Chapter 29: Love Triangle — Jealousy Jealousy Jealousy Jealousy
Jiang Yunian hesitated for several days before deciding to quit his part-time modeling job.
With the pressure of schoolwork increasing, working two jobs was becoming too much. Since Jiang Yan was now helping with expenses, it was better to focus on his studies and make things easier for himself.
He had planned to wait until the team found a suitable replacement before leaving. He just didn’t expect that before he could even bring it up, he would be forced to leave.
Hao Meng suddenly sent a message saying the team was planning to sell the account she managed for a high price. The fashion account had good data and high fan engagement, so the team was reluctant to let it go. But the buyer offered several times the market price, leaving them no room to refuse.
Hao Meng was naturally reluctant too, but she respected the team’s decision, comforting him by saying the buyer paid a hefty sum, so his compensation would be more than generous.
Following that, Jiang Yunian received a termination fee. He counted the zeros behind the amount repeatedly, finding it hard to believe—this sum was worth several months of his salary! For a part-time job, he had expected a red envelope with a hundred or so yuan as a token gesture; he hadn’t expected such generosity.
[Nian Nian You Yu: Did you really not add an extra zero??]
[Hao Meng: At first I thought it was ridiculous too, but who cares, the buyer is generous! It’s just a pity I won’t see you wearing cute skirts anymore, boohoo (Crying Loudly)]
If it weren’t for life’s necessities, he wouldn’t have planned to do this long-term anyway. Now that he could extricate himself and receive generous compensation, it saved him trouble. It was just that there was a vague sigh in his heart.
Two days later, he found all the content on the account had been cleared. The videos that once went viral, carrying their hard work and achievements, left no trace. Jiang Yunian looked at the empty homepage and sighed softly.
He organized the skirts he had worn into the storage cabinet. Touching these skirts that had granted him favors, he slowly stopped feeling awkward about cross-dressing. Occasionally, he would even take them out and measure them against himself, reliving the feeling.
“What is Ge looking at?” Jiang Yan walked in with a plate of cut fruit. Seeing the clothes in his hand, his eyes dimmed.
Jiang Yunian silently stuffed the skirt back into the wardrobe and hesitantly mentioned the matter to him. Unexpectedly, Jiang Yan wasn’t as happy as he anticipated; instead, he looked solemn: “Is it because of me?”
Jiang Yunian: “What?”
Jiang Yan looked at him quietly, his expression inscrutable. “Actually, Ge likes it. It’s because of me that Ge quit, right?”
Jiang Yunian shook his head, his lowered eyelashes looking a bit downcast, saying he had been busy recently.
“Ge doesn’t need to hide it from me,” Jiang Yan held his shoulder, whispering, “I said, as long as Ge likes it, I support whatever you do.”
“Alright, it’s not because of you. I wasn’t planning to do it long-term anyway.” Jiang Yunian looked up and patted the back of his hand. “Don’t worry.”
Jiang Yan looked down at his warm hand, gave a soft “En,” and the emotion in his eyes deepened slightly.
Having learned from past mistakes, Jiang Yunian attended the Volunteer Association’s regular meeting on time. Zhang Hao uncharacteristically refrained from mocking him, probably afraid he would say something in front of Hao Meng, restraining himself considerably.
After the meeting, when everyone had left, Jiang Yunian called out to Lu Yuanbai, who was about to leave.
“Senior.”
Lu Yuanbai turned around, his eyes softening. “Any other questions?”
No questions. He shook his head. “Just wanted to ask if Senior is free, I want to treat you to a meal.”
Last time at Heaven on Earth, the Senior helped him out of a predicament and didn’t mind the trouble of sending them home. Reasonably and emotionally, he should express his gratitude.
Lu Yuanbai chuckled lightly: “Still so polite with me?”
Jiang Yunian stared at the tile seams on the floor, saying shyly: “It’s only right.”
Lu Yuanbai didn’t decline. He touched his watch dial and said, “Perfect timing, the Sweet and Sour Ribs at the Third Cafeteria are good. If we go now, we might still catch them.”
Although Jiang Yunian didn’t have much social experience, he knew treating a guest shouldn’t be sloppy; how could he just drag someone to the cafeteria to make do? Knowing the Senior was considerate of him, but he could still afford a meal. He suggested going to Chef Zhang’s near the school’s Wanda Plaza; he heard from classmates the food there was refreshing.
Lu Yuanbai waved his hand: “The Sweet and Sour Ribs at the Third Cafeteria aren’t available every day. Today happens to be the right time, and I have things to do later, so let’s just go there.”
With words spoken to this extent, Jiang Yunian couldn’t insist further and quickly followed.
The cafeteria was lively, with the central large screen playing this year’s hit urban sweet pet drama.
Since it was a treat, Lu Yuanbai didn’t stand on ceremony, ordering Spicy Chicken and Sweet and Sour Ribs. Together, these two dishes weren’t cheap for Jiang Yunian, counting as a bit of bleeding.
However, with one sweet and one spicy dish, he felt cloyed after a few bites. Jiang Yunian wanted to buy water for him, but Lu Yuanbai stopped him. “Don’t bother, I’ll drink this.”
He pointed to the half-drunk box of pure milk by Jiang Yunian’s hand, which Jiang Yan had specially stuffed into his bag this morning.
“But I’ve drunk from this.” Jiang Yunian was afraid he would mind.
Lu Yuanbai laughed. We’re both guys, what’s there to mind? Or do you have a cleanliness obsession?
“Of course not.” Since the Senior didn’t mind, he dared not have an opinion, quickly pushing the milk to his hand.
Lu Yuanbai took two sips from the straw he had bitten, chatting with him about the project he was busy with recently while eating. Jiang Yunian pricked up his ears, listening very seriously. The two chatted back and forth, relaxed and comfortable, unaware that their every move was taken in by someone not far away.
Zhou Shu was busy picking food into He Qing’s plate, chattering incessantly, “Only you have such big face, we two specially accompany you to eat cafeteria food and you still pull a long face. If it were anyone else, I would have beaten him long ago… eat quickly, not allowed to spit.”
He Qing’s mouth was stuffed full, face pulled long. Don’t know where his sense of superiority came from, insisting that eating alone was pitiful, helpless, and isolated… really treating himself as a savior?
While distressed, the person opposite suddenly stood up, startling both of them. Zhou Shu shouted, “What are you doing?”
Jiang Yan’s eyelids were cold and tight, radiating a gloomy aura. He didn’t respond, walking straight in a certain direction.
“If you have participated in competitions, you should know that practical operation isn’t as simple as listing an equation…”
“Ge.”
Jiang Yunian was listening entranced when he suddenly heard someone call him. Turning his head, he saw Jiang Yan walking over with a food tray. In such a big school, it was rare to bump into each other usually, but today they just happened to meet.
Lu Yuanbai stopped talking, following his gaze to that cold, handsome face. The other party didn’t look at him, but stared at the milk box he had drunk from for a moment, then looked away indifferently, sitting down next to Jiang Yunian on his own, arms touching tightly.
Lu Yuanbai couldn’t say what he felt, intuitively sensing unfriendliness. He put down his chopsticks, “This is?”
“Oh, this is my younger brother, Jiang Yan.” Jiang Yunian nudged the arm next to him, reminding him this was Senior Lu. Jiang Yan didn’t even lift his eyelids, just nodding casually. Jiang Yunian couldn’t chase him away, turning to seek Lu Yuanbai’s opinion, asking if he minded an extra person, Ah Yan didn’t like to talk.
Lu Yuanbai naturally wouldn’t haggle over this, “Of course not.”
Continuing the topic just now, leaving Jiang Yan aside. On the big screen, the female lead of the idol drama shook the male lead’s hand, acting coquettishly playfully, “I want to eat ice cream, go buy it for me~”
The male lead helplessly scraped the tip of her nose, naturally doting, “Wait for me here.”
“Ge, I want to eat this.”
Jiang Yan suddenly spoke up, cutting off their conversation. He stared at the oily Sweet and Sour Ribs in Jiang Yunian’s plate, clearly wanting him to pick for him.
Jiang Yunian only got one portion of Sweet and Sour Ribs, not even a side dish. Seeing this, Lu Yuanbai picked from his own plate to give him, “Just happened to have extra here, eat mine.”
Jiang Yan swept from the other’s chopsticks to the spicy oil mixed on the ribs, silently moving his plate away a bit, not accepting.
He didn’t eat other people’s saliva, disgusting.
Lu Yuanbai’s chopsticks stopped in mid-air, realizing picking food for others seemed inappropriate. Just as he was about to apologize, Jiang Yunian had already picked away that rib with his chopsticks, putting it into his own bowl.
“He can’t eat spicy, I’ll eat it.” Meeting the two different gazes, Jiang Yunian explained dryly, smoothly picking his own to give to Jiang Yan, “Here, this portion isn’t spicy, eat quickly.”
Jiang Yan glanced at that piece of someone else’s food in his bowl, finding it particularly eyesore. Without a word, he pushed all the food he got to Jiang Yunian, piling up like a small hill, completely covering that rib. Jiang Yunian kept saying enough enough, can’t finish, before he stopped.
Opposite, Lu Yuanbai watched the familiar and natural interaction between the two, brows slightly furrowed, teasing: “Speaking of which, haven’t heard you have a brother, relationship is so good.”
Jiang Yunian mumbled “En,” “Right,” glossing over it vaguely.
The idol drama on the big screen was still playing, but Lu Yuanbai’s lunch came to an end.
The two portions of food mixed together today really didn’t suit his appetite, but he still ate a lot to give face. Later received a message from the professor to prepare first. Before leaving, he ate the Sweet and Sour Ribs clean, and drank the last mouthful of milk to relieve greasiness.
Putting down the empty box, he smiled at Jiang Yunian: “Taste is really good, I like it very much.”
Jiang Yan’s fingers clenched underneath made a slight sound.
When Lu Yuanbai walked far away, the face of the person next to him sank instantly, speaking gloomily: “The milk I gave Ge, Ge just gave it to someone else like this?”
And it was drunk from.
Just a bottle of milk, the Senior felt thirsty so gave it to him.
“Thirsty then can give what you drank to him?” Jiang Yan pressed aggressively.
Jiang Yunian didn’t feel any problem, “Can’t I? Senior won’t mind.”
“…”
Jiang Yan’s mouth twitched. He pursed his lips, snorting coldly, “I don’t care, in the future not allowed to give things I give Ge to others.”
What’s wrong? Usually didn’t see him so calculating, protecting food today? Fortunately didn’t mention distributing the snacks he made to classmates yesterday, might throw a tantrum again.
Jiang Yunian couldn’t beat him, helplessly said: “Alright listen to you, didn’t you love eating ribs? I still have here.”
Jiang Yan then calmed down, nibbling the ribs he picked in small bites. After eating, seeing sauce on Jiang Yunian’s mouth corner, reached out to wipe it gently with finger pulp.
Staring at the sauce stain on his fingertip, he suddenly said brainlessly: “Will what Ge ate be sweeter?”
Jiang Yunian looked at his action, heart jumping, he wouldn’t… want to eat it right?
“No, dirty…”
“Ge thought I would eat it?” As if guessing his mind, Jiang Yan cast a light glance, then thumb pressed on tissue crushing it.
“…” Jiang Yunian was embarrassed, but denied verbally: “Where did you learn all this?”
Jiang Yan calmly pointed to the big screen. The plot inside was exactly the same, male lead gently wiping ice cream off female lead’s lip, putting into mouth saying sweet, female lead instantly flushed, shy face lovely moving, sweet to cloying.
Jiang Yunian felt face hot watching, as if soul transported to female lead, and male lead… he quickly shook away these messy thoughts, telling him to watch less of these, don’t get led astray.
Jiang Yan whispered: “Too late.”
“?”
Jiang Yan looked at him with eyes deep sinking people, covered with a layer of damp mist.
This look, he was too familiar. Like the conditioned reflex last night, Jiang Yunian glanced under the table, that not quite calm place making his eyes round.
“You…” Broad daylight, seeing an actress in the cafeteria can be like this, Jiang Yunian simply felt ashamed for him.
Jiang Yan opened straightly, totally unaware of anything wrong, “I don’t know how just…”
He pulled the still shocked Jiang Yunian, skillfully coaxing, “Ge let’s go…”
“No… mmph!” The right to protest was instantly deprived, Jiang Yan’s threat containing pitifulness rang in ear, “Does Ge have the heart to leave me here alone?”
People coming and going in the cafeteria, he was so obvious there, if no one helped cover, might be on the confession wall tomorrow.
Jiang Yunian hated his bottomless indulgence, but really couldn’t bear it.
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