Due to his knee injury, Jiang Chenming didn’t attend training for a few days. Other than going to classes and reaching home on time, he would go to the Chinese Language Department to have lunch with Mo Lingqiu.
In no time, almost every University A student knew that the PE Department’s prince and the Chinese Language Department’s male god teacher, Mo Lingqiu, were familiar with each other.
“Are you sure it’s fine to eat hotpot here?” Mo Lingqiu anxiously looked at the induction cooker that was placed on Fan Nian’s table after it had been cleared.
“No problem.” Fan Nian waved his hand. “I’m the only one using this room, and it’s only for resting.”
Like he said, they were indeed in the clinic’s resting room. Fan Nian usually used the room to take a break. He was so bored that day that he called Mo Lingqiu and Jiang Chenming over to eat hotpot.
Mo Lingqiu had bought the ingredients just after they all had agreed to the lunch, while the hotpot broth base was provided by Fan Nian. He had hidden all sorts of broth bases in the resting room.
“Spicy broth or bone broth?”
“Bone broth.”
“Spicy.”
Mo Lingqiu chose bone broth at the same time that Jiang Chenming chose spicy.
They both exchanged looks and simultaneously reproached the other.
“Don’t you like to eat it spicy?”
“Your injury hasn’t healed yet.”
Fan Nian’s left hand was holding the spicy broth base and his right hand was holding the bone broth base. He purposely slammed them onto the table. “Stop fighting. Are you showing how lovey-dovey you guys are in front of a single dog like me?”
“Then you decide.”
“Dr. Fan, you decide it, then.”
It was the third time they had spoken at the same time. Fan Nian’s face started turning green. He threw both of the bags into the box and snapped, “Then, let’s have this mushroom broth. Mo Lingqiu, dip the chilli sauce yourself.”
Neither of them could reply to that, and they awkwardly sat down.
When the water in the pot started boiling, Fan Nian poured in the mushroom broth base. The aroma slowly wafted out. The three of them moved their chopsticks when it fully dissolved into the water.
“Hey, to be honest, these days I feel like quitting my job.” Fan Nian took a bunch of enoki mushrooms. “I wanna go traveling, but I’m unwilling to leave you here alone.”
“Why quit?” Mo Lingqiu was rather shocked because Fan Nian always liked his job, so his sudden declaration didn’t seem reasonable.
“‘Cuz it’s too limiting here. It’ll be extremely boring if I continue doing this until retirement.”
“Quit then.” If a job became boring, and one had the ability to do other jobs, it was fine to think about quitting.
“I’m only saying.” Fan Nian raised his eyebrows. “What? Since you have a boyfriend, you don’t need a true friend like me anymore?”
“…No.” Mo Lingqiu initially wanted to say ‘Don’t spout nonsense’, but he remembered that he was still hiding the truth from Fan Nian, so he changed his words. “Keep working here, then.”
“I’ll think about it.” Fan Nian really intended to quit, but his desire wasn’t that strong yet. He might stay working for a year or two and then leave afterwards.
“Up to you. Remember to tell me before you leave.” Mo Lingqiu was really understanding.
Fan Nian flashed an OK sign and looked towards Jiang Chenming. “Xiao Jiang, I heard that you went to a competition? A state-level basketball tournament.”
“Ah… I only played in two games and came back.” Jiang Chenming scratched his head. “Doctor, you knew about it?”
“Of course. A lot of people were discussing it. You’re charming.” Fan Nian smiled. “Why did you come back halfway through the tournament? I saw through the school’s news that your scores were really good.”
“I returned early because I injured my knees.” Jiang Chenming shook his leg. “It’s almost healed.”
Mo Lingqiu glanced at the knee covered by the wide sports shorts and stayed silent.
“So, that’s why your Teacher Mo won’t allow you to eat anything spicy.”
Jiang Chenming coughed and changed the conversation topic. “I’m usually a reserve player. I only became a starter because the coach said he wanted us to show off our strength to the opponents, and he wouldn’t let me escape.”
Fan Nian laughed. “That means you’re good at playing.”
“You’re exaggerating.” Jiang Chenming waved his hands. “I don’t plan on becoming a professional player. I’m not suited for it.”
“Then, what do you want to do?” Mo Lingqiu suddenly turned his head and asked. To be honest, they’d lived together for quite a long time, but he hadn’t heard anything from Jiang Chenming about his future plans.
“Probably start a company.” That was Jiang Chenming’s first plan. “I’m doing investments now.”
“…A PE student like you?” Fan Nian was shocked.
“…Yeah.” Jiang Chenming smiled. “Is it strange?”
“No, I always hear from people that you’re good at a lot of things.” Fan Nian tsked. “I’m jealous.”
Mo Lingqiu didn’t comment. Based on the house Jiang Chenming had been living in, he could roughly guess how rich his family was, and how wide their connections were. It wasn’t strange for him to start a company, or completely devote himself to doing investments.
“I don’t have any special plans. I’m okay just doing investments now.” Jiang Chenming didn’t disclose the amount he’d invested or the amount he’d earned, but his tone was rather relaxed. It was clear that he earned more than he lost.
“Then,” Fan Nian asked uneasily, “have you decided when you guys will get marked?”
Mo Lingqiu and Jiang Chenming froze for a moment. Mo Lingqiu said, “No rush. He hasn’t even graduated yet, so why rush it?”
Fan Nian choked at Mo Lingqiu’s response and then fell silent.
Jiang Chenming covered his mouth. He looked like he was asking for a beating, the way he was holding in his laugh.
After the three of them finished the hotpot, they cleared the pots and bowls while the window was opened for ventilation. When they finished cleaning, it was almost 2 in the afternoon.
Mo Lingqiu still had work to do, so he quickly returned to his office. Jiang Chenming didn’t have class in the afternoon; he serenely returned to his dorm. Fan Nian was again left abandoned in the clinic.
Mo Lingqiu entered his office and didn’t even have time to sit down before Yang Shen and Liao Nan came in. They were holding the documents for the second phase of the survey.
When he finished checking the pages, Mo Lingqiu assigned them a new task.
After Yang Sheng received the new task, he stood there dilly-dallying and didn’t leave. Mo Lingqiu saw him being weird and asked, “Any problems?”
“Teacher Mo, are you single?” Yang Sheng noticed that Mo Lingqiu hesitated to answer and quickly said, “My sister really likes you. She asked if she could talk to you.”
Mo Lingqiu tightly clutched the pen in his hand. Even students wanted to introduce a partner to him now?
“I…”
“Teacher, don’t reject her so quickly; I know you’re single. This is my sister’s contact number and photo, so if you’ve taken a liking to her, then add her.” Yang Sheng quickly threw a picture onto the table. “Teacher, I’ll leave first.”
Mo Lingiu quickly called out to him, “No need for this. It’s… inconvenient.”
Yang Sheng winked. “Teacher, you have a partner now?”
Mo Lingqiu couldn’t say yes or no. If he said yes, Yang Sheng might forcefully ask who they were. If he said no, he would shove the contact number onto him and Fan Nian would find out about it.
Yang Sheng noticed that he was being silent, so he took it as confirmation that Mo Lingqiu already had someone. “Okay, I’ll tell my sister about it, but, teacher, who is it?”
Mo Lingqiu was still silent. Yang Sheng asked again, “Is it… Jiang Chenming? I’ve seen a few posts on the school forum.”
Frankly, Yang Sheng had seen a lot of posts about Mo Lingqiu and Jiang Chenming on the school forum. Everyone was talking about their relationship like it was real, but both of them were alphas, so not everyone believed it.
Yang Sheng only asked for his sister; even if his request failed, it was still fine, but now he came to know about a huge truth.
Mo Lingqiu raised his head in shock. His expression showed that Yang Sheng had guessed correctly.