Chapter 34 He’s going to Zhi’s school. …

Lin Zhi held his phone and became more excited the more he thought about it. He even considered asking Lu Liu to help introduce him to all the boys in the department, but his phone vibrated twice, bringing him back to his senses.

【Lu Liu: Hmm?】

Since they were classmates, Lu Liu probably wouldn’t refuse to show him around his school, right?

【Lin Zhi: I saw you said you’re going to school alone. How about we go together?】

On the day they went to City B, Lin Zhi’s father, Lin Qingye, sent Lin Zhi and Yao Wenjing to the station, where they met Lu Liu, who had arrived a few minutes earlier.

It was the start of the school season, and the train station was bustling with people. Lin Zhi spotted Lu Liu’s tall figure among the moving crowd. It had been some time since they last saw each other, and Lu Liu no longer had the youthful vibe he used to, now possessing a subtle air that lay somewhere between a boy and a man.

Everyone gathered together, parents exchanged pleasantries, and the students joked and laughed, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere.

As the departure time approached, the parents repeated their numerous reminders: be safe on the road, let them know once they’ve arrived, stay well at school, and don’t wander around unfamiliar places.

The three younger ones nodded, and then reluctantly went through security. After turning back to wave goodbye to their parents, they entered the waiting area.

They found an empty seat, and Lin Zhi, intending to bond with Lu Liu, smiled and asked, “Why didn’t your parents come to send you off? They’ve always been the ones to pick you up and drop you off before.”

“My parents are both teachers,” Lu Liu explained honestly, “There’s a scheduling conflict with the start of the semester, and B City is too far. It’s too tiring to go back and forth in one day.”

“Oh!” Lin Zhi nodded, no wonder Lu Liu’s parents had that scholarly aura.

“And you?” Lu Liu asked.

“I’m with Xiao Jing,” Lin Zhi said, “It’s pointless to make my dad run around for that.”

“I mean,” Lu Liu lowered his voice a little, “Why didn’t your… boyfriend send you?”

Earlier, Lin Qingye had called Lin Zhi and Yao Wenjing “brothers” in front of everyone. Lu Liu had heard it clearly and, seeing that Lin Zhi and Yao Wenjing didn’t seem to be secretly in a relationship, it was obvious that Lin Zhi had another boyfriend.

“Huh?” Lin Zhi didn’t expect the question to come suddenly, and he froze for a moment. He saw the shocked expression on Yao Wenjing’s face from the corner of his eye.

“Uh,” Lin Zhi hesitated, “Well… that…”

Lin Zhi stammered for a while, unable to come up with a good excuse. Lu Liu sensed that he had asked an inappropriate question and quickly changed the subject.

Fortunately, the train arrived soon. In the crowded aisle of the carriage, Lin Zhi quickly whispered to Yao Wenjing, “I’ll explain it to you slowly when we get to school,” and then pretended to be very tired, closing his eyes and pretending to nap.

As for trying to get closer, he could deal with that later.

While napping, Lin Zhi indeed dozed off. The rumbling of the train carried him into a chaotic dream, one that seemed to have a trace of blood. But when he woke up, everything was forgotten, leaving a vague discomfort in his heart.

Lu Liu and Yao Wenjing were both lying in an inclined position, asleep. Lin Zhi went to the restroom and splashed cold water on his face to calm his irritation. Maybe it was the summer heat, or the stuffy carriage, but it made him feel uncomfortable for no reason.

After returning, Lin Zhi didn’t go back to sleep. He kept his eyes open, watching the scenery outside the window. The sunlight was blinding and made his eyes hurt.

He wasn’t sure how long passed before Yao Wenjing woke up. They both glanced outside. There wasn’t much to see—just some barren mountains—but Lin Zhi could tell that Yao Wenjing seemed a little excited.

“I’ve never been outside of City J,” Yao Wenjing mumbled.

“Well, now you are,” Lin Zhi said, “And you’ll get to go to more places in the future.”

Lin Zhi wasn’t sure when Lu Liu had woken up, but when he noticed Lu Liu’s eyes were clear, they made eye contact, and Lu Liu gave him a slight smile. Lin Zhi felt a little awkward.

At that moment, the train arrived at the station. After hearing the station name, Lu Liu said, “We’re almost there. The next platform is ours.”

“Mm,” Lin Zhi said, a little excited, “Once we get off the train, we can take the subway directly. Our three schools are all in the same university town.”

“Did you even prepare in advance?” Lu Liu asked with a smile.

Lin Zhi just smiled and remained silent. Well, of course. He had done nothing throughout the entire summer, only thinking about how far apart “Zhi”‘s school was from his, how long the bus ride would take, and how long it would take to walk.

When the mood struck, they had made plans to walk back to school together after a date. This time, “Zhi” would walk him home, and next time, he would walk “Zhi” home.

Tsk, how romantic.

In the evening, the train finally arrived at the station, and the three of them stepped onto the soil of B City. After the tiring journey, their fatigue and excitement mixed together. It wasn’t until they got on the subway to the university town that they finally felt at ease.

The registration at the school wasn’t until the day after tomorrow, so there was no rush. Yao Wenjing eagerly asked, “Should we take a walk around the university town?”

Lin Zhi immediately nodded, thinking to himself that this was great—he was going to visit “Zhi”‘s school.

“It’s a bit late today,” Lu Liu thought ahead more than they did. “It’s not convenient with the luggage. Let’s walk around tomorrow. Let’s rest well tonight.”

“Alright.” Lin Zhi nodded again, secretly pleased. He added, “Then tomorrow, Xiao Jing and I will come find you at your school. It’ll be a good chance to see what a school full of top students is like.”

At the end of August, when the day was still long and the night had just begun, Lin Zhi arrived at school just as it was getting dark.

He picked up a campus map at the school gate and politely declined the enthusiastic seniors offering to guide him. Following the map, he found the dormitory on his own.

It was a four-person room, and one of his roommates had already moved in before him. When Lin Zhi opened the door, the roommate was in the process of making the bed.

The roommate turned to look when he heard the door open, and Lin Zhi took the opportunity to see him clearly: he had a round face, round glasses, and… he was very cute. His quiet and gentle demeanor reminded Lin Zhi a bit of Yao Wenjing.

But their personalities were completely different. The round-faced roommate immediately got off the upper bunk when he saw Lin Zhi enter, put down what he was doing, and introduced himself warmly, “Hi, I’m ^[1]Yuan (袁) and Song (宋) are both common, simple, and traditional Chinese surnames. They don’t have overly complex meanings or pronunciations, which can give them a “rounded” feel, … Continue readingYuan Hesong.”

“I’m Lin Zhi,” Lin Zhi smiled and replied, thinking to himself that this roommate wasn’t just round in face, but also in name.

“Oh, you’re in bed number one,” Yuan Hesong said, turning back to the upper bunk to continue putting on the bedding, “It’s right next to mine.”

The school had already assigned the beds, so Lin Zhi didn’t have to worry about choosing one by the window or the door. After chatting with Yuan Hesong for a while, he began unpacking his things.