…… How do you intend to pay it back?

This sentence has been looping in Lu Tong’s mind all day.

The Provincial No. 1 High School only had one day off on Saturday, and they had to go back for evening self-study on Sunday night.

When Lu Tong and Qin Chu parted at the hospital entrance, he cheekily begged for it, but he didn’t say yes or no.

Lu Tong was stunned by the situation.

This kid’s emotional intelligence is all used in picking up girls, right?

He didn’t realize that he was this “girl” at all.

Qin Chu said that he would give him some time to think about it.

Lu Tong thought about it till Sunday afternoon but he still had no idea.

Lin Siyin helped him to organize the things that he wanted for boarding at school and packed a lot of things in a suitcase.

Lu Tong stopped his mother from folding the quilts, “The quilts at school are all given uniformly.”

“That won’t do. I don’t know if the quilt in the school is clean or not. Listen to me and take the quilt at home.” Although Lin Siyin was a drama actress and was engaged in a very fairy-like acting job, she was still very grounded inside. And she rambled on and on to Lu Tong, no different from an ordinary mother.

“What else do you like to eat? I’ll ask grandma to prepare it for you and send it to your dormitory.”

“No need.” Lu Tong refused Lin Siyin, knowing that she had no idea what he liked, “We have everything at school. Don’t take the blanket either. People can sleep there, so why can’t I? Am I more noble?”

Lin Siyin, “They have been living at school since they were young, but you’re different. It’s your first time living at school, so I’m afraid you won’t get used to it.”

Lu Tong, “No, I won’t. I am staying in the International Department and I only have one roommate. So I won’t be uncomfortable.”

Lin Siyin, “How can you get used to it…… You’ve never left our side since you were a kid……”

Lu Tong suddenly paused for a moment.

Lin Siyin was right. He had never left his parents’ side since he was a child. He was supervised too rigidly and strictly that he had developed a bit of a rebellious mentality.

However, this sentence was not completely correct.

Although Lu Tong had never left his parents, his parents always left his side when he needed help the most.

The two reached downstairs while walking.

Lin Siyin sent him to the car, and the driver Old Wu picked up the suitcase for him and helped him open the co-pilot’s door.

After Lu Tong got into the car, he was still thinking about Lin Siyin’s words.

What qualifications did they have to complain about his current rebellion? Wasn’t it caused by their own hands?

Sometimes he was very sensible, sometimes he was not.

When he was unreasonable, he hated why they only gave birth to him but didn’t learn how to raise him.

If he had a child — — If……

“Lu Tong!”

His back was suddenly patted, and Qin Shiwu’s enlarged face came close to him.

“What are you thinking? I called you a few times just now, but you didn’t hear me!”

Lu Tong raised his head and was shocked to find that he had been immersed in his own world for too long.

The driver from home had already sent him to the door of the school.

Old Wu smilingly put Lu Tong’s suitcase down and was about to greet Qin Shiwu. His main idea was to say something like it was Lu Tong’s first time living at school and ask Qin Shiwu to take care of him; and so on.

But before he could say anything, Qin Shiwu said in surprise, “Old Wu send you here?”

Lu Tong looked at him, “How do you know that his name is Old Wu?”

Qin Shiwu let out a “Huh?” and blinked.

A chill ran through his heart and the hairs on his back stood up.

Why did he know that it was Old Wu?

Of course, it was because Old Wu was still working as a driver for Lu Tong sixteen years later, and not only that, he sometimes drove him to and from school too.

But — —

Sixteen years ago, that is, now, how did he know Old Wu?

In the case that Lu Tong hadn’t introduced him yet?

“I……” Qin Shiwu’s brain was working fast, “I heard it from Qin Chu!”

Lu Tong was amazed, “Qin Chu? How did he know?”

How did Qin Shiwu know how his father knew?

Anyway, if he couldn’t fix something, he could just push the blame on Qin Chu. So Qin Shiwu spoke without pressure, “I don’t know. I just heard him mention it.”

He quickly changed the subject, “You’re moving to the International Department today, too? I’m with you too. I happen to be moving in too.”

Qin Shiwu saw Lu Tong’s suitcase and fussed, “You only brought one suitcase to school?”

Lu Tong had few clothes and not much stuff. In addition, bedding was distributed uniformly to the resident students at Provincial First High School, so only one suitcase was packed.

He asked, “Isn’t one suitcase enough?”

When Lu Tong finished, his eyes flicked around and he suddenly saw the many suitcases behind Qin Shiwu, a mess of four or five suitcases of clothes.

“…… You are planning to live at the school until you’re thirty-five?”

Lu Tong and Qin Shiwu did not reach an agreement on the matter of how much stuff should be moved.

However, this did not dampen Qin Shiwu’s enthusiasm for the day. He soon put this little disagreement behind him.

Qin Shiwu was back to his old ways, taking Lu Tong’s arm and saying excitedly, “Why should we care about that? Let’s go get the keys first!”

Lu Tong didn’t feel uncomfortable being held by him.

He looked sideways at Qin Shiwu and was amused, “Do you have to walk like this.”

He was referring to Qin Shiwu’s young girl-to-window-shop style.

Qin Shiwu was unconcerned, “You don’t know. This is a safer way to walk.”

In reality, it was just due to Qin Shiwu’s own selfishness.

Sixteen years later, he had only been close to Lu Tong for a limited time and he really couldn’t get to know Lu Tong. But now with this encounter, their same age seemed to have brought him closer to him.

Of course, more importantly, Lu Tong was not the big star he would be in the future and his cheap son would have to wait a week to see him. Now Lu Tong was just an ordinary high school student, and as long as he was at school, he could meet him whenever and wherever he wanted to, and walk together without the fear of being photographed by the paparazzi.

When they arrived at the International Department’s dormitory building, the dormitory staff auntie opened the door, took the key straight away, and took them both to get their quilts after Qin Shiwu explained the situation.

There was a quilt for each of them, and inside the quilt were a toothbrush, toothpaste, towel, and other daily necessities.

After taking these things, they went back to the dormitory staff auntie’s room and got a dormitory form.

Lu Tong’s was 1201 and his was 1202 — — Qin Shiwu had deliberately filled in the dormitory door number opposite Lu Tong.

When he saw Lu Tong’s dorm number, he put on a pretentious show, “Wow. Our dormitories turned out to be next to each other.”

The dormitory staff auntie heard this and she gave him an extra look.

Lu Tong saw the dorm number and nodded, “It’s quite close.”

The dormitory staff auntie stepped into the lift and the three of them went to the eleventh floor together.

As soon as the lift door opened, the auntie spoke to Qin Shiwu, “Your room is here.”

Room number 1202, right in front of the lift.

Qin Shiwu was surprised and said, “So close?”

He looked up and saw that the door to room 1202 was already left slightly open, with light coming through it as if no one was living there.

The dormitory building in the International Department costs an extra 2,000 yuan a year, and as it was so expensive, sometimes people under-occupied them. They say they have two rooms, but many of the people who move in actually live alone in one dormitory.

Auntie, “Yes. You can move your things in yourself.”

She finished speaking and led Lu Tong on without stopping.

Qin Shiwu threw the quilt and toothbrush into room 1202 and then ran out after Lu Tong without stopping to rest.

He thought that since 1201 was right next to 1202, he could go in, throw the quilt, and then when he come out, he could go to Lu Tong’s dorm to visit.

When Qin Shiwu came out, the dormitory staff auntie was leading Lu Tong further and further down the corridor.

The building of the International Department had a total of 15 floors, and the corridors on each floor were very long, bright, and clean, and it looked like they were halfway through it.

Qin Shiwu was dumbfounded.

Wait?

What’s going on?

Lu Tong was still holding his blanket? Where was he going?

“Lu Tong!”

Qin Shiwu rushed to catch up with him.

He panted, “Where are you going? You’re not going to your dormitory?”

Auntie answered for Lu Tong, “He’s going to the dormitory with me. You put things in order so quickly?”

…… Didn’t put things in order.

He just saw Lu Tong going away, and he ran out to follow after him in a hurry.

Qin Shiwu, “To the dormitory? Isn’t Lu Tong’s dormitory right here?”

He wondered with question marks that filled his head written all over his face.

Auntie, “Who said that his dormitory is here? It’s at the end of the corridor.”

The end of the corridor was almost…… No less than 20 rooms away from the lift entrance.

“The end? Isn’t Lu Tong’s 1201!”

Auntie said, “Yes.”

Qin Shiwu was dumbfounded, “Isn’t 1201 right next to 1202?”

Auntie, “Who said that? Who told you that 1201 has to be next to 1202?”

…… Isn’t that f*** common sense!

You don’t have 1201 on the side of 1202. Then why are you lining up the two numbers so close together!

Auntie, “The dormitory rooms are all separated by ao, and they live in single and double numbers. 1202 is by the lift entrance, 1201 is at the end of the corridor, and the distance between them is very far apart. It’s to stop you from messing around with each other.”

Qin Shiwu listened and was in a trance, “…… No way.”

…… Thunderclap, it was a thunderclap from a clear sky1!

To his surprise, 1201 was not on the side of 1202!

This was f*** common sense!

So he…… He impatiently sneaked a peek at Lu Tong’s room number that day and was happy to think that he filled in next door?

This wall is the wall of the Gobi Desert! It spans the entire Inner Mongolia Plateau!

Qin Shiwu looked at the distance between the two rooms and saw that they were no different from the Inner Mongolia Plateau.

“Wait!” Qin Shiwu shouted, “I want to change my room!”

“Change your room? No way. I can’t change it for you here.”

With that, the auntie had already walked to the middle of the corridor.

Qin Shiwu was making a lot of noise in the background, and some of the students who had returned to school early were already poking their heads out of the dormitory floor to see who was there.

When they saw Lu Tong, their eyes lit up and they couldn’t resist taking out their mobile phones to take pictures.

Qin Shiwu originally thought that it would not be worse than “My mother lives at the head of the Yangtze River and I live at the end of the Yangtze River”.

When the auntie reached the middle of the corridor, she pulled out an iron fence from the middle like a magic trick with a rumbling, and the lock clicked off, separating Qin Shiwu and Lu Tong.

It turned out that there was something worse: My mother lives at the head of the Yangtze River, I live at the end of the Yangtze River, and a Three Gorges Dam has been f*** built in the middle of the Yangtze River.

Qin Shiwu:??!!!

Where did this folding iron bar gate come from?!!!

Qin Shiwu’s facial expression shattered in shock as he was blocked on the other side by this iron fence.

Fuck!

It was fine if he was not his neighbour. But what’s the point of adding an iron bar now? Was it a complete barrier? Now how could he go to Lu Tong’s dormitory door at night to keep an eye on him?

Qin Shiwu grabbed the iron fence and slammed it with a loud bang.

“Auntie! Wait, wait. Wait, wait, wait!”

Auntie was so annoyed by him. She turned her head and said, “What do you want to say?”

Qin Shiwu was both startled and surprised that the bars were already closed. And he was very comically lying on top of them with both hands struggling to squeeze through the gap in the middle like an outlaw trying to escape from prison.

“Auntie, what’s with this iron gate? Why did the school put an iron gate in the middle?”

Auntie explained, “This door is used to separate the ao dormitories. You live in the omega dormitory, now we are going to the alpha dormitory.”

Qin Shiwu only knew that the male and female dormitories in the International Department’s building were divided into upper and lower floors.

For example, the 11th floor was a girls’ dormitory, while the 12th floor was a boys’ dormitory.

But he didn’t know that the dormitories on each floor were separated by iron doors, strictly dividing the ao areas.

In other words, Qin Shiwu’s current body, as an omega, naturally lived with the omegas.

And Lu Tong was an alpha to the outsiders, so of course, he was living with an……

Living with an alpha??!!

Qin Shiwu was so scared that he was about to deplasmolysis.

What a joke…… How could his mom who was an omega with a delicate and soft body and was easy to push over (Qin Shiwu’s imagination) live with those loathsome a’s, wasn’t that fucking sending a lamb to a tiger’s den and sending a chicken to the weasel to pay a New Year call!

A great bargain for those dogs to pick up, right? He didn’t agree!

What would he do if he accidentally got caught in heat? Would he still be born??!!

“No!!!”

Qin Shiwu yanked on Lu Tong’s sleeve.

His hand went through the iron gate and he said with determination, “Change your dormitory! You can’t live here!”

Lu Tong stared at Qin Shiwu in confusion.

Qin Shiwu stared at Lu Tong with tears in his eyes, as if he was watching an innocent and naive white rabbit walk into the territory of a hungry wolf.

In his heart, his anguished wailing was heard silently: Oh my God! What the hell is going on here? My mother is just a child! Why does he have to suffer so much bad luck that he doesn’t deserve?

Auntie took a chicken feather duster and slapped Qin Shiwu’s hand.

“Little brat! You’re here to pick a fight, aren’t you?”

Qin Shiwu shrieked in pain as he couldn’t hold on to Lu Tong.

Lu Tong couldn’t help but look at the back of his hand, thinking: Did she hit him that hard? I also don’t know if it’s red.

Auntie said to Lu Tong, “Don’t mind him. I can tell from the first glance that this brat sees you as a good-looking boy and is attracted to you. Ai, even good-looking a’s have to be wary of o’s harassment nowadays.”

Lu Tong: ……

Auntie, “Let’s go. Your dorm is just ahead, you’ll be there soon.”

Qin Shiwu slammed onto the door behind them, making noise.

“Lu Tong! You should change your dorm! You can’t live there!!”

The more he shook, the more sad he became, and the more he shouted, the more desolate he was. At the end of the shout, he seemed to hear a piece of miserable erhu2 music, accompanied by an even more miserable voice: Little cabbage, yellow in the ground. Three or two years old, without a mother. He is afraid that his father will marry a stepmother.……

Qin Shiwu, “Fuck! Who the hell is sick to play this song in the dormitory in the middle of the day!”

Qin Chu said, “You’re the one who’s sick. Staging tears behind bars here in the middle of the day? What are you doing with your dog’s paws pulling on the railing? Miserable.”

Qin Shiwu heard this voice and froze.

The little cabbage’s tune came to a screeching halt and he looked back to see Qin Chu standing behind him.

At this moment, Qin Shiwu wasn’t seeing anyone less than the Virgin Mary.

Qin Chu’s figure immediately grew taller in his eyes. An archangel’s halo enveloped the back of his head as a flurry of white doves clattered out from behind his dad.

“Dad!” Qin Shiwu bounced up in place, “You know Lu Tong lives at school!”

Qin Chu, “I saw it. I’m not blind.”

Qin Shiwu spoke, “I have something to tell him, but the dormitory staff auntie won’t let me come over.”

Qin Chu looked across the room. The dormitory staff auntie was very strict about ao friendships and would not open the middle door even on Sundays.

But Qin Chu opened the iron door with ease. He knocked on the lock and the door opened with a click.

“What do you want with Lu Tong?”

Qin Shiwu’s eyes lit up when he saw the door open, and he rushed over like a puppy.

Qin Chu grabbed him by the back of the collar and Qin Shiwu applied an emergency brake.

Qin Chu said slowly, “You haven’t explained yet. What do you want with Lu Tong?”

Qin Shiwu said sharply, “I am stopping him from making a huge mistake!”

An omega?

It’s not enough to pretend to be alpha, but now you’re pretending to be an alpha in the alpha headquarters!

In the International Department, two people live together. With whom does Lu Tong live together? Isn’t he sleeping with an alpha?

Qin Shiwu hated Qin Chu so much. He hated iron for not becoming steel3. He didn’t even expect Qin Chu to take care of Lu Tong on his own — It was better to count on himself than to count on Qin Chu!

Sure enough, it was up to him to save his future if he wanted to be born well!

Qin Shiwu broke away from his father’s clutches and rushed forward while Qin Chu followed behind leisurely.

Lu Tong walked inside the dormitory and after the aunt gave him the key, she turned around and saw Qin Shiwu.

She, “=口=! I wanna die4! How did you get here!”

Qin Shiwu was about to jump into the dormitory while baring his fangs and brandishing his claws, ready to pull Lu Tong out.

Of course, the auntie couldn’t let him in. Her body, which had been doing rough work all year round, was very powerful, and it was more than enough to deal with Qin Shiwu, an omega chick. She twisted Qin Shiwu’s arm, and when she looked up, she saw Qin Chu.

Auntie was furious and finally understood, “Qin Chu! It was you who opened the lock again!”

Qin Chu said, “Of course, I have to unlock the lock when I return to school. Otherwise, who would I sleep with if you locked me in the omega’s dormitory?”

Qin Shiwu couldn’t twist his arms and his thighs, so he stood at the door and screamed, “Lu Tong! You can’t live here! You are still young! You don’t know the seriousness of living here at all! Lu Tong! You hurry up and change to a new dormitory. There is no alpha in this world who is a good person! You— —”

When he yelled on both hands and feet, Qin Chu walked into the dormitory under his fierce eyes.

Qin Shiwu’s movements came to an end spontaneously and he suddenly calmed down.

At the same time, the auntie finally couldn’t help shouting, “What are you doing!”

Qin Shiwu pointed at Qin Chu and looked at the auntie, dumbfounded, “Why did he go in?”

The auntie’s anger did not dissipate, “Why can’t the people living here enter the dormitory? Do you want to enter too? You’re so naive! You little brat, you go back to your place obediently. You’re here to cause me trouble!”

Qin Shiwu’s brain was sluggish for a while and he stopped moving for about two minutes.

……Qin Chu also lives in 1202……?

After a while, he said in a daze, “Auntie, you can ask me your question just now.”

Auntie said inexplicably, “What’s your problem? I asked you what on earth do you want to do here?”

Qin Shiwu took a deep breath and recovered. He stared at the door with firm eyes, clenched his fist, and said, “I want to put a ‘囍5‘ on this door.”

Fig. a bolt from the blue

erhu (Chinese 2-string fiddle) / alto fiddle

to feel resentful towards sb for failing to meet expectations and impatient to see improvement (idiom)

Which means she is tired of him.

Ideogrammic compound (會意): 喜 + 喜 (“happiness”). Duplication of 喜, the two characters representing the bride and groom.