Strangers in Sync

Chapter 20: 

The unexpected events around him had Xu Nian pondering the mysteries of life.

Liyang's eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly reacted, "X... Xu teacher?"

Xu Nian, unable to ignore him, nodded politely. He was about to walk away when Liyang called out again, "Aren't you leaving?"

"Uh, I don't have time to deal with my current problem," Xu Nian replied.

Liyang nodded, then asked, "What's the problem?"

Xu Nian simply responded, "I still haven't figured it out."

The words seemed to resonate with Lì Huàn, who nodded in agreement with a frustrated expression. "I'm in the same boat. It's a major issue, and I've been racking my brain to the point where I'm going bald..."

Observing the other man's disheveled hair and then glancing at the screen before him, Fāng Huī Líng took a step back but ultimately turned toward the room. 

He approached and inquired, "What's the problem?"

Lì Huàn looked startled and then exclaimed, "Oh, it's... it's this data issue."

"It keeps prompting an error, and I've even restarted the database, but it's still not working. I've been checking it for an entire afternoon..." 

After he finished speaking, Lì Huàn felt Fāng Huī Líng lean in close, one hand on the desk and the other moving the mouse. Suddenly, a particularly pleasant smell wafted over, a mix of grass and lemon fragrance.

However, before Lì Huàn could take a closer sniff, Fāng Huī Líng stood up straight.

"Try changing the character set of the field," Fāng Huī Líng advised, pointing at the screen.

Lì Huàn didn't move at first until Fāng Huī Líng repeated himself. Then he came back to his senses: "Oh... oh, okay."

With a series of keyboard clicks, Fāng Huī Líng continued, "Restart it."

Lì Huàn obediently pushed his chair back two steps, leaned down, and pressed the restart button under the desk. Indeed, after re-entering the system, the problem was successfully resolved.

Lì Huàn's face turned red as he almost jumped up in excitement: "It's... it's working now! Thank you so much, Fāng Xiānshēng, you're amazing." Before this, Lì Huàn had sought help from others, but Wāng Qín, an intern, lacked the necessary skills, and those with skills didn't have the patience. Several senior colleagues had tried other methods with him but to no avail, and they eventually lost interest. Only Fāng Huī Líng was able to provide a simple and effective solution, hitting the nail on the head.

The top student was indeed the top student.

Just as Lì Huàn was about to shower him with praise, he noticed Fāng Huī Líng staring intently at the space under his desk, looking surprised.

Lì Huàn followed his gaze and discovered that the books piled up in the corner were the ones Lì Tíng had given him that afternoon.

"Did you borrow all of these?" Fāng Huī Líng suddenly asked.

Lì Huàn was taken aback. "Ah? No, they're just borrowed and placed here."

He keenly observed that Fāng Huī Líng's previously cold eyes had sparked with a hint of excitement at the sight of the books. Lì Huàn quickly inquired, "Fāng Xiānshēng, do you want these books?"

Fāng Huī Líng did not evade the question and nodded. "I've been looking for these books for a long time." He couldn't believe they were actually at the research institute.

Lì Huàn's eyes lit up, and he took out his phone. "Wait, I'll ask for you."

He sent a message to his brother, inquiring if Lì Tíng could lend some of the books to someone at the research institute.

Lì Tíng, likely not busy, responded quickly.

Lì Tíng: Who wants them?

Lì Huàn: Fāng Xiānshēng. You remember him, right? He's the one who took you to the hospital and is really handsome. We visited you together. He's been eager to read these books for a long time, so I'm asking for him.

It took Lì Tíng a little while to respond, as if he were deep in thought.

The answer was beyond Lì Huàn's expectations.

Lì Tíng: Give them to him.

Lì Tíng: "Don't say they're borrowed from me. There's still a month left on the loan period. Let him return them on time; I'm using someone else's library card."

Lì Huàn found it strange, as Lì Tíng had hurried to bring the books over, as if he needed them urgently. Now, he was lending them all out. Lì Huàn had initially planned to ask for only one or two books, but his usually stingy brother was unexpectedly generous. Perhaps Lì Tíng was showing appreciation for Fāng Xiānshēng's past help?

Lì Huàn: "Okay, thank you, brother."

After putting down his phone, Lì Huàn squatted down and laboriously lifted all the books onto the desk. He happily said to Fāng Huī Líng, "Fāng Xiānshēng, you can take all the books. He agreed."

Fāng Huī Líng, who could only see the top few books from his vantage point, was astonished when they were all placed in front of him. The top student was indeed surprised to see all the original books he had been searching for but had been unable to find despite visiting the library multiple times.

Fāng Huī Líng flipped through the books, looking puzzled: "Who borrowed these?"

Lì Huàn was taken aback: "Ah? Uh... it's my classmate, a guy named Wāng Qín. You probably don't know him, Fāng Xiānshēng."

Fāng Huī Líng furrowed his brow: "Did he borrow them recently?"

Lì Huàn: "Yes, he... he asked someone to lend him their library card."

Fāng Huī Líng didn't say anything.

Lì Huàn discreetly observed Fāng Huī Líng's expression: "Really, it's no problem. If you need them, I can lend them to you." 

Fāng Huī Líng seemed to be deep in thought for a moment before taking the books: "Okay, I'll finish reading them as quickly as possible. Thank you, and please pass along my gratitude to your classmate." 

Lì Huàn smiled awkwardly: "You're welcome. It was I who needed your help, so I should be the one thanking you instead." 

Just as Lì Huàn seemed to have more to say, he was interrupted by the sound of a ringing phone.

Wáng Fù Liáng, who had been waiting for a long time, had to make a desperate call to Fāng Huī Líng. 

However, since Fāng Huī Líng was outside and didn't answer, he belatedly noticed the several missed calls from unknown numbers in his call log, all made that afternoon. Fāng Huī Líng was curious and dialed the number back, but no one answered. He didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a telemarketing call. With a polite nod to Lì Huàn, he then headed to the laboratory to assist Wáng Fù Liáng, oblivious to the disappointed expression on Lì Huàn's face.

When Lì Huàn called Lì Tíng, Lì Tíng was at the supermarket purchasing items and also sent his old electric bike, which had been parked in front of someone's store for weeks without being stolen, for repairs.

After hanging up the phone, Lì Tíng was left stunned for a moment before proceeding to pay.

With the new semester just a few weeks away, Lì Tíng noticed that many stores near the entrance of A University had posted recruitment notices. He examined them one by one, making a note of each one. 

When he got home, he usually would have opened his accounting book, but this time, he remembered that he had downloaded new software. Lì Tíng took out his phone and launched the app.

It was unclear whether his phone was too outdated or if there was an issue with the installation method, but it took quite a while to open and run the app. However, when it finally launched, the interface was surprisingly simple, lacking the flashy design of other applications Lì Tíng had used before; it even felt a bit rudimentary. 

Not thinking much of it, Lì Tíng continued to explore. After some buffering, the homepage displayed a main directory, organized into categories like Daily Life, Study Applications, Games and Entertainment, and Others. Below the main directory were subdirectories, arranged in rows that were narrow and intricate. The more Lì Tíng scrolled, the more bewildered he became. 

Just when he began to doubt whether he had downloaded the correct software, he spotted the word "Accounting" in the first row of subdirectories. 

He clicked to check it out; it looked somewhat complicated. However, Lì Tíng didn't give up. Keeping the spirit of exploration alive, he tried navigating through it bit by bit, repeatedly experimenting, even performing manual calculations alongside the software.

Finally, he verified that the software could indeed be used and, once learned, would be very convenient, which put his mind at ease. 

Having established a sense of trust, Li Ting opened the accompanying ledger and meticulously recorded his expenses for the day before saving it. 

Not bad; it works. 

Li Ting mentally rated this software. 

... 

Fang Huaining had a small apartment in the city center that had been left to him by his mother before she went abroad. It was very convenient for buses and the subway and was also close to A University, just a ten-minute ride away. 

After taking a shower, it was almost midnight, but for them, the night was just beginning. 

While drying his hair, he glanced at the stack of books on the table and felt increasingly puzzled. One or two books might be understandable, but five of them were all the same, with the exception of that one A Library book that couldn't be borrowed. The others matched his own needs almost perfectly. Who would believe this was a coincidence? Fang Huaining had been outstanding since childhood and was naturally accustomed to various means of pursuit, such as imitating his interests, seeking opportunities to run into him, or inquiring about his personal circumstances in an attempt to provide convenience. But this time, that seemed unlikely. The books he wanted were probably not even remembered clearly by the A Library's staff, let alone by him. 

Was it truly a coincidence? 

But that was just too coincidental.

Recently, strange occurrences had been happening around Fang Huaining so frequently that he began to question the nature of life itself. 

Feeling lost, he sat down at the table. 

Forget it, books are always innocent. Since he had long wanted to read them, he might as well start now; coincidentally, he had several problems that needed reference for solutions. 

As he flipped through the books, Fang Huaining opened a little program he called "Little Farm" on his computer. "Little Farm" was Fang Huaining's name for this program, primarily serving as his coding experimental ground. Some aspects had already taken shape, while others remained a chaotic jumble of data: advanced, amateurish, quirky, explicit, and everything in between. In short, all kinds of eccentric ideas and disorganized application prototypes were produced and tested there, including the accounting software he had written previously. To facilitate easy access for modifications, Fang Huaining had even created a mobile version, complete with a striking logo featuring a large pomelo. 

This project had been in development since Fang Huaining entered university; it had been built brick by brick through years of hard work. However, today, when he logged into the backend, he discovered that this personal territory, which should have been off-limits to anyone but himself, had been breached by an unknown IP address. 

The usually composed Fang Huaining was taken aback. 

Who is it??!! 

Chapter 21: 

His mind and spirit were somewhat agitated.

A territory like Little Farm is not something one can casually access through a URL unless they are quite an expert in computers. But really, why would a super expert be interested in such trivial matters? 

Confused by the situation, Fang Huaining hurriedly set out to investigate, checking the new IP that had logged in and successfully locating it. He discovered that the address was also in A City and only about forty to fifty kilometers away. From the map, the location seemed quite familiar... A dark, lengthy path surfaced in Fang Huaining's mind, leading to a dilapidated old apartment building. 

So it was him?! 

But how could that be... 

Quick-witted Fang Huaining connected the dots and pieced it together. He realized he had been too careless with that USB drive, forgetting it contained several random items. Yet, the fact that Li Ting managed to find his most secret stash and successfully install and log into Little Farm genuinely impressed Fang Huaining. 

Without needing to see it in person, Fang Huaining could almost picture this outsider sitting there with a serious expression, tinkering away, likely searching for various materials, determined to conquer this strange entity. He was certainly stubborn enough not to give up easily. 

As he contemplated this, Fang Huaining couldn't help but smile slightly and re-entered Little Farm. Following the user's operation records, he opened the accounting software. This was merely an early design by Fang Huaining.

He had indeed mentioned to Wu Yi that he had the idea of creating similar software for a client; otherwise, it would have been impossible to gather so much data so quickly within just a few days. However, he hadn't really taken any swift action. As a result, the contents in this experimental environment were much rougher compared to the version Li Ting was supposed to use, and the functionalities were incomplete. It was merely intended for initial structural experiments, yet Li Ting still managed to figure out how to use it.

Looking at the three additional records inside, Fang Huaining felt a bit helpless. 

xx brand hand-ground rice cake x4, ￥18.6 

xx brand flour 2.5kg, ￥12.5 

xx street supermarket carrots 1kg, ￥4.0 

If someone had told Fang Huaining earlier that such inexplicable items would appear in the private territory he had meticulously managed, even if he hadn't seized the opportunity to turn the tables and retaliate, he absolutely would have been furious and would have immediately tossed them out, locking everything down. 

However, now, staring at these trivial daily records, Fang Huaining could only laugh and facepalm. This strong sense of incongruity felt like a fruit tree suddenly sprouting in a weapons factory, laden with sweet fruits; he knew it didn't belong, yet somehow, he felt somewhat reluctant to cut it down.

Fang Huaining attributed this feeling to a lack of clear communication; the responsibility lay with him, and he couldn't really blame anyone else.

However, shouldn't he explain things clearly to the other party? He would definitely need to use this software often, and if Li Ting continued to use it as well, that meant he could see the other party's financial privacy at any time, which would be quite intrusive. In a way, it could be seen as being voyeuristic. Moreover, the little farm was much more difficult to use than the previous accounting software; it ran slowly and consumed a lot of memory, making it anything but a user-friendly application, and not a suitable choice for Li Ting.

With that in mind, Fang Huaining picked up his phone, but the moment he opened the messaging app and saw Li Ting's icon, he put it down again. Forget it; maintaining control over his own actions lay within his hands. As long as he restrained himself from looking, the other party wouldn't need to worry about the disclosure of accounts. After all, Fang Huaining didn't really use that particular module much. As for the issue of it running slowly... 

He pondered for a moment and silently opened the backend code. Let's optimize it again. 

... In a busy haze, he didn't realize that it had already turned bright outside. Fang Huaining decided not to sleep anymore, took a cold shower, grabbed some books from his desk, and headed straight back to the research institute.

In the afternoon, when the A library had just opened, the administrator at the consulting desk saw Fang Huaining walk in. "Hey, what brings you here today?"

Fang Huaining had interacted with this female teacher while updating the operating system for Library A, so they were somewhat familiar with each other. The female teacher seemed to have guessed his purpose for visiting and regrettably said, "I kept an eye out for the books you wanted, but they were all borrowed immediately after being returned."

Fang Huaining nodded, placing the titles in front of her, and asked, "Is it possible to check the specific return dates for those borrowed under someone else's library card?"

The female teacher quickly operated the computer: "The earliest one was returned over a month ago, and the latest one was just yesterday."

Over a month ago? Wasn't that just after summer vacation began? Does this mean the person who borrowed the books gradually managed to collect them all until yesterday? Who is that dedicated?

"Can you tell me whose library card it is?" Fang Huaining asked again.

The female teacher checked the records: "It's a second-year student in our school's Communication Engineering department named Liu Lei."

Liu Lei?!

Fang Huaining leaned over to look at his photo—a boy with a bowl haircut; he didn't recognize him. 

However, it's possible that Communication Engineering could involve these books, but second year... isn't that a bit advanced? Besides, it contradicted what Li Han had said.

If Liu Lei really wanted to gain Fang Huaining's favor, would he perform a good deed anonymously? Or is everything just the beginning?

Fang Huaining's curiosity grew even more. 

In just over a week, the new semester would officially begin, and the research institute would be taking a break for the next few days. Last time, Fang Huaining had assisted Song Chuping with the summer camp, and Professor Song generously insisted on treating him as well. There were two popular restaurants across from the research institute that everyone liked to order from during group meals. 

Today also marked the last working day for the interns recruited from outside the institute. As soon as Fang Huaining and his group arrived, they encountered Li Han and a few other students. Li Han was part of Song Chuping's group, but he had hardly met the teacher, spending most of his time with the seniors. Now, when they came across Song Chuping, he generously offered to cover the bill for everyone, but Li Han politely declined. 

"My brother used to work here, and he has employee discounts. He'll be coming over later, so we can get a discount. Thank you, Professor." 

Fang Huaining, who had been looking down, glanced over at Li Han. 

Li Han was also looking at him, seemingly wanting to say something, but Fang Huaining was quickly pulled into a private room by a senior and missed what he intended to say. 

Song Chuping could talk endlessly, and those around him continuously chimed in.

Fang Huaining was somewhat familiar with them but wasn't part of their group, so he felt it inappropriate to voice any opinions on their projects. Therefore, most of the time, he sat in silence while eating, and afterward, he occupied himself with his phone.

Initially, he played a game, but finding it boring, he switched back to his little farm app. As he browsed through the code without finding any new ideas, he idly poked around and accidentally—yes, accidentally—reopened the accounting directory.

Fang Huaining told himself he would just take a quick look; if there was anything inappropriate, he would never open it again. Only then did he feel reassured as he scanned through the entries.

Sure enough, two new entries had appeared in his accounts; the little money manager was truly diligent and hardworking. 

What had he bought today? Toothpaste... He was actually using the same brand as himself, just in apple flavor. What does apple flavor even taste like? He also bought slippers—very cheap slippers... two pairs for five yuan? Can these even be worn?

Fang Huaining silently complained when suddenly someone asked, "Do you guys know what day it is today?"

Everyone present looked confused.

Senior A: "Payday?"

Senior B: "Dinner party?"

Hong Yue shook her head. "Today is August 24."

Senior A continued thinking: "Paris Liberation?"

Senior B: "Windows 95 launched?"

Hong Yue was left speechless.

It was Song Chuping who spoke up, "It's the Qixi Festival on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. You guys really have no hope." 

Senior A replied calmly, "That holiday has never appeared on our personal calendars; how are we supposed to know?" 

Senior B suddenly pointed to the side. "Look at Huaining; his expression has been worse than ours since a while ago. He hasn't found someone to celebrate with, so why should we be worried?" 

Called out by name, Fang Huaining looked up from his phone, confused. He rubbed his tightly furrowed forehead and explained, "I didn't sleep at all last night." 

"Wow, were you preparing for today?" 

"Shouldn't preparation involve conserving energy?" 

"Too confident, huh..." 

Unable to endure their nonsensical banter, Fang Huaining turned off his phone and decided to leave. Noticing he looked a bit tired, Song Chuping chose not to press him further.

As Fang Huaining exited the restaurant and prepared to hail a taxi, his peripheral vision caught sight of two figures grappling with one another. He turned his head and saw that they were embracing, and it seemed to be... both guys?!

But what surprised Fang Huaining even more was that the two soon separated; no, that wasn't quite right. The shorter one pushed the taller one away and scolded him angrily. The voice sounded quite familiar; it seemed to belong to Li Ting's younger brother?

Then the two began to argue.

One said the other didn't care about him and wasn't suitable for him, while the other retorted that he had never liked him at all, and that his recent coldness showed he didn't care. It all boiled down to a back-and-forth argument, with Fang Huaining mainly tuning out the details because his mind was somewhat agitated.

He had often heard about similar things, but he never personally saw it with his own eyes. So it was indeed a surprise for him when this suddenly happened today. However, what shocked Fang Huaining the most was the identity of the person involved: it was actually Li Ting's younger brother. Moreover, his voice did sound a bit like Li Ting's, which often created an illusion for Fang Huaining.

When he came back to his senses, the taller boy had already left, and Li Han was crouching on the ground, sobbing quietly. 

Fang Huaining silently watched his back, and suddenly he turned his head to see Li Ting standing not far away. It wasn't clear how long he had been there, silently observing the whole scene without showing any emotion on his face.

Noticing the gaze from the other side, Li Ting looked over sharply. 

Their eyes met, and the deadpan stare he gave Fang Huaining made him feel a bit flushed for a moment. 

Chapter 22:

It seemed like he had witnessed a melodramatic family drama that only appeared in TV shows.

Li Ting and Fang Huaining's eyes met for a brief moment before quickly shifting to the increasingly loud sobs of Li Han in the distance.

Fang Huaining saw him approach and try to lift the crouching boy, but Li Han was uncooperative, struggling and crying. It was then that Fang Huaining realized that his younger brother was actually drunk, likely still reeling from the shock of their earlier argument, as he didn't even recognize who was in front of him and only wanted to break free.

Li Han was quite thrashing; the first time, he slapped Li Ting's face, which he dodged, and the second time, his elbow struck Li Ting's chest. On the bustling street, Fang Huaining vaguely heard a heavy thud, causing his heart to tighten.

Li Ting was skilled at managing drunks. No matter how troublesome Li Han was, he didn't even come close to half of Tian Dian's antics. Just as he was about to take a deep breath to assert control, another hand suddenly reached out from beside him, grabbing Li Han's wildly swinging arm and pressing down on his shoulder, pinning him in place and preventing any movement.

Li Ting looked up, and Fang Huaining was leaning forward, gazing at him.

"Where are you going?" Fang Huaining asked bluntly.

Li Ting replied succinctly, "Not on the way."

If Fang Huaining were someone who showed his emotions easily, he might have laughed in frustration right then. You know where I live, and you just say it's not on the way?

It's a classic case of good intentions being mistaken for something else.

However, someone who had already encountered the claws of a small cat didn't seem afraid of getting scratched. Fang Huaining calmly asked, "So, are you taking the bus, or are you calling a taxi yourself?"

Taking a drunk on the bus would likely result in being kicked off by the other passengers, and calling a taxi... wasn't a practical option for Li Ting.

Indeed, the small cat's vulnerability was astutely recognized.

Li Ting looked at Fang Huaining for a moment, and when he finally spoke, his tone had softened, "Where do you live?"

When he dropped the cold demeanor, his voice was truly softer than the summer night breeze. Fang Huaining cleared his throat and responded, "Where do you want to go?"

Li Ting replied, "Su Mei Garden."

Fang Huaining was surprised; that place was actually quite close to his home, and the real estate there wasn't cheap.

"On the way," he deliberately emphasized, enunciating each word.

When the car arrived, Fang Huaining sat in the front while Li Ting helped the drunk into the back seat. No one spoke during the ride, with only the occasional interruption of Li Han's muffled sniffles.

Fang Huaining glanced back and saw Li Ting unexpectedly pull out a large wad of tissues, carefully using them to wipe Li Han's face, clearing away tears and snot. The gesture was hardly gentle but still quite meticulous.

The car radio played a song from who knows what era, the hoarse male voice repeating the same few lines of lyrics.

I miss you...

I like you...

My mind is filled with thoughts of you...

In the quiet space, with a sticky melody echoing back and forth, Fang Huaining would have been indifferent in the past. However, perhaps because he had just witnessed the incident between the two boys, he inexplicably felt a bit embarrassed.

Fortunately, the car soon arrived at its destination. Seeing Li Ting struggling to drag the limp figure, Fang Huaining instinctively followed behind and lent a hand, which Li Ting readily accepted.

Fang Huaining had heard about Su Mei Garden before, but this was his first visit, and he didn't expect it to be even better than he had imagined. The community was beautifully decorated, and the security at the entrance was strict, confirming their identities multiple times before allowing them in.

As brothers, one struggled tirelessly in a remote area, while the other lived comfortably in a high-end community. Fang Huaining felt that these two brothers must have quite a story behind them.

Li Han had been late returning home, and the anxious Di Wei had long been worried. So when Li Ting knocked on the door, Aunt Wang and she rushed out. Upon seeing Li Ting, both were a bit surprised, and looking at the dazed Li Han made them even more anxious as they hurriedly pulled him closer.

"What were you thinking, drinking like that?" Di Wei asked while glancing at Li Ting.

Li Eryang also stepped out after hearing the commotion, glancing at Li Ting and then at Fang Huaining, who was standing to the side.

"Where have you been?" 

His tone was calm, but Li Ting had long been accustomed to this routine. When an outstanding student and a struggling student got into trouble together, most people typically assigned blame to the latter.

Li Ting couldn't be bothered to respond and simply turned to leave.

Li Eryang called out after him, "You rarely come home, and this is your attitude?!"

Li Ting halted and turned back, his expression flat as he asked, "What's the matter?"

Li Eryang took a deep breath. "School starts soon, right? Come back for dinner next month; I need to talk to you about something."

Di Wei, who was standing next to them, looked surprised, as if he hadn't been aware of this.

Li Ting blinked before replying, "I'm busy."

Li Eryang was taken aback, anger flaring: "What exactly could you be busy with when you hardly attend classes?"

Li Ting ignored him and continued walking away.

However, Li Eryang clearly wasn't finished with his lecture. "Li Ting! Your brother is actively looking for internships over the summer. What about you? When are you going to get your act together and stop waiting for something to happen so I'll have to clean up your mess?! Spending all day idly, not learning anything properly!"

This stern and outright reprimand surprised Fang Huaining, who regarded Li Ting as nearly perfect in his eyes. Yet here, in the perspective of someone who should be close, he appeared to have numerous flaws. Was this a lack of understanding toward Li Ting, or was it simply too harsh?

Li Eryang's attention was initially focused on Li Ting, but he soon noticed another boy beside him staring intently at him, a gaze strikingly different from the typical crowd surrounding Li Ting.

However, Fang Huaining's displeasure quickly faded when Li Ting abruptly turned and bumped him aside with his shoulder as he walked past. Before Fang could react, jets of water came crashing down from above, splashing everywhere and watering the flowers in the courtyard as well as those nearby.

"—Ah! What is this...? Who turned on the sprinkler? Turn it off! Turn it off!!" Di Wei, who had been drenched first, couldn't help but shout.

Li Eryang, also completely soaked, was furious: "—Li Ting!!!"

Li Ting was already sauntering away, his voice fading behind him: "Sorry, I wanted to wash away my thoughts, but I couldn't see where I was going..."

As he strolled along the elegant and quiet garden path, Fang Huaining's mind was still spinning.

It felt as though he had just witnessed a melodramatic family drama one might see on television—disapproval from elders, comparisons between brothers, and lives diverging in different directions...

Watching the figure ahead, moving at a steady pace yet appearing so solitary, Fang Huaining couldn't help but wonder about Li Ting's current feelings. Even if he seemed indifferent on the surface, wasn't he sad deep down? Someone so strong-willed and stubborn, how could his pride bear it?

Sure enough, as they walked, Li Ting slowed down, lifting his hands to gently cover his chest.

Was his chest hurting again?!

He must be upset.

Fang Huaining involuntarily quickened his pace to walk beside him, pondering what comforting words he could offer that wouldn't feel intrusive given their not-so-close relationship, when a loud rumbling sound suddenly emerged from Li Ting.

"Gu gu... gu gu gu..."

Fang Huaining turned his head, and Li Ting happened to turn his as well, their gazes meeting once again.

Looking down at Li Ting's hands, he realized they weren't covering his chest but his stomach...

Li Ting: "…"

Fang Huaining: "…"

...

Li Ting hadn't had dinner before coming over, and his lunch had been casual at best. By now, he was undoubtedly starving. However, there weren't many small shops near the upscale community, and roadside vendors were even scarcer. Given that today was special, the only roadside stall available was unexpectedly busy.

Surrounded by all sorts of couples, Li Ting and Fang Huaining had been waiting in front of a cold noodle stall for quite a while without getting a seat.

Their noodles were ready, and Fang Huaining intended to pay, but unexpectedly, the stingy one moved faster than he did, pulling out cash.

Li Ting calmly responded to Fang Huaining's surprise, "Half the taxi fare."

After surveying the area, Li Ting pointed to a seat that had finally opened up for Fang Huaining to occupy before he dashed across the road.

As soon as he sat down, Fang Huaining noticed that the well-dressed scholar had followed him over. The scholar was looking around and shifting his weight from one foot to the other, yet after quite some time, he still hadn't taken a seat.

Li Ting sneakily glanced at him from the corner of his eye, pouted, and suddenly pulled something from his pocket and tossed it onto the ground.

Fang Huaining stared in disbelief as that pure white handkerchief was casually thrown at his feet.

Li Ting lowered his head and scooped some noodles into his mouth, saying, "The other half of the taxi fare."

Fang Huaining was left speechless.

After finally settling down with the handkerchief beneath him, he noticed that Li Ting had already consumed nearly half of his noodles. His eating speed was remarkably fast; according to Fang Huaining's observation, he didn't devour them in a hurry but took small bites instead. Yet, he chewed rapidly, his cheeks bulging, munching and munching, swallowing quickly like a little squirrel...

Moreover, Li Ting's noodles were drenched in chili oil, with red droplets clinging to his lips, making them look glossy and vibrant—especially striking as he moved his lips up and down.

Just as Li Ting was nearing the bottom of his bowl, he noticed that the person next to him remained seated, motionless. Turning his head in confusion, he found Fang Huaining staring at him with a serious expression.

Li Ting couldn't help but think: Can you really feel full just by looking? This guy is truly obsessed with cleanliness.