Chapter 62
Chen Yan was in his bedroom on the second floor, talking to Ni Zhen and Zhao Luyu who had come to see him, while Xiang Wan was in the glass greenhouse, staring blankly at the roses she was growing.
Although she planted all these roses herself, the person who actually took care of them was the family gardener.
She was watering the flowers with a spray bottle, but she was thinking about what was going on with Zhao Luyu.
She was somewhat absent-minded when she suddenly remembered that Jiang Zhuochun had mentioned at a dinner party that Zhao Luyu hadn't graduated with them from high school but had instead repeated a year.
Xiang Wan sent Jiang Zhuochun a text message, asking him which high school Zhao Luyu had repeated a year of high school.
Jiang Zhuochun seemed to be playing a game and didn't have time to type, but he sent a voice message instead.
[Him? I remember that kid was repeating a grade at Nanyang High School.]
A second later, he sent another voice message:
[And that guy is also from our Beiyi University, but because he repeated a year, he's a year younger than us and also chose finance.]
Xiang Wan blinked, unsure of what to say, and could only be thankful that they weren't living in a BL novel.
Otherwise, given this fateful coincidence, Zhao Luyu and Chen Yan would still be the most popular reunion story in BL (Boys' Love) literature.
Although Chen Yan never said it, Xiang Wan knew and could sense that he liked her, and she herself also liked Chen Yan a little.
Therefore, she didn't think there was anything between Chen Yan and Zhao Yu; she was just simply curious.
This seems to be what Xia Yueshen has been talking about: the fire of gossip burning fiercely. However, it hasn't reached the level of a raging inferno like Xia Yueshen's; at best, it can only be considered a small flame.
Xiang Wan was still watering the flowers when she noticed someone approaching from behind, and it seemed like they wanted to scare her.
She was a little puzzled; apart from Xia Yueshen, there shouldn't be anyone else in the family who liked such childish pranks.
Moreover, she remembered that Xia Yueshen seemed to have some assessment to complete next month, so she should have been cramming in her apartment this month.
She turned around and blinked in surprise when she saw the big, silly goose that only reached her calves.
Chen Yan has been raising this stupid goose for more than ten years.
She remembered that she brought it from Lijia Village when she was 12 years old. When she first met it, the little devil said it was only 5 years old. Now this silly goose should be 15 years old.
Geese typically live for 20 to 30 years, so at 15 years old, it would be considered middle age in human terms.
If, like in her previous life, she also died at the age of 26 in this life, then this foolish goose would only be 19 when she died, meaning it might have lived longer than her.
This stupid goose is already middle-aged, yet it still thinks about ambushing her all the time. It's so childish; it must have learned it from Xia Yue Shen.
As if sensing the disdain in Xiang Wan's eyes, it kept barking:
"Gaga—Gaga—Gaga—Gaga—"
"..."
But it seems that Green Fur has changed as it gets older. Its bark is no longer as loud as it used to be, and it barks less and less often, except for that one time.
Xiang Wan heard about this from the family's maid. When they went to Northern Europe for the Chinese New Year, Wang Yidong selected several trustworthy maids to guard the villa.
On the day she and Chen Yan were swept into an avalanche in Northern Europe, Green Fur began to refuse food without warning, refusing to eat or drink. It was only after the maid told Wang Yidong to have Chen Yan video chat with Green Fur that it started eating again.
Later, when they all returned from Northern Europe, as soon as the car arrived at the villa and before anyone got out, Green Fur started flapping its wings and barking wildly around the car.
It was as if they were being questioned: Where did you go? Why did you leave it all alone?
Xiang Wan wasn't in the car at the time, so she didn't know about it. Wang Yidong told her about it afterward. She also said that Xia Yueshen was there at the time and they were moved to tears.
Chen Yan knelt on the ground and coaxed the goose for a long time before it seemed to calm down and returned to its nest.
But ever since that incident, whenever there is no one in the house whom the goose master knows, this silly goose will go on a hunger strike and refuse to eat feed anymore.
Xiang Wan looked at the green-haired creature flapping its wings, trying to scare her but failing, and found it somewhat amusing.
Seeing it staring at its big, bright eyes, like green beans, and barking incessantly, she picked up a water hose from the side, blocked it with her thumb, and sprayed water at it.
The water spray isn't very powerful; it only messes up its freshly groomed feathers and doesn't hurt it, so Xiang Wan is quite at ease.
The goose honked even louder and flapped its wings as it chased after her, seemingly angry and wanting to peck her. Xiang Wan suddenly seemed to take a liking to it and started playing with it outside.
To be precise, it was Mr. Goose being unilaterally played by someone...
*
In the bedroom on the other side of the second floor, Chen Yan watched the man and the goose chasing each other, and his expression softened unconsciously.
Ni Zhen and Zhao Luyu, standing behind them, looked somewhat anxious: "Chen Ruilin, were you even listening to us?"
"Xinyang Kitchen Cabinets has gone bankrupt. We've already written all the paperwork, but they can't pay the remaining balance, so it's like we wrote it all for nothing!!!"
Chen Yan remained calm upon hearing this: "Didn't I say not to come to my house? This is a small matter, tomorrow is Monday, we can just talk about it in the dorm."
"Such a small matter??" Zhao Luyu's face darkened upon hearing this. "And is this even the important thing right now?"
"Besides, even if Xiang Wan knew, what difference would it make if you partnered with us to start a company?"
"You don't understand."
Chen Yan's tone remained calm, but it only made the impatient Zhao Luyu even angrier: "No, Chen Ruilin, we've been working for nothing these past few months, do you understand?"
Ni Zhen, standing to the side, remained silent, looking as listless as a wilted eggplant.
Back then, the director of Xinyang Kitchen Cabinets was extremely stingy and always tried to bargain. He drank countless bottles of alcohol during that time.
I drank beer, liquor, and red wine with the other party's director until I almost got a stomach hemorrhage. We finally managed to finalize the contract, but then Xinyang Cabinets went bankrupt.
He was so anxious that a boil appeared on his lip. Seeing the tense atmosphere, he lost all interest in mediating between the two. He picked up a pillow from Chen Yan's bed and covered his ears, as if that would stop them from arguing.
Although Zhao Luyu's tone was somewhat urgent, he also looked extremely dejected. Chen Yan, seeing the two looking crestfallen, didn't offer any comfort but instead directly provided a solution.
"Although Xinyang Kitchen Cabinets went bankrupt, its major shareholder is Shuan Home Furnishings, a long-established leading kitchen cabinet company. Xinyang's smart home project is likely a pilot project. If it is successful, they will also combine kitchen cabinets with smart home technology."
"..." Upon hearing this, Zhao Luyu was no longer in a hurry, and Ni Zhen's headache also subsided.
Ni Zhen casually hugged the cushion to her chest, remained silent for a moment, as if she understood Chen Yan's unspoken meaning: "So, you mean you want to go directly to Shu An and explain our program to them..."
He paused, as if still having some concerns. Zhao Luyu picked up where Ni Zhen left off and asked his worry: "But Shu'an is the industry leader, will they pay attention to us?"
Ni Zhen removed the cushion, and the two of them looked at Chen Yan together. Chen Yan looked away from the window and at the two of them: "Then it depends on your abilities."
"..."
The two exchanged glances, as if considering the matter, and decided that the plan was feasible. They figured they could probably get a slightly higher price than before if they gritted their teeth.
'Why didn't we think of that while we were in the dorm?'
'It's not your fault you're stupid.'
'You think you're so smart, how come you didn't think of that?'
'I never said I was smart.'
'...' Zhao Luyu couldn't help but say, 'Ni Zhen, you're shameless.'
Just then, Wang Yidong brought over some fruit. She knocked on the door, and Chen Yan told her to come in before she entered.
"Xiao Yan, are these your friends?" Wang Yidong looked at the two of them with some curiosity. She recognized Zhao Luyu, but not Ni Zhen.
Just as Ni Zhen was about to introduce herself, Chen Yan said without any mercy, "Just a classmate who came to ask about homework."
Ni Zhen: "..."
Wang Yidong smiled at them and said, "Then you two have a good talk, I won't disturb you any longer."
Zhao Luyu, being a sociable and easygoing person, smiled and accepted the fruit platter she offered, saying, "I'm not bothering you, thank you for the fruit, Sister Yidong."
Although Wang Yidong was just a maid, she had been Xiang Wan's confidante for several years, so everyone called her Sister Yidong.
Wang Yidong was also coaxed into a smile: "Stay at home for dinner before you leave."
Xiang Jia Zhao Luyu had come before and was about to agree when he heard Chen Yan say, "They've already eaten at home and are going back to their dorms soon, otherwise there's a curfew."
Zhao Luyu: 'How come I didn't know there was a curfew in the dorms...'
Ni Zhen looked at him with schadenfreude, and after Wang Yidong left, the two of them looked at Chen Yan with resentment.
Ni Zhen raised an eyebrow: "Are we your mistresses?"
Zhao Luyu retorted irritably, "Besides, are we really that bad?"
Chen Yan: "..."
Seeing that the two seemed to be full of resentment, he said quietly, "When we go to Shuan Home Furnishings, I will go with you."
Upon hearing this, their anger subsided instantly. Apart from Xiang Wan, Chen Yan had never liked interacting with people. He would rather stay in his dormitory writing code for a month than have a meal with a client.
Both of them were aware of this, so they tacitly avoided contacting him, whether they were having dinner or drinking with clients.
Unexpectedly, he surprisingly offered to have dinner with Shu An. Both of them were flattered until Chen Yan warned them, "I'm not going to drink."
The two were quick to respond: "Of course, you can just go when you're demonstrating the program."
"Zhao Luyu is drinking with us."
"Bullshit, Ni Zhen is involved in drinking."
"..."
*
For the two weeks after returning to school, the three boys in dormitory 615 were either skipping classes or on their way to skip classes.
Although the code initially written for Xinyang Cabinets didn't need to be changed much, Shuan is taking a high-end approach, so while the code didn't need major modifications, it still needed some polishing.
In his professional classes, the senior finance professor was lecturing at the front, while Chen Yan sat in the back row coding.
During the break, the disciplinary committee came to take attendance. When they called Zhao Luyu and Ni Zhen's names, two male voices rang out from next to Chen Yan.
"Zhao Luyu".
"arrive--"
"Ni Zhen".
"arrive--"
These two people were hired by Zhao Luyu to substitute for him. They were both third-year students, which is the time when they are most free in college. In addition, Zhao Luyu paid them generously for their substitute teaching, so they usually took the classes.
They've come so many times that they're practically strangers.
"What a coincidence, are you here to cover for Ni Zhen?"
"Oh yeah, you're here to substitute for Zhao Luyu too?"
"Yeah, he booked it for a whole semester."
"Me too."
…
While the two were still chatting, Chen Yan glanced at the disciplinary committee members who were about to leave after taking attendance, and then looked at the group chat on WeChat.
Zhao Luyu: [President Shu An's son seems to be from Bei Yi High School. He should know Xiang Wan. If Xiang Wan has already greeted him, then there's no need to suffer through waiting for him.]
Ni Zhen: [doge.jpg. It's strange that someone would be willing to let their goddess owe them a favor.]
Zhao Luyu: […I was just saying, I know it's impossible. Ni Zhen, how are things on your end?]
Ni Zhen: [Mr. Wang from Xuxin Technology knows one of the directors from Shuan, and they're having drinks together. He said he could introduce us.]
Zhao Luyu: [I feel like we'll have to rely on your line of work. I haven't even met President Shu An yet.]
Chen Yan: [Go for it.jpg]
Zhao Luyu and Ni Zhen were silent for two seconds before sending a series of grinning emojis to flood the screen.
Chen Yan: [The code has been corrected.]
The two then changed their tune again, flooding the screen with memes of people clinging to someone's leg.
Seeing his two insincere roommates, Chen Yan stopped replying to the group messages, locked his phone, and started polishing his code again.
*
During the two months since the start of the semester at Beiyi University, no one has been idle.
Chen Yan was busy with his studio, while Xiang Wan was busy with her company.
As for the trio, they were busy with their internships. Although it was just to experience their respective companies, school and society are different after all. Although the three of them were a little tired, they were very fulfilled.
Only Zhou Chengze, ever since he had that dream, his life seemed to have been completely put on pause, and he succumbed to utter despair...
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