Chapter 33: Admission Notice
Zhou Yuejun stepped out and counted the money. It was exactly five hundred yuan—equivalent to a month’s wages from both the construction site and the nightclub.
The construction site had also paid out at the end of last month. The money he had in hand now was probably enough to pay for Yu Deng’s tuition.
On the way back, the old man who sold Tanghulu in the city was carrying his stick home.
There were two left, covered with a layer of cloth. The sugar frosting had only melted a bit. Zhou Yuejun bought both of them.
With food, Yu Deng’s anger truly dissipated a bit. He held a Tanghulu in each hand, biting a ball on the left, then one on the right.
His mouth was small, yet he insisted on stuffing a whole hawthorn ball into it every time. He seemed quite greedy, but that didn’t stop him from being cute.
His soft dark hair brushed against his snowy ears. When he was happy, he would even bob his head.
“Chew slowly. Hawthorns have pits; don’t let one get stuck in your throat.”
Zhou Yuejun didn’t have to work these past few days, so he naturally had time to [intimate] Yu Deng.
Being someone who lacked restraint, as soon as night fell, he would hold Yu Deng and begin to act recklessly.
As if he had taken medicine.
Those who didn’t know better would think a farm animal was being bred.
As a result, Yu Deng woke up later and later each day. Although his spirit was drained, his entire body radiated a sweet, seductive charm.
Like fresh fruit that had ripened excessively, plump and delicious.
Yu Deng didn’t even want to get out of bed.
Knock knock…
Someone else was here?
Yu Deng wanted to call for Zhou Yuejun, but his voice was truly hoarse, as if it had been ground by coarse sand. It hurt as soon as he opened his throat.
“Ugh, ugh…”
“I know, little mute. There’s honey water on the table; drink more.”
When Zhou Yuejun walked past Yu Deng, the boy held a belly full of resentment against him again.
Calling him a mute?
Who was the one who made his voice hoarse?
Why was it that Zhou Yuejun’s mouth never got “worn out”?
Since Yu Deng and Zhou Yuejun were outsiders, they rarely had visitors.
Furthermore, the town’s population was small; any news became common knowledge almost instantly. Knowing that Zhou Yuejun worked at a nightclub, others wouldn’t proactively associate with them.
Yu Deng couldn’t think of who would come.
Knowing he had been “tormented” severely lately and was completely unfit to be seen, he shuffled in his slippers, enduring the shivering that made him shake like a sieve, and slowly moved to hide inside the room.
After all, with those terrifying marks all over his body, someone who didn’t know better would think Zhou Yuejun was abusing him.
Zhou Yuejun opened the door. Outside was a pretty girl wearing a floral dress. She didn’t look old, about the same age as Yu Deng.
She had some powder on her face, but it wasn’t heavy.
Seeing Zhou Yuejun, the girl’s expression immediately became bashful. She called out softly, “Brother Yuejun.”
It wasn’t the affected kind, just a bit cautious and… laced with affection.
Zhou Yuejun was visibly panicked. His expression changed abruptly as he glanced toward the bedroom door. He found Yu Deng standing secretly behind the door, a small shadow cast on the floor.
“I heard you were injured. It must be inconvenient to cook, so I stewed some soup for you. Please don’t mind.”
Lin Yiyi held up a lunchbox, stealing a glance at him, her heart filled with trepidation.
Yu Deng wanted to peek; he felt this scene looked like a confession.
But suddenly, he realized—wasn’t he Zhou Yuejun’s official partner right now? Why did he have to hide so guiltily?
However, he didn’t walk out grandly either, not wanting to deliberately cause trouble.
He had just pricked up his ears when a dull, cold voice came clearly.
“I don’t mind, but it’s not appropriate.”
Zhou Yuejun’s words were brief and aloof. Coupled with his motionless, indifferent face, his attitude was already plain to see.
After being rejected, a look of embarrassment crossed Lin Yiyi’s face.
She tightened her grip on the lunchbox she had lowered and didn’t pester him further. She only said out of concern, “Alright. Then Brother Yuejun, please rest well.”
After Zhou Yuejun sent her away, the gossipy Yu Deng poked his head out from behind the door.
He tilted his head, his dark pupils round and bright—he looked even more like a kitten.
“Who was that?”
Zhou Yuejun closed the door and spoke truthfully. “Someone from the shop. Someone was bullying her before, and I helped stop them.”
Yu Deng gave a realization-filled “Oh.” “Does she like you?”
A hero saving a beauty.
Well, he was the male lead, after all. There should be quite a few “peach blossoms” on his path to success.
Zhou Yuejun remained silent, neither denying nor confirming.
He wasn’t so obtuse that he couldn’t see the girl’s feelings, but admitting it made him fear Yu Deng would overthink.
After all, Yu Deng already didn’t want him working at the KTV.
Yu Deng wasn’t that jealous. Firstly, the girl hadn’t been persistent; secondly, Zhou Yuejun had rejected her.
He studied Zhou Yuejun once again.
His features were carved with cold determination, his dark brows carrying a sharp chill, yet he didn’t lack sexual tension. His thick, sword-like brows reached his temples, their edge hidden.
Particularly that tan skin that was gradually darkening, and those clearly defined, robust muscles that couldn’t be ignored.
In truth, he wasn’t really at a loss.
[System 107: …Not at a loss? If you could get pregnant, after a few more days like this, your belly would be huge.]
Yu Deng: “…”
Was it really that exaggerated?
But Zhou Yuejun truly was quite exaggerated.
As expected of the male lead—the “equipment” was top-tier.
Every time he said he’d be restrained, he still made Yu Deng feel like he was dying.
Zhou Yuejun stayed home to recover for a total of eleven days.
During that time, the nightclub didn’t actually urge him to return to work.
After the scab fell off, a white scar remained across Zhou Yuejun’s palm.
“The admission notice will be delivered in the next couple of days. Don’t go running off.”
Yu Deng gave a perfunctory nod, then hurriedly sent Zhou Yuejun off, for fear that if Zhou Yuejun stayed home any longer, he would continue to torment him.
When the notice was delivered, Yu Deng was still taking a nap.
“Yu Deng! There’s a package for Yu Deng—”
The courier had a good voice; that one shout directly woke Yu Deng from his dream.
Yu Deng scrambled up, rubbed his eyes, and listened to the voice downstairs. Suddenly, he reacted.
Package?
The notice was here?
Even though the grades had been earned by the original owner, receiving the admission notice and being able to go to university filled him with an irrepressible joy.
He didn’t even have time to put on his shoes. He stepped onto the floor barefoot and ran to the balcony, shouting back toward the ground.
“Coming, coming! I’m coming! I’m Yu Deng, I’ll be right down!”
When he stepped out, he just shuffled into Zhou Yuejun’s slippers at the door and ran downstairs.
Yu Deng, wearing slippers that didn’t fit, went “da da da” all the way down and ran straight toward the courier.
Yu Deng gave his name and ID, and only then did the courier hand the item over to him.
It was a sealed paper bag, not heavy at all. But holding it in his hand, Yu Deng felt it was weighted with a thousand jin.
Translator’s Note:
Tanghulu (糖葫蘆) are traditional Chinese candied fruit snacks, usually hawthorns. And the “Admission Notice” (錄取通知書) is finally here! This is the big moment our boy has been waiting for. Also, a quick note: Jin (斤) is a Chinese unit of weight, roughly 0.5kg (0.6kg, I think, not so sure, you can check if you’re interested). So “a thousand jin” is a way of saying it felt very heavy/significant!
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