Chapter 15: He hasn’t had a romantic relationship, but he has a boy…

“Then you can apply for the mathematics department in the future,” Lu Liu said.

“Uh,” Lin Zhi thought of the complicated and numerous formulas and symbols in his advanced math textbook, his mouth twitching. “Forget it, it’s not that interesting to me.”

If he applied for the mathematics department, “Zhi” would probably need to double major in law and math to save him.

Right now, Lin Zhi liked math, but only in comparison to physics and chemistry. After studying advanced math, he found it easier to pick up high school math again, just like how math problems seemed simpler after entering high school compared to middle school.

“Then what major do you want to apply for?” Lu Liu gently probed.

“I don’t know,” Lin Zhi replied. Even though he had been in university for two years, he still had no idea which major suited him. “Maybe economics.”

Lu Liu nodded thoughtfully and asked, “Have you thought about which university you want to apply to? Before the break, Teacher Wang Wu mentioned he would roughly tally up which universities our class wants to apply to when the new semester starts.”

Lin Zhi remembered that they did indeed do this survey in his previous life after the start of senior year, but not everyone filled it out. After all, before the exam results came out, everyone had their hearts set on well-known 985 and 211 universities, and everyone wanted to get into B University or Q University. How many people from small towns could actually get into them?

Lin Zhi didn’t know whether those confident students managed to get into their target universities, after graduating high school, he lost contact with most of his old classmates.

Anyway, he didn’t fill it out.

In his previous life, Lu Liu had asked him many times about this, repeatedly asking which university he wanted to apply to.

Back then, Lin Zhi wasn’t ashamed of his poor grades, but in front of the person he had a crush on, he couldn’t bring himself to say that his goal was a prestigious university or admit that, based on his own abilities, he could only get into an unknown school.

“Class monitor,” Lin Zhi tilted his head and asked, “Is this survey mandatory?”

“No,” Lu Liu answered honestly, “It’s not the final data. If you haven’t decided, you don’t have to fill it out. If you do fill it out, it’s just for reference.”

Then why did you keep asking me about it before! Lin Zhi thought to himself.

“I’m just asking as a… friend,” Lu Liu added, “It’s just a simple question about which university you want to apply to. It’s fine if you don’t want to say.”

So now they were friends, Lin Zhi thought, and said, “I haven’t decided which university yet, but I want to go to B City.”

Lu Liu’s eyes lit up. “You want to go to B City too.”

“‘Too’?” Lin Zhi quickly understood. “You’re going there too?”

“Yeah,” Lu Liu said with a very obvious smile, “What a coincidence.”

“It is a coincidence,” Lin Zhi thought to himself, though it didn’t seem that surprising. Many top students want to go to B City. “Zhi” is one of them. He casually asked, “So what major do you want to apply for?”

Lu Liu said firmly, “Law.”

Lin Zhi widened his eyes. “You also want to study law!”

“‘Also want?” Lu Liu slightly furrowed his brows, as Lin Zhi had just mentioned he wanted to apply for economics. “Who else wants to study law?”

“Ah,” Lin Zhi froze for a moment. “No one. I just think that people with your personality often end up studying law.”

“Really?” Lu Liu raised an eyebrow and then suddenly remembered something else. “By the way, I went to the library today to return the books. The two I borrowed the other day when we ran into each other at the library.”

Lin Zhi: “?”

“I finished reading the books,” Lu Liu said.

“And then?” Lin Zhi asked.

“There are a lot of cases of teenagers being abused in the book,” Lu Liu stared into Lin Zhi’s eyes and asked, “Why did you choose to read books about that?”

“To understand what to do in case something like that happens,” Lin Zhi replied.

Lu Liu subtly probed, “I thought you had a good relationship with Uncle Lin.”

“It’s not me.”

“…Is it Yao Wenjing?”

Lu Liu had been too focused on worrying about Lin Zhi to notice many details before, but after understanding more about Lin Zhi’s relationship with his father and Yao Wenjing, he quickly made the connection.

Lin Zhi puffed out his cheeks and lowered his head, not answering with a yes or no.

After a long silence, Lu Liu turned his head. The patient who had been practicing walking earlier was now in a wheelchair, pushed down the hallway by a nurse. Lu Liu softly said, “You’re really nice to him.”

“Xiao Jing is really good to me too,” Lin Zhi replied with his head lowered, “He deserves it.”

Lu Liu pressed his lips together and, after hesitating for about half a minute, asked, “Do you need any help?”

“No, thank you,” Lin Zhi lifted his eyelids, “Xiao Jing doesn’t like others to see him… well… looking bad.”

“I finished the book,” Lu Liu said, feeling uncomfortable inside but still “tempting” him, “But you haven’t finished.”

“Pfft,” Lin Zhi laughed, “Class monitor, has anyone ever told you that you’re really enthusiastic?”

“You said so today,” Lu Liu raised two fingers, “Twice.”

“Class monitor,” Lin Zhi looked down at Lu Liu’s long fingers, with a “sensible elder” demeanor, kindly reminding him, “Don’t always be so nice to others, it could lead people to misunderstand.”

“You seem to be the one who misunderstood,” Lu Liu said seriously, “I’ve never been casually nice to others.”

Lin Zhi tightened his grip on the pen.

The conversation about whether Lu Liu needed to help had no conclusion. Lin Zhi received a call from Lin Qingye, saying that the person who came to visit him had already left, and it was hot outside, so he should go back and rest.

Lin Zhi led Lu Liu and the slightly diminished fruit basket back to the hospital room. Lu Liu had barely sat for five minutes before his family called, urging him to go home.

As usual, Lin Zhi sent Lu Liu out of the hospital. Before Lu Liu could say “next time,” Lin Zhi firmly said, “Class monitor, thank you very much for coming to see my dad, but please don’t come again. It’s quite a waste of time, and it always takes up half of your day.”

“Okay.” Lu Liu nodded, not saying anything more, and turned to get into the taxi parked by the side of the road.

Lin Zhi watched the taxi disappear around the corner, letting out a quiet sigh. Lu Liu’s back seemed unexpectedly lonely, but it must have been his imagination.

Lin Qingye stayed in the hospital for over half a month. After a full-body checkup, all his body functions showed no issues. Lu Xueli told them that he could be discharged, and after taking medication regularly and coming in for check-ups, the chances of relapse were minimal in a few years.

Lin Zhi made two trips to move the items from the hospital room that could still be used. When they came, Yao Wenjing helped, along with the quick-moving Lin Qingye, but now that Lin Qingye’s wound had just healed, Lin Zhi didn’t allow him to make any large movements.

After returning home, Lin Zhi, following his previous thoughts, persuaded Lin Qingye to resign. Lin Zhi had mentally prepared to speak harshly, but to his surprise, Lin Qingye agreed the moment he mentioned it.

“Okay,” Lin Qingye nodded after swallowing his medication for the day. “I’ll submit my resignation tomorrow.”

“…” Lin Zhi didn’t respond immediately. “So fast?”

“Silly child,” Lin Qingye smiled. “I was just planning to tell you that I might not have any income for a while.”

“It’s okay,” Lin Zhi waved his hand, “The surgery and hospitalization costs can be reimbursed, and with your savings, it’ll be enough to last a long time.”

Lin Zhi had paid all the hospital expenses, and he knew exactly how much Lin Qingye had saved.

Lin Qingye finished the hot water in his glass and said, “What about your college fees?”

“I’ll take out a loan for college,” Lin Zhi quickly responded. “Don’t worry, student loans don’t accrue interest while I’m in school. I’ll pay it off after I graduate.”

“No,” Lin Qingye shook his head. “You’re my only child, and it’s not like I can’t afford it. The reason I’m resigning is that I’ve taken too much leave, and the company probably doesn’t want to keep me around as a sickly person. Instead of getting fired, I’d rather quit myself. Once I recover, I can find a new job.”

“That’s nonsense,” Lin Zhi pretended to be upset. “What do you mean sickly? You’re perfectly healthy now, okay?”

“Alright,” Lin Qingye smiled and reached out to ruffle Lin Zhi’s hair. “Don’t worry, I have plenty of work experience, so finding a job will be easy.”

That’s true, after all, he had been working for over twenty years.

“Dad,” Lin Zhi said in a coaxing tone, “Work is too hard. If your health can’t handle it, don’t go. Wait until I graduate, and then…”

“I’m only in my forties,” Lin Qingye interrupted him. “Uncle Li downstairs is over fifty and still working. Don’t think so poorly of your dad.”

“Okay,” Lin Zhi compromised. “If it really doesn’t work out, you can open a small shop and run it yourself. You can rest whenever you want.”

“Let’s see,” Lin Qingye smiled. “Don’t worry, I have a plan. I want to live a few more decades to see you get married and have kids.”

“Uh, about that…” Lin Zhi scratched the back of his head. “Ahem, I’m still in high school. Isn’t it a little too early to talk about that?”

“Still shy?” Lin Qingye smiled even more happily. “Do you think I don’t know? Nowadays, high school students secretly date behind their parents’ backs all the time. When I pass by the affiliated school after work, I always see lots of students in uniform, reluctant to say goodbye.”

Lin Zhi awkwardly laughed a few times. It wasn’t shyness, he was just afraid that if he revealed the real reason, his father might get scared and be sent back to the hospital.

“Pfft,” Yao Wenjing laughed and leaned on the front desk. “Did Uncle really say that?”

“Yes,” Lin Zhi exaggeratedly nodded. “I’m afraid the next thing he’ll ask is whether I’m in a relationship.”

Yao Wenjing laughed heartily, then lowered his head slightly and softly asked, “So, Xiao Zhi, are you in a relationship?”

“Well…” Lin Zhi wasn’t sure. He hadn’t had a romantic relationship, but he did have a boyfriend, so that might count. “Not right now.”

“Not right now?” Yao Wenjing chewed on the words, and being sensitive, he asked again, “So, have you been in a relationship before?”

Does his time with “Zhi” count as being in a relationship? Lin Zhi was confused again.

“No,” Lin Zhi thought for a moment and said, “I’ll have a relationship in the future.”

Yao Wenjing: “…”

“Who doesn’t plan to have one in the future…” Yao Wenjing hadn’t finished speaking when he thought of another possibility. “Xiao Zhi, you don’t have someone you like already, do you?”

This was a question Lin Zhi could answer. He nodded firmly. “Yes.”

“Who is it?” Yao Wenjing teased him. “Someone from your class?”

“No,” Lin Zhi felt a little embarrassed. “You don’t know him, but I’ll introduce you if we have the chance in the future.”