Chapter 18

Chapter 18

But clearly, Hao Tu was not thinking along the same lines as him.

“Whatever. It's not like I'm some delicate prince.”

You're not delicate?

Cold sweat appeared on Hui Jiang's forehead.

“Haha, really?”

He turned his head and changed the subject.

“Take a look and see what you need to bring. Pack a little.”

“Mhm.”

Hao Tu nodded and returned to his spot.

Hui Jiang glanced at him and discovered that he had actually started gathering clothes.

Judging by the situation, it would take him quite a while to finish packing.

So Hui Jiang took out his phone and slipped onto the balcony to call Mother Hui.

“Mom, have you eaten yet?”

He greeted her out of habit.

Mother Hui replied,

“Just finished. Your dad and I are taking a walk downstairs right now. When are you coming back? Tell me in advance so I can cook for you.”

“The train leaves at noon tomorrow. I'll probably arrive in the afternoon.”

He scratched his head and took a breath.

“Um, Mom.”

As always, his mother's tone was impatient.

“What now? If it's nothing important, I'm hanging up.”

“Don't! I actually need to tell you something.”

“Uh... tomorrow, I'm bringing a classmate home with me. A guy. He's my teammate. So, you know...”

“Oh, is that all?”

Unexpectedly, Mother Hui was very easygoing.

“It's just one more person's meal. No big deal.”

“Why are you suddenly being so reasonable?”

Hui Jiang felt unaccustomed to it.

Mother Hui sounded helpless.

“When was I ever unreasonable? The reason I didn't let you bring classmates home before was because kids that age are the most troublesome. But it's different now. You're already in college.”

“Oh right, you'd better hurry up too. Ideally, bring a girl home within the next few years.”

The moment he heard that topic, Hui Jiang got a headache.

“Okay, okay. I haven't finished eating yet. I'll hang up first.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately ended the call.

A girlfriend?

There was no need to think about that before graduation.

Hui Jiang grabbed a towel and returned to the dormitory, only to be shocked by the suitcase Hao Tu had packed.

Good lord.

An entire suitcase stuffed with clothes.

That was absurdly excessive.

Not only that, Hao Tu himself was still standing there with a troubled expression, carefully selecting more clothes.

Hui Jiang knew this guy was rich.

The number of shirts and jackets in Hao Tu's wardrobe was several times greater than his own.

These days, boys not only had to be handsome, they also had to know how to take care of themselves.

Otherwise, they could never become campus heartthrobs.

“Uh...”

Hui Jiang stepped over the suitcase spread across the floor.

“You're bringing this many clothes? Honestly, two changes of clothes should be enough.”

“That's you.”

Hao Tu glanced at him.

“You and I are different. Besides, I'm going to meet your parents. How can I keep wearing the same two outfits?”

“Uh...”

What does meeting my parents have to do with any of this?

Knowing he couldn't stop him, Hui Jiang said,

“I think you've already packed seven outfits. That should be enough, right?”

“Mhm. I'll bring two more sets of pajamas.”

Hao Tu turned around and continued rummaging through his things.

Seeing that the suitcase was already overflowing, Hui Jiang quickly said,

“You can borrow my pajamas. No need to bring any.”

In reality, he was afraid Hao Tu would make him help carry all that luggage.

But for some reason, Hao Tu froze.

Only after a long moment did he recover.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

Turning his face away, he stared at the silk pajamas in his wardrobe.

“I can't get used to wearing your pajamas.”

“Oh... I see.”

That made sense.

When Hui Jiang slept, he usually just wore a T-shirt and shorts.

He was completely different from the refined Young Master Hao Tu.

Being rejected felt perfectly reasonable.

Hui Jiang didn't think much about it.

“I'm only bringing my laptop. Carrying too much luggage is exhausting.”

“Got it.”

Seeing that Hao Tu wasn't interested in his suggestion, Hui Jiang shrugged and returned to his seat to browse videos.

As a result, he completely missed Hao Tu's expression.

Hao Tu was handsome.

His lips had sharp, well-defined contours.

He rarely smiled.

Combined with his cool, distant eyes, he often seemed difficult to approach.

Like the hardest ice at the peak of a snow-covered mountain.

It possessed the transparency of water, yet also the piercing chill of frost.

But now, he awkwardly clutched his pajamas.

A trace of ordinary human vulnerability showed between his brows.

Should I bring them or not?

Hui Jiang's words had just reminded him.

If he didn't bring pajamas, then he would have a reason to borrow...

Hui Jiang's...

Pajamas.

Hao Tu's earlobes became hot.

A faint watery haze appeared in his eyes.

Covering his mouth, he did not dare look at the person behind him, silently despising this embarrassing thought.

Hao Tu glanced at the suitcase.

His pupils contracted slightly.

Mhm.

The suitcase was already full anyway.

There was no room left.

Then let's leave it at that.

Calmly withdrawing his hand, he shut the two sets of pajamas inside the wardrobe.

Bending down, he locked the suitcase.

A faint anticipation for tomorrow began to grow inside him.

...

...

Vrrr—

The roar of engines echoed through the air.

The blazing midday sun cast scorching light across the open-air parking lot.

A sweet female voice rang through the spacious waiting hall.

“Passengers departing for F City on the 12:35 service, please proceed to Window Number Six for ticket inspection.”

The moment Hui Jiang heard it, he immediately became energized.

Dragging Hao Tu along, he squeezed into the crowd waiting for inspection.

After lunch, they had rushed straight to the bus station by subway.

Even so, they had only barely arrived on time.

“Hurry up.”

Hui Jiang turned around and saw Hao Tu struggling to pull his suitcase through the crowd.

Without thinking, he reached over and grabbed the handle.

“Walk faster. I'll pull it for you.”

“Ah.”

Hao Tu froze for a moment.

By the time he came back to his senses, Hui Jiang had already dragged the suitcase several meters away.

He quickly followed behind.

For Hui Jiang, squeezing onto buses to return home was something he had long become accustomed to.

But Hao Tu was different.

Since he lived in the city, he was bound to be less used to this kind of travel.

For efficiency's sake, Hui Jiang could only lend him a hand.

Beep.

After scanning the QR code ticket and passing through the gate, they stepped outside.

The heat immediately crashed over them like a tidal wave.

So hot.

Hui Jiang sighed inwardly.

“Thank you.”

What?

The sudden expression of gratitude caught Hui Jiang off guard.

Turning his head, he saw Hao Tu's handsome face.

Today, Hao Tu was wearing a white cap.

The shadow concealed his attractive features.

He took the suitcase handle back from Hui Jiang.

“I'll do it. Go find seats first.”

He smiled at Hui Jiang.

The smile was even more dazzling than the blazing sunlight.

“Oh, sure.”

Hui Jiang tightened his grip on his backpack straps, once again marveling at the destructive power of good looks.

Climbing onto the coach bus, a blast of cold air mixed with an unpleasant leather smell washed over him.

Hui Jiang frowned slightly.

His luck this time was terrible.

He had ended up on an old bus.

After a brief thought, he decided it was only a three-hour ride.

Enduring it shouldn't be a problem.

However, he completely overlooked the unpredictable factor known as Hao Tu.

Sure enough, the moment Hao Tu boarded the bus, his brows never relaxed.

He immediately spotted Hui Jiang.

Lowering his head, he made his way over and sat down beside him.

The first thing he said was,

“The air in here is terrible. Is it always like this when you go home?”

Hui Jiang touched the air-conditioning vent above his head.

“Not really. It depends on luck. Maybe there weren't enough buses available during Golden Week.”

“Tsk.”

Hao Tu removed his cap and wore a sour expression.

“How many hours until we get to your house?”

Hui Jiang held up three fingers.

“Just endure it. You don't get motion sickness, do you?”

Hao Tu stubbornly replied,

“As if. My health is better than yours. If you don't get motion sickness, then I definitely won't either.”

“That's true. Sleep for a while and we'll be there before you know it.”

After taking a drink of water, Hui Jiang felt the bus start moving.

He pulled out his earphones from his bag, put them on, narrowed his eyes, and prepared to sleep.

Hao Tu patted him.

“I don't usually have the habit of taking naps.”

Hui Jiang encouraged him.

“Then just close your eyes for a bit. Once the bus keeps rocking, you'll naturally fall asleep.”

After speaking, he lay back down again.

Hao Tu found it boring.

He unlocked his phone, but the constant shaking quickly made his eyes tired.

Left with no choice, he woke Hui Jiang up again.

“The shaking is making my eyes hurt. You're not allowed to sleep. Chat with me first.”

“Chat... about what?”

Hui Jiang helplessly removed his earphones.

“Let's agree in advance—not a word about the design competition. If you bring that up again, I'll definitely throw up right here on the bus.”

“Fine.”

Hao Tu thought for a moment.

Sure enough, he couldn't think of any topic.

“You can chat endlessly with Fang Hao and the others. Why is it that when you're with me...”

“Am I?”

When it came to Hao Tu, there really didn't seem to be much to talk about.

Hui Jiang scratched his head.

“Do you use Bilibili?”

“Only enough to know what it is. I'm not interested.”

“What a shame.”

Hui Jiang sighed.

“There are so many pretty girls on Bilibili.”

Hao Tu immediately found him annoying to look at.

“Oh? Internet celebrities?”

“Not exactly. But the really talented ones are definitely quite famous.”

A feeling of discomfort rose in Hao Tu's chest.

“They're just fooling a bunch of losers like you.”

Holy crap.

Hui Jiang felt as if he'd been shot in the knee.

This guy's words were seriously unpleasant and thoughtless.

Unable to help himself, he retorted,

“How am I a loser? I'm at a prestigious university, I'm one hundred eighty centimeters tall, and I'm not bad-looking either. No matter how you look at it, I'm a talented young man.”

“Uh... I was just making fun of myself.”

Only then did Hao Tu realize he had upset Hui Jiang.

He hurriedly searched for an excuse.

“Don't guys always call themselves losers? Surely nobody actually thinks they're a heartthrob.”

“What? Is that how it works?”

Even an arrogant person like Hao Tu thought of himself as a loser?

Hui Jiang began wondering whether he actually knew too little about him.

“Heh.”

Hao Tu turned his head and chuckled softly.

“Of course. Anyway, I'm not that kind of arrogant person.”

“I've always thought of myself as very ordinary. Whether it's my family background, my abilities, or my appearance.”

“I'm not denying that there are people who are extremely narcissistic, but I'm definitely not one of them.”

Easy for you to say.

Hui Jiang looked at him suspiciously.

“How are you ordinary? Academically, you're one of the strongest students in our class. As for your looks, there's no need to even mention them.”

As for Hao Tu's family background, Hui Jiang's knowledge was limited to the fact that he was from H City and that his family owned a house and a car.

“Everyone wants acknowledgment from the people they care about... Hearing you say that makes me genuinely happy.”

What's gotten into Hao Tu today?

That didn't sound like him at all.

Hui Jiang blinked.

“Hao Tu, don't put yourself down. If you're considered ordinary, then someone like me might as well go kill himself.”

“That's not true.”

The moment Hao Tu said it, his earlobes turned red.

He quickly shifted his gaze away, afraid the other man would notice.

“Ahem. Everyone has their own strengths...”

“As long as you work hard for the design competition and achieve a good result.”

Help.

How did the conversation circle back to this again?

Hui Jiang scratched his head.

“That would be ideal.”

If possible, he certainly wanted to place well.

He just didn't have much confidence.

“Mhm.”

Hao Tu leaned slightly inward, shortening the distance between them once more.

“Next time, I'll invite you to my house. How about it?”

“Really? I'd feel bad imposing.”

Hao Tu immediately returned to his usual tsundere attitude.

“Come if you want. Don't come if you don't.”

“Since you've already invited me, I'm definitely going.”

Hui Jiang quickly smoothed his feathers.

“The great Hao's house, after all.”

“Oh right, where do you live?”

“XX New Town on Subway Line One. It's very close to the university. Once you get off the train, it's only a short walk.”

Hao Tu unlocked his phone and checked the time.

“Next weekend when we have time off, let's go swimming together.”

“Sure.”

Hui Jiang puffed himself up proudly.

“I'm actually really good at swimming.”

Then a concern occurred to him.

“But it'll be autumn by then. Won't it be too cold?”

“It's fine. My house has a temperature-control system. You can swim even in winter.”

Huh?

A temperature-control system?

His family has a swimming pool?

“Your family... lives in a villa?”

“You didn't know?”

Hearing that answer alone was shocking enough.

But only a few days later did Hui Jiang learn the actual housing prices in that area.

One hundred thousand yuan per square meter.

For a villa, at least two hundred thousand yuan per square meter.

Only then did he finally realize that Hao Tu was an unbelievably wealthy tycoon.