《Sick Beauty and His Bamboo Horse Bodyguard》


 CH 1

    "Kick the ball to me."


    As Shen Jianan''s head felt heavy and his consciousness gradually returned, the first thing he heard was a little boy''s voice. He felt puzzled and groggily opened his eyes, only to see a square in front of him with the sounds of children playing all around.


    Shen Jianan was confused. Wasn''t he dead? Where was he? Was this a dream?


    Before he could think too much, he suddenly saw a football flying straight towards him. Just as he had regained his senses and his mind was still a bit foggy, he instinctively closed his eyes.


    But the expected pain did not come.


    "I must be dead," Shen Jianan thought.


    The sunlight shone on one side of his face, warming his skin.


    Slowly, Shen Jianan opened his eyes again, and in the light filtering through the trees, he saw a cool and handsome young boy standing in front of him with his arms outstretched, blocking the way.


    There was a football rolling at his feet.


    "I''m Jiang Chi," the young boy introduced himself coolly.


    Shen Jianan was taken aback. He finally realized why he felt a sense of familiarity when he first saw this scene. It was because this was the first scene of a BL novel he had read before he died, and the attacking protagonist in the novel was named Jiang Chi.


    And the corresponding position he was in right now...


    It''s about growing up together with Jiang Chi for more than ten years, being a cannon fodder childhood friend with the same name and surname as Sheng Jianan who will also die of illness sooner or later.


    Did he reincarnate? Did he enter a BL novel?


    When Sheng Jianan got this novel, it was already tattered and missing many pages, so he didn''t read it completely. He only remembered the vague content of the book, but the love triangle between the three main characters was very clear.


    The protagonist, as well as the cannon fodder childhood friend, became good friends after they met in this scene. Jiang Chi consciously took on the role of being the protector of the sickly little childhood friend who always got bullied, and the two grew up together, inseparable and intimate.


    In theory, such a precious and rare friendship should have been maintained for a lifetime. But it was no match for the BL novel, "Childhood Friends Can''t Beat Fate."


    It''s about growing up together with Jiang Chi for more than ten years, being a cannon fodder childhood friend with the same name and surname as Sheng Jianan who will also die of illness sooner or later.


    Did he reincarnate? Did he enter a BL novel?


    When Sheng Jianan got this novel, it was already tattered and missing many pages, so he didn''t read it completely. He only remembered the vague content of the book, but the love triangle between the three main characters was very clear.


    The protagonist, as well as the cannon fodder childhood friend, became good friends after they met in this scene. Jiang Chi consciously took on the role of being the protector of the sickly little childhood friend who always got bullied, and the two grew up together, inseparable and intimate.


    In theory, such a precious and rare friendship should have been maintained for a lifetime. But it was no match for the BL novel, "Childhood Friends Can''t Beat Fate."


    Destiny is the most unreasonable thing.


    No matter how much Jiang Chi cared for the little childhood friend in the past ten years, showering all his affection on him, making the little friend''s heart flutter and ache with unrequited love, Jiang Chi was always a straight man who avoided anything gay, and he never noticed the little friend''s feelings for him.


    But once the protagonist appeared, Jiang Chi, the straight man, immediately bent at a right angle and aggressively pursued the protagonist, completely like a different person.


    As the cannon fodder in this novel, the little childhood friend was the natural antagonist of the protagonist. Therefore, he was persecuted by the protagonist and his friends, and being weak and sickly, he never even received a glance from Jiang Chi before he was on his deathbed. The ending was very sad.


    Sheng Jianan felt very sorry for this little childhood friend. He was obviously the precious one who Jiang Chi cherished and no one else was allowed to touch him, so why didn''t Jiang Chi care for him in the end?


    This is probably the power of novels, Sheng Jianan thought. After the author put down their pen, the tragic life of a paper person was decided, regardless of whether the behavior and logic were consistent.


    But this time was different. Sheng Jianan was reborn and he had a thirst for life. He would never let others decide his fate again.


    In his past life, Sheng Jianan''s father didn''t love his mother and he died of illness before he turned eighteen. Since fate had given him a chance to be reborn, this time he would choose to live a healthy life, get along well with his new parents, study hard, go to a good university, find a good job, and take a good look at the future of this world for both himself and the poor child he used to be.


    Now that he already knew the ending, he could certainly avoid the tragedy from happening as much as possible. He would never follow in the footsteps of being a cannon fodder.


    "My name is Sheng Jianan," he introduced himself to the boy in front of him.


    Perhaps because of his weak physique, his voice was also soft and tender, making people want to protect him.


    At this moment, a gentle woman''s voice came from beside him, "Nannan, come home for dinner. Dad bought your favorite pork ribs."


    The sun was shining brightly and there was laughter and joy all around.


    Everything was just beginning.


    ____________________________


    "The vehicle is arriving at the front of Xia City University."


    Sheng Jianan dozed off and was awakened from his sleep by the announcement on the bus. His eyelashes trembled slightly as he struggled to wake up from his drowsiness.


    He had dreamt again. In recent years, Sheng Jianan would occasionally dream of the scenes where he and Jiang Chi met. His subconscious seemed to be constantly reminding him, preventing him from making the same mistake again.


    Sheng Jianan looked out of the window.


    The bus slowed down and drove under the plane trees in front of Xia University''s gate. Through the dappled light and shadows between the leaves, he saw a male student standing at the school gate.


    The male student was tall with long legs, dressed simply and handsomely. At the moment, he was texting with his head down, looking like he was waiting for someone. During this period, the gazes of many male and female students passing by fell on him, but he remained indifferent.


    Sheng Jianan could almost imagine the handsome expression of Jiang Chi with his eyebrows furrowed at this moment.


    As Jiang Chi raised his head, Sheng Jianan''s phone, which he was holding, vibrated twice.


    He lowered his head to unlock the screen, and the car slowly stopped at the station.


    [Jiang Chi: You were supposed to arrive at 1:30, but it''s already past 2 now. What kind of driver is this?]


    [Jiang Chi: I want to complain!!!]


    Whenever something happens to him, Jiang Chi always overreacts, while Sheng Jianan has long been accustomed to it. They were about to meet, but he didn''t rush to reply to the message and got out of the car directly.


    Just as Sheng Jianan was walking towards Jiang Chi, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder from behind.


    Sheng Jianan turned around and saw a tall, wheat-skinned boy.


    When the boy saw his face, he raised his eyebrows and his eyes flashed with admiration, and said, "Senior, what a coincidence, do you remember me? My name is Cen Jin. We talked at the basketball court when you were waiting for Jiang Chi. I got on the bus a few stops before you. I don''t know if you saw me."


    In a moment of hesitation, Sheng Jianan nodded politely.


    In fact, he had not seen him. He usually pays little attention to his surroundings, and most of the time, Jiang Chi is chatting incessantly with him, asking him to pick him up, take a taxi, and asking why he didn''t bring him home, etc. He simply doesn''t have time for anything else.


    Cen Jin noticed Sheng Jianan as soon as he entered the university.


    It''s no wonder, Sheng Jianan''s appearance and temperament are well-known in the school. He has a cool and godly look, with a flawless face, and his temperament is rare and out of the ordinary. He exudes a sense of coldness that keeps people at a distance of thousands of miles. But in fact, he is not cold, and he maintains appropriate social interactions with people, except for Jiang Chi.


    Every aspect of Sheng Jianan almost perfectly attracted Cen Jin. If he could take Sheng Jianan out, Cen Jin could almost imagine how much face he would have. However, there was always someone by Sheng Jianan''s side, like a mangy dog, and he never had a chance to get his contact information.


    Today was really his lucky day. He had just come out of the hotel and had run into Sheng Jianan alone. This was quite rare.


    Seeing Sheng Jianan nod, Cen Jin''s eyes lit up, and he suddenly felt that he had a chance. His tone was a bit pretentious and confident, "Senior, I know you are just like me."


    Sheng Jianan hesitated for a moment, looking at him with a hint of confusion in his eyes.


    "You and I, we are the same," said Cen Jin again, with a very confident tone and hints in his words. "Senior, instead of wasting time with people who don''t understand you every day, why don''t you come and hang out with me? I can bring you into our same circle. He doesn''t understand you, but I understand everything about you."


    Seeing Shen Jianan''s silent expression, Cen Jin thought he was somewhat tempted but was hesitant to express it. After all, Shen Jianan was introverted and seemed very quiet, but which confirmed male student who had acknowledged his own sexual orientation wouldn''t want to find his own circle?


    Cen Jin became somewhat confident and picked up his phone to shake it. "How about it, senior? Add me on WeChat?"


    "Not interested," a pleasant but cold voice came from behind them.


    Shen Jianan glanced sideways and indeed saw Jiang Chi standing coldly by his side. As if declaring sovereignty, he slung an arm over Shen Jianan''s shoulder and hooked him.


    The whole summer university knew that their relationship was very close, to the point where they were almost inseparable outside of class, and they were a well-known pair of good brothers at school. No one could get involved.


    But there were always people who were not sensible, and Jiang Chi looked coldly at Cen Jin.


    Cen Jin, of course, knew that Jiang Chi would occasionally play ball with him, and every time they rested, he could hear the other person say he was done playing and had to go pick up Shen Jianan from class. It was as if playing ball was just a tool to pass the time while waiting for Shen Jianan.


    When the two of them were together, it was even worse, sticking together like conjoined twins. He saw Jiang Chi practically wanting to feed water to Shen Jianan and it was no wonder there were all kinds of rumors outside.


    If it weren''t for Cen Jin''s careful observation for a while and accidentally overhearing Shen Jianan explaining to others that they were just childhood friends and very good friends, he would have suspected that this was the two of them indulging in their little hobby of openly and honestly engaging in an underground romance.


    But some straight men were indeed shameless, even inferior to gays.


    Cen Jin looked at Jiang Chi, with a slightly reduced expression on his face: "This seems to have nothing to do with you, Senior Jiang."


    Jiang Chi seemed to have heard a joke and chuckled, asking back, "It has nothing to do with me? The whole Xia University knows that Sheng Jianan''s matter is my matter, don''t you know?"


    Cen Jin also laughed: "Even if you have a good relationship, Senior Jiang should not interfere with Senior Sheng''s freedom to make friends, right? After all, even the best of friends will eventually part ways."


    After a slight pause, he glanced at Sheng Jianan and said meaningfully, "Senior Sheng will eventually have new friends and... love interests."


    Sheng Jianan''s eyes flickered and he looked at Jiang Chi sideways.


    Sure enough, Jiang Chi''s expression paused, and a hint of distress that only he could detect flashed in his eyes.


    Jiang Chi had not yet come up with a good solution for the fact that Sheng Jianan would inevitably need to date someone else and become closer to another person in the future.


    "... This is not about controlling." Jiang Chi smiled faintly, with a hint of disdain in his expression, "It''s about selection. Your unrestrained behavior in daily life is not worthy of being friends with Sheng Jianan."


    Upon hearing this, Sheng Jianan suddenly remembered hearing the name Cen Jin from another friend before.


    It seemed that he often played basketball with Jiang Chi, and there were many men and women around him playing together. His private life was particularly chaotic. Because he was often mentioned in the basketball team, he had conflicts with Jiang Chi.


    Cen Jin couldn''t argue with this, and stared at Jiang Chi for a while. He had to admit that Jiang Chi had some degree of pressure on him in terms of height and aura.


    Cen Jin cleared his throat and decided to shift his gaze to Sheng Jianan, winking at him suggestively, "Believe me, Senior, no matter what I was like in the past, I am one hundred percent sincere to you now. Please be friends with me."


    He deliberately spoke vaguely and suggestively, because he was sure that Jiang Chi was controllable in front of Sheng Jianan.


    Only when Sheng Jianan was not around would he act like an unreasonable mad dog. He had only complimented Sheng Jianan''s good looks and his waist being softer than a girl''s, and his legs being thin and straight, but he had inexplicably been beaten up a few times by him.


    This move was indeed effective. Sheng Jianan immediately felt the air pressure around him drop a bit, and the force on his shoulders became a bit heavier.


    Jiang Chi''s possessiveness towards him was something he had always been aware of.


    Without waiting for Jiang Chi to speak, Sheng Jianan lifted his eyelids and said indifferently, "Sorry, I don''t understand what you''re saying. We also have different interests, so I''ll leave first."


    After speaking, he nudged Jiang Chi and left with him, avoiding any further conflict between them.


    ____________________________


    On the way back to the dormitory, Jiang Chi took Shen Jianan''s schoolbag as soon as possible, slung it over his shoulder, and possessively held his hand by his side.


    Shen Jianan was wearing a white shirt today, with his sleeves rolled up to his wrists, revealing a sleek forearm. He was slender and tall, with a pale complexion that was somewhat translucent under the sunlight, revealing a delicate beauty that hinted at some frailty.


    Noticing Jiang Chi''s gaze, Shen Jianan turned his head and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Jiang Chi looked at him and said, "You are so attractive, it didn''t take long for someone to try to take my place."


    Shen Jianan paused and pulled out the mineral water bottle from his schoolbag, took two sips, and licked his moistened lips. "How much did you hear?" he asked.


    Jiang Chi hesitated, his face not looking too good. "He asked for your WeChat and wanted to be friends with you. Did he say anything else?"


    "No," Shen Jianan twisted the bottle cap and said, "No one wants to take your place."


    Seeing that there was still some water left in the bottle, Jiang Chi asked, "Do you want to drink more?"


    Shen Jianan understood his meaning, shook his head, and handed him the water bottle directly.


    Jiang Chi chugged the rest of the water in one gulp.


    While unscrewing the bottle cap, Jiang Chi''s eyes turned slightly cold as he thought of something. He smiled sarcastically and asked, "Why would he try so hard to be friends with you if he didn''t have the purpose to take my place?"


    Although Jiang Chi had heard from Ling Mo that Cen Jin had many shady friends and an extremely reckless lifestyle, he didn''t know the specifics and didn''t care. He just didn''t like the fact that Cen Jin always seemed to show an interest in Sheng Jianan, whether intentionally or not.


    After a two-second silence, Sheng Jianan looked at him and said, "You want to be friends with me too."


    Jiang Chi didn''t catch the implied meaning behind this statement and pulled Sheng Jianan towards him, shamelessly getting very close to him and asking, "Can I be like him? What''s our relationship?"


    Jiang Chi''s possessiveness towards Sheng Jianan had grown stronger as he aged, and Sheng Jianan had long since grown accustomed to it. However, it was unfortunate that this possessiveness had nothing to do with love.


    Although Sheng Jianan knew that he was destined to fall for Jiang Chi and had been prepared for it for a long time, he still couldn''t help feeling disappointed. In the countless moments when Jiang Chi was good to him, he occasionally had a fleeting thought that maybe Jiang Chi had a slight attraction to him. Perhaps he could change the trajectory of the novel.


    But perhaps was just perhaps. Life was not easy to come by. Since he couldn''t control his feelings, he could at least control his actions and hide his emotions so that Jiang Chi would never find out. When his destined other half appeared, he could safely leave without getting involved in their affairs.


    Sheng Jianan lowered his eyelashes.


    "You see, as soon as I leave you, you get harassed by others." Jiang Chi''s voice interrupted Sheng Jianan''s contemplation. He looked up and heard Jiang Chi take advantage of the moment to make a request, "So we can''t be separated. You have to call me the next time you go back, okay?"


    "You left, and I couldn''t even eat today." Jiang Chi muttered.


    Sheng Jianan remained silent.


    In the past, he had indeed been harassed because of his overly attractive appearance, and it was mostly Jiang Chi who had resolved his troubles. Jiang Chi had fought for him since they were young, and he had lost count of how many times he had fought for him.


    Therefore, in high school, many classmates jokingly referred to Jiang Chi as his personal bodyguard. When Sheng Jianan went east, Jiang Chi would never go west. Putting aside their predetermined future, Jiang Chi was truly a very, very good friend.


    Sheng Jianan nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. Are you hungry now? I''ll accompany you to eat."


    "No need, let''s just have dinner later." Jiang Chi hugged Sheng Jianan, whom he hadn''t seen all morning, and was very satisfied. He suddenly felt that the saying "love makes the world go round" was true, because they had the closest relationship in the world.


    This time, Sheng Jianan went home alone because his mother said she missed him and had made some food for him. Jiang Chi happened to be in class, so he took the opportunity to go home for a visit. As in the past, they usually went home together.


    Their two families lived in the same community, and their parents had known each other since they were very young and had a good relationship. Although Jiang Chi''s family was always very rich and even richer later on, considering that the two children had a good relationship and had to play together every day, no matter how many new houses Jiang Chi''s parents bought, they still spent most of their time in the old house in this area.


    Jiang Chi himself even told his parents when he was a child that all the new houses should prepare two rooms, one for him and one for Sheng Jianan. Of course, they could also live in a big room together, as he wouldn''t mind.


    Because of these things, Jiang Chi''s mother had teased him a lot, saying that he had found himself a child bride. But of course, Sheng Jianan naturally refused to go, so Jiang Chi stayed in the old house.


    When they arrived at the dorm, Sheng Jianan took out a few small gift boxes from his backpack filled with snowflake pastries and biscuits. Jiang Chi could tell right away that they were made by Sheng''s mom. Sheng Jianan was always frail and sickly, often needing to take bitter medicine. His mom would always make some delicious and healthy desserts to cheer him up.


    Sheng''s mom was in charge of making the treats, while Jiang was in charge of cheering him up. Jiang leaned against the desk next to Sheng Jianan and asked, "Why did your mom prepare so many?"


    Sheng Jianan picked up two of the boxes and placed them on the desks of their absent roommates. Then, he placed the last box on the bookshelf and said, "This one is for Ling Mo."


    After he finished dividing the boxes, Jiang Chi looked around and then suddenly pushed Sheng Jianan from behind, trapping him against the desk. His warm breath tickled Sheng Jianan''s ear as he dodged to the side. Jiang Chi chuckled and said, "They all have one, but I don''t?"


    Jiang Chi rested his chin on the side of his face, one hand around his waist, as if threatening him. If Sheng Jianan had said no, he would have hugged him tighter. Sheng Jianan glanced at him from the corner of his eye and then pulled out another box from his backpack and opened it. "My mom said that since we''re always together, she didn''t prepare a separate box for you. She put ours together."


    Jiang Chi was very satisfied with Sheng''s mom''s approach. This was how he and Sheng Jianan should be, intimate and inseparable. Jiang Chi happily picked up a snowflake pastry and fed it to Sheng Jianan''s mouth, then threw one into his own mouth and said with a smile, "Who''s Auntie? She''s my real mom."


    As he spoke, his hand that was around Sheng Jianan''s waist suddenly pinched lightly. This was Sheng Jianan''s sensitive spot, and he instinctively dodged to the side.


    Without noticing, Jiang Chi hugged the person back, "Why did you get thinner again? Did you not eat today?"


    Sheng Jianan casually picked up a biscuit, "I did eat. No matter how much I eat, I don''t gain weight. You know that already."


    Jiang Chi touched his stomach and realized that he really wasn''t gaining any weight. He had been watching him eat all day, but he still hadn''t gained any weight.


    Sheng Jianan had a physique that was not easy to gain weight. No matter how much delicious food the Jiang and Sheng families fed him since childhood, his waist remained thin, and Jiang Chi could circle it with one hand.


    Sheng Jianan wanted to take his hand down, but he was instead held by Jiang Chi''s wrist, intentionally wrapped around by his whole hand.


    "My hand is bigger than yours." Jiang Chi scratched his palm and gestured.


    Sheng Jianan glanced at it twice, pulled his palm out, and pushed him away a bit. "It''s too hot. When are you going to play basketball? Remember to bring the biscuits for Ling Mo."


    As soon as he heard about basketball, Jiang Chi remembered the unpleasant scene from earlier.


    "Even the best of friends will eventually part ways. Senior Sheng will eventually have new friends and love interests," Cen Jinhui''s bitter voice crossed Jiang Chi''s mind.


    "I''m not going." Jiang Chi refused without hesitation. "You don''t have any classes I can mooch off of these past two days."


    As he spoke, Jiang Chi looked sideways at Sheng Jianan, who was slowly nibbling on a biscuit, with a bit of crumbs on his lips.


    Noticing his gaze, Sheng Jianan glanced over. "What''s wrong?"


    "Jianan," Jiang Chi asked, "do you want to date someone?"


    ____________________________


    The author has something to say:


    The original owner''s body was not stolen, and there is an explanation in the last chapter~

 CH 2

    Suddenly hearing this question, Sheng Jianan''s hand movements paused: "Why do you ask?"


    Jiang Chi remained silent for a while, released his hand from Sheng Jianan''s waist, leaned against the table, and looked at Sheng Jianan with a smile and said, "What do those people who are in a relationship think? In such a critical stage of college, isn''t it more worthwhile to enrich one''s resume and lay a foundation for the future? Is this not being responsible to our parents who worked hard to support us to study?"


    Sheng Jianan "..."


    Unexpectedly, the rich young master who spends money like dirt could also be so sensible and considerate. Uncle and auntie would shed tears if they heard this.


    "Anyway, I won''t be in a relationship in college, so what can I do with this time?" Jiang Chi said. "What do you think?"


    Sheng Jianan lowered his eyes and didn''t speak. Jiang Chi deliberately pinched his waist.


    Sheng Jianan then responded and grabbed his hand, tilting his head to look at him: "Are you sure?"


    Seeing him look skeptical, Jiang Chi felt amused and turned to him: "What do you mean, little Sheng Jianan, you don''t trust me so much? Don''t tell me you think I would be willing to abandon you to pursue a relationship?"


    Seeing that Sheng Jianan still didn''t speak, Jiang Chi didn''t know whether to feel angry or laugh: "You really don''t trust me? I''ve never met a girl who makes my heart flutter from childhood to adulthood."


    Because the person who makes your heart flutter is a boy.


    Sheng Jianan silently added a sentence in his heart, picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip, and said, "No one can say what will happen in the future."


    Jiang Chi looked at him for two seconds, and approached him dangerously: "Is it that you want to be in a relationship?"


    Sheng Jianan glanced at him and saw Jiang Chi staring at him tightly, as if afraid of seeing any sign of agreement from him.


    "...No," Sheng Jianan gave him a reassuring answer. "I haven''t thought about it yet."


    "That''s good," Jiang Chi breathed a sigh of relief. He was then in the mood to joke around and said, "You are going to become a great artist. Time is precious, and you cannot waste it on such mundane matters."


    "...What about you?" Sheng Jianan asked.


    "Me? Since I have you, why would I still want to pursue a relationship? Of course, I will protect and support you." Just thinking about this picture, Jiang Chi felt very happy and laughed, "You are responsible for being beautiful, and I am responsible for earning money to support you."


    At this moment, there was a sound of the door opening outside, and their roommates, San San and Lu Yu, came back. San San''s real name is Tan Jiashan, but because his name is too tongue-twisting and the character "Shan" is too feminine, he is called San San. Lu Yu took his parents'' surnames.


    When the two of them opened the door and saw the situation inside, they immediately started teasing.


    "Did we come back at the wrong time?" Lu Yu said with a smile.


    San San immediately followed up and joked, "I asked you to accompany me to the supermarket, but you didn''t go. Look what happened, we came back and disturbed the lovebirds."


    As they spoke, the two walked to their seats and saw the sweet snacks on the table. They knew that Sheng''s mother made them and thanked Sheng Jianan with a smile.


    San San picked up a piece of snowflake pastry and fed it to his mouth, then remembered something.


    "Oh, Jiang Chi."


    He turned around and hesitated, "A younger schoolmate you know asked me for your phone number. He said he likes you very much and pestered me for a long time. I didn''t agree, but he insisted that I pass the message on."


    Lu Yu shook his head in silence at the news.


    Jiang Chi had no reaction and was still flirting with Sheng Jianan in a gentle tone. "What does it have to do with me?"


    As expected, San San subconsciously looked at Lu Yu. In fact, he didn''t want to pass on the message. They had been roommates for more than a year, and who didn''t know that Jiang Chi hated gays? His expression would become very ugly at the mere mention of the word. It was said that something had happened before.


    But San San was easily persuaded, and as he looked at Jiang Chi''s expression while flirting with Sheng Jianan, he suddenly remembered the words of the younger schoolmate: "Is Jiang Chi straight? Look at how he acts with Senior Sheng, and you believed him when he said he was straight? He''s in the closet."


    In fact, when they first entered school, many people thought Jiang Chi and Sheng Jianan were a couple, and even caused a stir at Xia University because of their outstanding looks. At that time, someone took a picture of their backs and submitted it to a blogger who specialized in collecting pictures of beautiful and handsome college students across the country:


    [Among the freshmen in our school, there is a pair of boys who both look really good. They go in and out together every day and are never seen apart. One evening, I happened to run into them, and the taller one smiled and kept leaning against the cold and aloof handsome guy beside him, with his eyes fixed on him the whole way, hugging him as they walked. I stared at them the whole time and forgot to walk. The sunset had just fallen on their shoulders, casting a slightly orange glow on their hair tips. The picture was so beautiful that I thought at the time, novels come from reality, and I''m grateful that I worked hard to get into Xia University and witnessed this beautiful scene. I will remember it for the rest of my life.]


    At that time, this post received hundreds of thousands of likes and attracted countless netizens to comment, including Xia University students.


    However, over time, as everyone became familiar with their interaction patterns, they gradually believed that they were really just good brothers who could wear the same pants. But since learning that they were not a couple, their respective pursuers had become increasingly unable to hold back.


    Noticing San San''s gaze, Jiang Chi''s eyes glanced over, and then he said indifferently, "No, ignore him."


    San San knew that he had given him enough face and smiled, "I know, I''ve already refused."


    After speaking, he immediately turned to Sheng Jianan with a smile, "Jianan, don''t ask us to pass messages for you in the future. You don''t know what certain people are like when you''re not around."


    As expected, when Sheng Jianan was mentioned, Jiang Chi became especially easy to talk to. He smiled and threw a piece of snowflake pastry at him, saying, "If you can talk, then say a few more words."


    San San took it and said, "Okay."


    Lu Yu also smiled, turned around and teased, "Yes, in the future, when you go out alone, you have to appease this person at home first. We can''t handle this kind of thing.''" As he spoke, his teasing gaze turned to Jiang Chi, who was smiling and listening to their teasing, seeming quite happy with what they were saying.


    In the evening, the two of them ordered stir-fried dishes in the canteen. One plate of boiled fish and four plates of small stir-fries.


    Jiang Chi searched his large bowl for a few pieces of the tenderest fish meat and put them in Sheng Jianan''s bowl. Sheng Jianan has always had a small appetite since he was young, so he has to be watched by Jiang Chi.


    Although in most cases, Sheng Jianan still can''t finish his food, and the leftovers can only be consumed by Jiang Chi.


    "As expected, when Sheng Jianan was mentioned, Jiang Chi became especially easy to talk to. He smiled and threw a piece of snowflake pastry at him, saying, ''If you can talk, then say a few more words.'' San San Yi took it and said, ''Yeah.'' Lu Yu also smiled, turned around and teased, ''Yes, in the future, when you go out alone, you have to appease this person at home first. We can''t handle this kind of thing.'' As he spoke, his teasing gaze turned to Jiang Chi, who was smiling and listening to their teasing, seeming quite happy with what they were saying.


    In the evening, the two of them ordered stir-fried dishes in the canteen. One plate of boiled fish and four plates of small stir-fries. Jiang Chi searched his large bowl for a few pieces of the tenderest fish meat and put them in Sheng Jianan''s bowl. Sheng Jianan has always had a small appetite since he was young, so he has to be watched by Jiang Chi. Although in most cases, Sheng Jianan still can''t finish his food, and the leftovers can only be consumed by Jiang Chi.


    "The spicy chicken today is cooked well." Jiang Chi picked up a piece of chicken thigh and fed it to Sheng Jianan''s mouth. "It''s good, not too spicy."


    Sheng Jianan took a bite and gave his evaluation, "Hmm, it''s better than before."


    Jiang Chi fed another piece to him, and he seemed to enjoy doing this kind of thing. Since he was a child, Sheng Jianan had a particularly poor appetite. After he started attending kindergarten, Sheng''s mother couldn''t watch him all the time, so she could only ask Jiang Chi to look after him. This monitoring lasted for more than ten years.


    At first, Sheng''s mother would make some delicious snacks to thank Jiang Chi. Later, Jiang Chi became more and more proactive. At every meal, he always watched Sheng Jianan eat first. If there was something delicious at home, he would share it with him first, and he would never take a bite himself.


    Sheng Jianan couldn''t eat well and had health problems, so he had to go to the doctor. Jiang Chi insisted on going with him, but in the end, his family didn''t allow a young child to cause trouble, so he didn''t even eat. He waited until Sheng Jianan came back in the evening, and he was so hungry that he almost fainted in front of him.


    Later, Aunt Sheng came to understand that she didn''t need to say anything - as long as it was related to Sheng Jianan, Jiang Chi would always prioritize it. As they grew older, Jiang Chi took over the responsibility of regularly checking and maintaining Sheng Jianan''s health, which had originally been Aunt Sheng''s job. Aunt Sheng was happy to relax a bit.


    Sometimes she thought to herself that it would be nice if the two kids were a boy and a girl. She couldn''t imagine anyone treating Sheng Jianan better than Jiang Chi did, not even herself as a mother sometimes.


    "Jiang Chi, you''re eating here too?" A surprised voice came from beside them.


    Sheng Jianan looked over and saw a younger student from Jiang Chi''s department. Jiang Chi was focused on something, not even lifting his head. The younger student waved to Sheng Jianan and said goodbye to the two girls beside him before walking over to their table under their envious gazes.


    After greeting Sheng Jianan, the younger student sat down in the empty seat next to Jiang Chi and glanced over at him. He saw that his usually aloof and handsome senior was carefully picking out a plate of spicy chicken and paid him no attention.


    The talkative younger student chatted with Sheng Jianan for a bit, having gotten to know him a little bit because he often went to dorm 508 to hang out with San San.


    After a while, the younger student couldn''t hold back any longer and propped his chin up with one hand, glared at Jiang Chi, and said lazily, "Jiang Chi, you didn''t even say hi when you saw me? That''s so rude."


    Sheng Jianan immediately understood what the younger student was thinking. He had already guessed it when he heard San San talk about it this afternoon. But Jiang Chi was different - he had no sense of love before he met him.


    As expected, Jiang Chi glanced at him indifferently and said, "It''s you."


    It was a casual remark, as if he didn''t care at all. After speaking, he picked up a piece of chicken leg and complained, "This place is too stingy. One plate of spicy chicken and there aren''t many chicken legs."


    Sheng Jianan had already eaten several pieces and was about to say that he could have this one, but before he could speak, Jiang Chi directly stuffed it into his mouth with chopsticks.


    As they looked at each other, Jiang Chi triumphantly raised his eyebrows and watched as Sheng Jianan ate the meat.


    After finishing, Sheng Jianan pushed his bowl aside and said, "I''m really full this time, don''t give me any more."


    Jiang Chi glanced at his bowl and saw that there wasn''t a single grain of rice left. He then picked up a piece of fish and said, "Eat a little more, I can''t finish all of this by myself."


    Sheng Jianan reluctantly took a small bite of the fish, and Jiang Chi smiled and finished the remaining half of the fish without hesitation.


    The atmosphere between the two was so harmonious that Jiang Chi only had eyes for Sheng Jianan, as if the others didn''t exist. The younger student didn''t know how to speak up for a moment and could only stare at Sheng Jianan for a while.


    It was true that Sheng Jianan was a little more attractive than him, the younger student couldn''t deny that. But it wasn''t like the rumors outside made it seem like he was a god; after all, they both had two eyes, a nose, and a mouth.


    When Sheng Jianan glanced over, the younger student showed him what he thought was a friendly expression and lowered his head to eat.


    Sheng Jianan looked at him and silently averted his gaze.


    Jiang Chi finished quickly and picked up his plate, ready to leave with Sheng Jianan. He only noticed the presence of the younger student by his side belatedly.


    "Let''s go." Jiang Chi said to the younger student.


    The younger student, who had been contemplating whether to confess or not, was encouraged by this greeting and mustered up the courage to call out to Jiang Chi: "Senior, wait."


    Jiang Chi turned his head and, due to his superior height, inadvertently conveyed a sense of distance between them: "What''s the matter?"


    The younger student had just finished eating a piece of meat and licked his lips, feeling a little nervous.


    He pretended to look at Sheng Jianan casually, smiled at Jiang Chi and said, "Senior, I added you on WeChat several times, why didn''t you accept?"


    Jiang Chi frowned and stood a little further away from him, picking up a half-used pack of tissues that Sheng Jianan had left on the table and throwing it at him: "Oh, I don''t use WeChat."


    The younger student could tell that he had not only failed to seduce him but had also been rejected. He could only silently take out a piece of paper to wipe his mouth.


    Jiang Chi was actually quite fastidious, and their mutual friend, Ling Mo, had scolded him many times for it. For example, if he saw someone with a little sauce on their face, he would be very disgusted and think it was dirty. The next time they ate, he would have to stay away. Ling Mo had been hit in the face with tissues by him before.


    But it would have been different if it was someone else...


    Jiang Chi''s gaze flickered, and he reached out to Sheng Jianan: "Don''t move, you have a piece of chili on your lips."


    He used his finger to gently brush it away from Sheng Jianan''s lower lip, and after wiping off the chili, he even showed it to Sheng Jianan to prove he wasn''t lying.


    After comparing the two, the younger student was so angry that he couldn''t eat his food. "Is there anything else?" Jiang Chi asked.


    The younger student hung his head and continued, with a brave face: "But I saw that you changed your profile picture these past few days. You changed it to a picture of your back."


    At this point, Jiang Chi had something to say: "That''s not my back. It''s someone I took a photo of. How about it? My photography skills aren''t bad, right?"


    He looked at Sheng Jianan, the corners of his mouth turning up, and even his tone of voice carried a hint of laughter, but it wasn''t clear who he was addressing.


    Sheng Jianan looked back at him for two seconds before looking away with indifference.


    At this moment, he didn''t know whether to pity the younger student or himself. If he didn''t already know how things would turn out, he might not have been able to control himself and confess to Jiang Chi. What would happen then? Would Jiang Chi hate him and stay away from him early?


    After all, he was just a supporting character with a relatively heavy role in his world.


    The younger student felt like he was making a fool of himself, his neck turning red. He really didn''t understand these two people. Neither of them looked straight, but they were so intimate that it made others unable to resist their foolish desires.


    The younger student decided to stop talking and looked at Sheng Jianan, silently indicating that he should leave for a while.


    Sheng Jianan was very considerate, picked up his tray, and said to Jiang Chi, "I''ll wait for you outside."


    Jiang Chi instinctively frowned and followed Sheng Jianan''s figure with his gaze as he walked away, suddenly losing his patience. "What''s the matter? If there''s nothing, I''ll leave first."


    As he spoke, he turned and left.


    This kind of opportunity was really rare. The younger student hurried to catch up and said, "Senior."


    It was at this moment that Jiang Chi stopped in his tracks. The younger student thought he was willing to stop and listen to him speak, so he braced himself and said in one breath, "Senior, I really like you. I liked you from the moment I saw you. At first, I thought you and Sheng Senior were a couple, so I kept this feeling hidden in my heart. Later, I heard Sheng Senior say that you''re just good friends and that he''ll never be with you. That''s why I..."


    "What did you say?" Jiang Chi interrupted suddenly.


    The younger student instinctively lifted his head and saw Jiang Chi''s pitch-black eyes staring at him without any emotion. The younger student nervously swallowed and his voice became quieter as he said, "I said I like you..."


    Jiang Chi''s eyebrows furrowed even deeper, as if he was reminded of something from the past, and his face showed undisguised disgust. "What did Sheng Jianan say?"


    "...Senior Sheng said that you are just good friends, and you will always be in the past, present, and future, and there will never be any change."


    Seeing that Jiang Chi was absent-minded, the younger student followed his gaze and saw two girls standing in front of Sheng Jianan, chatting and laughing happily.


    When the younger student wanted to say something else and looked back at Jiang Chi, he had already disappeared.