Shen Yuqing had no idea what Song Wangzhuo was thinking. After leaving the hospital, he was finally free from the smell of disinfectant lingering in his nostrils.
Standing in a corner, he stretched his arms high with a big yawn. Today, Xiao Zhao wasn’t around, and neither was Pei Yiyan. He planned to grab a quick bite outside and take a leisurely stroll.
It was a rare overcast day. Since May, the temperature in Silino had been rising steadily, and by late May, it could reach up to 40 degrees Celsius. Shen Yuqing wasn’t quite used to it, so he wanted to take advantage of the cooler weather to walk around.
As he thought about it, he realized Song Wangzhuo’s birthday was coming up soon but what was the exact date again?
Shen Yuqing couldn’t quite recall, but it didn’t matter. Since he had time today, he might as well pick out a gift in advance and give it to him when the day arrived.
The system suddenly popped up: [Host, it’s June 15th.]
Counting the days, there were only about twenty left.
Shen Yuqing mused: [So the door’s passcode was his birthday.]
The system replied: [And on his birthday, you’ll probably be participating in the practical training event.]
If the system hadn’t reminded him, Shen Yuqing would have nearly forgotten about it.
What a coincidence.
Shen Yuqing hailed a taxi and said: [Whatever the case, I’ll buy the gift first.]
After getting one for Song Wangzhuo, he’d have to think about Pei Yiyan’s too.
He actually knew Pei Yiyan’s birthday last time he was searching for something, he had stumbled upon Pei Yiyan’s ID card in the drawer, which listed it as November 9th. So there was no rush to buy his gift yet. This time, he’d focus on Song Wangzhuo’s. Plus, he needed to stop by his place to pick up some textbooks anyway, so he could just leave the gift there.
Aside from convenience, there was another reason he didn’t want Pei Yiyan to find out.
Even though Pei Yiyan couldn’t see, Wu Yi certainly could!
That two-faced Wu Yi outwardly loyal to him, but secretly working for Pei Yiyan. No doubt, whenever Shen Yuqing wasn’t home, Wu Yi would report everything he brought back to Pei Yiyan.
He thought back to that night when Pei Yiyan had gotten so angry over the stray pheromones on him that he stormed out. If he found out Shen Yuqing was buying a gift for another alpha, he’d probably faint from rage, wouldn’t he?
The thought actually amused Shen Yuqing.
The system protested indignantly: [Host! Stop with these unrealistic delusions!]
Shen Yuqing scoffed: [What, is daydreaming illegal now? Did I hit a nerve?]
It was just an electronic AI what nerve was there to hit?
Furious, the system logged off, fully embodying the phrase “useless and cowardly”!
However, after wandering around all day, Shen Yuqing still hadn’t found anything suitable for Song Wangzhuo. Some gifts looked nice but weren’t practical.
For Song Wangzhuo, he wanted something functional that way, the money wouldn’t be wasted, and he’d actually get use out of it.
As he dawdled outside, about to order takeout to enjoy with a variety show at home, Lin Sui unexpectedly called.
Shen Yuqing answered while still browsing his dinner options, only to hear Lin Sui say on the other end: “Come eat. The usual place.”
Shen Yuqing asked, “Huh? What’s the occasion?”
“I won first place in the competition. Isn’t that worth celebrating? We’re almost there, so hurry up.”
Shen Yuqing caught the word “we.”
So it wasn’t just him there were others.
And among those others, Song Lejin was definitely included.
Since Song Wangzhuo’s incident, he hadn’t seen Song Lejin yet.
Shen Yuqing replied, “Sure, I was just wondering what to eat. I’ll take a taxi over now.”
After Lin Sui said he’d wait for him, he hung up the phone.
Shen Yuqing closed the menu, stood up, and left the restaurant.
The “old place” referred to the private club where Shen Yuqing had first met Song Wangzhuo after crossing over. This venue offered both dining and entertainment.
More importantly, Lin Sui’s sister was one of the owners of this private club something Shen Yuqing had accidentally overheard from someone.
So it became an unspoken rule that most gatherings would be held here. Over time, it became their so-called “old place.”
When Shen Yuqing arrived, they were still playing. Only half the dishes had been served at the dining table.
Shen Yuqing said, “You could’ve started eating without waiting for me.”
As soon as he arrived, Lin Sui ushered everyone to the table. Hearing Shen Yuqing’s remark, he replied, “Nonsense! We weren’t specifically waiting for you we were actually waiting for Lejin too.”
Shen Yuqing glanced around. He’d looked for Song Lejin when he entered, initially thinking his guess was wrong and Song Lejin hadn’t come. Now it seemed the person had arrived but where was he?
Lin Sui explained, “He went to the restroom. He’ll be back soon.”
Shen Yuqing nodded as they took their seats. The spot next to Lin Sui remained conspicuously empty.
“Congratulations on taking first place,” Shen Yuqing said.
Lin Sui grinned smugly. “Just my usual performance, nothing special.”
Another friend chimed in, “If this was his peak performance, Brother Sui could go straight to the Interstellar Olympics.”
Lin Sui rolled his eyes. “Cut it out with the sarcasm.”
The group burst into laughter.
While waiting for Song Lejin, they chatted. Lin Sui turned and asked, “By the way, wasn’t Song Wangzhuo supposed to run the 1500m this time? How come some unfamiliar guy showed up instead?”
Shen Yuqing blinked. “I don’t know.”
Lin Sui pressed further, “I saw you watching from the stands before the race started. Where’d you disappear to after it began?”
“I went to the bathroom,” Shen Yuqing replied. “By the time I came out, the race was already over, so I didn’t bother going back. Just went home to sleep.”
Lin Sui raised an eyebrow. “You always seem so sleepy. Half the time I see you, you’re either dozing off or yawning.”
“Really?” Shen Yuqing hadn’t noticed. He just knew he enjoyed sleeping, but surely it wasn’t that obvious?
“Absolutely,” Lin Sui confirmed.
After some thought, Shen Yuqing said, “Must be exhaustion. Haven’t you seen my improved grades? They’re the result of burning midnight oil. Your boy worked hard, got sleepy, but succeeded in the end.”
Lin Sui couldn’t help laughing. “Alright, alright, my dear Qing-ge. Introduce me to your tutor I’ll burn some midnight oil too.”
Shen Yuqing deadpanned, “He only does one-on-one sessions. Find someone else.”
Lin Sui wasn’t actually serious about studying. He shrugged, “Never mind then.”
Noticing everyone else engaged in casual conversation and Song Lejin still absent, Shen Yuqing asked, “Speaking of which, did Song Lejin watch your entire race yesterday?”
“Of course,” Lin Sui said. “Who else would he be watching? Why do you ask all of a sudden?”
Shen Yuqing let out a cold laugh. “I wonder who was just criticizing me for not watching his match. Naturally, I had to ask about your so-called ‘white moonlight’.”
Lin Sui made a shushing gesture. “Alright, enough. Don’t go spouting nonsense about ‘white moonlight.’ You’d better not let Le Jin hear you say that.”
“I haven’t said anything yet,” Shen Yuqing retorted.
Lin Sui shook his head and was about to respond when the private room’s door swung open.
Song Lejin walked in from outside. Seeing everyone already seated, he quickly apologized, “Sorry, sorry. The Omega restroom on this floor was under maintenance, so I had to go downstairs. It took a bit longer.”
“No problem, come sit,” Lin Sui beckoned Song Lejin to take the seat beside him, then shot Shen Yuqing a pointed look, a silent command to focus on his meal and keep quiet.
Shen Yuqing gave a slight nod to show he understood.
With everyone present, they began eating.
Unexpectedly, Song Lejin suddenly spoke up, “By the way, did you all hear about what happened at the academy yesterday?”
Shen Yuqing calmly picked up some food without reacting, while the others immediately asked, “What happened?”
Song Lejin glanced sideways at Shen Yuqing, who was eating, and continued, “I heard two people sneaked in and injured a student.”
“Silino’s security system is so advanced how could two people slip in?”
“It must be because of the sports meet. Everyone was in casual clothes, so they probably blended in.”
“Lejin, how did you find out about this?”
Song Lejin replied, “Yesterday, someone saw medical staff carrying someone out. I happened to know that person, and they mentioned it to me.” He feigned surprise. “I thought you all already knew.”
Then he made a shushing motion. “Well, forget I said anything. The academy probably wants to keep this under wraps.”
His words only fueled everyone’s curiosity.
Even Lin Sui couldn’t resist asking, “So who was the student? Did you see them?”
Song Lejin nodded. “I did. It was…” His gaze settled on Shen Yuqing.
Shen Yuqing lifted his eyelids leisurely and said, “I wasn’t injured.”
Song Lejin smiled brightly. “It was Yuqing’s classmate Song Wangzhuo.”
