Chapter 05

In the evening, it started to rain outside.

The last class had already ended.

Gradually, boys began to return to their dormitory. The soundproofing in the boys' dorm was poor, so the entire building echoed with the raucous noise of their boisterous chatter, resembling a pack of unleashed huskies.

"Are there any girls in our class sitting in the last row?" Lu Shuxing asked, looking confused. "I'm telling you, buddy, you might be out of luck. Most of the girls in our class seem to like the boss."

"When the class was divided, those girls acted like they'd seen a ghost." Lu Shuxing glanced at the doorway, where Huo Rui leaned against their dorm door, staring down at his phone. It seemed he hadn't heard anything, so he continued, "Anyway, don't be fooled by the boss's constant scowl; he's good-looking, and there were even girls who sent him love letters. Like that one day..."

Qi Rong, who had snuck in at some point, chimed in, "That class president."

Lu Shuxing's eyes lit up in realization. "Right! Our class president, the one in the third row, third seat, with the high ponytail and pale skin."

Shen Yu hadn't really paid attention to others, and upon hearing Lu Shuxing's description, he had no memory of her, yet he unconsciously shifted his gaze toward the door.

From his seat, he could only see Huo Rui's profile. The boy leaned against the wall, phone in hand, and the light from the corridor, switched on by someone, cast a shadow over him.

Lu Shuxing kept talking, "After the class division test..."

"The boss got first place," Qi Rong added proudly.

Lu Shuxing kicked him. "Let me finish! Afterward, the class president... what was her name again? Bai something... anyway, she came to ask the boss about the questions, and it was clear she was interested in him! But the boss didn't show any pity, just pushed her away and walked off."

"Yeah, but the boss is so strong that he accidentally pushed the poor girl into the side table. She started crying right away, looking all pitiful..."

As Lu Shuxing spoke, he illustrated with gestures, fully showcasing what it meant to be a "strong guy."

Qi Rong smacked Lu Shuxing on the head to stop him. "In the end, she became one of Nian Gou's girlfriends."

"Yeah, Nian Gou! He sits behind the class president. We're all good buddies who share the same pants as the boss, known as the Four Flowers of Wenli," Lu Shuxing said.

"Who's part of your Four Flowers?" Qi Rong teased as he pulled Lu Shuxing backward by the neck.

"Are you done?" Huo Rui, who had been at the opposite door fiddling with his phone, suddenly stood at Shen Yu's door with an impatient expression. His brow furrowed slightly, radiating annoyance. "Do you think I'm invisible?"

He cast a disapproving glance at Lu Shuxing, clearly unhappy with the "Four Flowers" nickname.

"Nothing! Boss! We're just bonding with our new desk mate!" Lu Shuxing and Qi Rong chimed in unison.

Huo Rui turned to glance at Shen Yu, who was still sitting by the bed, his expression cold. He quickly looked away and returned to his phone, his mood even chillier than before. "I have something to do tonight, not going to the internet café."

"Don't! I'm done for!" Lu Shuxing immediately squatted on the floor, wailing, "Boss, you know Nian Gao's skills, and he's bringing some girlfriend along—sending off two at once like the Goddess of Mercy..."

Noticing Huo Rui's expression, Lu Shuxing quickly fell silent and turned to Shen Yu. "Desk mate, are you going out for five-man games tonight?"

Among boys, bonding usually happened through a few common activities, and gaming was a great way to do that.

Shen Yu used to play games more fiercely than anyone else, even if his skills weren't that great—he had a big appetite for the game despite being a novice. Now that he had returned to this life, aside from getting close to Huo Rui, he wanted to change himself for the better, and studying hard was part of that plan.

Of course, he wanted to do it alongside Huo Rui.

In his previous life, Huo Rui also dropped out of high school. According to those in the know, he was forced to quit school by his father, who wanted him to take over the family business, despite Huo Rui not having any interest in studying and only obtaining a diploma.

So Shen Yu found it hard to believe the claims that Huo Rui ranked first in his grade.

He gently shook his head. "I've quit gaming."

After saying this, he glanced at Lu Shuxing and Qi Rong, who looked dramatically mournful, and a smile began to play at the corners of his mouth. "Besides, I might be as inexperienced as that Nian Gao you mentioned."

"No, no, no! Desk mate, you're not..."

"Lu Shuxing." Huo Rui stuffed his phone into his pocket. "Next week is the first monthly exam for the second year of high school."

"What? Why are you telling me this?!" Lu Shuxing's expression grew even more agonized, and Qi Rong looked just as distressed.

For students who struggled academically, exams were the scariest thing of all, especially monthly tests like this one that not only happened once a month but also sent results to parents' phones. Huo Rui performed well, and his parents didn't monitor him too closely, but that wasn't the case for them.

Huo Rui glanced at Lu Shuxing with a hint of indifference. "No particular reason; I just suddenly remembered."

"I'm heading home."

With that, he straightened his expression and turned to leave.

Shen Yu fished around in his pockets for a moment before finally finding the phone he hadn't managed to pull out all day. He lowered his eyes to scroll through his messages, and the smile faded from his lips. He then touched the box of candy he had eaten one piece from earlier.

"Desk mate!"

He stood at the dormitory entrance while Lu Shuxing and Qi Rong inside buried their heads in their arms, lamenting.

The corridor lights were dimly yellow, casting a dull hue over his face, yet he still looked a bit fairer than the average boy. His tone was as gentle as when he had called out "Huo Rui" in the bathroom earlier—despite it being only their second meeting, it felt like he was addressing someone he had known for a long time, infused with a warmth and an unnameable meaning.

Huo Rui's footsteps faltered slightly.

Shen Yu stepped closer and handed the box of candy to him. "This is my apology for stopping you earlier."

Huo Rui, with one hand in his pocket, sounded a bit dismissive. "No need."

He glanced at the candy in Shen Yu's palm, the only brand available in the school convenience store, the kind often passed around during class.

He had never eaten it.

Shen Yu stared at him intently, a smile gradually brightening his eyes, which he then lowered to hide. Seeing Huo Rui's refusal, he didn't press the issue and put the candy back in his pocket, then offered his phone to Huo Rui, the screen displaying his WeChat QR code.

"Can we add each other as friends? I'll bring you breakfast tomorrow morning, and you can let me know what you want later."

Huo Rui was starting to look impatient. Once Shen Yu finished speaking, he suddenly leaned in closer, wrapping his right hand around Shen Yu's neck with just enough force to make him stumble forward a couple of steps.

In a low, threatening voice, he said, "Next time, it won't just be this little bit."

It was entirely unexpected.

The distance between them suddenly shrank to just a few centimeters, and Shen Yu felt a pressure on the back of his neck, his eyes widening and his breath becoming slightly heated.

This distance... was quite dangerous.

Huo Rui frowned, seemingly oblivious to the awkwardness of the situation. After speaking, he released his grip and brushed past Shen Yu, their shoulders lightly touching.

Shen Yu couldn't help but laugh—was this how Huo Rui threatened others?

He touched his slightly warm ears, feeling a mix of confusion and amusement.

In their youth, Huo Rui was so straightforward and open; it was puzzling why the Huo Rui from his past life had developed feelings for him and held him in such high regard.

But in this life... Shen Yu had returned with the love that Huo Rui had for him in his previous life. He was selfish enough not to want to distance himself but instead sought Huo Rui out early, eager to immerse himself in his life.

Lu Shuxing peeked in through the doorway. "Boss, you're so heartless!"

"It's fine! Desk mate! Rong Rong and I want breakfast! The boss just has that nasty temper! Let's add you as a friend! We can team up for some LOL later!"

[The phrase LOL refers to the game League of Legends.]

"Yeah! I want those pancake rolls from the school convenience store!" Qi Rong chimed in immediately.

Shen Yu nodded.

After adding Lu Shuxing and Qi Rong as friends, the two of them even revealed Huo Rui's WeChat information.

Huo Rui's profile picture was of a little boy standing in the snow, his features somewhat resembling Huo Rui's own. The photo looked a bit old, likely taken when Huo Rui was a child. Compared to now, he had been much cuter back then, with a bit of baby fat on his cheeks.

Shen Yu's fingers glided over the profile picture.

Huo Rui had yet to approve the friend request.

Once Lu Shuxing and Qi Rong left, Shen Yu settled down to arrange his bedding.

He hadn't intended to sleep with the blanket anyway, which was why he had carelessly tossed it on the floor when he heard the noise. The school blankets were too thin or too thick, all in a uniform deep blue with the words "Wenli No. 1 High School" printed on them.

Shen Yu was a bit of a visual person, and he couldn't stand sleeping with such an ugly blanket.

Earlier that afternoon, he had asked Zhang Jianqing for permission to skip evening study hall so he could go home and pack.

The management at Wenli No. 1 High School was stricter than at Wencheng; there was no option for day students. Even if they lived nearby, they were required to stay in the dorms. Zhang Jianqing had given Shen Yu some time to prepare.

The rain outside had begun to lighten, and the sky had completely darkened. After the bell signaling evening study hall rang, Shen Yu took his phone and left the dormitory.

His phone vibrated again.

[Have you moved into your dad's old apartment?]

[Shen Yu, can you be a little more sensible?]

[You'd dare live in a place where someone died?]

[Shen Yu, have some self-respect!]

Shen Yu glanced at the messages and swiftly swiped them away.

His mother, who had been completely out of touch, went through the trouble of transferring him to another school but hadn't contacted him since. Now, she was bombarding him with messages, berating him.

The old apartment was left to him by his father and was located in a neighborhood near Wenli No. 1 High School.

If she had bothered to pay him any attention or showed a little concern, she would know he wasn't living in that old place but had rented a new apartment instead.

It was all because he had moved his belongings out of the apartment she had rented for him.

Shen Yu let out a mocking chuckle. The rain had picked up again outside, and without an umbrella, he hurried back to grab his school jacket before dashing down the six flights of stairs.

There were hardly any people outside. The teaching building was brightly lit, while rain and wind swept through, drenching the leaves and causing water droplets to fall. Shen Yu felt the rain splatter across his face.

This had to be the worst night since his rebirth.

The school jacket was no match for the sudden downpour and gusts of wind. The bus stop near the school gate was still a considerable distance away, and the dormitory was quite far from the entrance, with the path a bit chaotic. Shen Yu wasn't familiar with the area and ended up taking a roundabout route.

Fortunately, the rain began to lighten, and the streetlights flickered on.

As he passed a wall somewhere, he heard voices faintly drifting through the trees nearby.

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