Yuan Xiu noticed that Chu Yan had become cheerful again and often disappeared without a trace. Chu Yan explained that he was deeply immersed in studying, but Yuan Xiu was suspicious and thought Chu Yan might be in a relationship.
After closely observing for a month, Yuan Xiu was puzzled again.
There was no sign of any suspicious boy or girl around Chu Yan, except that Chu Yan had suddenly improved his relationship with Xiang Kun. However, this improvement was only slight; while they started communicating, their exchanges were always intense and made people nervous.
“I said I’m not free this weekend, not going!”
“We’ll meet at around 9 AM. Remember to have breakfast before leaving.”
“Chu San, do you not understand human language? I said I’m not free, not going!”
“Seems like you want me to pick you up from your home. No problem, I’ll be there on time.”
Xiang Kun couldn’t hold back and slammed the table, shouting, “Chu San, are you looking for a fight?”
Yuan Xiu silently clutched his heart, moving back timidly. The surrounding students all looked over, even forgetting to eat.
“The cafeteria doesn’t allow loud noises, sit down and eat.” Chu Yan, seemingly deaf and blind to Xiang Kun’s outburst, reached out and pulled him down, pushing his own juice over, “Drink some, calm down.”
Xiang Kun stood up and left.
Chu Yan promptly went after him.
The two of them ran off one after the other, leaving Yuan Xiu alone to face the three-person lunch and the stares of the entire cafeteria. He awkwardly smiled and decided that next time he ate with Chu Yan and Xiang Kun, he would definitely book a private room!
As it turned out, Xiang Kun still showed up on time for their weekend plan without Chu Yan picking him up and even enthusiastically spent the entire day with Chu Yan and Yuan Xiu.
When the end of the term arrived, Chu Yan eagerly ran to the Mecha Manufacturing Department’s practice building as soon as he received the team invitation form.
“All high and mighty every day, and the teachers give him special treatment. This is probably the privilege of being from a prominent family.”
“I heard he’s already trying to make advanced mechas and goes to the Mecha Piloting Department daily to get students to test his mechas, but never succeeds. I wonder how long he’ll keep overestimating himself. It’s so annoying, I really don’t want to be in the same class as Xiang Kun.”
“Bang!”
Chu Yan, who happened to be passing by, couldn’t help but kick open a certain laboratory door, sweeping a glance at the two startled students and the intermediate parts on the operating table, “If you want to transfer classes, go find the teacher yourself. Next time you talk bad about someone, remember to close the door. If you ever get good enough to make advanced mechas, the teacher will also give you special treatment!”
The two students were stunned by Chu Yan’s fierce gaze and were about to explain when Xiang Kun appeared behind Chu Yan.
“Let’s go, it’s time to eat.”
Xiang Kun glanced indifferently at the two classmates in the lab who were scared by Chu Yan, then placed a hand on Chu Yan’s shoulder. Noticing his tense muscles, he frowned and patted him, “Relax, you’re too stiff. Are you eating or not? If not, I’m leaving.”
Chu Yan finally turned to look at him, closing the lab door to block his view of the two inside, his expression slowly returning to normal as he spoke through gritted teeth, “I spoke up for you, and you’re not even going to eat with me? Do you even consider me a friend? Also, you’re not angry about what they said? You used to scold me so fluently, why didn’t you scold them just now?”
“No.”
Chu Yan froze, thinking he misheard, frowned, and glared at him, asking aggressively, “What did you just say?”
Xiang Kun raised his hand and ruffled his hair, expressionless as he turned away and put his hands in his uniform pockets, “I said I’m hungry. Either follow me to eat or get lost, your choice.”
“You!” Chu Yan clutched his head, seeing him really leave, he quickly chased after, yelling, “Xiang Kun, you actually hit me! Come back, let’s duel!”
The duel never happened, and Xiang Kun surprisingly didn’t refuse Chu Yan’s invitation. When Chu Yan took out the team invitation form, Xiang Kun naturally took it and filled in his name, department, and student number.
Chu Yan felt a surreal sense of disbelief, staring intently at Xiang Kun’s face as if trying to discern something.
Xiang Kun tried to remain calm, but his ears uncontrollably turned red. He quickly picked up a glass of juice to cool down and frowned, saying, “What are you looking at? Want to fight?”
“You’re drinking my juice,” Chu Yan said with a strange expression.
Xiang Kun froze, suddenly put down the cup, and got up to leave.
This time, Chu Yan didn’t chase after him. His gaze fell on the cup Xiang Kun left behind, and he felt a strange unease, as if something was off.
A few days later, Xiang Kun, holding his newly made mecha, paid a classmate from the Mecha Piloting Department to help him test drive it. However, when he opened the training ground door, he didn’t see the classmate he had arranged with but instead saw Chu Yan leaning against the wall.
“I heard you’ve been working on small mechas lately. Why didn’t you ask me to test drive it? That’s my specialty.”
Chu Yan got up and walked over, with a smug expression, extending his hand. “Where’s the mecha? Give it to me. I’ll test drive it, and you treat me to a meal. It’s decided.”
Xiang Kun was stunned, looking at the smile on Chu Yan’s face. He put his hand in his pocket, gripping the spatial button holding the mecha, thinking of [Knight], his countless previous failures, and the fact that Chu Yan had always had the best things since childhood. A sense of sadness and frustration welled up in him, and he turned to run away.
“You must have failed before because the test drivers weren’t skilled enough.” Chu Yan suddenly grabbed his arm, reached into his large uniform pocket, and pried open Xiang Kun’s hand. Still wearing that smug smile, Chu Yan hummed, “How can unskilled people test drive? Watch me carefully.”
He forcefully took the mecha’s spatial button from Xiang Kun’s hand, walked to the training ground, whistled at the silver-gray mecha, and praised, “Silver-gray, I like it.” He then swiftly got into the mecha and started it up.
Xiang Kun still felt the lingering warmth from Chu Yan’s touch on his hand. He looked up at the silver-gray mecha performing basic maneuvers in the field, feeling a lump in his throat that made it hard to speak.
“Watch me carefully.”
He repeated this phrase to himself, tightened his grip on his tablet, and sat down in the observation area.
The test drive was a success, although Chu Yan accidentally damaged the mecha’s arm in the end.
“I told you the test drivers you found before were not good enough. How could it be that your mecha was the problem?” Chu Yan, covered in sweat, jumped out of the cockpit, waved at Xiang Kun in the observation area, and grinned, “I broke your mecha’s arm. How about I treat you to a meal as compensation?”
‘Sure, why not.’
Xiang Kun raised his hand to smooth his hair, using the gesture to shield himself from Chu Yan’s overly radiant smile. He gently nodded and moved his fingers to cover the test report on his tablet, which highlighted the design flaw in the mecha’s elbow joint.
As the final exams approached, Chu Yan and Xiang Kun worked seamlessly together, completed their tasks ahead of schedule, and secured the top spot.
After the exams, Chu Yan went to the military for an internship with Chu Rong, temporarily losing contact with his friends. Xiang Kun, after some rest, began working on advanced mecha production in earnest.
He needed to work hard.
Standing at the workstation, Xiang Kun looked at the projected design of a silver-gray small mecha, slowly clenching his fist.
Even if this mecha could never be as excellent as [Knight], he had to make something better than anyone else’s. If not the first choice, he at least wanted to be the top alternative.
Time flew by, and soon it was the start of a new term. Chu Yan, full of energy, jumped out of a hovercar and saw Xiang Kun walking past the school gate. His eyes lit up, and he hurried over, saying, “Xiang Kun! I went on a mission to the Empire this time. General Neitaxi took me…”
Xiang Kun stopped and turned around, looking at the spirited Chu Yan. The deliberately cold expression on his face softened subconsciously.
Days passed by amidst their bickering and banter. Chu Yan advanced to SS-level spiritual strength and SSS-level physical strength, consistently holding the top spot in the Mecha Piloting and Command Departments. Xiang Kun also excelled, becoming proficient in making advanced mechas, securing many patents, and leaving all his peers far behind, becoming the undisputed top student in the Mecha Manufacturing Department.
The once unruly boys had grown up to be outstanding and brilliant, standing side by side on the podium as representatives of the best graduates.
“Thanks to my great partner, half of this honor belongs to him!” Chu Yan raised his certificate and shouted, then draped an arm around Xiang Kun’s shoulder.
Xiang Kun smiled slightly, not brushing off his arm, and whispered, “So, would you split your savings with me as well?”
Chu Yan tightened his arm around Xiang Kun’s neck and whispered back, “You can have it all if you promise to take care of me.”
Xiang Kun’s smile froze, and he elbowed Chu Yan in the ribs, retorting with a cold laugh, “You’re dreaming too high. Be careful not to crash.”
In the audience, Xiang Lingyun and Chu Huai watched the “intimate” interaction between Chu Yan and Xiang Kun, recalling their troublesome childhoods. They both felt a touch of the sentiment that “fate works in mysterious ways.”
After graduation, Chu Yan joined the military, while Xiang Kun started getting involved in the family business, preparing to take over the Xiang family.
Their once frequent meetings turned into rare reunions. Chu Yan, not yet aware of his deeper feelings, found this unsettling. Xiang Kun, who had started to realize his emotions, immersed himself in work and gradually lost weight.
After completing his new recruit training, Chu Yan had a month off. He spent only a day at home before eagerly heading to the Xiang family’s residence, where he was shocked to see a much thinner and exhausted Xiang Kun. “What have you been doing these past two months? How did you end up like this?”
Xiang Kun looked up from his pile of work, took a moment to realize Chu Yan was there, then stood up to greet him. But he was dizzy, his vision went black, and he fainted.
Xiang Kun had overworked himself, with insufficient sleep and irregular meals, and even showed signs of emotional distress.
The first few issues were understandable, but the emotional distress puzzled everyone.
Upon hearing the news, Xiang Lingyun, who was on a business trip, quickly contacted home. Seeing his son in such a state, he was both angry and heartbroken. He forcibly removed all of Xiang Kun’s work and ordered him to take a break and have some fun.
Chu Yan, who had been shocked all day, frowned as he looked at Xiang Kun’s pale face. After some thought, he decisively moved the unconscious Xiang Kun into his hovercar, taking him to the Chu residence under the pretext that “Chu family doctors are more effective,” infuriating the Xiang family doctor to the point of almost challenging him to a duel, his scalpel in hand.
When Xiang Kun woke up, he saw Chu Yan’s carefree sleeping face next to him, their bodies close together. His throat tightened, his heart pounded, and he reflexively kicked out.
“Thud!”
“Ow!”
Chu Yan climbed off the floor, clutching his butt, his sleepy eyes wide with confusion. “Why did you kick me? Hungry?”
The morning light shone through the window, and Chu Yan stood there in just his underwear, his young, toned body on full display. His honey-colored skin, well-defined muscles, and abs were all too visible, making it clear to Xiang Kun that they had been very close while sleeping.
Yes, Xiang Kun had realized he was also only in his underwear, which was challenging this twenty-something virgin’s composure!
“Where are my clothes?” Xiang Kun forced himself to look away, frowning.
Still not fully awake, Chu Yan lifted the blanket and lay back down, mumbling, “Took them off to wash, of course. I couldn’t let you sleep in dirty clothes after giving you a bath. My underwear fits you just fine. It’s still early, go back to sleep…”
A series of intimate implications hit Xiang Kun hard. He froze, glanced at the still-sleeping Chu Yan, looked around the unfamiliar room, and finally lifted the blanket to check the only piece of clothing on his body.
In the dim light, he saw that both of them were wearing identical underwear, only in different colors. He clenched his hand, raised an eyebrow, and without hesitation, kicked Chu Yan out of bed again, shouting in embarrassment and anger, “Chu San! I challenge you to a duel!”
Xiang Kun stormed out of the room, intending to leave, but ran into Gu Yan’an on his way down the stairs.
“I was just about to call you two for breakfast,” she said with a warm smile, waving him over. “Come and eat. Where’s Xiao Yan? Is he still lazing in bed?”
Although it was just a simple greeting, the cozy family atmosphere was palpable.
Xiang Kun stopped in his tracks, standing in front of Gu Yan’an, gazing at the warm-colored living room behind her, with toy horses and other toys scattered on the floor and the faint aroma of food in the air. He suddenly felt incredibly out of place and awkward.
It was as if he were an intruder in a fairytale, bringing with him an air of discord.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Yan’an asked, concerned, as she approached him. “Are you still feeling unwell? Should I ask Zhuang Yu to check on you—”
“No, that’s not necessary!” He quickly refused, realizing his tone was too harsh, and hurriedly added, “I’m fine. I just… I just…”
“Then come have breakfast. Qiao is waiting in the dining room to discuss the new mecha with you,” Gu Yan’an interrupted, gently pushing him towards the dining room with a warm and encouraging smile.
Xiang Kun couldn’t bring himself to refuse anymore. He took a few stiff steps forward, glancing back to see Gu Yan’an still smiling at him. His fingers curled nervously as he hesitantly made his way to the dining room.
Once he was out of sight, Gu Yan’an turned towards the stairs and called out, “Come down, I’ve kept him here for you.”
Chu Yan peeked around the corner, grinning sheepishly at her. “I knew you were the best, Dasao.”
“Alright, come down for breakfast. You’re always causing trouble,” she replied with a smile, shaking her head as she headed towards the dining room.
The atmosphere at the Chu family’s dining table was always warm and welcoming. Even with Xiang Kun as an outsider, everyone maintained their usual demeanor, initiating conversations to make him feel included.
Slowly, Xiang Kun’s tension eased as he enjoyed the delicious breakfast. He responded to Qiao Zhiya’s topics, occasionally helping Gu Yan’an pass items to Chu Pangpang, and subconsciously integrated himself into the family.
After breakfast, Chu Rong and Chu Huai went to work, and Qiao Zhiya took Xiang Kun to his lab to work on mecha-related matters, with Chu Yan playing the role of the tea and water server.
Once his attention was focused on mechas, Xiang Kun forgot about everything else, especially when he realized Qiao Zhiya was preparing to create the second generation of the Knight mecha to celebrate Chu Yan’s graduation and entry into the military.
Before he knew it, the morning had flown by. After a similarly pleasant lunch, Qiao Zhiya went for a nap, and Xiang Kun wanted to leave again. But Chu Yan dragged him to the mecha battle hall to continue testing mechas.
The afternoon passed, then dinner, followed by a family movie night. By the time the movie ended, the day was almost over.
“Time to sleep. Remember to get up early tomorrow, Erge is taking us for training,” Chu Yan stretched and nudged Xiang Kun towards his room, handing him a set of new pajamas and pushing him into the bathroom.
As the hot water cascaded over him, Xiang Kun still felt somewhat dazed. How had the day gone by so quickly when it seemed like nothing significant happened? The warm water soothed him, even warming his heart. He covered his face with his hand, looking around at the bathroom filled with Chu Yan’s personal items, and crouched down.
