Currently in high school, Yang Han was 16 years old this year.
She would pick up some books to read, highlighting those overwhelmingly deep and romantic sentences within them. The protagonist’s youth was like a flower, always blossoming in full glory after being driven by the main plot at some point.
The plot was like the characters’ fate in their reality. The author clumsily tried their best to express this huge world, condensing it into reasonable and logical words. As these few characters slowly walked through the plot and the audience reading along, they would sigh and reminisce, rejoicing or crying in their stead.
Or they would also be like Yang Han, plainly closing the book after she was done.
She was a sentimental little lady, with a deep empathy with words. But her reading speed was very slow, only finishing half of the books recommended by Han Shi Yu as must-reads by the time middle school had ended.
After the end of a story, she would be thrusted out of that world suddenly, looking at the ‘End’ word at the bottom of the page in a daze for a long, long time.
Then, she would think to herself, ‘Ah, it’s over’.
Fate is infinite yet so without any order while humans’ minds are infiltrated by logic. Living within a limited and orderly society, it was impossible to pen down all of it no matter how great one’s writing skills are.
The pen will always be put away, and ink will always dry up at the end. But there are some things that will continue on without restraint.
Yang Han, who was still in school at that time, was wearing a light blue school uniform, looking out of the window with her cheek resting on her hand, deeply in thought.
She thought about life, about youth, about love.
The language teacher quietly walked over and picked up the book she had laid on her desk. He glanced at the cover and read it out, “The Way of a Gentleman…”
Yang Han, who came back to her senses, “.”
Maintaining a polite smile, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Then, the language teacher skilfully removed the book cover and glanced at the title page of the book, reading it out again, “The CEO’s Lovely Wife is My Boyfriend.”
His eyes moved down to read the signature on it. “…Offered by Xu Jia to the Eldest princess.”
The whole class who was silent before, started holding back their stifled laughter. Xu Jia pretended to be seriously working on her homework while covering her mouth, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
The language teacher frowned a little, curiously turned his head to ask Xu Jia, Is the CEO’s lovely wife a man or a woman?”
The class finally couldn’t help themselves anymore and broke out in a burst of wild laughter.
Yang Han remembered that the book confiscated by the teacher had not been returned yet.
Xu Jia said it was alright, she had already finished reading that one…and she still had a bunch of others anyways.
Xu Jia secretly told Yang Han that she went to the language teacher to ask it back before, but the usually gentle-natured and kind language teacher did not return it to her. Instead, he nagged her a lot and gave her a collection of ghost stories that he had confiscated before as an exchange.
Xu Jia suspected the teacher was reading it.
Yang Han laughed until she was out of breath.
“That book is really considered to be of high quality. Regardless of the writing style or the depth…truly a great one.” Xu Jia suddenly remembered something as she said that, “I told you to recommend it to Liu jie last time, how did it go?”
“She read it. But she’s not that interested in danmei.” Yang Han said, “She likes to read non-CP and Sci-fi.”
“Okay then,” Xu Jia said.
Han Shi Yu’s cameo was over in two days, so Yang Han was only there for the morning before ‘abandoning’ Xiao Lu. She was dragged away to Xu Jia’s’ house to play and stayed for the night too.
The next day, Yang Han was going to leave. Xu Jia walked her to the bus stop, but what came wasn’t the bus but Han Shi Yu who drove to pick her up.
The production crew gifted him a round-frame glasses as souvenir. Han Shi Yu took out the plastic frames and installed lenses with prescription for daily use. He rolled down the window and tilted his head towards Yang Han, “Get on board, princess.”
Yang Han said goodbye to Xu Jia before getting into the cool rear driver’s seat, breathing a sigh of relief.
Yang Han asked, “You’re done with filming?”
Han Shi Yu replied, “It ended early for me. But the others still have to continue filming for two months.”
Yang Han was looking forward to the movie, not only because she got to see Yan Yuan but also Han Shi Yu’s first appearance on screen. As well as…Uncle Liu. Once she thought of Liu Mu, Yang Han remembered Lu Yue Ming. She muttered, “Uncle Liu seems very compatible with Xiao Lu.”
“That guy likes teasing kids.” Han Shi Yu shook his head and commented, “Tsk, so immature.”
“……” Yang Han stretched out her head to look at this guy who was more immature than anyone else, “Are you for real?”
Yang Han really enjoyed listening to songs in the car, so she put on her headphones and played the soothing sound of rain as she looked out of the window and watched the people and things rush by. That was a good time to craft out stories in her head.
Han Shi Yu didn’t drive too fast. Switching on the car radio, he noticed the lack of new programmes since radio stations had been declining these days. It would always be the same few songs and commercial playing on loop.
Han Shi Yu dissed them while he listened on, as if he could talk to the DJs across space. It got so loud that Yang Han crawled to the front and turned it off for him.
After a short while of peaceful silence, Yang Han sat back down properly and said, “Old Han.”
Han Shi Yu: “What is it.”
“If you’re so free,” Yang Han leaned back in her seat and said, “Tell me more about your story with dad.”
Han Shi Yu pursed his lips and smiled. “You like hearing it that much?”
For once Yang Han didn’t retort back. “Yeah.”
When Han Shi Yu just started dating Yang Mo.
He was in a panicked state, all over the place.
Yang Mo did not pick up on it at that time and even up to this day, he wouldn’t be able to find any memories of Han Shi Yu being coy in his mind.
Not showing your flustered side to the person you like, was the pride of the management school’s stray dogs gang.
That day, Han Shi Yu picked up Yang Mo who had injured his shoulder and returned to the university. It was raining that night, and in the heat of the moment, he leaned in and kissed Yang Mo.
Although the kiss didn’t go that deep, only a simple touch of lips, Han Shi Yu’s heart felt like it was about to burst open.
Containing the mood of a little lost deer who was about to leap out of his chest in panic, Han Shi Yu sent Yang Mo back with an expression like his usual self. Then, he went back to his dorm room with the other four in a muddled state.
First thing he did was let out a loud yell when he got back.
All of them in that dorm got deducted points.
Xie Chen Min, who got up from his bed in shock, along with Old Sui who stumbled out of the bathroom, held him down and said, “What were you thinking! Are you crazy! If we have two more points deducted, we’ll have to write a reflection report at the instructor’s office this week!”
Brother Qi didn’t even get the chance to spit out the mouthful of toothpaste foam in his mouth as he said through gurgles, “Hwa ercartly eppened to Yang Mo?1”
The three of them knew that the reason Han Shi Yu lost control and rushed to the hospital was because Yang Mo got injured, so they looked at him with concerned expressions and sat beside him. They offered comforting words as well at the same time
Han Shi Yu covered his mouth with a serious expression, but his eyes were blank. Xie Chen Min patted his shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. You can say it. Your brothers are here.”
Han Shi Yu said in a hoarse voice, “I…”
The three of them stared at him seriously.
“I kissed Yang Mo.” Han Shi Yu said, “And he didn’t refuse it.”
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Han Shi Yu looked at them and bit down on his words to emphasize them, “He didn’t refuse it.”
The three of them fell into silence before saying in unison, “Fuck.”
This group of brothers who had poured out their genuine concern, ended up getting splashed with a whole pot of dog food?2”. Old Sui and Brother Qi who were both single, looked as if they were forced to eat rotten, spoiled food. They scrunched up their faces and said, “Although Brother Min is far from acting like a human, but you sure are a real dog here.”
Xie Chen Min was standing on the same side as them at the moment, so he temporarily waved that off and said, “Finally ending your single life, yet you’re seeking comfort from us, what kind of shit are you pulling here?”
Han Shi Yu said innocently, “But I didn’t say I was asking for comfort just now…”
They ended up getting yet another point deducted from joining hands to “beat up” their youngest and were sent to the office to write reflection reports.