Director Zhang smiled with satisfaction, saying, “Then I won’t disturb you while you pack. If you need anything, just let the department know.”

Then, Director Zhang shook hands with Zhao Yunshu at the dorm entrance, commending them for raising such an outstanding child.

After a long silence, Ding Bing in the dorm suddenly spoke, “Jiang Ruotang… Asia New Star Awards… that’s an art award across Asia, you’re already a famous painter, aren’t you?”

Lu Guifan chuckled, gently tapping Jiang Ruotang’s forehead with his fingertip.

“No need to envy others; you’ve already achieved so much.”

Jiang Ruotang rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Another roommate, Lu An, quietly mumbled to himself, “Director Jiang’s reach, no matter how long, can’t extend to an Asian-level art exhibition, right?”

Cui He was already awkward, and Lu An’s mumbling felt like a jab to his knee, making his ears burn.

---

Once everything was packed, Jiang Ruotang suggested their next stop be Capital University of Science and Technology, as he wanted to see Lu Guifan and Zhao Changfeng’s dorm.

After they left, the three remaining roommates in the room were still quite awkward.

Lu An, ever direct, said again, “I bet fifty cents Jiang Ruotang heard us talking about him outside the dorm.”

“Even if he heard, we didn’t say anything bad,” Cui He mumbled, feeling guilty but trying to sound tough.

Ding Bing sighed and said, “Just because Jiang Ruotang comes from a good family, you suspected his award was due to his father’s connections. That’s a very disrespectful assumption. Me… I like painting, but I don’t have any outstanding talent. If it weren’t for my high cultural scores and an exceptional performance during the school exam, I wouldn’t have gotten in. So I don’t envy Jiang Ruotang; on the contrary, I’m quite fortunate to be able to study with such a genius.”

Lu An also added, “He who keeps company with the wise will grow wise. Maybe if we interact more with Jiang Ruotang, we can learn a thing or two?”

“Alright, alright,” Cui He knew he had misspoken. Looking back, he felt like a petty, jealous person.

---

After university registration came military training.

The training site wasn’t on campus, but at an education base in the suburbs. There were over a dozen boys in one room, and hot water for showers was scarce. The smell in the room almost made Jiang Ruotang want to pass out on the spot.

The September sun was still scorching. No matter how much sunscreen Jiang Ruotang applied, it was useless. Sweat on his neck turned white, and he had no energy left to rush for food. He listlessly picked at his white rice until someone placed a bowl of stewed pork with vermicelli in front of him.

“You have to eat some meat, even if you don’t have an appetite, or you’ll have even less energy this afternoon.”

Jiang Ruotang looked up, propping himself on his chopsticks, and saw it was Cui He.

The guy put down the bowl of meat and left. Jiang Ruotang lowered his eyes and smiled. He knew this was Cui He’s apology and an attempt to show goodwill. The guy was just stubborn and thin-skinned; he couldn’t bring himself to apologize directly, but at least he got him a bowl of meat.

From 7 to 8 PM was free activity time, when students could take a walk on the parade ground. Jiang Ruotang was naturally eager to call Lu Guifan.

He was used to spending every day with Lu Guifan, but since military training started, Jiang Ruotang hadn’t even seen Lu Guifan’s face, leaving him feeling empty inside.

“Hello, Ruotang?” Lu Guifan’s voice came from the other end of the phone, and Jiang Ruotang’s heart softened instantly. He especially wanted to lie on Lu Guifan’s back and smell his neck.

“My neck got sunburned today. I just went to the base’s infirmary for ointment. So many people got sunburned; you have to queue up to get ointment.”

Lu Guifan on the other end of the phone didn’t speak, but he sighed deeply.

“After standing at attention, we also had to practice crawling on the ground. My knees are all bruised. And this afternoon, there was a weighted march; my arms are still shaking, I can’t even hold my chopsticks.”

“Ruotang…” Lu Guifan spoke, but couldn’t offer any words of comfort.

“Are you heartbroken?”

“Very heartbroken.”

“If you’re heartbroken, then I’m content.” Jiang Ruotang smiled mischievously again, a pity Lu Guifan couldn’t see him.

If they were undergoing military training together, even rolling around in a mud pit, Jiang Ruotang would have found it enjoyable.

It was said that Zhao Changfeng stole the show during military training. He was already tall and an agile athlete, effortlessly navigating various climbing obstacles. The instructors especially loved playing basketball with him and even took him target shooting. In short, he was well-liked by everyone, and even a toilet lid would lift for him.

Jiang Ruotang giggled, amused.

“I really want to see you in camouflage,” Jiang Ruotang said.

“Didn’t you see me during high school military training?”

“I don’t remember what you looked like.”

Jiang Ruotang felt a little guilty. Lu Guifan in his first year of high school was serious and aloof, with a natural ability to create awkward silences, definitely not his type back then.

“You don’t just not remember; you simply didn’t like me at all,” Lu Guifan directly exposed him.

Jiang Ruotang rubbed his nose. “But I really like you now. How about you send me a picture of you in camouflage to admire?”

“Okay,” Lu Guifan’s voice clearly held a smile.

“Wait, don’t take it yourself… do you… do you have any female classmates who are good at photography? Ask her to take it for you.”

Jiang Ruotang was already imagining Lu Guifan haphazardly snapping photos with his phone, turning a handsome guy into someone with a short, stocky build.

Lu Guifan chuckled softly again. The vibrating electrical waves from the phone made Jiang Ruotang’s heart tingle.

“No need to find someone to take it; the school news agency took some. I’ll send them to you.”

Not long after, several photos were sent over.

Lu Guifan’s tall figure, handsome features, and resolute expression were truly full of masculine charm.

Especially since they also had the crawling exercise, Jiang Ruotang’s comment on that photo made Lu Guifan’s ears burn.

“Wow, your waist looks so strong, and your glutes are powerful!”

“You’re talking nonsense again.”

“I’m giving an objective evaluation!”

When Lu Guifan lay in the military training dorm that night, listening to the continuous snoring around him, what came to mind were Jiang Ruotang’s words.

He suddenly realized he had lost out. He had sent all the photos taken by the news agency to Jiang Ruotang, but Jiang Ruotang hadn’t sent him anything. He couldn’t resist sending a message: [Where are your photos?]

Jiang Ruotang: [Wait, I’ll send you a hot one!]

Immediately, an image came through. The full lines and the sense of hidden mystery created by the shadows almost crashed Lu Guifan’s brain. Following that, his blood uncontrollably boiled.

But after a while, he realized it was just Jiang Ruotang’s hand. He had curled his fingers and used the shadows between them to create a visually misleading photo.

He was really too mischievous.

So mischievous that Lu Guifan wanted to leave tooth marks on his cheek.

---

After military training, Jiang Ruotang, who used to be fair-skinned, was several shades darker, and his muscles had become more defined. On his first day back in the dorm, he looked in the mirror and exclaimed, “My jawline is so handsome.”

He put on a T-shirt from before military training, and it was a bit loose, indicating he had lost weight.

Zhao Changfeng found a pretty good restaurant for a meal, and their five-person group reunited. Everyone was a little darker from the sun. They started chatting about their military training experiences.

“Sister Sha, the sun was so brutal, how did you not get tanned at all? What brand of sunscreen did you use?” Jiang Ruotang asked curiously.

Jian Sha sighed, pointed to her knee, and everyone saw a piece of gauze taped there.

“This was earned with both my knees hitting the ground!”

It turned out that on the first day of military training, when everyone was dismissed for lunch, Jian Sha was pushed by an impatient schoolmate behind her. She stumbled and fell to her knees, cutting herself on a broken rock. She needed six stitches. With stitches, she definitely couldn’t exercise or sweat to avoid infection.

So, Jian Sha spent two weeks sitting in the cafeteria, peeling potatoes and onions.

“Smell this! Smell my hands; they’re full of the fragrant scent of onions!” Jian Sha extended her hands to everyone.

Everyone suddenly leaned back in unison, only Cai Ji couldn’t dodge in time and let out several sneezes.

Zhao Changfeng looked at Jiang Ruotang and said, “You actually look a lot stronger!”

“Don’t even mention it. Anyone who didn’t stand at attention well, was slow at obstacle climbing, or wasn’t properly dressed for a midnight assembly, would be punished. Either pull-ups or push-ups… I was forced into fitness, and my abs are even more defined now!”

“I don’t believe it! I want to see! You’re definitely bragging!” Zhao Changfeng immediately leaned his head over, heartlessly trying to lift Jiang Ruotang’s T-shirt.

Unexpectedly, Lu Guifan on the other side suddenly stretched out his arm, his palm firmly covering Jiang Ruotang’s lower abdomen. A warmth from his palm permeated through the fabric to Jiang Ruotang, causing a ripple of heart palpitations.

“It’s air-conditioned in here; you’ll catch a cold,” Lu Guifan said.

“It’s not like a kid who’ll catch a cold from showing their belly button!” Zhao Changfeng tried to pull again, but Lu Guifan didn’t budge, looking at Zhao Changfeng with a slightly cool gaze.

Although Zhao Changfeng was fearless, Lu Guifan was instrumental in him getting into Capital University of Science and Technology. As if by natural aura suppression, Zhao Changfeng reluctantly withdrew his hand, then stubbornly said, “Your abs must be fake!”

“Whatever, as long as you’re happy,” Jiang Ruotang shrugged.

He and Lu Guifan hadn’t seen each other for too long. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he nonchalantly placed his hand on Lu Guifan’s hand and gently squeezed it.

On the contrary, Jian Sha, sitting across the table, paused for a moment and then slowly smiled.

After the meal, everyone was full. Zhao Changfeng dragged Cai Ji to an internet cafe to be the gaming duo.

Jian Sha smiled and said, “You two come with me to the supermarket and be my labor?”

Jiang Ruotang was about to ask if Lu Guifan had time, but Lu Guifan immediately nodded and said, “Okay, we’ll go with you. I also need to buy some daily necessities.”

Buy daily necessities?

Jiang Ruotang looked at Lu Guifan suspiciously. Everything that needed to be bought had already been bought the day he was sent to school.

They went to a nearby large chain supermarket. Jian Sha pushed one cart, but unexpectedly, Lu Guifan pushed another, and he even gestured to Jiang Ruotang with his chin, meaning he’d handle pushing the cart for the ladies.

Jiang Ruotang accompanied Jian Sha to choose snacks and fruit. When they reached the daily necessities section, Jiang Ruotang saw that Lu Guifan had gone to the bedding section, looking at various four-piece sets and pillows.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Ruotang asked, curiously approaching him.

“These sets are all pure cotton, and I’ve confirmed the sizes. You like chestnut color, right?” Lu Guifan asked.

Jiang Ruotang nodded blankly, then watched Lu Guifan put the four-piece set into the cart.

“What about pillows? Do you prefer fluffy and soft ones, or latex ones that support the neck?”

“Supportive ones…”

Jiang Ruotang still didn’t understand why Lu Guifan was suddenly buying bedding. Was it in preparation for him to stay overnight in his dorm?

But Lu Guifan’s dorm probably didn’t allow overnight guests, and the bed was very narrow. If they slept together… he’d have to lie on top of Lu Guifan, wouldn’t he?

Thinking about it that way, it didn’t seem so bad?

Looking at Jiang Ruotang in a daze, wondering what messy thoughts he was having, although Lu Guifan also wanted to know, unfortunately, he couldn’t get into Jiang Ruotang’s head.

“Let’s buy two more throw pillows,” Lu Guifan gently held the back of Jiang Ruotang’s neck, pushing him forward slightly.

This made Jiang Ruotang even more curious. Two throw pillows in a dorm room? Not enough space…

In the daily necessities section, Lu Guifan even started looking at mouthwash cups, holding a pair of blue plastic ones and asking Jiang Ruotang, “Are these okay?”

Jiang Ruotang knew Lu Guifan was a utilitarian, but these were so practical they lacked any aesthetic appeal…

Unexpectedly, Jian Sha directly opposed it for Jiang Ruotang: “No—they’re not cute at all!”

After saying that, Jian Sha picked up a pair of cups that could fit together. The left one said “Love you a little more every day,” and the right one said “Happy a little more every day.” “These are so much better, perfect for you two!”

Lu Guifan and Jiang Ruotang were stunned. Was Sister Sha shipping them, or had she figured it out?

“Is this an alpha and omega setting?” Jiang Ruotang asked.

Jian Sha placed the pair of cups in her cart and said matter-of-factly, “This is the Jiang Ruotang and Lu Guifan setting! My royalty fees are high this month, so I’ll buy these cups for you two!”

Jiang Ruotang and Lu Guifan exchanged a smile.

It seemed they had Sister Sha’s blessing.

---

Carrying large bags and small bags, they delivered Sister Sha’s things to her dorm entrance. The building was still dozens of meters away, and things like toilet paper, hand soap, and a box of milk—there was no way Jian Sha could carry all that in by herself.

Lu Guifan and Jiang Ruotang went to the dorm manager’s entrance, showed their student IDs, registered their visit, and then delivered all of Jian Sha’s purchases to her room.

After they left, Jian Sha’s roommates gathered around to gossip.

“Sha Sha! Quick, tell us who those two handsome guys are! They’re so good to you. Which one is your boyfriend?”

“Or is it that he loves you, and you love him?”

Jian Sha replied with a grin, “Actually, he loves him, and he also loves him.”

“What?”

The roommates were confused by the string of “he”s.

When they arrived outside Huawen University and got into the taxi with a full trunk that was still waiting for them, Lu Guifan announced a neighborhood name.

Jiang Ruotang then reacted, looking at Lu Guifan with pleasant surprise and saying, “You got the house? That fast?”

“Some procedures aren’t finalized yet, but I have the keys now, so we can move in.”

After saying that, Lu Guifan took out a set of keys from his pocket and put the key ring on Jiang Ruotang’s finger.

It was quite romantic, but Lu Guifan withdrew his hand too quickly, giving Jiang Ruotang no time to savor the moment.

The capital was a place where every inch of land was precious. Buying a house close to both Capital University of Science and Technology and the Academy of Fine Arts naturally meant it would be expensive and small. However, the interior decoration of the house had a lot of character, suggesting the previous owner had good taste.

All the furniture and appliances were complete. The sun was good today, so they quickly washed and aired out the newly bought four-piece bedding set, and it would be dry by evening.

Jiang Ruotang toured the rooms one by one. When Lu Guifan chose this place, he had only seen it in videos, but experiencing it in person was a different feeling.

The study was the studio Lu Guifan had prepared for him. The central desk was moved to a corner, and the best-lit part of the room was used for still life setups.

“Is this a bit small for your studio?” Lu Guifan’s voice came from behind Jiang Ruotang.

“Not small at all! Not small even a little bit! I’ll paint, and you can read and study at the desk. I can even paint you! And the smaller the room, the better, so I can be closer to you!”