Jiang Ruotang pressed down on Cai Ji’s shoulder. “Come on, I’ll go with you to get your laptop. Gotta strike while the iron’s hot!”

Cai Ji wasn’t someone who had many opinions of his own. He simply believed that whatever Jiang Ruotang said was the right thing to do.

If Jiang Ruotang said he wanted to develop his mini game—then he’d leave it to him.

If Jiang Ruotang said they needed to register the copyright, then Cai Ji understood it was for his own good, so he fully cooperated without hesitation.

Dai Ming’s efficiency was jaw-dropping. He immediately prepared the necessary documents and sent an assistant to handle the copyright registration.

When the legal assistant asked Cai Ji to sign the papers, Cai Ji hesitated a little and looked at Jiang Ruotang. “Ruotang, how about… you sign with me?”

That made Jiang Ruotang burst into laughter. He couldn’t help but ruffle Cai Ji’s soft curls. “This is to register your copyright. What would it mean if my name was on it? Would I take a cut when it sells?”

“I—I’m okay with that…” Cai Ji said quietly.

Looking at Cai Ji, Jiang Ruotang felt his heart soften again. That’s just how Cai Ji was. Whoever treated him kindly, he would try to give back tenfold. He didn’t care about gain or loss—he just wanted to share what he had with the people he cared about.

“You giving me this mini game to work on already shows great trust. The code and the ideas all came from you. I can’t take that from you—but we can work together to make it grow.”

Cai Ji looked at Jiang Ruotang for a moment and then nodded seriously before writing his name on the documents.

The legal assistant added, “This kind of registration usually takes about two months to be approved. But we’ll push it through the fast-track channel.”

“Thanks, the sooner the better.” Jiang Ruotang smiled gratefully.

When they got back to the classroom, afternoon classes were about to start. Jiang Ruotang went to the microwave room to heat up his lunch and returned to his seat to eat quickly.

Lin Lu, a little curious, asked, “Ruotang, what were you and Cai Ji doing during lunch? You didn’t even eat.”

“I took Cai Cai to meet with a lawyer,” Jiang Ruotang answered honestly—though he left out the reason.

Sure enough, Lin Lu assumed it had something to do with Cai Chuan and Li Chun, and didn’t press further.

But in his heart, Lin Lu felt jealous.

The reason was simple—Jiang Ruotang had been the first to stand up and protect Cai Ji, which earned him admiration and respect from both teachers and students.

Jiang Ruotang didn’t need to smile at anyone intentionally or weigh gains and losses—people naturally recognized and accepted him.

Whereas Lin Lu had to work hard to maintain his “I care about you” persona.

“Um, Ruotang… The provincial art joint exam is at the end of November, right? Now that Cai Ji’s life is on track, you should spend more time on yourself too,” Lin Lu reminded him gently and thoughtfully.

Just finishing his meal, Jiang Ruotang slowly cleaned up his lunchbox and gave a polite smile. “Don’t worry. I only spend time on people who matter.”

With that, he picked up the lunchbox and walked out.

On the other side of Lin Lu, Bai Yingchuan had been napping on the desk—but he let out a faint chuckle.

Lin Lu looked over, but Bai Yingchuan didn’t move at all. That small laugh felt almost like an illusion—but it left Lin Lu with the unsettling feeling that everyone was secretly mocking him.

When Jiang Ruotang returned from throwing out his lunch and washing his hands, he deliberately entered the classroom from the back door. From that angle, he could clearly see Lu Guifan’s back—and his pale neck as he slept, face buried in his arms.

That neck was smooth and fair. His school uniform collar was neatly folded, and his short black hair made the curve of his neck look especially elegant. Jiang Ruotang had a sudden, strong urge to bite it.

Jiang Ruotang suspected he’d been poisoned by Jian Sha—she kept talking about how alphas bite omegas on the back of the neck to mark them. It left his heart itching with curiosity. He also wanted to leave a deep bite mark on that pale skin.

But Jiang Ruotang had the desire, not the guts.

Lu Guifan was taller, stronger, and reportedly capable of carrying Jiang Ruotang up and down the stairs on one shoulder.

He didn’t dare leave a bite mark—but teasing was still fair game!

Jiang Ruotang crept up behind Lu Guifan, bent down close to his hand, and suddenly reached out to grab the back of his neck.

Success!

Lu Guifan’s shoulders flinched, his back stiffened instantly. Sensing danger, Jiang Ruotang tried to pull back, but Lu Guifan was lightning-fast. He caught both of Jiang Ruotang’s wrists and sat up, tilting his head back to look at him.

“Was that fun?”

Lu Guifan wasn’t wearing his glasses. His hair parted with the movement, revealing his forehead and strong brow line. His eyes were deep—so deep it felt like they could pull Jiang Ruotang’s soul right in.

Even though Jiang Ruotang doubted whether Lu Guifan could see his expression clearly without glasses, he still felt oddly guilty. His once-cold palms had turned warm.

“It… it was kinda fun… hehe.”

Jiang Ruotang tried twisting his wrists. Lu Guifan’s grip was stronger than expected. Without even budging, he kept Jiang Ruotang’s hands firmly pinned. Jiang Ruotang started to wonder—was he actually mad?

“Then just keep playing like this.”

That line made Jiang Ruotang completely relax. This guy wasn’t mad—he was teasing him back.

Jiang Ruotang struggled in every way he could, but Lu Guifan didn’t even flinch.

Around them, other students turned to watch with a mix of surprise and knowing looks.

—Lu Guifan never participated in these childish “interactive games”—unless the person was Jiang Ruotang.

Touching Lu Guifan was usually a death sentence. But if it was Jiang Ruotang, he could dig up the whole mountain and still be fine.

Maybe it was the giggling classmates nearby, but even Jiang Ruotang, with his famously thick skin, started to blush.

“Class rep, I was wrong! I’ll never bother you during nap time again. Be generous, show mercy and spare this little life!”

“Oh? And if I don’t, what’ll you do?” Lu Guifan’s voice didn’t waver at all.

“I’ll bite you!”

Jiang Ruotang blurted it out—and instantly, his heart started pounding uncontrollably.

Secretly, he hoped Lu Guifan wouldn’t let go—then he could really sink his teeth in and leave a mark.

“Where do you want to bite?”

That one counter-question made Jiang Ruotang’s palms heat up even more. He wanted to back away from Lu Guifan’s neck—but the guy had him pinned and wasn’t letting go.

Jiang Ruotang had lived two lifetimes and read more… improper books than Lu Guifan ever had. There was no way Lu Guifan understood how suggestive that line had sounded.

“Your hand!”

Before the words even settled, Jiang Ruotang leaned over and headed straight for Lu Guifan’s right hand.

For the first time, he hoped Lu Guifan would react just a little too slow—so he could leave a small mark openly and without guilt.

But Lu Guifan let go.

The sudden release of his wrists didn’t bring relief—it brought a wave of disappointment.

But in the next second, Lu Guifan’s right knuckles brushed against Jiang Ruotang’s nose tip—before the fingertip of his index finger slid across Jiang Ruotang’s lips.

Jiang Ruotang instinctively wanted to lean into the touch—but the bell rang, and he had to hurry back to his seat.

His heart was pounding wildly.

The first class was English. Jiang Ruotang recognized every word the teacher said, but when they were strung together, he just couldn’t process anything.

Finally, when the teacher walked to the back of the room, Jiang Ruotang seized his chance and casually glanced back at Lu Guifan.

The guy was sitting straight, eyes focused—totally giving the English teacher full respect.

Jiang Ruotang turned back, annoyed. Hmph, next time I will bite you. I don’t believe you’ll stay that calm!

---

That evening, on the way to the art studio, traffic was jammed due to rush hour. Bored, Jiang Ruotang pulled out his sketchbook.

He meant to draw the streetlights or the office workers hurrying home—but as he sketched, he realized what left the deepest impression on him was Lu Guifan’s sleeping back.

His shoulders, his black hair, and that pale neck all stirred a strange possessiveness in Jiang Ruotang’s mind.

By the time the car started moving again, he’d already put that image down on paper.

Unlike real life, in his drawing, Jiang Ruotang had left a deep bite mark on Lu Guifan’s neck. Like a self-consoling child, he grinned proudly.

“Hmph, bet that hurt.”

But then he felt ridiculous and covered his face, quietly mocking himself.

You’ve lived two lives already. How are you still so childish?

---

That night, when Jiang Ruotang got home from the studio and was still changing into his slippers in the entryway, Zhao Changfeng came bounding over, looking thrilled—like a wagging, tongue-lolling husky.

“Hey! You know how badass Cai Cai was today?”

Jiang Ruotang frowned. “Hmm? Cai Cai’s usually all soft and gentle. Did someone tick him off?”

“Nope, no one made him mad…” Zhao Changfeng scratched the back of his head. “It was before evening self-study. Jian Sha and I were playing that bubble game, and normally Lin Lu avoids me. But today, for whatever reason, he suddenly came over, asked what game we were playing, said it looked fun, and asked where to download it. Jian Sha and I didn’t really want to talk to him, but he stuck around, watching us the whole time, saying he wanted to play too.”

Jiang Ruotang instantly recalled his past-life dream. His nerves tensed, and a thin layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

“You gave him the game?”

Zhao Changfeng shook his head immediately. “Of course not! It’s Cai Cai’s game—he has to approve before anyone else plays.”

“So Lin Lu went to Cai Cai to ask for it?”

Knowing Lin Lu, Jiang Ruotang figured this was just another attempt to infiltrate his friend group—and Cai Ji was the easiest one to approach.

Once Lin Lu got in, he’d slowly chip away at Jiang Ruotang’s bonds, then pull the useful ones to his own side.

“Right? I’m telling you, what’s Lin Lu even doing taking the college entrance exam? He should just be a chef—always handing out pie in the sky!”

Jiang Ruotang burst out laughing and walked into the living room in his slippers. He sat down on the couch and waved Zhao Changfeng over. Zhao Changfeng trotted over like a loyal husky.

“What kind of pie? Does it taste good?” Jiang Ruotang nearly reached out to pet Zhao Changfeng.

“Tch, what flavor can air pies even have?” Zhao Changfeng replied with disdain, looking like Lin Lu’s #1 anti-fan. “Lin Lu said his dad owns a gaming company and is looking for promising new games. He said he sees great potential in Cai Ji’s little game and, if Cai Ji is willing, he can convince Lin Chengdong to buy the rights at a high price! He even said that once the game gets released, Cai Ji will become famous!”

Jiang Ruotang lowered his eyes and laughed silently to himself—make Cai Ji famous?

He’d played that game for years in his past life and never even knew Cai Ji was the designer.

That so-called “high price”? Just a 20,000 yuan buyout. What a bargain.

“Cai Cai won’t fall for that.” Jiang Ruotang smiled, confident in the place he held in Cai Ji’s heart.

“Exactly. Cai Cai flat-out said the game is only for his close friends, and that he’d already handed over the development rights to someone trustworthy. There were quite a few classmates around when it happened. No one expected Cai Cai to refuse Lin Lu so directly. Wow, you should’ve seen Lin Lu’s face—it was like he’d gotten dead last in the midterms for the first time in his life!”

“Well, that alone doesn’t count as Cai Cai being ‘hardcore’ against Lin Lu. You’re exaggerating,” Jiang Ruotang chuckled.

But being able to say no was already a huge step forward for Cai Ji. It meant he wouldn’t be so easily taken advantage of anymore. He wouldn’t feel the need to please people just to make friends.

“Hehe, it’s like you don’t even know Lin Lu. He immediately softened his tone and tried sweet-talking Cai Cai: ‘We’re classmates, right? Jian Sha and Zhao Changfeng are playing it too. Why not just share it with everyone? We’ve been classmates for over two years now, don’t we count as your close friends?’ Isn’t that such a manipulative thing to say? It was basically a passive-aggressive jab in front of the whole class—like if Cai Cai didn’t share, it meant he didn’t see anyone as a real friend.”

At that, Jiang Ruotang also started to feel annoyed. But this also showed that Lin Lu was getting anxious.

To Lin Lu, the attention Jiang Ruotang was giving to Cai Ji was baffling. So he was trying to dig out what made Cai Ji so special—trying to get whatever Jiang Ruotang had received from him.

“How did Cai Cai respond?” Jiang Ruotang asked with concern. One wrong move and Cai Ji could end up alienated or isolated by Lin Lu.

“Cai Cai just said it directly.” Zhao Changfeng cleared his throat and mimicked Cai Ji’s tone: “‘Lin Lu, you said your dad works in games, right? Well, my game has already been handed off to someone else for development. We’re technically business competitors now. If I give the game to you and a similar one comes out, the developers would definitely come to you first. So I’m actually protecting you by not letting you play. It’s also to protect our friendship.’”

Hearing that, Jiang Ruotang lowered his eyes and smiled—using Lin Lu’s own “pie” to shut him up. Cai Ji was really growing up.

“Lin Lu tried to brush it off, saying there’s no real competition and that he doesn’t get involved in his dad’s business. It was awkward, though. Good thing the class rep smoothed things over.”

At the mention of the “class rep,” Jiang Ruotang perked up.

“Lu Guifan? What did he say?”

“He said, ‘We’re all classmates—no need to push each other. Once Cai Ji’s game launches, I’m sure he’ll give us friend accounts or in-game credits.’”

Jiang Ruotang imagined the scene and couldn’t help smiling.

Lu Guifan didn’t used to be popular in class. But ever since he stood up for Jiang Ruotang when he was accused of cheating, going straight to the grade office to defend him, classmates had seen him as someone who was fair and principled.

Who doesn’t want a class rep who’ll stand up for them?

So Lu Guifan’s authority in the class had long since surpassed Lin Lu’s sugary talk.

That evening, Jiang Ruotang chatted with Zhao Yunshu about Cai Ji’s game. Zhao Yunshu said she’d help Jiang find a reliable development team and have the project funded through the same company Mr. Zheng managed—so it would stay off Lin Chengdong’s radar.

After they finished talking, Jiang Ruotang grinned and gave Zhao Yunshu a shoulder massage while asking, “Mom, when are you free? Auntie Lu is still waiting for your introduction.”

“Oh gosh, I completely forgot about that. I’ve been so focused on Cai Ji. I’m free this weekend—and so is Lawyer Hong. I’ll introduce them then.”

That weekend, Zhao Yunshu made time to accompany Auntie Lu to Lawyer Hong’s house to apply for a part-time helper job.

To ease her nerves, Zhao Yunshu kept chatting with her the whole way. She even did Auntie Lu’s hair and gave her a light makeover—making her look gentle and neat.

“Wow, Auntie Lu, you’re actually a natural beauty!” Zhao Yunshu exclaimed.

Auntie Lu blushed, remembering how Jiang Ruotang once joked that if she’d lived in ancient times, she’d be the tofu-beauty mom behind a future top scholar.

Once they arrived, Auntie Lu found that Lawyer Hong was a very kind woman—juggling a newborn baby, a sensitive older son, and a busy law firm all on her own. It made Auntie Lu genuinely want to help her.

She whipped up a few of her signature dishes—sweet-and-sour ribs, salted egg yolk prawns, stuffed okra with fish, and a red date black chicken soup.

Lawyer Hong was full of praise, but her son remained expressionless. When asked if the food was good, he muttered, “It’s okay, I guess.”

Auntie Lu thought maybe her cooking was too rustic and didn’t suit a kid’s taste. She assumed she’d failed the trial. But as soon as the boy left the table, Lawyer Hong started discussing payment and asked if she could stay and make dinner in the future.

“I can stay? But I thought your son didn’t like my food?” Auntie Lu asked, confused.

Lawyer Hong chuckled. “That boy’s all bark and no bite. Don’t go by what he says—look at how much he ate. Four ribs!”

Zhao Yunshu laughed, “And he ate three prawns, and nearly half the plate of stuffed okra!”

“Exactly! He’s super picky. This is the most he’s eaten in a month. Auntie Lu, your cooking is practically restaurant-level. I need to lock you down!”

Auntie Lu couldn’t believe it—she’d landed the job!

As for Jiang Ruotang, he was sitting at Lu Guifan’s desk getting one-on-one tutoring.

Holy crap, this physics problem is insane!

Why would anyone release a conducting rod on metal rails like that? Why add kinetic friction? And why ask for velocity?

To make things worse, Lu Guifan was right next to him. Jiang Ruotang didn’t dare zone out—he had to focus painfully hard.

Somehow, despite the struggle, Jiang Ruotang managed to answer all three questions.

“I think… I got it right?” He turned to the “supervisor” next to him.

To his surprise, Lu Guifan was just propping up his chin, watching him struggle in silence—clearly enjoying the sight of Jiang Ruotang squirming under magnetic force calculations.

Jiang Ruotang grumbled inwardly, You smug jerk!

“Yeah, you got it,” Lu Guifan replied, clearly reading his thoughts but choosing not to say them out loud.

Just as Jiang Ruotang was about to flip to the next question, Lu Guifan spoke again.

“Want to play a game?”

“Huh? Did I hear that right? You invited me to play a game?”

“Yeah. The upgraded version of that bubble game.”

“It got an upgrade? Why didn’t Cai Cai say anything?” Jiang Ruotang pulled out his phone excitedly. “Let’s see what’s new!”

Lu Guifan handed him the upgraded version from his phone.

As soon as it was downloaded, Jiang Ruotang was locked in—his bubble flew ahead, Lu Guifan’s chased from behind.

The health and speed packs now appeared more unpredictably. Every time Jiang Ruotang jumped for a health pack, Lu Guifan was right behind him—causing him to miss multiple speed packs and sweat with tension.

Lu Guifan, that stoic menace, was best at giving silent psychological pressure. In a TV drama, he’d totally be the final boss.

Dressed in a sharp black suit, yanking off an annoying tie, expression unreadable, pushing his prey to the brink until it fell in defeat.

Jiang Ruotang was ranting mentally when his bubble’s HP bar nearly hit zero. If he didn’t get a boost soon, he’d crash.

Finally, near the end, a health pack, a speed pack, and a red mystery bubble flew toward him.

Dammit—Lu Guifan bumped him again and he missed the health pack!

Quickly turning around, he dove for the speed bubble—only to have Lu Guifan bite into it first, spilling most of its speed. Jiang Ruotang only got a sliver. Then came the red bubble.

Whatever. He was toast anyway. If the red bubble made him explode, so be it. He’d just reincarnate as a hero again. Bring it on!

To his surprise, eating the red bubble reset them both to the start. But he was still low on HP!

“What kind of upgrade is this?!” Jiang Ruotang nearly threw his phone at Lu Guifan.

Lu Guifan calmly replied, “Didn’t you say that if I ate you right before you cleared the game, I’d end up cursed to die alone?”

“Huh?” Jiang Ruotang was baffled.

“So when you’re about to die or escape, it gives you a choice—heal and keep running, speed up and dash away, or reset and let me chase you again. You choose.”

Jiang Ruotang’s heart skipped—this wasn’t gaming excitement anymore. It was… something deeper.

Of course I want you to chase me again.

“Let’s go! I will escape this time!” Jiang Ruotang jumped into the next match.

Secretly, he hoped: As long as Lu Guifan keeps chasing me, I’ll keep hitting that red bubble so we can start over… forever.

Pfft! He didn’t even make it halfway before Lu Guifan’s bubble swallowed him whole!

“You’re cursed! Eternal bachelorhood!” Jiang Ruotang yelled, fuming.

Even more infuriating—he caught a glimpse of Lu Guifan’s lips curving slightly.

“Are you smiling?” Jiang Ruotang narrowed his eyes.

“I’m not.”

“Liar. Your mouth corner totally lifted.”

Lu Guifan shook his head coolly. “Nope. Can’t handle losing?”

“Exactly. I can’t handle losing.”

With that, Jiang Ruotang dropped the phone and went back to studying.

Later, when Gao came to drive him home, Jiang Ruotang sat in the car texting Cai Ji.

[Cai Cai! That red bubble feature is so frustrating! Shouldn’t it heal you when you reset? With low HP, I die halfway through anyway!]

Cai Ji: [Haha, that upgrade was made by the class rep! I also asked him why not full health, and he said: ‘Destiny only lets you reset once.’]

Jiang Ruotang paused—he thought Cai Ji made that feature. He didn’t expect it to be Lu Guifan.

[When did the class prez learn coding?]

Cai Ji: [He picks things up super fast!]

Jiang Ruotang sighed dramatically. Lu Guifan must’ve found high school material too boring if he had time to learn all this on the side.

Right after Jiang left, Auntie Lu returned home.

She cheerfully shared the news that Lawyer Hong had hired her. Beaming, she declared she could finally earn money again.

Uncle Lu said with emotion, “Ruotang really is our family’s lucky star! Ever since we met him, everything’s been going our way—life’s just getting better and better!”