Chapter 95 P - This Shore

After the five-day study tour ended, they returned to school and resumed their daily routine of going back to the classroom, canteen, and dormitory. Chu Beiling hid those restless feelings in a corner known only to Xing Yu.

Only when the two of them are alone do they dare to take them out to let them breathe and bask in the sun.

When they returned home for the weekend, Xing Yu and Chu Beiling parted ways with Xu Tunan and the others, and walked side by side as usual.

Without the tension and deliberate maintenance of boundaries, Chu Beiling relaxed completely, her steps became lighter, and as she walked, she was overcome with a playful impulse and turned around to walk backwards.

He raised an eyebrow at Xing Yu: "Brother Yu, it's just the two of us left again."

A smile appeared in Xing Yu's eyes: "And then?"

"I want to bite your lips until they're swollen." Chu Beiling deliberately lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

Xing Yu: "I'm available anytime."

Chu Beiling choked.

He certainly didn't intend to kiss Xing Yu in the tree-lined avenue of the residential area where everyone recognized him and people came and went. He originally wanted to tease Xing Yu and see if his ears turned red or if he looked at him helplessly.

The man remained unfazed and accepted the challenge, which immediately displeased the young master, who put on a stern face: "I'm not satisfied. Say it again."

Xing Yu reached out and hooked his backpack strap, pulling him closer. "Is this all you've got?"

Warm breath brushed against his ear, making Chu Beiling's ears burn. He stubbornly retorted, "Who said I'm so pathetic? I'm just—"

Xing Yu tilted his head slightly: "It's nothing."

Chu Beiling: "It's not that we're being considered as being on the road."

Xing Yu chuckled softly and raised his chin: "You can whisper in my ear, no one will hear you."

Caught off guard by his counterattack, Chu Beiling was momentarily at a loss for words.

"You dare not?" Xing Yu asked.

Chu Beiling's heart skipped a beat at his words, and she instinctively wanted to retort, "Who..." but dared not.

Thinking about how unscrupulous the black sesame dumplings were, Young Master Chu hesitated.

This is what it means to lift a rock only to drop it on your own foot. Admitting it is admitting defeat, while not admitting it will likely result in you suffering the consequences in the end.

"Um, my package should have arrived." Since it's too risky to pull a hair out of a tiger's head, Chu Beiling decided to skip both options and just run away.

Xing Yu watched the fleeing figure and couldn't help but chuckle softly as he slowly followed after them.

The two went to the community's express delivery station. The staff handed Chu Beiling a thin, long box. After thanking them, he looked at Xing Yu, who was looking down at the express box. He subconsciously hid it behind his back, but then felt it was unnecessary and would only make him look guilty.

Xing Yu looked away from the Intuos box and turned to him: "Why did you buy a graphics tablet?"

Chu Beiling: "We'll be making animations in the future, and we'll have to buy these sooner or later. The sooner we buy them, the sooner we can enjoy them."

Xing Yu seemed lost in thought, and after a moment's hesitation, he nodded.

Chu Beiling didn't just buy the graphics tablet in advance for the sake of animation. Since he had already dragged Xing Yu into this mess, he couldn't let himself and Xing Yu drown in this sea, so he had to make plans in advance.

Li Shuying regularly deposited 150,000 yuan into his account each year for living expenses and tuition, allowing him to manage it himself. He could keep any extra money, and there would be no more if he needed more.

The amount of money in his account now is quite substantial for students his age.

Young Master Chu has never had any worries about money.

When he goes abroad to compete, he buys the best art supplies without batting an eye, does whatever he wants, and lives a carefree and willful life.

But not now; he has to earn his future tuition and living expenses.

Only in this way can we have the confidence and the right to negotiate terms with Li Shuying.

Keep what you want to keep.

At this time, every household was preparing dinner, and there was no one in the stairwell. Chu Beiling reached out and took Xing Yu's hand.

Xing Yu was clearly also distracted, and after a half-second pause, he clasped his hands together with Xing Yu's.

Chu Beiling asked, "Xing Yu, should we be day students next semester instead of living on campus?"

Xing Yu was slightly taken aback and glanced at him sideways.

Chu Beiling asked, "Or?"

“It is possible, but—” Xing Yu wanted to ask for the reason, but then felt it was unnecessary, “The school is a little far from home. If you commute, can you get up in the morning?”

Chu Beiling, who had trouble getting out of bed, thought for a moment, realizing he really couldn't get up: "There should be rentals near the school, shall we rent a place there?!"

Xing Yu: "Okay."

Chu Beiling smiled and said, "Then it's decided." But he quickly remembered a problem: "What about the parent's signature?"

Xing Yu: "You can ask Grandma Chen."

Chu Beiling nodded.

The young master has no memory. Just a few minutes after the troublesome matter was resolved, he became itchy again and wanted to pluck the tiger's fur.

Before he could even speak, Chu Beiling changed into slippers and turned around. Li Shuying came out of the study: "You're back?"

Chu Beiling's heart skipped a beat, then he nodded.

Xing Yu: "Aunt Li."

Li Shuying greeted Xing Yu with a smile, asked a few questions about his studies and Chu Beiling's situation at school, and then said, "Come out for dinner with us tonight."

Xing Yu: "No need, Auntie."

Li Shuying sighed helplessly, "You're always so polite, child." She smiled and said, "If you need anything, just tell Auntie directly. Don't feel pressured."

Xing Yu: "Thank you, Aunt Li, I will."

Two years ago, when Li Shuying cared so much about Xing Yu, Chu Beiling just wanted Xing Yu to get out of his sight immediately and stop getting in his way. A while ago, he was so upset that he wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

At this moment, watching the two of them talk back and forth, Chu Beiling found it very interesting, especially seeing Xing Yumei's wife looking somewhat reserved in front of her wicked mother-in-law.

—I couldn't help but laugh.

After Xing Yu left, Li Shuying said, "My aunt has returned to China. You and I will go out together tonight."

"Then what about Aunt and Auntie..." Now that Uncle is gone, Chu Beiling stopped herself in time: "How long will Auntie stay in the country?"

Li Shuying: "Two months."

Chu Beiling breathed a sigh of relief and followed Li Shuying into the kitchen: "President Li, I would like to commute to school next academic year."

Li Shuying put down her water glass and turned around: "Reason."

Chu Beiling remained silent.

He couldn't very well say that he wanted to commute because it was inconvenient for him to draw illustrations online while living in a dormitory, and that he could have a private space with Xing Yu.

Other reasons—

Li Shuying remained silent, waiting for his response.

Chu Beiling thought for a moment and said, "I have to take the joint entrance exam in the second half of the year, and I don't have enough time to draw while living at school."

Li Shuying looked doubtful: "Are you sure that commuting will take up enough time, and won't it just waste more time?"

Chu Beiling: "I plan to rent a house near the school."

"What's the difference between that and living at school? The school lights go out at 11:30. You're still growing, can't you sleep later? Or is it that you can't manage your time well, that's why you stay up late?!"

Chu Beiling patiently explained, "It's not that I can't manage my daytime time; I just want to free up more time to draw, as it's inconvenient to live on campus."

Li Shuying: "You're just making excuses. It's such a small thing, there's no need to go out of your way to attend school."

Chu Beiling's mind was buzzing, she was both angry and aggrieved: "Then why did you ask me for the reason? You didn't listen to me when I told you, and you questioned me. Wouldn't it have been more straightforward for you to refuse in the first place? You could have said fewer words to me."

Li Shuying: "I don't disagree, but you have to give a proper reason. If it's not that you can't manage your time well, do you think this reason is ridiculous? Or is it that you're in a relationship and need to live off-campus for convenience?"

Chu Beiling felt a lump in her throat, her stubbornness kicked in, and she decided to throw caution to the wind: "Yes, with Xing Yu, and I'm even planning to live with him. You decide what to do."

The moment he said it, he regretted it and wished he could bite off his own tongue.

But once the words are spoken, they cannot be taken back.

Thinking of this, Chu Beiling felt a strange sense of relief.

Li Shuying clearly didn't believe her: "Chu Beiling, speak properly and don't lose your temper."

Chu Beiling felt helpless, angry, and a little amused. He took a deep breath and said, "Whatever, the result is the same anyway, believe it or not."

He said that Li Shuying wouldn't believe him no matter what he said, so what was the point of him saying anything more? Chu Beiling decided not to say anything more and walked into the bedroom with his graphics tablet.

Li Shuying ignored Chu Beiling's angry words, but her son's sudden strange reaction made her suspicious as she knocked on Xing Yu's door on the sixth floor.

The soundproofing in the old-style residential area is not very good. When it is quiet, you can hear the noise from upstairs and downstairs. Xing Yu was not very surprised by Li Shuying's arrival.

He invited Li Shuying in and poured her a cup of tea.

"Thank you," Li Shuying said, exuding an imposing aura, even while seated. She looked up at him with a scrutinizing gaze: "Xiao Yu, do you know why Fanfan suddenly decided to commute from school?"

Xing Yu said frankly, "I don't know, but I guess it's because it's more convenient for drawing."

Li Shuying: "Is the school's schedule not enough for you, or is it somewhat unreasonable?"

“Chu Beiling can manage his time well, Aunt Li, you should trust him on that. As for the convenience of drawing…” Xing Yu took a deep breath and continued, “If you want to practice or do tasks, it’s really not enough.”

Li Shuying nodded thoughtfully: "You and Fanfan are classmates. Has he dated any girls at school?"

Xing Yu: "No."

Li Shuying: "Do you have any particularly good relationships with girls?"

"He's closest to Li Dong and Sheng Xia, and he also gets along well with other girls. Chu Beiling is quite popular at school; both boys and girls like him." Xing Yu wasn't lying; these were all facts.

Just like Chu Beiling's narcissistic saying, "I am loved by everyone, flowers bloom when I see me, and cars get flat tires when they see me."

Li Shuying had always known that she had a good relationship with Li Dong: "She wasn't in a relationship with Li Dong, or was it just that she was close to him during that summer?"

Xing Yu shook his head: "We're just good friends."

Li Shuying stared at Xing Yu for a long time.

I still think it's impossible, just like my own son's attitude of wanting to bite off a piece of flesh when he sees Xing Yu.

How is that possible?!

Ultimately, she attributed her earlier statement to Chu Beiling's temper flaring up because she opposed Chu Beiling commuting to school; he just wouldn't speak properly and was simply trying to provoke her.

“Aunt Li,” Xing Yu met her gaze and said earnestly, “What else do you want to know? I will tell you the truth.”

Li Shuying snapped out of her daze: "Auntie believes you will tell the truth." She thought for a moment: "The next period is crucial, so please keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't do anything reckless."

Xing Yu said, "Yes."

As for the matter of him commuting to school, in the end, Li Shuying didn't believe him. Unless he could convince her with a reasonable and appropriate reason, there was no way to get through to her.

Chu Beiling was both angry and amused; it was simply unbelievable.

And so, he temporarily put the matter out of his mind and went about his business. However, he didn't completely ignore it. Since his commute to school hadn't been successful, Chu Beiling planned to use his weekends and holidays to draw illustrations.

The more opportunities there are for self-selection, the better.

He already had more troubles, and he couldn't put more pressure and burden on Xing Yu.

At school, whenever he had extra time, Chu Beiling would take orders on various platforms. If he encountered a simple anime avatar, he would draw it directly using his phone's notes app, then export and send it to the other party. If he encountered a complex one, he would communicate with the other party first and then send the drawing to them on the weekend.

Xing Yu saw everything. He understood Chu Beiling's worries and anxieties, as well as his actions, so he never said much or asked any questions.

After telling him that I also planned to do the same, I bought a graphics tablet online and started taking orders.

Young Master Chu should remain Young Master Chu. Xing Yu neither wanted to lower his original quality of life nor wanted to interfere with any of Chu Beiling's decisions.

Even though it was extremely painful and heartbreaking, and there was a lot of helplessness, and he really didn't want Chu Beiling to do this, Xing Yu wouldn't tell him—"Don't do this, I don't need you to do these things for me, I'll do them myself."

Chu Beiling probably wouldn't want to hear such words.

All Xing Yu could do was respect any choice Chu Beiling made and share the burden with him.

It's said that youthful feelings are fleeting and not taken seriously enough. In fact, he is very similar to Chu Beiling: calm, rational, and cautious, with very few moments of impulsiveness. Once he has made a choice and wants something, he will do everything he can to seize it.

We will not allow any unsettling factors to become reasons for ultimately having no choice.

With the college entrance examination approaching, the school organized a shouting activity to cheer on the students and help them relax before the upcoming exam. There will only be one class during evening self-study tonight.

After self-study get out of class, he and a few girls carried a bunch of glow sticks into the classroom and arranged for them to be distributed.

Xu Tunan tapped the table with a glow stick: "Everyone's gone. What are you guys still standing here for? If you don't go now, there won't be any good spots left over at the science building."

Chu Beiling sent the picture to the client, received the 50 yuan, and then looked up from the screen: "You go first, Xing Yu and I will go right away."

Xu Tunan: "Then hurry up."

Xing Yu also finished his painting and received 70 yuan.

Looking at the 120 yuan the two of them had received today, Chu Beiling suddenly felt a strange feeling. But it had only just begun, and he shouldn't let his wild thoughts cause him to lose confidence.

That would be really bad, so he didn't say anything.

He handed the glow stick to Xing Yu: "Let's go to the science building."