Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 97

The Campus

Shen Zhiyu’s life after retiring from the entertainment industry did not become completely silent as the public speculated, nor did he make a grand transition to the business world. To the surprise of many, on a clear, crisp early autumn day, he quietly returned to campus as an ordinary freshman.

The university he attended was Jiang Zhou’s alma mater. Walking along the tree-lined paths of the campus, Shen Zhiyu would occasionally pause, looking at the young faces rushing by with books, and couldn’t help but imagine. Many years ago, had Jiang Zhou also worn a simple shirt and jeans, walked the same cobblestone path, and hurried between classrooms and the library?

Every time he thought that Jiang Zhou might have lingered here, a warmth rose in Shen Zhiyu’s heart. Unconsciously, imagining what happened to Jiang Zhou on this campus became a way for him to integrate into the new environment.

No matter what the matter was, as long as it was connected to a certain person, it seemed to ignite infinite interest and passion within him. A place that was originally unfamiliar could quickly become familiar and intimate because of it.

A little over a month after the semester started, on a Friday afternoon, the autumn light was perfect.

Having just finished a long political science class, Shen Zhiyu slowly walked out of the classroom with the flow of students. He took out his phone and sent a message to Jiang Zhou.

“President Jiang, are you back from your business trip? Can you pick me up from school this afternoon?”

He attached a precise location: a relatively secluded, tree-lined path behind the Political Science College teaching building, right next to a dense patch of woods.

Jiang Zhou replied quickly, “Okay, I’ll be there in half an hour.”

Shen Zhiyu looked at the screen, and the corners of his lips unconsciously lifted.

He slowly strolled to the agreed spot. It was near a small grove, next to the old, ivy-covered outer wall of the music rooms. People usually came here to practice singing in the early morning, so it was generally empty in the afternoon, with only the occasional bird chirping and the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Shen Zhiyu found a spot on a long bench under a tree and sat down.

A long time ago, Shen Zhiyu had watched a clip from a romance drama. The female lead was late, but the male lead not only wasn’t angry but waited for a full two hours with anticipation.

At the time, he didn’t understand. But at this moment, Shen Zhiyu truly empathized. It turned out that sometimes, waiting was not boring at all; instead, it was filled with joy and excitement because of the anticipation of seeing that person.

After waiting for a while, a clear and slightly hurried sound of footsteps approached from a distance.

Shen Zhiyu looked up and saw Jiang Zhou walking quickly toward him, wearing a light gray trench coat, his fringe slightly messy from the wind.

“Why are you running?” Shen Zhiyu stood up, took a step forward, and naturally raised his hand to gently rub Jiang Zhou’s chest to help him catch his breath.

Once Jiang Zhou’s breathing stabilized, Shen Zhiyu’s slender fingers slid down, deftly hooking the belt of Jiang Zhou’s trench coat. He slowly wrapped it around his fingertips once, pulling the man slightly closer.

“Why did you choose this spot?” Jiang Zhou asked.

Shen Zhiyu tilted his face up. The autumn sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, sprinkling onto his face. His beautiful peach blossom eyes shimmered with bright, fragmented light, and his lips curved into a faint smile. “A date.”

That gaze seemed to carry warmth, causing Jiang Zhou’s heart to tremble slightly. He raised a hand and gently brushed away a strand of hair on Shen Zhiyu’s forehead that had been messed up by the wind, his voice unconsciously softening. “Didn’t we just have a date two days ago?”

Although he said that, the smile in his eyes was so full it was almost overflowing.

“But I want to date you every day,” Shen Zhiyu smoothly replied, his hand naturally sliding down to grasp Jiang Zhou’s wrist.

He led the man toward the deeper shadows of the denser woods behind him. “I’m taking you to a good spot.”

As the two of them turned a corner, a slightly surprised voice interrupted, “Senior Jiang? What a coincidence!”

A young man wearing glasses and possessing a refined demeanor walked over, holding several books. When his gaze fell upon Shen Zhiyu’s face, it instantly turned to astonishment. “Shen Zhiyu?”

Shen Zhiyu straightened up slightly, but the grip on Jiang Zhou’s wrist did not loosen at all. His tone was gentle but distant. “Hello.”

“Oh my god, it really is you! I saw a trending topic a while ago saying you came here to study, and I thought it was fake news. I can’t believe it’s true.”

“My name is Li Ming. I’m a lecturer in the School of Literature, and also Senior Jiang Zhou’s junior from the same department!” Li Ming’s voice grew excited. He looked eagerly at Shen Zhiyu, then turned to Jiang Zhou. “Are you two…?”

Just as Jiang Zhou was about to speak, Shen Zhiyu suddenly stepped half a pace forward and reached out very naturally to brush away a non-existent tiny fallen leaf from the collar of Jiang Zhou’s trench coat, his fingertip seemingly unintentionally grazing the skin on the side of the other man’s neck.

He looked up at Li Ming, a subtle curve forming on his lips. His voice was not loud, but clear enough. “On a date with Senior Jiang.”

That address, “Senior Jiang,” was spoken lightly and slowly, the lingering sound carrying an indescribable intimacy and possessiveness.

Li Ming’s gaze darted between the two of them, his face showing understanding mixed with a hint of excitement. “Oh, a date! I understand, I understand. Well, then, I won’t disturb Senior and Student Shen! Senior, let’s grab a meal sometime when you’re free!”

Li Ming walked away, clutching his books, turning his head back three times, his face still showing the excitement of having witnessed something good.

Once Li Ming was gone, the surroundings returned to silence.

The faint smile on Shen Zhiyu’s face instantly vanished. He withdrew his hand, turned around, and without looking at Jiang Zhou, walked straight into the deeper part of the denser woods. His tone was impossible to read. “Let’s go, Senior Jiang. I’m taking you to a good spot.”

Jiang Zhou looked at his suddenly cold back, smiled helplessly, shook his head, and followed him.

Passing through several dense trees, the two arrived at the corner of an abandoned warehouse wall covered in ivy.

As soon as they stopped, Shen Zhiyu suddenly turned around and pressed Jiang Zhou against the cool, rough red brick wall, his movement carrying a hint of obvious anger.

His eyes were exceptionally bright in the dim light, fixed tightly on Jiang Zhou. His voice was very low. “Senior Jiang?”

Jiang Zhou was momentarily stunned by the sudden confrontation, then chuckled, raising a hand to touch his face. “It’s just a title.”

“But he said it so smoothly.” Shen Zhiyu tilted his head to avoid his hand, instead using his own fingers to hook the belt of Jiang Zhou’s trench coat, wrapping it and tightening it, pulling the man close to him as if in punishment. “Did many juniors call you that in school, surrounding you?”

His fingertips slid down the waistline, pressing lightly but firmly against Jiang Zhou’s side through the thin shirt fabric, slowly caressing him.

Jiang Zhou’s heart felt hot from the sudden possessiveness and the sensation transmitted by the fingertips.

He caught Shen Zhiyu’s mischievous hand, holding it in his palm, his thumb gently rubbing the back of the other man’s hand, and explained in a low voice, “Li Ming is just a regular junior I haven’t seen in many years. If he hadn’t introduced himself, I wouldn’t have remembered him.”

“Really?” Shen Zhiyu leaned in, their noses almost touching, their warm breaths mingling.

“Really.” Jiang Zhou nodded, his breathing becoming increasingly unsteady.

Shen Zhiyu was not satisfied. He lowered his head and kissed the corner of Jiang Zhou’s eye, saying with a nearly stubborn childishness, “From now on, only I can call you ‘Senior’.”

Jiang Zhou looked at his own clear reflection in Shen Zhiyu’s eyes, where the possessiveness was direct and moving. His heart instantly softened, and he softly agreed, “Okay.”

“And,” Shen Zhiyu’s lips drew close again, his warm breath brushing against him, his voice low and seductive, “I want you to listen to me call you ‘Senior’ a hundred times right here.”

Jiang Zhou: “?”

What kind of demand was this?

“You don’t want to hear it?” Shen Zhiyu deliberately misinterpreted his look, gazing at him with a hint of resentment and grievance.

Jiang Zhou couldn’t stand that look from him. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and his voice was a little hoarse. “I didn’t say that. I want to hear it. I really want to hear it.”

So, Shen Zhiyu opened his mouth, deliberately drawing out the words “Senior—” in a sticky, drawn-out manner, carrying a hint of teasing, yet also an extraordinary intimacy.

Warm breath brushed against Jiang Zhou’s earlobe with the drawn-out, affectionate address, causing a subtle shiver.

His palm slid down Jiang Zhou’s spine, stopping at his waist, pressing and kneading lightly. “Does it excite you more when I call you this in a school setting?”

“Hmm? Senior Jiang?”

The repeated, deliberately prolonged and ambiguous use of the title “Senior” created an indescribable, forbidden thrill against the backdrop of the campus environment. Jiang Zhou’s cheeks flushed uncontrollably.

“Yes,” Jiang Zhou admitted hoarsely. He raised his hand and ran it through Shen Zhiyu’s soft black hair, pressing his palm against the back of his neck, gently pulling the man closer so he could feel his own unreserved reaction.

This was a silent and direct invitation.

The light in Shen Zhiyu’s eyes instantly intensified, like a wilderness set ablaze. A low, satisfied chuckle escaped his throat. Without any further hesitation, he lowered his head and kissed the lips he had missed for so long.

The kiss began with a somewhat punitive biting, before slowly becoming tender and lingering.

Jiang Zhou tilted his head back, enduring the kiss that threatened to steal all his breath. Oxygen gradually thinned, and his brain felt dizzy from the lack of air, yet his body betrayed his reason, responding honestly.

The hand he had placed on the back of Shen Zhiyu’s neck tightened unconsciously, his fingertips sinking into the soft strands of hair. His other hand gripped the fabric of Shen Zhiyu’s loose hoodie, crumpling it into messy folds.

His response was passionate and direct, like dry kindling thrown into a fire, instantly igniting a fiercer flame.