HRMCF Chapter 19

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🍋‍🟩 Completed Chapter

For three consecutive days, Zhao Linsu remained "pure and innocent," almost making Shen Yan wonder if his superpower had失效 (shīxiào - become ineffective), but his brother's consistent behavior told him it hadn't.

Could it be失效 (shīxiào) on Zhao Linsu?

That didn't seem to have any basis either.

So… had he finally been liberated?!

"Shen Yan," Zhu Ningbo said with a long face, "is there something happy going on with you? I want to hear it too."

Shen Yan held back a laugh, not wanting to appear too gleeful in front of his brother who had just "lost love." "The weather's been nice lately."

Autumn in their city was the most wonderful season of the year—neither cold nor hot, no wind or rain, the sun was warm, and the breeze was just right.

"The weather is nice…"

Zhu Ningbo frowned, still looking utterly dejected.

"By the way, where's Zhao Linsu?"

"Him? He said he had something to do and told us to go to class first."

The two arrived at the classroom first. Zhu Ningbo stared blankly at the bald professor on the podium, and Shen Yan guessed he was still thinking about Liang Ke Qing.

After that day, the three of them hadn't mentioned it again, a tacit understanding between them.

Friends had this kind of unspoken agreement; some things happened and shouldn't be brought up.

Shen Yan hummed a song in a good mood as he opened his book. He glanced at his phone and saw that there were only three minutes left before class.

【sy: What are you doing? Class is about to start.】

【Son: 1.】

Shen Yan put down his phone with relief and flipped through his book. He hadn't turned many pages when Zhao Linsu's figure appeared at the door.

Shen Yan quickly waved.

Recently, Zhu Ningbo had been terribly listless, living like a mobile potted plant, only photosynthesizing and basically doing nothing else.

Zhao Linsu came over.

"Move in one."

Zhu Ningbo had just stood up to let him pass when Zhao Linsu's words stunned him. "Huh?"

Zhao Linsu, holding his bag, stood at the outermost seat of the row and repeated, "Move in one."

Zhu Ningbo dazedly turned to look at Shen Yan.

Shen Yan was also taken aback for a moment. He reacted faster than Zhu Ningbo and immediately gathered his things, shifting one seat inward.

Zhu Ningbo had no choice but to pack up as well and sit in Shen Yan's original seat.

Zhao Linsu sat down in the outer seat.

Zhu Ningbo felt a little uncomfortable, looking to the right and then to the left.

The people were still the same two, but why did the atmosphere feel a little different?

Usually, Shen Yan sat in the middle.

Although they were the "iron triangle," Zhu Ningbo was actually only superficially acquainted with Zhao Linsu. His understanding of Zhao Linsu was mostly limited to "Shen Yan's iron-clad buddy of ten years." If it weren't for Shen Yan, Zhu Ningbo would never have become close with Zhao Linsu, because Zhao Linsu seemed very aloof and unapproachable.

"That, we've already sat down…" Zhu Ningbo said cautiously to Shen Yan, "Should we switch back?"

"Why switch back and forth after we've sat down? Class is starting soon, just sit like this," Shen Yan said casually.

Zhu Ningbo mumbled an "oh" and stole another glance at Zhao Linsu.

Zhao Linsu rested his cheek on his hand, his profile revealing no emotion.

Zhu Ningbo shivered, his heart filled with endless sorrow. He really didn't have the energy to think about what was going on with these two and sank back into the pain of his heartbreak.

Actually, Shen Yan was still a little concerned.

Having been Zhao Linsu's deskmate for so many years, suddenly not being his deskmate felt a bit strange, but not too much.

Anyway, objectively, sitting with anyone wouldn't affect his listening in class. So be it. They weren't elementary school students who had to stick together.

Class ended, and Zhao Linsu, who was sitting on the outside, stood up. "Got something to do, leaving first."

"Ah? What…" Zhu Ningbo, still not fully recovered, mumbled in a sleepwalking manner. Shen Yan, while packing his bag, said, "Not going to the cafeteria?"

"Hmm, got things to eat outside."

"Okay."

Zhao Linsu left.

Zhu Ningbo was still sleepwalking.

Shen Yan finished packing his bag and nudged Zhu Ningbo. "Let's go, let's go to the cafeteria for food."

Zhu Ningbo came back to his senses and shook his head, looking dejected. "I have no appetite."

"People are iron, food is steel. You have to eat even if you have no appetite."

"Forget it, I really can't eat."

Zhu Ningbo listlessly picked up his bag. "Sorry, Shen Yan, I want to go back to the dorm to rest."

Zhu Ningbo also left.

Shen Yan stood there alone inexplicably for a while. The iron triangle instantly had only him left. He scratched his head. Okay, then he'd go to the cafeteria alone for a meal.

Shen Yan rarely ate alone in the cafeteria. He looked around, found an empty seat in a corner where no one was sitting, and went over. He had only taken a few bites when his meal buddies descended from the sky, and two of them at that.

"Shen Yan!"

Shen Yan looked up at the sound of the voice. Xu Junhao and his girlfriend were coming over with their meals. Shen Yan quickly swallowed the food in his mouth.

"Alone?" Xu Junhao greeted with a smile first. "Where's Zhao Linsu?"

"Had something to do and left first."

"Rare."

Xu Junhao put his meal down opposite Shen Yan. "No one's sitting here, right?"

"No, sit."

"Aren't you two always inseparable? Oh, and there's the big guy, the iron triangle brotherhood. How come you're alone today?"

Shen Yan smiled. "They both had things to do."

"Let me formally introduce you," Xu Junhao pointed to the girlfriend beside him. "Xu Yuanyuan."

"Hello."

Shen Yan had exchanged a few messages with this girl on WeChat, but he didn't actually know her name. To be polite, he also reintroduced himself. "Shen Yan."

"I know," Xu Yuanyuan smiled. Her eyes were round, just like her name (Yuan means round), and she looked very cute when she smiled. "Handsome Shen."

Shen Yan smiled awkwardly.

Xu Junhao also laughed loudly. "Don't tease him. Shen Yan is very low-key."

"Looking this handsome, it's hard to be low-key, right?"

"Why are you praising another guy's looks in front of your boyfriend?"

"I'm just telling the truth."

The two of them sang in harmony, creating a very couple-like atmosphere. Shen Yan could only smile awkwardly on the side, feeling like a third wheel.

Xu Yuanyuan said she still had some student union matters to attend to. She finished eating quickly and left. Before leaving, she patted Xu Junhao's shoulder. "The rest is up to you."

"Mission guaranteed." Xu Junhao saluted.

"I'm leaving, handsome Shen," Xu Yuanyuan waved at Shen Yan.

Shen Yan also raised his hand and waved slightly.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief after the girl left.

Being a third wheel was really uncomfortable.

"I'm almost done eating too…"

"Don't go, don't go—"

Xu Junhao directly reached out and stopped him. "Sit, sit, got something to tell you."

"What is it?"

Xu Junhao smirked twice. "You heard it just now, right?"

Shen Yan: "?"

"My girlfriend said she absolutely wanted me to complete the mission. You heard it, right?"

Shen Yan nodded. "Heard it, so what?"

"My mission is to take you to the matchmaking event organized by the student union."

Shen Yan: "…"

"Excuse me."

Shen Yan picked up his plate to leave, but Xu Junhao quickly stood up to stop him. "Don't, brother, please help me out."

"I'm not going," Shen Yan said, laughing and crying at the same time. "I told you before, I'm not interested in dating right now."

The basketball team was a disaster area for matchmaking events. Shen Yan had been invited many times. At first, he didn't go because he had someone he liked, so he didn't want to. Later, when Tang Yi and her boyfriend went abroad, Shen Yan felt that college romance wasn't that interesting anyway. Did he have the confidence to go as far into the future with another girl as Tang Yi and her boyfriend had? He didn't seem ready for that yet.

Since that was the case, he shouldn't waste other girls' time.

"It's okay, just come over and stand guard, be a figurehead. Most of the team has found partners. You know the rest who haven't, they're all, right, you know, without a handsome guy like you to hold the fort, our team loses face."

"Just think of it as meeting new friends. Look, even the closest brothers will abandon you. Tell me yourself, just now, seeing my girlfriend and me being so lovey-dovey, weren't you a little envious?" Xu Junhao raised his chin, a smug look on his face. "Huh?"

Shen Yan was stunned when he heard "even the closest brothers will abandon you." The words of refusal didn't come out in time.

Xu Junhao seized the opportunity and pressed his advantage.

"Anyway, you're free, right?"

"Oh, handsome Shen, my girlfriend has been praising you for the entire meal. At least give her some face."

Shen Yan smiled and glanced at him. "So it was all a setup."

Xu Junhao chuckled. "Nonsense, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In my girlfriend's eyes, I'm definitely the most handsome!"

Seeing that Shen Yan hadn't directly refused, he patted Shen Yan's shoulder and forcefully made the decision. "It's settled then. Tonight, seven o'clock, that KTV outside the school. I'll have my girlfriend send you the specific room number later—"

Having said this much, Shen Yan couldn't be too firm in his refusal.

Putting down his plate, Shen Yan walked out of the cafeteria while sending a WeChat message.

【sy: Are you done?】

【Son: Not yet.】

Shen Yan thought to himself, could it be that he was really abandoned by his brother, just like Xu Junhao said?

Actually, he had also felt that something was off with Zhao Linsu these past two days. He had been much quieter. Shen Yan thought it was because Zhao Linsu was embarrassed about Zhu Ningbo's situation, so he didn't say anything.

Finding a shady spot under a tree, Shen Yan made a phone call.

"Do you have anything else to do this afternoon?" Shen Yan asked directly.

"Maybe."

Shen Yan reached out and caught a falling leaf. "Then I won't take your car back tonight."

There was a second of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Okay."

Shen Yan hung up.

He felt that Xu Junhao was purely talking nonsense. Not having lunch together was called "abandonment"? Bullshit.

Zhao Linsu had been behaving quite well recently, his head clean every day, which made him very gratified.

So, he should have really been overthinking things before.

Zhao Linsu was just temporarily curious.

It was probably really influenced by Liang Ke Qing, briefly generating an impulse to seek excitement.

Zhu Ningbo's miserable crying should have made Zhao Linsu realize that it wasn't actually that interesting.

That's right, that's how it was.

Shen Yan turned the falling leaf in his palm, affirming his analysis in his heart.

Luckily, it was all over now, and his life had finally returned to normal. As for that damn superpower, let it be!

Two WeChat messages came in.

【Yuánzi on the way: Handsome, tonight at 7 PM, Most Loved KTV, large room A3~】

【Yuánzi on the way: You must come, there are so many people who want to meet you (pity.jpg)】

Shen Yan threw away the leaf, still unable to directly refuse the girl's request, and left it unread.

After his elective class in the afternoon, Shen Yan went to the library to immerse himself in books. He ate something in the evening and then received a series of urgent calls from Xu Junhao.

"Alright, alright, I know, I'll go, I'm on my way, okay? Stop sending signals," Shen Yan said helplessly.

"That's the spirit!"

Then Shen Yan heard Xu Junhao shout, "The handsome guy is coming!"

The cheering was deafening even through the phone.

Shen Yan said, "Xu Junhao, don't make it too exaggerated, or I really won't come."

"Oh, don't worry, don't worry, I've already told them all in advance. Our handsome Shen is still fresh, tender, natural, and pollution-free. I told them all to take it easy."

"The more you talk, the more outrageous it gets," Shen Yan said. "I'm hanging up."

"Okay, okay, you must come, come on—"

Shen Yan hung up the phone, feeling as if Xu Junhao's echoing calls still lingered in his phone.

Oh well, he'd go. Anyway, he wasn't taking a ride tonight.

It wasn't until Shen Yan entered the private room that Xu Junhao truly felt relieved. He took the lead in standing up and applauding. "The handsome guy has arrived!"

"If you do this, I'm leaving," Shen Yan said, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Don't, don't—"

Many people were already sitting in the private room, chatting lively. Fortunately, the room was relatively dark, and Shen Yan didn't have time to feel too awkward before Xu Junhao pulled him down to sit. "Fruit platter, snacks, drinks, everything's prepared, Elder Tang, please enjoy."

"Elder Tang?" Shen Yan's lips twitched.

Xu Junhao winked. "You've always been so self-disciplined, isn't that just like Elder Tang?"

Shen Yan: "Then is this the Spider Cave?"

"Don't talk nonsense, these are all fairies, no demons," Xu Junhao said loudly to the crowd, causing a burst of laughter.

Shen Yan forked a piece of watermelon. "I think you look quite like a demon."

The crowd burst into even louder laughter.

The matchmaking event, like the previous basketball game, was an unofficial gathering. There were more people than Shen Yan had imagined. The private room quickly became lively, with people singing, chatting, and playing games, making Shen Yan's ears hurt.

Xu Junhao kept his word, letting him be a figurehead without pulling him to meet people. Shen Yan found a corner, ate fruit, and planned to stay for half an hour to give enough face before finding an excuse to leave.

"Why aren't you joining them?"

A voice suddenly came from beside him. At first, Shen Yan didn't realize it was addressed to him. The other person repeated it and added his name, so he turned his head.

It was still an acquaintance, the 1.9-meter tall center.

"I don't know how to play," Shen Yan said simply.

"It's very simple, just throw the dice."

"Not interested in gambling."

"Haha," the person seemed to find Shen Yan's words very amusing, laughing so hard he leaned back and forth. "No money involved, just drinking. Can't you drink?"

Shen Yan didn't fall for the goading and smiled. "Yeah, I can't."

The person's smile gradually became reserved, and he pursed his lips. "You're really interesting. I wanted to get to know you after the last game, but you left first. I heard you injured your foot, are you okay?"

"It's been fine for a long time," Shen Yan said with a laugh.

"Come on, Shen Yan, hiding here!" Xu Junhao suddenly came over. "We're short of people, come join us!"

Shen Yan was pulled over by him.

"One careless moment, how did you get entangled with him?"

Shen Yan had just sat down when Xu Junhao hooked his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "He's that thing, stay away from him."

Shen Yan thought for a moment, recalling that the big center seemed to have the same-sex name on his head during the basketball game that day, and then he instantly understood.

In the past, he would definitely ask what "that thing" meant.

Now he actually understood instantly.

Damn… he wasn't pure anymore!

"The handsome guy is here but doesn't play with us, too aloof," someone joked.

Shen Yan looked up and smiled apologetically.

"Isn't he here now?" Xu Junhao nudged him with his knee. "Play a couple of rounds together."

Shen Yan said, "I don't know how."

"It's more fun if you don't know how," Xu Junhao called out. "Attention everyone, there's a newbie here. Let's all go together and bully him properly."

Shen Yan was about to decline when a glass was stuffed into his hand. "Clean one." Xu Junhao leaned on his shoulder. "Play a symbolic two rounds, and your buddy will retreat with you immediately."

"Adding more people?"

The big center also came over.

He was the tallest person in the room, and standing there, he exuded a strong sense of pressure. Shen Yan usually considered himself a tough guy, but compared to this person, he still felt a bit weak.

"Too many people, can't play properly," Xu Junhao excused.

"Is that so?" the big center smiled slightly.

"It's okay, I've played several rounds already, you come," someone immediately stood up to offer the strong man their seat.

Shen Yan slowly turned his head to look at Xu Junhao, his friendly gaze a silent threat to the grinning "good teammate."

Xu Junhao hadn't expected someone like this from the physical education department to come and set his sights on Shen Yan. He was trying to find an excuse to slip away with Shen Yan when his eyes landed on the doorway. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he slapped Shen Yan's shoulder hard. "Shen Yan, look who's here!"

Shen Yan turned his face.

The private room door was pushed open halfway. The person pushing it squeezed half of their body into the gaudy interior, while the other half remained in the dim outside. The sleeves of their black shirt were rolled up to the elbows, revealing a similarly all-black sports watch on their wrist.

It was Zhao Linsu.

Shen Yan was taken aback for a moment, wondering why this person had come. Then, he subconsciously waved.

Zhao Linsu nodded slightly at him.

Shen Yan breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't know why, but for a moment, he had thought Zhao Linsu would pretend not to see him.

It was all Xu Junhao's fault for talking nonsense and sowing discord!

Zhao Linsu walked into the private room but didn't walk over to Shen Yan as he had expected. Instead, he went inside and sat down in a corner.

Shen Yan: "…" What did that mean?

"Can I switch seats?"

Shen Yan turned his head. The big center was chatting intimately and friendly with the person next to him. The strong man's communication skills were immediately effective, and the person immediately stood up to offer their seat.

"We weren't finished chatting just now," the big center sat down and smiled at Shen Yan. "Let me introduce myself, my name is Han He, double Chi He (赫)."

"Oh," Shen Yan's attitude wasn't enthusiastic but not dismissive either. He said politely, "You already know my name anyway."

"Haha, yeah, I noticed you last year. You play basketball really well."

"Just average, not as good as you professionals."

"I'm not a basketball major, I study winter sports, specializing in snowboarding."

"Then you play basketball really well."

"I can play a little bit of most sports. What about you? Do you like playing basketball the most?"

"Pretty much…"

Shen Yan chatted with him casually, secretly paying attention to Zhao Linsu's movements but not making eye contact.

He was a little annoyed.

What did Zhao Linsu mean? Didn't he say he had something to do? Was "something to do" coming to a matchmaking event? Then why didn't he ask him to come together? Making it all mysterious, and even after coming, he didn't sit with him.

Had things just returned to normal for a few days only to become abnormal again?

He hadn't provoked him, had he?

Xu Junhao had some sense of the situation. He returned to Shen Yan's side, leaned over, and whispered, "Did you guys have a fight?"

"If I said no, would you believe me?" Shen Yan said speechlessly.

Xu Junhao smiled, not taking it too seriously. Brothers might have some disagreements, but they'd make up in a matter of minutes.

"Do you know how to play the game?" Han He beside him asked again. "I can teach you."

"No need," Shen Yan said. "I'll understand after watching a couple of rounds."

He wasn't stupid. Did he need someone to teach him how to play a game?

Not even two rounds, Shen Yan understood after one round. The game was purely based on luck, so it was very fair, but the punishment for losing was very strange.

Losing meant drinking a cup, which was normal.

But having to find someone to drink an "arm-in-arm" (交杯 - jiāobēi) drink to share the cup, otherwise the punishment doubled, was very strange.

Shen Yan was dragged into playing a round and lost. The loser awkwardly went to ask a girl for help, but returned defeated. After wailing with his friend beside him, they ended up drinking an "arm-in-arm" drink like two guys, causing a burst of laughter and cheering from everyone, almost lifting the roof off the private room.

Shen Yan initially laughed along, but as he laughed, he started to feel awkward.

He was now a bit sensitive to the "man-on-man" behavior, feeling more concerned about it than before, and couldn't help but have some bad suspicions and associations.

Sometimes, what you fear comes true. Shen Yan wanted to play one more round and leave, but he ended up losing that round.

"So, handsome? Two more cups?"

Shen Yan smiled, feeling a rush of heat rising to his face. "Sure."

Han He reached out and stopped the person pouring the wine. "Let's leave it at that, I think he's had enough."

"Who says I've had enough?" Shen Yan retorted without thinking.

"That's right, our handsome Shen's drinking capacity is as outstanding as his looks."

Two cups were filled with a "glug glug" sound. Xu Junhao, who had been having a blast, also reined himself in a bit after Han He spoke. "Handsome, how about you give me a chance? Let's have an arm-in-arm drink, and I'll only drink half a cup?"

Shen Yan shook his head. "I don't drink arm-in-arm with men."

"Damn—"

Xu Junhao thought to himself that he was still quite sober, so he wouldn't worry about that.

"After these two cups, I really have to go."

Shen Yan said as he reached for the glass on the table. His fingers had just touched the glass when it was taken away by another hand wearing a black watch.

Shen Yan raised his face and saw it was Zhao Linsu. He smiled, feeling increasingly dizzy. "What? I already said I don't drink arm-in-arm with men."

"I need to talk to him about something," Zhao Linsu said to Xu Junhao.

Xu Junhao was a little intimidated by those sharp phoenix eyes. "Ah, okay, okay."

"Come out."

Shen Yan stood up, his head spinning badly. Without thinking, he said, "So fierce, want to fight?"

Xu Junhao was also a little scared.

Zhao Linsu went out first, and Shen Yan followed. The people in the private room immediately started discussing, and Xu Junhao forced a smile. "No way, these two have a great relationship, don't worry, you guys keep playing."

It was supposed to be a nice matchmaking event, they couldn't let anything go wrong.

Xu Junhao didn't dare go out to look, afraid of running into a fight scene and getting involved.

Zhao Linsu didn't fight with Shen Yan; he was leading Shen Yan down a small path to get the car.

"My head feels so dizzy…"

"Serves you right."

Slap—

The back of his head was hit.

Zhao Linsu glanced back sideways, his face as cold as if it were about to freeze. The person on his back still looked surprised. "Wow, big brother, this watermelon is so crisp!"

After this person showed off by drinking two cups of wine, Zhao Linsu knew he had at most ten more minutes before he would slowly turn into a drooling idiot who couldn't even walk straight.

"Why did you suddenly ignore me…" the idiot's face leaned against his neck, the hot breath he exhaled scaldingly warm.

Zhao Linsu continued carrying the person forward, answering silently in his heart, "What do you think?"

"Su…"

The warm air, carrying a hint of drunken haze, blew into his eardrum. The drunk person's voice was intimate and low.

His footsteps suddenly stopped. The fine hairs on his ears suddenly became particularly clear, as if countless antennae had sprouted, swept by this gust of wind. From his eardrum to the entire contour of his cheek, it was simultaneously warm, numb, and soft.

For a fleeting moment, Zhao Linsu had the urge to throw the person off his back.

There should be a limit to tormenting someone.

He adjusted the person on his back, preventing them from sliding down further, and Zhao Linsu said in a low voice, "Quiet."

The idiot obviously couldn't understand human language anymore, wrapping his arms around Zhao Linsu's neck, smacking his lips, and continuing to mumble, "Su… Suzhou mooncake…"

His footsteps stopped again, and Zhao Linsu suddenly turned his face.

The drunken face, inches away, was slightly flushed, eyes lightly closed. Below the high, straight nose, two lips were unconsciously pursed, a hint of a sleepwalking smile. He was completely unaware of how he had just sent someone's heartbeat on a rollercoaster of crazy acceleration and then disappointed plummeting.

Slowly shifting his gaze, Zhao Linsu used his hands to lift the person up again. He shook his head, a faint smile on his face, and whispered to himself, "Idiot."