Yarlin entered the chat interface and stared at Xia Zuo’s avatar for a long time without speaking. Xia Zuo’s account, nickname, and avatar were exactly the same as they had been a year ago. A pang of sorrow washed over Yarlin’s heart. His own nickname was “Xiong Xiong,” with an avatar of a cat, while Xia Zuo’s nickname was “Mao Mao,” featuring a large panda.
If their couple avatars and nicknames hadn’t changed, why did Xia Zuo block him after breaking up?
A panda: Hello, Xia Zuo, I am Yarlin.
Mao Mao: I know, Yarlin.
A panda: What is Xia Zuo doing now?
Mao Mao: Waiting for you to add my account. After that, I’ll chat with you.
Yarlin paused his fingers over the keyboard, feeling his ears heat up, the tips turning as red as if they might burst. He excitedly and nervously struck the keys.
A panda: Xia Zuo, why are you waiting for me?
Yarlin’s eyes were glued to the screen, waiting for Xia Zuo’s reply. After five minutes of tense silence, his eyes began to feel gritty. Just as he was starting to think Xia Zuo wouldn’t respond, a message popped up in the chat.
Mao Mao: Because I want to.
Yarlin’s heart tightened at those three words, a bittersweet ache that awakened shallow sweetness. His throat felt dry as he swallowed hard.
A panda: You want to… be with me?
Yarlin held his breath, waiting for Xia Zuo’s response.
Mao Mao: You are so bad, I’m not chatting with you anymore, hum ╯^╰
Yarlin felt deflated, a bitter smile creeping on his face. The exchange was exactly like a year ago, except that Xia Zuo’s reply back then had been an enthusiastic “I want to.” The distance between them felt palpable, different from before.
Xia Zuo seemed to be teasing him; one moment he would ignore Yarlin, and the next, they would discuss other matters. Yarlin found himself unable to get upset—he was reluctant to stop chatting with Xia Zuo.
Unless he was sleeping, he would sit at his computer waiting for Xia Zuo’s messages, and they continued to chat until the Beastman Academy semester began.
#
On the first day of school, Shuai Chang and An Qi Luo returned to campus.
Shuai Chang first went to the female Beastman dormitory to clean for An Qi Luo. The dormitory manager initially didn’t allow him inside, but when Shuai Chang flashed their marriage certificate, the manager looked at him admiringly and let him in with ease.
The female Beastman dormitory was like a villa compared to the male dormitory. The room was twice the size of the male dorms, with light blue wallpaper on the walls, a beautiful crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and a double bed beside a large wardrobe. There was even a private bathroom featuring a white porcelain bathtub and a washing machine.
“No wonder they don’t let male Beastmen in; if they saw this, they would definitely revolt.”
An Qi Luo said, “Actually, a single bed would also be nice; you could hold me tightly.” He had stayed with Shuai Chang for a few days during finals.
“An Qi Luo, go outside and wait. I’ll clean up first, and when I’m done, I’ll let you in. It’s all dusty in here; I don’t want you to dirty your clothes.”
The clothes An Qi Luo wore were a gift from Shuai Chang, and he cherished them, wanting to wear them to school on the first day for the other female Beastmen to see. It would be bad if they got dirty.
“Aduunis, then I will wait for you by the Jialan Lake, you can come find me once you’re done.”
Shuai Chang gently pushed An Qi Luo out of the room: “Got it, my dear.”
An Qi Luo left, his face flush.
Shuai Chang wiped away all the dust, changed the bedding, and tossed the dirty ones into the washing machine. After scrubbing the bathtub, the room quickly looked brand new.
As An Qi Luo exited the female Beastman dormitory, the manager asked, “Is Aduunis not coming out with you?”
An Qi Luo replied, “He’s cleaning the room. He said he was worried about dust getting on my clothes and kicked me out.” After that, he smiled, with two cute dimples appearing on his cheeks.
The dormitory manager praised, “An Qi Luo has good taste; Aduunis is great.”
An Qi Luo and the dormitory manager complimented Shuai Chang for a long time before reluctantly heading towards Jialan Lake. He wished everyone in the world could know how wonderful Shuai Chang was.
Since it was the first day of school, many people were busy organizing their dormitories, so there were hardly any people by Jialan Lake. An Qi Luo walked along the gravel path, one side revealing the clear, shimmering lake and the other side dense with trees. As he ventured deeper, the sounds of civilization faded away, leaving only the sound of his little shoes rubbing against the gravel.
“Let go of me, Tang En, you can’t, mmm—”
An Qi Luo was startled and gently parted the leaves, witnessing a burly male Beastman pressing down on a petite female Beastman, attempting something inappropriate. The female Beastman was struggling but quickly weakened due to her smaller stature.
The male Beastman named Tang En spoke hoarsely, “My dear Bao’er, didn’t you say you admired me for a long time? We can become something today. I’ll take you to get married tomorrow, and once I enter the military, I will work hard to kill the corrupted Beastmen just for you to become a commander’s wife.”
“Tang En, I-I’m still young, I just turned eighteen. I hadn’t thought about marriage, sob.”
An Qi Luo then realized the female Beastman under Tang En was his cousin, Bao’er Niges. Tang En was well-known in the Beastman Academy as an eighth-grade senior, with a star rating of eight stars. An Qi Luo couldn’t understand how Bao’er got involved with him.
No matter how much An Qi Luo disliked Bao’er, he couldn’t just watch as she was assaulted by Tang En. An Qi Luo decided to go back and fetch help, but when he released his grip, the rustling of leaves made a noise.
Tang En immediately became alert and turned around: “Who’s there?”
An Qi Luo covered his mouth and crouched beneath the bushes, not daring to make a sound.
However, Tang En’s footsteps gradually approached.
An Qi Luo was enveloped by a shadow, accompanied by Tang En’s sinister teasing voice: “Look what I found? A lovely little female.”
“What are you doing here? Peeping? You sure are bold.” Tang En effortlessly seized An Qi Luo by the collar and threw him into the brush.
An Qi Luo curled up to protect his head, scraping several places on his body upon hitting the ground. He suppressed his whimper, and tears slipped from his sea-blue eyes.