TRMLCM Chapter 114

Chapter Extra: New Student Welcome Party

Chapter Extra: New Student Welcome Party

The long-awaited and much-complained-about military training for the new students of S University had just ended. With excitement, eagerness, and a hint of melancholy, they were organized by the school to attend the New Student Welcome Party in the auditorium that evening.

The performances that the older classmates had been preparing for a long time were smooth, beautiful, and sincere on the stage. The atmosphere reached a climax during the senior girls’ hot dance, with continuous applause and screams.

“Who is that handsome guy announcing the programs on stage?”

“You don’t even know him?”

“That’s Cheng Hua, the vice president of the student union, from our year. I think he’s studying finance.”

Two maturely dressed girls quietly slipped in and sat down, whispering to each other.

Seeing the other girl’s blank expression, one of them was surprised, “You really don’t know?”

“When he first entered the school, he was voted as the school hunk on the forum just because of a profile picture. It seems like none of the freshmen this year can surpass him in looks, so he’ll probably keep the title of school hunk for a while.”

The other girl murmured, “You say that, and I think I remember a bit.”

The first girl glared at her in exasperation, then thought for a moment and said, “I heard Cheng Hua is performing this time too, a piano solo. You should appreciate it later. It’s the school hunk’s performance, and I heard he doesn’t even have a girlfriend yet.”

Their voices grew louder, but luckily they were in the highest and furthest part of the auditorium from the stage, and the few people scattered around them were all on their phones.

They were sophomores who had skipped evening self-study to sneak into the auditorium. They were a bit late, and most of the seats below were taken, so they didn’t bother choosing and just found a secluded and inconspicuous spot at the back.

Shen Chang’an was sitting behind them.

The summer was hot and dry, and the temperature at night was still high. The closed auditorium was even more stuffy with so many people. Luckily, he was next to an air conditioner blowing cool air.

The auditorium was dimly lit, with only the stage brightly illuminated. There were comedy skits, hot girl group dances, and cheers and screams one after another. He sat in the back and didn’t really pay attention.

The fluorescent light of the phone screen shone on his delicate face. His lips were slightly pursed, and his eyes were a little immature. His skin, tanned from the sun, was still whiter than those around him. The mole under his eye was still eye-catching even in the dim light.

“Good!”

“Unbelievable!”

Game sound effects played softly as his fingers swiped. When he ran out of moves again and still didn’t complete the level, he frowned slightly, looking a little annoyed.

“Next, please welcome Cheng Hua, our senior from the Class of ’13, who will be performing a piano piece, ‘Storm Chasers’. Let’s welcome him with the warmest applause.”

The female host’s forceful and passionate voice stirred up cheers throughout the auditorium. The young man, who had changed into a suit, appeared on the stage with steady and elegant steps. The two girls in the front row became excited as soon as they saw him.

Shen Chang’an didn’t look up. After perfunctorily clapping his hands, he focused on struggling with the restarted level. Someone sat down next to him, but he didn’t care.

“Brother.”

A clear and crisp boyish voice called out softly beside him.

Shen Chang’an was oblivious and indifferent, as if he hadn’t heard. It wasn’t until his sleeve was carefully tugged that he finally deigned to move his gaze away from the phone screen.

It was a boy of about twelve or thirteen, covered in sweat as if he had just rushed in. His face was still childish, with chubby cheeks, and his dark eyes were round, filled with hesitation but still bravely and openly looking at him.

Very cute.

The annoyance in Shen Chang’an’s brow eased slightly, but he was still a little displeased. He asked coldly with a straight face, “What is it?”

The boy wasn’t intimidated by his cold expression. Instead, he politely requested, “Brother, can I switch seats with you? I’m too hot and want to cool down with the air conditioner for a while, just a little bit.”

The sweat on his face was indeed real. Shen Chang’an glanced at his sweat-dampened temples and shook his head slightly in refusal.

“No.”

“Okay, then sorry for bothering you, brother.”

Hearing his refusal, a hint of disappointment flashed in the boy’s eyes. His expression was dejected, but his words were still polite.

He lowered his head and took deep breaths, his gaze fixed on the stage, listening to the melodious and winding piano music. He casually fanned his hot face and didn’t look for another spot.

Shen Chang’an absentmindedly continued playing the game. Under the cheerful game background music, he hesitated and glanced to the side, looking at the boy’s well-behaved appearance… his heart suddenly softened, and he felt a little uneasy.

He took out a tissue from his pocket and handed it to the boy, unable to resist reminding him in a low voice, “You can’t directly sit under the air conditioner right after exercising, you’ll easily catch a cold, do you understand?”

The boy looked surprised at the clean tissue. He took it and smiled obediently at Shen Chang’an, “I understand, thank you, brother.”

Perhaps he had been enduring the discomfort for too long, he moved quickly, wiping away the sweat on his forehead. Clutching the slightly damp tissue, he stared intently at Shen Chang’an for some reason. The black mole under his eye was especially bright in his eyes, and he secretly glanced at it again and again.

After handing over the tissue, Shen Chang’an stopped paying attention to him and continued playing Happy Eliminate.

The consequences of playing randomly earlier were obvious, and he failed to clear the level again.

Frowning and sighing heavily, Shen Chang’an felt that tonight might not be a good night to play games. Based on his experience of playing this game for so long, these kinds of stuck levels should be ignored, and they will inexplicably become very easy to clear when you replay them next time.

“Brother, can I play it?”

Just as he was about to close the phone, a soft question came from beside him again. Perhaps knowing that his request was too abrupt, the boy’s voice was hesitant and very cautious.

Meeting his dark eyes, Shen Chang’an raised his eyebrows slightly, simply assuming he was bored.

Handsome, cute, and polite children always get more privileges.

Shen Chang’an handed him the phone.

However, when Shen Chang’an saw the extremely serious expression on his face while playing the game, he regretted it a little and guessed with some guilt… Wouldn’t he be leading someone else’s good child astray?

“What’s your name?”

The boy didn’t look up, but still answered obediently, “My name is Cheng Yi.”

Shen Chang’an continued to probe, “Do your parents work at the school?”

Children who could freely come and go in the university were usually those whose family members worked at the school.

Thinking this way, if Cheng Yi was the child of a teacher or professor, the guilt in his heart would be even stronger.

Shen Chang’an secretly decided to give Little Cheng Yi one chance to clear the level. If he failed, he would use some excuse to take the phone back.

Little Cheng Yi shook his head, his voice clear and crisp, “My parents aren’t here, I’m here to find my brother.”

Shen Chang’an said “Oh” and stopped talking, quietly watching him play.

“Great!”

“Crazy!”

“Unbelievable!”

“Bonus time!”

He cleared the level.

Before Shen Chang’an could react, the other party voluntarily returned the phone.

That was good, saving him the trouble of finding an excuse.

Shen Chang’an pinched the phone in his fingers, looked at the endless vine tree, then looked at Cheng Yi, and asked uncertainly, “You don’t want to play anymore?”

Were all kids these days this self-disciplined?

Little Cheng Yi blinked his eyes, his long and thick eyelashes fluttering like little fans. His fair cheeks weren’t as hot anymore but were still flushed. He smiled obediently, his eyes curved like a kitten’s, “I don’t want to play anymore, thank you, brother.”

The host on the stage finished reading the closing remarks and was inviting the teachers, performers, and staff to come up for a group photo. The audience was bustling and leaving in an orderly manner.

Shen Chang’an looked at his bright eyes, pursed his lips slightly, and a few unnatural blushes flashed across his face.

Other people’s children were so self-disciplined, while he, such a grown man, was still addicted to this stupid game every day, it was too shameful.

He decided, he was going to quit games.

But in reality, Cheng Yi, as a middle school student who was a pro at games like CrossFire and League of Legends, just wanted to say that this little game was too easy and too boring.

He really didn’t know why this pretty brother liked to play it.

Um…

But, as long as pretty brother was happy.

The crowd at the exit of the venue was still packed and hadn’t dispersed completely. Little Cheng Yi looked at Cheng Hua, who had already finished taking pictures on the stage and was looking around for someone, then turned back to say goodbye to this pretty brother with some reluctance.

“Brother, my brother is looking for me, I have to go.”

After a pause, Little Cheng Yi said slowly, as if a little embarrassed, “Brother, can you tell me your name? I’ll come find you to play again next time.”

His obsidian-like, sparkling eyes were filled with anticipation, like dewdrops glowing in the morning, bringing warmth and coolness to drive away the remaining heat of the night.

“Shen Chang’an.”

Looking at that hope, a hint of melancholy inexplicably flashed through his heart. He tilted his head slightly, curved his lips into a smile, and teased with a raised eyebrow, “You’re welcome to come find me.”

What he didn’t say was that the world was so big, even in school, it would be difficult for two unfamiliar people to meet again just by relying on a simple name.

Two people meet, then brush past each other. This is the common way fate teases people.

Little Cheng Yi pondered this name seriously, as if he wanted to engrave these three words deeply into his mind. Suddenly, he raised his head and looked at Shen Chang’an with a serious expression.

“Okay, I’ll remember.”

Looking at Shen Chang’an’s indifferent expression, he frowned and affirmed, “I will come find you.”

The crowd at the exit dispersed, and the watch on Little Cheng Yi’s wrist rang with a phone call.

They had to part ways.

And this separation was just as Shen Chang’an had guessed.

The boy’s aimless search for someone he had only met once in the vast sea of people was ultimately a luxury. As time went on, this person’s exquisite face that had amazed him and this poetic name, together with that glimmer of hope, faded and lost their color in his mind.

An unknown amount of time had passed, and the childish promise of his youth had long been as illusory and untouchable as flowers in the water and the moon in a mirror, gradually being forgotten. But their lives had only just officially begun.

Because people who are destined to be together will eventually meet, won’t they?

……

————The End————

The story of Cheng Yi and Shen Chang’an truly ends here. The content of the previous chapter may seem a bit rushed, but it was indeed decided after thinking about it for a long time. My writing is too procrastinating. I had originally planned several plot points, and a plot that I thought would end in one or two chapters ended up taking five or six chapters to write. It was too dragging, so I wanted to end it sooner.

This is my first long novel with more than 280,000 words. As a newbie, this novel has many flaws and shortcomings, but I am still very satisfied with it.

I am also very grateful to all the darlings for their love of Cheng Yi and Mu An all along. Thank you all for your long-term companionship. You are my little roses that will never wither.

Love you all!!!