Chapter 3: Gathering

Jian Mingzhou fell silent for a few seconds, then reached out to pat Xie Jing on the shoulder and said softly, “It’s not your fault.”

Xie Jing, “…”

As the lines unfolded like a melodramatic ethical drama, it seemed as if a magnificent downpour was the only thing missing. What was more crucial was—

He glanced at the people around; unbelievably, no one denied it.

Xie Jing found it somewhat amusing and cooperatively asked, “Where did I lose?”

Jian Mingzhou was also candid, “In numbers.”

“…”

Xie Jing nodded. “So, outnumbered.”

Jian Mingzhou glanced sideways, gaining further insight into Xie Jing’s idiomatic proficiency in sports. However, it seemed that Xie Jing wasn’t taking it to heart. In fact, he went along with the joke and said,

“If we’re talking about quantity, then Uncle, the sport you’re most interested in should be football.”

As they spoke, they happened to arrive at the door of the house.

Jian Mingzhou took out his keys and clicked to unlock the door. “No, it’s dragon boat racing.”

Xie Jing, “…”

When he returned home after dinner, Xie Jing conscientiously went to tidy up the table, while Jian Mingzhou went back to his room.

He took out several event proposals issued today from his bag.

These included a few book signing events, comic exhibitions, and special fan events, along with a list of potential guests. Some of them were authors he quite liked.

Jian Mingzhou secretly celebrated:

Being a manga editor is really great.

Of course, he also had to thank the chief editor for planning these events.

Thinking about it, he opened WeChat on his phone, selected a half-body photo from Xia Ye’s Moments, and placed the screen on the table. With hands clasped together, he devoutly bowed.

Listen to me. Thank you.

Knock, knock! Two knocks suddenly came: “Uncle.”

Jian Mingzhou’s heart skipped a beat, snapped back to reality, and quickly stuffed the event proposal into the drawer! Then he turned around and responded,

“Come in.”

Xie Jing pushed the door open, and he noticed the screen on the table still wasn’t put away.

The chief editor’s half-body photo was smiling over there.

Xie Jing:…

Jian Mingzhou glanced at him and realized: … Oh no!

The sunlight slanted, creating a strong presence of the third person in the silent scene between the two.

After a moment of silence, Xie Jing said, “I was wondering if you need help wiping the table.”

At this point, anything else would seem a bit unnecessary. Jian Mingzhou took a step back and said, “Thank you, please.”

While Xie Jing was wiping the table, Jian Mingzhou kept his head down, staring at the photo that remained brightly lit. When he saw Xie Jing pick up the chief editor’s photo, there was a momentary pause in his hand.

Seemingly out of politeness, he nodded toward the photo.

“…”

Jian Mingzhou acted as if nothing had happened and averted his eyes.

Ten kilometers away, Xia Ye, who was driving, suddenly felt a chill.

The next day, Xie Jing went for training again.

Jian Mingzhou didn’t have to go to the company today, so he lazed in the study and finished reading the manga he had started earlier.

When it’s said he lazed, he really did laze.

He was completely sunk into the sofa, both in posture and spirit, feeling completely content.

Halfway through, Xie Chi’s call came again.

“Mingzhou! My nephew—”

“He’s at training,” Jian Mingzhou said casually, not lifting his head.

“…” Xie Chi, “I know. I mean, my nephew left his training card at home, and he messaged me asking if you could help call a courier, and it’s a cash-on-delivery.”

Jian Mingzhou felt a bit embarrassed: this image of the silly guy searching for his nephew had really taken root in people’s minds; it was his stereotype.

“Where’s the training card?”

“On the table in his room,” Xie Chi added. “By the way, haven’t you guys exchanged contact information?”

“…” Jian Mingzhou, “Forgot.”

It’s more like neither of them had thought about it.

The training card was prominently placed on the table, and Jian Mingzhou quickly found it. After hanging up with Xie Chi, he hesitated for a moment before calling a courier:

This ID should be quite important, and it would take quite some time for the courier to go back and forth.

Since he had nothing to do today, he might as well go to school and get some inspiration.

He grabbed the card and headed out.

From here to F University, it is very close, less than ten minutes by taxi. F University has an open campus. Jian Mingzhou asked for directions at the school and headed to the training site.

The training ground was at the end of the east campus field.

Turning a corner, the familiar green lawn and red running track came into view.

Several waves of college students were scattered around the playground, exuding a youthful atmosphere.

The first to notice Jian Mingzhou was the little golden retriever from yesterday.

“Hey, Brother Mingzhou!” The little golden retriever waved from afar and shouted,

“Xie Jing—your uncle is here!”

His voice was quite loud, attracting attention from half the playground.

Even Xie Jing, who was talking to the coach, looked over.

Seeing Jian Mingzhou approaching, Xie Jing was slightly stunned.

“Uncle.” In the direct sunlight, his deep facial features appeared even more handsome, the neck slightly sweaty, casting a shadow in the middle of the distance between the two.

Jian Mingzhou handed over, “Your training card.”

“Why did you come in person?”

“I came along the way.” Conveniently, he came for inspiration.

“…?”

Xie Jing, puzzled, pressed down on his brows, and just as his lips moved, the coach next to him patted him.

“Alright, hurry up and register; you even forgot your ID!”

Xie Jing paused in his words, said “Thank you” to Jian Mingzhou, and added, “Uncle, I’ll go first.”

Jian Mingzhou waved his hand and went to the grandstand.

Standing by the grandstand was Little Golden Retriever, and the short-haired guy didn’t know when he had come over.

“Brother Mingzhou, did you come to deliver the training card to Xie Jing?”

“Yeah, and also to take a stroll.”

Little Golden Retriever, named He Yi; the short-haired guy was named Zhou Xuyang.

They said today happened to be a joint training session for several schools, so they must register with the training card.

“Then you came at the right time.”

He Yi said, “Xie Jing is amazing; he’s the main force in track and field. It’s his turn in the first round—look.”

Following his gaze, Jian Mingzhou saw that Xie Jing had completed the registration and walked to the end of the track.

The sunlight trailed a long shadow from his strong ankles.

The tall figure, against the sun, his shoulder blades moving, seemed to be level with the distant sky.

As the preparation pose ended, with a whistle: Drip!

Xie Jing almost burst out in an instant, and the usual leisurely and indifferent atmosphere was nowhere to be found, replaced by astonishing explosive power.

The dark red T-shirt left a lingering shadow in the wind, and the raised muscles seemed to flick off tiny drops of sweat.

In the moment he passed Jian Mingzhou, a burst of excitement echoed in his heart.

Jian Mingzhou held his breath.

Until that red figure disappeared, did he react and take out his phone? Click, click, click…

I almost forgot about taking inspiration.

Next to him, Zhou Xuyang leaned over and took a look. “Brother Mingzhou, you’ve blurred Xie Jing in the photos.”

 Jian Mingzhou lowered his head, sliding through the photos. “It’s fine; having a shape is enough.”

It’s for the author to reference for outlining.

Zhou Xuyang:?

After the training match’s first group finished running, Xie Jing came down to the rest area to drink water.

The rest area was a short distance from the grandstand.

From here, Jian Mingzhou’s profile could be seen, seemingly chatting happily with He Yi and Zhou Xuyang, who valued quantity.

“He’s your uncle, Xie Jing?”

A voice came from behind, and Xie Jing turned around. It was Ni Ran, the captain of the women’s obstacle run team, next door. “Yes.”

Ni Ran had a neat ponytail and looked casually at the three chatting. “Oh~ At first glance, I thought he was He Yi’s uncle!”

Xie Jing’s gaze fell. She took a few sips of water.

Ni Ran laughed heartily. “Just kidding! But seriously, your uncle looks really good…”

“Hey, does he have a girlfriend?”

Xie Jing thought about the single-living house: “Probably not.” He asked with a half-smile, “Why?”

Ni Ran playfully covered her face. “He’s the type I like~”

Xie Jing casually reminded her, “Although it’s not very obvious, my uncle is much older than you.”

“You don’t understand. That’s what makes him charming, mature, and gentle.”

Ni Ran was always unrestrained; when she said “like,” it was mostly just talk. As for charming, mature, and gentle…

Xie Jing looked towards Jian Mingzhou.

The latter had a graceful figure with soft and clear contours on the side. The soft hair had a warm chestnut color in the sunlight, and he was lifting his phone, apparently taking pictures of something. There was indeed a feeling of affinity and tranquility.

Before determining where this sense of familiarity came from, Ni Ran spoke again.

“I take back what I said… Your uncle really looks like a parent.”

Xie Jing turned his head. “Why?”

“On the first day of school, my parents stood on the playground, in the dormitory, and in the classroom, holding their phones and taking pictures non-stop.”

She added, “It feels like my son is growing up.”

Xie Jing, “……….”

Meanwhile, Jian Mingzhou was still chatting with He Yi and Zhou Xuyang, and the two kids shamelessly had someone take photos for them. Jian Mingzhou, as he was taking pictures, started to blush again at the back of his neck.

He placed the water bottle gently on the resting chair.

Xie Jing stood up and walked towards them, the shadow cast in front of Ni Ran’s eyes. Ni Ran looked up and said, “What’s wrong?”

“I asked someone to move to the shade.”

Xie Jing said skillfully, “My uncle can’t stand the sun.”

Ni Ran:?

She looked at Xie Jing with a puzzled expression and asked, What, are you growing flowers?

—

The joint training day ended in the evening.

Jian Mingzhou had also stayed until the evening, leaving the school gate with Xie Jing’s group.

He had collected quite a few photos during the inspiration gathering, including the teaching building and the library.

“Wow—joint training is really tiring!”

He Yi stretched his arms and said, “Fortunately, we can rest for half a day tomorrow morning. Hey, how about having a meal together tonight to reward ourselves?”

Zhou Xuyang praised him: “You treat yourself pretty well.”

He Yi asked, “What do you think? Xie Jing, Mingzhou Ge, come with us, as we agreed last time.”

Xie Jing didn’t mind. “Sure.”

After saying that, he looked at Jian Mingzhou again and said, “Uncle.”

Jian Mingzhou estimated that he was both inviting and inquiring, so he nodded and said, “Okay.”

Five or six of them went to a big restaurant.

A group of sports students in their twenties, all with long bodies, sat down and ordered a large table of dishes, along with two cases of beer.

A long table against the wall, three pairs on each side.

Jian Mingzhou sat down next to Xie Jing, with He Yi on the other side.

As soon as they sat down, He Yi was excited. “Brother Mingzhou, send me the photos you took for us today!”

Jian Mingzhou opened his phone and said, “Sure, wait a moment.”

“How about we add each other on WeChat first?”

“Okay, I’ll scan yours.”

“I’ll add one too.” Zhou Xuyang also joined in, and the three of them held their phones together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Jian Mingzhou was enthusiastically adding the two kids when he suddenly paused, abruptly remembering this morning’s incident of delivering the training card—he had forgotten to add Xie Jing again!

Realizing this, he found that it was a bit quiet on his side.

Jian Mingzhou turned his head and saw Xie Jing silently looking in their direction, supporting his chin with one hand. The lowered brows and eyes looked even more profound under the ceiling light, and there was no excess emotion.

Eye contact was made, and it seemed to be self-evident.

Xie Jing raised an eyebrow slightly, carrying a somewhat inexplicable smile. “Uncle.”

“…”

Okay, stop smiling. I forgot about you again.

Jian Mingzhou tried to go along with the atmosphere and naturally handed over the phone: “Xiao Jing, let’s exchange as well.”

Xie Jing cooperatively opened WeChat and said, “Sure.”

Everyone at the table turned their heads at the same time: …???

He Yi, holding his phone, suddenly felt like he was holding a hot potato. So you two haven’t even added each other as friends yet!?

A ding sound verified the connection.

Jian Mingzhou looked at the page that popped up on his phone.

Xie Jing’s WeChat name was very simple, just a character: 【Jing】.

It suits his relaxed style. It also has the vibe of a campus comic-book male lead.

Jian Mingzhou was about to add a not-so-stylish “Xiao” in front of the nickname when he heard Xie Jing asking while changing the nickname,

“Uncle, did you take a lot of photos for them today?”

He Yi immediately handed him water, saying, “He also took yours.”

“Really.” Xie Jing put down his phone. “Let me see?”

The three of them fell silent at the same time.

He Yi, “……”

Zhou Xuyang, “……”

Jian Mingzhou, “……”

Zhou Xuyang thought of the pile of blurry figures in every photo and awkwardly

spoke, “Uh, the main focus of the photos is…”

 Jian Mingzhou continued, “It has charm.”

“…” Xie Jing looked over, seemingly understanding.

Fortunately, at this moment, the ordered dishes arrived, timely interrupting the relatively silent atmosphere. He Yi quickly stood up, holding a swaying beer glass.

“All right… Let’s cheer!”

—

The dinner party gradually became lively and talkative.

Beer was continuously ordered.

Jian Mingzhou drank quite a bit; he was the type whose face reddened with alcohol. However, he considered himself to have a good alcohol tolerance and was still quite sober now.

Look, he could perfectly piece the lobster shell back together.

“Uncle.” A low voice came from beside him. A large hand covered his wine glass, and Xie Jing looked at him.

Jian Mingzhou didn’t know if his face or ears were red, so he turned to explain, “It’s fine, I’m awake.”

The entire table, “…”

He Yi opened his mouth, “If you faint, it won’t be good…” and then was kicked under the table by Zhou Xuyang, “Ouch!”

Zhou Xuyang said, “We’ve almost finished eating.”

“Yeah.” Xie Jing stood up, “I’ll go settle the bill first.”

Jian Mingzhou also stood up and said, “Uncle, please.”

“No, no, no, no…!” The group of guys immediately stopped him. “We’ll go Dutch,Brother Mingzhou; just transfer your share to Xie Jing.”

Everyone present was an athlete, tall and strong. Jian Mingzhou struggled a bit, but it was futile. He had to compromise and calculate the money against the bill.

He had graduated from a prestigious school with excellent grades.

Calculating the bill in his head, he quickly came up with the amount.

While transferring the money, Jian Mingzhou thought to himself, See, I told you I’m sober.

Xie Jing quickly finished settling the bill and returned.

The group of people left the restaurant, and outside, the sky was already dark. The slightly cool night breeze dispersed the tipsiness.

The guys bid farewell in pairs.

Jian Mingzhou stood under the streetlight, his face slightly red, and his eyes were moistened by the light.

Zhou Xuyang took a few glances and hesitated. “Uh, Brother Mingzhou, can you walk home?”

Jian Mingzhou frowned in his heart.

Are they all looking down on him?

He nodded firmly and said, “I’m very sober.”

His tone sounded like he was saying, “My mental state is very good. My mental state is very good.” The others couldn’t help but look at him with suspicion, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Xie Jing fell silent for a moment and turned towards the shared electric bikes on the side of the street.

“Uncle, let me take you home.”

“?” Xie Jing was the one not sober now!

Jian Mingzhou alertly grabbed his arm and said, “Riding an electric bike also counts as drunk driving.”

He felt that his thoughts were exceptionally clear.

Even before Xie Jing could speak again, he had logically fabricated a news headline: “Residents of Hua Yun Community, Jian and Xie, caught drunk driving together.”

The group:…

Xie Jing:…

The cool night breeze passed by. Xie Jing looked at the earnest Jian Mingzhou and softly said,

“Uncle, you can’t call it ‘together’ without two bike handles.”