The Hot-tempered Young Master and His Village Flower Child Bride - Chapter 46

Chapter 46: School Starts

Two days before returning to school, Zhao Xunyu and Chu Zhi Lu had passionate s*x, which ultimately left Zhao Xunyu with a cold.

Zhao Xunyu rarely fell ill, but even a minor cold left him utterly miserable. He tossed and turned all night, plagued by headaches, a fever, and difficulty breathing.

Wrapped in blankets and with red eyes and nose, he sniffled and croaked, “The ancients were right: ‘Only the ox dies from plowing; the land never wears out.’“

Feeling wretched, he took two days off from school and subsisted on bland porridge that left his mouth feeling pecked clean by birds.

On the third day, still feeling listless, Chu Zhi Lu brought a thermos and accompanied him to class. During breaks, they sat in the back row. Zhao Xunyu closed his eyes, pulled his beanie low, and wore a mask, projecting an aura of cool, trendy aloofness to onlookers. In reality, he quietly whined in Chu Zhi Lu’s ear while restlessly scratching her hand with his left hand. Her right hand slipped inside his down jacket to gently massage his warm belly.

After a while, she freed her hand, unscrewed the thermos lid, and offered it to him. “Drink some water.”

Zhao Xunyu remained silent, burying his face in the crook of her neck as a way of refusing. He hated drinking hot water. Chu Zhi Lu reached out to adjust his hat and coaxed him, “Drinking water will help you recover faster.”

Zhao Xunyu refused in a muffled voice, “What kind of ‘straight girl’ talk is that? I’m not drinking it.”

“Then we’ll see a doctor this afternoon and hear what they say.”

“… Fine, I’ll drink it.””

He’d rather die than see a doctor for a minor cold. It would tarnish his reputation.

As it turned out, drinking plenty of hot water actually helped. By the fourth day, only a cough, slightly red eyes, and mild nasal congestion remained.

Zhao Xunyu once again experienced the carefree lightness of being healthy and pain-free. Admiring himself in the mirror, he declared, “I should stay like this forever! I look so innocent and harmless.”

Chu Zhi Lu glanced up at him. The red circles around his eyes gave him an innocent and fragile air. She lowered her head to type, “Have you already forgotten the pain? Weren’t you the one wailing about wanting to die just a few nights ago?”

Zhao Xunyu choked, triggering another fit of coughing.

“Be careful.”

Zhao Xunyu thumped his chest a few times, furrowing his brow dramatically and striking a delicate, windblown pose. In a theatrical tone, he whined, “Your Majesty shows no compassion for this humble subject~“

Chu Zhi Lu’s eyelids flickered. Her voice was cold and merciless as she retorted, “Drag him away and execute him.”

“Your Majesty~ You’re so heartless~“

After teasing her for a while, Zhao Xunyu earnestly sought her approval. “Zhizhi, I really think I sound great like this. Don’t you think my voice is especially deep, magnetic, and pleasing to the ear?”

He didn’t need to force it; his voice was already a perfect bass cannon. Chu Zhi Lu replied without hesitation, “No, it sounds like Donald Duck.” She continued, “You should drink more hot water.”

Zhao Xunyu protested indignantly. “How does it sound like Donald Duck? It’s clearly very pleasing to the ear! Besides, my recovery had nothing to do with hot water. It was your meticulous care and burning love that healed me. I love you.”

“…” Chu Zhi Lu’s hand on the keyboard paused for a long time, “Drink more hot water.”

Zhao Xunyu sniffled and shook his head with feigned sorrow. “I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the moon shines only on a ditch.”

Then, he grabbed his thermos, unscrewed the lid, and took a large gulp.

During his cold, the couple slept in separate rooms. After teasing his girlfriend, Zhao Xunyu returned to his room, pulled out his phone, and sent a voice message to his friend Xu Qingchen: Dog.

Xu Qingchen replied instantly: ? What do you want, son?

Zhao Xunyu sent another voice message: Long time no see. I miss you.

Xu Qingchen replied with a voice message dripping with disdain: Get lost! You disgusting trap!

Zhao Xunyu cleared his throat: How about that? Isn’t it a sophisticated, natural-sounding deep voice?

Xu Qingchen’s disgust was palpable: The fever must have fried your brain and vocal cords.

“Get lost!”

Fortunately, Zhao Xunyu wasn’t one to wallow in self-pity. Though his lover and friends didn’t side with him, the public’s eyes were sharp. During his illness, his aloof and unapproachable demeanor had repeatedly landed him on the school’s confession wall. A talent scout had even approached him, eager to sign him and help him debut.

Zhao Xunyu treated the scout courteously, praising their keen eye for talent, but his refusal was firm. “I’m really sorry, but I have a girlfriend. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to be in the public eye.”

“No problem. Underground relationships are common. Just explain it to her; she’ll understand.”

Zhao Xunyu then dragged the scout along to show off his girlfriend and explained in detail why an underground relationship wouldn’t work for him. He emphasized that if he didn’t cherish her, she’d disappear in an instant. He’d rather be the anonymous, handsome man behind her, doing things like washing his hands and cooking her meals, his achievements hidden from the world.

The talent scout, having been force-fed a whole tank of ‘dog food’, was speechless.

What did I want with him in the first place?

A couple’s interview?

A discussion about the question, ‘Are you happy?’

With the new year and semester, all four members of Zhao Xunyu’s dorm had found partners. They weren’t all conventionally handsome, but their popularity on the basketball court had skyrocketed. Through the rose-tinted glasses of the girls, even their sweaty odor was perceived as an alluring, masculine scent. At this point, making a move was practically effortless.

No wonder some guys resorted to ridiculous air-balling antics to show off. In their minds, it was genuinely cool and boosted their ‘aura.’

In keeping with the dorm’s time-honored tradition, whenever someone escaped singlehood, they had to treat everyone to a celebratory ‘no longer single’ meal. Zhao Xunyu had been on the receiving end of three such meals in two months. Everyone agreed on the protocol: The dinner was all about the new couple, specifically the new girlfriends, at the expense of the poor saps who were now their boyfriends. The rest of the guys had to come alone. A proper outing with four couples could only be organized after this rite of passage was complete.

After their final ‘no longer single’ meal in the dorm, Zhao Xunyu said, “My girlfriend’s been really busy lately. I’ll find another opportunity to treat you guys later.”

His dorm mates expressed their ‘understanding’ with exaggerated nods and knowing smirks.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Top students are like this. You can treat us to supper tonight. Besides, we all know your girlfriend.”

“That’s right, you two haven’t just been together. You can bring her with you the next time we all get together. There’s no rush.”

During a training break, his teammates pulled him aside and gestured toward the stands. “Where’d you pick up this admirer? That girl’s been sitting there for two weeks, her eyes glued to you the whole time. She looks like she’s still a minor.”

Zhao Xunyu, focused on the ball, showed little interest. “You’re imagining things.”

Then he got a nudge. “No way, she’s definitely checking you out! And she looks kind of familiar…”

At that, Zhao Xunyu finally glanced over. At first glance, she did look vaguely familiar.

‘She looks a bit like my girlfriend. Of course she’s familiar.’

When their eyes met, she didn’t blush or look away. Instead, she smiled confidently, as if to say, ‘You finally noticed me.’

Zhao Xunyu frowned and walked over to her.

The girl in the white princess dress stood up as he approached, her smile radiant. “Hello, I’m Tang Xiyue. My mother is Liu Xiangjun.”

Zhao Xunyu recognized the name and finally understood why she resembled his girlfriend. Still frowning, he asked, “What do you want?”

He showed none of the warmth one might expect from a man toward his girlfriend’s younger sister. Tang Xiyue’s carefully maintained smile froze for a moment. “Is it wrong for me to pursue you?”

Zhao Xunyu glanced at her. “Technically, you should be calling me ‘brother-in-law’.”

‘Is there anything wrong with her brain?’

Tang Xiyue responded, “You can still get divorced after getting married. Not to mention, the two of you are just boyfriend and girlfriend. If she can be with you, why can’t I? I’m richer, more outgoing, and more fun. I look like her, but I’m younger and I smile more. By any measure, I’m the better choice.”

“… You certainly have a high opinion of yourself.”

Zhao Xunyu never bothered with people he didn’t want to engage with. He didn’t argue; he simply turned and walked away as if she didn’t exist.

Tang Xiyue refused to be deterred. She grew more determined, visiting two or three times a week and seizing every opportunity to speak to him. She deliberately avoided Chu Zhi Lu, and Zhao Xunyu’s cold glares seemed to have no effect on her. Frustrated, Zhao Xunyu finally asked his girlfriend to persuade Tang Xiyue to back off.

It was obvious that Tang Xiyue was doing this to antagonize Chu Zhi Lu. Having been humiliated by her sister, she was trying to shift the conflict and annoy Chu Zhi Lu.

How childish.

But ultimately, she was Chu Zhi Lu’s sister. Any harsh measures that Zhao Xunyu took against her would be inappropriate. It was best left for Chu Zhi Lu to handle.