Chapter 40

For graduation, Xi Siyan was going south with the project team for meetings. By timing alone, he most likely wouldn’t make it back for Jing Miao’s commencement ceremony.
A month ago, everything had been planned perfectly. Xi Siyan had even threatened and bribed Su Wan into promising she wouldn’t attend—saving that precious moment for just the two of them.
And then… this happened.
As expected, Jing Miao secretly cried for a long time, crying while obediently helping Xi Siyan pack. Xi Siyan was flustered into coaxing him again.
After crying, Jing Miao seriously looked up the weather in the south.
It was two straight weeks of rain.
“Gege, pack two more layers. Don’t forget an umbrella when you go out.”
“Okay. Good baby. Gege will carry an umbrella every day.”
“Miss me.” Jing Miao’s eyes burned again. He wiped tears away with his hand while Xi Siyan used tissues to dab his face carefully.
“Don’t cry, baby.” Every time Xi Siyan had to travel, Jing Miao broke his heart. Compared to two years ago, Jing Miao had learned to hold it in as much as he could. Xi Siyan told him it was okay to cry and make a fuss; Jing Miao always insisted he wouldn’t cause trouble. That only made Xi Siyan softer.
“I promise I’ll video call whenever I can, okay?”
“I’ll try my best to make it back for your graduation. Have Mom take lots of pictures for you, okay?”
Jing Miao sniffled. “Okay.”
Xi Siyan hugged him and kissed him.
“Good Miaomiao. I love you. I’ll do everything I can to get back.”
On graduation day, Jing Miao was tugged by classmates into the center for the class photo.
Even though Jing Miao barely spoke to anyone his entire university life, after the centennial celebration, many people knew he had been hurt before and wasn’t very healthy. One way or another, they had shown him care.
He didn’t know how to repay kindness.
So Xi Siyan took him to pick out many scarves, bought many snacks and candies, and in the spring term, Jing Miao gave them to teachers and classmates.
Classmates checked the brand and price tags and—of course—it became news again. Group chats wailed about how they wished they had been Jing Miao’s classmate.
Jing Miao stood in the middle, shy and stiff, taking many graduation photos with them.
They shouted “cheese,” then threw their caps into the air.
In that frozen moment of the year, Jing Miao smiled like an angel.
Song Fuxue officially joined Huada’s institute last year and led a new project. Not long ago, she helped recruit two excellent international students as new colleagues.
She was nearly forty, but got along well with young people—especially Jing Miao. She said seeing Jing Miao made her “maternal instincts overflow” every time.
Xi Siyan thought… it seemed every older woman who met Jing Miao automatically treated him like a child.
Jing Miao liked her too. This lively big sister could always make him giggle. Song Fuxue would’ve happily recognized him as her younger brother.
So for something as big as his graduation, she naturally wanted to witness it.
She and Zhong Yuan had ordered flowers early and were preparing to head for the Math department.
One of the new international students, Fang Heng, saw them carrying flowers and asked curiously:
“Teachers, who are you bringing flowers to?”
Song Fuxue smiled. “Oh, Xi Siyan’s wife. He’s graduating today.”
Zhong Yuan pulled out a Vlog camera. “I have to take more photos with Jing Miao. I’m going to make Xi Siyan jealous to death. Missing your wife’s graduation—this is something we can lord over him for a whole year.”
Song Fuxue clapped. “Exactly! Print the photos and tape them all around your desk so every time he turns his head he sees the moment he missed.”
“Hahahaha, Sister Song, we’re so evil!”
Fang Heng’s expression darkened slightly, though he still smiled along.
“So both Teacher Song and Teacher Zhong really like Brother Xi’s boyfriend. Too bad he isn’t in Materials—he probably doesn’t share many topics with Brother Xi, right?”
Zhong Yuan’s veteran gay radar blinked.
He smiled. “How could that be? Xi Siyan—”
“What boyfriend?” Song Fuxue cut him off passionately. “That’s a wife. Married, registered, family-blessed, for life.”
“You just arrived so you don’t know—don’t say it wrong next time. Don’t downgrade my CP.”
“They have endless things to talk about. You haven’t seen it—hours and hours like nobody else exists!”
Zhong Yuan thought: *hours and hours like nobody else exists, hugging.* “Heh heh. Teacher Song is the Love Security Guard.”
Fang Heng smiled gently. “Understood, Teacher Song. I still haven’t met Brother Xi’s wife. Can I go with you to take a look?”
Zhong Yuan’s radar blinked again.
Song Fuxue nodded like a cheerful idiot. “Sure! Our Miaomiao is so pretty. Have you been on the Letter Station? Our Vice Dean Jin personally dubbed him Materials’ ‘Institute Flower.’”
Zhong Yuan thought: Sister Song might be simple, but she sure knew how to stab.
Fang Heng was also a beautiful young man. He had been at Huada only a few days, and lines of girls and boys bringing him milk tea and love letters already formed outside. His popularity even surpassed the “washed-up, married, older campus king” Xi Siyan.
The first time Zhong Yuan met Fang Heng, he was dazzled too—almost as much as when he first saw Jing Miao.
But they were completely different:
One was wild and bright—rolling into the Materials school on a trick skateboard, cool as hell, exactly like modern youth.
One was obedient like an angel, like a white rabbit, like the most beautiful white gardenia—fragrant and gentle.
After Fang Heng arrived, people also called him “Institute Flower.”
With the big top Xi Siyan around, no one dared call themselves “Institute Grass.”
Fang Heng was handsome, smart, and outgoing. In only a few days he fit in everywhere, his confidence shining through every conversation.
But the moment he met Xi Siyan, it was like his internet disconnected.
Others might not read it clearly. Zhong Yuan absolutely could.
Wasn’t it obvious?
He had his eye on Xi Siyan.
They weren’t even in the same project group, yet Fang Heng always found excuses to run to their section.
When he brought water to Zhong Yuan, it was lively and casual.
When he brought water to Xi Siyan, it was shy and tentative.
They were all teachers, yet Xi Siyan was “Brother Xi.”