Chapter 79

Lu Hang glanced at Jing Huan’s expression and suddenly burst out laughing: “No, just kidding, it’s not the kind of ‘getting someone pregnant’ you’re thinking of.”

Jing Huan blinked a few times.

Then what other kind of “getting someone pregnant” is there?

This is Xiang Huaizhi’s privacy, so it’s not appropriate to press further. He could only nod: “Oh…”

“But Xiang Xiang indeed isn’t single,” Lu Hang added.

Xiang Huaizhi finally showed a hint of impatience: “Planning to become a paparazzi after graduation?”

“Not planning on that just yet,” Lu Hang said with a grin. “I’m going home to inherit my billions.”

Lu Wenhao laughed: “What a coincidence, me too.”

Then the two of them began their back-and-forth bragging session. By the time they reached their destination, they’d already moved on to discussing what model of helicopter would strike the perfect balance between classy and understated for graduation ceremonies.

Jing Huan didn’t participate in their boasting, but kept his ears perked the whole way, thoroughly amused throughout the ride.

The farmhouse restaurant was built in the middle of nowhere beside an unnamed lake. A large boat was moored on the water’s surface—presumably the “luxury cruise dinner” advertised by the establishment.

The boat looked a bit old, but it was fairly clean and tidy, which pleased Jing Huan quite a bit.

The middle-aged woman standing at the entrance had spotted them from afar. As soon as the car stopped, she hurried over to greet them.

The woman was the owner of the establishment—warmhearted and down-to-earth, she even insisted on helping carry a small backpack for the group of grown men.

Lu Wenhao had booked a large private room. They planned to have some home-style dishes here for lunch as a quick meal, saving the dinner for enjoying the night view on the boat.

However, this place is sparsely populated, and by nighttime it’s probably pitch black with nothing much to see, though the night breeze is quite pleasant.

After a half-satisfying lunch, Lu Wenhao stood up first: “Alright, let’s assign tasks. Fishing, picking vegetables, or picking fruits—what do you want to do? I’ll go first—I’m picking fruits!”

Lu Hang said, “I’ll go fishing. I have experience, so wait for me to prepare a full fish feast for you all tonight.”

Gao Zixiang immediately said he wanted to go fishing too.

The three of them turned their gazes toward Jing Huan.

Xiang Huai tilted his head and asked, “What do you want to do?”

Jing Huan had originally wanted to pick fruit, but getting to the orchard required riding in the owner’s small car—which looked even dirtier than their rundown dorm room.

“I’ll pick vegetables instead.”

Lu Wenhao was taken aback: “Hey, no, I was just saying it casually. Are you really going to work in the field?”

“Fishing is too boring.”

Xiang Huaizhi looked away: “Then I’ll go pick vegetables too.”

The farmland owned by the boss was right across the main gate, spanning a large area with a wide variety of crops.

Lu Wenhao sat on the boss’s little tricycle gradually disappearing into the distance, his voice still echoing across the fields: “Huan—huan! Pick more peppers! The super spicy kind!! The kind that can make my ass burn!!!”

Jing Huan stood with both hands holding a bamboo basket, all his appetite vanishing in an instant. He was so furious he wanted to chase after the idiot and shove the basket over his head.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to curse, a sudden warmth pressed against the back of his neck.

Xiang Huaizhi pressed his hand against his neck, giving him a gentle but firm push: “What are you spacing out for? Let’s go.”

The air was filled with the scent of the lake, not as fresh and pleasant as sea breeze, but without the stench of pollution.

Upon reaching the field, Jing Huan squatted down to carefully examine the crops.

Xiang Huaizhi paused for a moment before squatting down beside him.

“What are you looking at?” Xiang Huaizhi asked.

Jing Huan answered honestly, “Checking if there are bugs.”

Xiang Huaizhi glanced at the mud stains on the vegetable leaves: “There usually are, just rinse them with water.”

Hearing this, Jing Huan’s face scrunched up in disgust.

He understood the logic—after all, these were things grown in soil, impossible to be perfectly clean, having been crawled over by who-knows-how-many insects. It was fine when served washed on the dining table, but seeing them so directly like this…

He definitely won’t be touching any vegetables tonight.

Jing Huan pulled his gloves up a bit before starting to pick the vegetables.

While working, he joked, “Bro, am I being too overly sensitive?”

“Not at all,” Xiang Huai denied.

Jing Huan had anticipated Xiang Huaizhi would say this, his smile growing wider.

Upon reaching the chili field, Xiang Huaizhi asked, “How many chilies should we pick?”

Jing Huan refused to look directly at them: “None, none. Let’s have something light for dinner tonight.”

Xiang Huaizhi gave him an amused glance but still bent down to pick a few.

Jing Huan happened to catch sight of that smile. He paused for a moment before suddenly asking, “Bro, who are you dating? Is it someone from our school?”

Xiang Huai Zhi’s movements faltered slightly before he continued breaking the chili peppers. “Are you that curious?”

“Of course I am,” Jing Huan said, watching his fingers. “And also… if she’s from our school, then I’ll have to contact the school forum’s administrator and get them to delete the posts about the two of us.”

The forum was semi-officially run by the school, so getting in touch with the administrator to delete posts wasn’t difficult.

He didn’t care about it before, so he never bothered to deal with the matter.

Xiang Huaizhi frowned and looked up at him: “Why delete it?”

Jing Huan was stunned by the question.

He let out an “ah” sound: “Bro, haven’t you read the posts? People are saying all kinds of nonsense in there…”

“What did they say?”

Jing Huan blinked: “Just… saying we’re a good match.”

The comments were, of course, not that simple. Those people not only arranged who would top and who would bottom but also had “informants” claiming that he rented a place outside just so he could go all out with Xiang Huaizhi, doing all sorts of wild and intimate things.

Their imagination is fucking wild.

Of course, Jing Huan wouldn’t say this. He tactfully replied, “Anyway, after a few hundred posts, it’s all stuff your girlfriend wouldn’t want to hear.”

Xiang Huai raised an eyebrow. “You actually read through the entire thread?”

“……”

Jing Huan coughed lightly. “Not exactly, Lu Wenhao and the others just keep talking about it around me when they have nothing better to do.”

Xiang Huai averted his gaze and tossed the chili peppers into the basket. “Don’t worry, he wouldn’t mind those things.”

Jing Huan nodded: “Oh.”

So they really are in a relationship.

When did this happen? He remembered during the sports meet, he hadn’t seen any girls daring to give water to Xiang Huaizhi.

Picking vegetables didn’t take much time. After handing the vegetables to the kitchen, the two took a walk around the farmhouse.

Then they learned from the staff that all these large houses behind the farmstay belonged to the owner. The boss opened this business simply because he found living there boring, wanting some liveliness rather than making money.

Jing Huan sighed with emotion: “The rich live secluded in the deep woods, while the poor are considering which helicopter to buy after graduation.”

Xiang Huaizhi lowered his head and chuckled.

Jing Huan’s ears tingled, instinctively stopping in his tracks as he turned to look at the person beside him.

Xiang Huaizhi smiled faintly: “What are you looking at?”

“No,” Jing Huan snapped out of it, raising his hand to rub his nose. “Hey, have I ever told you that your voice sounds just like a friend of mine?”

Xiang Huaizhi stopped smiling and murmured, “A friend?”

Jing Huan nodded, completely oblivious. “Exactly like him.”

Xiang Huaizhi looked at him and after a while asked, “Are they very close friends?”

Jing Huan frowned and thought for a long time before saying, “Not exactly…”

“Huānhuān!”

Lu Wenhao interrupted him while biting into a peach, waving at them from the doorway: “Let’s go! On board the boat!”

There were only three dining tables on the boat, and they occupied one of them.

It was dusk, and the sunset dyed the horizon crimson, as if splashed with pigment.

Jing Huan casually rested his elbow on the boat’s railing, crossing his legs with little enthusiasm as he gazed at the view.

Perhaps from watching too many similar scenes with his parents as a child, he’d never been particularly interested in mountains and rivers—an hour or two of sightseeing would tire him out. Right now, he just hoped the chef’s skills wouldn’t disappoint.

Lu Wenhao muttered while holding the menu, “Damn, you guys didn’t come with me. The boss’s orchard is huge, and the fruits are super fresh. I think it could even operate as a standalone business. Nowadays, some people just enjoy picking fruits for fun… Should we get the fish steamed or braised?”

Lu Hang exhaled a puff of smoke and said, “Both. We caught so many—steam, braise, stew, boil, let’s have them all.”

As he spoke, he passed the cigarette pack to Jing Huan, flicking the bottom with his index finger to pop out a cigarette. “Huanhuan, want one?”

Xiang Huaizhi, sitting between the two, immediately closed the pack with a wave of his hand. “He doesn’t smoke.”

Everyone was taken aback.

Jing Huan snapped out of it and said with a smile, “Thank you, but I really don’t smoke.”

“Never smoked, or just don’t dare to smoke now?” Lu Hang thought he was holding back because Xiang Huaizhi was present and said, “Don’t be afraid of him. At worst, we can just go over there to smoke.”

“Never smoked,” Jing Huan said. “Don’t like the smell.”

“I didn’t expect you to be so well-behaved.” Lu Hang put away the cigarette box.

After ordering, the group at the table started chatting casually. With Lu Wenhao around, there was never an awkward silence. Xiang Huaizi listened quietly, his gaze flickering to the side where the person next to him was playing with his phone.

A few seconds later, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He ignored it, picking up his tea for a sip.

“Huanhuan, which girl’s birthday gift are you rejecting this time?” Lu Wenhao teased him deliberately.

Jing Huan chuckled, typed a few more words, then locked his phone and tossed it on the table: “Wasn’t chatting with a girl… Would you die if you didn’t slander your dad for one day?”

“You can chat this long with a guy?” Lu Wenhao said suspiciously.

“I just love chatting with this guy. I could talk to him for three days and nights, and you still wouldn’t have a say in it.” Jing Huan threw a peanut at him. “With so many snacks on the table, how come none of them can shut you up?”

Xiang Huaizhi let out a soft sigh.

He suddenly found it amusing—what had he expected to hear from Jing Huan? Did he want him to say, “Your voice sounds a lot like my in-game husband’s”?

It was impossible, of course. He could only settle for the word “friend.”

He took out his phone and began scrolling through his messages.

Xiao Jing: [Sharing – Nine Heroes Parenting Guide: How to Raise a Demon Clan Baby?]

Xiao Jing: [Sharing – Nine Heroes Parenting Guide: Which Sect is Best for a Demon Clan Baby to Join?]

Xiao Jing: Big brother, look at these two posts! The baby can join a sect one month after birth, so let’s think about which one to choose for them! *^▽^*

Xiang: Whatever. You take them, let them join whichever sect they like.

Seeing this message, Jing Huan scratched his head.

We’d already divorced a month after the baby was born—how could it still be my turn to take them…

In his heart, the day they met in person on Christmas was the day of their divorce.

Just as he was thinking about how to reply, the restaurant owner brought over two dishes.

Lu Hang stubbed out his cigarette, stood up and said, “I’m going to use the restroom.”

Jing Huan turned off his phone. “I’ll go too.”

There were exactly two restrooms, both clean and tidy. Jing Huan breathed a sigh of relief, and his impression of the shop rose a few notches.

When he came out, Lu Hang happened to be washing his hands.

The way back was dark, so Lu Hang thought he’d wait for him, drying his hands before standing by.

He glanced at Jing Huan’s hands and chuckled, “How come your hands are even fairer than a girl’s?”

Jing Huan replied, “Probably hereditary. My mom’s fair too.”

Lu Hang looked at them for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and pulled out his phone from his pocket. “Oh, right, Huanhuan, let’s add each other on WeChat.”

“Sure.” Jing Huan wiped his hands clean. “Let me scan you.”

“Alright.” Lu Hang opened his QR code and handed it over to him.

Jing Huan raised his phone, but his smile froze the moment he saw the other person’s phone screen.

With a soft “beep,” the other person’s WeChat profile appeared on his phone screen.

Lu Hang stood in place for a while. Half a minute passed, and the person in front of him was still holding up his phone, motionless.

He frowned and tilted his head. “What’s wrong? Didn’t it scan?”

Jing Huan startled and immediately pressed his phone screen against his chest, completely covering it.

“N-no, I… yeah, it didn’t scan.”

He couldn’t even utter a complete sentence.

What the?

What the???

Why is Lu Hang’s WeChat name “Little Lu, Little Lu, Never Gets Lost”???

Jing Huan felt his scalp tingle, even finding it hard to breathe.

Lu Hang nodded: “Then let’s scan again, or I can scan you instead.”

“No, wait… I…” A bizarre thought suddenly struck Jing Huan. He swallowed hard, “Do you have Xiang Ge’s WeChat? I, I want to add Xiang Ge first…”

Lu Hang looked at him, baffled: “Don’t you already have his WeChat?”

That’s what he said, but Lu Hang still pulled up his roommate’s WeChat from the friends list and handed it to Jing Huan.

Jing Huan stared at that familiar nightscape profile picture, feeling as if he’d been struck by lightning. Countless roots seemed to sprout from his feet, anchoring him firmly to the ground. A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind in half a second, leaving only one sentence in the end—

Shit.

Was it too late for him to die right now?