Ch41 - (II). On the matter of status and title

The two days of exams passed in the blink of an eye, and just like that, summer vacation arrived.

Rong Li wasted no time. He arrived at the school gate a full hour before Rong Jun’s final exam ended.

When Rong Jun stepped out of the classroom and saw Rong Li’s message, he suddenly froze.

Only then did he realize that he hadn’t told his brother that Yan Chen would be going back with him.

After hesitating for a moment, he pulled Yan Chen aside.

“Um… I haven’t told my brother about you yet.”

Yan Chen gently patted his shoulder, calm and unbothered. “Don’t worry. I’ve already had people make the necessary arrangements.”

“…Huh?” Rong Jun blinked in confusion.

A second later, his expression changed abruptly.

“You didn’t tell my brother about… us, did you?” he asked anxiously.

“Nothing like that happened,” Yan Chen replied.

Rong Jun let out a quiet breath of relief.

“That’s good…”

But the moment Yan Chen saw that expression his brows furrowed.

“What?” His tone turned sharp. “You don’t want your family to know about us?”

Rong Jun rarely saw Yan Chen show dissatisfaction toward him.

For a moment, he panicked.

“No! That’s not it,” he said quickly. “I’m just… not ready yet.”

“What is there to prepare?” Yan Chen’s expression darkened further, his usual composure slipping. “Are you playing me?”

“How could I possibly be playing you?” Rong Jun grabbed his hand instinctively, his voice filled with urgency. “We’ve only just started dating, I don’t even know how to bring it up yet. Just… give me some time.”

His voice softened without him realizing it.

And the hand holding Yan Chen’s began to sway slightly, almost unconsciously coaxing him to calm down.

The moment Yan Chen saw that, all his irritation vanished.

He exhaled quietly, the tension in his body easing.

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Rong Jun’s chest tightened. A sharp pang spread slowly into a dull ache.

He turned his head and pressed a light kiss against Yan Chen’s neck, his hand raising to gently stroke his hair.

All the words he wanted to say caught in his throat.

He felt… guilty.

…

The two left the building and walked all the way to the school gate. There, a sleek and extravagant luxury car was parked by the roadside.

The moment Rong Li spotted Rong Jun from inside, he got out immediately, waving as he walked over.

“Jun!”

Rong Jun raised a hand in response and jogged over.

“Brother, you came way too early. My luggage is still at home.”

“Then let’s go get it together.”

Rong Li slung an arm around his shoulders, clearly in high spirits after not seeing him for so long. He ruffled Rong Jun’s hair affectionately, then his gaze shifted.

“And who is this gentleman…?”

Rong Jun quickly introduced Yan Chen who was behind him.

“This is Yan Chen, my classmate.”

Rong Li released Rong Jun, a trace of surprise flickering through his eyes.

Then he smiled politely and inclined his head slightly.

“I’ve long heard of you, Your Highness. It’s an honor to have you visit our home.”

Yan Chen didn’t take the flattery to heart.

Very few people even knew his name. Aside from the Crown Prince and Second Prince, most members of the royal family remained largely unknown unless one had personal connections.

Even Rong Jun only stumbled upon his true identity because of the careless people around Yan Chen. If not, then he would have never known.

Yan Chen had never met Rong Li before.

Still, he showed a polite smile.

“Just call me Yan Chen, big brother. We’ll probably be seeing each other often in the future.”

He stood there like a well-behaved student, his posture straight, his expression bright and harmless.

The friendly address made Rong Li instinctively like him, yet at the same time, it made him wary.

Meanwhile, Rong Jun nearly choked.

‘We’ll be seeing each other often—‘ that line sounded far too suggestive.

He elbowed Yan Chen lightly at the waist and shot him a warning look.

“Tone it down.” he whispered enough for him to hear.

Yan Chen obediently quieted down.

Rong Jun didn’t give Rong Li time to think further. Who knows what his brother might be thinking now.

“Let’s go get the luggage first.”

Rong Li agreed. “Alright. Get in.”

…

The Rong family manor was located on a private estate nearly a hundred kilometers from the city center.

On ordinary days, it was quiet. Only a few family members lived there regularly, while most stayed elsewhere due to work.

But today, it was unusually lively.

Even the head of the Rong family, who had been busy dealing with recent investigations, was present.

Rong Jun roughly understood the reason.

After exchanging brief greetings, he brought Yan Chen straight back to his room.

“I’m sorry.”

The moment the door closed, Rong Jun frowned, guilt written plainly across his face.

“I really wasn’t being considerate.”

Yan Chen pulled him into his arms and pressed a kiss to his furrowed brow.

“So now you realize it was wrong not to give me a proper title as your boyfrind, huh?”

“No, I—”

Before he could finish, Yan Chen kissed him again.

“Mmm—”

“Do you really think you were right?” Yan Chen said, his tone low and dangerous.

His hand slipped down, gripping Rong Jun’s waist as he lifted him effortlessly.

Rong Jun let out a small sound of surprise as Yan Chen carried him a few steps back and sat down on the sofa, settling him securely in his lap.

For a moment, Yan Chen maintained a deliberately stern expression.

But Rong Jun couldn’t hold it in anymore.

He laughed. Wrapping his arms around Yan Chen’s neck, he leaned in close and hugged him tightly, his voice soft as he spoke in his ear.

“It was my fault.”

“That’s more like it.” Yan Chen’s tone softened immediately.

His hand slid up to gently stroke Rong Jun’s hair as he leaned back against the sofa with Rong Jun’s face resting on his neck.

He couldn’t see Rong Jun’s face but he could imagine it perfectly.

Right now, it must be filled with that soft, radiant smile he loved so much.