Lin Ming noticed that President Lin had started leaving work on time.
Every morning at nine, he arrived at the company, and at noon he didn’t go home, just ordered food from the hotel he frequented, and took a nap in the small lounge in his office during lunch break, looking even more dedicated to his work than before.
But! As soon as the clock struck five, he left on the dot!
After observing for several days, Lin Ming realized that President Lin’s departure time was precise to the minute.
No matter if there was unfinished business at hand, as soon as it was time, he would leave without fail.
And he seemed to be in a great mood, didn’t even want Lin Ming to see him off.
He’d control his wheelchair himself to the parking lot and have the driver take him home.
This afternoon was the same.
Lin Ming’s desk was right outside the president’s office.
He stared at the time in the bottom right corner of his computer, silently counting down.
When the clock hit five exactly, the office door opened.
Their cold and aloof President Lin left work with a cheerful smile on his face.
Lin Ming was burning with curiosity, but didn’t dare to ask.
He could only watch as the man took the elevator down.
Lin Wushui was indeed very happy.
After the National Day holiday ended, Zhang Xianyu wanted to move back to the dormitory.
Of course, Lin Wushui didn’t agree, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn’t come up with any reason to make her stay.
Honestly, the two weren’t related at all; the closest connection was that he was just an ordinary friend’s older brother.
And this “ordinary friend” was actually himself, cross-dressing as a woman.
Wushui was still “abroad” and hadn’t returned, so Lin Wushui felt guilty and didn’t dare mention it.
After thinking it over, he could only play the pity card.
After all, they had fought side by side, and after spending so many days together, Lin Wushui had figured out a bit of Zhang Xianyu’s personality.
Although the kid looked hard to approach on the surface, once you got to know him, you’d find he actually had a soft heart, especially towards people he knew.
He was so soft-hearted that Lin Wushui only had to sigh and touch his leg in a cast, and he would take a step back and agree to come home after school in the evenings.
Lin Wushui felt this made him happier than doubling the company’s net profit.
“President Lin, we’ve arrived.”
The driver stopped the car at the supermarket not far from the Family Building, and got out to open the door for him.
The car had been specially modified; the entire back seat was removed and a partition added so that Lin Wushui could get in and out with his wheelchair directly.
Controlling his wheelchair to get out, Lin Wushui opened WeChat and, following the list Zhang Xianyu had sent him, started shopping for groceries one by one.
He picked out the items up front, while the driver followed behind with the shopping cart.
Fortunately, grocery shopping wasn’t hard for President Lin.
Once he finished, he went to the cashier to pay and brought everything home.
Zhang Xianyu’s class ended at six.
The coursework at Jiangcheng University was not easy.
Even though the Department of Archaeology was lighter compared to other majors, there were still plenty of classes.
Lin Wushui got home first, sent the driver away, and waited for Zhang Xianyu on the balcony while handling some work.
The Family Building was close by, so usually, Zhang Xianyu would arrive about ten minutes after he got home.
But today, he waited until six-thirty and Zhang Xianyu still hadn’t returned.
At six-forty, Lin Wushui couldn’t help but call.
The phone rang for a while, then a mechanical female voice said no one was answering.
At that moment, Zhang Xianyu and Rodanqing were being stopped at the school gate.
Originally, they were just leaving class as usual—
Zhang Xianyu heading back to the Family Building, and Rodanqing tagging along to grab something to eat.
But as soon as they left the gate today, they were blocked.
To be precise, as soon as they stepped out, Rodanqing was blocked.
Zhang Xianyu was just caught up in it.
A black Bently was parked across the street.
Four burly men in black suits surrounded Rodanqing.
Their tone was respectful, but their expressions were full of obvious contempt.
“Third Young Master, the Old Master asks you to get in the car for a talk.”
Rodanqing’s usual playful look turned cold when he saw them.
Zhang Xianyu noticed his hand clenched into a fist at his side, veins bulging on his neck as if he was desperately holding something back.
“How many times have I said it? That painting has already been burned!”
The four black-clad bodyguards surrounded him from all sides, unmoved, repeating like faulty tape recorders, “The Old Master asks you for a talk.”
“Damn it!”
Rodanqing’s face twisted with anger, but with Zhang Xianyu beside him, he gritted his teeth and said, “Let my friend go, I’ll go talk to that old bastard myself!”
Only then did the bodyguards make way, signaling for Zhang Xianyu to leave.
Worried about Rodanqing, Zhang Xianyu gave him a look while the bodyguards weren’t watching and pretended to leave.
The bodyguards, afraid Rodanqing would run, stuck to him like glue and “escorted” him into the black Bently across the street.
Zhang Xianyu was uneasy and waited in a nearby spot where he wouldn’t be noticed.
No one knew what Rodanqing said in the car, but he didn’t get out for a whole hour.
The car drove away without hesitation, leaving only Rodanqing standing there, his expression unreadable.
“Are you alright?”
Zhang Xianyu approached, looking at him with some concern.
Rodanqing muttered “old bastard” under his breath, then forced out a strained smile and said he was fine.
He tried to act casual, but his face looked so bad that Zhang Xianyu didn’t press him, pretending not to notice and asked what they should eat for dinner.
In the end, they went to a roadside barbecue stall.
Zhang Xianyu ordered skewers, while Rodanqing asked for a case of beer.
Once they sat down, he didn’t speak, just drank can after can.
Zhang Xianyu drank with him, and soon the two of them finished half the case.
The little table was piled high with empty cans.
Rodanqing was a bit drunk, his face and even his eyes red.
Holding a beer can, he slurred to Zhang Xianyu, “Aren’t we all supposed to believe in science now? Why are they still so obsessed with that superstitious crap and won’t let go?”
Zhang Xianyu’s brows twitched, but he didn’t respond.
Back during military training, he’d already noticed Rodanqing’s strange attitude towards this topic.
Rodanqing kept talking, looking miserable, his eyes red but still forcing a smile.
“My dad, my mom, my little sister—they all died because of this, but they still expect me to carry on that bullshit…”
“That damn painting, I burned it long ago! Burned it!”
He laughed again, popped open another beer, and clinked it with Zhang Xianyu before downing the whole thing.
By the time they finished the whole case, Rodanqing was slumped over the table, muttering drunken nonsense.
Zhang Xianyu called Zheng Pang, and together they dragged Rodanqing back to the dorm and got him settled.
Only then did Zhang Xianyu realize he’d forgotten something.
“You’re not staying in the dorm tonight either?”
Zheng Pang asked casually.
Zhang Xianyu paused, remembering what he’d forgotten.
He pulled out his phone and saw it was already past nine.
The screen was full of missed calls—all from Lin Wushui.
Because of class, his phone had been on silent, so he hadn’t heard any of Lin Wushui’s calls.
Suddenly, Zhang Xianyu felt a bit guilty.
He told Zheng Pang to look after Rodanqing and hurried back to the Family Building.
When he got there, the place was empty and dark.
He turned on the lights and saw the groceries left on the coffee table in the living room, and quickly called Lin Wushui back.
Lin Wushui had waited until after eight before going out to look for him.
Zhang Xianyu was an adult and quite capable, so normally Lin Wushui should have felt at ease.
But Xie Dingxin’s words on Jiuhuan Mountain had made him wary, and with Zhang Xianyu not answering his calls, he started to worry and went out himself.
He first went to Zhang Xianyu’s dorm.
The dorm was on the fifth floor and required climbing stairs, which was inconvenient for someone in a wheelchair, so he asked the dorm manager to look for him.
Turns out all three of the roommates were out.
Lin Wushui could only search all the places Zhang Xianyu might have gone, one by one.
On the way, he happened to run into a classmate from the same major who also lived in the Family Building and remembered Lin Wushui.
The classmate said after school he’d seen Zhang Xianyu leave campus with his roommates, and someone even saw the two of them being surrounded by men in black suits at the school gate.
Just as Lin Wushui was about to call for help to look for him, Zhang Xianyu’s call finally came through.
His voice sounded a bit distant as he asked where he was.
Lin Wushui said he was at the school.
Zhang Xianyu asked for the location and hurried over to pick him up.
Lin Wushui waited right where he was.
When he found him, he breathed a sigh of relief and realized he might have been a bit too anxious.
But before he could sort out his feelings, Zhang Xianyu came running up, slightly out of breath.
He wore a white hoodie and light jeans, his fair face flushed from running, and his pale eyes were full of guilt.
“Sorry for making you worry.”
Seeing him standing there safe and sound, Lin Wushui figured nothing had happened and shook his head.
“It’s fine as long as you’re okay.”
“Have you eaten yet?”
Zhang Xianyu walked behind him and pushed him as they headed home.
Lin Wushui shook his head again.
“Then I’ll cook for you when we get back.”
Looking at the man walking in front of him, Zhang Xianyu felt a little warmth in his heart.
It was obvious he had come out to look for him, and who knew how long he’d been searching, even missing dinner.
They walked home in silence.
Zhang Xianyu went straight to the kitchen to make dinner.
It wasn’t until they were seated at the table that Lin Wushui finally asked the question he’d been turning over in his mind for a long time.
“Where did you go?”
It was a simple question, but not one you could ask casually.
It was only after Zhang Xianyu pushed him home that Lin Wushui realized, even though they were roommates for now, they were both adults.
Even if someone didn’t come home at night, there was no need to report their whereabouts to a roommate.
Just because Zhang Xianyu came back every afternoon to have dinner with him didn’t mean he could interfere in or probe into the other’s private life.
So after much deliberation, President Lin finally hesitated and asked, “Where did you go?”
“My roommate was in a bad mood, so I drank with him.”
Zhang Xianyu hadn’t thought much about it.
He just felt a bit guilty—because he’d forgotten to let Lin Wushui know, not only did Lin Wushui have to wait until now to eat, he’d also worried for nothing.
“Sorry. If I’m going to be late in the future, I’ll tell you in advance.”
“Hm?”
Lin Wushui hadn’t expected such a promise and was stunned for a moment, then immediately smiled happily.
“Alright.”