The ticking of the clock on the wall sounded louder and sharper in the quiet room.

One turn, two turns.

It was almost time for their agreed meeting, but Ji Yuzhou still hadn’t returned.

Jiang Xunyu’s heart sank little by little, feeling heavy.

He wasn’t upset with Ji Yuzhou. With Ji Yuzhou’s position and responsibilities, there were far more important things than tutoring him. But he still couldn’t help feeling sad. He had been hoping to see Mr. Ji.

Finally, the clock’s hands pointed to the agreed-upon time, 9 PM, the time when he was supposed to go to Ji Yuzhou’s study for tutoring.

Jiang Xunyu let out a breath, unable to describe how he felt. His fingers tightly gripped the pen, the pressure making his fingertips ache.

At that moment, he suddenly heard the sound of a door opening downstairs, followed by hurried footsteps climbing the stairs.

The door to Jiang Xunyu’s room was knocked on.

It was Mr. Ji!

Jiang Xunyu heard his own heartbeat pounding loudly.

He practically jumped out of his chair to open the door.

Ji Yuzhou’s eyes showed a hint of fatigue, but his voice was gentle, “Sorry, I’m not too late, right?”

The pirate forces had been growing stronger, and a video conference with the Four Armies had been scheduled to discuss how to jointly combat the pirates. The meeting had stretched into the night.

After the meeting ended, he hurried home, just in time.

Jiang Xunyu’s nose tingled, and he quickly lowered his head to hide his emotions, muttering, “No.”

Xiao C, unable to sit still, flew between the two of them and excitedly said to Ji Yuzhou, “Mr. Ji, you’re finally back! Xunyu has been waiting for you… Mmm!”

Jiang Xunyu hurriedly grabbed Xiao C, pressing its mouth shut.

Ji Yuzhou chuckled. “Did you miss me that much?”

Jiang Xunyu quickly shook his head. He hesitated but couldn’t help asking, “Did you… come back specially for me?”

For him, for someone who had no blood ties, who wasn’t particularly excellent, and who even looked different from others?

“Mm.” Ji Yuzhou smiled lightly, not minding. “There was a sudden issue with the army.”

Jiang Xunyu’s hand, hidden under his sleeve, clenched into a fist. “Actually, you didn’t have to…”

“No,” Ji Yuzhou interrupted him, “Since I promised you, I won’t break my word.”

With a soft “click,” Jiang Xunyu felt like he could hear the frozen shell around his heart crack, and warm blood rushed in, spreading throughout his body.

….

Ji Yuzhou first returned to his room to change clothes and then went to the study.

Jiang Xunyu had already been waiting for him there for a while.

Ji Yuzhou’s study was more minimalist than the rest of the house, with white walls, a black desk, and two rows of black bookshelves. The shelves were lined with the medals Ji Yuzhou had earned in numerous battles. Aside from that, there was nothing else.

After leading Jiang Xunyu into the study, Ji Yuzhou told him to wait there. Jiang Xunyu didn’t dare to touch anything of Ji Yuzhou’s, only daring to steal glances at the numerous medals.

Some of the medals had Ji Yuzhou’s photos attached to them. Jiang Xunyu stole a glance and saw Ji Yuzhou’s deep, dark eyes, and immediately, feeling guilty like a thief, quickly averted his gaze.

There were other materials in the study as well, but Jiang Xunyu was afraid of messing anything up. He didn’t dare to sit and even stood in place, still holding his book and pen when Ji Yuzhou entered.

Ji Yuzhou frowned and took the items from his hands, placing them on the desk. “Why aren’t you sitting?”

Jiang Xunyu bit his lip. “I was waiting for you.”

Ji Yuzhou sighed inwardly. It had been too long since he’d been home, and it seemed the kid had become more reserved when facing him. He personally fetched a chair and placed it by the desk. “Sit down.”

Jiang Xunyu sat obediently on the chair, placing his hands on his thighs, back straight.

Seeing how tense the kid still was, Ji Yuzhou decided to tease him. “How old are you this year?”

Jiang Xunyu froze, not immediately understanding why Ji Yuzhou was asking, and instinctively replied, “Eighteen.”

“Is that so?” Ji Yuzhou sat in the chair beside him and casually picked up Jiang Xunyu’s textbook. “I thought you just started elementary school, sitting so properly.”

Jiang Xunyu stiffened, and Ji Yuzhou continued, “At home, you don’t have to be so formal.”

Only then did Jiang Xunyu realize that Ji Yuzhou was teasing him. His face flushed slightly, and he lowered his head awkwardly, unsure of what to say. The slight distance he had felt from Ji Yuzhou seemed to disappear at that moment.

Yes, this was his home now.

Jiang Xunyu was still holding his math textbook. He hadn’t had a proper education, and his foundation was very weak. Even though he studied late into the night almost every day, math was still the subject that held him back during exams.

He was afraid Ji Yuzhou would think he was too stupid. He erased and revised some of the questions he didn’t understand, but after thinking for a while, he marked over a dozen problems.

These problems weren’t hard for Ji Yuzhou. After a quick glance, he saw that Jiang Xunyu’s difficulties were concentrated in a few types of questions. He picked one problem from each type to explain to Jiang Xunyu. After explaining, half an hour had passed.

Jiang Xunyu quietly thanked him, and Ji Yuzhou returned the book but made no move to let him leave. “You can finish the rest of the questions here. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask.”

Jiang Xunyu glanced at Ji Yuzhou who had already opened his holographic computer, ready to deal with official matters.

From his angle, Jiang Xunyu couldn’t see what was on the screen, but he could see the light from the computer casting a soft glow on Ji Yuzhou’s face. His expression was serious and focused, completely absorbed in his work.

Jiang Xunyu stared blankly at him.

Ji Yuzhou cleared his throat twice, tapping the wooden desk with his fingers. “What are you looking at?”

Only then did Jiang Xunyu snap back to reality, quickly looking away. “Sorry…”

Ji Yuzhou had already noticed that Jiang Xunyu was secretly staring at him, but he hadn’t said anything at first. Now, however, he saw that Jiang Xunyu not only hadn’t stopped but had become even bolder in his gaze.

“Am I that good-looking?”

Jiang Xunyu blushed so much that he almost wanted to hide under the desk. In his panic, he didn’t hear Ji Yuzhou’s exact question and instinctively answered, “Yes, you’re good-looking…”

“Cough, cough…” Ji Yuzhou hadn’t expected such a direct answer and almost choked. After a moment, he cleared his throat again and said, “Focus on your studies.”

Jiang Xunyu, equally embarrassed, quickly lowered his head and focused on his studies, too flustered to look at Ji Yuzhou again.

A subtle tension spread throughout the room.