Chapter 21

There was no helping it.
Xi Siyan hadn’t expected that the hardest part of sending Jing Miao back to school wouldn’t be his mind, his body, or the possibility that he couldn’t be independent and would throw a tantrum about going home.
It was that Jing Miao was too good.
Too attached.
He missed Xi Siyan so much that he would cry quietly by himself—so obedient it was heartbreaking.
He would endure it until class ended, endure it until school was over, holding back tears so hard he often trembled with silent sobs.
Then he’d get home, throw himself into Xi Siyan’s arms, and cry like his chest would split open.
Nothing soothed him.
Kissing didn’t soothe him either.
Even when he was exhausted into near-faintness, he was still hiccuping with sobs.
Xi Siyan ached so badly he panicked and called Wang Song, asking what to do.
Wang Song was dumbfounded. “I swear I’m speechless. Is it even possible for there to be two people in this world more nauseatingly clingy than you two?”
Xi Siyan ignored the cursing—he almost wanted to cry with him.
“What do I do? If he cries this much his eyes will get damaged. What do I do, Wang Song?”
Wang Song wanted to punch him.
Whether Xi Siyan was acting like a dad or a husband, it didn’t matter—watching them made Wang Song want to go get a girlfriend just to recover.
“Do this. Didn’t you teach him to use a phone? You two do a 24/7 video call.”
Wang Song was talking nonsense.
Xi Siyan, however, thought it was workable.
He planned that once he officially started work at the institute, he wouldn’t be able to hold up a phone all day for Jing Miao to watch. But they could keep a call open so he could at least hear his voice; when he had time, they could video call. And if Jing Miao really missed him, he could come to the School of Materials to find him.
Second-year university courses were light. And because of Jing Miao’s situation, the family had negotiated special arrangements with the school—no electives, no huge lecture halls—so Jing Miao had even more free time than other students.
So in addition to the phone, Jing Miao also became familiar with that route.
When Wang Song heard, he was genuinely impressed.
“So you still decided to go back to research?”
Xi Siyan said, “Mm.”
Wang Song sighed. “Good. He didn’t drag you to death… oh wait, wrong. You two didn’t drag each other to death.”
Xi Siyan smiled. “What gift do you want for your birthday next month?”
“What gift would I dare ask for? You showing up is already giving me face!” Wang Song suddenly remembered something. “So… about you and Jing Miao—uncle and aunt accepted it?”
“Mm.” Xi Siyan patted Xiaoxiao’s head, satisfaction spreading across his face. “My mom’s even started talking about matching birth charts and picking dates. We’ll have the wedding here, and register overseas.”
“Tch. Did you even propose?” Wang Song reminded him sourly. “You’re already talking marriage.”
Xi Siyan suddenly remembered.
Between him and Jing Miao… there really hadn’t been much “ritual.”
The day he stopped resisting and decided to obey his heart, Jing Miao had been burning with a fever close to 39°C. Getting together was a blur. Their first kiss was a blur. Their first time was a blur.
And now they were about to get married.
Xi Siyan groaned. “I completely forgot about that.”
Wang Song was at a loss for words. “You’re unbelievable. Thank god Jing Miao’s a fool who loves you to madness. If it were anyone else, they’d beat you to death.”
Xi Siyan laughed. “I’ll prepare it.”
Wang Song sighed and told him sincerely, “Siyan… I really do wish you two well. Having kids early is obviously impossible, so I’ll just wish you and Jing Miao… uh… a lifetime? Or ‘in every life’? Damn, modern society doesn’t really do that classical ‘lives and lives’ thing anymore. Let me think—”
“Thanks, Song,” Xi Siyan cut in. “I like it. In every life.”
They must not have loved enough in the last one, so they continued in this one. And they wouldn’t love enough in this one either—so they’d continue in the next.
Once Xi Siyan officially returned to the institute, he went from being a student to being a working researcher—but he was still Huada’s campus heartthrob. Every time people mentioned it, his colleagues laughed until they bent over.
Jing Miao just went to class obediently.
In the morning, they got up together, ate breakfast together, then separated at the campus central plaza—one going to math class, one going to materials research.
Jing Miao still missed Xi Siyan badly enough to cry. With voice calls and video calls, it got a little better—at least he wouldn’t come home and spiral into hours of miserable crying. He also didn’t cry every day anymore, only broke down once every few days.
Jing Miao didn’t make friends. He rarely talked to classmates. He just attended classes honestly every day.
His classmates were extremely curious, but he looked quiet and hard to approach, so most didn’t bother him.
The annoying part was some of the girls.
The girl in front of him was a cheerful little beauty named Hang Wan. She greeted him every day. Two months later she asked him quietly,
“Jing Miao, what is Xi Siyan to you?”
Jing Miao lowered his head and answered, “Gege.”
They didn’t look alike. Their surnames weren’t the same. It couldn’t be a real brother.
Hang Wan immediately realized it was a term of affection and almost screamed.
“Do you two live together?”
“Mm.”
“Then… what does Senior Xi call you in private?”
Jing Miao didn’t understand why she asked. He frowned and thought. It didn’t seem like something that couldn’t be said, so he answered honestly:
“Miaomiao.”
“Eeeee—so cute I’m dying!” She forced herself to calm down. “Anything else?”
Jing Miao was about to answer when Xi Siyan’s video call came through.
His eyes lit up. He accepted first, then put on his earphones.
Hang Wan, sitting close, heard Xi Siyan’s voice—so gentle it seemed like it could drip water:
“Baby.”
Hang Wan pinched her philtrum. She needed an ambulance. She’d been sweetened to death.
Jing Miao lowered his voice at the screen. “Gege.”
“Break time? Did you drink water like a good boy?”
Jing Miao lifted his cup toward the camera, smiling with bright eyes.
“I did, gege. Look!”
“Good baby.” Xi Siyan smiled. “What do you want for lunch? I finish early today. You don’t have a fourth period. We’re out of groceries—let’s buy some and go home together.”
Jing Miao thought seriously. “Tofu and prawns.”
“Okay.” Just then, someone called Xi Siyan.
“Gege, go work,” Jing Miao said quickly, waving goodbye with practiced thoughtfulness. “I’ll be really good and wait for you to pick me up.”
“Okay. Good baby. When class ends, gege will come pick you up.”
Whenever Jing Miao called Xi Siyan, he kept his voice very low. Only when there was no one around would he dare say things like he missed him or loved him.
He thought this video call was perfectly normal. Hang Wan was so close she’d definitely heard it all—but so what?