Private Jets, Jealousy, and a Special Delivery

Jing Chen ultimately neither agreed nor declined, simply stating that it would depend on his availability that day.

After the two of them spent a day entangled in Jing Chen’s apartment, Si Xi’s legs trembled uncontrollably as he made his way back to school.

The older man’s technique had undeniably improved, and his stamina was becoming increasingly astonishing; while Si Xi thoroughly enjoyed it, his body struggled to keep up, giving him a genuine taste of pleasure intertwined with exquisite pain.

The moment he reached the dormitory entrance, Si Xi was enveloped by the intoxicating aroma of barbecue, so rich it could make one dizzy.

All his roommates were present, and Guo Hao, gnawing on a grilled chicken wing, promptly greeted Si Xi upon seeing his return.

“Si Ge, you’re back! Come quickly and try this influencer barbecue; it’s absolutely, incredibly delicious.”

Having already enjoyed a sumptuous and delectable dinner, courtesy of Jing Chen’s unknown takeout order, Si Xi found himself utterly devoid of appetite at that moment.

Nevertheless, a flicker of curiosity prompted him to ask, “What kind of influencer barbecue is it?”

“It’s ‘Color, Aroma, Taste Conceded,’ the one that’s been wildly popular in Jiangcheng lately! Wang Yang and his boyfriend brought it back for us after their trip there. He just tagged you in the dorm group chat to come eat, didn’t you check your phone again?”

‘Color, Aroma, Taste Conceded’?

Si Xi vaguely recalled seeing it while scrolling through short videos; its peculiar name had stuck in his mind, and it had indeed exploded in popularity recently.

Already lacking an appetite, the mention of “Wang Yang and his boyfriend” intensified his nausea.

‘Wasn’t that just Shao Xun, that idiot?’

“You all go ahead and eat; I’ve just had a full meal.”

Another roommate, Xiao Nan, chimed in, “Just try a bit, Si Ge! We’re only lucky enough to taste such amazing barbecue thanks to Wang Yang. Look at their signature grilled chicken wings: crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, bursting with juice with every bite – it’s incredibly fragrant.”

As he spoke, he took a bite; the chicken wing’s skin was roasted to a fragrant crisp, yet with a single mouthful, it exuded an abundance of savory juices, undeniably appearing delicious.

“Thank you, but I genuinely am full.”

‘Not only did he not want to eat, but the sight of anything greasy now made him feel slightly nauseous.’

‘If genders were reversed, he would be pregnant with Jing Chen’s child.’

Observing his genuine lack of appetite, his roommates didn’t press the matter further.

As he ate, Guo Hao marveled, “Seriously, this packaging technology is incredible! It takes an hour to fly back from Jiangcheng, and with travel delays, it’s easily two hours. How do they manage to keep it so crispy and tender?”

Wang Yang feigned modesty as he replied, “It’s not really the packaging technology that’s amazing. We flew on a private jet, so there were hardly any delays. It was a bit cool when the plane landed, so I just warmed it up for a bit in the microwave on the plane, exactly as the barbecue owner instructed, to get this texture.”

This revelation left both Guo Hao and Xiao Nan utterly dumbfounded.

“A p-private jet? Do I understand that correctly?”

Wang Yang nodded. “Yes, last night I saw a video of ‘Color, Aroma, Taste Conceded’ and couldn’t stop craving it, so my partner arranged for their private jet to take us there directly.”

Guo Hao and Xiao Nan stared, wide-eyed.

The joys of the wealthy were truly beyond their comprehension.

After a long pause, Guo Hao stammered, “Your partner is so incredibly rich.”

“Rich and handsome, too; no wonder he found such a wonderful partner in you, Wang Yang.”

Unaware of the past relationship between Si Xi and Shao Xun, Guo Hao and Xiao Nan had no inkling of the sensitivity of their current topic, showering Wang Yang with effusive praise without holding back.

At this moment, Wang Yang’s vanity reached its peak, and he instinctively glanced towards Si Xi, who had already climbed into his bed and lay there.

He yearned to detect even a hint of regret, unwillingness, or perhaps even resentment in Si Xi.

To his disappointment, there was none; Si Xi was simply staring at his phone, seemingly absorbed in something, occasionally letting out a silly chuckle, appearing utterly oblivious to their conversation.

Si Xi genuinely hadn’t been listening to their conversation.

Given how well Jing Chen had performed, pleasing his sugar daddy so thoroughly, Si Xi decided to present him with a somewhat more extravagant gift.

‘He was always generous when it came to his lovers.’

He was browsing the official website of a renowned luxury watch brand, which had recently launched a new mechanical watch. He admired both its style and craftsmanship, and its price, just over 100,000 yuan, seemed quite reasonable.

From his observations, Jing Chen likely worked as an engineer or designer on a construction site, and a watch in this price range wouldn’t be overly ostentatious or draw undue attention.

Moreover, the watch exuded undeniable style; Si Xi merely had to imagine Jing Chen wearing the suit he’d bought him, complemented by this watch, to picture his refined demeanor.

‘Hehe.’

‘Hehehe.’

‘Oh, right, he should buy him two more suits! He couldn’t wear the same one every time.’

Si Xi then excitedly opened the official website of another formal wear brand.

He used to wonder why his female classmates were so obsessed with ‘raising babies’ in games, spending lavishly, even more than on their own lives; he couldn’t grasp the appeal.

‘But now, imagining himself ‘raising’ Jing Chen, it was absolutely hilarious, ha ha ha!’

****

As the school anniversary drew nearer, Si Xi dedicated time each evening after classes to practice in the school’s music room.

His performance was a piano accompaniment to a song; he would play the piano, and their class’s cultural representative would sing.

That evening, Shao Xun arrived to pick up Wang Yang for dinner.

After publicly confirming his relationship with Wang Yang, Shao Xun couldn’t quite articulate his own mindset; every day, he would come to Yan University under the guise of taking Wang Yang out for dinner and a date, yet he never seemed to encounter the person he truly wished to see.

Wang Yang also had a performance at the opening ceremony, an English segment in the introductory song. Unfamiliar with the melody, he practiced daily in the music room, and Shao Xun typically picked him up there.

“Are we going the wrong way? This doesn’t seem to be the exit.”

Shao Xun asked, noticing Wang Yang leading him in a different direction.

A hint of cunning flickered in Wang Yang’s eyes as he said, “Let’s go out through the North Gate; I’m craving the double-skin milk from over there.”

“Alright then.”

As the two walked towards the North Gate, they passed a classroom from which a beautiful piano melody drifted, playing Jay Chou’s “Confession Balloon.”

The player’s skillful technique was evident; every note was perfectly placed and imbued with strong emotion, and as the joyful piano music filled the air, it felt as though pink bubbles floated all around.

Wang Yang stiffened slightly, then quickly took a few steps to the window of the classroom where the piano music originated, peering inside. When he saw the person within, his eyes widened in disbelief.

‘How could this be…? Just yesterday, when he passed by, Si Xi’s playing was halting and terribly discordant; how could he seem like an entirely different person today?’

“What’s wrong?”

Shao Xun also approached, about to lean in and look, but Wang Yang pushed him away.

“Nothing, let’s go.”

However, Shao Xun had already caught sight of the person sitting at the piano inside the classroom, his eyes widening slightly.

“Si Xi.”

Unfortunately, with the doors and windows tightly shut and the piano’s volume considerable, Si Xi didn’t hear him at all.

Hearing the undisguised surprise in Shao Xun’s voice, Wang Yang pursed his lips.

He had deliberately led Shao Xun this way today, having noticed Shao Xun’s lingering affections for Si Xi. His intention was to let Shao Xun hear how dreadful Si Xi’s piano playing was, hoping to shatter Shao Xun’s idealized image of him and, by contrast, highlight the beauty of his own singing.

Who would have thought that, despite playing as disjointedly as diarrhea yesterday, Si Xi’s performance would suddenly become so fluid today?

‘He even suspected Si Xi was deliberately putting on an act for him.’

Of course, he couldn’t have known that Si Xi’s poor playing yesterday was due to his unfamiliarity with the piece and a long hiatus from the piano, causing him to stumble. After the cultural representative, who was responsible for singing, had left, Si Xi had practiced alone for a considerable time, finally mastering the tune, which naturally led to his improved performance today.

Moreover, merely playing well wasn’t enough; after the cultural representative left today, he remained to practice further, hoping to deliver a flawless performance at the opening ceremony.

“Let’s go, there’s nothing good to listen to, and I’m hungry.”

Shao Xun was visibly reluctant to leave.

Just then, a young man approached them. The sky had already grown completely dark, yet this man wore sunglasses, giving him the air of a swaggering individual.

He walked to the window and glanced inside the classroom, seemingly confirming the person he sought. As he was about to raise a hand to knock, Shao Xun, who was being urged to hurry by Wang Yang, called out a name with hesitant uncertainty.

“Young Master Huo the Third?”

Huo Siyuan pushed his sunglasses onto his head and looked at the person who had called out to him.

He squinted slightly. “Shao Er?”

Although the Shao family was prominent, they paled in comparison to the Huo family, who were among the wealthiest.

Consequently, Shao Xun’s demeanor was very humble. “It’s me. I didn’t expect to run into you here. Are you looking for someone?”

Huo Siyuan recalled the gossip he’d overheard at a concert two days prior: Si Xi had been publicly disengaged by the Shao family’s second young master, then ostracized and mocked. Had it not been for his uncle summoning Fourth Master Ye to intervene, Si Xi would have been relentlessly ridiculed.

‘Alright, alright, so it was you, kid.’

Huo Siyuan exhaled a snort of displeasure through his nostrils and declared, “My boss, Si Xi, has sore feet after a day of classes, so I’m here to massage his legs.”

Shao Xun: “……?”

Huo Siyuan, exuding the intimidating aura of Young Master Huo the Third, cast a cold, sidelong glance at Shao Xun and stated icily, “Since you two have broken up, stop pestering him. Otherwise, I’ll flatten you!”

Shao Xun froze.

Huo Siyuan had already twisted open the classroom door, and just before stepping inside, he added, “Don’t come to my gatherings in the future; your presence annoys me.”

With that, he pushed the door open and entered, not giving Shao Xun a single chance to speak.

Shao Xun’s face instantly turned ashen.

He knew that Young Master Huo the Third was a master of social networking; his gatherings attracted almost all the influential figures in the capital. Shao Xun was already at a disadvantage in his struggle against his elder brother, and losing this social circle would virtually eliminate his chances of success…

‘And how had Si Xi managed to get involved with Young Master Huo the Third?’

Shao Xun wracked his brain but couldn’t comprehend it, leaving the scene in a daze.

****

After entering, Huo Siyuan didn’t disturb Si Xi’s piano playing. He waited until Si Xi had finished, then clapped his hands and exclaimed, “That was truly excellent playing, no less impressive than world-class piano masters.”

Si Xi: “…”

‘Why don’t you just say I’m better than all the piano masters in the entire universe?’

“Was there someone outside?” Si Xi had vaguely heard voices just now.

“No, probably just a dog barking.”

Huo Siyuan said dismissively, then handed Si Xi the item in his hand. “The shoes you wanted.”

Si Xi immediately forgot everything else, quickly took them, and carefully opened the bag and packaging box, revealing the sneakers within, his eyes wide with excitement.

He cautiously took out the shoes; indeed, they were as incredibly cool as they had appeared in his WeChat Moments.

Huo Siyuan had brought him a commemorative edition BL47 from a certain sneaker brand, a limited release. Si Xi had missed out on buying them due to a slow internet connection at the time, and hadn’t thought they were particularly attractive anyway.

However, yesterday, when the first batch of recipients posted unboxing videos and photos of themselves wearing them in their Moments, they looked incredibly stylish. Si Xi was utterly smitten and immediately posted in his Moments, offering to buy a pair at a high price.

Huo Siyuan had mentioned that he managed to buy two pairs, and since one was exactly Si Xi’s size, he could give him one at the original price, without marking it up.

Si Xi, naturally, had no objections.

‘He just didn’t understand why Huo Siyuan was so idle that he insisted on delivering them himself.’

‘Could it be that he hadn’t given up on Jing Chen yet?’

Si Xi examined the shoes repeatedly for a moment, then noticed something amiss.

“It’s actually the BL47 Collector’s Edition? This… you managed to get it?”

‘The Collector’s Edition was limited to 10 pairs worldwide,’ Huo Siyuan thought to himself. ‘If I could get one, why would I give it to you?’

His uncle had procured them from who-knew-where after seeing Si Xi’s post in his Moments yesterday, then had Huo Siyuan deliver them.

Huo Siyuan had never seen his uncle pay so much attention to anyone.

‘It made him feel almost jealous.’

His uncle had even instructed him to find a natural way to add Si Xi on WeChat and pretend to sell them to him nonchalantly.

Little did his uncle know, he had already added Si Xi as a friend long ago.

However, this meant his relationship with Si Xi was now openly acknowledged by his uncle, so he wouldn’t have to approach him secretly anymore.

Huo Siyuan suppressed his envy, attempting to say casually, “What’s my status? It’s a small matter.”

Si Xi didn’t harbor much suspicion; the more he looked, the more he liked them, finding them almost impossible to put down. He said, “Then let me transfer you an extra ten thousand yuan. I feel bad buying them at the original price.”

‘Just because Huo Siyuan was rich didn’t mean he could shamelessly take advantage of him.’

“No need. I said I’d give them to you at the original price, and that’s what I’ll do.”

‘If he took even a single extra cent, his uncle would kill him.’

After speaking, Huo Siyuan suddenly thought of something. “If you really feel bad, then give me a ticket to your opening ceremony.”

He had already heard his uncle instruct his secretary to cancel his Friday evening engagements, suggesting he planned to attend.

And his cousin, as a freshman, would certainly be there.

While it was highly probable his uncle wouldn’t let his cousin see him, what if a meeting of the century occurred?

‘He couldn’t even imagine how thrilling that would be, ha ha ha.’