Since he had lunch plans with Lin Sui and the others, Shen Yuqing left immediately after class. Before heading out, he made sure to tell Song Wangzhuo, “I’m going to Song Lejin’s place for lunch. I might be a little late coming back after eating, but I’ll definitely be there.”
Song Wangzhuo didn’t respond, but Shen Yuqing knew he had heard him.
Shen Yuqing met Lin Sui and the others at the school gate. Shortly after arriving, he saw Lin Sui and Song Lejin walking slowly over from the direction of the arts department.
Spotting Shen Yuqing, Lin Sui said, “Let’s go. Lunch is already prepared.”
Shen Yuqing nodded, his gaze lingering on Song Lejin. Song Lejin still wore his usual gentle, smiling expression nothing like the dark intensity Shen Yuqing had accidentally glimpsed at the hospital.
Song Lejin asked, “I was too busy yesterday to ask after drinking, did you feel unwell when you got home?”
Shen Yuqing shook his head. “No, I slept really well. But I shouldn’t drink that much again.”
Lin Sui slung an arm over his shoulder. “What’s there to be afraid of? Next time we get drinks, we’re going all out!”
Shen Yuqing just smiled, quickly glancing at Song Lejin. His answer didn’t seem to affect Song Lejin’s expression he really did seem to be asking out of concern.
The three of them chatted as they walked, soon arriving at Song Lejin’s home. The servants had already set the table.
Lin Sui remarked, “Seeing how close you two live, I kind of want to move here too.”
Though he said “you two,” his eyes were fixed on Song Lejin.
Pretending not to notice, Shen Yuqing replied, “Sure, you could sleep in a bit more in the mornings if you did.”
Song Lejin added, “Yeah, Sui-ge, there should still be rental units available in the complex. Want me to ask around for you?”
Lin Sui grinned. “Sure, thanks, Lejin.”
Song Lejin then asked, “By the way, the sports meet is coming up. Are either of you participating in any events?”
Shen Yuqing said, “No, I’m not into sports.”
Lin Sui answered, “I signed up for the 1500-meter and basketball.”
Shen Yuqing looked at him in surprise. “You’re actually running long-distance?”
Lin Sui huffed and didn’t answer, instead rolling up his sleeve to show off his recently toned muscles.
After being mocked by Song Wangzhuo, he had been putting in serious effort!
Lin Sui added, “I heard Song Wangzhuo is running the 1500 too.”
Once the event list was finalized, everyone knew who was participating in what.
At the mention of Song Wangzhuo, Shen Yuqing instinctively glanced at Song Lejin, who was quietly eating with his head down, his expression unreadable.
Shen Yuqing replied, “Yeah, no one in our department wanted to run it, so he stepped in.”
He didn’t mention that Song Wangzhuo was planning to withdraw.
Then, Song Lejin looked up and said, “Speaking of which, Song Wangzhuo actually lives in this complex too.”
Lin Sui was surprised. “He lives here?”
Song Lejin nodded. “Yeah, he does.”
Lin Sui asked, “How do you know?”
Song Lejin didn’t hide it. “Last night, after dropping you off, we ran into him in the garage. The driver was looking for a parking spot and didn’t notice him ended up bumping into him.”
Shen Yuqing stayed quiet, focusing on his meal.
Then he heard Song Lejin ask doubtfully, “But the rent for houses here isn’t cheap. As far as I remember, Song Wangzhuo receives financial aid from the school, right?”
Lin Sui responded with surprise, “Really?”
Song Lejin immediately added, “That’s what I heard from others. There’s a classmate who also receives financial aid, and he mentioned it in passing.”
Lin Sui suddenly understood but then questioned, “But if he’s living in a place like this, does he still need financial aid?”
The school had a special financial aid fund for students from financially struggling families. As long as the conditions were met and their grades were good, they would receive a scholarship each semester. Moreover, students with outstanding grades could even have their tuition and miscellaneous fees waived.
There was no doubt that Song Wangzhuo was on the financial aid list.
Shen Yuqing took a bite of rice, unsure of what Song Lejin was trying to imply.
However, hearing Lin Sui’s words, his eyelids twitched, and he felt a sense of foreboding.
Song Lejin said, “Well, maybe he’s staying with a friend or relative. I was just mentioning it casually since we happened to be talking about it.”
Song Lejin then placed a piece of spare rib in Lin Sui’s bowl. “Let’s eat.”
Lin Sui looked at the food in his bowl, feeling pleased. He put the rib in his mouth and mumbled, “Still, it should be looked into, don’t you think, Yuqing?”
Hearing his name, Shen Yuqing replied calmly, “The school must have thoroughly vetted anyone who receives this scholarship. Why bother creating trouble for ourselves? I’d rather use that time to get more sleep.”
That made sense. To prevent well-off students from falsely claiming the aid, the school was extremely strict in this regard, and mistakes were unlikely.
Lin Sui thought for a moment and said, “True.”
Meanwhile, Song Lejin glanced at Shen Yuqing a couple more times, a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared. He said, “Yuqing is right. The school wouldn’t make a mistake. Besides, the government and various philanthropists contribute funds to the school every year. Supporting one more student wouldn’t be a problem.”
The way he said it sounded odd.
The conversation soon moved on. After eating his fill, Shen Yuqing realized he wouldn’t get any more useful information and said, “I’m full. I’ll head out now.”
Song Lejin offered, “You can rest here if you’d like. There are plenty of rooms.”
Lin Sui, who was sitting on the sofa, was about to say something when he noticed Shen Yuqing giving him a meaningful look. Shen Yuqing said seriously, “No, I need to go home and check on my cat. Sui can stay here and rest.”
Lin Sui instantly understood Shen Yuqing’s intention what a great friend and childhood buddy! He was giving him alone time with Song Lejin!
Lin Sui secretly gave Shen Yuqing a thumbs-up but quickly lowered it before Song Lejin could turn around.
Lin Sui said, “Alright, be careful on your way back.”
Shen Yuqing nodded, picked up his bag, and left.
Once the door closed behind him, Shen Yuqing glanced at the shut door before heading toward the nearby staircase.
Taking the stairs would be faster.
As he walked, Shen Yuqing pondered what Song Lejin had said earlier. Although he had dismissed Lin Sui’s suspicions, there was no telling what uncontrollable situation might arise later.
He stepped onto the stairs, and the motion-sensor light flickered on. This was really troublesome how could he possibly catch Song Lejin red-handed?
Though he was now certain that Song Lejin was problematic, he still couldn’t find any concrete evidence. All he could do was patiently wait for the system’s response.
Shen Yuqing walked to the door, adjusted his expression, rang the doorbell first, then used iris recognition to open it.
Song Wangzhuo was resting on the sofa when the door opened. He glanced over, then stood up and turned off his phone.
“You’re half an hour late,” he remarked.
“Got caught up in conversation,” Shen Yuqing replied.
Carrying his bag, he headed to the study desk as usual. Like every other time, Song Wangzhuo had already prepared everything. All he needed to do was sit down and quietly work on the problems.
Song Wangzhuo went to the kitchen and returned with two bottles of water, handing one to Shen Yuqing and keeping the other by his side. The two of them sat in comfortable silence, the atmosphere harmonious.
Shen Yuqing took a sip of water and asked while writing, “Have you found someone to take your place for the relay race yet?”
“Not yet,” Song Wangzhuo answered honestly. “There’s still time.”
Shen Yuqing nodded. “Let me know if you need help. I can help you look.”
The other simply gave a brief “Mm” to acknowledge the offer.
Shen Yuqing was long accustomed to Song Wangzhuo’s terse responses. He didn’t look up while speaking, so he missed the slightly unnatural expression on Song Wangzhuo’s face as the latter gazed at him.
Song Wangzhuo realized that their conversations had become increasingly natural.
The tutoring session soon ended. Seeing that there was still time, Shen Yuqing yawned and said, “I’m going to nap for a bit. Wake me when it’s time to leave.”
They usually set aside half an hour to rest before heading to school to avoid drowsiness in the afternoon.
Song Wangzhuo nodded. “Mm.”
No sooner had he spoken than his phone, placed nearby, suddenly rang.
Song Wangzhuo glanced at it, it was a call from the place where he worked part-time delivering orders.
Without avoiding Shen Yuqing, he answered the call. The voice on the other end immediately said, “We don’t need part-timers anymore. Return the bike, and we’ll settle your account.”
The study area was quiet, so Shen Yuqing naturally overheard the conversation. No more part-time work? Had Song Wangzhuo lost another job?
His gaze fixed on Song Wangzhuo, who simply replied with an “Okay,” arranged a time to return the bike that evening, and hung up.
Song Wangzhuo set down his phone and looked up to find Shen Yuqing staring at him.
“Lost your job?” Shen Yuqing asked.
Song Wangzhuo nodded. “Mm.”
“It’s fine. My tutoring sessions won’t let you go unemployed, at least for now,” Shen Yuqing reassured him. “There are plenty of jobs out there. You’ll find another.”
Song Wangzhuo stood up. “Rest first.”
Seeing Song Wangzhuo’s calm demeanor, Shen Yuqing felt slightly relieved and got up to return to his room.
Song Wangzhuo also retreated to his own room. Once inside, the gentle composure he maintained in front of Shen Yuqing faded.
He lay slowly on the bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind still active.
But eventually, he closed his eyes whether he truly rested or continued pondering, no one could tell.
