E | Chapter 9

Yu Zhinian didn’t really need special care; he was able to adapt quite well on his own.

At the time, Yang Ke quickly grasped this fact.

Yu Zhinian’s academic performance was better than Yang Ke had expected, but due to his temporary language barrier, he mostly chose science-oriented courses. As a result, their course overlap wasn’t high, and they only ran into each other from Monday to Thursday during math and science classes.

In just a few short weeks after the start of school, Yang Ke noticed that Yu Zhinian had already become familiar with his classmates. Everywhere he went, he had people around him, and he was even a popular pick for group projects. This popularity was different from how his classmates invited Yang Ke; with Yu Zhinian, it felt warmer and more genuinely friendly.

Since Yu Zhinian went to and from school with Yang Ke every day, there were always some curious glances. According to Yang Ke’s close friend at school, Wei Chi, Yu Zhinian hadn’t hidden the fact that he was a sponsored student staying at Yang Ke’s house.

Near the end of October, they ran into each other at a Chinese restaurant during lunch. Yu Zhinian was with a few classmates, among them Wei Chi’s twin sister, Wei Yi.

Wei Yi gave Wei Chi a “hmph” and pulled Yu Zhinian along with her.

As they settled down with their meals, Wei Chi complained with irritation, saying that since Wei Yi and Yu Zhinian shared the same swimming class, every time she returned from it, she would use Yu Zhinian as a standard to measure him, making sarcastic remarks. “I don’t know what’s wrong with girls in puberty. What does she think I lack compared to him?”

“Maybe your sister likes that he has a good temper,” another friend eating lunch with them, Cheng Xuwen, remarked. “He even helped two other groups adjust their chemicals in the chemistry lab, and he’s pretty much always ready to help.”

But unlike at school, Yu Zhinian was still quite reserved in front of Yang Zhongyun.

Yang Zhongyun only came home to eat dinner two or three times a week, and whenever he was there, Yu Zhinian had to go through the details of his school life, giving a thorough report.

Almost every night that Yang Zhongyun wasn’t on a business trip, Yu Zhinian would go to his study to work on assignments and read.

Since a lot of homework needed to be done on the computer, he would often take the chance to message Yang Ke.

Sometimes he’d send screenshots asking if he was using a word correctly or if there were any grammar errors, or just sigh about how tired he was, giving Yang Ke the impression that Yu Zhinian’s physical stamina wasn’t great.

As Halloween approached, the school’s middle and high sections organized a costume night event.

The event would require staying out late, and students could choose whether to participate. If they wanted to join, underage students had to turn in a consent form signed by their guardians.

The forms were distributed on a Friday, the same day in October when Zhao Sibei usually picked Yang Ke up. Zhao Sibei called Yang Ke around noon, explaining that he had an important last-minute meeting, so he wouldn’t be able to pick him up directly and would only arrive late at night.

On the way home, Yu Zhinian asked Yang Ke if he was planning to go to the Halloween night event.

Yang Ke said he’d go, and then Yu Zhinian hesitantly mentioned that he wanted to go, too, as his classmates had invited him and even offered to help him with makeup. He tentatively asked Yang Ke, “Do you think Grandpa would sign for me?”

In the fall and winter, the sky darkened quickly in Ning City. By 6 p.m., the city was fully immersed in night; the streetlights outside the car window had just come on, casting a faint glow over the traffic of the evening rush.

Yang Ke glanced at him. Yu Zhinian was wearing his school uniform, with every button neatly fastened, a watch his grandfather had given him on his wrist, his skin fair and cool-toned, his expression harmless.

To Yang Ke, who was eager to get home, it seemed as if Yu Zhinian belonged in this car, in this household, even more than he did.

“I don’t know,” Yang Ke replied.

But instead of looking disappointed, Yu Zhinian shared his plan with Yang Ke, “I was thinking of asking Grandpa about it at dinner tonight.”

That evening at dinner, Yang Ke quietly listened to Yu Zhinian recount his entire day.

From morning classes, what he learned, who he ate lunch with, all the way through his afternoon classes, until he finally got to his main point.

He said that in chemistry class, Zhu Peijia had asked him if he wanted to join their group for the Halloween event. They had a theme and planned to dress up as eighteenth-century vampires.

“Grandpa, may I go?” Yu Zhinian asked carefully. “The event ends around nine or ten, but I need a parent’s signature.”

“When is it?” Yang Zhongyun asked, with a usual smile.

Seeming to gain some courage, Yu Zhinian replied, “This Friday.”

Yang Zhongyun turned his head and looked at Secretary Xu, who had been standing nearby. Secretary Xu immediately replied, “Chairman Yang has a meeting on Friday night and will need dinner. It’s expected to end around nine, and it’s a thirty-minute drive home.”

The dining room suddenly fell silent for a moment. Yang Ke continued eating, until he heard his name called by Yang Zhongyun.

“Yang Ke, are you going?”

Yang Ke looked up, meeting Yang Zhongyun’s gaze. Not in the mood to guess what he was thinking, he simply said, “Yes.”

Before Yu Zhinian had moved into the house, Yang Zhongyun’s visits were rare; sometimes, Yang Ke wouldn’t see him for half a month. He rarely disciplined or showed concern for Yang Ke. And since he was the chairman of the school’s board, Yang Ke, who rarely saw him around campus, enjoyed certain privileges. For example, for late-night events, Yang Ke had never needed to notify a guardian or turn in a signed form.

Putting down his chopsticks, Yang Zhongyun seemed to deliberate for a moment before saying to Yu Zhinian, “Since it’s a school event, and everyone’s going, our Zhinian should definitely attend. But Grandpa is used to you keeping him company in the evenings. Would you mind coming home early?”

He spoke with exaggerated generosity and affection. Watching him, Yang Ke felt his appetite waning. But Yu Zhinian, who seemed unaware, beamed and promised Yang Zhongyun he’d leave by nine to come home and keep him company.

After dinner, Yang Ke went back to his room.

Around ten, Zhao Sibei texted him, saying he’d be there in half an hour.

Yang Ke replied, then heard a soft knock on his door. At first, he thought he’d misheard, but the knock persisted, so he went to open the door. Standing outside in pajamas, holding a small box, was Yu Zhinian.

Yang Ke stared at him without a word, and he held the box out to Yang Ke, saying, “I brought you some chocolate.”

“A classmate gave it to me. It’s really good—apparently homemade.” He ate a piece himself, looking pleased.

Glancing at the box and the shape of the chocolates, Yang Ke couldn’t tell if Yu Zhinian was genuinely naive or pretending to be. He didn’t take a piece, instead asking, “Do you know what this means?”

Looking clueless, Yu Zhinian, still munching on a chocolate, asked, “What?”

“Give me the box.” Yang Ke held out his hand.

Without a fuss, Yu Zhinian handed over the box. “What’s wrong?”

Yang Ke took it, pulling out the lid from underneath. After a quick glance, he held it up for Yu Zhinian to see, saying, “Look for yourself.”

Under the lid was a letter. Yu Zhinian froze, as if he hadn’t noticed it before, and asked, “What’s this?”

He opened it, read for a while, and then, in rare embarrassment, lowered his head. Yang Ke noticed his ears were red; even he probably realized how clueless he’d been.

“This… this is early dating,” muttered Yu Zhinian softly.

Yang Ke laughed. Flustered, Yu Zhinian closed the chocolate box, but Yang Ke could tell that he’d already eaten five pieces.

He gave Yang Ke a pitiful look and asked, “What should I do?”

“How should I know?” Yang Ke replied.

“Well, what do you usually do?” Yu Zhinian asked him.

“I’ve never received one,” Yang Ke admitted.

Yu Zhinian’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No way!” He stared at Yang Ke, who said nothing. After a moment, Yu Zhinian started brooding, clutching his box of chocolates with a frown.

Eventually, Yu Zhinian would grow used to situations like this.

He would learn to decline gracefully, looking more like someone who belonged in this family—poised and self-assured, rather than a country bumpkin, accepting handmade chocolates from classmates and eagerly bringing them to Yang Ke’s door to share, only to panic when he found a love letter and turn red from embarrassment.

His pajamas were old and a little too small, as he’d grown taller since coming to Yang Ke’s house, his wrists and ankles peeking out.

Yang Ke noticed this as he watched him fret and casually asked if the housekeeper hadn’t provided pajamas. Yu Zhinian explained, “Those are all new.”

Yang Ke never found out how Yu Zhinian handled his first love letter—perhaps with a clumsy rejection, like saying he couldn’t date yet.

A week later, on Halloween, Yang Ke, Cheng Xuwen, and Wei Chi wore their usual uniforms as they wandered around the event, checking out the artwork arranged by art students, tossing charity darts to raise funds for children in rural areas.

The school’s main path was lined with trees wrapped in tiny twinkling lights, and eerie music played from speakers.

Suddenly, a figure dashed toward them in the middle of the main path, leaping in front of Yang Ke.

With eccentric makeup and dressed in a black-and-white, medieval European-style outfit and boots, Yu Zhinian raised his hands, making a goofy, intimidating face.

Yang Ke thought he looked ridiculous flailing around, but somehow, he ended up smiling a little.

Yu Zhinian briefly introduced his friends to Yang Ke, praising a girl named Shu Xi behind him for her impressive makeup skills. When she heard her name, she blushed noticeably in the changing lights and noise around them.

But soon after, Yu Zhinian received a call from the driver, urging him to head out.

As it was almost nine, Yu Zhinian had to leave. Yang Ke noted his disappointment, reminded of Cinderella when the clock struck midnight.

Yang Ke usually stayed out late for events like this, not wanting to go home. But this time, he left early, too.

In middle and high school, it seemed like every time Yang Ke and Yu Zhinian spent time together, it would end with an intervention from Yang Zhongyun.

Yu Zhinian had shared a lot with Yang Ke over the years and sent countless messages. Yang Ke hadn’t ignored everything; he had listened and read.

The things Yu Zhinian told Yang Ke that day would be things Yang Ke could remember years later.

He recalled sitting in the car’s back seat, with the white trim of Yu Zhinian’s sleeve, his pale skin, black hair, and smoky eye makeup.

In those rare moments when he wasn’t making silly faces or saying silly things, he was already showing signs of the future Yu Zhinian, the one who’d attract attention everywhere he went.

The driver had sped up, following a call from Secretary Xu, pressing the accelerator one moment, then braking the next, making the ride uncomfortable, with Western music that Yang Zhongyun liked playing in the background. Feeling annoyed, Yang Ke looked out the window.

After a while, he heard Yu Zhinian call his name, so he turned his head. Yu Zhinian looked at him, his expression calm. After a pause, he said, “I never knew it could be this simple to be so happy.”

Yang Ke couldn’t remember if he had responded; he guessed he hadn’t.

At the time, he probably thought that Yu Zhinian, having lived a rough life, was just making a big deal over nothing.

Yang Ke thought this when he looked back on it.

But he must’ve also thought, on that same day, that Yu Zhinian was uncomplicated, not a bad person.