In a metropolis like City H, all the pedestrians in the subway station are in a hurry, walking with busy steps. Only Wen Jiaxuan was wandering around the station with a backpack on his shoulders, which was out of tune with the surrounding atmosphere.
Looking at the time, almost half an hour had passed since Wu Zehao left, and Wen Jiaxuan didn’t know what he was waiting for.
Wu Zehao obviously wouldn’t come back to look for him.
He knew that people like Wu Zehao, who hated having their plans disrupted, usually had a strong sense of self. Such people were highly independent, going their own way, and hating being dragged down by others.
Wen Jiaxuan thought about it carefully, isn’t he just a little freeloader? Come to think of it, staying at Wu Zehao’s house for two nights was already quite a lot.
It seemed like it was time to go back.
Wen Jiaxuan sighed, took out his cell phone, and dialed a familiar number.
“Brother, I don’t have any money to get home…”
Wen Jiaxuan’s older brother, Wen Yiran, is 30 years old, married, and works at a bank.
Wen Yiran inherited Wenhua’s calm personality, and he was quite strict with Wen Jiaxuan. But unlike their stern father, Wen Yiran loved his younger brother from the bottom of his heart. So even when Wen Jiaxuan did something wrong, at most, he would teach him a few lessons, never getting truly angry.
But this time, it seemed a bit different. The phone had been on for three minutes, and Wen Yiran was still giving Wen Jiaxuan a lecture.
Wen Jiaxuan hung his head, absentmindedly scuffing his toes on the ground, wondering how much longer his brother would scold him.
Being willful meant being scolded three times.
Being foolish meant being scolded four times.
Wen Yiran was still going at it, and Wen Jiaxuan knew his attempt to ask for money didn’t go well. But weakly, he thought that this outing wasn’t entirely fruitless. He had been to a bar, a police station, and even the tax office. In a way, it had enriched his life experience, hadn’t it?
Of course, if Wu Zehao were willing to take him in, he’d likely get to experience even more…
“…Just come back home right away!”
“Got it.” Wen Jiaxuan muttered sullenly, “Brother, I really messed up.”
Each time Wen Jiaxuan showed a bit of vulnerability, Wen Yiran would lose his temper completely. Letting out a sigh, he said, “When you’re back, apologize to Dad. He should be able to arrange something for you in his unit.”
Wen Jiaxuan pouted. He didn’t really want to work at his father’s place, but he wisely kept quiet.
Wen Yiran transferred five hundred yuan to Wen Jiaxuan, just enough for a train ticket. Wen Jiaxuan knew his brother was worried he might mess up again.
Taking the subway for over an hour, Wen Jiaxuan reached the bustling train station. This time, he remembered the lesson and kept his backpack in front of him as he got off the subway, afraid of thieves targeting him again.
Technically, there was an automated ticket vending machine at the subway station. However, Wen Jiaxuan couldn’t use his ID card to pay, so he followed the signs to the manual ticket counter on the surface.
There weren’t too many people waiting in line at the ticket hall. Wen Jiaxuan found a line with only two or three people, took out his ID card from his backpack, and joined the queue. But right at that moment, his ID card slipped out.
Baffled, he examined what had fallen: an ID card.
Wen Jiaxuan’s temporary ID certificate was just a folded A4-sized paper. After he received his ID, he had folded it twice and tucked it into his backpack.
When he went to the tax office earlier, he handed this paper to the staff. Around the same time, Wu Zehao handed over his ID card.
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.
——Yes, the ID card on the ground was Wu Zehao’s.
Qfc Aljzejc qlmxfv eq atf mjgv jcv atbeuta yjmx. Qtfc atf mifgx kjr gfulrafglcu atflg PGr, Qe Iftjb kjr boo mbqslcu tlr gfji frajaf mfgalolmjaf cfza vbbg. Coafg atf mifgx olclrtfv klat atf gfulragjalbc, atfs gfaegcfv atf PG ab Qfc Aljzejc.
Qfc Aljzejc tjv yffc vlragjmafv atf fcalgf alwf, qbcvfglcu bnfg tbk mbwqifz rbmlfas kjr. Kter, tf tjvc’a cbalmfv atfgf kfgf batfg atlcur obivfv lc atf C4 qjqfg tf tfiv.
What should he do now?
The ticket window was right in front, and there were people waiting behind him. So, Wen Jiaxuan stepped aside.
ID cards were renewed every ten years. Wu Zehao was 28 this year, and he had just renewed his ID. The picture on it was as handsome as he was in person.
Suddenly, Wen Jiaxuan felt irritated. Why hadn’t he asked Wu Zehao for his contact info? Then he could call him now and ask what to do.
But wait.
Wen Jiaxuan noticed the string of numbers on the ID card. If he recalled correctly, Wu Zehao’s WeChat ID was his initials plus his birthday.
During their previous interaction, Wu Zehao had indeed told Wen Jiaxuan his ID number. However, at the time, Wen Jiaxuan hadn’t paid special attention to Wu Zehao’s birthday. After all, they weren’t close. Remembering someone’s birthday like that would have been strange.
Yet now, unexpectedly, that ID number came in handy.
Wen Jiaxuan studied Wu Zehao’s birthday: November 17th. What a coincidence—it was almost the same day as the national exam.
He opened WeChat and entered Wu Zehao’s ID into the search bar: wzh1117.
In the next second, the profile picture of Prague’s Old Town Square appeared on the screen. It was Wu Zehao!
Wen Jiaxuan was so elated that he almost cheered aloud. He quickly clicked the “Add to Contacts” button and typed “It’s Wen Jiaxuan” in the greeting.
Then, he hesitated. Because he suddenly realized this ID card might have other uses, like…
If he took the initiative to return Wu Zehao’s ID card, would Wu Zehao show kindness and let him stay?
With this thought in mind, Wen Jiaxuan quickly exited the “Add Friends” page, fearing a misstep, and sent the message.
Contacting Wu Zehao now might lead to two outcomes:
“Wait for me at the station, I’ll pick it up.”
“Returning it to me is fine, I’ll cover the postage.”
No, no, wouldn’t that be nonsensical?
He had almost given up, yet Wu Zehao’s ID card reappeared in his hand. It felt like a smoldering pile of firewood suddenly met a strong gust of wind, making it hard not to flare up again.
But Wen Jiaxuan pondered: What about Wu Zehao’s attitude toward him? Would he despise him if Wen Jiaxuan sought him out again?
… He didn’t think about it. After all, he didn’t visit without reason; he was returning the ID card with good intentions.
Even if Wu Zehao still intended to shoo him away, considering that Wen Jiaxuan had gone out of his way to return the ID card, perhaps Wu Zehao would let him stay another night?
Checking the time, it was only noon. Wen Jiaxuan left the train station and headed to a nearby restaurant. While eating, he sent his brother a WeChat message.
[++: Bro, I might head back tomorrow]
[++: *GIF of a wagging Akita dog tail*]
Wen Jiaxuan’s WeChat name consisted of two plus signs.
[Wen Yiran: What’s going on this time?]
[++: I’ve got another place to visit]
[++: *GIF of pleading hands*]
[Wen Yiran: Be cautious and make sure to return home tomorrow]
If Wu Zehao didn’t take him in, he would naturally head back tomorrow.
Of course, Wen Jiaxuan refrained from explicitly saying that, sending only an ambiguous emoji.
After lunch, he didn’t immediately go to Wu Zehao.
Worried that Wu Zehao might promptly kick him out upon retrieving his ID card, Wen Jiaxuan intentionally wandered around the city until 6 pm. Then, he leisurely made his way to Wu Zehao’s house.
At this point, there were no bullet trains from City H to City P. Even if Wu Zehao wanted him gone, he couldn’t leave that night.
Comrade Wen Jiaxuan couldn’t help but praise his cleverness.
However, an unexpected situation arose—Wu Zehao wasn’t home.
Recalling their parting conversation, Wen Jiaxuan remembered that Wu Zehao had mentioned having work to finish that afternoon. Apparently, he hadn’t managed to complete it yet.
Wary of disturbing Wu Zehao’s work, Wen Jiaxuan refrained from adding his WeChat account. Thus, he found himself squatting in front of the yard, idly watching passersby.
Past seven o’clock…
Past eight o’clock…
Wu Zehao was still absent.
Gradually, Wen Jiaxuan transitioned from squatting to sitting on the ground. By the time stars dotted the night sky, he was asleep, slouched against the fence.
An indefinite amount of time later, the sound of a motorbike engine reached his ears, rousing Wen Jiaxuan from his drowsiness. Blinking groggily, he noticed a bright light in the distance—it was Wu Zehao returning.
Wen Jiaxuan rubbed his eyes, slowly rising from the ground. Wu Zehao’s motorcycle pulled up in front of him.
Taking off his helmet, Wu Zehao asked with a hint of exasperation, “Why are you here again?”
Handing over Wu Zehao’s ID card, Wen Jiaxuan explained, “I had your ID card with me.”
Wu Zehao glanced at the item in Wen Jiaxuan’s hand, then, after a moment, reached out to take it. Neither spoke, and Wen Jiaxuan refrained from precipitous words.
An atmosphere of silence enveloped them. Finally, Wu Zehao broke it: “Are you planning on staying at my place again tonight?”
Wen Jiaxuan bit his lip, cautiously asking, “Is that alright?”
“And what about tomorrow?” Wu Zehao countered.
“What?”
“What reason do you have for tomorrow?”
Wen Jiaxuan pondered momentarily and then admitted, “I haven’t figured that out yet…”
Wu Zehao let out a light chuckle, an air of helplessness mixed with self-mockery. Gazing at the vacant road, he muttered, “You’re really reliant on me.”
Wen Jiaxuan didn’t reply, unsure if Wu Zehao was irritated by his statement.
“Why me?” Wu Zehao exhaled softly, turned to face Wen Jiaxuan, and inquired, “Are you short of a boyfriend, so you’ve developed feelings for me?”
“Huh?” Wen Jiaxuan was momentarily taken aback, then widened his eyes and responded, “What nonsense are you talking about? Boyfriend?”
“Isn’t that the case?” Wu Zehao raised an eyebrow.
“Absolutely not.” Wen Jiaxuan earnestly shook his head and promptly clarified, “I just believe you can teach me a lot, so I want to learn from you.”
“Teach you?” Wu Zehao chuckled once more, “Teach you what, complicated positions?”
“What?” Wen Jiaxuan was bewildered again, struggling to grasp Wu Zehao’s meaning.
Wu Zehao remained silent, his playful expression fading as he observed Wen Jiaxuan’s reaction.
Wen Jiaxuan hadn’t lied. His intentions were genuinely as simple as he had stated.
Seemingly reassured by this realization, Wu Zehao sighed with an air of inexplicable emotion, “Alright.”
“What’s with you?” Wen Jiaxuan asked unconsciously.
“Aren’t you interested in staying?” Wu Zehao said, “I’m saying yes.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Jiaxuan stood momentarily stunned, watching Wu Zehao step out of the motorcycle, open the door, and park it within the yard.
“Why are you still standing there? Why not come in?”
Quickly matching Wu Zehao’s stride, Wen Jiaxuan hurried forward, his eagerness evident, “You mean I can stay tonight?”
“You can stay as long as you want,” Wu Zehao replied nonchalantly.
A surge of happiness engulfed Wen Jiaxuan. Yet, just as he was about to revel in it, Wu Zehao added casually, “Send me a copy of your resume later.”
Wen Jiaxuan’s steps froze in their tracks.
Wu Zehao continued, “I’ll be interviewing you tomorrow.”
Interviewing?
Still have to go through an interview?
Is he some kind of devil?
It seems the chapter order is a little messed up.
Thanks for the update though!
Ai Wen Jiaxuan 😭🤣