Chapter 76: Now It’s Happening

A week later, his house downstairs was sublet, and Lin Hexi moved all of his belongings to You Chong’s place.

The night after they finished moving, You Chong had a friend who was throwing a birthday party at a club called Week Eight, and he was invited to join. Lin Hexi went along as well.

Most of the people who came to the bar to celebrate that friend’s birthday were usually in contact with You Chong. As soon as You Chong and Zhou Xuan arrived at the bar, the crowd immediately swarmed them, surrounding them and asking about how they had been.

Lin Hexi had no interest in joining the crowd, so he waved his hand toward You Chong, signaling that he was fine, then found a spot at the back to sit down by himself. He started eating some of the pre-cut fruit from the fruit plate on the table.

Seeing that You Chong had no intention of responding, Zhou Xuan let out a light snort and said, “He’s busy being in love, and I’m busy eating dog food.”

The fact that You Chong and Lin Hexi were dating was something most people there had already heard about. Apart from the initial shock, everyone couldn’t help but quietly admire Lin Hexi’s skill—he had even managed to win over You Chong.

Everyone wanted to pry more details from Zhou Xuan, but he promptly put on an indifferent expression and said, “Don’t ask me. If you want to know, go ask the people involved.”

Several pairs of eyes immediately shifted toward You Chong, who was standing beside Zhou Xuan.

Seeing this, You Chong casually raised his eyebrow and said, “Zhou Xuan’s been eating too much ‘dog food’ lately and wants to find a girlfriend. Anyone got any recommendations?”

Zhou Xuan stared at him, dumbfounded, and before he could deny it, he was swarmed by eager people offering to set him up.

You Chong stood at the back and snickered, turning around and leaving Zhou Xuan to deal with the others on his own. He then walked over to the booth area to find Lin Hexi.

Zhou Xuan didn’t even have time to chase after him to complain about being betrayed before he was busy waving off the people asking about his preferences.

Seeing that a direct introduction wasn’t working, someone else tactfully suggested, “On Christmas Eve, we’re having a mixer near the school. A lot of girls from the performing arts department will be there. Want to join us, Brother Xuan?”

Zhou Xuan finally ran out of patience, his expression darkening as he said, “Didn’t I already say it? I’m not interested.”

The group finally gave up on the idea of introducing a girlfriend to him, albeit reluctantly.

Meanwhile, over where Lin Hexi was sitting, in just a few seconds of looking down at his phone, a pretty, unfamiliar girl sat down beside him.

Lin Hexi was used to this.

At school, people avoided him because of his not-so-great reputation, and they wouldn’t deliberately approach him. But outside of school, few people could recognize him just by his face alone, so naturally, there were always people trying to strike up a conversation with various excuses.

He lifted his eyes and glanced at the person beside him. “This seat is taken.”

The girl, who was clearly no shy, innocent type, especially considering her frequent visits to the bar, didn’t flinch. She casually placed her hand on his shoulder, smiling brightly, “Well, no one’s here yet, right?”

Brushing her hand off, Lin Hexi replied, “There are plenty of empty seats.”

“But I don’t like any of those,” she said with a sweet smile, tilting her head to gaze at him. “I like the place you’re sitting.”

Lin Hexi turned his face directly toward her, his lips curving slightly as he said, “I’m already with someone.”

The girl froze, unwilling to give up, and suspected that Lin Hexi might just be lying to brush her off. She couldn’t help but add, “Even if you already have someone, you can always change.”

Lin Hexi didn’t respond this time, his gaze passing over her shoulder to look behind her.

Sensing something, the girl followed his line of sight and turned her head, only to see someone standing in front of her.

The person was very tall, standing with the light behind them, making their facial features difficult to discern. In a concise tone, they simply said, “Move aside.”

The girl instantly understood, her expression turning displeased as she frowned and pointed to the empty seat on the other side of Lin Hexi. “You can sit over there.”

You Chong’s voice carried a faint pressure. “Move.”

Unable to help but glance at his height again, the girl reluctantly got up and stepped aside, heading toward the other side of Lin Hexi.

Lin Hexi reached out to stop her, once again clearly enunciating, “I’m already with someone.”

The girl froze in place, her peripheral vision unintentionally sweeping over You Chong’s face as he sat down.

With the shadow no longer blocking her view, the girl got a clear look at You Chong’s face. Changing her mind, she walked back to him and softly apologized.

Seeing through her intentions immediately, Lin Hexi interrupted from the side, “He’s with someone too.”

The girl asked, “Where?”

Instead of answering, Lin Hexi pressed his fingers against You Chong’s chin, turning his face slightly, and leaned in to kiss his lips. Then, turning back with a light smile, he said, “Right here.”

The girl gritted her teeth in frustration, cursed her bad luck under her breath, and gave up on her original plan, walking away.

Zhou Xuan, who had followed and witnessed the entire scene, was so overwhelmed by their public display of affection that he felt his hair stand on end. He shot You Chong a look of disgust and annoyance, saying, “I’m just a prop in your love story.”

You Chong remained unfazed. “Didn’t I ask them to introduce you to a girlfriend too?”

Zhou Xuan scoffed at this, “If I really wanted to find someone, would I need them to help?”

Lin Hexi leisurely asked, “So, have you found someone?”

Zhou Xuan’s face darkened, and he looked at him, replying, “If you keep quiet, no one will think you’re mute.”

Lin Hexi let out a soft laugh.

Zhou Xuan then turned to You Chong and asked, “Are you still going to their party this Christmas?”

You Chong shook his head. “No, we’re not. We’ve already bought tickets to go up north.”

Zhou Xuan clicked his tongue and sighed. “Of course, I figured you wouldn’t go. When are you coming back? We still have elective classes on Sunday evening.”

“We haven’t bought the return tickets yet,” You Chong replied, not particularly concerned. “If I’m not back by then, find someone to cover my classes for me.”

Though Zhou Xuan felt a strong sense of unfairness, he didn’t show it, and he said with a tone full of mockery. “Good thing you’re finishing your credits this semester. Otherwise, next semester you’d probably need someone to cover every single elective for you.”

Hearing this reminder, You Chong seemed to remember something and turned to Lin Hexi. “Are your elective credits full this semester?”

“I originally had all my electives filled,” Lin Hexi said slowly, glancing at Zhou Xuan with a hint of meaning, “but later, someone switched my class, so I’ll have to take another one next semester.”

It was rare to see Zhou Xuan looking guilty.

After all, no one—including himself and You Chong—would have expected that someone he couldn’t stand at the beginning of the semester would end up with You Chong a few months later.

You Chong raised his eyes and glanced at Zhou Xuan. “You’ll cover Lin Hexi’s elective next semester.”

Zhou Xuan’s face darkened. “Why do I have to go?”

You Chong, with a perfectly natural expression, replied, “Didn’t you mess up his class in the first place?”

Zhou Xuan was instantly at a loss for words, fully understanding what it means to “pay the price for your actions.”

“And besides,” You Chong added casually, “you don’t have to squeeze in time for a relationship.”

It was as if he had hit a sore spot. Zhou Xuan’s face grew even darker.

The next second, Zhou Xuan turned away expressionlessly, took out his phone, and made a call. “Send me the time and place for that Christmas Eve mixer you just mentioned.”

Meanwhile, Lin Hexi had a bit of birthday cake and some red wine before leaving with You Chong.

As they left the bar, Lin Hexi planned to go feed the cats in the alley nearby. The two of them headed to the convenience store across the street to buy some things.

After pushing the door open and walking inside, Lin Hexi bent down in front of a shelf, picking out food suitable for cats. You Chong stood beside him for a moment before suddenly asking, “Why don’t you just take the cat home to keep as a pet?”

Lin Hexi paused in the middle of picking up the items, then stood up with a slight smile, looking back at You Chong. Half-jokingly, he said, “I don’t even have a home myself. How am I supposed to give it one?”

But You Chong didn’t smile back, simply looking at him.

Realizing it might not have been a joke after all, Lin Hexi’s smile gradually faded, his eyes showing a silent confusion.

You Chong said, “You have one now.”

Lin Hexi was momentarily stunned, but he quickly understood the meaning behind You Chong’s words.

He put down the items in his hand and pulled You Chong toward the door, leading him outside.

You Chong’s eyes glimmered with amusement. “Not buying anything?”

Lin Hexi didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stopped by the roadside, turning to look at You Chong. “You’re right,” he said, his voice light and relaxed, with a smile in his tone. “I have one now. So, dear Mr. You Chong,” he continued, his expression serious and his eyes bright, “can I bring that cat home now?”

The corners of You Chong’s lips curled up slightly. “Of course.”