“Is it?” Yang Feiwen touched his cheek.
“Yes.” His two roommates took off their headphones, their faces showing utter disbelief.
They had a lot of complaints about this.
From meeting Tian Tian on a forum to asking her out for games, finding out which grade and class she was in, to finally winning her heart, Yang Feiwen’s “long-distance relationship” lasted an entire school year.
During this time, Yang Feiwen and Tian Tian, like most boys and girls at this stage, had their share of anxieties, such as who seemed to lose interest at some point, and who thought they were just chatting and befriending each other out of boredom.
Yang Feiwen felt he had finally achieved his goal after so much hardship, and for a few days after the final exams, he gloated in the dorm, telling them about the 1001st moment when he almost gave up.
They, having suffered greatly, now took off their headphones and came back to life: “Yang Feiwen is so disgusting!”
“He calls her every night, saying ‘Oh my, calling me ‘Sweetie’ all the time…” The roommate, getting worked up, stood up and grabbed Yu Sui’s hand, saying emotionally, “Sweetie, how was your day?”
Yu Sui’s scalp tingled, and he immediately pulled away, rubbing his fingers and silently hiding them behind the chair: “Don’t.”
The roommate didn’t seem to care, standing up and shrugging, and looked at him: “Tell me, is it really necessary? They’re just across the hallway—is the distance between them even 500 meters? And he asks if she had a good day! Why don’t you ask me how I’m doing!”
Yang Feiwen, beaming with pride, completely ignored the single man’s outburst, grinning and saying, “I made the calls from outside. I didn’t ask you guys to listen.”
“Smug man,” the roommate scoffed. “Be careful. Yan-ge might catch you.”
“Exactly.”
Yan Xiu hadn’t exercised his power as Minister of Disciplinary committee for a long time. Yu Sui almost lost track of their train of thought, blinked slightly, and lowered his head to reach for his phone.
Ren Mu: [It’s quiet here]
Okay, that means he should go up.
Yu Sui turned around and flipped through the papers, watch, and pen on the table, taking out the ones he needed and stacking them all together.
Minister Yan had foresight.
Yu Sui’s dorm was full of students studying instrumental and vocal music. They were fine when talking, but when they got together, their voices were incredibly loud—enough to start a live concert with a few instruments, making a terrible noise.
“I almost forgot,” Yang Feiwen said sheepishly. “Damn, there’s also Yan-ge.”
They were instinctively a little intimidated by Yan Xiu. Even now, they still had a conditioned reflex, instinctively shrinking back at the mere mention of his name.
“Sui’er.” Yang Feiwen grabbed Yu Sui, who was about to leave. “Give me some advice.”
“No advice.” Yu Sui brushed his hand away. “Besides, when have you ever seen him crack down on this?”
Yang Feiwen scoffed. “Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean he hasn’t done it. He just hasn’t gone after you.”
Speaking of which, Yang Feiwen remembered. “You’ve been so secretive about your relationship. I almost said that not many people aren’t all lovey-dovey, but now I realize you’re one of those who aren’t.”
“You think everyone’s like you?” The young master walked away quickly.
Although Lao Gu didn’t say it explicitly, he secretly hoped they could finish all the exam papers that night.
These past few days at school, the teachers had been going over those final exam papers in every class. If they hadn’t finished them, then unless they hid outside the classroom to avoid the lesson, the papers would lose their purpose.
But Lao Gu also knew it wasn’t reasonable to try to finish all the papers in one night under the exam conditions, so he didn’t completely rule it out, only saying to try their best.
For the sake of “try their best”, these ten or so students spent their days catching up on sleep and their nights working on the exam papers all night.
Yu Sui finished three papers, the last one being the Chinese language test. His handwriting was so messy it was almost illegible. Throwing his pen, he then slumped onto the table and said listlessly, “I’ll write more later.”
Yan Xiu stopped writing. “Go to sleep.”
Yu Sui rarely managed to get up after falling asleep at night. “Later” was an excuse for the young master to deceive himself. He usually didn’t actually write anything more.
Sure enough, Yan Xiu didn’t hear a response. Yu Sui was already asleep, stubbornly clutching his pen.
They were both stuck on their essays. Yu Sui’s first half was rambling nonsense, the last two lines being two extremely messy sentences written in pencil.
“If I fall asleep,”
“Don’t take me downstairs.”
Yan Xiu: “…”
The dormitory was quiet. Zheng Zi’an and the others rushed to another dormitory after Yu Sui came up, insisting on squeezing in with others.
Their understanding left Yu Sui somewhat bewildered, but Yan Xiu was the type who wouldn’t speak unless provoked.
One of the lights was turned off, leaving the two of them in the lit area.
Yan Xiu sat in this quiet for a while, then reached out and took Yu Sui’s pen. He bent down, one hand on the back of the chair, the other reaching under Yu Sui’s knees, trying to lift him up.
He couldn’t move him. Yu Sui’s paws clung tightly to the table.
“Not asleep?” Yan Xiu released him. Yu Sui was sleepy and stood up somewhat groggily: “I slept.”
Then, with his eyes half-closed, he slowly walked to Yan Xiu’s bed, expertly pulled up the covers, and lay down.
Yan Xiu witnessed this, lightly patting the back of his neck, feeling somewhat groggy himself.
In the drowsiness that was creeping in, a sliver of rationality told him this was probably not a good sign.
But at this moment, he wasn’t willing to think about anything further ahead.
The remaining exam papers were completed while listening and writing at the same time.
The group chat, hastily created at the exhibition, hadn’t been disbanded yet. The students, sharing the same feeling, would periodically report their progress in the group.
The first to announce he’d finished was a boy from Class 4. He was quite smug and wanted to call out others to brag, but his hand slipped: [I’m the first one to finish @Everyone]
Everyone: […]
Everyone came out, including Yu Sui.
Yu Sui was most smug in front of Yan Xiu. Normally lazy and low-key, he couldn’t stand others showing off in front of him, so he slapped Yan Xiu’s exam paper and posted it in the group.
The teacher had already graded it. The red pen handwriting was neat and beautiful.
The man immediately wilted: “[My apologies, my apologies]”
Then the message in the group chat was verbally relayed to the online forum.
Yang Feiwen, feeling quite pleased with himself, hadn’t logged into the forum for several days. Seeing Yu Sui return these past few days, he resumed his old ways, remembering he was still a paparazzi.
Yang Feiwen replied at the bottom of the group’s post: “[I’m in a relationship, and you’re still my best brother, kdl1A chinese slang, which means “I shipped it!”]“
Yi Tian walked past him and casually said, “You’re still shipping them?”
“Yes,” Yang Feiwen replied.
After that, Yi Tian didn’t talk to him about it anymore.
Yang Feiwen paused for a moment, pressing his eyelids.
He vaguely felt something was off.
Yang Feiwen looked down at the line of text he had sent on his phone.
He was in a relationship now, and Yu Sui was still his best brother.
That statement made perfect sense to him.
Yang Feiwen was perfectly aware of his own nature. He knew his close friendship with Yu Sui hadn’t been affected by this at all, but because he now had to bring Tian Tian breakfast in the mornings, risk being caught by teachers during breaks to see her, and constantly text her during other rest periods, he and Yu Sui were definitely spending less time together than before.
Not to mention, when Yu Sui wasn’t at school recently, they almost lost contact.
Yang Feiwen thought back on all this time. He ate with Tian Tian in the cafeteria, while Yu Sui usually ate with Yan Xiu.
Nothing seemed wrong, but something felt off.
Yang Feiwen: “…”
He felt like he was trying to guess something unbelievable and sensational, something that might get him a beating from his best friend and the disciplinary committee if he said it out loud.
Yang Feiwen felt he had never been so bold before, but he couldn’t stop his imagination from running wild in this direction.
He was, after all, someone Yu Sui had interacted with a lot during their school years. They’d even seen each other sitting on the balcony in tank tops, eating watermelon.
So, when Yu Sui and Yan Xiu were initially shipped, even though he was at the forefront and held the highest position in the official CP building, he was still quite different from the others.
He was very clear-headed from the start, knowing what was fabricated and what was real.
That’s why Yang Feiwen always spoke in a joking tone, unlike others who made unrestrained guesses.
But now…
He thought about it carefully. The people on the forum might be crazy, but what they were digging up was all true.
In other words, since Yu Sui started dating, that unknown girlfriend hadn’t even made a fuss about it. But he and Yan Xiu were inseparable.
At this point, Yang Feiwen remembered that even the word “girlfriend” seemed to have been added to him by someone else. Yu Sui himself only said he had a partner, not a girlfriend.
Yang Feiwen was confused.
Time flew by, and these students became the new batch of soon-to-be seniors.
Soon-to-be seniors don’t have holidays. They go home to rest for a week and then have to come back to continue their studies. The vacation life Yu Sui had mentioned before would be postponed for another year.
After spending their summer vacation in the classroom, the students of Class 3 Arts will spread their wings and venture out into the world to learn how to find their own direction for the future.
Yu Sui and Yan Xiu spent some time getting used to hiding in the crowd, exchanging pinkies. Thanks to their exceptional talent, just like their peers, and the advantages of their environment, they still achieved excellent results in “quietness.”
Yan Xiu had caught many students breaking the rules in these hard-to-find corners of the school, while Yu Sui had evaded teachers and student council members in these little-known corners. They had once run through these corners like cat and mouse. Now, they came together, holding arms and secretly kissing their crushes.
They were also quite audacious on the surface, frequently crossing the line, as if testing the limits of public tolerance.
Holidays were a little easier. The nagging from home came regularly, but it didn’t restrict their outings.
Yu Sui made time to visit Yan Wuyan, congratulating him on being the first to leave high school, and incidentally, taking the review materials Yan Wuyan had left him.
Later, Yu Sui suddenly realized that the landlord of the old house in Fu Village was the person he exchanged goodnight greetings with every night, so he went to Fu Village again.
The Yu family had been burning paper money and worshipping the God of Wealth for a long time. They had some small red light bulbs in their house, and the older generation sometimes told ghost stories in a mystical way, so Yu Sui had disliked anything supernatural or ghostly since childhood.
Therefore, even after going to Fu Village several times, he never considered going to see the old house that had supposedly been converted into an escape room.
An escape room—judging from the old house’s atmosphere, it would most likely have been converted into a horror-theme one.
Yu Sui thought about the embarrassment he had caused in this area before, and he had even less desire to go and see it.
Then Yan Xiu said that he was the one who had renovated the place.
He even said the birthday present for Yu Sui was hidden there.
Yu Sui: “…”
“Yan Xiu,” Yu Sui said, walking while on the phone. “Did you get it wrong?”
“I remember. December,” Yan Xiu said, “I’m just telling you in advance.”
Telling him in advance was practically the same as urging him to go look for it. Yu Sui licked his lips, stopped in front of the old house, and then realized he’d overthought things.
He couldn’t get in at all.
The escape room had a minimum player requirement.
The decorations at the entrance of the old house had changed. A small pavilion had been built in the courtyard, with many large, antique-style umbrellas and tables and chairs.
The path leading in was wide and bright. The living room had been transformed into a lounge, with a water bar, and the few tables and chairs were all occupied.
Paintings hung everywhere in the corridor, and signs with the escape room’s name hung on the doors of the rooms upstairs and downstairs.
Having watched Yan Xiu paint for a long time, Yu Sui knew some of his little habits and immediately recognized that the entire design of this house was Yan Xiu’s work.
A group of young people waiting at the table were laughing and chatting about interior design.
The old house had initially been rumored to be eerie and terrifying, but after the renovation and advertising, it attracted many customers.
“This place is a work of art,” one of the young people at the table said, struggling to come up with a sentence, which drew laughter. “Of course, I wonder which design company they hired!”
Yu Sui glanced at them, a sense of pride welling up inside him.
He subconsciously ignored the extremely subtle change in their expressions and quickly typed a message to Yan Xiu: [Someone is praising you]
Ren Mu: [?]
Fish Can: [They said your design is fantastic]
Ren Mu: [You’re here?]
As he read the message, the small door behind the reception desk slowly opened, and Yan Xiu emerged, hands in his pockets.
There were actually many staff members here, young and easygoing. The girl at the front desk saw a handsome, fair-skinned young man standing alone by the door and brought him a glass of water.
But halfway through, she was robbed of her job.
That man turned out to be the owner’s son.
Yan Xiu didn’t rush to Yu Sui’s place. He glanced at the weather outside and poured himself a glass of water.
The girl watched helplessly as the fair-skinned boy drank the shopkeeper’s son’s water, then sheepishly took it back to the counter.
Yan Xiu pointed to Yu Sui’s lower lip: “There’s water here. Wipe it.”
Yu Sui was about to say something like, “You’ve already put your hand here, wipe it for me,” when he suddenly realized that most of the eyes were on them again.
He licked his lower lip, thinking, “We’re outside of school. Forget it.”
School was a restrictive place, but sometimes it’s freer than outside.
“Why did you suddenly come here?” Yan Xiu led him inside.
Inside was a small lounge and some messy sketches. Yu Sui once again witnessed his boyfriend’s exceptionally handsome side.
“I came to find a gift.” Yu Sui watched Yan Xiu close the lounge door.
Yan Xiu: “It’s not time yet.”
“Who told you to say that?”
“……”
When pressed further, Minister Yan stopped answering, his expression suggesting a hint of regret.
Yu Sui wasn’t particularly concerned about the gift. He sighed and muttered, “But I’m already here. I can’t leave empty-handed.”
Yan Xiu raised an eyebrow, a hint of teasing in his eyes.
Perhaps influenced by Yu Sui, his emotions were occasionally quite rich.
“Then I’ll help you?” he asked.
“…” Yu Sui was speechless.
He suddenly felt a strange sense of freedom outside.
After that, the old house became another small base, but its location wasn’t ideal, bordering both Yan Wuyan and No. 26 High School.
The short holiday that year flew by in the rush of running between these two places, followed by intensive tutoring.
Yu Sui quickly noticed Yang Feiwen’s unusual behavior.
He restrained himself slightly and didn’t go to Yan Xiu’s dorm that night.
He had initially worried that Yang Feiwen was under too much pressure and was occasionally distracted, but later realized that wasn’t the case. Yang Feiwen’s furry gaze was usually directed at him.
Finally, one night, while his two roommates were out of the dorm, Yang Feiwen approached Yu Sui and said, “I have a question for you, but you’re not allowed to punch me!”
Yu Sui turned off his phone and looked up blankly: “Ask.”
Yang Feiwen took a deep breath: “…Is the CP I ship real?”
Yu Sui: “…”
Yang Feiwen’s expression turned serious.
Yu Sui: “Which one?”
Yang Feiwen: “The official CP.”
“Oh.” Yu Sui cleared his throat slightly, “It’s true.”
Yang Feiwen: “…”
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1