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In the following days, Yu Baihan rarely encountered Qin Lun in the game. They occasionally crossed paths on their way to missions. Before he could remind Lu Huan about being too ostentatious, Qin Lun, who was on the opposite side, disappeared in front of them with a whoosh! His movement was so swift that it resembled running tangentially.
Yu Baihan: …?
After a few occurrences, he gradually sensed that something was amiss. Qin Lun’s behavior was peculiar, akin to a mouse seeing a cat.
Yu Baihan turned to observe Lu Huan’s cold and handsome profile. Reflecting on Qin Lun’s professional characteristics, a daring hypothesis started to form in his mind: His lonely brother. Could it be that in a fit of anger, he stripped off Lu Huan’s apprentice’s vest… Badump.
Yu Baihan cautiously brought it up to Lu Huan, “Have you noticed Qin Lun’s change in attitude, a complete 180-degree shift?”
At that moment, Lu Huan was focused on submitting a task on the screen. His slender fingertips paused on the mouse for a moment before he emitted a faint “hmm” with drooping eyelashes.
Yu Baihan: Seeing Lu Huan’s reaction, it seemed he had also caught wind of the change.
Moistening his lips, Yu Baihan expressed concern, “Are you okay emotionally?”
With nonchalance, Lu Huan tugged the corner of his lips and replied, “Am I the one in a bad mood?”
After a moment, Yu Baihan suddenly realized: Oh right, it’s Qin Lun.
Little Deer Lu, having exhausted all their tricks, had successfully turned Qin Lun into the most disoriented one through sheer strength.
As expected of the man standing at the summit of the Lu family—ruthless.
While Yu Baihan was contemplating, Lu Huan opened a side drawer, extracted a book, and glanced down at something. Curious, Yu Baihan leaned in, “What are you looking for?”
“A spell to erase memories.”
Lu Huan, “I just expanded the territory, let’s see where it would be more appropriate to send people….”
Yu Baihan was silent: Did Lu Huan mean “distribution”?
Sighing, Yu Baihan remarked, “It’s quite pitiful.”
Without raising his head, Lu Huan responded, “2.5.”
“…” Yu Baihan promptly corrected himself, “Painfully happy.”
A snort emanated from his side: Heh.
…
The last “magic script” left in the corner was finally completed automatically. Additionally, Lu Huan changed his avatar and background, making their relationship even more evident.
At night, Yu Baihan lay on the bed, scrolling through his phone. As he gazed at Lu Huan’s profile picture and Moments background, an idea struck him. He couldn’t resist pulling Lu Huan close, “Do you think I should change mine too?”
Lu Huan turned his head, “Why?”
“To have matching love profile pictures.”
Matching love profile.
Lu Huan fell silent for a moment, “Cloning?”
“…” Yu Baihan turned around, saying, “What about the Moments background? We can both wear deer antlers; let me take a picture.”
Lu Huan blushed instantly, “No.”
“Oh~ shy, aren’t you?” Yu Baihan reached out to play with his thick black hair, “Don’t worry; you look so handsome. Even if only your two nostrils are visible, it will look good~”
Lu Huan softly declined, “That’s unnecessary.”
Yu Baihan shyly conceded, “Well, alright then.”
Under the shy resistance from Lu Huan, the plan to change Deer Lu’s background had to be put on hold for now.
Staring at Lu Huan’s chat box for a while, Yu Baihan, unwilling to be lonely, added a [heart] after the small [fish] symbol.
The melancholic seabed was now replaced by the warm “Love sickness.”
Adding love would complement each other even more~
—
Exactly one week had passed since the last retest.
In the morning, just after Yu Baihan finished his breakfast, he received a call from Xue Qin—the results for the postgraduate entrance examination at C University were out, and he had successfully secured a spot.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Jbcugjaeijalbcr, Djl Ljc.”
“Ktjcx sbe, Wefsejc!” Te Djltjc fzmijlwfv fzmlafvis. Lf aegcfv jgbecv, gertlcu ab atf fcagjcmf, jcv lcafgmfqafv Oe Lejc, ktb kjr jybea ab ifjnf. “Vfclbg Oe, P qjrrfv atf fzjw!”
Oe Lejc qjerfv lc tlr vfqjgaegf, mjralcu j uijcmf ja atf qtbcf ralii bc atf mjii. Vevvfcis, jr lo raecu ys j mfgajlc kbgv, atf alqr bo tlr fjgr aegcfv kjgw, j wlz bo fwyjggjrrwfca jcv tjqqlcfrr. “Tfjt.”
Xue Qin’s voice echoed from the phone, “Is Xiao Lu there too?”
Lu Huan reached for the phone, greeting, “I was bothering Dean Xue earlier.”
“No bother at all. As tutors, we hope to teach more and more outstanding students,” Xue Qin responded. “Oh, by the way, you can choose a tutor. Will Baihan follow me?”
Yu Baihan leaned in eagerly, “That would be perfect!”
Xue Qin’s cheerful smile came through the phone. “See you at the beginning of school,” he said before hanging up.
As the call ended, Yu Baihan took the phone from Lu Huan, and when he looked up, he found Lu Huan gazing down at him with an unusually soft smile.
“You did well in the exam.”
The light golden sunlight streamed in from the door behind Lu Huan, casting a delicate glow over his figure.
Yu Baihan took a subtle breath.
Pausing for a couple of seconds, he sighed softly, “With your performance, I can’t help but admire you.”
It was almost tangible, this aura of the god of learning.
Lu Huan, “…”
He reached out to pinch Yu Baihan’s cheeks, speaking indulgently, “I’ll assume you’re dazzled by joy.”
Yu Baihan, “Oh~” =3=
…
The official admission notice quickly arrived in Yu Baihan’s mailbox. In his excitement, he watched it several times and even shared a screenshot on Moments.
[Yu Er]: The little bird said, early morning~ Why are you carrying a small schoolbag? [Hatching chick] [Picture]
Likes and congratulations flooded in.
[Qiao Yun]: Baihan, you’re amazing! [applaud]
[He Yue]: You actually passed… Ahhh, I’m waiting for you in the club!
[Liu Jinci]: See you in September! ! !
Amid the congratulatory messages, Qi Jue quickly flashed in, opening a small window to let in the spring breeze.
[Qi Jue]: Accepted, let’s make waves! [Flying goose flapping its wings]
[Qi Jue]: Call Brother Shang Lu; let’s go to the bar together. Hey~ My friend owns this bar; I’ll treat you to the supreme treatment. [presidential arrogance]
A bar? A spark of interest ignited within Yu Baihan.
In all his years, he had never been to a bar. Moreover, with Lu Huan by his side, could they still goof around after a few drinks? Exciting!
[Yu Er]: Let me talk to Lu Huan. [Drumming drum]
Waiting for Lu Huan to return home that evening.
Before he could loosen his tie, Yu Baihan jumped onto Lu Huan, asking eagerly, “Qi Jue invited us to go to the bar. What do you think, should we go?”
Lu Huan was momentarily lifted off his feet, feeling a hint of strangulation.
Regaining his composure, he loosened his tie, glancing at Yu Baihan with a rare gentle smile. “For our Baihan, didn’t there only one option?”
Yu Baihan pursed his lips, embarrassment creeping into his lowered eyes. “Hmm~”
“What time?”
“This Friday night, both Wen Lou and Yang Xinyuan are only free that day.”
Lu Huan remained silent for a few seconds. “I have a party on Friday night. I’ll try to finish as early as possible and come find you. You go first.”
Yu Baihan swiftly replied to Qi Jue’s message, “Okay~”
—
Friday night arrived.
Hua Wu dropped Yu Baihan off at the bar where he had agreed to meet Qi Jue.
Upon arrival, Yu Baihan found Qi Jue and the others already enjoying themselves inside, with Sun Yiqing stepping out to greet him.
Entering the bar, he was met with a dim atmosphere illuminated by soft lights, accompanied by loud music and a lively, energetic ambiance. Sun Yiqing, now without his glasses, sported an open-necked floral shirt, saying, “Follow me.”
Yu Baihan took a moment to breathe, “Hello…”
His words were cut short by the other’s sly smile.
Sun Yiqing turned to lead the way with a serious expression, “Let’s go.”
As he entered the booth, Yu Baihan noticed that the hardware wholesalers were all casually dressed, with Yang Xinyuan having a strand of blond hair tied up, exuding a wild look.
Looking down at his own shirt and casual pants, Yu Baihan received several greetings from the opposite side:
“Baihan is here!”
“Come on, sit here.”
Qi Jue, observing Yu Baihan sizing up their attires, commented thoughtfully, “Oh, you’re dressed quite well. Seems like you don’t frequent bars.”
Yu Baihan adjusted the buttons on his shirt, “Should I unbutton two then?”
“Don’t—!” Qi Jue almost leaped up, glancing at the onlookers attracted by his exclamation. He then lowered his voice, “You’re fine just like this, very nice.”
Yu Baihan:?
Yang Xinyuan coughed, “Yeah, not too rugged. If Brother Lu knew you were here, we’d encourage you to unbutton all the buttons. If he comes, we’ll have to!”
Qi Jue added, “Absolutely, not only will we get killed, but you’ll also…”
All eyes focused on Yu Baihan.
Wen Lou broke the silence, “Dry firewood and fire.”
Yu Baihan: …
Eager to play along, he reached for the buttons, full of anticipation, “Is that really a thing?” [Attracted.jpg]
Hardware wholesalers: …
Facing their resistance, Yu Baihan eventually abandoned the idea of showing off, sitting in the booth and ordering a glass of wine.
Their section boasted a VIP deck.
Surveying the entire bar, it was evident that this spot offered the best vantage point and was simultaneously the cleanest area—a truly supreme treatment.
Before Lu Huan arrived, they engaged in conversation.
Wen Lou inquired of Qi Jue, “Whose bar is it this time? Why do you seem to have friends everywhere? You really are the king of the sea.”
Qi Jue scoffed, “This is called brotherhood across the four seas. What ‘Sea King’? I don’t keep fish.”
Yang Xinyuan defended him, “Exactly, he doesn’t even have a partner, let alone fish to keep.”
“……”
Beside him, Yu Baihan took a sip of wine, then turned to inquire of Sun Yiqing, “What’s the secret behind maintaining your friendship?”
It’s astounding how they’ve managed to stay friends for such a long time.
Sun Yiqing raised his glass gracefully, “Because others can’t tolerate us anymore.”
They can only be digested internally.
A sudden realization dawned on Yu Baihan as he clinked glasses with Sun Yiqing: Ah, so that’s the reason.
After a while, feeling the need to use the restroom, Yu Baihan exchanged greetings with a few people and left.
His phone remained on the table.
After a brief walk, the phone on the table vibrated, catching the attention of Qi Jue and the others. The moment they saw the “caller ID,” their conversation abruptly ceased.
The caller ID displayed: [fish]
And there was a heart emoji.
Those who were discussing “Neptune raising fish” opened their mouths, sensing something: …?
Yu Baihan returned from the bathroom shortly.
As he approached the booth, five curious gazes fixed on him with a collective “swipe–.” Coming to a halt, he instinctively glanced down at the zipper of his pants.
Whew… Pulled up. That scared him for a moment.
Yu Baihan looked up, still feeling a lingering fear, and asked, “What’s going on?”
Qi Jue moved his lips and eventually pointed at the phone, “Your phone is ringing.”
“Really?” Yu Baihan sat back, picked up his phone to check, and saw that Lu Huan was calling. A small smile curled up on his lips, and he replied with a WeChat message.
[Yu Er]: Just returned from the bathroom.
[Fish]: Well, I just wanted to tell you that my side is wrapping up, and I’m heading your way.
[Yu Er]: How soon can you get here?
[Fish]: It’s not far, probably about twenty minutes.
[Yu Er]: Hurry up, hurry up~ [Trying to lure]
[Fish]: …Can’t stop, can it?
Yu Baihan chuckled suddenly!
He was so engrossed in chatting with Lu Huan that he failed to notice the surprised and uncertain looks from the few golden flowers beside him, who caught a glimpse of his sweet smile.
After sending the message, he turned off his phone, noticed his empty wine glass, and asked Qi Jue, “May I have another glass of wine?”
Qi Jue nodded eagerly, “Of course, of course.”
Yu Baihan then ordered another cocktail, sipping it while nestled in the booth, awaiting Deer Lu’s arrival.
Ten minutes later.
Anticipating Lu Huan’s imminent arrival, he decided to make a call when a message from Lu Huan arrived.
[Fish]: I’m here.
Yu Baihan immediately stood up and informed Qi Jue and the others, “Lu Huan has arrived; I’ll go out to pick him up.”
Qi Jue and the others responded with, “Oh, oh, oh…”
After conveying his plan, Yu Baihan turned and left.
As his figure vanished into the bustling crowd, Qi Jue, who had been fidgety from the start, and the others exchanged glances, discussing hesitantly in hushed tones:
“That ‘fish’ probably doesn’t mean what we think.”
“But there’s a love heart emoji behind it…”
“Maybe it’s Brother Lu.”
“Why does Brother Lu go by ‘fish’?”
As soon as the question emerged, they all fell into silence simultaneously.
…It feels even more peculiar!
Sitting in quiet contemplation, several people were facing each other when a tall silhouette suddenly stood in front of the booth, and a deep voice remarked, “Are you all gathering in a bar to meditate?”
Qi Jue and the others looked up, finding that Lu Huan had already arrived.
Lu Huan glanced around but didn’t spot Yu Baihan. “Where’s he?”
“Baihan just went out to pick you up,” Yang Xinyuan said. “It should be because there are too many people, and you two got separated.”
“Got it.” Lu Huan turned his head, ready to look for Yu Baihan when he was suddenly halted by the four golden flowers.
“Wait—”
Qi Jue met Lu Huan’s intense gaze, took a breath, and tentatively asked, “Brother Lu, are you the ‘fish’?”
Lu Huan frowned, “What?”
“…” Chuckles! Oh, okay.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Yu Baihan didn’t find Lu Huan when he went out. Instead, he happened to witness Fan Lin driving Lu Huan’s car away. Guessing that Lu Huan must have entered the bar, he turned back.
As he weaved through the crowd and returned to the booth, he spotted a familiar figure standing there.
Yu Baihan’s eyes lit up, “Lu Huan!”
Just as the words left his mouth, both Lu Huan and the golden flowers in front turned to look at him simultaneously:?
Yu Baihan came to a sudden halt: …?
What’s going on? Caught in the act. OvO
