The following morning, Wen Jiaxuan was roused by the sound of footsteps. He blinked groggily, only to find Wu Zehao descending the stairs in sportswear, seemingly preparing for a morning run.
With heavy eyelids, Wen Jiaxuan managed a fleeting glance before settling back onto the couch, cocooning himself in the quilt. Wait, who had covered him up?
Never mind, back to sleep.
Before long, the sound of a shower replaced his slumber. He reluctantly pried open one eye to glimpse Wu Zehao heading towards the bathroom, evidently taking a shower.
After a while, the aroma of food and the rhythmic clatter of a spatula met his half-conscious state, indicating that Wu Zehao was busy frying eggs in the kitchen. While the prospect of breakfast was enticing, his body was firmly against cooperating, and he dozed off again.
Wen Jiaxuan’s slumber was once more shattered by Wu Zehao’s voice: “How long are you planning to sleep?”
Uttering a discontented groan, Wen Jiaxuan mumbled, “What time is it?”
Wu Zehao responded, “It’s eight o’clock.”
“Too early,” Wen Jiaxuan grumbled, rolling over to face away from Wu Zehao, as if he wished to avoid conversation altogether.
With no classes in the upcoming senior semester and no internship plans, Wen Jiaxuan had developed a habit of waking up well past nine every day. Thus, he had grown averse to any disruption of his circadian rhythm caused by Wu Zehao’s early morning antics. Thankfully, Wu Zehao seemed to respect his sleep and, seeing that his efforts were in vain, returned to his workbench to resume his tasks.
By the time Wen Jiaxuan finally rose from slumber, it was nearing ten o’clock. He sat up, propping his chin against the back of the couch to stir himself awake. His gaze fell upon Wu Zehao’s work area.
Beside the workbench, a floor-to-ceiling window allowed the morning sunlight to stream in, casting a picturesque scene akin to a posed photograph.
“Awake now?” Wu Zehao glanced up and inquired.
“Yeah,” Wen Jiaxuan replied, straightening up and rubbing his disheveled hair, feeling a tad disoriented and unsure of what to do next.
“I bought you mouthwash and towels. Go wash up,” Wu Zehao advised, shifting his attention back to his work.
Wen Jiaxuan dutifully headed to the bathroom, and his internal perplexity only intensified. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Wu Zehao was genuinely a good person. Yet, his mind fixated on a seemingly trivial matter—why had Wu Zehao bought him a children’s towel?!
Wen Jiaxuan reluctantly patted his face dry with the Mickey Mouse handkerchief before returning to the living room. There, Wu Zehao had already changed into regular clothes and was waiting by the French window.
“Grab your stuff and let’s go buy a cellphone,” Wu Zehao instructed, tossing a round object into Wen Jiaxuan’s hand. Wen Jiaxuan looked down to find a helmet.
It hadn’t been apparent in the dimness of the previous night, but now he noticed a sleek black motorcycle parked in Wu Zehao’s yard.
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.
Wu Zehao had already positioned his own bike outside the yard, seemingly ready to depart at a moment’s notice.
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Observing Wen Jiaxuan’s dilemma, Wu Zehao’s understanding gaze directed him to a peg located near his calf, as if telling him where to step.
Comprehending the signal, Wen Jiaxuan nodded, gripping Wu Zehao’s shoulder for support as he stepped onto the peg. However, he hesitated when it came to raising his other leg.
Recognizing Wen Jiaxuan’s struggle, Wu Zehao’s patience waned, his eyebrows furrowing in mild frustration. He gestured toward the peg with his gaze, mutely urging Wen Jiaxuan to make a move.
Complying, Wen Jiaxuan cautiously balanced on one foot, lifting the other to rest it on the peg. But he was unable to hoist himself onto the seat. He found himself stuck, unsure how to proceed.
Wu Zehao’s frustration mounted, and he remarked, “What’s taking you so long?”
Wen Jiaxuan felt an internal pang of distress, voicing his concerns, “What if I fall off while getting on?”
“I’ll hold you. You won’t fall,” Wu Zehao assured.
Before Wen Jiaxuan could fully process the promise, a large hand was placed on his hip. In the blink of an eye, a formidable force lifted him onto the seat. He found himself seated, unsure of how it had happened.
“Put on the helmet. Let’s go,” Wu Zehao ordered.
Wen Jiaxuan hastened to don the helmet. However, before he could secure it properly, the sudden acceleration thrust him backwards, leaving him to cling onto Wu Zehao’s body unconsciously. Inadvertently, his grip tightened around Wu Zehao’s neck.
Wu Zehao swiftly brought the motorcycle to a halt. The unexpected jolt caused Wen Jiaxuan to collide with Wu Zehao once more.
“Don’t strangle me,” Wu Zehao admonished, extricating Wen Jiaxuan’s grip from his neck. Instead, he guided Wen Jiaxuan’s hand to rest against his chest. “Hold onto here.”
“Uh…”
Though uncomfortable with the close contact, Wen Jiaxuan complied reluctantly. For his own safety, he nestled his hand against Wu Zehao’s chest.
The hefty motorcycle ultimately parked at the entrance of a bustling shopping mall. As the mall opened at ten in the morning, the atmosphere was still relatively tranquil.
Wu Zehao secured his vehicle in the mall’s parking lot and made a beeline for a specialty store. However, Wen Jiaxuan tugged at his sleeve, diverting him towards a nearby Huawei store. He argued, “Let’s check out Huawei instead. Their phones are great nowadays. Supporting domestic products is also important.”
Baffled, Wu Zehao asked, “All my electronics are Apple products. Switching phones would be inconvenient.”
Knowing well the capabilities of Apple’s ecosystem that enabled seamless integration between devices, Wen Jiaxuan agreed. If the ecosystem were maintained well, the phone could link with computers, and even iPads could extend computer screens. Should any part of this chain break, the overall experience would be compromised.
However, Wen Jiaxuan continued to resist, suggesting, “Huawei is building its own ecosystem. Have you thought about trying it?”
“But then I’d have to buy a Huawei computer,” Wu Zehao noted, apparently seeing through Wen Jiaxuan’s inner turmoil. He arched an eyebrow, inquiring, “Are you going to pay for it?”
Wen Jiaxuan fell silent, realizing his financial constraints. He obediently followed Wu Zehao into the store.
Wu Zehao’s intent was clear as he directly approached a certain model’s display cabinet. Yet, Wen Jiaxuan promptly intervened, steering him toward the standard model display. He argued, “You don’t need the pro version. The periscope camera is unsightly. Look at the specs for this one. It’s hardly any different.”
“…Kid, I travel often,” Wu Zehao explained, exasperated. “There are moments when I can’t grab my camera in time and need to use my phone. Despite the camera’s appearance, it’s quite functional.”
While Wen Jiaxuan couldn’t counter this practical argument, he found himself compelled to comment when he saw Wu Zehao eyeing Max version. He hurriedly halted Wu Zehao, expressing concern, “You don’t need Max. The regular screen size suffices.”
Wu Zehao responded with a blank look, saying, “I have big hands.”
While the reasoning was unassailable, Wen Jiaxuan’s resistance persisted: “But…”
Wu Zehao completely lost his patience, he frowned and said, “You don’t need to compensate me, but can you just shut up?”
Wen Jiaxuan was momentarily stunned, then his heart was filled with immense joy: “Really?”
Wu Zehao’s answer was icy. “Yes.”
Gleefully latching onto Wu Zehao’s arm, Wen Jiaxuan led him back to the display cabinet. Pointing to the specs listed there, he asserted, “Then you must get the 512GB model. The storage is insufficient otherwise.”
Wu Zehao simply stared at him.
After completing the transaction at the counter, Wu Zehao activated the phone right then and there. Wen Jiaxuan’s anxiety grew.
While he felt that Wu Zehao probably wasn’t a con artist, he remained somewhat ambivalent. He wished to keep Wu Zehao unproven, even as a sliver of hope clung to him.
However, the truth often defies expectations. Wu Zehao calmly opened WeChat, then handed the phone to Wen Jiaxuan, urging him to verify, “Check it for yourself. Am I the scammer?”
Wu Zehao’s WeChat profile picture was Prague’s Old Town Square, unlike the scammer’s, which featured Tokyo Tower. Yet, it wasn’t a conclusive proof. Wen Jiaxuan scrutinized Wu Zehao’s WeChat profile once more, noting the ID. The scammer’s WeChat ID had consisted of numbers only, while Wu Zehao’s was an abbreviation followed by numbers.
Wen Jiaxuan lowered his head, lips pressed into a tense line. Wu Zehao lightly snapped his fingers near his ear, prompting him, “Did you check it enough?”
“Yes,” Wen Jiaxuan replied, handing the phone back to Wu Zehao. His heart fluctuated between relief and disappointment.
He was relieved that Wu Zehao was not the con artist.
He was disappointed because Wu Zehao was not the con artist.
And now, Wen Jiaxuan felt lost, uncertain of his next step.
The imposter who posed as Wu Zehao had cheated him out of his manuscript fee. In his misguided venture, Wen Jiaxuan had not only inconvenienced Wu Zehao but had also failed to consider what he’d do if the fee didn’t come through. Currently, he had a mere three to four hundred yuan on him, insufficient for even his return fare to P City.
Was he truly bound to follow Qian Wuyou’s advice and concede to his family’s wishes?
Wen Jiaxuan’s gaze faltered, his confusion manifesting across his features.
“Hey, are you okay?” Wu Zehao inquired, his voice dipped in concern.
Gripping the straps of his backpack, Wen Jiaxuan stared at the ground, unable to muster a response.
“I’ll post a statement on Weibo to warn others about the scam. Get your ID from the police station and head home,” Wu Zehao suggested, his tone bearing an air of helplessness.
“I don’t want to go home…” Wen Jiaxuan muttered softly, drawing a deep breath. He looked up at Wu Zehao and confessed, “I still want to find the imposter.”
“How are you going to find them?” Wu Zehao’s brows furrowed. “Do you know their whereabouts?”
Wen Jiaxuan shook his head, lacking confidence.
“Listen to me and go home,” Wu Zehao implored, his helplessness evident. “If you don’t, you might fall into another trap, you foolish kid.”
Gazing at Wu Zehao, Wen Jiaxuan retorted with an irritated tone, “You’re the foolish one.”
Wu Zehao’s response was firm, bordering on resignation. “Just follow my word and go to the police station.”
Wen Jiaxuan remained silent, realizing that the police station was his only recourse. But as he contemplated this, a notion surfaced—maybe he could continue relying on Wu Zehao for a little while longer.
He hastened to catch up with Wu Zehao, gripping his sleeve and asking, “Ae you not going to make me pay for the camera?”
Oh, what’s little Wen Jiaxuan’s idea?
Ohoho our little MC is a resilient one! And he’s gonna cling to the ML real good 🤭