Ch37 - (II). The Black Wolf Caught A White Peacock

As finals approached, Rong Jun’s usual ease began to fade. His classmates had all entered full exam-preparation mode, practically living at school. Yet Rong Jun discovered that Qu Po hadn’t shown up for class and he wouldn’t even answer his phone.

“Where did this guy disappear to?” Rong Jun muttered, staring at his phone screen.

Yan Chen would have preferred the fox to vanish forever, but in front of Rong Jun he restrained himself and said, “He probably overslept. Let’s go to class first.”

Rather than believing he had overslept, Rong Jun was more inclined to think Qu Po was trapped in the arms of some woman and couldn’t escape. After all, something like that had happened before. Rong Jun is truly worried that one day the guy would end up ruined by some woman.

“Alright.” After sending a text asking Qu Po to call back, Rong Jun refocused on the professor.

After a full day of classes, Rong Jun still hadn’t received any reply from Qu Po by the time he got home.

Instead, he unexpectedly received a call from Rong Li.

Thinking about the Zhou family’s current situation, a vague uneasiness rose in his chest.

“Brother?”

“Hehe, when do your finals end?” The voice on the other end sounded light and cheerful. Hearing it, Rong Jun, who had been tense all day gradually relaxed, his anxiety slowly turning into anticipation.

“I don’t have many exams. They will all be finished next Tuesday,” Rong Jun replied quickly. Then he changed the subject and asked, “How are things going over there?”

Rong Li’s clear laughter traveled through the phone. “Next Tuesday, I’ll come pick you up and take you home.”

“Really!?” Rong Jun’s voice rose with surprise, his eyes crinkling with joy. But the excitement quickly faded, replaced by a hint of concern in his expression. “How was it resolved so quickly?”

“The Rong family was suddenly investigated by the authorities. Some issues were found, so their acquisition plan had to be halted. Meanwhile, the Zhou family’s loan application to the Central Bank was approved a couple of days ago, and the project has already restarted. For now, the crisis has passed.”

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“Uncle is always cautious, so there’s no need to worry too much. Even if the Rong family wanted to resort to tricks, they wouldn’t use something this self-destructive. Right now, they don’t have the energy to deal with the Zhou family.”

“That’s good. As long as you’re all alright.”

They didn’t discuss the matter any further. When it came to these things, Rong Jun trusted Rong Li’s judgment far more than his own.

After the call ended, Rong Jun lay sprawled on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling for a long time. Then he suddenly jumped up, landing on the floor and bouncing excitedly a few times while making a victory gesture.

“Yay! Yay! Yay!”

But only a few seconds later, he quickly returned to his usual dignified and aloof demeanor.

Then he suddenly remembered something. Picking up his phone, he dialed Yan Chen’s number. As expected, Yan Chen answered almost immediately, as though he had been waiting for the call.

“Qingqing~”

Rong Jun had noticed that whenever Yan Chen called him “Qingqing,” there was always a faint hint of coquettishness in his deep voice. Somehow, his ears seemed to automatically filter out everything else.

He chuckled softly before saying, “Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?”

“Okay.” The other side agreed without hesitation.

Yan Chen could never refuse such an invitation. Rong Jun knew that very well, so he headed straight to the kitchen before Yan Chen could ask anything further.

“I’ll let you know when the food’s ready.”

“I’ll come over now and help.”

“Alright.”

…

The evening news played on the television in the living room, but neither of the two people in the kitchen were paying attention.

The counter in front of them was piled high with ingredients, stacked like a small mountain. It looked as though everything from the refrigerator had been taken out.

Yan Chen glanced at the “mountain” of food, then at the lingering smile on Rong Jun’s lips, and immediately understood.

He quietly stepped a little closer until their shoulders were almost touching.

“Have your worries been resolved?” Yan Chen asked.

Rong Jun turned to look at him, the smile on his face deepening unconsciously. “Mm.”

Yan Chen met his gaze. The joy shining in Rong Jun’s eyes seemed to ripple outward, touching his own as well.

“Then you’d better eat a few more bowls of rice tonight,” Yan Chen said. “You’ve lost weight recently.”

“I haven’t.” Rong Jun touched his cheek. He looked in the mirror every day and had never noticed losing any weight.

“You have,” Yan Chen insisted confidently.

His overly certain tone made Rong Jun chuckle. “You really do pay more attention to me than I do to myself.”

“Of course.” Yan Chen looked rather proud, as if what he had said was both admirable and perfectly natural.

Yan Chen had been expecting a teasing compliment in return. But Rong Jun suddenly fell silent.

His thin lips parted slightly, and the calm in his eyes rippled away, replaced with a mixture of helplessness and shyness.

His face grew hotter and hotter. When Rong Jun realized what was happening, irritation immediately flashed in his eyes. He glared at Yan Chen, inexplicably annoyed, but Yan Chen simply watched him quietly without saying a word.

As the silence stretched on, Rong Jun’s breathing grew uneven and his face flushed a bright red.

Unable to endure Yan Chen’s steady gaze any longer, he finally turned to flee.

Dropping the vegetables he had been cutting, Rong Jun tried to run away. But before he could take a single step, a strong arm wrapped around his waist and gently pulled him back into a warm embrace.

A deep, sexy voice soon spoke beside his ear, its breath lightly tickling him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”