Chapter 77 IF / Dating Within the Group part 1
Not long after, Tang Yue was discharged.
During his observation period at the hospital, Jiang Shulu accompanied him almost every day.
Tang Yue gradually filled in the details about him: four years older than himself, and the heir to a wealthy family in this world.
However, Jiang Shulu looked rich, so Tang Yue didn’t find it strange.
Jiang Shulu didn’t have the arrogant, luxurious, and licentious traits Tang Yue stereotypically associated with third-generation rich kids. He would even accept a fuzzy peach bought by Liu Xichao from a roadside stall, wash it clean, and eat it with Tang Yue.
Tang Yue thought Jiang Shulu was good. The kind of “good” where he would stay in the ward to sleep with him at night.
In other people’s eyes, Tang Yue’s amnesia was no different from losing his wits. He was truly a blank sheet of paper, seeming curious about everything.
Upon arriving at Away’s new dormitory, he touched the flowers and plants in the yard, then played with the oven for half a day, delighting in the “ding” sound it made.
Every now and then, he would call out “Captain” or “Ge” (Brother).
Second Brother was Yao Lixin, Third Brother was Liu Xichao. Only Jiang Shulu got a specific title, not “Big Brother.”
Yao Lixin and Liu Xichao stood in the living room, watching Tang Yue call Jiang Shulu like summoning a smart speaker. Yao Lixin sighed with emotion, “Why do I feel the Captain isn’t as devoid of human touch as I imagined?”
Liu Xichao scoffed. “I think he might have other ideas.”
Yao Lixin didn’t quite understand. “What do you mean?”
Liu Xichao: “The men of the Jiang family are all perverts to the extreme.”
This sentence carried an obvious personal grudge, confusing Yao Lixin, who didn’t yet know that Liu Xichao was involved with the Boss.
He asked with concern, “Do you have a feud with the Captain?”
Liu Xichao: “No, I don’t.”
Yao Lixin: “You think the Captain likes Xiao Yue?”
He couldn’t help but look at Tang Yue running back and forth. The small injuries on his body had healed, and now he looked the complete opposite of that beautiful, quiet youth from the first glance.
Like a flea, but understandable.
After all, he was scared of poverty before. It was his first time seeing such a big house.
Liu Xichao: “I didn’t say that.”
He thought of Jiang Shulu accompanying Tang Yue during this time. “I feel like Jiang Shulu isn’t the type to lust after someone at first sight.”
Yao Lixin: “He’s used to being alone. Probably no one has ever acted spoiled towards him like that.”
Tang Yue was quite good at acting spoiled (sajiao), but not in a whining way. It carried a bit of pitifulness, and knowing he had amnesia, the desire to treat him well would be infinitely amplified.
It turned into—
Whatever you say.
Liu Xichao: “But he only seems to be nicer to us. We went to the company today, and that guy looked way too high and cold.”
Yao Lixin: “Yeah, he’s icy when he doesn’t smile. thinking about it, his style is quite similar to the Captain’s. The Captain is icy even when he smiles.”
Upstairs, Tang Yue lay on the railing and asked, “Second Brother, Third Brother, which rooms are you staying in?”
Liu Xichao: “I haven’t chosen yet.”
Yao Lixin: “Just give me whatever’s left after you choose. I have to go home occasionally.”
Liu Xichao: “Anyway, the biggest one with the terrace and bay window is the Captain’s.”
There was a hint of resentment in his tone. Jiang Shulu, who had just finished inspecting the food in the refrigerator, looked over.
Tang Yue: “Then can I share a room with the Captain?”
Liu Xichao: “We aren’t like other trainees. We have backing, no need to squeeze together.”
Yao Lixin glanced at Jiang Shulu and realized the guy had actually taken a cake out of the fridge.
When did he put that in there?
And that design looked so familiar—wasn’t it the one Tang Yue posted on his WeChat Moments saying he wanted to eat?
Tang Yue gave an “Oh” and came downstairs again.
It was early autumn, and since he had just been discharged, he was dressed warmly.
He wore a jacket over his t-shirt. As he came down the stairs, the hem of his clothes fluttered, making him look like a completely different person from the cool, aloof youth who took profile photos this morning.
Tang Yue really didn’t have much luggage. His belongings from before the car accident were personally organized by Jiang Shulu and brought over.
They couldn’t even fill a single suitcase. His personal items were few and far between, as if he were ready to wander to the next stop at any time.
Tang Yue: “Then I’ll just take the smallest room.”
Yao Lixin: “Xiao Yue, saying it like that makes it sound like we’re bullying you.”
Tang Yue shook his head. “I just like smaller places. If the bed could be a little smaller, that would be even better.”
Liu Xichao: “Then you still want to live with the Captain.”
Tang Yue was embarrassed to say that for the past few days, Jiang Shulu had slept in the same bed with him. Now that they were suddenly separating, he wasn’t used to it.
The meteor from beyond the sky had found a habitat to land on, and had even gotten used to the scent of that habitat, but was ashamed to speak of it.
After all, he was discharged. He couldn’t use the excuse that the other companion bed in the ward was too small to ask Jiang Shulu to come up.
Tang Yue: “I just…”
He tried hard to make up a reason to brush off his whimsical idea just now. The next second, a hand stopped on his shoulder. Jiang Shulu said, “He likes rooms with a view. My room overlooks the pond below.”
Tang Yue hummed in agreement.
Liu Xichao: “Then Captain, why don’t you just sleep in the small room?”
Tang Yue: “How c-can the Captain sleep in a small room!”
Yao Lixin: “Xiao Yue, you’re too feudal! So what if he’s the Young Master? We are family now, the only difference is age.”
Tang Yue: “Anyway, the Captain is the biggest.”
Liu Xichao laughed. “In what aspect?”
Yao Lixin coughed violently. Before Tang Yue could react, he was pushed upstairs by Jiang Shulu.
Jiang Shulu: “I’ll help you tidy up the room. You said you wanted to switch to a small bed? How small? Why do you like…”
Watching the two go up, Yao Lixin glanced at Liu Xichao. “Bro, you’re pretty bold.”
Liu Xichao: “Are you gay?”
Yao Lixin: “No.”
Liu Xichao sighed meaningfully. “Then you’re finished.”
Yao Lixin: “What does that mean?”
Liu Xichao smiled without speaking and carried his suitcase up as well.
He thought: A group with three gays… the remaining one can only be the gayest straight man.
He also felt Tang Yue was simply too innocent. How could he be so devoted just because of a few days of care from Jiang Shulu?
Let’s hope he doesn’t get sold by Jiang Shulu and end up counting the money for him.
Tang Yue from Planet 9787 never thought there would be a time when he trained as a group member.
Learning music wasn’t hard for him at all; the most painful part was practicing dancing in the studio.
Yao Lixin was practically a motor, and Liu Xichao had great endurance too.
Jiang Shulu didn’t seem to get tired either. At most, he would stand to the side wiping sweat, then tilt his head back to drink water.
Not long after, Tang Yue was close to collapse, slumping to the side, clutching the strap of his water bottle in a daze.
When the teacher came to urge him, he would prop himself up and continue.
Ultimately, out of consideration for Tang Yue’s previous car accident, the training intensity wasn’t that high for him, but the requirements were not low either.
Away’s debut show had to meet expected goals; it was experience stacked up through repetition after repetition.
So by the end of every day, Tang Yue could barely walk.
Liu Xichao was already at the door, but Tang Yue was still dawdling, capping his water bottle.
Yao Lixin urged them to go for a late-night snack, came back, and was pushed away by Liu Xichao.
Jiang Shulu wiped his sweat. In the mirror, Tang Yue tilted his head back and nearly fell to the floor, hurriedly bracing himself with his hand.
Tang Yue heard a low chuckle.
Through the mirror, he could see Jiang Shulu standing to the side, jacket draped over his arm, looking at him with a smile.
Tang Yue: “Ge, aren’t you going for a snack?”
Jiang Shulu: “I’m waiting for you to go together.”
Tang Yue: “I’m so tired, I don’t have the energy to eat.”
Jiang Shulu: “Then you’ll wake up hungry in the middle of the night.”
Tang Yue looked up. His bangs were wet with sweat, clumped together, unable to hide those clear eyes.
His voice was apologetic. “Did I disturb you?”
Tang Yue: “I’d better not secretly sleep with you anymore.”
He had indeed been spoiled by Jiang Shulu’s care.
The first day he moved into the dorm, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. In the middle of the night, he went downstairs planning to go to the piano room to practice, and bumped right into Jiang Shulu returning from outside.
Besides group matters, the other party had personal affairs, busy as a spinning top.
It was raining outside. When Jiang Shulu returned, his hair was damp with fine rain. Seeing Tang Yue coming downstairs late at night, he asked in surprise why he hadn’t slept yet.
Tang Yue said he couldn’t sleep.
Jiang Shulu didn’t ask further and told Tang Yue to go sleep in his room.
Tang Yue thought he meant swapping rooms and shook his head. “It’s okay.”
Jiang Shulu held his hand and led him upstairs. “I’ll sleep with you. But you have to go back early in the morning, or we’ll get caught.”
Although they were members, everyone except Tang Yue was an adult. Such behavior was always a bit strange.
At least adolescent boys didn’t have a hobby of squeezing together to sleep.
Tang Yue: “Is it really okay?”
Jiang Shulu nodded.
Then, when Tang Yue woke up the next day, he found himself in the bed in his own room.
Jiang Shulu must have carried him back.
This “sneaking around” lasted for several days. Tang Yue felt he was troubling Jiang Shulu too much.
At this moment, he looked up at the bending Jiang Shulu, his eyes overflowing with guilt.
Jiang Shulu tapped his forehead. “Tired of me?”
Tang Yue: “No!”
After speaking, he said in annoyance, “Captain knows that’s not it.”
Jiang Shulu pulled him up, picking up Tang Yue’s jacket from the side.
Jiang Shulu: “Then why?”
Tang Yue: “You always have to carry me back early in the morning, it’s very hard work.”
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