Chapter 30: Now it looks very suspicious…

The next day, Lin Zhi woke up to find it was already nearly noon, and there was less than half an hour left before the time set for the graduation gathering.

“Damn it.” Lin Zhi grabbed his hair, searching for his phone in the tangled blanket. He pressed the power button, but it didn’t respond. It must have run out of battery and shut off. No wonder the alarm didn’t go off.

He quickly got out of bed, plugged in his phone to charge, took a ten-minute shower, spent five minutes getting dressed, and finally grabbed a sports bag with a portable charger.

Yao Wenjing wasn’t used to staying up late, and after staying up half the night, he was still deep asleep. Lin Zhi didn’t wake him and quietly left the room.

“Dad, I’m going to the class reunion,” Lin Zhi said, grabbing some bread and milk from the shelf, planning to eat on the way. “If Xiao Jing comes over later, tell him not to leave just yet.”

“Alright,” Lin Qingye replied absentmindedly, his eyes glued to the anti-Japanese war movie on the computer screen.

Lin Zhi doubted that his dad had even heard what he said. He leaned on the counter and glanced at the computer screen, asking, “What did I just say?”

“You’re going on a date,” Lin Qingye replied, still engrossed in the movie, and casually opened the coin box, handing Lin Zhi three hundred yuan. “Is this enough?”

“…” Lin Zhi took the money without hesitation and repeated his earlier words, “If Xiao Jing comes to the shop, don’t let him leave.”

“Got it, got it.”

Lin Zhi, in a hurry, didn’t linger any longer. He quickly made his way to the meeting place.

Fortunately, the meeting place wasn’t too far, and Lin Zhi arrived just in time, at the very last minute.

His classmates were gathered in small groups, and as soon as Lin Zhi entered the crowd, he spotted Lu Liu at a glance.

Dressed in a white T-shirt and black pants, he stood straight under the shade of a tree, looking clean and refreshing, the complete opposite of Lin Zhi, who was drenched in sweat.

Lin Zhi’s hair, washed this morning but not dried, had been dried by the scorching sun and soaked with sweat, and there was no trace of a hairstyle left.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Zhi slowed his pace as he approached the crowd.

Chen Guyang, who was standing next to Lu Liu, saw him first and waved enthusiastically, calling out, “Lin Zhi, come over here!”

Lin Zhi smiled and replied, “Sorry, I’m late.”

“It’s fine,” Lu Liu said with a slight smile, “You’re right on time.”

Lin Zhi wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that Lu Liu’s smile carried a sense of detachment that hadn’t been there before.

It made him feel uneasy.

Lin Zhi couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was, but something felt off.

In his past life, he and Lu Liu hadn’t had much interaction, and after graduation, they gradually became strangers. Although he had some regrets, it wasn’t that surprising.

But since his rebirth, Lu Liu had been the person he had spent the most time with and communicated with the most in this class. Why did it feel like there was now a distance between them?

Did graduation, no matter what the relationship, always mean growing apart?

Lost in thought, a tissue appeared in front of him, held between two fair, slender fingers, the joints clearly defined, and even the nails were neatly trimmed, looking as perfect as its owner.

Lin Zhi lowered his head slightly and didn’t respond. The owner of the fingers spoke up, “Wipe off your sweat.”

“Thank you.” Lin Zhi took the tissue, which was large enough that his fingertips didn’t touch it.

Lu Liu replied in his usual manner, “No need to thank me.”

Lin Zhi suddenly felt a wave of frustration rise inside him. This was so baffling—was Lu Liu giving him the “silent treatment”?

Was it because he had a boyfriend? Was he not allowed to fall in love anymore? Or was it because he knew Lu Liu’s sexual orientation in advance but hid his own?

Lin Zhi thought to himself and somehow convinced himself that if he were in Lu Liu’s position, he might not be happy either… Not true.

This was Lu Liu’s personal issue. He wouldn’t be angry if Yao Wenjing hid his relationship from him, especially since he knew Yao Wenjing much better.

The more Lin Zhi thought about it, the more upset he became. He couldn’t help but glare at Lu Liu, which earned him a confused, “Hmm?”

“Class monitor,” Lin Zhi asked, “Is there something you want to say to me?”

Lin Zhi remembered that the last time he saw Lu Liu was at the graduation party, and at that time, Lu Liu seemed to have said something to him. But back then, Lin Zhi had been preoccupied with not being able to contact Yao Wenjing and wasn’t paying attention. Later, when he received a reply from Yao Wenjing’s roommate, he was so anxious that he left the gathering without telling Lu Liu anything. He had forgotten what Lu Liu said, especially since there was no follow-up.

Lu Liu lowered his eyes slightly and said softly, “Nothing.”

Lin Zhi: “???”

What did “nothing” mean? Had Lu Liu said anything to him before?

Lu Liu gave a self-deprecating smile and said, “What could I have to say to you?”

Just as Lin Zhi was about to ask again, the people who had signed up for the gathering arrived, all claiming to be starving and urging the class leader to lead them to the restaurant. Lin Zhi’s question was interrupted.

Lu Liu had reserved three private rooms, and the group gathered around a large round table to eat, leaving Lin Zhi with no opportunity to ask Lu Liu alone.

In a way, history was always eerily similar, and Lin Zhi realized that there wasn’t much he could change by himself.

The group chatted and laughed, enjoying lunch for over an hour. During the post-meal game session, Lin Zhi received a call from Yao Wenjing.

On the phone, Yao Wenjing’s voice was trembling as he confusedly explained his situation and the problems he was facing.

Halfway through, Lin Zhi suddenly stood up, too quickly, causing a wave of dizziness. He blinked hard and repeatedly comforted Yao Wenjing while urging him not to leave and to wait for him.

While talking on the phone, Lin Zhi quickly walked out of the private room, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He was so afraid things were getting out of his control.

Just as he hung up the phone, someone grabbed his arm. Lu Liu stood behind him, frowning.

“Is something wrong?” Lu Liu asked.

“Yeah,” Lin Zhi said, eager to leave. He blurted out, “Yao Wenjing’s trapped, I need to go save him.”

“Fight?” Lu Liu furrowed his brows even more deeply.

“No!” Lin Zhi hurriedly said, “He’s just trapped, too scared to leave.”

Lu Liu didn’t understand, but immediately said, “I’ll go with you.”

“Alright, alright,” Lin Zhi was relieved to have someone with him. “Let’s go, fast.”

After leaving the restaurant, Lin Zhi hailed a taxi and headed straight for Yao Wenjing’s old neighborhood. Lu Liu sent a message to Chen Guyang to let him know that he and Lin Zhi had urgent business and would be leaving. Then, he attentively listened as Lin Zhi explained everything.

“I told you, he shouldn’t have been left to go home alone!” Lin Zhi concluded.

“Don’t worry,” Lu Liu reassured him, “It’s a lawful society. Those people won’t dare do anything.”

The taxi arrived at the entrance of the old neighborhood, barely within the speed limit due to Lin Zhi’s constant urging. As soon as the car stopped, both of them jumped out.

They hurried to the building where Yao Wenjing lived. Lu Liu once again grabbed Lin Zhi’s arm.

“Control your emotions and expression,” Lu Liu said, pulling out a tissue to wipe Lin Zhi’s sweat. “Now you look suspicious.”

“Mm.” Lin Zhi nodded, taking a few deep breaths. He forced a carefree, middle school student look and started walking up the stairs with Lu Liu, chatting and laughing.