Chapter 23: No Girlfriend, But I Have a Boyfriend

“Still mad, huh?” Lu Tingshen asked with a soft chuckle.

“A little,” Ji Jinbai mumbled.

“A little means I haven’t fully appeased you yet,” Lu Tingshen teased, his voice low and amused.

Ji Jinbai glanced up at him briefly.

Lu Tingshen gently guided him to sit on the bed, then leaned down to kiss him. “Wait for me, I’ll be back soon.”

Two minutes later, Lu Tingshen returned, holding a small silver box. He handed it to Ji Jinbai. “Open it.”

Curious, Ji Jinbai opened the box to find a stunning, high-purity pink diamond inside. The ten-carat stone sparkled brilliantly, catching his eye immediately.

Lu Tingshen had purchased it at an auction, drawn to its rarity and beauty. He hadn’t expected it to come in handy so soon.

Ji Jinbai looked up at him, surprised. “For me?”

Lu Tingshen gazed at him affectionately. “Yes, do you like it?”

“Why are you suddenly giving me a diamond?”

“To appease you,” Lu Tingshen replied casually, his words sending a ripple of warmth through Ji Jinbai’s heart, turning his ears red.

Ji Jinbai picked up the diamond, examining it under the light. Its translucent pink hue was mesmerizing, clearly a piece of immense value.

“How much did this cost?” Ji Jinbai asked, curious.

“Not much, just nine figures.”

Nine figures?

Ji Jinbai counted on his fingers—ones, tens, hundreds… His eyes widened in shock as he stared at Lu Tingshen, then back at the diamond in his hand, which was essentially worth several houses.

They hadn’t been together for long, yet Lu Tingshen had already gifted him a house and now a diamond. Was this how the wealthy expressed love?

Ji Jinbai suddenly felt the weight of the gift, placing it back in the box and hurriedly handing it back to Lu Tingshen. “This is too valuable. I can’t accept it.”

Lu Tingshen sighed softly at his refusal. “It’s not that much. Just keep it. It’s of no use to me, so consider it a toy.”

He placed the box back in Ji Jinbai’s hands, feigning displeasure. “If you don’t take it, I’ll be upset.”

Unable to refuse, Ji Jinbai reluctantly accepted it.

Lu Tingshen, noticing Ji Jinbai’s dazed expression, gently squeezed the back of his neck and smiled. “This is just the beginning, delicate darling. Still mad?”

“Not anymore.”

Ji Jinbai couldn’t stay upset over a nine-figure gift.

After carefully storing the box, the two got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast.

After the meal, Lu Tingshen led Ji Jinbai to the painting studio he had prepared for him.

The studio featured a floor-to-ceiling window offering a view of the river and the city skyline. The room was bathed in a soft, warm yellow light, with a tatami mat by the window for relaxation.

What delighted Ji Jinbai the most were the two walls filled with an array of paints from a brand he usually couldn’t afford. The entire space was designed to perfection, embodying his ideal studio.

Overjoyed, Ji Jinbai threw himself at Lu Tingshen, wrapping his arms around his neck. “Lu Tingshen, I love you so much!”

“Delicate darling, change the way you address me,” Lu Tingshen prompted with a smile.

Ji Jinbai knew exactly what he wanted to hear and didn’t hesitate. “Sir, I love you so much!”

Seeing Ji Jinbai’s happiness, Lu Tingshen’s face softened with a smile. He gently stroked the back of Ji Jinbai’s neck. “If you need anything else, just let Lin Cheng know. He’ll take care of it.”

“Okay,” Ji Jinbai nodded.

Lu Tingshen glanced at his watch—it was already nine. He patted Ji Jinbai’s back. “Alright, it’s nine. Time to head to school.”

Ji Jinbai reluctantly pulled away from his embrace.

Before leaving, Lu Tingshen applied medicine to the corner of Ji Jinbai’s mouth and reminded him, “Be careful, don’t lick it.”

Ji Jinbai pouted and poked his chest, “Got it. I wonder who caused this, how shameless~ When my classmates ask, I won’t know how to explain it.”

Lu Tingshen lowered his head and kissed him, “Alright, we agreed not to be angry.”

Ji Jinbai arrived at the classroom just in time. Li Li kept glancing at him, noticing that the usually aloof Ji Jinbai seemed different today.

Lu Mian frowned as he looked at his face, “How did the corner of your mouth get hurt?”

Ji Jinbai touched it awkwardly, “I accidentally bit it while eating.”

Lu Mian didn’t suspect anything and believed him.

The phone on the desk lit up, set to silent because of class. Ji Jinbai picked it up and opened it.

It was a message from the junior he met at the school supermarket the other day. He checked the message.

The junior hadn’t accepted the red packet he sent yesterday, and the money had been returned.

Zhou Xu: “Senior, sorry, I didn’t see the message yesterday.”

Zhou Xu: “Senior, are you free? I’d like to treat you to a meal. I have some questions I’d like to ask you.”

Ji Jinbai didn’t want to owe anyone a favor, so he thought it was just a meal.

Jinbai is not Jinbai: “Sure, I’m free tonight.”

He sent a red packet with the amount the junior had paid for him the other day.

Receiving a positive reply, Zhou Xu promptly accepted the red packet.

Zhou Xu: “Great, I’ll come find you then.”

Jinbai is not Jinbai: “No need, let’s meet at the school gate.”

Zhou Xu replied with an “Okay.”

Ji Jinbai had planned to return early tonight, but it seemed that plan was ruined.

He was about to message Lu Tingshen to let him know he might be back late, but Lu Tingshen beat him to it.

Mr. Lu: “I have a business dinner tonight, might be back very late.”

Ji Jinbai was just about to tell him, but it turned out Lu Tingshen had plans too.

Delicate darling: “I might also be back late tonight.”

Mr. Lu: “Hmm, what are you up to?”

Delicate darling: “Going out for dinner.”

Mr. Lu: “With Lu Mian?”

Seeing that Lu Tingshen was determined to get to the bottom of it, Ji Jinbai decided to be honest.

Delicate darling: “No, it’s with a junior. He helped me pay the other day and wants to treat me to a meal. I don’t want to owe him a favor.”

Lu Tingshen frowned as he looked at his phone in the office, recalling the junior Ji Jinbai had mentioned—a good-looking guy.

He felt uneasy. He could easily see through the junior’s intentions.

He snorted coldly.

Mr. Lu: “Can you not go?”

Delicate darling: “I already agreed, it would be rude to back out now. It’s just a simple meal, don’t worry.”

Lu Tingshen wasn’t entirely reassured.

Mr. Lu: “Send me your location when you get there. I’ll have Lin Cheng pick you up later.”

Delicate darling: “Alright, I understand.”

Delicate darling: “Focus on work, I won’t disturb you anymore.”

Mr. Lu: “Hmm.”

After class, Ji Jinbai and Lu Mian went to the cafeteria for lunch and then returned to the dorm together.

Ji Jinbai hadn’t slept well last night due to being exhausted, and since there were no afternoon classes, he decided to take a nap in the dorm.

He slept until 4 PM. His meeting with Zhou Xu was at 7 PM, so there was still plenty of time. He tidied up and headed to the painting studio.

Ji Jinbai got so absorbed in his work that he lost track of time. When he finally looked up, the sky was starting to darken. He checked the time—it was almost 7 PM. He packed up his things and locked the studio door.

At the school gate, Ji Jinbai saw Zhou Xu, who had already arrived, and the two of them went to a restaurant not far from the school.

The restaurant was clean, and the food was delicious and affordable, earning it high praise from students. Although it was a bit crowded, the dishes were served quickly.

Zhou Xu looked at Ji Jinbai, who was eating. Under the bright lights, he appeared very fair and beautiful. Zhou Xu secretly glanced at him, but when Ji Jinbai looked over, he quickly averted his gaze.

“Didn’t you say you had a question to ask me?”

“What did you want to ask?”

Only then did Zhou Xu remember that he had just used it as an excuse to ask him out for a meal.

He casually brought up a question, “Senior, I wanted to ask about transferring majors at school.”

Ji Jinbai had some knowledge about this matter and explained some of the requirements for transferring majors.

“The requirements and standards vary by college, so what I’m telling you can only serve as a reference. If you want to learn more, you can consult your advisor or a senior.”

Zhou Xu nodded and then asked, “Senior, you’re so good-looking. You must have a lot of admirers, right?”

“Not really.”

Zhou Xu continued with a smile, “Can I ask you another question?”

Ji Jinbai looked at him, thinking it would be another academic question, and nodded.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

Ji Jinbai was momentarily taken aback, not expecting this question.

“Why are you asking that?”

“Just curious. If it’s inconvenient for you to answer, you don’t have to.”

Ji Jinbai didn’t see any reason to hide it, so he replied, “No, I don’t.”

Before Zhou Xu could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard Ji Jinbai add, “But I have a boyfriend.”

Zhou Xu’s expression became slightly awkward. He asked, “Is he from our school?”

Ji Jinbai shook his head, not wanting to elaborate. Seeing that Ji Jinbai wasn’t keen on discussing his boyfriend further, Zhou Xu tactfully dropped the subject.