soften, but wasn’t entirely willing. It was clear that Liang Jin had said unpleasant things first, and not just once or twice—almost every day there were a couple of jabs to tease or provoke him. But thinking about the long bus ride ahead, he quickly weighed the pros and cons and decided to lower his head. He gave a forced, flattering smile: “Liang Jin, aren’t you going to give me a ride?”

“Aren’t you the one who doesn’t need me to manage you?” Liang Jin smiled as he pulled away from the curb.

Li Wenshui: “…”

He took a deep breath, unwillingly forcing out three words: “You… manage… me.”

Liang Jin stared at him for a while, a victorious smile appearing in his eyes. “Since your forehead is injured, I’ll make an exception.”

The car door automatically closed, and Li Wenshui reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat. Every time Liang Jin called him “baby,” it felt strange. He wasn’t Liang Jin’s real “baby,” or he wouldn’t have to lower his voice to beg for a ride.

The car drove through the mountain road and headed toward the city. The scenery outside the window passed quickly. After a while, the car entered a university campus filled with students. Li Wenshui thought, “It’s really nice to have a car. When I take the bus, it takes more than two hours to get to school. But with a car, it only takes forty minutes.” If he could have his own car, he wouldn’t have to struggle like this every day.

Ten minutes before reaching the school gate, Li Wenshui adjusted his appearance in the car window. Then he took out his old phone, which often froze, and snapped a few pictures of the car’s steering wheel. He then took a selfie, adding a bit of mischief to the shot by including Liang Jin in the frame. Just as he was excited to post it on his social media, a hand pressed down on his, and Liang Jin, still looking ahead, spoke with a half-smile, his mood unreadable. “What did we agree on?”

Li Wenshui froze, then reluctantly deleted the photo with Liang Jin in it. “Posting a few pictures doesn’t mean we have that kind of relationship, does it? I won’t post about you, okay? But my selfie is fine, right?” He waved his unretouched selfie in front of Liang Jin’s eyes.

Liang Jin withdrew his hand and didn’t say anything more. After spending so much time with Li Wenshui, Liang Jin still didn’t like his subtle way of showing off everything related to him.

The car turned to the back gate of the university, where there were fewer people. Liang Jin said, “I still need to park. You don’t have to wait for me; go in by yourself.”

After Liang Jin drove off, Li Wenshui stood up straighter and walked into the school. At the same time, Li Liyan, who happened to be buying water at the back gate, saw this scene. He stared intently at Li Wenshui’s figure, his clenched fists trembling slightly.

In the counselor’s office, Li Wenshui finished checking the last graduation certificate. He neatly arranged all the certificates and said to the middle-aged woman working at the desk, “There are exactly forty-five, no missing ones.”

The counselor squinted at the graduation tripartite agreement form on the computer screen. “Good, you can take them back and distribute them later.”

As Li Wenshui turned to leave, the counselor suddenly took off her glasses and rubbed her tired eyes. “Wenshui, aren’t you planning to pursue graduate studies? With your intellect, it’d be a waste not to continue your education.”

“I don’t have that plan for now,” Li Wenshui unconsciously clenched the graduation certificate in his hand. If he could continue his studies, he would love to, but what he lacked wasn’t the opportunity for further education—it was money. The counselor took a sip of her tea. “Do you have any other plans? Civil servant exam? Or government positions?”

Li Wenshui shook his head. None of those jobs would allow him to pay off his debts any faster. The counselor didn’t say anything further. She just felt regretful. Li Wenshui not only excelled academically, but he also managed the class well and worked efficiently, which had spared her a lot of worry during her illness and hospitalization. Such ability and intelligence, and yet he wasn’t pursuing further education—it felt like such a waste. But this was something she could only advise him on so much. Having guided many students over the years, she understood that everyone’s life circumstances were different, and that led to different life choices. Though Li Wenshui never spoke of his family situation, she could tell that his life was much more difficult than what he portrayed.

When Li Wenshui entered the classroom, it was noisy. The students who had arrived early had already put on their graduation gowns. Groups of three or five gathered to take pictures. Many eyes were on Li Wenshui, but no one asked him to join their photos. The graduation gowns had been picked over, and there were only a few left. Li Wenshui casually picked up one, not rushing to wear it. Instead, he took out the graduation certificate from his bag and placed it on the table. As soon as he did, everyone swarmed around. Li Wenshui adjusted his cap and raised his head. “Line up, the ones whose names I call, come sign and receive your certificates.”

…

During the distribution of certificates, a few people noticed Li Wenshui’s cap. Some sneered, some snorted, and some even asked enviously how much Li Wenshui’s cap had cost. Li Wenshui was in a good mood—if even one person recognized his cap, whether out of dislike or envy, it meant the cap was worth wearing.

After all the certificates were handed out, the class leader called everyone downstairs to take a graduation photo. Li Wenshui walked among the students, and no one spoke to him. He had grown used to this loneliness and didn’t show any signs of discomfort. As someone passed by and accidentally bumped into him, the person said, “Hey, class monitor, are you okay?” This was Zhang Wen, Li Wenshui’s roommate from his freshman year, and they didn’t get along.

“Yo,” Zhang Wen glanced at Li Wenshui’s cap and shoes. “Class monitor, where are you going to make money? This cap and shoes don’t even match your outfit. By the way, have you found a job? Didn’t you go to my dad’s company for an interview recently? With your money and look, why don’t you let your parents arrange a job for you? It’s embarrassing to find one on your own.”

Li Wenshui didn’t even look at him. “Being self-reliant isn’t shameful. Depending on your parents is what’s embarrassing. I saw your dad at the interview, a man in his sixties, and his son can’t even get his life together and plays games all day. You should be the one who’s ashamed.”

Zhang Wen pointed a finger at him. “Damn you!”

Someone grabbed Zhang Wen and advised him, “Why provoke him? You can’t out-talk him. Just stay away from him.”

After leaving the teaching building, the sky was clear and bright. Li Wenshui walked to an empty spot on the field and changed into his graduation gown. When he looked up, he saw Li Qun and Wu Dongya standing next to Li Liyan. Wu Dongya was holding her one-month-old daughter, smiling happily, while Li Qun, like a loving father, had his arm around his son’s back. In Li Wenshui’s memory, they had never missed any of Li Liyan’s graduations. Perhaps, to Li Liyan, they were good enough parents.

Li Wenshui felt a bit uncomfortable, and his gaze shifted to the other side. Through the crowd, he spotted Liang Jin, who still stood out even though everyone was wearing the same outfit.

Luo Jianan, out of breath, ran over to Li Wenshui. “Wenshui! I’m late! You’ve got my graduation gown and certificate, right?”

“I have them with me.”

Luo Jianan gave Li Wenshui a big hug, smiling widely. “I knew you’d hold on to them for me.”

Li Wenshui’s gaze wandered again, this time toward Liang Jin. Liang Jin seemed to always have good relationships with everyone. Back in high school, he was surrounded by people, and now, many were gathered around him, asking for photos. Liang Jin maintained a constant smile, never refusing, and kept up the image of a warm, approachable rich young man. Some people would stand close to him for photos, others would shyly look at him. With his hands behind his back, his aura was unworldly, like a famous landmark.

While taking a picture, Li Liyan quickly put his arm around Liang Jin’s, probably to appear closer. After the photo, as if by instinct, Li Liyan turned around and caught sight of Li Wenshui not far away. His smile faded, and he quickly walked toward Li Wenshui. Gone was the fear he had shown around Li Wenshui in the past. He confronted him, asking, “Did you come with Liang Jin this morning?”

Li Wenshui smiled brightly, the corners of his lips lifting. “Yeah, so what?”