When Lu Guifan returned from the small supermarket, Jiang Ruotang was already sleeping soundly in his bedroom. He quietly twisted open the bedroom door and saw the raised blanket on his bed and the patch of black hair peeking out. A very peculiar feeling came over him, as if he now possessed Jiang Ruotang.

He lightened his steps, sat by the bed, and leaned his head down, propping himself on the edge of the bed with one hand, listening to Jiang Ruotang’s even breathing. Lu Guifan had initially thought that Jiang Ruotang wouldn’t be used to his too-hard bed, would find his blanket not soft enough, or the bed not big enough.

But all these “thoughts” were driven out of Lu Guifan’s mind by Jiang Ruotang’s serene expression. Jiang Ruotang seemed naturally able to adapt to all the imperfect aspects of Lu Guifan’s life.

After a while, Jiang Ruotang turned over, pursed his lips, his eyelids fluttered, and slowly opened. “Hmm? Class monitor, you’re back!”

“Mm,” Lu Guifan softly responded. He wanted to rub Jiang Ruotang’s hair, to pinch his nose, to touch his eyelashes. However, as he thought about how to do these things naturally, Jiang Ruotang had already sat up, leaning against the headboard, and sighed, “I don’t want to come out from under your blanket…” Nothing could make Lu Guifan’s heart soften more than this. “Then stay under the blanket.”

Jiang Ruotang thought Lu Guifan was being sarcastic and could only slowly sit up, put on his cashmere sweater, and realized his socks were off at the foot of the bed. Not wanting to crawl over to get them, he stretched out his leg, trying to pick up the socks with his toes.

Suddenly, he realized Lu Guifan was watching nearby. He remembered how he once used his foot to pick up a fallen book and was seen by Sister Juan, who picked it up for him while saying Jiang Ruotang was a lazy bug, never sitting when he could lie down. Would Lu Guifan think he was lazy? Just as Jiang Ruotang was about to crawl to the foot of the bed, Lu Guifan stood up, walked over, and when his palm cupped Jiang Ruotang’s heel, it was like an electric shock.

Jiang Ruotang’s heart tingled, and he flinched back, but Lu Guifan’s fingers tightened slightly, holding him in place. Lu Guifan’s other hand took his socks and put them on him. Jiang Ruotang’s face flushed quickly.

Lu Guifan glanced at him, “I thought you were waiting for me to serve you. Why are you blushing when I put on your socks?”

Jiang Ruotang lifted his chin, displaying a look that said, “My shamelessness is unparalleled in the world,” then lifted his other foot and wiggled his toes. Lu Guifan chuckled, lightly tapping the top of his foot, but still put the other sock on him. “You lazy bum!”

—

Perhaps due to his nap, Jiang Ruotang was in high spirits and very focused. Lu Guifan was good at reviewing knowledge points while they worked through problems, targeting specific areas and cultivating Jiang Ruotang’s way of thinking, which helped Jiang Ruotang remember things very clearly. Although they only worked through five problems that afternoon, Jiang Ruotang understood them thoroughly, feeling his mind fully engaged.

Because Lu Dad had to run documents and attend social gatherings with Mr. Zheng, and Lu Mom had to prepare dinner at Lawyer Hong’s place, Jiang Ruotang and Lu Guifan had to make their own food. But there were already prepared dishes in the refrigerator that Lu Mom had made. Lu Guifan heated them in a pot and brought them to the folding dining table. He saw Jiang Ruotang eating steamed buns, shredded pork with pickled mustard, fermented rice with dried tofu, and even happily munching on edamame beans. He suddenly felt that Jiang Ruotang was too easy to feed. He should be more precious, more delicate, because Lu Guifan inexplicably wanted to give him more and better things.

Later that evening, when they were working on comprehensive answer questions, Lu Guifan tried several different approaches but couldn’t change Jiang Ruotang’s bewildered expression. Lu Guifan sighed slightly. *He’s easy to feed, alright, but he sure drains brainpower.* “Class monitor, is there still hope for me?” Jiang Ruotang asked, looking up.

“There’s hope. I’ll think of something else.”

“Mm, the questions are dead, but you are alive.”

Lu Guifan looked at the other, wondering if this guy was just flattering him or genuinely praising him. But Jiang Ruotang could look at him so confidently. Lu Guifan sighed and ruffled his hair. At least… he finally got to touch his head.

—

Compared to the peace and quiet between Jiang Ruotang and Lu Guifan, Bai Yingchuan was currently suffering from a severe headache. He had never imagined that Qilin Video’s investigation was due to complaints and reports from his fan group. Even the studio staff in the group couldn’t guide or calm the situation, because several fans remained indignant, even accusing the studio of being useless, fawning over the platform, and letting their idol be bullied by Qilin Video. All sorts of inflammatory words stirred up the fans’ emotions. After a thorough investigation by the studio, they discovered that the most active one among them was actually Lin Lu’s alt account. Upon hearing this news, Bai Yingchuan pressed his forehead, gritting his teeth: “Why him again?”

His agent, Sister Yu, also looked helpless: “Even if we contact him now to stop inciting fans, it’s already too late.”

“What happened?”

Sister Yu replied, “A manager at Qilin Video in charge of purchasing TV dramas revealed to me that the company’s senior management is extremely furious, believing this to be a threat from Bai Yingchuan—if cooperation fails, then retaliation.” They had already stated that they would no longer purchase any film or television dramas starring Bai Yingchuan.

Bai Yingchuan couldn’t articulate whether he felt helpless or angry. “Lin Lu… or rather, the Lin father and son, do they have a grudge against me?”

At this point, Bai Yue had to exert herself for her son. She returned home at 1 AM that night, having drunk heavily. Sister Yu helped Bai Yue to the restroom, where she vomited violently. In reality, Bai Yue had a good alcohol tolerance, and it was impossible not to feel uncomfortable after drinking so much. But she deliberately held onto the toilet and vomited, just to make her son understand how much she had sacrificed for him, to make him respect and depend on her. At crucial moments, only his own mother could help Bai Yingchuan.

However, Bai Yingchuan saw through Bai Yue’s intentions and made no move to enter the restroom to check on her. After all, if he had gone in, Bai Yue would have performed even more vigorously. After emptying her stomach, Bai Yue was helped by Sister Yu to rest on the living room sofa. She saw Bai Yingchuan sitting on the side of the sofa, supporting his chin, quietly watching her. He neither poured her a glass of water nor asked how her conversation with Qilin Video went. Instead, he looked at her with an indifferent, even cold gaze. Bai Yue put one hand over her eyes and said coldly, “You’re truly filial.”

“This is your own choice. Nothing I say will change your decision. And the more filial I am, the more you’ll think you’re doing the right thing.”

Bai Yue suddenly straightened her back and said coldly, “Didn’t I attend that dinner party for *you*! And now you’re saying this to me? Do you even have…”

Bai Yingchuan interrupted her first, “No, you went to the dinner party for Lin Chentong. You were worried that after Qilin Video blacklisted me, I would lose value to Lin Chentong. So, even now, you still choose to stand by Lin Chentong? You invested in phones with him, and his recklessness led to battery explosions. You also invested in his gaming company, but he faced copyright infringement lawsuits, and that gaming company also collapsed. And there’s the Cheng Tan project, but as far as I know, under Geng Zhaotan’s influence, Lin Chentong has already been blacklisted by the provincial government. Have you ever succeeded even once?”

Bai Yue exhaled, frowning, “That was just an accident.”

“The six-episode high-quality suspense drama directed by Jiang Huaiyuan originally invited you to play the role of the goddess detective. You read the script; the female lead’s character was mature, intelligent, and humorous, with a tight plot and twists and turns—it was tailor-made for you. You rejected Jiang Huaiyuan for the movie script Lin Chentong gave you. 

He painted a grand picture of winning awards, but now it’s a box office joke. And Jiang Huaiyuan’s drama was bought by the main TV station, with your competitor Wang Chenlu as the female lead. I don’t believe you don’t regret it.”

Bai Yue emphasized again, “Jiang Huaiyuan has no business acumen or cunning. When Elder Qin, who has always covered for Jiang Huaiyuan, leaves, Lin Chentong will definitely replace him. Yingchuan, listen to your mother, your mother won’t harm you—no matter how good Jiang Huaiyuan’s movies are, it’s useless. The entertainment industry isn’t a place where you can dominate just by being a good director or actor.”

Bai Yingchuan looked at Bai Yue with pity, “Then do you know that Lin Chentong is currently being constrained by Zhao Yunshu at Huanyu Pictures and can’t do anything?”

Bai Yue turned her face, exhaling a long breath, “Although Zhao Yunshu is capable, she doesn’t play dirty. Believe your mother, she can’t outwit Lin Chentong.”

“But Ms. Bai Yue, do you really think Lin Chentong ever considered our mother and son’s interests?” When Bai Yingchuan addressed her as “Ms. Bai Yue,” it meant that what his son was about to say required his mother’s serious consideration.

“You… what do you mean?”

“It was Lin Lu stirring up trouble in the fan group that made us offend Qilin Video.”

“I know that. The child just cares about you, that’s why he protected you. He didn’t do it on purpose.”

“He did it on purpose. Don’t you understand yet? Lin Chentong has close ties with Yunfeng Video. Yunfeng Video and Qilin Video are competing rivals. This was very likely something Yunfeng Video instructed him to do.”

In that instant, Bai Yue sobered up a little. If Bai Yingchuan hadn’t said anything, Bai Yue would have thought it impossible. But once Bai Yingchuan brought it up, the more Bai Yue thought about it, the more something felt wrong, even terrifying. Could Lin Chentong really sacrifice her son’s reputation in the industry to bring down a competitor’s partner?

Bai Yingchuan returned to his room. He sat at his desk, and when he looked up, he saw the painting Jiang Ruotang had given him. At that moment, he had a strong desire to see Jiang Ruotang, to hear him speak. Perhaps he had some broader perspective that could calm his emotions. But at this hour, Jiang Ruotang must have already gone to sleep. Bai Yingchuan just sat there, until dawn.

—

Arriving at school, Bai Yingchuan first saw not Jiang Ruotang, but Lin Lu. Lin Lu, with a triumphant smile, looked at Bai Yingchuan: “Yingchuan, have you heard? Several high-ranking executives at Qilin Video are going to be ‘drinking tea’! The fan group is ecstatic! Everyone says that after so many years of supporting you, they finally did something big for you! From now on, these capital groups won’t dare to look down on you!”

Bai Yingchuan skipped even a polite smile, instead saying in a detached tone, “Oh, wasn’t it you who made a splash in my fan group? Finally rallying so many people to complete the KPI your father gave you?”

“Huh?” Lin Lu was a little confused. This matter was indeed something his father had told him to do his best with, and he had even put a lot of trolls in the fan group, saying that doing so was to protect Bai Yingchuan’s interests. But why wasn’t Bai Yingchuan happy at all?

Just then, Jiang Ruotang walked in wearing headphones, listening to an English listening comprehension. The moment he sat down, Bai Yingchuan’s gaze locked onto him, but Jiang Ruotang was completely oblivious, merely coiling up his headphone cable and then leaning towards Jian Sha beside him to ask about English grammar.

The bell for morning self-study rang. When Jiang Ruotang muted his phone, he glimpsed a message from Bai Yingchuan: [Free for lunch? Let’s eat together.] 

The English teacher leading morning self-study had already entered, so Jiang Ruotang didn’t reply and put his phone into his drawer. Bai Yingchuan noticed, and he exhaled, feeling a sense of unresolved suspense, like he couldn’t get an answer. Even when the English teacher called Bai Yingchuan up to read the cloze passage, he was somewhat distracted.

It wasn’t until the first English class ended that Jiang Ruotang replied to Bai Yingchuan: [Where to eat?] 

Bai Yingchuan’s fingers touched the screen. This was a place he had thought of last night. It wasn’t too far from school, the environment was nice, and it had private small rooms to avoid being disturbed. He sent the address to Jiang Ruotang, who replied “OK” and put his phone back in the drawer.

Propping his chin, Jiang Ruotang began to ponder. He knew Bai Yingchuan was struggling under pressure. He needed to let Bai Yingchuan know that the world was infinitely wonderful beyond Lin Chentong. 

Once he tasted freedom and a sense of accomplishment, if Lin Chentong tried to restrict him again, Bai Yingchuan would probably bare his fangs.

At noon, Bai Yingchuan ditched Lin Lu and met Jiang Ruotang at the school gate. He put on his mask and hat, hailed a taxi, and headed to their destination. During the ride, Bai Yingchuan’s phone kept ringing; it was Lin Lu calling, probably asking what he was eating for lunch and why he couldn’t be found. Bai Yingchuan replied with two words: “Busy.” 

When Lin Lu saw these two words, he immediately sensed the other’s cold attitude. *What did he do wrong again?*

Jiang Ruotang, meanwhile, sent a message to Lu Guifan: 

[Class monitor, Bai Yingchuan asked me out for lunch to discuss something. But I ordered braised pork ribs set meal. Please help me finish it, I beg you.] 

Lu Guifan glanced at the message, then stood up and headed to the takeout pickup point outside the school gate. 

As he walked, Lu Guifan thought that even though Jiang Ruotang himself didn’t mind being desk mates with Lin Lu, nor did he mind Bai Yingchuan’s approach and gaze, he had to admit he felt uncomfortable, like a fishbone stuck in his throat while eating boiled fish. 

The college entrance exam was only a few months away, and Lu Guifan was considering how to completely remove Jiang Ruotang from the influence of Lin Lu and Bai Yingchuan, to give him an undisturbed environment.

The place Bai Yingchuan chose specialized in steamed dim sum, operating from 10 AM to 3 PM. He chose a small private room and let Jiang Ruotang order first. 

Jiang Ruotang chose crispy char siu buns, steamed chicken feet, steamed beef tripe, and steamed pork ribs, then returned the menu to Bai Yingchuan. Bai Yingchuan selected a few more items and handed it to the waiter.

Before all the steamed dim sum was served, Bai Yingchuan didn’t take off his hat and mask, but he said to Jiang Ruotang, “Ruotang, you go ahead and eat.” 

Although it wasn’t the first time, Jiang Ruotang still felt a little unaccustomed to hearing the other person address him so intimately. “It’s okay, it’s a bit hot anyway. Let’s wait until all the dishes are here.”

Because waiters kept coming in and out, Bai Yingchuan couldn’t say much. This was his first time alone with Jiang Ruotang in the same space, without Lin Lu in between. 

Occasionally, when Jiang Ruotang’s elbow touched Bai Yingchuan, he would pull it back and softly say, “Sorry.” 

But Bai Yingchuan knew that if it were Cai Ji or Zhao Changfeng, they would probably start roughhousing. 

And that “sorry” was the boundary of familiarity. When all the dim sum was served, Bai Yingchuan locked the room door and finally took off his mask and hat.