\Jiang Yang let go of the chubby guy, who quickly scrambled away. After returning to his seat, Gu Zhifei took the opportunity to introduce the two groups: “These are my high school friends,” he said, gesturing to the group around the table. Then, pointing to Jiang Yang, he added, “This is Jiang Yang, from our university’s finance department.”
The group shared knowing smiles. “Oh~~ so you’re Jiang Yang, huh?”
Jiang Yang’s ears turned red as he shyly replied, “Hello, everyone.”
“Sit down,” Gu Zhifei said, pushing Jiang Yang into the chair beside him.
As they continued eating barbecue, Jiang Yang couldn’t help but ask, “When you all said that earlier, does that mean you’ve heard about me before?” As he spoke, he glanced at Gu Zhifei, clearly aware that it was likely Gu Zhifei who had told them about him. He was just curious about what had been said.
Just as Yao Qing was about to excitedly spill the beans, Gu Zhifei cut her off with a slight cough. He quickly wrapped a piece of pork belly in a lettuce leaf and stuffed it into her mouth. “Eat.”
Yao Qing had no choice but to shrug at Jiang Yang before happily digging into the barbecue.
Even though Jiang Yang didn’t know anyone at the table besides Gu Zhifei, he didn’t feel awkward sitting next to him. It wasn’t that the group was particularly warm—they were too busy enjoying their food to pay much attention to him.
Later, as they strolled around the campus track with full bellies, Jiang Yang said to Gu Zhifei, “Even though we didn’t talk much or drink, it still felt really comfortable.”
Gu Zhifei smiled. “If you have to force conversations to avoid awkwardness with friends, it’s probably not worth hanging out with them.”
Jiang Yang, catching a glimpse of the slight smile on Gu Zhifei’s lips in the dark, instinctively lowered his head, wanting to get a clearer look. However, Gu Zhifei quickly turned his head, avoiding Jiang Yang’s gaze.
Jiang Yang blinked in confusion.
Gu Zhifei pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, expressionless, thinking to himself: Big mistake.
He had forgotten to wear his colored contacts today!
This significant oversight clearly affected his judgment, because otherwise, he wouldn’t have stood frozen when that stray dog suddenly charged at him from the darkness.
When Jiang Yang quickly stepped forward and kicked the dog a few meters away, Gu Zhifei unconsciously took a step back—he was certain he had never been this startled before.
Today just isn’t my day with dogs, Gu Zhifei thought with frustration as he glanced at the dog, only to meet Jiang Yang’s concerned gaze.
Gu Zhifei patted Jiang Yang on the back. “Go check if the dog’s okay. It hasn’t moved.”
“Oh,” Jiang Yang obediently turned to check, but just as he took a step, the dog, which had been lying still, suddenly sprang up, tucked its tail between its legs, and bolted away at a speed that seemed impossible for a dog with three working legs.
Jiang Yang: “…”
Gu Zhifei, puzzled, remarked, “That dog’s leg was injured, yet it still tried to bite. Must’ve been starving and out of its mind.”
“I didn’t hurt its leg, did I?” Jiang Yang quickly clarified, not wanting Gu Zhifei to think of him as cruel. But after making eye contact with Gu Zhifei, he hesitated and added, “I don’t think I kicked it that hard.”
“Having strength is a good thing,” Gu Zhifei said meaningfully. While Jiang Yang was pondering the deeper meaning of that comment, Gu Zhifei sniffed his shirt. “Maybe it’s the smell of barbecue on me? Come over here and smell me.”
Jiang Yang, slightly dazed, leaned in and sniffed Gu Zhifei. Sure enough, there was a faint barbecue scent, but he also caught a clean, lemony smell from the body wash.
Gu Zhifei grabbed Jiang Yang’s collar. “Let me smell you too. Why didn’t the dog bite you?”
Jiang Yang, flustered, backed away. “No, no, I played basketball this morning. I didn’t shower yet.” But realizing Gu Zhifei hadn’t let go, Jiang Yang quickly reached out to steady him by the waist, worried Gu Zhifei might fall.
He’s got such a slim waist, Jiang Yang thought, momentarily dazed, with only those words repeating in his mind.
Gu Zhifei kicked him lightly. “Enjoying yourself?”
“Huh?!” Jiang Yang yelped, snapping back to reality, and quickly let go of Gu Zhifei.
It seemed like dogs were in Gu Zhifei’s destiny lately. The next day, after class, Gu Zhifei saw a scruffy dog with a bald tail following closely behind a couple, staring longingly at the girl’s kebab.
Trusting his instincts, Gu Zhifei recognized the dog as the same one that had tried to attack him the day before.
The girl, embarrassed, threw the kebab to the ground. The bald-tailed dog, wary, glanced around before snatching it up and retreating to a corner to eat. Gu Zhifei slowly approached, growing more certain that it was the same dog.
“What are you looking at?” Jiang Yang’s voice suddenly came from behind him.
“Shh,” Gu Zhifei whispered. “That dog.”
Despite his lowered voice, the bald-tailed dog immediately perked up its ears and glanced their way. The moment it spotted Jiang Yang, its fur bristled, and it sprinted away. However, it quickly circled back, unwilling to leave the kebab behind, grabbed it, and dashed off.
“Why are there so many stray dogs on campus?” Jiang Yang wondered aloud.
Gu Zhifei smirked. “I’m pretty sure that’s the same dog from yesterday. It ran the moment it saw you. Did you notice? Its leg’s still a bit lame.”
Jiang Yang nodded. “Now that you mention it, it does seem like the same one.”
Gu Zhifei narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to find that dog.”
Jiang Yang was curious. “You want to adopt it?”
Gu Zhifei’s eyes gleamed coldly. “No, I want revenge.”
A few days later, the bald-tailed dog snuck back into the school through a hole in the wall. Food was scarce, as the garbage cans were too tall, and people rarely threw trash around the campus.
The dog hoped the two humans had forgotten about it by now. After all, it had just been a misunderstanding—what dog could resist the smell of grilled meat?
With a bit of luck, it might encounter a kind-hearted girl who would pity it and offer some food.
But if luck wasn’t on its side… The dog didn’t dwell on the thought, as it suddenly spotted a discarded pancake on the ground!
Surely, some careless human had dropped it. The dog knew that humans didn’t eat food that had fallen on the ground. Relieved, it approached the pancake eagerly, almost forgetting to be cautious.
For a stray dog, this lapse in vigilance could be fatal. Just as the dog gleefully bit into the pancake’s filling, it suddenly felt a tight grip around its neck.
The dog knew this feeling all too well—it had been caught!
“Woof! Woof woof!”
Jiang Yang, exasperated by the dog’s barking, looked at Gu Zhifei, who was holding a muzzle. “Do you really have to get revenge? This dog doesn’t seem easy to deal with.”
Gu Zhifei was in the process of putting on thick gloves. He rolled his eyes at Jiang Yang’s question. “Did you not notice its back leg is deformed? A stray dog that can’t run won’t survive for long.”
He finished putting on the gloves, pinned the agitated dog down, and calmly ignored its frantic attempts to bite.
Once the muzzle was secured, Gu Zhifei said, “Let’s take it for a bath, and then to the vet.”
Jiang Yang, feeling a bit ashamed, lowered his head and mumbled, “Oh, okay.”
Gu Zhifei shot him a glance. “What’s with the downcast look?”
Despite having gotten angry when someone compared Gu Zhifei to a dog a few days ago, Jiang Yang had no reaction this time when Gu Zhifei insulted him.
Feeling dejected, Jiang Yang confessed, “I used to think I was decent, but ever since I met you, I realized I’m not good enough—too careless and full of myself.”
Gu Zhifei hummed in response and offered a bit of consolation. “Don’t worry, you’ve got better luck than most.”
Suddenly enlightened, Jiang Yang smiled. “That’s true, otherwise I wouldn’t have met a friend like you.”
“Good that you understand.” Gu Zhifei accepted the compliment without missing a beat and then ordered, “Go fetch that basin.”
The bald-tailed dog struggled fiercely at first. Jiang Yang held it down in the basin, but the dog managed to splash the water everywhere in no time.
After throwing the soap to Jiang Yang and telling him to calm the dog down, Gu Zhifei left for the comfort of his bed to play on his phone. Left alone, Jiang Yang, drenched in sweat, fought a tiring battle against the dirty stray dog. If it weren’t for the muzzle Gu Zhifei had put on the dog earlier, Jiang Yang would likely have been bitten.
By the time Jiang Yang finally subdued the dog, he was utterly exhausted. He looked up, only to find Gu Zhifei taking photos of him and the dog with his phone.
Jiang Yang: “?”
The confused look on Jiang Yang’s face was captured perfectly.
The dog gave him a disdainful look.
Jiang Yang: “…”
Gu Zhifei, acting as if nothing had happened, pocketed his phone, grabbed the soap again, and began bathing the dog.
Jiang Yang was left to fetch and change the water.
After emptying seven or eight basins of filthy water, the freshly bathed dog—now with all its fur plastered to its body, looking pitiful but clean—was finally done.
Once Gu Zhifei blow-dried the dog’s fur, it was at least passably presentable.
However, when they took the dog to the vet for an X-ray, the veterinarian shook his head.
“It’ll be a little cripple for the rest of its life,” Gu Zhifei said, mocking the dog, “Poor Xiao Jiang.”
Jiang Yang: “?”
Gu Zhifei patted the dog’s fluffy head. “Let’s call it Xiao Jiang from now on.”
Jiang Yang looked a bit hurt but didn’t dare voice his displeasure.
Gu Zhifei raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Yang awkwardly replied, “I don’t think that’s a good name.”
Gu Zhifei asked, “Why not?”
Blushing slightly, Jiang Yang explained, “Because my surname is also Jiang.”
Gu Zhifei grinned. “That’s perfect, then. You’re the older one, and it’s the younger one.”
Jiang Yang: “…”
Gu Zhifei snickered.
As soon as Jiang Yang removed the dog’s muzzle, it bolted away.
Just then, Gu Zhifei caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure passing by. He turned his head, but the person was already gone.
“What is it?” Jiang Yang asked.
Gu Zhifei glanced in the direction. “Did you feel like someone’s been following us on the way back to campus?”
“You think someone’s following us?”
“Maybe it’s another stray dog waiting to be rescued. Don’t worry about it.”
Since they lived in different dorm buildings, and Gu Zhifei’s was closer, it was time for them to part ways when they reached the dorm entrance.
Jiang Yang hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave. “The dorm was such a mess after we washed the dog, right?”
“It’s fine,” Gu Zhifei said. “I’ll clean it up. See you.”
Jiang Yang reached out and grabbed his arm. “Gu Zhifei.”
Gu Zhifei turned back. “What is it?”
Jiang Yang retracted his hand and quietly asked, “What are you doing this afternoon?”
“Sleeping.”
Jiang Yang nervously rubbed his hands together. “Well… how about we go to the library together? I… I haven’t finished my advanced math homework yet. Yeah, there are a few problems I’m stuck on.”
Gu Zhifei looked surprised. “Isn’t your major taking Advanced Math III? It’s not that hard, is it?”
Of course, it wasn’t difficult, and Jiang Yang had already finished the homework.
Jiang Yang, who rarely lied and hadn’t thought through his excuse, gulped nervously. “Uh, I guess my math isn’t that great.”
There was a glint of amusement in Gu Zhifei’s eyes. “But I’m really tired today. I was planning to take a nap instead of going to the library.”
Jiang Yang’s face fell in disappointment. “Oh… I see.”
“Tsk.” Gu Zhifei lightly kicked Jiang Yang’s knee and gestured toward the door. “Come on, I’m just messing with you. Want to come up and help me clean?”
Jiang Yang’s face lit up. “Sure!”
Just as they were about to head inside, a girl’s voice called out, “Jiang Yang!”
Gu Zhifei frowned and looked in the direction of the voice. A pretty girl was running toward them, looking excited.
“Shen Xin?” Jiang Yang asked.
Gu Zhifei raised an eyebrow and muttered in a voice only Jiang Yang could hear, “So she’s Xin Xin?”
Jiang Yang nodded nervously, glancing at Shen Xin as she approached, his heart racing. He quickly whispered, “I swear I don’t have feelings for her.”
Gu Zhifei smirked. “Let me test that out.”
Jiang Yang looked at him, confused.
Suddenly, Gu Zhifei’s expression changed, and he said sharply, “You said you wouldn’t contact me again. Were you just toying with me?”
His words were so sudden and loud that they stopped Shen Xin in her tracks.
Jiang Yang stood frozen.
Gu Zhifei winked at him, then casually turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Jiang Yang alone to deal with the awkward situation he had just created.
For a moment, Jiang Yang and Shen Xin stood staring at each other. After a long silence, Shen Xin spoke weakly, “Do you… want me to explain to your… um… boyfriend?”
